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 January 27, 2008 Grand Hotel & Spa Rodina - Sochi
January 25, 2008 Seven Sisters ( Семь сестёр)
The Seven Sisters (vysotki) were built on Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's orders between 1947 and 1953. These photos were taken by Tom and Katya Kiehn, a young professional couple living and working in Moscow. Click on the extended post to view more photos of Moscow's most famous icons of modern architecture. December 10, 2007 Dmitry Medvedev: Photo Essay
"Russia is a country that in the 20th century was subjected to hard trials. ..revolutions, civil war, world wars, and economic collapse. Today we are building new institutions based on the fundamental principals of full-fledged democracy…a democracy without unnecessary additional definitions. These are institutions based on market economy, on supremacy of law, and that those in power must be accountable to the rest of society. Not a single non-democratic state has ever become a prosperous state for one very simple reason – freedom is better than non-freedom." "Yet, we still have much work ahead of us, and we most certainly realize what problems we are facing: excessive dependence on markets of minerals and raw materials, corruption, and the still very high level of differentiation in the incomes of the population, as well as the declining numbers of our population." "We are not trying to push anyone to love Russia…but we shall not allow anyone to hurt Russia. We shall strive to win respect both for citizens of Russia, and for the country as a whole. Moreover, this shall be achieved, not by using force, but rather, by our own behavior, and by our achievements. In the given century, we see ourselves as a developed country, with a strong economy, and as a reliable trade and foreign political partner." First Deputy Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev, speaking at the World Economic Forum Click the extended post for more photos of Dmitry Medevedev, the man most likely to be the next President of the Russian Federation. November 24, 2007 Train from St. Petersburg to Moscow
On October 18, 2007 Charles Ganske travelled from St. Petersburg back to Moscow. Here are a few photos - and thoughts - from that trip. November 23, 2007 Tsarskoye Selo and Pushkin
On October 15 Charles Ganske visited Tsarskoye Selo (Czar's Village) and the town of Pushkin in the suburbs of St. Petersburg. Click on the extended post to view more photos from this beautiful place (please be patient, as photos may take some time to upload). November 22, 2007 St. Petersburg in October
To view photos of Nevsky Prospekt from January 2007, click here Click on the extended post to view more photos of Russia's 2nd city by Charles Ganske. November 12, 2007 The Peterhof
Charles Ganske travelled from Moscow to St. Petersburg on October 13, 2007. The next day he visited the famous Peterhof palace complex. Click on the extended post to enjoy the photos! November 11, 2007 Train from Moscow to St. Petersburg
The rail line between the capital and the old imperial capital is the oldest and probably the busiest in the Russian Federation. Every day dozens of trains depart just a few minutes apart from the 19th century Leningradsky Station. The historic rail terminal is located just down the street from the old Leningradskaya Hotel, one of Stalin's "7 Sisters". This "socialist realist" building is now being remodeled and will open as the newest Leningradskaya Hilton Hotel in March 2008. Even when Moscow's notorious traffic snarls trams and streets, Leningradsky Station is accessible via the Komsomolskaya Metro stop. Komsomolskaya is situated on Moscow's original subway line, the Sokolnicheskaya or Red Line. If you are a foreign tourist trying to make a train during rush hour, allow plenty of time to lug your bags from the jammed subway car up the well-worn steps to the surface, past the images of heroic Young Communists and the Soviet icons of Marx and Lenin. What happens when your train slips past the Sheremetyevo region, and passes the new MEGA and IKEA stores, and the apartment blocs of the Moscow suburbs near? The real Russia, or at least the real European Russia, starts emerging outside your window, in the small towns and villages past Tver. Click on the extended post to see some photos taken from the train. November 6, 2007 Moscow City:
The Federation Tower Under Construction
Moscow's futuristic Federation Tower and the Moscow City complex become popular symbols of the New Russia. In both Moscow and St. Petersburg, the Federation Tower is featured on billboards for the Russian Ministry of Defense's Zvezda (Star) TV channel. The Moscow City complex was also featured in the Russian dark comedy film 20 Cigarettes. Mirax Group, the company developing the $12 billion dollar project, was kind enough to grant Russia Blog a tour of the Federation Tower last month. Due to ongoing construction, the tour stopped at the 35th floor. However, even from this vantage point, the largest construction project in Europe is an impressive site. Click on the extended post to view more photos.
Continue reading "Moscow City: November 4, 2007 Tsaritsino Palace
On Wednesday, October 10, 2007 Charles Ganske visited the Tsaritsino estate in the southeast part of Moscow. Since the Russian Revolution of 1917, the formerly Tsarist palace grounds have served as a park. Until recently, the palace itself stood in ruins. However, in the last few years Moscow's Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and several major Russian businessmen have worked together to have the historic palace restored. Today the Tsaritsino is a museum and a popular venue for live music concerts during the summertime. Click on the extended post to enjoy the photos! November 3, 2007 Poklonnaya Hill and Victory Park
On Tuesday, October 9, 2007, Charles Ganske visited Poklonnaya Hill memorial park and museum located near Kutuzovsky Prospket in Moscow. During Soviet times, Leonid Brezhnev and other Communist Party bosses lived in apartment buildings on Kutuzovsky Prospekt. Poklonnaya Hill has a special significance - it was the place where Napoleon Bonaparte stood and watched Moscow burn in 1812, shocked by the stubborn refusal of Russian people to concede defeat. As such, it was the natural spot for Moscow's memorial to the Second World War. Click on the extended post to view more photos, which may take a minute to upload. October 1, 2007 Summertime in Krasnodar Krai
Several weeks ago I discovered a fast casual chain restaurant in Krasnodar called Lyubo Dorogo Cafe. We ate lunch there on a Saturday afternoon. The menu is kind of a cross between Friendly's and Au Bon Pain. We had some Lime Rickey's, espresso, an omlette, mushrooms in a sour cream sauce, an ice cream sunday, and a crepe filled with honey-soaked poppy seeds covered with chocolate sauce. The chain currently has seven cafes and is continuing to grow. Based on our experience there, the formula between value and style is perfect. We give it high marks. Click on the extended post to see photos from Krasnodar Krai, the region that will host the Winter Olympics at Sochi in 2014. September 26, 2007 Summertime in Moscow:
MAKS 2007 Air Show
Scott Shorey, an American expat from Atlanta, Georgia who has lived in Moscow for three years, has kindly agreed to republish his photos from the MAKS Air Show here at Russia Blog. This is the second post in a series of photo posts about the summer of 2007 in Moscow.
Continue reading "Summertime in Moscow: September 18, 2007 Summertime in Moscow
August 29, 2007 Where to Work Out in Krasnodar:
Orange Fitness
Orange Fitness is perhaps the nicest full-service fitness club in Krasnodar today. The club is located in a newly constructed freestanding building at 185 Levenevskogo Street, just off of Severnaya Street, one of Krasnodar's main thoroughfares. Orange Fitness has four floors of fitness activities. The first floor (see below) has a full aerobic studio with treadmills, stair masters, elliptical trainers, and stationary bikes. There is also a full Nautilus-style equipment circuit and plenty of free weights. Personal trainers are available and are quite reasonably priced at around $10 per 30 minute session.
Continue reading "Where to Work Out in Krasnodar: August 8, 2007 Real Estate in Krasnodar:
Kubano Naberezhnaya (Кубано Набережная)
-The Editors Kubano Naberezhnaya (Kuban riverbank) is quickly becoming Krasnodar’s most exclusive residential neighborhood. The neighborhood is best known for its huge park which stretches for a couple kilometers along the banks of the Kuban River. Recently, the park has seen a large influx of investment with the building of a large water park, new entertainment rides, cafes, outdoor discos, and new restaurants. Each weekend, thousands of folks from Krasnodar gather to relax and enjoy one another’s company along the beautiful river.
Continue reading "Real Estate in Krasnodar: August 3, 2007 Photos of the Sakhalin Earthquake Aftermath
According to new data released by seismologists, the earthquake, which hit Sakhalin Island on Thursday, August 2, 2007 had a magnitude of 6.8, followed by the second quake of 5.9. 1,200 families were immediately left without housing. Sakhalin Island is the sister-city to Gig Harbor, Washington – a beautiful city in the Pacific Northwest located just 50 miles south of Seattle. On Friday, one day after the earthquake, transport planes loaded with emergency supplies did not make it to the area affected by the disaster, due to harsh weather conditions. While there are no emergency or life-threatening conditions at this point, some parts of the island have experienced shortages of food and water, as well as overnight tents and blankets. President Putin demanded a complete report from Russia's Minister of the Emergency Situations Sergei Shoygu by August 7. The report will include a complete plan of action regarding rebuilding housing for families affected by the disaster, recovery of the region’s infrastructure and reconstruction of damaged schools before the beginning of the new school year. Please click on the extended post to view photos of the area affected by the earthquake. Continue reading "Photos of the Sakhalin Earthquake Aftermath" » July 28, 2007 High-Heel Sprint in St. Petersburg
Women compete in a high-heel sprint in St.Petersburg July 21, 2007. Some 100 Russian women took part in the race wearing high-heeled shoes with a required minimum height of 9 centimetres (3.5 inches) to compete for a shopping voucher worth 50,000 roubles (about $2,000). More photos in the extended post! June 15, 2007 Present at the Creation:
The Opening Bell of Russia's NASDAQ Director of Equity Financing, FINAM Investment Company, Moscow
Today the Russian Minister of Information Technology and Communications, Leonid Reiman, inaugurated the Innovation and Growing Companies (IGC) index of the Moscow Interbank Exchange (MICEX). With the tolling of the trading bell, the FINAM Venture-IT Fund commenced trading– and its first day proved to be a smashing success. Within 90 minutes, all units of the Fund were sold for 501,000,000 RUR (about $20 million). The book was oversubscribed by 10%. In reality – for whom did the bell toll? For those investors that missed out on this opportunity. ”Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the one you miss” – this well-known quotation was confirmed today, as Russian investors placed their money in a new market. Click here to read the press release from Business Wire. Click on the extended post to read more about today's milestone for Russian financial markets.
Continue reading "Present at the Creation: June 6, 2007 It's Not Your Grandfather's Russia
I was in Russia in 1965 and just returned. "I like to visit every 40 years or so," I told folks in Moscow. The place has changed, I explained deadpan to some young Russians of my acquaintance. Where an Intourist restaurant of yore served bad food with a sour attitude and left you free thereafter to wander vacant streets after dinner, utterly bored, intimidated and depressed, Moscow today fairly shouts its attractions, some of which are embarrassing, and all of which are costly. The formerly deserted, fourteen lane-wide streets are now so full of traffic at midnight that one has to dodge frustrated drivers who decide to pass on the "sidewalk lane." Police in their sad little Ladas are the ones who seem intimidated now. Everyone seems to stay out late and arrive late to work in the morning. Heavy traffic is both a real excuse for it and just an excuse. These early summer dates, when the night is still light at midnight, remain hot until late, so it takes a long time for the typical apartment to cool down and make sleep possible.
I come back to the States with a few tips for tourists and visiting businessmen. April 8, 2007 Easter in a Russian Town
See the extended post for photos of a Russian Orthodox priest consecrating Easter cakes and eggs in the small town of Naro-Fominsk 45 miles outside of Moscow. In the extended post, you will also see photos of Russian leaders attending the Easter night service in Moscow, which was aired on national television. April 1, 2007 Buying Washington State Apples in Moscow
The new Ramstore Capitol shopping mall is about a five minute walk from the Universitet stop on the red line of the Moscow metro. The mall opened on December 2, 2006 - making it one of Moscow's newest shopping centers - and is located at Pr-t Vernadskogo 6. Ramstore Capitol features 130,000 square meters (1,398,800 square feet) of retail and meeting space on five levels, including a Karo Film mutliplex cinema. Karo Film and Formula Kino are two of the largest movie theater chains in Russia. According to the company, the total invested to complete this mall was $135 million. Click on the extended post to see more photos from ordinary life in Moscow. Continue reading "Buying Washington State Apples in Moscow" » March 18, 2007 Alpine Skiing – 15 Minutes from Red Square
Click the extended post for more pictures... Continue reading "Alpine Skiing – 15 Minutes from Red Square" » March 7, 2007 Panorama: Sergiyev Posad (formerly Zagorsk)
Sergiyev Posad (Russian: Сергиев Посад) is a city and administrative center of Sergiyevo-Posadsky District, Moscow Oblast, Russia. The city grew up around the greatest of Russian monasteries, the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra or "Trinity". The town was incorporated in 1742. As its name had strong religious connotations, the Soviet authorities changed it to Zagorsk (in memory of the Russian revolutionary Zagorsky) in 1930. The original name, literally meaning "Settlement of Sergius" in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh, came back into official use in 1991. According to the 2002 Census, the town had a population of 113,581 (down from 114,696 recorded in the 1989 Census). Tourism associated with the Golden Ring plays an important role in the regional economy. The city is also known for its toy factory. Continue reading "Panorama: Sergiyev Posad (formerly Zagorsk)" » February 16, 2007 Panorama: Yekaterinburg
Panorama is the new series of posts here at Russia Blog that will present the reader with photos and short descriptions of Russian cities and villages across the nation.
It is often said that Moscow and St. Petersburg are not the real Russia. So, after an amazing response to our photo tours of those two cities and in our continuing effort to have the readers of Russia Blog experience all eleven time zones of the Russian Federation, we are kicking off our Panorama series. We begin with pictures of Yekaterinburg (formerly Sverdlovsk) contributed by Anton Verstakov, an independent documentary producer, founder of AVProductions Creative Group, and a long time friend. In the past five years Anton worked as a News Editor for Russia Today TV and as a broadcast journalist/producer for the Rossija television channel (RTR). Mr. Verstakov travels extensively and we hope to benefit from his updates. We also welcome your submissions with photos and bios of your hometown or a place in Russia you have visited in the past. (Extra points for pictures of locally purchased powdered sugar!) So, please enjoy the City of Yekaterinburg—a historic jewel in the Urals as well as a center for steel production and mineral and semiprecious stone mining. The city is developing rapidly, shaking off its Communist heritage with dozens of new office buildings and polished church domes rising above the city center... February 12, 2007 Walking through St. Petersburg - The Hermitage
The Hermitage Museum is one of the greatest collections of historic and cultural artifacts in the world. A tourist could spend several days walking through the corridors of the Hermitage and still only see a fraction of its treasures. The Russian Ark, a film recorded in one continuous shot inside the Hermitage, showed thirty three rooms in the palace and featured over 2,000 actors in period costumes and three live orchestras for the soundtrack. . Unfortunately, I only had 2 1/2 hours to tour the palace during my brief visit to St. Petersburg. These photos are the result of that whirlwind tour. Click on the extended post to begin the photo tour of the Hermitage! Continue reading "Walking through St. Petersburg - The Hermitage" » February 9, 2007 Walking through St. Petersburg - Nevsky Prospekt and the City at Night
The following photos are the results of walking and bus tours of St. Petersburg on Friday, January 12 and Saturday, January 14, 2007. This is the second part in a series of photo blog posts about Russia's second city. Click here to view part one, "Walking Through St. Petersburg: The Admiralty and St. Isaac's Cathedral". The third and final installment in the series features photos from my visit to the State Hermitage Museum, one the world's greatest collections of masterpieces and artifacts. Click on the extended post to resume the photo tour! Continue reading "Walking through St. Petersburg - Nevsky Prospekt and the City at Night" » February 7, 2007 Walking through St. Petersburg - The Admiralty and St. Isaac's Cathedral
These photos are the result of Russia Blog editor Charles Ganske's visit to St. Petersburg between January 11 and 14, 2007. The city, known as Leningrad in Soviet times, was the capital of Russia from the 1700s until the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.Today it is the second largest urban center in the Russian Federation and the northernmost city with a population over one million people. St. Petersburg's northern latitude means that the sun doesn't quite set during the famous White Nights in June, when most tourists like to visit. The city of 4.7 million people also is the second largest in Europe in size, trailing only London in terms of landmass. Peter the Great created St. Petersburg to be Russia's gateway to Europe and the West. The nearly 7 foot-tall emperor fought a long war with Sweden to secure this bustling port on the Baltic Sea and to build a base for the Russian Navy the Czar ordered built to make Russia a great European power. In recent years Ford, Nissan and Toyota have all built auto plants near St. Petersburg, and the Chinese are investing billions of dollars into new infrastructure and commercial developments for the region. St. Pete (or "Piter" as it is known to Russians) also remains a center for high culture, the arts, and Russian breweries. Visitors will immediately notice the difference between the fresh air and tourist-friendly atmosphere in St. Petersburg and the more hurried pace of life in Moscow. By design, the old imperial capital has a more European, if not Scandinavian feel to it. St. Petersburg is also the hometown of Russian President Vladimir Putin and many high government officials. The Governor of the St. Petersburg region, Valentina Matviyenko, is a personal friend of Putin. Matviyenko was a classmate of the future Russian President when they both attended what was then known as Leningrad State University. Russia's state-owned natural gas monopoly Gazprom plans to relocate its corporate headquarters from Moscow to the northern capital next year. For all of these reasons, some American expats have nicknamed the city "Putingrad". This is the first part in a series of three photo posts about Russia's second city. To see Yuri Mamchur's photo series "Night Drive Through Moscow", click here. Click on the extended post to begin the St. Petersburg photo tour. Please be patient as photos may take some time to upload. Continue reading "Walking through St. Petersburg - The Admiralty and St. Isaac's Cathedral" » January 26, 2007 Night Drive through Moscow: Where People Live and Work
“Where People Live and Work” is the third part of our photo series “Night Drive through Moscow”. These photographs are the result of my four hour drive through Moscow on January 6, 2007. The first part, “Where Tourists Go” showed places popular with tourists like the Kremlin and Moscow’s cathedrals. The second part, “View from a Car Window” showed the streets of Moscow at night, casinos, and advertisements. Please click on the extended post link to see photos of Moscow’s condominiums and office buildings, places where Muscovites live and work every day. There are many more neighborhoods and business districts in Moscow than are depicted in this photo post, but again, these are the results from a quick spin around the south-western part of the city. Enjoy the pictures, and please allow some time for the extended post to load due to the large number of photos. Continue reading "Night Drive through Moscow: Where People Live and Work" » January 24, 2007 Night Drive Through Moscow: View from a Car Window
“View from a Car Window” is the second part in the “Night Drive through Moscow” series of posts featuring photos taken during my four hour drive through the city on January 6, 2007. While the first part “Where Tourists Go” portrayed places which are well-known and generally attractive, this part will present you the Moscow you might have not seen yet; the photos were taken literally from a car window. Again, the only reason I could visit this many places in such a short amount of time is because the city was nearly empty due to Russian Orthodox Christmas holiday. Moscow is a mixture of Paris, Washington D.C., New York and Las Vegas, with over 2,770 gambling establishments, 63,000 slot machines and 330,000 fairly high-stakes gamblers (data accurate as of beginning of 2006). A large latte in a regular Moscow coffee shop goes for $7 U.S. these days, while a shot of espresso with a glass of water will cost you $20 at a nice bar. A small margarita in a bar with a view of the city will cost you $35. Unlike in the 1990s, Russian restaurants only accept plastic or rubles now, not dollars. You rarely see Russian-made automobiles in the streets of Moscow these days; people pay enormous customs duties to purchase the vehicle of their dreams. A brand new 2007 Acura MDX goes for $80,000, a Hyundai Santa Fe – $45,000, a Mitsubishi Lancer in the best price range costs you only $16,000. New office buildings, skyscrapers, and endless construction cranes are visible everywhere you go. Moscow’s night life is just as busy as the business day; all restaurants, clubs and most coffee shops have a policy of “open until the last customer” and “open with the first customer” which means around the clock. Many Muscovites grab their second dinner at 1 a.m. and roll over to the coffee shop at 3 a.m. I won’t get into the argument here about whether all this new wealth is the result of smart government policies, a healthy economy, or just high oil prices. I want you to enjoy the photos of the views you could expect to see from a car window while driving through the amazing city of Moscow… Continue reading "Night Drive Through Moscow: View from a Car Window" » January 22, 2007 Night Drive through Moscow: Where Tourists Go
The “Night Drive through Moscow” series is the result of my four hour drive through the city of Moscow on January 6, Russian Orthodox Christmas Eve. There will be three picture posts representing what you can see in Moscow in four hours on a winter night: this one named “Where Tourists Go”; |
