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A Chechen boy performs an Eid al-Fitr prayer to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in the Chechen capital of Grozny.
BMD
Saturday, 1 August 2015
1 August 2015. This is Russia, Too… Eid al-Fitr in Chechnya
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Sunday, 25 May 2014
Junta Extorts Ransom for Kidnapped Journalists… Desultory Fighting in Slavyansk… Poroshenko “Wins” Fixed Ukie Prez Banana Race… You Can Smell the Cooked Books from Here
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ITAR-TASS reported that two Russian LifeNews journalists kidnapped by the junta in the Ukraine on 18 May are now free and landed in the Chechen capital of Grozny. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov wrote on his page on Instagram, “Russian journalists Oleg Sidyakin and Marat Saichenko are free! Their plane is heading from Kiev to Grozny!” On behalf of the people of Chechnya, Kadyrov thanked President Vladimir Putin for saving the journalists from junta captivity, “Marat and Oleg will have a rest in Grozny until morning. Their relatives, family, and colleagues will be able to meet them in Moscow tomorrow”.
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A source at the Slavyansk opolchenie HQ told ITAR-TASS that a mortar strike killed an Italian journalist and his interpreter near Slavyansk in Novorossiya. The incident also wounded a French stringer. The journalists were in Andreyevka near Slavyansk. The French stringer, William Rongulson, went to hospital with a shell fragment wound in his leg. He left the hospital himself after doctors bandaged his wound. Any further details are so far unknown.
Editor:
Any place in the former Lugansk and Donetsk Oblasts is Novorossiya, NOT the Ukraine (the 11 May referendum settled that). If we support the patriot elements, NEVER EVER say that anywhere in those areas are “in the Ukraine” or “Ukrainian”… they’re “in Novorossiya” or “Novorossiyan”… otherwise, you kiss the naked ass of the Uniate fascists for all to see. “Donetsk Oblast” or “Lugansk Oblast” are taboo usages, too… it implies that the junta is the legitimate authority in these regions. As the putschist junta seized power in an extra-constitutional coup d’état, it’s illegal under all standing international law.
BMD
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On Saturday, Rossiya-24 TV reported that the Ukraine now demands money for the release of detained Russian journalists. A court in Dnepropetrovsk ruled to release Stepan Chirich, a producer of NTV TV, as soon as the Russian side agreed to pay 150,000 gryvnias (430,000 Roubles. 12,560 USD. 13,650 CAD. 13,600 AUD. 9,220 Euros. 7,460 UK Pounds) for his release. The SBU rudely detained Chirich in Pervomaisk Raion of Dnepropetrovsk Oblast on 23 April. The journalist was shooting a TV spot with the help of video camera glasses. The junta thugs beat him up during his captivity. Chirich’s whereabouts were unknown for the next few days. Later, it turned out that the junta trumped-up criminal proceedings against him for allegedly using a “special device”. Video camera glasses are in worldwide use and are available at any shop selling digital gadgets. The glasses are very popular with users and fans of internet social networks.
Editor:
This court was in Dnepropetrovsk, the stomping grounds of one of the most dishonest, violent, and corrupt oligarchs, Oleg Kolomoisky… betcha most of this extortion (for that is what it is) went into his pocket. The USA and the Republican Party enthusiastically support such chicanery… reflect on that.
BMD
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LifeNews reported that, hours after their release, LifeNews TV reporters Marat Saichenko and Oleg Sidyakin revealed the appalling conditions under which the junta held them for nearly a week after junta irregulars seized them. During their imprisonment, they said that they were journalists; they had all the necessary papers, but no one paid attention. Junta “troops” tied up Saichenko and Sidyakin, put them inside a helicopter, and took them to a junta base. The journalists said, “They kept us in a damp hole in the ground for two days, with hands tied, legs wrapped in scotch tape, and bags on our faces scotch-taped around our necks, making it hard to breathe”. After that, their captors put the reporters were into a metal box and drove them to an unknown place, it was a long trip. Finally, they found themselves in an SBU interrogation room. At that point, the SBU goons removed the bags from their heads. During the following five days, they were kept at “some building in Kiev” guarded by two Alfa VV MVDU spetsnaz. Whilst in captivity in Kiev, their junta captors subjected the journalists to much psychological pressure. Saichenko said that SBU interrogators pressurised them with threats to charge them with illegal arms trafficking and even claimed that they’d kill them.
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On Sunday, LifeNews journalists, Oleg Sidyakin and Marat Saichenko, captured by junta irregulars a week ago in Novorossiya and released on Saturday evening, stated that they spotted several mercenaries at Kramatorsk airfield. Sidyakin told a press conference, “There were lots of mercenaries at the airfield. There were people dressed in uniforms that weren’t typical Ukrainian issue. They talked to no one and walked into the headquarters in silence. We still can’t figure out who those people might be. We didn’t hear English spoken, but we saw people equipped like Western troops. Their behaviour, the way the held themselves, were odd, as was the fact that they didn’t speak to anyone”. Saichenko said, “After being with the Ukrainian army for a while, we understood how the soldiers felt, how higgledy-piggledy they were. Many conscript soldiers, including those who guarded us, complained that they were long past their demob, and they also complained that their food was nasty”.
Editor:
They saw the CIA and FBI operatives… oops !… they aren’t there, are they, Langley and the White House said so! Yes, the same folks who told you that Iraqi WMDs were real and who supported the SAVAK torturers… yes, indeed, BELIEVABLE people aren’t they?
BMD
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Interfax reported that a junta “National Guard” (sic) terrorist died in action in Slavyansk in Novorossiya on Saturday evening, two more suffered wounds. A grenade splinter in the arm wounded one irregular; the other had a gunshot wound to the torso. At present, the wounded are in hospital receiving medical treatment.
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On Sunday, ITAR-TASS reported that French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Romain Nadal stated that French journalist William Rongulson, who received fragmentation wounds in a mortar attack in Slavyansk in Novorossiya, will receive medical evacuation to his homeland within hours. M Nadal said that the wound wasn’t serious and that the French embassy in Kiev was dealing with the journalist’s repatriation. The Paris headquarters of Wostok Press photo agency told ITAR-TASS that Rongulson was now in the Ukraine, where he was getting medical assistance, saying, “He has fragmentation wounds in both legs. His condition is normal, but he’s slightly shocked over what had happened. The French embassy is helping to provide medical treatment”.
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According to Interfax, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini discussed the tragic deaths of an Italian reporter and his Russian interpreter near Slavyansk. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “Lavrov and Mogherini discussed the tragic situation in [the former] southeastern Ukraine and the deaths of Italian reporter Andrea Rocchelli and his Russian interpreter Andrei Mironov, and exchanged condolences on this unfortunate incident. They also urged an immediate end to the violence in [the former] southeastern Ukraine and to the so-called ‘anti-terrorist operation’ unleashed by the Kiev régime”.
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ITAR-TASS reported that Pyotr Poroshenko, one of the most corrupt oligarchs, is winning the Ukrainian presidential election with 55.9 percent of the vote, according to exit poll data. His closes rival, Yuliya Timoshenko, the leader of the Fatherland bloc, received over 12 percent of the vote.
Editor:
There’s nothing surprising in this. From the top, everybody knew that it was a fixed Hudson County-style election (did they import ward heelers from Hoboken to teach Poroshenko’s thugs how to cook the books, or, were they naturally talented? Perspirin’ minds wanna know). Voting was heaviest in the Lvovshchina (does that surprise you?), but turnout was officially about 50 percent, which means that it was actually lower. Reports had it that Poroshenko and Kolomoisky were paying voters 100 gryvnias (285 Roubles. 8.40 USD. 9.10 CAD. 9 AUD. 6.20 Euros. 5 UK Pounds) a pop for their votes. In short, it was an old-school old-timey Newark or South Texas “election”. “Vote early… vote often”… it seems that old cliché from Cook County saw successful transplantation in the Ukraine…
Betcha that “turnout” amongst the elderly was nearly 100 percent… I’m told that crooked poll workers gave ’em already-marked ballots (betcha there were “repeats”… and the babas and dedes were canny enough to ask for “seconds”).
BMD
25 May 2014
Voice of Russia World Service
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Tuesday, 22 April 2014
Sunday, 15 June 2008
15 June 2008. A Shot of Culture, if you please…
Programmes of the year of France in Russia and the year of Russia in France to be presented in Paris
Muriel Mayette, director of the Comédie-Française
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The programmes of the Year of France in Russia and the Year of Russia in France shall be presented in Paris later today. Under an agreement between the leaders of the two countries, large-scale cultural events shall be staged simultaneously in 2010. An exhibition entitled Holy Russia in Paris shall be the culmination of the event. A tour of the Comédie-Française theatre troupe in Russia is one of the French offerings.
10 June 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28229&cid=51&p=10.06.2008
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Painting by Natalia Goncharova fetched record price at Russian art auction at Sotheby’s
A Still Life with Peonies
Natalia Goncharova
1900s-10s?
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A Still Life with Fruits by the early-20th-century artist Natalia Goncharova fetched a record price of 2.28 million pounds (105.71 million roubles. 2.881 million euros. 4.446 million USD) at yesterday’s Russian art auction at Sotheby’s. The Winter Landscape by Ivan Aivazovsky went for 555,000 pounds (25.742 million roubles. 702,329 euros. 1.082 million USD), seven times that of the start-up price. Zinaida Serebryakova’s Nude was sold for more than a million pounds (46.383 million roubles. 1.265 million euros. 1.95 million USD), about five times higher than expected. The auction’s organisers say it pushed a plank for Russian art sales further up.
10 June 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28266&cid=51&p=10.06.2008
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The Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky collection bought for the Konstantin Palace
Aleksei Lobanov-Rostovsky (1824-96), diplomat, scholar, and art collector
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The charitable foundation that funded the recent restoration of the Konstantin Palace near St Petersburg bought a world-famous collection of Russian art, namely the collection of Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky. The collection is the second world-famous collection of Russian artworks that’s due to be put on display at the Konstantin Palace. Last year, the Palace obtained the collection of Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya.
10 June 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28240&cid=87&p=10.06.2008
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10th International Beer Festival due in Moscow
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Not exactly from this festival… a funny beer ad, though.
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The 10th International Beer Festival is due in Moscow from the 14th to the 22nd of this month. Guests to the event are welcome to taste up to 130 sorts of beer by more than 20 breweries. The visitors will be likewise welcome to a retrospective exhibition of beer and to a beer museum featuring a great number of exhibits. Another highlight of the event is a firework festival, a highlight that’ll be around every day until the beer festival is over.
10 June 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28240&cid=87&p=10.06.2008
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Moscow prepared to play host to next year’s Eurovision music contest
Yevgeny Plyushchenko (1982- ), Olympic championship figure-skater
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2009 Eurovision contestant, Sakis Rouvas (1972- ) from Greece
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The Moscow city government said that the city is prepared to play host to next year’s Eurovision international music contest, if Moscow is chosen as the venue for the event. Russia qualified for the right to host the competition following Russian singer Dima Bilan’s recent victory in Belgrade. Dima performed the song Believe Me accompanied by dancing by the world-famous Olympic champion figure-skater, Yevgeny Plyushchenko, and the playing of Hungarian violinist Edvin Marton, who played a Stradivarius, ensured him a record 272 points. So far, the venue for Eurovision-2009 hasn’t yet been determined. The likely candidates are Moscow, St Petersburg, and Sochi.
11 June 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28300&cid=51&p=11.06.2008
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Pushkin Museum shall open an exhibition in Tokyo of pictures by Rodchenko
Dance: An Objectless Composition
Aleksandr Rodchenko
1915
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At the beginning of 2010, Moscow’s Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts shall treat art lovers in Tokyo to an exhibition of pictures by the Russian avant-garde painter, graphic artist and photographer Aleksandr Rodchenko. The Tokyo newspaper Asahi is expected to offer its sponsorship for the project at talks in Moscow next month. This was confirmed by the chief curator of the Pushkin Museum, Dr Irina Antonova.
11 June 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28314&cid=51&p=11.06.2008
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International band festival in St Petersburg dedicated to Russia Day
Golubiye Bereti (The Blue Berets), A Russian Army rock band
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An international brass band festival in St Petersburg is dedicated to Russia Day. The combined orchestra will march in a grand procession along the Nevsky Prospekt to lend a festive atmosphere to the city on Thursday, 12 June. Last on the holiday agenda are several extravaganza concerts at sports complexes and concert halls. Also on Thursday, the Palace Square in front of the Winter Palace shall host a gala concert of Russian pop stars to the accompaniment of military bands.
11 June 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28292&cid=87&p=11.06.2008
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Open-air jazz festival kicks off near Moscow
Charlie Hunter (1967- ), great American jazzman
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More than 50 well-known jazz bands from different countries shall perform at an open-air jazz festival that kicked off at the Arkhangelskoye estate and museum near Moscow today. The program covers all genres, swing, lounge, funk, ethno-jazz, fusion, and even jazz-rock. Russia is represented by Igor and Oleg Butman, Aleksei Kozlov with his Arsenal band, and the Billy’s Band group. There will be a competition of young jazzmen. Jazz lovers are in for a real treat, an exclusive concert by a legendary American jazz ensemble, the Charlie Hunter Trio.
12 June 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28339&cid=51&p=12.06.2008
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Noah’s Ark International Film Festival opens in Chechen capital
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The Noah’s Ark International Film Festival opens in the Chechen capital of Grozny later today. It is aimed at bringing closer people of various nationalities, faiths, and culture. Among the guests of the festival are Hollywood stars Mark Dacascos and Armand Assante. The jury has selected 44 films from 21 countries. The organisers hope to stage the festival annually.
13 June 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28353&cid=51&p=13.06.2008
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Memorial to Tsaritsa Yekaterina Velikaya unveiled in Sevastopol
An Equestrian Portrait of Grand Princess Yekaterina Alekseyevna (later Tsaritsa Yekaterina Velikaya)
Georg Christoph Grooth
1746
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After two days of picketing by City Hall deputies and Cossacks, a memorial to Tsaritsa Yekaterina Velikaya was unveiled in Sevastopol on Sunday. City Hall initiated the move despite Kiev’s unhappiness with the installation, which was initially expected on Saturday. Sevastopol was founded as the main base for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which recently marked its 225th anniversary.
15 June 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28393&cid=51&p=15.06.2008
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Russian writer grabbed one of the most prestigious European literary prizes
Lyudmila Ulitskaya (1943- ), Russian novelist
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Russian writer Lyudmila Ulitskaya grabbed one of the most prestigious European literary prizes, the Grinzane Cavour Prize, for her novel Sincerely Yours, Shurik. The awards ceremony was held on Saturday in a medieval castle located on the outskirts of the Italian city of Torino. Previously, Ulitskaya’s other works were also much admired by the reading public in Italy, whose youth jury jointly with students from MGU and St Petersburg State University awarded Ulitskaya the prize.
15 June 2008
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28394&cid=51&p=15.06.2008
Voice of Russia World Service
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Voices from Russia 
Genprokuratura Claims Right Sector Terrorist Muzichko Accidentally Shot Himself… Let’s Look for the Crack Pipe… What a Buncha Maroons
Tags: Grozny, North Caucasian Federal District, political commentary, politics, Rada, Russia, Russian, Sashko Bily, Ukraine, Ukrainian National Assembly – Ukrainian National Self Defence, UNA-UNSO
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Deputy General Procurator Aleksei Baganets claimed before a Rada investigative commission probing the death of Right Sector terrorist leader Aleksandr Muzichko (AKA Sashko Bily, “White Al” in peasant dialect) that Muzichko accidentally shot himself whilst resisting police arrest. During the evening of 25 March, Muzichko’s body was found near the village of Barmaki (not far from Rovno) with gunshot wounds near the heart . On the same day, the MVDU stated that Sokol MVDU spetsnaz fatally wounded Muzichko during an attempt to arrest him in Rovno Oblast. After an internal investigation, on 2 April, the MVDU concluded that the actions of its personnel during Muzichko’s attempted arrest were lawful.
Demands of the Right Sector
The Right Sector claims that MVDU spetsnaz “intentionally shot” Muzichko; they believe that junta “Interior Minister” Arseny Avakov is guilty of ordering his death. The Right Sector demanded Avakov’s immediate resignation and the arrest of everyone involved in Muzichko’s death. Right Sector chieftain Dmitri Yarosh threatened to take vengeance for Muzichko’s death. On 28 March, more than 500 people gathered in front of the Rada building demanding Avakov’s dismissal. Most of the mob was from the Right Sector. The junta called the rally a provocation.
Russian Accusations against Muzichko
Investigators from the SK RF in the North Caucasian Federal District opened a criminal case against Muzichko under Article 209 Part 1 of the UKRF for forming and heading a gang to attack Russian citizens. Muzichko and others from the “Ukrainian National Assembly-Ukrainian National Self-Defence” (UNA-UNSO) took part in battles against Russian troops during the storm of Grozny and brutally tortured captives, killing them afterwards. He was responsible for murdering no less than 20 Russian soldiers. A former UNA-UNSO member testified that in 1994-95, Muzichko and other UNA-UNSO members participated in battles with RF forces during the storm of Grozny. In January 1995, the witness repeatedly witnessed Muzichko brutally torturing captive servicemen and then killing them. During these sessions, Muzichko broke fingers, put out eyes, pulled out nails and teeth with pliers, cut throats, and shot others dead.
Editor:
The junta comes out with another baldfaced lie. As for me, I believe that it’s impossible to pin down who rubbed out Muzichko. Too many parties wanted him dead. It’s so murky that we’ll never know the truth of the matter. However, I’ll be willing to say this… Muzichko didn’t off himself, no way, no how. Hell, even Langley and Tyagnibok wanted his ass “swimming with the fishies”. Of all the possible perps, the junta’s the least probable one. Having said that, the list of probable hit men is so long that it isn’t only pointless to name them, it’s pointless to even speculate on who did it. He’s dead… that’s a fact. That’s the ONLY thing that you can put in the bank from all of this.
BMD
22 April 2014
ITAR-TASS
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/729068