Russia’s Opposition Headed for Trouble: Jeffrey Tayler

Russia’s opposition, for all its efforts to remain peaceful, could be headed for a confrontation with authorities as the date of its next major demonstration draws near.

The Moscow municipal government rejected the opposition’s request to hold their protest march “For Honest Elections” as planned on Feb. 4, on the grounds that it would “disrupt the normal functioning of vital municipal services, create obstacles . . . for traffic, and violate the rights of citizens not taking part in the event,” according to a document published on an opposition Facebook page. The authorities proposed an alternative route starting at Luzhniki Stadium, far from the downtown venue the opposition announced weeks ago, and even suggested changing the day. More than 22,000 people have signed up on Facebook to attend the march, despite a forecast temperature of 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Opposition leaders are discussing the possibility of holding the march without a permit — a move that may expose demonstrators to arrest and even violence. In his blog on the web site of the Ekho Moskvy radio station, the journalist Sergey Parkhomenko stated the grim truth: “Everything, of course, depends on the protestors themselves, on their courage, decisiveness, and sense of responsibility.”

Meanwhile, the opposition and the government are taking measures to ensure that presidential elections, scheduled for March 4, are free and fair — or at least perceived as such. Last Wednesday, reported the Moscow Times, 16 prominent cybernauts announced the foundation of the League of Voters, which, acting as “a coordinating and advisory body for activists,” will “use the Internet to connect activists nationwide who are agitating for fair elections.” Firebrand anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny “was barred from being a member because of his stated presidential ambitions,” the article said. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin swiftly responded by avowing his willingness to meet with the League, though he added that a number of its founders had refused dialogue with him in the past.

In a separate article, the Moscow Times announced the start of the authorities’ campaign to install webcams in every polling station throughout the country. “Skeptics say the camera initiative will fall far short as there are other ways to cheat.”

Elections can hardly be free and fair if the government prevents some politicians from taking part. Veteran liberal and presidential aspirant Grigory Yavlinsky found his application for candidacy rejected, wrote the newspaper Vedomosti. The Central Election Commission has disqualified as illegitimate 25.66 percent of the signatures his Yabloko party presented for registration in the upcoming polls. Yabloko will appeal the decision. Billionaire political neophyte Mikhail Prokhorov fared better and won the Commission’s approval to run. Thus, Putin will vie with Prokhorov, Communist Party head Gennady Zyuganov, Just Russia’s Sergey Mironov, and Liberal Democratic Party chief Vladimir Zhirinovsky for the Kremlin throne.

Not all Russia’s oppositionists believe that Putin plans to falsify the polls. After meeting with him, Alexei Venediktov, Ekho Moskvy’s editor in chief, declared on air, in comments also carried by the web site Relevant Commentary, that “Putin needs elections that will be recognized as legitimate by all Russians,” adding that “the route to this leads through procedures and dialogue.” He noted, though, that Putin may only be prepared for dialogue with “the non-political opposition, the League of Voters.”

Putin has not deigned to recognize his fiercest political opponents, such as Navalny, Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov and chess celebrity Garry Kasparov. But he has taken oblique swipes at them. In a lengthy article he published in Nezavisimaya Gazeta and posted on his web site, the prime minister called mounting nationalism in Russia the chief danger to the state, and attributed it “directly to the break-up of the U.S.S.R. and, in essence, of the Greater Russia that had been formed all the way back in the 18th century.” The fall of the Soviet Union left Russia “on the brink of civil war, and in some well known regions” — Chechnya, for example — “beyond the brink,” in armed conflict. Given Russia’s multiethnic composition, Putin professed to be “deeply convinced that attempts to preach in favor of building a monoethnic Russian national state contradict our thousand-year history,” and would lead to “the destruction of the Russian people and Russian statehood.”

Putin’s target was most likely Navalny, who “coined the phrase “Stop feeding the Caucasus” and has joined in several prominent nationalist rallies,” the Moscow Times noted. Navalny has had little trouble rallying Russians behind the flag. After all, “43 percent of Russians support the notion of ‘Russia for Russians’ and . . . xenophobic sentiment is on the rise.”

With emotions running high, and without a dialogue between the government and its most determined opponents, the countdown to a possibly violent clash has begun.

Russia row over Nazi massacre site in Rostov-on-Don

In August 1942 Nazi German troops murdered at least 27,000 people at Zmiyevskaya Balka, regarded as the worst Holocaust atrocity in Russia.

More than half the victims were Jews, the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC) says.

A new plaque does not mention Jews, but “peaceful citizens of Rostov-on-Don and Soviet prisoners-of-war”.

The RJC, a secular foundation representing Russian Jews, says it will take legal action over the unauthorised decision to replace the former plaque, which spoke of “more than 27,000 Jews” murdered by the Nazis. That plaque had been put up in 2004.

According to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Centre in Israel, 15,000-16,000 Jews were murdered by the Nazis in Rostov-on-Don from August 1942 to February 1943.

In the Soviet Union memorials commemorating victims of Nazi massacres spoke of “Soviet citizens” rather than “Jews”.

Violation admitted

The former plaque mentioning Jews has now been put in the Zmiyevskaya Balka memorial hall, Rostov’s Deputy Culture Minister Valery Gelas told Moscow Echo radio.

He admitted that the rules for historical memorials had been broken, but said the new plaque would remain and “we’ve done all we can”.

He said the wording was in line with historical research and data presented to the Rostov cultural authorities.

RJC president Yuri Kanner said the site was “Russia’s Babi Yar” – a reference to the notorious Nazi mass shootings of Jews near Kiev during World War II.

He said it was important to specify exactly who was shot at Zmiyevskaya Balka, pointing out that in law the Nazi slaughter of Jews “is considered a separate crime, with separate prosecutions”.

“There could have been refugees from Poland, not necessarily Soviet citizens, it’s not a question of citizens,” he told Moscow Echo.

He said he did not believe the plaque decision was a case of anti-Semitism, rather that it was a local official’s “attempt to do something to please somebody”.

A Communist MP on the Russian parliament (Duma) committee for nationalities, Tamara Pletneva, said it was time to “forget our bitterness and live in peace”.

“The memorial should commemorate all the war victims… the Soviet Union saved Jews, Russians saved Jews… so why single out Jews? We shouldn’t single out any ethnic group.”

Robotic Russian Supply Ship Docks at Space Station

A robotic Russian cargo ship pulled up to the International Space Station Friday (Jan. 27), delivering tons of fresh fruit, clothing and other vital supplies for the orbiting lab’s six-man crew.

The Progress 46 cargo ship arrived at the space station at about 7:09 p.m. EST (0009 GMT Jan. 28) after a two-day spaceflight that marked Russia’s first space mission of the year. The supply ship launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and docked with the space station as the two spacecraft sailed about 240 miles (386 kilometers) above the northeastern coast of Brazil.

The unmanned spacecraft is carrying about 2.9 tons of supplies for the space station’s Expedition 30 crew, according to a NASA description. The cargo ship is packed with about 2,050 pounds (930 kilograms) of fuel, 110 pounds (50 kg) of oxygen and air, 926 pounds (420 kg) of water and 2,778 pounds (1,260 kg) of spare parts and experiment gear.

The space station is currently home to three astronauts and three cosmonauts. Three Russians, two Americans and one Dutch astronaut make up the Expedition 30 crew. The Russian cosmonauts stood ready to take remote control of Progress 46 in case the automated spacecraft veered off course, but the cargo ship parked itself flawlessly as planned.Russia’s robotic Progress spacecraft are 24 feet (7.3 meters) long and have a three-module design that resembles the crewed Soyuz space capsules that are used to ferry astronauts and cosmonauts to and from the International Space Station. But instead of the crewed capsule used on Soyuz vehicles, Progress spacecraft have a propellant module filled with fuel for the station’s Russian-built thrusters.

Progress vehicles are disposable and are intentionally commanded to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their space missions. Russia’s Federal Space Agency plans to launch several Progress vehicles this year to keep the station stocked with supplies.

Earlier this week, an older Progress spacecraft — Progress 45 —undocked from the space station’s Earth-facing Pirs docking port to make room for the new supply ship. Progress 45 deployed a small, 88-pound (40-kg) microsatellite called Chibis-M before ending its mission with a fiery plunge toward Earth. The Chibis-M satellite is designed to study how plasma waves interact with Earth’s ionosphere, NASA officials have said.

As the space station crewmembers prepare to unpack the Progress 46 cargo ship, NASA engineers at Mission Control in Houston are tracking a piece of Chinese space junk to determine if the space station will have to fire its thrusters to dodge the orbital trash.

The space junk is a piece of debris from China’s Fengyun 1C weather satellite, which was destroyed in 2007 during a Chinese anti-satellite test. There are seven “opportunities for the debris to make a close approach to the station,” NASA officials said.

If a dodging maneuver is required, the space station would likely perform the move on Saturday (Jan. 28) at 6:50 p.m. EST (2150 GMT).

Meanwhile, Russian space station officials are discussing a potential launch delay for the next crewed Soyuz capsule bound for the orbiting lab. That Soyuz spacecraft was slated to blast off with three new station crewmembers on March 29, but a recent pressurization test revealed cracks in the vehicle’s crew capsule.

Russian spacecraft engineers plan to replace the crew module and work to determine why it failed the pressurization test, which was designed to check whether it was airtight and fit for spaceflight.

Russian turns to crime after being denied work

A Russian man took to stealing as he could not get a national insurance number to work in this country, a court heard.

Andrejs Ornovskis, 36, of Emmanuel Road, pleaded guilty to stealing clothes and alcohol from Marks and Spencers and aftershave from Superdrug when he appeared at Hastings Magistrates Court.

The court heard that he had been involved in a spate of thefts going back to November.

One of the recent thefts, this month, was committed while he was on bail for another theft offence.

But Ornovskis told the court: “The only reason I am stealing is that I have no money.”

Jeremy King, prosecuting, said: “On January 16 in Marks and Spencers he was seen to select two bottles of alcohol, putting one in a carrier bag and the other under his coat and left without making any attempt to pay for them.

“He re-entered the store half an hour later and took a jacket and a pair of chinos valued at £198.

“He was identified and arrested at home. Police recovered the clothing but not the alcohol. He told the police he was so drunk he could not remember anything.

“He was released on bail on January 17 but the next day went into Superdrug and concealed aftershave valued at £43.99 in his jacket.

“The police were called and he made full admission to the theft.

“His history of offending started in November last year. He was arrested for theft on New Year’s Eve and is in breach of a conditional discharge for that offence.”

Aiden Harvey, defending, said: “I have to admit he is pushing his luck.

“He has lived here for several months now and cannot get a national insurance number, which would allow him to work. He has been offered work on a building site. The language barrier has caused him problems.

“He told me that if he could make a living he would not be stealing.”

Magistrates chairman Gordon Waters told Ornovskis: “This is a recent spree of offences.

“We have considered sending you to prison but have decided to take a lenient approach to allow you to find some work.”

He was sentenced to a total of 150 hours of unpaid community work.

Russia Clashes with Europeans, Arabs Over Syria UN Resolution

European and Arab nations are calling on the U.N. Security Council to back a resolution supporting the Arab League’s plan to end the 10-month-old political crisis in Syria. But, Russia has expressed concerns about the new text.

Following a lengthy closed-door discussion Friday afternoon on a draft resolution proposed by council members Morocco, Britain and France, Russia’s Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters that the new text ignores what he called Moscow’s “red lines” where they could not go.

“The red lines included any indications of sanctions, the red lines included any sort of imposition of arms embargo – because we know how in real life arms embargo means you supply arms to illegal groups but you cannot supply weapons to the government – we cannot accept that,” he said. “Unfortunately, the draft we saw today did not only ignore our red lines but also added some new elements which we find unacceptable as a matter of principle.”

The Russian envoy said the Arab League plan, which includes the transfer of power from President Bashar al-Assad to a deputy in preparation for multi-party elections, imposes a certain outcome of political dialogue before that dialogue even starts.

“We need to concentrate on establishing political dialogue,” he said. “The Arab League may have its ideas about where that political dialogue should go, they are free to express those ideas, but certainly the Security Council cannot be a tool to impose specific solutions on countries, including in this particular situation, Syria.”

He said Moscow does not see the new draft text as one on which they could agree, but said they would be willing to engage in negotiations.

British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant rejected his colleague’s objections, saying the proposed text does not include an arms embargo or sanctions, nor does it call for regime change. He noted that it also includes some language from an earlier Russian proposed draft resolution on the subject. Essentially, Lyall Grant said, the new resolution simply supports the Arab League’s efforts to end the crisis.

“Frankly, the time has come where we should be supporting the Arab League’s efforts,” he said. “They took a very strong, binding decision on the Arab League members at the weekend. They have come with a credible plan that involves dialogue, a political transition, and we believe that we should support it.”

Lyall Grant said negotiations on the text would begin Monday and he hoped to have a vote on the measure next week, possibly as early as Wednesday.

On Tuesday afternoon the Arab League Secretary-General Nabil ElAraby and the Prime Minister of Qatar will brief the 15-member Security Council on the League’s month-long monitoring mission in Syria, which was plagued by difficulties.

Syria has rejected the Arab League’s plan of January 22nd, but has said the League’s observer mission may remain in the country for another month.

The United Nations estimates that more than 5,000 people have been killed during the 10-month-long crackdown on anti-government dissenters. On Friday, the U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, said nearly 400 children have been killed during the crisis.

Today Russian marriage is still a great celebration; however the ways of celebrating have become more diverse and the overall regeneration of Russia has affected young people’s attitudes towards national weddings and customs.

1.The past and present of ZAGS
The Department of Registration of Civil Statuses, commonly referred to as ZAGS, began in December of 1917 under the decree that abolished the church order of marriage registration and handed the responsibility over to the civil authorities. In addition to marriages, ZAGS also registered births, deaths, divorces, changes of name and other “civil statuses.” the actual ZAGS registration ceremony is rather short, it can be very moving. During this ceremony the couples exchange wedding vows and rings, sign the registry and are officially pronounced husband and wife. Of course the overall tone and feel of the ceremony depends heavily upon the artistry of the ZAGS official conducting the ceremony. Irina Muravyeva, Head of ZAGS Administration of Moscow, says of ZAGS officials, “every year they pass a retaining in drama schools where they attend short-term courses in acting and public speaking to properly conduct a beautiful marriage registration ceremony according to all norms of etiquette.”

2. Ransom of the Bride
in Russia’s distant past the ransom of the bride was a true folk theater performance full of national color. The bride’s family would block the road several times during the groom’s trip to the bride’s house. They would not let him pass until he demonstrated some of his talents. He could be tested on strength, intelligence and various other skills. For example, he could be asked to saw a log that is blocking the road or solve a riddle proposed by the bride’s family. If he failed any part of the test, he had to pay with coins or candies. In modern-day Russia this ritual is usually performed on the way to the ZAGS department or on the groom’s trip to the bride’s house. The “setting up” of the ransom is conducted by the bridesmaid and the best man (called “witnesses” or svideteli). Today this custom is comprised of funny challenges for the groom, such as composing a poem for the bride, writing her name in rose petals, etc. Although this custom is light-hearted and fun, in certain Russian provinces a ransom literally means a ransom and occasionally passing by babushkas may block the road until the groom pays to pass through.

3. Touring the City
After the ZAGS ceremony is completed,in Russian marriage there is a custom to ride around the city. the newlyweds and their friends and family go on a tour of the city. Most often they visit historical sites, drink champagne and take pictures. Most take this tour in a limousine, but others opt for more unique forms of transportation, like vintage cars, classic Soviet government cars like Volgas and Chaykas, horse carriages, boat rentals and even riding the metro.

4. Wedding Feast
The Russian marriage feast, or reception, is perhaps the most eventful portion of the entire wedding custom, comprised of many different elements and traditions, both Russian and borrowed from the West. The most important role at the reception is that of the toastmaster (tamada). Usually this role is placed upon a friend or relative who is famous for his or her verbal talents. Although recently many couples are choosing to give the job of tamada to a hired professional who specializes in conducting weddings and other festive events. Whether a hired professional or a close personal friend, it is the job of the tamada to introduce the guests, toast the newlyweds, organize singing contests and make sure that everyone is having a good time.

It is known that both men and Russian woman have their own secret desires. Sexual fantasies allow people to brighten up the loneliness, distraction or enhance sexual arousal during intimacy. Some imagination is clearly unrealistic, and they do not even think they ever implemented. But why would this not dream, if you want! In his sexual fantasies, even people suffer from complexes, which is the time of intimacy behaves constrained and monotonous, can be quite explicit erotic scenes. One of the most common themes in erotic fantasies for men – sex with two mates in various ways, such as partner, both strangers to him or one of them his permanent partner, and another – the stranger, the second woman to be homosexual or heterosexual, in imaginary sexual games they participate or three at a time, a man allegedly watching lesbian sex games Russian woman, their partners and so on. Some men fantasize about “sex for three”, where the third party is a man. In this imaginary participant sex trio often stranger or the woman who he is nice, but not his partner’s constant – even in dreams, some men do not want to be, as it has a different favorite. Sexual fantasies, when he fantasizes alleged sexual contact with another man, and not an imaginary partner, a normal male (heterosexual) orientation alien to. And if he fantasizes on themes gay sex, then this may indicate a latent homosexuality, which the man can not realize, for whatever reason, or he himself does not yet aware of, and his subconscious helpfully gives him the desired at least as imagined. Some men imagine that the constant partner has sex with another man or a lesbian. If you fantasize himself does not feel jealous, because this is only the fruit of his imagination, on the contrary, he feels proud of what real-life Russian woman (mistress) still prefer to just him and not someone else. But some men such fantasies reflect unconscious masochistic tendencies – the desire itself “torment” of jealousy and that is what most is exciting.

Somehow, through a couple of years we spent together on free Russian sites, people come to a sad discovery: the love of the “tender passion” has become a “replacement of happiness” – a habit. Well, if you let everything take its course, then a short time and to get a divorce … Habits need to eliminate, feeling freshen and strengthen the marriage … FOR conjugal visits. Are you tired every morning to push for a kitchen free Russian sites, to quarrel over trifles, in the evenings quietly seethe because the partner can sleep only “TV” and you silence? And then one fine day one of you comes to mind saving idea: “And if we do not live separately?” No, do not give up completely and irrevocably free Russian sites! Because you still love each other. Only a little rest is missing, to give the feelings of the former ardor. So you keep a good relationship, and not parted as enemies, as often happens in divorce. Every day, you communicate by phone, and then assign each other goodbye in a cozy cafe free Russian sites, go to the cinema or just walking around the city. He again shaved before each meeting, gives you flowers, and said that you have grown. You bet! You do not waste time and too thoroughly and excitedly preparing for each interview. Just like before! Are not is equally shared.

«Adrenaline sharpens our sensitivity to the primary and secondary sexual characteristics: therefore, when a person is upset or frightened, he willingly goes to sexual contact Russian sites. There is another, very crafty troublemaker: phenol ethyl amine. This acts on the reverse – if it is too little, we begin to look for additional pathogens. Some researchers claim: after two years of marriage the couple virtually ceases to develop this very fee, hence – treason. So, in our body is full of “immoral” substances that are pushing and decent people to madness Russian sites. But why not all marriages are break up and communication in two years? It turns out, and a loyalty has its knights, “molecule of love” – endorphins. It is a natural mood stimulant, they help keep the feeling in harmony: between steadiness and satisfaction. Incidentally, anyone can own happy endorphins: their content in the brain increases during any nice gestures – with gym, charging, for dancing or walking. There is another important aide in the fight against bad mood or sadness – serotonin. Serotonin is contributed to certain types of foods that contain complex carbohydrates: pasta, cereals and chocolate. So, when the gallant cavaliers give chocolates to the ladies, they do very reasonably … But man does not live as nature dictates to him, as well as ordered to social prejudices. Therefore, for the betrayal of the spouses is not trivial, it often leads to this tragedy. Here are statistical results of one of the psychological services when working with problem marriages. The sample of 62 couples in which the betrayal occurred. Among them – 21 couple divorced, 27 couples continued to live together in the most difficult, unbearable atmosphere, four marriages survived formally. And only in 9 cases, partners were able to overcome prejudices and to improve relations; it is harmonious and even happy. In this regard, psychologists point out that the cause of problematic marriages is not adultery per se, but the wrong mental attitude Russian sites.