What makes the FSU so interesting?

[mendeleyev]

The Russian attitude seems to be that if they can't win the Ukrainians over, then we'll make sure they hate us and one example of this thinking is in Russian schools as children are being introduced to a new "polite alphabet" meant to simultaneously engender Russian patriotism and denigrate anything Ukrainian while teaching the Russian Cyrillic letters. The Russian Cyrillic letters remain the same but the word examples for each letter now inject a healthy dose of propaganda, patriotism or both.

The new alphabet is being introduced to Russian school children in the Irkutsk region by Project Network, a pro-Kremlin group with plans to roll the new alphabet learning tools to more schools across Russia next year. They group is part of the "togetherness" project and say they are tasked to teach young Russian children that Russia, Crimea and parts of Eastern Ukraine are meant to be together.

For example the new alphabet primer and accompanying charts teach students that "A" stands for "Anti-Maidan," the letter "Ya" is for "Yalta," and as any good propagandist would hope, "P" is for "Putin." Naturally "R" is for "Russia" and the face of Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is matched to the term for "firmness" while the letter B represents the "berkut" Ukrainian riot police who defected to Crimea. Some older alphabet charts had the golden eagle (berkut) with the letter and a photo of the golden eagle.

Some will question why the letter "D" stands for Donetsk, a Ukrainian city instead of the more common word for "dom"  (home) as on existing charts. Organizers are quick to point out that Donetsk should and will be a part of Russia and thus school children should learn to think of Donetsk as Russian instead of Ukrainian. Some of the letter equivalents are a bit of a stretch.

To make the point about Ukraine, the chart assigns the letter ы for Крым, spoken as "Krem" (Crimea). No Russian words begin with the letter ы so Russian school children will meet the new polite alphabet with Крым for Crimea. To make the point that Crimea has been annexed into Russia the Ukrainian term for Crimea, Крим, has been circled with an arrow drawn through it.

Two letters within Russian Cyrillic, ь and ъ, have no sound themselves but serve to modify letters adjacent to them. The new "polite alphabet" did find patriotic words which included those letters and for example they assigned ь, the letter which serves to soften other sounds, to мягкость which is a term commonly used to express the idea of gentle or soft in relation to a mother and her baby. Some Ukrainian groups have responded on social mean with an alternate "war alphabet" that mocks the Russian attempt at indoctrination.

It is no accident that Project Network calls it the "Polite Alphabet," as it is named for the so-called "polite" but armed forces that forced Russia's annexation of Crimea earlier this year. The Project Network website claims that as Russian school children meet the new polite alphabet they "...will be taught to love the motherland, respect its people and culture."

[MoscowRegion]

And this is my city. Orekhovo-Zuyevo
So we go to salary


This fight
Мусара - debris, dustbin, trash
Пидарасы - gay loves in the ass

Всем пока.

[ghost of moon goddess]

The year 1790, Alexander Radishchev, Chief of the St. Petersburg Customs House, publishes a book in which he describes his imaginary journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow, harshly criticizing social and moral abuses in Russian society.
Exposing the large scale corruption that effects daily life of people from small towns and villages located along the road that connects Russia's two major cities and openly condemning serfdom in Russian public life, he becomes an outspoken critic of the societal order. Not surprisingly, his book doesn't go unnoticed by Empress of Russia, Catherine the Great, who calls its author a 'rebel worse than Pugachev'.   A warrant for his arrest is issued shortly after publication of his book. The perceptive observer and critic of social ills ends up being banished to Siberia …

224 years later, a crew from Rain TV repeats Radishchev's journey for a new documentary series, also titled Journey from Petersburg to Moscow, to take a look at how things in some provincial towns through which Federal highway passes have changed since then.

''Tell me in whose head can there possibly be more incongruities than in that of a czar?''
A. Radishchev 'Journey from Petersburg to Moscow'

Unfortunately, I failed to find the video with English subtitles, so the one posted below is of little to no value to non-Russian speakers.

[mendeleyev]

Thank you for posting that--it looks very interesting and I plan to watch someone during the weekend.

[mendeleyev]

So, exactly why did the passengers of a Russian flight have to push the plane before it could fly? The undercarriage was frozen and the plane couldn't move. The temperature in the Russian city of Igarka had dropped to -61 degrees (F) on November 25, typical of weather that far north in Siberia, and the plane's undercarriage was frozen. 7 crew members and 74 passengers were on board and there were enough volunteers to get the plane unstuck.

The government is investigating because the plane's braking system was frozen and while the flight went up okay, the potential hazards were serious.

[Photo Guy]

The new 'polite alphabet' in Russia is truly Orwellian. Orwell should be required reading in Russia. It's probably banned...

[Photo Guy]

from Putin's speech:
'It is well known that Russia not only supported Ukraine and other brotherly republics of the former Soviet Union in their aspirations to sovereignty, but also facilitated this process greatly in the 1990s. Since then, our position has remained unchanged...'

This is a joke. Putin continually contradicts himself. He has stated that he respects the results of the Presidential election back in May and the more recent Parliamental elections. He does?!! How? He 'respects' these elections and at the same time, also continues to talk about a junta, a coup d'etat in Kiev. So is he crazy? An idiot? In these Ukrainian elections, the right-wing 'fascist' political parties won a VERY SMALL percentage of the vote. And Putin respects the elections, while calling Ukrainians 'fascists', a 'fascist' threat! Ridiculous. How do Russians view this?? Don't they see the obvious contradictions, the illogic?
...and Putin's words are killing people in Donbas. Putin's entire speech shows disrespect for non-Russians, as well as ethnic Russians who prefer freedom and democracy over Putin's totalitarian system.

[mendeleyev]

Given the heated political discussions at present the following post may be controversial to some. That is a shame as we are all humans created to live in peace on the earth.

Please allow this post to do what is intended, and that is to educate readers about what is contained in the RF Constitution. Maybe each of us can learn something in the process.

Thank you,

Mendeleyev

[mendeleyev]

From the MendeleyevJournal:

On the Twelfth day of December, my true love gave to me a copy of the Russian Federation Constitution. Sort of has a ring to it, right? It is the twelfth day of this month that marked "Constitution Day" in Russia. Russians call it день Конституции, and frankly most of them have never read it.

 



The Soviet Union had a constitution too, and most of the Soviet populace understood that it meant little to their ordinary lives, so please do not be surprised that most have not read this current one, either. The document became the law of the land in 1993 after a nationwide referendum, and until the middle 2000s, the day was an official national holiday.

The Levada Centre released a nationwide poll showing that most of Russia's citizens believe that it is a good document, but most seem to have only a basic knowledge of the contents, nor have read it. That is hardly surprising, and we might guess that similar results could be said of any number of Western countries. The poll found that only 12 percent of those asked claimed to have a working knowledge of the contents.

 


Levada reported an increase in the number of Russian citizens who trust the Constitution to enshrine their rights and liberties. Last year that number was 29 percent and has since grown to 38 percent in 2014. For many, the Constitution does not matter in everyday life. The same polling firm in April of 2010 reported that a majority of Russian preferred "order" over the concept of democracy, so perhaps such attitudes are to be expected.


2013 was the twentieth anniversary of the Russian Federation Constitution and at a gala celebration, President Vladimir Putin remarked that,"Our people made a historical choice in favour of the Constitution at the referendum on December 12, 1993. Russia got a directly effective document that allowed us to avoid the tragedy of the dissolution of our state, helped stop the devastating spread of civil confrontation, and prevented the nation from once again descending down the path of settling political accounts, as had already happened several times in our history."

 


Mr. Putin went on to say last year that "The Constitution opened a new, constructive path to development on the basis of clear goals, intentions and values. And today, we have every right to state that all the constitutional norms and provisions are in demand. You can open any chapter or article in the Constitution to see this for yourself."

The Russian Federation Constitution is made up of two sections which are divided into nine chapters.  Readers may click on any of the chapter links below for a English version of each chapter.

SECTION ONE

Chapter 1. The Fundamentals of the Constitutional System

Chapter 2. The Rights and Liberties of Man and Citizen

Chapter 3. The Russian Federation

Chapter 4. The President of the Russian Federation

Chapter 5. The Federal Assembly

Chapter 6. The Government of the Russian Federation

Chapter 7. The Judiciary

Chapter 8. Local Self-Government

Chapter 9. Constitutional Amendments and Revisions


SECTION TWO

Concluding and Transitional Provisions

 

[mendeleyev]

Again, given the heated political discussions at present the post on Constitution Day may be controversial to some. I hope that you will refrain from posting insults here. There are plenty of places to fight and argue elsewhere.

Given the state of the world today, each of us should re-read our own Constitutional documents and then demand that our respective leaders follow what they have sworn to defend. It would not solve every problem or cure every evil on the planet, but it might be a nice start.

Please allow this post to do what is intended, and that is to educate readers about what is contained in the RF Constitution. As I wrote earlier, perhaps each of us can learn something in the process.

Thank you,
Mendeleyev

[Faux Pas]

So, exactly why did the passengers of a Russian flight have to push the plane before it could fly? The undercarriage was frozen and the plane couldn't move. The temperature in the Russian city of Igarka had dropped to -61 degrees (F) on November 25, typical of weather that far north in Siberia, and the plane's undercarriage was frozen. 7 crew members and 74 passengers were on board and there were enough volunteers to get the plane unstuck.

The government is investigating because the plane's braking system was frozen and while the flight went up okay, the potential hazards were serious.

My SIL who often worked in the North of Siberia in the oil industry had a comment on the passengers having to push the plane. Apparently it is not all that uncommon and those who were pushing the plane were oil field workers looking to get home. They knew if they did not help and push the plane they could sitting on that tarmack for a very long time until maintenance came to assist. She said she's done it herself

[mendeleyev]

Impressive that she has done this before!

[mendeleyev]

On the third day of January in 1989, the first commercial advertisement was published in the prominent Soviet newspaper, Izvestia. The name Izvestia means "the news." In those days, instead of inserting ads inside of regular articles, Izvestia printed a section of the paper just for advertising.

From the October Revolution in 1917 and until the 1920s, advertising had been banned in the Soviet Union. Along came what was called the Новая экономическая политика (НЭП) or "new economic policy." This was Vladimir Lenin's attempt to light a fire under the failed economic ideas of the Communists. He called it "state capitalism," and it was naturally limited to the state. Heaven forbid that individuals might enjoy any measure of prosperity.

The dawn of Soviet commercial advertising began in the 1920s, the time of the so-called New Economic Policy. In those days, advertising was not free, as it had been before the October Revolution of 1917. The advertising was state-controlled and was only allowed in national newspapers. In addition, the majority of advertising was placed by national enterprises, which actually had no competitors.

Lenin's new economic policy did not last, and neither did advertising. Iosef (Joseph) Dze Jugashvili (nicknamed "Stalin" meaning "man of steel") rose to power in 1922 and by the 1930s the economic policies had changed. As a result, advertising was banned and would only return in the 1960s.

The state could advertise and did so mainly via posters and billboards. The criteria for production of these posters was an ideal termed as "Soviet realism" and only such themes that promoted Soviet messages could be printed. Much of this art featured a cross section of society looking brightly ahead, confident in the future under communism.

The poster pictured below proclaims "Glory to the Soviet Railroad."



In the 1960s the Soviet economy was struggled for access to convertible currency and so the government began attempts to develop broader trade relations. For those reasons, advertising was dusted off and brought back for public consumption. Such advertising was subject to strict government control.

Other posters, such as the one below, admonished workers not to lose/waste working time. Such ads were designed to enshrine Communist ideals in society.


 
As part of the перестройка or гласность (openness) of the late 1980s the doors to advertising were opened again. Today, advertising plays a very important role in former Soviet countries, encouraging consumers to purchase goods and services.



The Holsten beer advertisement was photographed on a bus board near the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and just a short stroll from the Kremlin.

Below, the large Крошка Картошка (Little Potato) kiosk near Victory Park is adorned with advertisement for their potatoes. (Editors note: despite the name, there is nothing little about the potatoes served at Kroshka Kartoshka cafes.)



Recent laws passed are aimed at prohibiting anything that, in the eyes of government regulators, promotes ideas or themes contrary to values deemed appropriate for society.

(Photo credits: the Mendeleyev Journal. Content credits: the Mendeleyev Journal, and RT.)

[mendeleyev]

I was born in the Grundy, Virginia, hospital and until junior high, my childhood was spent primarily in that area. So, the name of Francis Gary Powers was well known during that childhood. Powers was also born in the same region and went to Grundy High School.

Amazingly, I would someday run across someone else from that part of the world--in Moscow, Russia. An elderly lady, from Phoenix of all places, had also been born in Grundy, and knew the Powers family. She was in Russia doing charity work with Orthodox Christian orphanages. She had taken a weekend tour of the American U-2 exhibit at Central Air Force Museum, housed at Monino Airfield just outside Moscow. That exhibit features the plane Powers was flying when he was shot down on the first day of May 1960.

Here is one of the best, and accurate, articles that I have read on that U-2 spy incident.

http://blueridgecountry.com/archive/favorites/francis-gary-powers/


It was not until June 2012 that the US Air Force posthumously awarded Powers with the Silver Star.


(Footnote: I am not sure if the U-2 exhibit is still featured at the museum. I was told sometime back that the U-2 incident was from a different time and era and of fading interest to most Russians.)

[Gator]

(Footnote: I am not sure if the U-2 exhibit is still featured at the museum. I was told sometime back that the U-2 incident was from a different time and era and of fading interest to most Russians.)

There are some interesting items from the Powers incident at the private KGB museum in Moscow.  My ex-wife, whose father and grandfather were KGB, guided me.

Inside the museum there are many of Powers' artifacts captured when his U-2 did not self destruct.  Among a pistol and electronic items, the exhibit had a vial of some US-issued poison for Powers to commit suicide.  Part of his U-2 was also on display.   (I had to depend upon my wife for translation as there was no English). 

It is clear that the US has been clandestinely poking around Russia for a long time.  One captured item was a Winchester 1873 carbine. 

I was more fascinated by the poison-tipped  umbrellas.   

You are correct.  U-2 happened a long time ago.  I believe I was still a virgin, literally and figuratively. 

[ML]

"The Russian attitude seems to be that if they can't win the Ukrainians over, then we'll make sure they hate us and one example of this thinking is in Russian schools as children are being introduced to a new "polite alphabet" meant to simultaneously engender Russian patriotism and denigrate anything Ukrainian while teaching the Russian Cyrillic letters. The Russian Cyrillic letters remain the same but the word examples for each letter now inject a healthy dose of propaganda, patriotism or both."

This has got to be one of the most disgusting things I have read here.

There seems to be no limit to how 'low-life' Russians are.

[mendeleyev]

The Guardian has an interesting series on photography--specifically on how foreign photojournalists capture the FSU in photos.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2014/dec/22/foreign-photographers-russia-post-soviet-world-in-pictures

[mendeleyev]

Wow, over 99,000 views for this thread! Thanks to each of you who have contributed and/or stopped by to read.

This next series on Soviet life will be tempting for some to take potshots. I'd kindly plead with you to not do that. We have a volatile situation in the world already and my hope that this next series of posts will promote understanding and respect between you, your lady, her family, and to know more about the countries and experiences that formed her worldview.

If you feel the need to drag the current war here, please resist that urge. There are plenty of spaces on the forum for us to debate current affairs.

Thank you! 

[mendeleyev]

I stumbled across some old videos recently from a documentary series done in the 1980s, portraying life in the Soviet Union. These are actually pretty cool. I thought it would be interesting to show how much life has changed from Soviet times to now, and so we'll try to intersperse pieces showing "before and after."

Invariably, this series will attract a Russian member or two who will think that we're making fun, belittling, or smearing Russia. However, just the opposite is true: I firmly believe that only when you know about the life from which your wife or lady emerged, can you then hope to understand and feel her perspective on life today. There is nothing wrong about recalling how life was, and then celebrating how much improvement we've seen since.

[JayH]

Wow, over 99,000 views for this thread! Thanks to each of you who have contributed and/or stopped by to read.

thank you! 

Congratulations and thankyou. Your contribution to the forum is unrivalled  and a major feature of the forum--on all topics!!

[mendeleyev]

 Everyone likes to eat, and we do this all over the world! So, here are some "before and after" views of grocery shopping:
 
 
 Moscow, Russia 1986:
 
 
 
 
 
 Tallinn, Estonia 1990:
 
 
 
 
 
 Now, keeping in mind that prices shown next are before sanctions, let's tour a 2012 era Russian grocery market:
 
 
 
 
 
 Ufa, Russia 2013
 
 
 
 
 
 Moscow, Russia 2013
 
 
 

[jone]

But they make you pay for the plastic bags, Mendy.  What a corrupt system!

[mendeleyev]

Jone, Years ago, one of the ladies at the Kyiv Symphony asked me to start bringing cloth/vinyl shopping bags with me on each trip from the USA. I brought something like 50 (approximately) the next time, and to my surprise those were quickly grabbed up. So I began bringing them by larger quantities.

Now anytime we are in the West, we take lots back with us. You see more and more now in Russia, but even still those are popular with relatives and friends. I carry one around Moscow often; it serves both to keep my camera case out of view, and is the perfect "perhaps" bag--Soviet era folk remember those fondly.

[AC]

But they make you pay for the plastic bags, Mendy.  What a corrupt system!

Is Oregon corrupt?  The also charge for plastic bags.

[jone]

Mendy,

What is a 'Perhaps bag'?

I get good pay to set him up with these questions!