The website looks great Yuri! It is a needed service in the absence of any real intelligence on Russia in the US media!
Have a nice day!

Lois DuPey

Dear Yuri,
(re Discovery Institute D.C. seminar)

Well it looks like a nice event. If I were not a homeless person, and had any access to funding at all, I would attend and present a paper. In the absence of those niceties, my comments herein (consider it a donation) will suffice:

It seems to me that if the USA wants a decent relationship with Russia, (which it should- as that is in the overall interest of all peoples) we would cease and desist from undermining the Russian government and "encircling" (as opposed to "containing") the Russian borderlands, militarily speaking.

That said, the obvious benefits to our peoples and to American business, in particular the oil and gas industry would undoubtedly begin to accrue.
Why have not the fascists in USG figured this out? (This is the ultra question of the Cold War that yet remains.)

Still, it is our democratic tradition that we the people will solve this problem and remove those from office who do not serve our true interests. It takes some time though.

Sincerely,

Lois DuPey
(a "real American" and Republican to boot)

P.S. please give my best regards to my former chief advisor, Dr. H. Ellison

pps: could not post this to your function under the seminar info

Dear Lois and readers,

We had to postpone the DC event, because of another overlapping event in town. AAASS (American Association for Advanced Slavic Studies) is hosting a three day convention in DC starting today, Thursday. Everyone interested in Russia or working on Russian issues long ago RSVPed for this event. It would’ve been unwise to compete. It seems like now our own event will be possible only in early spring, due to the schedules of the speakers. Please hang in there, and we promise you a very strong and refreshing debate.

Thank you for your comments on the design!

Sincerely,
Yuri

Yuri,
As an IT professional, I really like the layout of the site.

As a student of the former Soviet Union under noted Sovietologist Professor Frederic Fleron at SUNY Buffalo in the early 1990s, I appreciate your website's refreshing perspective, diversity of opinions, and news sources. America needs to have an honest discussion and a good relationship with Russia. If America is to stay strong, it needs to cultivate a positive relationship with Russia - NOT encircle it with enemies like NATO in the Ukraine.

Was President Putin not the first world leader to comfort President Bush after the 9/11 attacks and provide intelligence on the Taliban in Afghanistan? The Bush and future administrations need to engage Russia, NOT anger it as Russia is a much more reliable energy partner than Saudi Arabia will ever be. If America continues to "encircle Russia", Russia will be "forced" to sell oil to China instead of the West and strike technology deals with Iran. The choice is America's.

Best regards,

Tomislav Djurdjevich

P.S. Many thanks to Mike Averko for referring me to your great website!

I like the new layout but, it's been reaking havok on my network for some reason. I keep getting "debug" notifications?

About the building: don't take offense but, buildings like this scare me! All I see in these types of projects is evil, if anyone can understand this.

In a world where people are starving, dying of war and live in poverty, a building like this just doesn't seem like the correct thing to do. In my humble opinion anyway. I really don't think this type of building accruately depicts the people of Russia.

Respectfully,
John

Expressing pretty much the same as Tomislav.

You should dig out the real story on why the west refuses to take on superior aerial firefighting from the Russian
Federation, prefering instead, it would appear from Australia at the moment, to lose everything in the process.

Count among 'the west' jurisdictions who sent agents of their disaster services branches to actually look at the aircraft: the US and Australia. Canada can't be
bothered, relying instead
on 'information' from the US.

Now that Christmas is finished and we are nearly into Lent, "Real Russia" people might like to experience Moscow Ballet. Following is my review of the performance of "Zolushka":

Dear Reader,

It may come as some surprise to you that a review of the performance of the Moscow Ballet's "Cinderella" (Zolushka) should be written by a homeless person. However, given the total lack of any reviews in the public press, it may have to suffice. (Homeless people in America do not have a lot else going on.)

It is true that I saved a week's wages to obtain the tickets to attend the performance in Portland, Oregon during the Christmas holidays. And given that we all (both Russians and Americans) shared as children this famous "rags to riches" fairy tale; well, perhaps a riches to rags reviewer is not wholly incongruous either. For it may be in its very incongruity, that the production excels.

So, having digested the last piece of turkey, several days prior to setting off to the big city for the ballet, I wished (sitting in front of the fireplace) to view again the Disney video of "Cinderella", together with the kids, to better recall the wonderful and beautiful story line. Of course, its images remain with us, but better to reconfirm the wonderment of it, through which mirror to judge the artistic merits of this upstart "private" Russian ballet company that had turned up here in Oregon, of all places.

As teenagers now, however, our children have somewhat less use for Disney videos than in years past. Thus, a nostalgic showing of the "Cinderella" video was supplanted (through democratic choices) by a showing of "Enemy of The State" and "Indochine". Both of these were also appropriate to the holiday and the times. And so, the journey began without a proper "mis en scene".

Arriving in Portland, and settling down into our seats at Schnitzer Hall, one could not help noting a paucity of furs and formal wear, and moreover the truly proletarian (working class even) ambiance of the performing arts center.

Still, expectations were high that a ballet company from Moscow (even a private one) must perform miracles, turning the evening into a magical rebirth of a beautiful classical fairy tale. I had promised the kids as much. (We have no such tradition of excellence, locally, in such fine performing arts.)

So, with bated breath I read the program, wherein I learned that a certain comic element had been added in this somewhat avant-garde production of a great classic. In trepidation, I awaited the opening scene, as the kids set about disturbing those in the adjacent rows.

My oldest daughter asked if Russians wore mink stoles to the Bolshoi Ballet. I replied that all furs were "obyazateljno" left at a garderrobe in cultured societies. (Such amenities as garderrobes and the requisite hook in one's overcoat [not to mention overcoats themselves] with which to hang it, are almost unknown in our freedom loving democratic tradition.) I admitted to her not recalling any mink stoles at ballets in Moscow in years past. She noted that stoles are meant to be worn as a part of one's outfit (i.e. indoors.) It is a mystery still, (to me at least) as regards disposition of stoles in Russia.

And then the curtain opened. At first, we were met by a prosaic rendition of the repugnant stepsisters and evil stepmother. In fact, it seemed that by comparison with the Disney classic (our only available prism for gauging the aesthetic value of the thing) those characters were in certain ways a caricature of themselves, as we had known them. Indeed, "so distorted or inferior as to seem ludicrous" - (per Daniel Webster’s definition of the term.) Perception is reality, is it not?

Nonetheless, (having studied such matters in college) I discerned beneath the "prikritie" (a spook's cover) a genuine yet barely visible aesthetic validity, which held my attention throughout the first act. The kids were still restless, but recognized the basic plot and characters that Disney himself had immortalized in our superior culture, and so were not entirely disruptive of the audience and even paid attention for the most part.

My recollection of Act I is marred by the disappointment I felt, (and sensed in the audience at large) at the lack of grandeur pervasive in the ballet production at hand. Moreover, what for Disney (and all of us peasants-pedants sitting there) should have been the "candy" of the evening, was apparently being withheld. Where was the grand "chariot"; the stagecoach, majestically formed from the golden pumpkin in the garden? It was nowhere to be found!

The frumpish stepsisters and stepmother caroused from scene to scene. And as the intentionally provincial rendition of (the plain Jane) Cinderella meekly prostrated herself before them and others, the audience yawned and wondered how and why the climax would occur.

It was a relief when “half-time” came, and the game was adjourned for a while, with the announcement that traditional Russian arts and crafts were available for viewing and purchase during break in the lobby.

The kids preferred to stay in their seats, except for my oldest, (she is in college.) Besides, I couldn’t afford to buy them overpriced cakes, so better not to ask. (Let them eat bread.)

The two of us ventured out to the foyer, where I explained that, in Russia, a grand intermission would be in progress now, with the requisite ice cream, champagne, caviar and other Russian ecstasies well worthy of being tardy for during Act II.

In the foyer, we found a table where a couple of poorly painted nutcrackers, were being displayed. The table was mostly empty. I turned away, embarrassed for my daughter’s sake. Where had the elegance and supremacy of Russian culture and its paraphernalia gone, anyway?

There were a few little girls (nine years old or younger) wandering about the lobby wearing mink stoles, accompanied by mothers in polyester slacks. No targets here for the greenie set, (worthy of a bucket of paint, that is.)

I wanted to see where the boxes were, (for high society, I mean.) So we ascended to the first circle, hoping for a glimpse of paradise lost. Not a box to be found. A truly proletarian theater experience reigns, apparently, in this city of the (white) yellow devil.

I explained to my daughter that in civilized nations, prominent people’s appearances at the performing arts -and hence the grandeur of private “booths” in Russian/European civilization (and even in our own, albeit prosaic, but more classical performance venues)- are “de rigueur”.

Soon it was time to return to our seats for Act II of the privatized production of “Cinderella” ballet. I won’t elaborate too much about what ensued, in order not to spoil it for you, dear reader. But should you be interested in Russian culture or history, especially in the so-called “modern epoch”, I will say this:

Act II, is about “Cinderella”, as much as it is about Russia herself. After being waltzed through the everlasting night by the handsome Teutonic prince (who truly dominates the scenes), Cinderella finds herself once again at the hands of the evil stepmother (suspiciously reminiscent of a Tsarina of the past) and her rude ‘wanna be beauty queen’ Baltic appearing offspring.

As I watched the unfolding miracle, I thought about how I had wanted to see a “real” Russian culture display, in the foyer (where it belonged) at half time. And I was still greatly irritated at having been deprived of the magnificence of the golden pumpkin and its alter ego the beautiful stagecoach. (A Rolls Royce of bygone times.)

Still, as the scenes rolled by, I became more and more aware of the undeniable parallels between the various sets of characters and the surrounding realities of the “real Russia”. In the final analysis, the dances of the Caucasians, the orangish matron of Slavic proportions, and other darker and lighter (casts) of characters- as well as the evocative scenery- of the ballet were found “both to teach, and to delight”.

And therefore, it may come as no surprise that the production- being a symbiosis of both the old and the new- produced a revolutionary form (!)

Or; more correctly, (one should say,) a classic was reborn. For not only did the missing golden pumpkin finally reappear as golden glistening “lamplets” (or slicked up golden orange-vanilla wafers), passed between the hands of those competing dancers who possessed them, but also; the missing classical beauty of Russian Ballet in all its magnificence returned in the lasting scenes.

Thus swans were born of ugly ducklings, and the lake of Cinderella’s mirror proved a viable metaphor in the best traditions of finest art.

I have to say, that I never had previously experienced such a wide range of emotions (initially entailing discomfort, embarrassment bordering on horror; progressing to genuine relief, and thence elation,) at a fine arts performance. Thus, I cannot say that I was not profoundly moved, literally speaking. Moreover, for professional reviewers (unlike the dilettante here) the idea posits itself that given Prokofiev's desire that "Cinderella" should become an "allegory of human behavior and relationships"; the production in question has at last achieved his aim.

In short, Oleg Vinogradov has succeeded very well, in choreographing this rendition of Zolushka, a Chef d’oeuvre that most eloquently poses the quintessential question ‘what are our expectations about Russia, and how might they most judiciously be attained?’

Curiously enough, our own most eminent Sovietolog asked this very same question almost exactly half a century ago with his book "American Diplomacy 1900-1950" His name was George Frost Kennan. (He recently passed on to the spirit world, at the wise old age of one hundred years.)

(The reviewer, Lois J. DuPey of Cannon Beach, Oregon, USA, is a “Sovietolog” by profession- a homeless fifty -year old individual who wisely and intelligently invested her assets in Russia.)