Bolotnoe Delo: case of 6th May, Repressions in Russia

On the 22 of April in the Concert Hall of the Moskva Hotel the results of public investigations of Bolotnoe Delo are being presented. Everyone is welcome.

Vladimir Putin has been enforcing the system of repressions and that is not a secret. The system in which people can't speak their mind unless their mind is completely the same as what is officially declared.

What's happening now gives an impression of surreal performance, only the difference is that real people are involved in this seemingly impossible for acting play.

Khodorkovsky, Pussy Riot and many more. Last year on the 6th of May there was a demonstration, the one in a row of demonstrations after the State Duma elections (Russian Parliament) which had been shamelessly rigged.

There was a fight between the police and the demonstrators. Since the 6th of May some demonstrators have still been kept in prison without a verdict. Most of them are young people of about 20 years old:students, office managers, etc. They have been kept there as if they are killers or thieves , they are not allowed home detention.

An absolutely respected actor Alexander Philippenko is speaking in defence of one of the suspects, Stepan Zimin. Stepan, 21 years old, is a student of the Historical Department, is fond of historical reconstruction performances.

Ice rain in December, Moscow: crystal park

It was ice rain last year in Moscow region. The trees were all in ice crust. Lots of them broke under the weight of ice. You can still see them bent in the forests.

Restaurants in Moscow

We've recently been to a very interesting restaurant, Oblomov.

 Oblomov is a famous Russian character of a novel by Ivan Goncharov. Like most Russian literature, "Oblomov" novel (1859) is very versatile and profound. However, in a nutshell, the protagonist, Oblomov,  is a symbol of dwindling and lapsing into idleness  Russian nobility.

The three-floored mansion in the city center houses the restaurant. There are 3-4 rooms designed in the 19th century style. Having entered Oblomov, you're immediately find yourself in the atmosphere of the 19th century. They tried so hard to restore the atmosphere that they succeeded. Being there is an unforgettable experience. Which I would not apply to the food.

Part 3 Uglich fashion and regular houses

There is the Museum of the town living in the center on Uspenskay (Assumption Day) Square. It's small but interesting and has some entertaining exhibits which show vividly how people used to live.
The Museum of Uglich's Kremlin also houses armory, clothes, shoes, cutlery that date back several ages.

Dushegreya (soul-warming clothes, sort of)) was worn since 17th century. I think it used to be a warm comfortable clothing article for a working woman. The climate in Russia is severe and women needed warm clothes, that would not tie them up or restrict movements. This kind of clothes seems to be the suitable one.

Do bears really waddle about in Russia?

Nowadays, when industry and agriculture have almost been completely destroyed by the present regime, wild animals get closer to dwindling amounts of people on the outskirts of the country. It used to be unheard of in the past.

The fields were abundant in crops and harvested every year so people expanded their influence on the area. Factories were scattered all over the country. Nowadays, farms are rare. Factories are mostly destroyed.

Wild animals come closer to towns and  villages due to decreased human activity in all areas of life.  WWF activists rejoice!

Part 2 Uglich Cats

Well, I am trying to compose a post about Uglich's sights which is not easy since they are plenty. So far I 've  just been able to make the one about Uglich's cats.

Part 1 Uglich, the Golden Ring, hotels and restaurants.

The history of the city has been connected with the death of the last ancient Rurik dynasty heir, Dmitry, the son of Ivan the Terrible,  at the age of 8.

Nothing of such scale has happened in Uglich since then. As one of my colleagues remarked, "They(Uglichans) seem to still remain under the impression of the death of the prince Dmitry. "

The Transfiguration Cathedral 

The whole "accident" happened on 15th of May, 1591 in Uglich, since, after Ivan the Terrible's death,  Prince Dmitry with his mother and a wet-nurse had been sent away from Moscow by the boyar Boris Godunov, a claimant to the Russian throne then.  Boris Godunov has still been suspected to have ordered the assassination of Prince Dmitry.

Restaurants in Moscow

Moscow so far has proved to be a city where you have to cautiously enter restaurants, shops, hairdressers' so that you won't be presented an unexpectedly exorbitant bill in the end.
Judging from my experience, prices are seldom connected with the quality of service. The city is enormous with crowds looking for entertainment, services, something to eat, somebody to meet. So if you're a dissatisfied customer, they don't care much about what the reason of you dissatisfaction is, there  will always be others.

Doing Moscow: going to the Kremlin. Yes? No!

One out of five Muscovites dreams about leaving Moscow for the countryside according to a survey. Believe me, that is for a reason. I started dreaming about leaving it the first year I came here.

A most splendid metropolis with traffic jams taking hours of its residents' lives, muddy streets, unskilled cheap laborers employed all over the city in order to make whirlwind money. All these make Moscow unattractive for life. Yet, hoards of people all over the world come here to land unbeatably lucrative jobs.

We've discussed the sightes of Moscow with my husband who was born here. Our mutual belief is that Moscow can't be attractive altogether, all of it, in general.  There is a number of spots with rich history, and, despite becoming sore from looking at ugly brand-new buildings, your eyes will eventually find its sight to rest on it.

Part 3. Prioka, the Oka river, winter

Russian winter may look sombre in the cities, but in the country it's enjoyable, fresh, crispy.

There can be so much snow that you won't be able to stride freely. That's the best exercise for exhausted yappies, though.  The pictures were taken in April. You see there is still a lot of snow in Russia when crocuses blossom in Europe.