21 September 2013. RIA-Infographics. Project 949A Antei Nuclear-Powered Cruise Missile Submarines (SSGN/PLARK)

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The famed submarine K141 Kursk, lost in northern waters under murky circumstances, was of this class.

BMD

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Nuclear-powered Cruise Missile Submarines (SSGN/PLARK) of the Project 949A Antei class have the mission of destroying enemy aircraft carrier battle groups and other surface targets. Distinguishing characteristics of this class are negligible noise levels, remarkable manoeuvrability, and high submerged speed. To find out more about this class of submarines, known throughout the fleet as “the aircraft carrier killers”, see our infographic.

In the morning on 16 September, a fire broke out during welding on the PLARK K150 Tomsk, at the Zvezda shipyard in Bolshoi Kamen in Primorsky Krai. No one was injured in the fire, and there was no radioactive leakage. The proximate cause of the fire was a violation of safety regulations. The Tomsk was laid down on 27 August 1991 at Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk. On 13 April 1993, the government of Tomsk Oblast  took on sponsorship of the ship, resulting in it being named Tomsk. In July 1996, the submarine was launched. In March 1997, the Tomsk became part of the Northern Fleet; on 9 October 1998, the sub was transferred to the Pacific Fleet, with a homeport at Krasheninnikov Bay in Kamchatka. Click here for technical details of the Tomsk.

16 September 2013

RIA-Novosti

http://ria.ru/infografika/20130916/963544904.html

http://www.en.rian.ru/infographics/20130916/183500034/Project-949A-Antey-Submarines.html

In 2013, Siberian Bears Better Behaved After Hibernation

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On Friday, Konstantin Osadchy, head of the nature protection committee in Tomsk, told RIA-Novosti that bears waking up after their winter hibernation in Tomsk Oblast in Siberia are better behaved this year than last year, saying, “Compared to this time in previous years, things are somehow calmer now, there were times when we had to shoot about a dozen [bears] between the end of April and beginning of May”.

At this time of year, Russian bears wake up from their winter hibernation hungry, and often head to populated areas in search of food. Usually, the authorities only shoot them after local forest rangers or other officials deem that they pose a danger to the human population or livestock in a region. The bear population in the area is growing. In 2011, there were about 8,800 bears in the Tomsk Region, whereas in 1997 the bear population there was just 2,800. Therefore, any decrease in incidents is not down to a decline in the bear population.

Osadchy told us that, so far, they’ve only to shoot one bear in Tomsk Oblast. In 2012, 33 “hooligan bears” as the Russian media dubs them, had to be shot. In 2011, this figure was higher still, at about 50. In recent years, in the Russian Far East, bears dug up corpses in a cemetery, and begged for food from passing cars along a highway.

10 May 2013

RIA-Novosti

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20130510/181068221/Siberian-Bears-Better-Behaved-After-Hibernation-in-2013–.html

Only in Russia… Vodka-Loaded Apocalypse Kits Go on Sale in Siberia

The label on the bag reads, “Kit for Facing the End of it All… The Worst Hasn’t Come Yet!“

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Now, concerned citizens have the opportunity to face the alleged “end of the world” fully prepared, using an apocalypse kit that went on sale in Tomsk in western Siberia. The kit contains a bottle of vodka, a packet of buckwheat kasha, a tin of fish, some candles and matches, a notepad and pencil, medication, including heart medicine, and soap on a rope, in an apparent concession to pessimists. It also contains an ID card that you must fill out by hand “in case your ID cards demagnetise” and an instruction card spelling out various games to alleviate apocalypse-related boredom. The kits… produced, somewhat illogically, by a local bridal party operator… are available in bright yellow and glamorous pink, costing a modest 890 Roubles (28 USD. 22 Euros. 19 UK Pounds) apiece.

On Monday, Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported that more than 1,000 kits were already sold as of last week. The kit maker’s director, Yuliana Shchegolyova, told RIA-Novosti that the kits are popular corporate New Year gift packages, saying on Sunday, “We checked the internet, and the only nation to offer such kits was the Mexicans”. Shchegolyova added the kit was a joke, but according to the Sostav.ru website on Monday, that seemed to have gone over the heads of local officials, who announced plans to ban kit sales over the vodka and the medication, which require special permits to sell. An end-of-the-world craze is sweeping the former USSR. Last week, free Apocalypse survival courses opened in the Ukrainian city of Simferopol, and concerned Latvians unsuccessfully sought earlier to obtain insurance from the end of the world and the coming of Cthulhu. Reports stated that people across Russia steal necessities and try to weasel out of debts, citing the upcoming demise of the world as we know it.

Current eschatological expectations are based on a 5,000-year-long Maya calendar, which has 21 December 2012 as its final date {21 December is Stalin’s birthday! Puckish leftist friends have said, “Maybe, it’s the end of vulture capitalism”. Who knows? We’ll have to see, no?: editor}. People have offered various hypotheses about the exact means of the Apocalypse, although mainstream scientists reject all of them. The last end-of-the-world craze took place in 2011, when American “Christian” radio host Harold Camping predicted the “Rapture” on 21 October 2011. He was wrong.

26 November 2012

RIA-Novosti

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20121126/177749128.html

Editor’s Note:

It takes ALL kinds to make a world, including stark raving nutters. Tyotya Vara suggests that if you run into such, pick up the jug and take a healthy snort. If that doesn’t put a smile on your face, why, you can repeat the procedure. However, I don’t recommend that you do more than two applications of “Mother’s Little Helper”. I won’t be responsible for your hangover the next morning (although I do suggest that you eat a pickle and drink some pickle juice to drive away the friendly little gremlins if you do overindulge… we’ve all done it… Bozhe moi!… NOT one of my favourite feelings, no way!).

BMD

 

10 May 2012. Video. s Prazdnikom! Full Video (One-Hour) of Victory Day Parade at the Centre on RT

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In Tomsk, at the “Immortal Regiment” demonstration, people held up portraits of deceased VOV vets to remember them. Now, that’s the ticket! They all had faces… they all had names… and their sacrifice was NOT in vain! Yes, sir… the Slavic “Unterenschtumen” whipped the Nazi “Übermenschtumen” and kicked their arses back to where they came from… thank a Red Army vet today… they smacked down Hitler and saved the world. There are so FEW of them left. Do note that at least some of the marchers are carrying images of their fathers and grandfathers (one can notice family resemblances)…

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