What makes the FSU so interesting?

[Hammer2722]

It was Kut
uzov, a general, who gave the order.  The French walked into Moscow five days later.

No, it was not! As a student of Napoleonic History,I have read countless books on the subject. It was indeed Moscow's mayor who ordered the incendiaries to remain behind in the city. Once the French entered and began occupying the city, the incendiaries started fires during the night. Napoleon gave orders to his marshal's to shoot on sight any incendiaries his soldiers caught and that all fires were to be put out.

[mendeleyev]

Today in the Mendeleyev Journal:

June 24, 1812. Russians call it "The Patriotic War." There is so much that could be written on that war of 1812 and we feel badly that we've not given it proper treatment on the 200th anniversary. Our apologies.

If you've been inside the Kremlin walls, one of the interesting displays are of the cannon lining the southern and eastern walls of the Arsenal. The Arsenal was a live Armoury built in 1701 on the orders of  Peter the Great. It stands on the spot where the Kremlin horse barns once were situated. As you follow the red arrow, just outside the walls of the Kremlin (west, left of Arsenal) are the great Corner Arsenal Tower, the famous Aleksandr Gardens, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies along the outside wall, and the monuments to "Hero Cities" from the Great Patriotic War against the German invasion of 1941.

To the immediate right of the arrow along the upper edge of this photo (due north) and moving left to right is the historic Nicholas Tower and just over the Kremlin walls is the tall red State Historical Museum building and the rectangular shape of "Beautiful Plaza" which we Westerners mispronounce as "Red Square" although unseen from this angle.

Trivia: "Red Square" is neither red, nor square, nor named Red Square. The paving stones making up "Beautiful Plaza" are dark grey in colour and the walls of the Kremlin are of white limestone and up until just a hundred years ago or so, were not painted red. In fact, from the period of 1368 when the white-stone walls and towers of the Kremlin were erected, Moscow was called "white-stone" for many years.





In 1812 as the French army retreated from Moscow they left behind more than a hundred cannon in the Kremlin. By 1819, another 875 guns abandoned by the Napoleon’s army at the fields of battle were transferred here to the Kremlin and formed an exhibition of the Museum for the Patriotic War of 1812. Because of damage to the Kremlin interior the cannons were placed on a special base along the front of the Arsenal building.



 
In 1830 the collection of Russian artillery cannons was placed in front of the Armoury Chamber. Cannon bases were specially made. However, the building was dismantled in 1860 and the cannons were transferred back to the Arsenal.

Today along the Arsenal building there are 25 old Russian cannons from the XVI-XVII centuries, 15 foreign cannons of the same time period and 830 cannons, mortars and howitzers captured from the French during the Patriotic War 1812. Those guns captured from the French Armee are from a collection of European countries such as France, Austria, Prussia, Italy, Spain, and Holland.


(Kremlin Arsenal cannon, photo from Brian Morrow collection.)

When Napoleon retreated from Moscow, he ordered the whole Kremlin to be blown up and the Arsenal building, several portions of the Kremlin Wall and several wall towers were destroyed by explosions. Fires set by Napoleon's troops damaged the Faceted Chamber and several of the Kremlin churches.

Napoleon wanted his engineers to dismantle St. Basil's Cathedral for his war spoils. Saint Basil's (not it's real name either) is a complex work of engineering and it could not be easily or quickly dismantled. Legend says that Napoleon then ordered it dynamited but the fuses lit by his men were supposedly snuffed by a sudden rain downpour.






Trivia: The real name of Saint Basil's Cathedral? Often called Saint Basil's because it is the burial place for its most famous priest, Basil the Fool for Christ, the real name of this magnificent church is the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Virgin on the Moat. The original name was "Trinity Church" and the design is shaped as a flame of a bonfire rising into the sky. Saint Basil's is not just one church, there are 8 independent chapels wrapped around a small central church in the centre, thus 9 chapels in one building.
                       

[mendeleyev]

More on the victory anniversary of the war of 1812 from the Mendeleyev Journal:

After Napoleon Bonaparte had retreated from Moscow, Emperor Alexander I declared in December 1812 that he would build a grand cathedral in honor of Christ the Saviour and "to signify Our gratitude to Divine Providence for saving Russia from the doom that overshadowed Her."  The cathedral was to be a memorial to the sacrifices of the Russian people.

The original plans laid out a design full of Freemason symbolism. Construction work was begun on the Sparrow Hills, the highest point in Moscow, but the site wasn't able to accommodate the plans. When Alexander I was succeeded by his brother Nicholas I, the devoted Orthodox Tsar disliked the Neoclassicism and Freemasonry aspects of the project and called for renowned Russian architect Konstantin Thon to create a new design.




(Facing the street side of the Cathedral)

Thon used the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (modern day Instanbul) as his inspiration. With the design approved in 1832, the Tsar chose a new site which was closer to the Moscow Kremlin. Work began by removing a convent and church in 1837 and cornerstone for the new church was laid in 1839.  The cathedral took years to build and was consecrated on the day Alexander III was crowned, 26 May 1883.

After the death of Lenin the site was chosen by the Soviets for a monument to socialism known as the Palace of the Soviets. Design of the monument would make it one of the tallest buildings in the world at the time, sitting on buttressed tiers to support a gigantic statue of Lenin at the top of a dome with his arm raised as if to point the way to a future of Communism. With plans for the Palace of the Soviets approved, Stalin ordered the famous Cathedral of Christ the Saviour to be dynamited. State workers took more than a year to clear the debris from the site and marble from the cathedral was used in the construction of nearby Moscow Metro stations. The original marble high reliefs were preserved and are on display at the Patriarch's Donskoy Monastery in Moscow.

Due to war with Germany and the ultimate infeasibility of the design, Nikita Khrushchev transformed the site by constructing the world's largest open air swimming pool.

In February of 1990 the Soviet Government granted permission for the Russian Orthodox Church to rebuild the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. A temporary cornerstone was laid and construction funds began to be donated by ordinary Russian citizens. The project lasted several years and the completed Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was consecrated on the Transfiguration day, 19 August 2000. At capacity the cathedral is the largest Orthodox church in the world and able to accommodate between 5-6,000 persons.




A small wooden chapel, dedicated to the Sovereign Madonna (Державной иконы Божией Матери), is located close on the grounds to the rear of the Cathedral. Built in 1995, the chapel became a place to pray for the reconstruction project and for the builders and artists labouring to rebuild the cathedral.

The Cathedral served as the venue when the last Tsar Nicholas II and his family were declared as "Passion bearers" (minor saints) in 2000. After his death in 2007, former Russian President Boris Yeltsin lay in state in the cathedral prior to his burial in Novodevichy Cemetery.




(Facing the Moscow River)

The Cathedral was the site of the official signing and joint liturgy when the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia rejoined the Russian Orthodox Church in full communion and administrative authority.

The interior walls are bronze reliefs listing the names of every Russian soldier who died in the war of 1812.
                       

[Boethius]

Beautiful photos, mendy.  Thank you.

No, it was not! As a student of Napoleonic History,I have read countless books on the subject. It was indeed Moscow's mayor who ordered the incendiaries to remain behind in the city. Once the French entered and began occupying the city, the incendiaries started fires during the night. Napoleon gave orders to his marshal's to shoot on sight any incendiaries his soldiers caught and that all fires were to be put out.

Many Western historians speculate that Count Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin, the governer general of Moscow, gave the order to burn Moscow.  Some even speculate he did so because he was driven insane by Napoleon's inevitable advance, and that Tsar Alexander I was devastated by the destruction of Moscow.  However, the account is far different in the works of most Russian historians I have read.  Their account is that Kutuzov, realizing Moscow would be taken, took the decision at the Council of Fili (pictured below, most Russians educated in the Soviet period are familiar with this piece) to abandon Moscow, burn it to the ground, cut both roads to the city (thereby depriving the French of supply lines), and regroup for the battle to save Russia.  Historical accounts have Kutuzov declaring at the Council of Fili that he would prefer to surrender Moscow to save Russia. (Strategically, Kutuzov also wished to protect an armament factory in Tula).

For those unaware of this history, Fili was a town outside Moscow, and is now a suburb of Moscow.  There is a beautiful church there (heavily damaged by the French, and later, the Bolsheviks, but restored during the Soviet period), pictured below.

Most Muscovites fled with the retreating Imperial army.  Some nobleman stayed in their homes, some peasants remained, criminals were released from jails, and the mentally ill were also released.  All livestock was removed from the city before it was taken, or slaughtered, as were foodstuffs.  Peasant partisans, lead by army officers, set the city on fire as Napoleon's troops advanced.  This is not conjecture on my part, but historical accounts I have read in Russian.

In most Russian historical accounts, Kutuzov gets credit for the strategy, although some give credit to another well known military hero, Count Osterman-Tolstoy. 





There is a fairly recent book (2010, I believe), by Dominic Lieven (a descendant of the famous Imperial Army generals, a well known professor of Russian government at the London School of Economics, and one of the world's most noted experts on Russian history) that discusses the Napoleonic war from a Russian perspective.  I haven't read it yet, it is in my pile, but Professor Lieven had access to Russian archives to which almost no Western scholars have had access.  It will be interesting to read how he interprets these events.

[Boethius]

The interior walls are bronze reliefs listing the names of every Russian soldier who died in the war of 1812.

I read in one historical account that soldiers' widows were not permitted to remarry, and my husband confirmed that this is accurate.

[mendeleyev]

do you mind saying which cities you have visited, and which would be your faves, for example you might recommend to me who has never been to Russia??  I am considering St. Petersburg, maybe Moscow.  The former Stalingrad I would like to see the war memorials there.

First, thank you for your kind words, Erik. They are appreciated.

Over the years I've been to so many cities that it would be difficult to make a complete list but will tell you that you have chosen 3 great cities in Peter, Moscow and Volgograd (Stalingrad)!

Saint Petersburg is so beautifully different than Moscow and Volgograd, just as Moscow is different than Vladivostok in the far East. Russia is 1/6 of the earth's surface and there is so much to see, so much to experience and appreciate. I like the 3 you've chosen as Moscow is so historic--I could spent 30 days doing nothing but touring Moscow and would still not be finished at the end. Moscow is a large territory, almost 12 million population so it takes time to get around. Peter is 4 million and somewhat easier to navigate.

The "problem" with both Moscow and Peter is that even outside each city there is so much history. For example, you could spend 15-20 days traveling along the "Golden Ring" outside Moscow and still only see highlights without digging in and uncovering the depth of history and beauty that is there.

Taking the Trans-Siberian Railway to Lake Baikal is something that you should do someday. Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater "lake" in the world (scientists say it is becoming a "sea" in size) and it holds more water than all the North American "Great Lakes" combined, has thousands of animal and plant species found nowhere else in the world and is home to the world's only freshwater Seals. This lake is massive, beautiful, creates its own weather patterns, sits in the centre of Asia and at 445 meters above sea level. It is beautiful!

Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) is a city but not massive like Moscow. You can discover the awesome history easily and quickly and then spend some time camping, hiking, fishing along the Volga.

Russia is a land of rivers and railroads. Russians travel on rivers whether by steamboat, ferry, or commercial passenger boats. They travel by rail and it is something to experience if you ever get to spend several days on a train.

Our family likes the Kaluga area too. Only 2 hours electric train from Moscow and we have friends we like to visit. That is also a great area for camping and fishing. Rostov-on-the-Don is another area we enjoy, with relatives in nearby Shakhty.

[mendeleyev]

I read in one historical account that soldiers' widows were not permitted to remarry, and my husband confirmed that this is accurate.

Interesting. Was there a reason why they couldn't remarry?

[JayH]

Mende your work is outstanding-- I have to make more time to read it.I love all the posters here-wonderfull stuff--  you have restored my faith in forums actually having a purpose,

[Boethius]

Was there a reason why they couldn't remarry?

No clue, unfortunately, but I wonder if it had to to with pensions? 
 
A lot of serfs were conscripted in the fight against Napoleon, and they were not given the same pay as soldiers, or any pension.
 
 

[SANDRO43]

A lot of serfs were conscripted in the fight against Napoleon, and they were not given the same pay as soldiers, or any pension.

According to family lore, my Great Grandfather's (http://www.floriani.it/leonida-eng.htm#Medal) grandfather raised a company of Cossak cavalry from his lands to fight Napoleon, which gave the right to his descendants to attend the "Lycée de l'Empereur Alexandre".

Quite a different treatment .

[Belvis]

I read in one historical account that soldiers' widows were not permitted to remarry, and my husband confirmed that this is accurate.

Not quite true. Russian soldier's widow in XIX c. can remarry, but only if she's got the official document about her husband death. That was the root of the problem taking into account inefficiency of russian bureaucracy and poor record keeping in army.

[erikmagenta]

Not quite true. Russian soldier's widow in XIX c. can remarry, but only if she's got the official document about her husband death. That was the root of the problem taking into account inefficiency of russian bureaucracy and poor record keeping in army.

Thanks Belvis.  I thought that there might be a more plausible explanation, and the one you have given certainly makes perfect sense!!

[mendeleyev]

In today's Mendeleyev Journal...

Krasnodar (Краснодар) is a city in southern Russia on the Kuban River and approximately 90 some miles north of the Black Sea. Founded in 1794 the town was first named as Yekaterinodar (Екатеринодаp) meaning "Catherine's Gift" for the Russian Empress. When the Soviets came to power they changed the name to Krasnodar, giving it a revised meaning, "Red Gift," as if somehow the city was now a gift from the Reds.

Name issues aside, Krasnodar is perhaps on to something. Imagine if you could walk up to a large public fountain and using your cell phone, control the fountain. For a charge on your phone bill of course. You'd be able to control not only the fountain for a minute, but at night you'd have control of the back-lighting too! Disney executives, are you listening?


CLICK PHOTO to make it large.

Control this Krasnodar city fountain with your cell phone!

In Krasnodar a large and popular public fountain has been engineered to allow anyone with a cell phone to control the fountain for one minute. You're paying for it so go ahead! Simple, just dial the fountain number which is 8-929-849-66-31. After dialing, press the numbers from zero to six. Each of them corresponds to one colour/jet spray option for the back lighting.

Apparently this feature became available on 15 June and so far city officials seem happy about the arrangement. Charging money for controlling public fountain jets and lights--now that is capitalism! What a gift to starving city budgets!  They should change the name of the city to "Fountain Gift" or "Cell phone Gift."
 
Lenin and Marx must be spinning out of control in their graves. Hmm, wonder how much people would pay to control something like THAT?!
                 

[Anotherkiwi]

In today's Mendeleyev Journal...

Krasnodar (Краснодар) is a city in southern Russia on the Kuban River and approximately 90 some miles north of the Black Sea. Founded in 1794 the town was first named as Yekaterinodar (Екатеринодаp) meaning "Catherine's Gift" for the Russian Empress. When the Soviets came to power they changed the name to Krasnodar, giving it a revised meaning, "Red Gift," as if somehow the city was now a gift from the Reds.

Name issues aside, Krasnodar is perhaps on to something. Imagine if you could walk up to a large public fountain and using your cell phone, control the fountain. For a charge on your phone bill of course. You'd be able to control not only the fountain for a minute, but at night you'd have control of the back-lighting too! Disney executives, are you listening?


CLICK PHOTO to make it large.

Control this Krasnodar city fountain with your cell phone!

In Krasnodar a large and popular public fountain has been engineered to allow anyone with a cell phone to control the fountain for one minute. You're paying for it so go ahead! Simple, just dial the fountain number which is 8-929-849-66-31. After dialing, press the numbers from zero to six. Each of them corresponds to one colour/jet spray option for the back lighting.

Apparently this feature became available on 15 June and so far city officials seem happy about the arrangement. Charging money for controlling public fountain jets and lights--now that is capitalism! What a gift to starving city budgets!  They should change the name of the city to "Fountain Gift" or "Cell phone Gift."
 
Lenin and Marx must be spinning out of control in their graves. Hmm, wonder how much people would pay to control something like THAT?!
               

Much more fun even than the trick fountains at Peterhof.  Behind the fountain is the Alexandrovskiy Arch.  My main impression of Krasnodar was that it is FLAT - as a pancake!  That makes it nice and easy to walk around.  As with all Russian/Ukrainian cities there are plenty of wonderful examples of the local architecture, both old and modern.  My favourites in Krasnodar would be the Holy Trinity Cathedral with its magnificent green domes, the wonderful white Cathedral of the Army, and a whole series of beautiful new apartment buildings between the main square and the river.
 
I've finally got around to putting some photos in the gallery - I was inspired to add some from Krasnodar by seeing this one.  Have a look at http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?action=gallery;cat=6

[mendeleyev]

Much more fun even than the trick fountains at Peterhof.  Behind the fountain is the Alexandrovskiy Arch.  My main impression of Krasnodar was that it is FLAT - as a pancake!  That makes it nice and easy to walk around.  As with all Russian/Ukrainian cities there are plenty of wonderful examples of the local architecture, both old and modern.  My favourites in Krasnodar would be the Holy Trinity Cathedral with its magnificent green domes, the wonderful white Cathedral of the Army, and a whole series of beautiful new apartment buildings between the main square and the river.
 
I've finally got around to putting some photos in the gallery

Very nice! Thanks for your description and photos.

[mendeleyev]

From the Mendeleyev Journal:

Editor's note: I am venturing into "no man's land" with this topic. Russians will be offended that such an important part of history now belongs to Ukraine. Ukrainians on the other hand will object to references to the Russian Empire. Sorry, I can't help the generations of mistrust between the "big brother" (Russia) and the "little brother" (Ukraine).

I love you both. 

Donetsk, Ukraine is the setting for one of Orthodoxy's most important historic sites. Around the year 1240 Christians fled Kyiv (Kiev) Ukraine as Muslim invaders swept thru killing anyone who wouldn't convert to Islam. Far away in the Donetsk mountains, a coal mining region, believers carved a church out of the mountainside.




(The  main temple began as the Cave Church of St. Nicholas.)

In the 1500s a church and buildings for a men's monastery, Svyato Dormition Monastery were added closer towards base of the mountain along the river. Some historians aregue that the first monks to settle the area were in the 14th-15th centuries. The first written record of the monastery dates to the early 1500s and the monastery was officially recognized as the Sviatohirsk Uspensky Monastery in 1624.





During the Crimean Khanate, the monastery was invaded by Muslim forces several times and ransacked, making it necessary to restore after each Islamic invasion.





The original cave church restored and expanded, Donetsk, Ukraine.As explained in Wikipedia: In 1787, the government of Catherine II paid for the restoration of the monastery. In 1844, it was once again restored, paid for by monetary donations from Aleksander Mikhailovich Potemkin and his wife Tatiana Borisovna. During the next seventy years until 1914, the monastery was one of the most important monasteries of the Russian Empire.



(Svyato Dormition Monastery, photo by V. Petrovich.)

The monastery was a strategic post for the Russian Empire, often called the Trinity-Sergiyeva Lavra of the southwest and for generations the outpost at Svyatogorsk served as a defensive point in the south of the Russian Empire.




The original cave church at Donetsk, Ukraine was carved in the 1200s to escape death by Islamic warriors. As the times became more safe, the churches expanded down the mountain starting in the 1500s. The main temple served as the Cave Church of St. Nicholas.




Restoration work at the Caves church, Donetsk, Ukraine.From 1917, the monastery underwent the numerous plunders, abuses and desecration of the holy places, and killing monks by the Communists. Heaven received many new martyrs and confessors with the murder of monks and priests.  In 1922 the monastery was closed by the Soviet Union and later turned into a rest home for dying elderly.




(Cemetery markers have been restored. Svyato Dormition Monastery photo by V. Petrovich.)

On the 29^th of December in 2003 the government returned the buildings and lands to the monastery and today more than 100 monks again live and work on the premises,serving the region's poor and homeless population.  So far two ancient monks cells have been restored – All Saints and Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves.





There are 54 bells at the 5 monastery belfries, the biggest one weighs more than 6 tons.



Recently restored Bells high in mountain caves have called believers to worship for over 700+ years here in Donetsk, Ukraine. Each is a different size and height to accommodate the musical scale as instruments other than the human voice was not allowed in the early church. Only bells mounted outside could issue the call to worship.

 

[mendeleyev]

From the Mendeleyev Journal

So, how many attended the charity AIDS concert on Independence Square in Kyiv (Kiev)? Hundreds of thousands by all appearances. The free concert came as part of the Euro 2012 football soccer championship last Saturday night in the capital of Ukraine.The concert was organized by the Elena Pinchuk Foundation for AIDS awareness.   





Former Queen band mate and front man Freddy Mercury died of AIDS in 1991 and American Idol star Adam Lambert joined Queen for vocals. Elton John used the concert to call on Ukrainians to repudiate violence against homosexuals after a gay pride march in the Ukraine was called off prior to the soccer championship, where leaders were beaten by assailants. BigPondNews reported that the concert was the first and last joint John-Queen performance since 1992.

Watch over 2 hours of concert footage here:





Songs performed during the concert included Queen classics like “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “We Will Rock You,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Are the Champions” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Queen and Lambert performed in Moscow on Tuesday night (3 July) and will travel to Poland for a show Saturday before traveling to London for three concerts next week.


 


The  ant-AIDS benefit performance promoted the slogan: “Your life is not a game! Let’s stop AIDS together.” Hundreds of thousands of people attended the concert and millions of Ukrainian and Polish citizens were able to watch it live on TV in Ukraine and Poland.


 


The concert was free to the public but there was a paid invitation-only VIP zone with a required financial donation to fighting AIDS in Ukraine. In addition to assisting other charities, Elton John has his own AIDS Foundation.
                 

[mendeleyev]

The Mendeleyev Journal...

Some of us can remember a Soviet Union where no English could be seen anywhere, toilet paper and sanding paper surely were made in the same factory (not really but it felt that way), and coffee was something you brought from from home in a suitcase.
 
Today many streets have names posted in Cyrillic and English as do some underground Metro signs. Toilet paper is no longer rolls of sandpaper carried on sticks slung over a man's back and is as soft and comfortable as anyplace in the West. Nowadays we buy coffee in Russia and take it back to the USA.
 
To be sure, Russian's aren't the avid coffee drinkers as a typical American or Canadian, but coffee is no stranger to a Russian table and in fact has never been a total stranger. These days home grown coffee shops are sprouting up everywhere. Even Starbucks with their ill advised late entry into Eastern Europe is doing well.
 
Of course Russians still drink tea all day, dawn to dark, but when Russians want coffee, often it is to compliment dessert and that usually dictates a very strong blend something more like a Turkish coffee. That is perhaps one reason why a cup of American styled coffee at шоколадница кофейна (Chocolate Coffee/Cafe) is only 159р (rubles) versus 199р for a cappuccino or 199р to 249р for a specialty coffee. For comparison, the exchange rate today is 32.8745 rubles to ($1) one American dollar.

Russians love ice cream, mayo and beets above anything else, okay so fish and salo belong in the list, but chocolate is not far behind. We're generalizing about "they" of course, but in general "they" love the deep and dark European style chocolate, having figured out that dark chocolate is good for health, wealth, love, happiness, good music, cures eyesight problems, restores youth, sex, heals burns, fixes teeth, cures hangovers, re-inflates flat tires and is the best medicine for that dreaded malady known in medical circles as "severe chocolate deficiency" syndrome. Therein the connection between chocolate and coffee at places like the Chocolate Cafe.





(шоколадница кофейна)





kения = where?






Can you read this Central American country's name? гватемала






And where is Колумбия coffee grown?

Coffee from Ethiopia is another popular exotic bean sold in the former Soviet Union.
         

[mendeleyev]

From the Mendeleyev Journal:
Sunday, 8 July 2012)
Summertime weather
 
Moscow:
The sun rose in Moscow at 4:57am this morning and finally went down last night at 10:11pm. The forecast for today (Sunday) is Sunny but rain is coming for Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday. Daytime temps are really warm, between 26/27* and lows at night around 18*. That is warm.
 
 
Saint Petersburg:
Yesterday the sun rose at 4:49am and set last night at 11:47pm. The forecast for Sunday is rain, then partly cloudy on Monday and sunny on Tuesday. Piter has the advantage of more moderate summer weather and the highs this week average 22* with the lows around 15*.
 
 
Krasnodar:
Over 100 lives have been lost so far in the flooding across the Krasnodar region. The forecast is for some sunshine today, but rain again both Monday and Tuesday. Daytime temps have been averaging 28* and nights around 18*.
 
 
Novosibirsk:
Sunrise on Saturday was at 6:02 and sunset was at 11:07pm. The forecast for today (Sunday) is partly sunny with a high of 27* and then partly cloudy Monday thru Wednesday, the low temps at night averaging 10*.
 
 
Yekaterinburg/Ekaterinburg:
Sunrise Saturday was at 5:17am and sunset was at 11:47pm. The forecast today is partly cloudy with a chance of shower, then sunny from Monday thru Wednesday. It is warm with high temperatures around 29/30* and nightly lows around 14/15*.
 
 
 
Arkhangelsk:
Of course it is cooler up north and the days are longer. The sun was up and ready for play at 2:59 on Saturday morning and wasn't ready to retire until 11:43pm. Temperatures in the day are averaging 18* and around 9/10* at night. It is partly sunny today but the Дождь (rain) is coming for the remainder of the week.
 
 
Volgograd:
You expect it to be hot this time of year in southern Russia and for the most part it is. The sun rose at 5:08 and set at 9:07, very tame for a Russian summer. Temperatures are in the 34/35* range by day and 19/20* by night. The forecast for Volgograd is always the same this time of year with sunny skies followed by more sunny skies.
 


Notes:
- Russia uses the Celsius scale for temperatures.
 
- Russians most often express time in military or 24 hour terms, therefore I have transposed those for readers. Example: 11:07pm is the same as 23:07 in Russia.
   

[erikmagenta]

Hi Mr. M,

Please correct me if I am wrong, I believe the coffees you listed are from Kenya, Guatamala, and Colombia.  I have been working on a few words and phrases in Russian, and working on figuring out the Cyrillic alphabet. 

[mendeleyev]

Excellent work, Erik! 

Perfect score!

[Anotherkiwi]

Excellent work, Erik! 

Perfect score!

No, it's not! 
 
Everyone goes on about there is no such country as "the Ukraine" - how about spelling Colombia correctly?    (Everybody?).  Unless, of course, this coffee is all grown at a university in New York? 

[erikmagenta]

Sorry Kiwi, my bad.  I am no longer a great speller like I was in grade school when I won a couple of spelling bees....

[mendeleyev]

Hmm....

(The Republic of) Colombia in Central America.

Columbia University.

But he did miss the "e" in Guatemala.

[Anotherkiwi]

Hmm....

(The Republic of) Colombia in Central America.

Columbia University.

But he did miss the "e" in Guatemala.

So he did!  And so did I!     I've just been getting more and more hacked off (in a refined, gentlemanly way!) about seeing Colombia spelt wrongly in so many recent posts.