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 April 30, 2008 May Day 2008 in Russia
Now instead of having to wave Communist flags every year on May 1, young Russians can take advantage of their day off for other pursuits...like getting stuck in Moscow traffic at 3 a.m. with all the other club-goers looking for something to eat... April 27, 2008 Russian Orthodox Celebrate Easter 2008:
Xristos Voskrese! (Христос Воскресе!)
Today is the day that Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. From Russia Blog to all of our readers around the world, Happy Easter and best wishes for the spring and summer of 2008! Click here to read the post "Easter in a Russian Town". For a recipe to make kuhlich, a traditional Russian Easter cake, click here (just don't scrimp on the powdered cane sugar, even if you've been told that it does not exist in Russia!).
Continue reading "Russian Orthodox Celebrate Easter 2008: March 18, 2008 Lyube: Po Vysokoi Trave
This music video is by one of the most popular bands in Russia, Lyube. The song is about two childhood friends - one who grows up to become a businessman, and the other a Spetsnaz commando. This track is from Lyube's new album Rossiya (Russia). You can listen to a live recording of the title track here. You can also watch more Lyube music videos here. March 16, 2008 The Red Army Choir:
Sweet Home Alabama To The Point News reports on something that would have made Khrushchev take both shoes off and bang along with the Red Army Choir to "Sweet Home Alabama." Prepare yourself for this one - maybe with a Stoli martini or two. Back in the days of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Red Army had an official choir composed of male soldiers and musicians. It still exists. The Red Army Choir performs throughout Russia to this day. Now consider the Finnish rock band called The Leningrad Cowboys. A little while ago, they held a concert in Russia, in which - to the screaming applause of Russkie teenagers - they got the Red Army Choir to join them on stage for a performance of "Sweet Home Alabama." In English. You couldn't make this stuff up. We're talking seriously off the wall here. Better have that Stoli ready when you watch it: January 26, 2008 Driving Moscow Embankment at Night
Listening to Lyube...
To read more about Lyube, click here. For a video and more links to posts about driving in Moscow, click here. December 31, 2007 Irony of Fate: The Sequel
Ирония судьбы, или С лёгким паром!
Fyodor Bonarchuk's romantic comedy Zhara (Heat) was a smash hit at the Russian box office on New Year's Day 2007. On January 1, 2006, the action/horror film Dnevnoi Dozor (Day Watch) shattered all Russian box office records to date. This year, a modern day remake of the Soviet classic "The Irony of Fate" from Day Watch director Timur Bekmambetov is expected to be the big hit at movie theaters across across Russia and the rest of the CIS. Click on the extended post to read more about this film.
Continue reading "Irony of Fate: The Sequel December 29, 2007 Bettman's Bluff:
The NHL and the Sochi 2014 Olympics
A few weeks ago there was an article in the Pittsburg Post Gazette about the National Hockey League and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL, was quoted as making some pretty tough statements about whether or not NHL players would be allowed to participate in the games - despite already having played in the past 3 Olympics and being scheduled to play in the next winter olympiad in Vancouver. Here’s my response: Dear NHL International, I recently read online (I live in Krasnodar, Russia) in the Pittsburg Post Gazette that Mr. Bettman is potentially questioning whether it’s worth it for the NHL to participate in the 2014 Olympics here in Sochi. On the face of it, Mr. Bettman may think that he is being a good negotiator and is applying leverage to the Russian league owners to sign the International Ice Hockey Federation transfer agreement as it is currently constituted. However, I would say to Mr. Bettman to be careful. While many of you back in the U.S. and Canada may think that the NHL is the “only game in town” I would caution you to understand that the Russian Super League is not only becoming much better in terms of quality of play, but also in terms of economics for the players... (Click on the extended post to read more)
Continue reading "Bettman's Bluff: December 25, 2007 A Christmas Song by Alexander Vertinsky
Even though Russians will not be celebrating Christmas until January 7, for Russia Blog's readers in the non-Orthodox world, here is a Christmas song from the early 20th century Russian film and music star Alexander Nikolayevich Vertinsky ( 21 March 1889 - 21 May 1957). Alexander Vertinsky's younger daughter Anastasiya Vertinskaya went on to marry the famous Russian actor Nikita Mikhailkov, who has produced internationally acclaimed Russian films like The Barber of Siberia and 12. Click on the extended post to watch a 1913 Christmas cartoon produced by the Khanzhonkov Company in Moscow. Continue reading "A Christmas Song by Alexander Vertinsky" » December 17, 2007 Missives About Russian Ice Hockey
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) web site has interesting information about a popular winter sport. Below is a breakdown of the number of male ice hockey players in each of the leading ice hockey playing countries (the women's numbers are listed as well at the site).
The USSR always lagged behind Canada in the number of people playing ice hockey. For connoisseurs of the sport, this makes perfect sense. December 8, 2007 Latin Ballroom Dance in Russia
November 28, 2007 Wealthy Russian Collectors Storm London
And it is doubtful that Mother Russia will ever see the art again, says VIV GROSKOP.
Russian expats wanting to decorate their sumptuous homes and build new art collections gathered in London yesterday for what is expected to be a record-breaking week of Russian art auctions. Sotheby's kicked off last night with a sale of treasures from private collections across the world, rarely seen in public. The highlight was Natalia Goncharova's Bluebells (see next page), circa 1909, which went for £3m. The total take was £25.7m making it an historic night, according to Sotheby's head of Russian art, Jo Vickery. "It shows the Russian art market has come of age." All London's major auction houses have sales this week: on Wednesday, Christie's is due to sell a newly discovered Faberge egg which could fetch as much as £9m. Continue reading "Wealthy Russian Collectors Storm London" » October 13, 2007 Female Russian Orthodox Choir in Sergiyev Posad
To read more about Sergiyev Posad (the city formerly known as Zagorsk) and the other towns of the Golden Ring around Moscow, click here. October 6, 2007 RIP - Dainton Connell
Manager of Pet Shop Boys Dies in a Car Crash in Moscow
MOSCOW - Friday, October 5, 2007, early morning -- Dainton Connell, manager of the famous British band the Pet Shop Boys, died in a car crash on the Moscow River Embankment (Embankment of Taras Shevchenko). Mr. Connell was in a car with Anton Antonov, owner of a famous elite "invitation-only" Moscow club “Roof of the World”. Thursday night, Chris Lowe, member of the famous duo, was celebrating his birthday at the Sky Lounge Restaurant. Mr. Antonov and Mr. Lowe met several years ago in St. Petersburg and became very good friends. After the birthday party, Mr. Antonov wanted to show his night club to Dainton Connell. Mr. Antonov’s BMW 525 was going 100 miles an hour when he lost control of the car on a wet road, and the vehicle crashed into a tree. The impact was of such force that after the car took out the tree, the vehicle demolished a cast-iron railing and plunged into the river. Moscow Transportation officials were working near the site of the accident, and together with police, ambulance crew and a team of divers, they retrieved the car from the river relatively fast. However, it was too late – the driver and the passenger were dead. The police records mention two victims: “a 20 y.o. Russian citizen from St. Petersburg and an Afro-American, approximately 40 y.o.” update: According to the medical records, the deaths were instant and were caused by the first impact of the vehicle with the tree. The Pet Shop Boys have sold more than 50 million records worldwide and are best known for their remake of the Soviet anthem “Go West” and other hits such as “West End Girls”, “Always on My Mind”, “It’s a Sin”, etc. Russia Blog expresses deepest sympathy to the band’s relatives, friends and fans. "Thank you to everybody who has posted comment about my dad. It is with great regret and sadness that I Tiffany Connell the Bear's first born, thats what he called me. My family and I are devastated by the loss of such a terrific man. Daddy, I miss you so much, we all do love you see you in heaven." Tiffany. Please, visit the extended post to watch band’s music videos and read the band's reaction to the tragedy.
Continue reading "RIP - Dainton Connell September 19, 2007 Taking the St. Petersburg Metro
September 9, 2007 Ambient Russian Techno Online 24/7
You can listen to Russian and European dance music live over the web 24/7 at DeepMix.eu. For a lengthier list of Russia radio stations online (almost all of them in Russian) click here. September 6, 2007 Driving Too Fast in Moscow
Click on the extended post for links to previous Russia Blog posts about traffic jams and bad driving in Moscow and other cities. September 3, 2007 Russian Schools Will Offer Optional Classes on Orthodox Christianity
You can read more articles posted online about this development over at the Interfax News Agency's religion section. August 31, 2007 Russian Orthodox Music from the
St. Petersburg Chamber Choir
August 30, 2007 Metro 2033
Moscow has one of the largest subway systems in the world. This inspired Dmitriy Glukhovskiy's sci-fi novel (and the new computer game) about a group of survivors living in this subterranean world after a nuclear war destroys civilization. Think of it as Russia's answer to the cult-hit CBS television series Jericho. Click on the extended post to watch a trailer of the new PC game Metro 2033: The Last Refuge. August 29, 2007 Interviews with Russian Model Sasha Pivovarova
Continue reading "Interviews with Russian Model Sasha Pivovarova" » August 25, 2007 Ice Skating in Moscow
For our readers suffering this week from Moscow's dog days of summer with no air conditioning, here's a couple of videos about ice skating in the great cool indoors. Click on the extended post to watch more. August 24, 2007 Russian Orthodox Choir in Kolomenskoye
Kolomenskoye is the site of the Church of the Ascension and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. The town was incorporated into the city of Moscow in the 1960s. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a popular destination for tourists. Click on the extended post to listen to the bells of Kolomenskoye Cathedral. August 18, 2007 Moskovoskie Devushki:
Moscow's High Heel Race
August 17, 2007 The Bells of Tsarskoye Selo
"An informal winter music lesson featuring the outdoor church tower bells of Fyodorovsky Cathedral in the village of Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin) Russia near St. Petersburg. The cathedral was originally built for Tsar Nicholas II. The great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin lived and studied here. Recorded in January 2001 by S. R. Schrier of Kalamazoo, Michigan USA with the assistance of Tatyana Sapogova of St. Petersburg." You can see photos from Charles Ganske's visit to Tsarskoye Selo here. August 16, 2007 Two Views of Driving into Moscow
Expats who've come into Moscow from Sheremetyevo airport will recognize some landmarks from where the city limits meet the Moscow region, such as the Mega and IKEA stores. There is also a snapshot of a newly married couple continuing the Russian tradition of touring World War II memorials and other historic monuments on their wedding day. Click on the extended post to watch another video, depicting the St. Petersburg-Moscow leg of the Mercedes-Benz E320 team's drive from Paris to Beijing. August 10, 2007 Sharapova, Bondarchuk, Sobchak Top
Forbes List of Russian Celebrities The Siberian-born and Florida-raised tennis star Maria Sharapova leads the Forbes list of Russian celebrities, followed by the pop music diva Alla Pugacheva, film director/producer Fyodor Bondarchuk (son of the legendary Soviet director Sergey Bondarchuk) and Russian "it girl" Kseniya Sobchak, who (perhaps unfairly) is frequently compared to Paris Hilton. Meanwhile, the girls- kissing-on-stage band gimmick t.A.T.u dropped down from their spot on last year's list. July 20, 2007 Jewish Acappella in Tchaikovsky Hall
July 19, 2007 Moskovskie Bling:
Ralph Lauren Opens Two Stores in Moscow
For the busy professionals in Moscow who read Russia Blog (and quite a few do, judging by the bump in our weekday traffic during lunchtime in the city), here's another video to watch while you sip your $8 café au lait at Coffee Haus. Vogue TV recently covered Ralph Lauren personally opening two new stores in Moscow, including one location featuring 8,000 square feet of merchandise and the largest accessory department in the entire chain. A reception for the venerable fashion designer and his hundred person entourage was held at the American Ambassador's residence. Moscow has yet to claim the top spot for IPOs worldwide (London still ranks first in this category), but it is making a strong push for becoming a global center of bling-bling and outrageous parties. Think of it as L.A., but with worse traffic jams, convenient access to skiing in the winter and even more expensive real estate. July 13, 2007 Ensemble in the Kremlin's
Cathedral of the Dormition
This video records a Russian Orthodox ensemble singing chants in the Cathedral of the Dormition in the Kremlin. The refrain is: "Rejoice in God and his Majesty".
Continue reading "Ensemble in the Kremlin's July 11, 2007 Bad Russian Music Video of the Day:
Russia's Entry into the 2007 Eurovision Contest Most Americans have probably never heard of the annual Eurovision song contest - even though all of the lyrics are in English. Europe's combination of the Olympics and American Idol is a big yawner on this side of the Pond, drawing even fewer viewers than Italian or English Premier league football. Nonetheless, it's a big deal for a lot of Europeans - and some Israelis, since their singers have also taken part, and Russians too. This year Russia's entry comes from Russian girl band trio Serebro - by the looks of it, brunette Russian versions of Britney Spears, right down to the Michael Jackson Thriller-inspired uniformed choreography.
July 3, 2007 Happy Birthday America!
Tomorrow is the day Americans will celebrate our hard-won freedoms - "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". On behalf of Russia Blog, we wish America and the world a joyous holiday! July 1, 2007 Russian Music Video of the Day:
Sochi 2014
Most Olympic theme songs aren't very memorable. This probably why the 1996 summer games (held in Atlanta) used the old standby Georgia On My Mind. This music video features several current Russian pop stars and the former Soviet diva Alla Pugacheva. "Sochi" was produced for Russia's bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympic games in the city of the same name. Sochi is the southernmost point in Russia, where the Black Sea riviera meets the Caucuses. Tucked between the coastline and the mountains, Sochi is reportedly the longest city in Europe, which is a good thing, because real estate there for isn't getting any cheaper. You can read more about Russia's bid to host the 2014 Olympics over at the True Tales of Terra blog. If the Olympic committee voting for who will receive the 2014 games is really getting down to the wire between Sochi and Salzberg, let's hope theme songs aren't the tiebreaker... June 23, 2007 |
