June 30, 2016

What Brexit means for Russian economic and territorial expansion


What Brexit means for Russian economic and territorial expansion

It Means Those 3 Stories in 1 Newsletter

1. By now it's old news that Britain has voted to leave the European Union – but what does that mean for Russia? Some pundits say Brexit will be great for finance-savvy Russians in the UK and Europe; to others, it’s the personal failure of United States president Barack Obama. Just how much it'll weaken the EU and set the scene for a new role for Russia in Europe remains to be seen

2. Sorting out territorial claims is child's play. Literally: a school in the South Ural Mountains put on a play featuring a kid in a Putin mask claiming that Alaska would soon again be Russian territory. That puts it next in line after Crimea, but beating out the Kuril Islands, currently disputed territory between Russia and Japan. The theatrical explanation: “We take only our own lands.” To cede or not to cede, that is the question.

3. It’s a bridge! It’s a rocket! It’s Mother Russia herself! Nope: it's the latest image to grace Russian banknotes. That may sound anticlimactic, but Russia’s Central Bank has launched a contest for citizens to submit design ideas for the new 200 and 2000 ruble notes. The actual prints may not show up for a few years yet, but it only takes a dream to boost the economy, right?

    RosKultLit
    ​Russian Cultural Literacy

    The Russian ruble's had a rocky road. And that’s not a jibe at the economy – that’s the norm when you go through a few dozen currency designs in a century. Whether the imperial coat of arms, a locomotive, an Olympic snowboarder, or a monument from any number of Russian towns and cities, there’s an art to creating currency – and to keeping it afloat. Okay, that one was a jibe at the economy.

    banknotes.com

    Quote of the Week

    "Rural, provincial, working Britain said ‘no’ to the union created by the financial mafia, globalists, and the rest of them."

    —Russian ultranationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky on the “great feat” accomplished by British folks who voted for Britain’s exit from the European Union.

    In Odder News

    • Your puppy pals may be in danger: food shortages and price hikes have seen a rise in – brace yourself – eating dogs. At least all dogs go to heaven.
    • Russia invents the Google Tax: a new law requiring foreign companies to pay tax on apps, games, and other online content.
    • What everyone's been waiting for: why go to the beach to sunbathe when you can just hang your backside out the window?
    news.ngu.ru

    Want more where this comes from? Give your inbox the gift of TWERF, our Thursday newsletter on the quirkiest, obscurest, and Russianest of Russian happenings of the week. 

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    Some of our Books

    Survival Russian
    February 01, 2009

    Survival Russian

    Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

    A Taste of Russia
    November 01, 2012

    A Taste of Russia

    The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

    Fearful Majesty
    July 01, 2014

    Fearful Majesty

    This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

    White Magic
    June 01, 2021

    White Magic

    The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

    Jews in Service to the Tsar
    October 09, 2011

    Jews in Service to the Tsar

    Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

    Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
    November 01, 2012

    Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

    In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

    Fish
    February 01, 2010

    Fish

    This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

    A Taste of Chekhov
    December 24, 2022

    A Taste of Chekhov

    This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

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