Tag Archives: Russia

The Long Hangover: Putin’s New Russia and the Ghosts of the Past

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In The Long Hangover, Shaun Walker provides a deeply reported, bottom-up explanation of Russia’s resurgence under Putin. By cleverly exploiting the memory of the Soviet victory over fascism in World War II, Putin’s regime has made ordinary Russians feel that their country is great again.

Shaun Walker provides new insight into contemporary Russia and its search for a new identity, telling the story through the country’s troubled relationship with its Soviet past. Walker not only explains Vladimir Putin’s goals and the government’s official manipulations of history, but also focuses on ordinary Russians and their motivations. He charts how Putin raised victory in World War II to the status of a national founding myth in the search for a unifying force to heal a divided country, and shows how dangerous the ramifications of this have been.

The book explores why Russia, unlike Germany, has failed to come to terms with the darkest pages of its past: Stalin’s purges, the Gulag, and the war deportations. The narrative roams from the corridors of the Kremlin to the wilds of the Gulags and the trenches of East Ukraine. It puts the annexation of Crimea and the newly assertive Russia in the context of the delayed fallout of the Soviet collapse.

The Long Hangover is a book about a lost generation: the millions of Russians who lost their country and the subsequent attempts to restore to them a sense of purpose. Packed with analysis but told mainly through vibrant reportage, it is a thoughtful exploration of the legacy of the Soviet collapse and how it has affected life in Russia and Putin’s policies.

This is a brilliant and exhaustive book which tells you all you need to know about Russia and Putin. History with heart.
 

The Long Hangover: Putin’s New Russia and the Ghosts of the Past is available here.

10 Tea Destinations You Should Visit Once In Your Life

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traditionsofteaaroundtheworld

Image credit: Turkish tea by Sztanco Demeter

It warms us up when we are cool and it will cool us if we are too heated. Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world after water and this is probably the reason why it has become a worldwide little treasure- From the time of the ancient Chinese Dynasty to our present, tea has taught us there is nothing better than its flavour when it comes to relaxing or catching up with friends and family. Welcome to the worldwide art of drinking tea!

 

Argentine: The land of mate

People say that in order to know beautiful Argentine, you need to try its meat and of course, its mate. Did you know there is an entire museum dedicated to mate? This herb is without any doubt the national drink in the country and it is said that the more you drink it, the strongest the after-taste. If you fancy some more information about this caffeine-rich infused drink, don´t hesitate to visit Museo del Mate (289, Lavalle, 1648 Tigre, Buenos Aires).  Image credit: Mate by Marta López

 

Morocco: Experience the mint tea!

You can’t really say you know the mint tea flavour unless you have been to Morocco. Touareg tea, how Moroccon mint tea is named here, is the real heart of this culture and it is strongly linked to the act of hospitality. In this sense, tea is served to guesses three times-Of course the guess will always have to drink the glass!

 

China: The art of making tea

allthetrainchina

Image: All the tea in China by Adam Cohn via Flickr 

China is the birthplace for tea; here people have been producing tea over the years, something they call “Chao dao”, which was also exported to Japan. This country is a perfect destination for tea lovers that will be able to visit the only National Tea Museum in the country (opened in 1991 and based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang), where you can find out more about the strong tea culture in this place.

 

India: The world of Chai

 

India consumes more tea than any other country in the world. Whoever visits this destination will find out that this drink is literally served on every corner, especially in crowded train stations where you will see people selling this drink from early hours in the morning until night. To find out more about the tea culture in the country, pop in at Kanan Devan Hills Tea Museum (Munnar, India).

 

Japan: The matcha ceremony 

traditioninJapan

Image credit: Matcha tradition in Japan by Flickr

Tea is in this country a huge part of the food culture. Even though the diversity of teas here is endless, whenever someone mentions this drink is known it’s referred to green tea. The tea ceremony is called here matcha and is seen as a ritual that generations have been using for ages and which consists of serving green tea to a small group in one of those popular old teahouses.

 

New Zealand: The tea explosion 

Like in America, people from New Zealand get interested in this drink because of its healthy reputation. According to historians, New Zealand imported considerable amounts of tea in the nineteenth-century, with the arrival of the British missionaries. A fun fact about the tea culture in this country is that its only commercial tea plantation is called Zealong, which launched its first list of products in 2009.

 

Russia: Drink tea as a guest 

Russians drink tea at different times of the day. Originally introduced by the Mongolians, it has turned into an important part of the Russian culture and today we could say that there is no Russia without this drink. Follow the local style and try a cup of Zavarka, a very strong tea prepared in a separate pot that allows guests to have several tea rounds.

 

Britain: Enjoy an afternoon tea

londonafternoontea

Image credit: The Goring by Expedia

There is nothing more British than having a proper afternoon tea, which owes its origins to Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. Today this ritual attracts hundreds of travellers, especially in London, a city that hosts a wide chic selection of hotels and cafés offering this service. Top tip: Although most hotels in London offer the best afternoon tea in the country, as blogger Antonia Windsor details in this article on the Expedia blog, it’s important to remember that British people, especially Londoners, tend to save these posh sessions for a special occasion. If you ever visit the British capital and you fancy a real afternoon tea, book a table at Claridge´s Hotel (Brook St, Mayfair, London) Cost: £50.

 

Thailand: A popular tea around the world              

Thai tea is one of the most popular teas in the world and it has been attracting consumers over the years across different continents. It is made from strongly-brewed red tea that usually contains anise, red and yellow food colouring and sometimes other spices too. Visit The Museum Coffee & Tea Corner (1, Damnernkasem Road, Hua Hin) and enjoy amazing garden views whilst enjoying classical music.

 

USA: The tea explosion

starbucks

Tea is in the States one of the most popular non-alcoholic drinks in 2014.  It doesn’t matter if you fancy green, red or even oolong tea, as they are all included in North American people’s healthy diet so you won’ t have issues when it comes to finding them on the menu. Top tip: Remember that American coffee is still preferred for the morning ritual!

 

Image credit: Starbucks tea by Vivian Farinazzo via Flickr

 

Author Bio

Marta López is a travel writer based in London. She loves travelling and discovering new cultures. When she isn’t writing on her laptop she can be found around the city looking for the latest tea shops.

 

 

Russia: Disclose Whereabouts of Missing Pussy Riot Member. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova Still Missing

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Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Pussy Riots, Russia, missingConcern grows for missing Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova.

Amnesty International has condemned the continuing refusal to disclose the whereabouts of a member of the Russian punk group Pussy Riot, who is rumoured to be in transfer to a prison colony in Siberia, saying it is clearly yet another attempt to silence her.

Denis Krivosheev Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director at Amnesty International said:
“Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has publicly complained of threats she received from prison officials. We are concerned that she now may be being punished for this and for speaking out about deplorable prison conditions.

“The Russian authorities must immediately tell her family where she is and allow her access to a lawyer. She is a prisoner of conscience who should have never been taken to jail in the first place. Refusing to say where she is simply fuels rumours of the worst case scenario.
“If reports are true, transferring her to a prison colony thousands of kilometres from Moscow would make it almost impossible for her relatives and lawyers to see her. This would be a violation of her human rights and of Russia’s own laws.”

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova’s whereabouts have been unknown since 22 October when she was reportedly taken from the penal colony where she was serving a two-year prison sentence. It is believed she is being transferred to another place, but the destination has not been revealed.
Her husband has now said a penitentiary administration source informed him of the possible move to a prison colony in Siberia.

Amnesty has made Nadezhda Tolokonnikova the subject of an urgent action campaign, calling on the authorities in Russia to disclose her location immediately.

Saturn’s Daughters Author Jim Pinnells Interview: On Russia, Pussy Riots And The Birth Of Terrorism

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Saturn’s Daughters Author Jim Pinnells Interview: On Russia, Pussy Riots And The Birth Of Terrorism, terrorism, Jim Pinnells, pussy riots, Frost is very excited to interview Jim Pinnells. Jim has lead a fascinating life and he has written a great book called Saturn’s Daughters: The Birth of Terrorism. Grab yourself a copy.

You have led a fascinating life which has included working with the UN, on Chernobyl aftermath projects and being in Egypt during the Arab Spring.  Do you have a particular period that you felt most influenced your life and spurred you to research and write Saturn’s Daughters?

The first version of Saturn’s Daughters was written in the 1960’s when flower power and revolution were in the air. A book by David Footman, Red Prelude, got me hooked on the Russian revolutionaries of the 1880’s. With a bit of history, a natural streak of rebellion and an over-vivid imagination, I dreamed up a revolutionary romance about a terrorist called Viktor Pelin. His shadow survives in Saturn’s Daughters. An American agent pointed out that the female characters in the book were far more interesting than the male and suggested a rewrite. So Countess Anna moved centre-stage – though it took her thirty years to do so. Then I saw that Anna herself wasn’t really the key, but a whole cluster of women centred on Sofya Perovskaya. Her dedication, her idealism, her ruthlessness fascinated me. And this book is the result, almost half a century after the first draft. In a way, the many versions of Saturn’s Daughters are a measure of how far one can travel in a lifetime.

Where did the inspiration for the book come from?

From David Footman, from the Aldermaston marches, from an awareness as a young infantryman defending the River Weser that we were nothing but cannon fodder, from the Atlee government that gave me a scholarship to Cambridge but not the cash to cross the great social divide, from the farmers’ kids I taught in deepest Devon – from everything that ever happened to me really.
How did you undertake your research for the book?

Saturn’s Daughters is a historical novel. One thing I try to do is to get the history more or less right. That obviously means reading a stack of history books and biographies. Once that’s out of the way, there’s another kind of reading altogether – reading what the characters in the story would have read: magazines, newspapers, posters, adverts – every kind of ephemera. What music would they have listened to? What would they have stepped in when they were walking down the street? How would they have taken off their underclothes? And then topography. An earlier novel of mine, The Causeway, is set in a convent in the Bay of Naples. It wasn’t until I visited the convent (now a hotel) and paced the corridors from the cell of the Mother Superior to the punishment cells, found the terrace where the nuns would have seen Nelson evacuating Emma Hamilton from the quayside in Naples, dug my fingers into the soil of the nun’s kitchen garden – only then did the story come to life.

What is your writing routine?

I wish I had one. I’ve never had time to develop any kind routine. I take jobs that sound interesting wherever and whenever they come up. Vietnam, Venezuela, Russia, South Africa the Indonesian jungle or the Saudi desert. Some of my work involves report writing and that always kills real writing. I write fiction when I have time: on planes, on trains, during dead evenings when there’s nothing to do but chat with the locals in a bar somewhere. But then, to finalize a book, you have to sit down, lock the door, and work on it all the hours God made. If you don’t want a character to have blue eyes on page 12 and brown eyes on page 212, you have to (or at least I have to) rewrite the whole book in one intense anti-social bash.

Your book is about the first female terrorist. Do you think there are now less female terrorists, and if so, why?

Quantitatively there are probably as many terrorist movements in the world now as there were individual terrorists in the nineteenth century. Qualitatively it’s hard to say – I’m not quite sure how you’d measure the quality of female terrorists. Tons of debris per pound of explosive? As to the ability of women terrorists to attract public attention, I don’t think much has changed. Terror groups like to use young women as suicide bombers because a shattered female body harvests more news coverage. I think it’s always been a bit like that. But one thing has definitely changed. The romance has evaporated. A huge terrorist trial is going on at the moment in Germany. Beate Zschäpe is accused of murder (10 counts), attempted murder, arson, bank robbery and membership of a terrorist organization. (A charge of possessing child pornography has been dropped.) Zschäpe’s political beliefs – as far as the court has established them – are neo-nazi. Is she in fact a terrorist? That remains to be proved. But one thing both she and her cause certainly lack is any shimmer of romantic appeal. A neo-nazi terror cell that guns down Turkish street vendors disgusts most people and attracts only a handful of sympathizers. Chechen immigrants who blow up spectators at the Boston Marathon are in the same boat. A group of young idealists seeking to overthrow a repressive empire – that’s entirely different. They’ll always have a following. I think what has changed most are the ideologies. The methods, the relative number of women involved – those have stayed much the same.

What do you think breeds terrorism?

Short answer: perceived repression. When a group has strong views but has no power to enforce them, it tends to see itself as the victim of repression. In some societies there are “democratic” ways of handling this problem. Collecting money, starting a blog, forming a political party and then seeking election. But how many people have the time, the know-how or even the wish to work in the “democratic” way? The obvious short-cut, at least since the People’s Will showed the way (and this is the subject of Saturn’s Daughters), is terrorism. Not terrorism as a coherent system of action based on the assumption that even if you destroy the building, others will decide after you’re gone what will be built in its place. But terror as short-term, violent protest. A scream of frustration. A brief orgy of self-advertisement. So: perceived repression, despair, and the availability the weapons of the terrorist – fast transport, fast communications and the ability to make a big bang.

What do you think of modern-day groups like Al-Qaeda and the Taleban?

I sometimes think that if al-Qaeda didn’t exist, big government would have to invented it. But of course it does exist, simultaneously on the brink of extermination (because after all huge sums have been spent on the means of extermination) but yet able to unleash global mayhem at the drop of a hat (because large sums will be needed for future extermination exercises). Not that I’m trying to trivialize the problem. Al-Qaeda, the Taleban, the Imarat Kavkaz, Boko Haram, and countless similar organization all exist. They all pose a clear and present danger to the existing social order – especially in countries where they have their roots and which are vulnerable to their methods. In the “West” our real vulnerabilities lie elsewhere – a cyber-attack on the banking system, for example, or denial of commodities (especially oil). The West will not collapse in the face of aircraft with full fuel tanks hi-jacked by fanatics, and Russia will not collapse in the face of bombs in the Moscow Metro. Big regimes are more or less invulnerable. On the other hand, I’m sure regime change will be instigated by terrorist organizations in quite a few smaller, less stable countries. If these organizations remain in power after the regime change, then they may rule by means of terror. That, however, will be terror from above – the terror of a Stalin or a Robespierre – not terror from below as practiced by the People’s Will in the nineteenth century or by Al Qaeda today.
What change do you believe the world needs most right now?

Some years ago the Finnish aid agency PRODEC decided to channel more of its resources and direct more of African programmes toward women. I played a small part in that switch. The theory was this: menfolk may look more important like cocks on dunghills but really it’s the women who run things – so help them. Educate them and many good things will follow. Recently in Saudi Arabia, the government has completed a University City just outside Riyadh. It will house the 40,000 women of the Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University for Women. It hasn’t been built as a beacon of revolution, but it may function as one. Time will tell. Whatever the outcome in Saudi Arabia, women’s education seems to me the absolute social, commercial and political priority almost everywhere in the world.

What’s next for you?

Two new novels are on the launching pad. The first, Ilona Lost, is set in the First World War. The leading lady (you don’t see the word “heroine” so much these days) is an English nurse who serves with the Russian army on the eastern front and who goes home to Northampton to take over the family firm and build ambulances. The second, Reflections, concerns blood farms where Thai children (especially those with rare blood groups) are herded and milked for their blood which is then sold to the West. And, of course, work. I’m sure I shall give up work one day, but only “when the telephone stops ringing.”
Thank you Jim.

My Woshin Mashin | Music Profile

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3387774792-1Band: My Woshin Mashin
Location: Russia/Germany
Styles: Eclectic Electronic, Crossover, Rock, Dance, Punk
Similar to: The Knife, Moby, The Prodigy, Bloodhound Gang, KMFDM
CD: EVIL MUST DIE
Record Label: Tame Corbie Records

My Woshin Mashin (that’s right – My Woshin Mashin) was created by 3 friends from Russia and Germany. It happened in 2010 when Bibi Tulin and Hugo Simons left their previous bands and decided to make something new and different. Together with Wolfgang Scherman (their German friend who lives in Berlin and wears a crocodile mask) they gave a strange name to the project – My Woshin Mashin.

Later, under the influence of German dance tunes, Mike Patton’s work, English metal bands and old school music these three released their first demo-tape “Amazing Demo”, extended play “We Came in Peace” and their first long-play “Mawama” which was called “amazing (9/10)” in Brutal Resonance E-Zine, “funkelnden Kitsch” in Zillo Magazine and “better than amphetamine” in Russian Billboard.

Musically, My Woshin Mashin is eclectic and intense, but not without humor. Visually, the group’s music videos have earned them recognition on MTV, in art schools (their “Twenty One” video has been shown in multiple art schools as an example), and even surrealistic trash movies such as “The Smell Of Love”, which sold out on DVD.

My Woshin Mashin’s new full-length album is appropriately titled “EVIL MUST DIE”, and out now.

Of the new album, the band says “Our first album was about the characters we love (leutenant Columbo, Robocop, Godzilla etc). Hard beats, funny lyrics, dance tunes…you know, a very funny album. But when we were working on “Evil Must Die” we decided to concentrate on things from the “real” world – degradation of the television, money as a modern god, animal rights, really bad people we know and their behaviour, the loneliness of true heroes etc. By this album we’re trying to say that people must be more intelligent and simple, they must to try to change themselves into a better way and try to find the real values of life. It’s not about the money, a good job, democracy, power, expensive stuff, social networks or television. But it’s about the inner God who can be described simply – Love.”

Members/Instruments:
Bibi Tulin – voice, lyrics, music, piano, melodica, keyboards
Hugo Simons – voice, lyrics, music, gutar, bass, keyboards, noises, beat-box, mixing
Wolfgang Scherman – keyboards, lyrics, sampling, mixing, mastering

 

The Politics Book Review

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9781409364450Frost is a hive of political junkies so you can imagine how excited we were when The Politics Book came through our letterbox (actually, it was far to big. The postman had to hand it to us). It is 352 pages of political quotes, ideas, biographies, pictures…basically, it is a political junkies dream. So, did it live up to our original hopes?
Read on….

The Politics Book takes you through 2,500 years of politics. Broken into dates from 800 BCE to the present day, the sections are: Ancient Political Thought, Medieval Politics, Rationality and Enlightenment, Revolutionary Thoughts, The Rise of the Masses, The Clash of Ideologies and Postwar Politics.

The Politics Book is both a guide and a reference. The publisher refers to it as a “comprehensive guide to understanding every significant political theory and principle from ancient philosophy to modern warfare, and the lasting impact of these concepts worldwide.” The book is not only that but it is also easy to read. The book is full of fun graphs, pictures and quotes. Unlike some encyclopedias and reference you could read it from cover to cover easily and without getting bored.

I loved this book. I think it is very well done. A book of this type could have been tedious and unreadable, instead they have published a book that is both fascinating and fun to read. Every family should have one, and so should every school. Top marks.

Excerpt from book: Postwar Politics: Any Rand.

During the mid-20th century, the twin forces of fascism and communism led many in the West to question
the ethics of state involvement in the lives of individuals. Russian-American philosopher and novelist Ayn Rand believed in a form of ethical individualism, which held that the pursuit of self interest
was morally right. For Rand, any attempt to control the actions of others through regulation corrupted
the capacity of individuals to work freely as productive members of society. In other words, it was
important to preserve the freedom of a man from interference by other men. In particular, Rand felt that the state’s monopoly on the legal use of force was immoral, because it undermined the practical use of reason by individuals. For this reason, she condemned taxation, as well as state regulation of business and most other areas of public life.

Ideology
Objectivism
Focus
Individual liberty
Before
1917 The young Ayn Rand
witnesses the October
Revolution in Russia.
1930s Fascism rises
across Europe as a series
of authoritarian states
centralize state power.
After
1980s Conservative, freemarket
governments – in
the UK under Margaret
Thatcher, and in the US under
Ronald Reagan – achieve
electoral success.
2009 The Tea Party movement
begins in the US , with a
right-wing, conservative,
tax-reducing agenda.
Late 2000s Renewed interest
in Rand’s works follows the
global financial crisis.

Ayn Rand quotes:

A man can only live
according to reason if he
is allowed to pursue his
own self-interest.

There is nothing to take
a man’s freedom away from
him, save other men.

In order to be free,
a man must live
according to reason.

Interference from others,
including the state, restricts
a man’s ability to pursue his
own self-interest.

Reason is the only source
of human knowledge.

There is nothing to
take a man’s freedom
away from him,
save other men

Ayn Rand (1905–1982)

Ayn Rand

Objectivism
Rand’s main contribution to political thought is a doctrine she called objectivism. She intended
this to be a practical “philosophy for living on Earth” that provided a set of principles governing all
aspects of life, including politics, economics, art, and relationships. Objectivism is built on the idea that reason and rationality are the only absolutes in human life, and that as a result, any form of “just knowing” based on faith and instinct, such as religion, could not provide an adequate basis for existence. To Rand, unfettered capitalism was the only system of social organization that was
compatible with the rational nature of human beings, and collective state action served only to limit the capabilities of humanity. Her most influential work, Atlas Shrugged, articulates this belief clearly. A novel set in a United States that is crippled by government intervention and corrupt businessmen, its heroes are the industrialists and entrepreneurs whose productivity underpins
society and whose cooperation sustains civilization. Today, Rand’s ideas resonate in libertarian and conservative movements that advocate a shrinking of the state. Others
point out problems such as a lack of provision for the protection of the weak from the exploitation
of the powerful. ■

Ayn Rand biography
Ayn Rand was born Alisa
Zinov’yvena Rosenbaum in St
Petersburg, Russia. The Bolshevik
Revolution of 1917 resulted in her
family losing their business and
enduring a period of extreme
hardship. She completed her
education in Russia, studying
philosophy, history, and cinema,
before leaving for the US.
Rand worked as a screenwriter
in Hollywood before becoming an
author in the 1930s. Her novel The
Fountainhead appeared in 1943
and won her fame, but it was
her last work of fiction, Atlas
Shrugged, that proved to be her
most enduring legacy. Rand
wrote more non-fiction and
lectured on philosophy,
promoting objectivism and
its application to modern life.
Rand’s work has grown in
influence since her death and
has been cited as providing a
philosophical underpinning to
modern right-libertarian and
conservative politics.

Key works
1943 The Fountainhead
1957 Atlas Shrugged
1964 The Virtue of Selfishness

Man – every man – is an end
in himself, not the means
to the ends of others.
Ayn Rand

That so few dare to be
eccentric marks the chief danger
of the time John Stuart Mill (1806–1873)

 

 

Launch Party For Russian Week in London 2013

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The Russian Week in London, Festival Maslenitsa

Richard Barnes and Natalia Vodianova

 

Frost went along to the amazing restaurant Mari Vanna to celebrate the opening of the Maslenitsa Festival, Russia’s cultural welcome to spring and celebration of pancakes. We greatly enjoyed the canapes and the drinks, including vodka infused strawberry juice. We enjoyed the presentation and talks about the up-coming Russian festival and were told to ‘drink in moderation’ by Boris Johnson. All in all, we had a great time and will be popping down to the Russian Festival. See you there.

 

The Russian Week in London, Festival Maslenitsa

FREE entry, 13:30–18:30, Saturday 16 March 2013
Trafalgar Square, London, UK

Zdravstvuj! (Hello!) What better way to welcome spring and banish winter than Maslenitsa, the Russian Sun
Festival. This Shrovetide feast before Lent is celebrated the world over with traditional Russian arts and
culture events and, of course, delicious Russian cuisine – including the iconic and delectable blini (pancake).

Organised by Ensemble Productions, London’s Maslenitsa festival has the backing of the Mayor of London
and Natalia Vodianova’s Naked Heart Foundation as official charity partner, and is the largest Russian
celebration of culture, art, music and food outside of Russia. The free event returns for its fifth year on
Saturday 16 March in Trafalgar Square from 13:30-18:30. Coinciding with Maslenitsa celebrations across
Russia, a live satellite link will allow audiences to share in the authentic festival atmosphere and exchange
cultural dialogue as well as highlight important links between the UK and Russia, with a particular emphasis
on the Olympic years of London 2012 and Sochi 2014.

Boris Johnson

Comments the Mayor of London Boris Johnson:

“I am delighted to give my backing to London’s Maslenitsa celebrations, a sure sign that spring is on its way. London has a large Russian population and this popular event is an opportunity to become immersed in the rich traditions and heritage of that great country. It also offers a taster ahead of Sochi 2014, which is now just a year away and I am sure will be a huge success. Int he meantime, whether you try a delicious blini, pirogi or chebureki, to our friends in Moscow and Russians everywhere have a fantastic Maslenitsa! Maslenitsa gulyaet – vesnu vstrechaet, zimu provoshaet!*”

The popular festival features a variety of activities for all ages including musical performances by Russia’s
leading musical talent, a children’s marquee with songs, competitions and games, and a bustling bazaar
organised by the Russian National Arts and Crafts organisation, with original Russian art, handicrafts and
souvenirs for sale.

Maslenitsa is also known as Pancake Week and there will be plenty of authentic Russian dishes to sample. In
addition to blini there will be other traditional staples such as beef stroganoff and borscht (beetroot soup)
as well as delicacies such as pelmeni (Russian-style pasta).

Maslenitsa 2013 will include, among others, a special visit by Eurovision Contest 2012 stars the Buranovskie
Babushki (Singing Grannies); performances by celebrated folk diva Nadezhda Babkina with her
contemporary take on traditional Russian sounds; young folk group Rodnaya Storonka who cover multiple
genres; the legendary State Academic Ensemble Berezka; the award-winning and innovative Bis-Quit
Quartet; charismatic and much-loved soul Russian artist Petr Nalich accompanied by his band; national
treasure Oleg Gazmanov and one of the most famous Russian rock bands of all time, Smyslovye Galuzinazii.

The festival comes at the culmination of the Russian Maslenitsa Week which includes satellite events across
the city of London. These include the exhibition Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the
Russian Tsars at the V&A, a culinary evening at Russian restaurant Mari Vanna, a Russia Literary Evening at
Waterstones and a performance by the vivacious Theatre Praktika. This year’s Maslenitsa festival will also see
the first winner of the Maslenitsa Prize for Song and Dance take to stage to entertain the crowds at
Trafalgar Square.

“Due to high interest from the public, the Maslenitsa Festival remains an extremely important cultural event
not just in the UK, but in Europe,” comments Olga Balakleets of Ensemble Productions. “Each year the
festival grows, allowing more and more people to learn about the modern face of Russian culture as well as
its rich cultural heritage.”

Maslenitsa also serves as a platform that fosters business and cultural links between the UK and Russia.
Commented Vitaly Nesis, CEO of Polymetal International, one of Maslenitsa’s event sponsors:

“We are delighted to be supporting the Maslenitsa Festival in London and providing the opportunity for more
people in the United Kingdom to see and experience a range of exciting Russian culture and social events.
As a company that has most of its operations in Russia and many of its shareholders in UK, we are keen to
see the relationship between the two nations prosper backed by thriving business and cultural cooperation.”
Added Dmitry Mints, Chairman of the Management Board of fellow sponsors, O1 Properties, “The
Maslenitsa festival offers audiences in the UK the unique chance to take part in this ancient Russian tradition,
and O1 properties is happy to support this cheerful event.”

A special VIP Gala Dinner will take place on 15 March at the Royal Courts of Justice. Tickets are available for
purchase from Ensemble Productions.

Russian Week in London, Festival Maslenitsa: Line Up

Tuesday 12 March
Culinary Evening
Mari Vanna
Situated in the heart of Knightsbridge, foodies have the chance to sample some of Russia’s spectacular
culinary delicacies, with a special menu curated by celebrity chef Alexander Rappoport.

Wednesday 13 March
Russian Literary Evening
Waterstones, Piccadilly
Book and culture lovers unite in Piccadilly’s iconic bookshop to immerse themselves in the English versions
of Russian best sellers, including a special theatrical performance.

Thursday 14 March
Craft Fair
Russian Culture Centre (Rossotrudnichestvo)
The Kensington High Street-based culture centre will host two sessions – a master class and children’s class
– to introduce DIY lovers to authentic Russian crafts.

Friday 15 March
Talk and tour of Treasures of the Royal Courts
V&A
Art and history fans can explore over 150 objects from Henry VIII to the early Romanovs, including royal
portraits, jewellery and luxury goods, as well as processional armour and heraldry, chronicling the close
relationship between the English monarchy and the Russian Tsars.

Saturday 16 March
Maslenitsa Festival
Trafalgar Square
A day of pancakes, music, art and live performances, this free fun-filled family day brings together people
from all walks of life in a celebration of the coming of spring and the wonderful cultural offerings of Russia.

Sunday 17 March
Edward Boyakov’s Theatre Praktika
Duke of York Theatre
Praktika’s mission is to reflect modern reality in all its complexity and address questions that are of burning
importance to contemporary society – hold onto your hats for the company’s iconic new theatre style and
vibrant energy.

Further information on venue details and event timings will be announced in due course. Updates, along
with a list of performances to take place on the main stage are available on the Maslenitsa Festival website
http://maslenitsa.co.uk/

For more information or to book tickets, call +44 (0) 20 8832 7424

The Russian Week in London, Festival Maslenitsa

Trafalgar Square, London
13:30–18:30
Free
Dates: 11 March 2013 – 17 March 2013

Naked Heart Foundation

Mayor of London, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Embassy of
the Russian Federation in London, Federal Agency Rossotrudnichestvo, Russky Mir Foundation,
Polymetal International, ICT Group, O1 Properties, Lycamobile

About the Naked Heart Foundation

It was the Beslan school siege in 2004 that motivated international model Natalia Vodianova to set up the Naked Heart Foundation. Desperate to do something to help, she had a simple idea – if the young survivors could be distracted by play for at least five minutes each day, it would help them to heal. Providing them with safe outdoor play facilities would redefine their city landscape and act as a form of therapy. The Naked Heart Foundation was set up in the same year, and in 2006 it completed its first play park, five minutes from where Vodianova grew up in Nizhny Novgorod. In 2009, 40 play parks and 30 Russian cities later, Vodianova had fulfilled her dream of giving the children of Beslan their very own Naked Heart play park. To date the charity has built 90 play parks and playgrounds and is now creating a network of family support centres to care for families raising children with disabilities. It also provides funding for dozens of Russian NGOs working in the field and holds an annual international Forum for child development specialists. In 2013 it will open its 100th site. For more information visit www.nakedheart.org or www.facebook.com/NHFcharity

 

BURANOVSKIE BABUSHKI (SINGING GRANNIES)

Buranovskie Babushki visit The Russian Week in London,

Festival Maslenitsa, 14 & 15 March

Translated as ‘The Grannies from Buranovo’ – or better known to us as the ‘Singing Grannies’ – Buranovskie
Babushki is an ethno-pop band comprising eight elderly, yet sprightly, women. After finishing second in the
2012 Eurovision Song Contest for Russia, the Grannies became an Internet sensation with more than 30,000
hits in less than a week. They will be visiting London in support of the Festival Maslenitsa and will be
attending the British Russian Gala on 15 March at the Royal Courts of Justice as part of the Maslenitsa Week.

The Grannies sing in their native Udmurt, and often surprise audiences by singing covers of Tsoi,
Grebenshchikov and The Beatles. The grannies are currently using their Eurovision money to help rebuild a
local church from their home town Buranovo.

Festival Maslenitsa: FREE entry, 13:30–18:30, Saturday 16 March 2013
Trafalgar Square, London, UK

 

Festival supported by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson
Official charity partner, Naked Heart Foundation, founded by model Natalia Vodianova
Free entry, family-oriented day of fun and special children’s marquee
Live satellite link between Moscow’s Red Square and London’s Trafalgar Square during festival
Bazaar featuring Russian culinary delicacies and traditional arts and crafts
Tickets to VIP gala reception available through organisers Ensemble Productions
Week of events preceding Maslenitsa Festival includes a literary salon at Waterstones and Russian
delicacies at Mari Vanna restaurant in Knightsbridge

Russia’s “most dangerous band” to release single | Music News

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Mumiy Troll, voted “Russia’s most dangerous band” by Russian music fans have unveiled their new single and video, ‘Hey Tovarish’, released on 3rd September. Watch it here:

 

 

The band have been described as “the most significant musical entity Russia has produced since Perestroika” and their frontman Ilya Lagutenko is a megastar in his homeland, having been voted “Musician of the Year” numerous times by GQ magazine.

This release will be the band’s first in English, after 10 award winning albums, and will be followed by a full album in English, ‘Vladivostok’, also released in September. The album was made in Hollywood and produced by Lagutenko himself in collaboration with Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses, Megadeth), Joe Chiccarelli (My Morning Jacket, The Shins) and Brit Greg Brimson (Bush, Eminem). Lagutenko described the album as “a magical trip through the vibes and emotions of my countrymen, a virtual Trans-Siberian trek, like a Russian guide taking a Western backpacker across the vastness of Russia—but in reverse.”

The band expect to announce a full UK tour soon.

External Links:

Official website

Mumiy Troll twitter page 

Mumiy Troll Facebook page