July 14, 2016

Ballooning of strict laws, and ballooning of a hot air balloon


Ballooning of strict laws, and ballooning of a hot air balloon

Here, there, and to the courthouse

1. The Kremlin has given the Federal Security Service (the FSB) two weeks to decrypt the entire internet. In other words, they’re demanding encryption keys for all internet data as mandated under the newly adopted “anti-terrorist” laws. The laws limit information on the web, and they’re making the internet a much smaller place, what with political sites blocked for anti-Kremlin messages and a tech company withdrawing from Russia – likely just the first of many.

2. Russian tourists flock to Turkey, to be greeted by champagne and expectations of a big boost for Turkey’s tourist-starved economy. The influx of sightseeing Russians signals improved relations between Russia and Turkey, and comes on the heels of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s apology for the shooting down of a Russian warplane in November. With Presidents Putin and Erdogan planning to meet, it looks like they’ll let bygones be bygones.

3. In an endeavor not impacted by the new laws (at least, not yet), adventurer Fyodor Koniukhov has launched on a solo hot air balloon trip around the globe. His goal: to break the world record of circumnavigating Earth in 13 days. His balloon: reflective silver and emblazoned “Moscow” in bright red. It’s also the world’s largest, requiring a full night for 60 meters to fill up with helium. Either he makes it in 12 days, or he’s full of hot air.

kp.ru

Quote of the Week

“He’s an incredible adventurer. He’s what I call a responsible risk taker.”

—Dick Smith, fellow adventurer of Fyodor Koniukhov, on Koniukhov’s trip around the globe in history’s largest hot air balloon.

In Odder News

    • In case you didn’t get enough of St. Pete, here are nine of the city’s best beards. That’s right, beards. 
    themoscowtimes.com
    • Another group impacted by the strict new laws: Mormons
    • In honor of Fevronia’s Day, a region in north-western Russia refused to accept any divorce applications. What’s Fevronia’s Day, you ask? 

    RosKultLit
    Russian Cultural Literacy

        Fevronia’s Day is a little bit like Russian Valentine’s Day. You’ve got a celebration of romance and fidelity, a legend involving a talking snake, and corpses jumping between coffins. Come to think of it, there’s way more to it than Valentine’s Day. Find out what here.

        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.

         

        Query
        Template: /muraWRM/core/mura/content/feed/feedGateway.cfc:250
        Execution Time: 0.818 ms
        Record Count: 0
        Cached: No
        Lazy: No
        SQL:
        SELECT
        tcontent.siteid, tcontent.title, tcontent.menutitle, tcontent.restricted, tcontent.restrictgroups,
        tcontent.type, tcontent.subType, tcontent.filename, tcontent.displaystart, tcontent.displaystop,
        tcontent.remotesource, tcontent.remoteURL,tcontent.remotesourceURL, tcontent.keypoints,
        tcontent.contentID, tcontent.parentID, tcontent.approved, tcontent.isLocked, tcontent.contentHistID,tcontent.target, tcontent.targetParams,
        tcontent.releaseDate, tcontent.lastupdate,tcontent.summary,
        tfiles.fileSize,tfiles.fileExt,tcontent.fileid,
        tcontent.tags,tcontent.credits,tcontent.audience, tcontent.orderNo,
        tcontentstats.rating,tcontentstats.totalVotes,tcontentstats.downVotes,tcontentstats.upVotes,
        tcontentstats.comments, tparent.type parentType,
        tcontent.path, tcontent.created, tcontent.nextn, tcontent.majorVersion, tcontent.minorVersion, tcontentstats.lockID, tcontentstats.lockType, tcontent.expires,
        tfiles.filename as AssocFilename,tcontent.displayInterval,tcontent.display,tcontentfilemetadata.altText as fileAltText,tcontent.changesetid
        FROM
        tcontent
        left Join tfiles on (tcontent.fileid=tfiles.fileid)
        left Join tcontentstats on (tcontent.contentid=tcontentstats.contentid
        and tcontent.siteid=tcontentstats.siteid)
        Left Join tcontent tparent on (tcontent.parentid=tparent.contentid
        and tcontent.siteid=tparent.siteid
        and tparent.active=1)
        Left Join tcontentfilemetadata on (tcontent.fileid=tcontentfilemetadata.fileid
        and tcontent.contenthistid=tcontentfilemetadata.contenthistid
        and tcontent.siteid=tcontentfilemetadata.siteid)
        WHERE
        tcontent.siteid in ('default')
        and tcontent.active = 1
        and tcontent.Approved = 1
        AND tcontent.isNav = 1
        AND tcontent.moduleid = '00000000000000000000000000000000000'
        AND tcontent.searchExclude = 0
        AND tcontent.contentid <> '00000000000000000000000000000000001'
        AND tcontent.type <>'Module'
        and (
        tcontent.parentid
        =
        'D2B98AC1-CCCB-2D54-1E21B6A0C54ABF50'
        and
        tcontent.subtype
        =
        'footnote'
        )
        AND (
        tcontent.Display = 1
        OR
        (
        tcontent.Display = 2
        AND
        (
        (
        tparent.type!='Calendar'
        and tcontent.DisplayStart <=
        {ts '2026-04-01 20:15:00'}
        and (tcontent.DisplayStop >=
        {ts '2026-04-01 20:15:00'} or tcontent.DisplayStop is null)
        ) OR (
        tparent.type='Calendar'
        and tcontent.DisplayStart <=
        {ts '2027-04-01 20:15:00'}
        and (tcontent.DisplayStop >=
        {ts '2026-04-01 20:15:00'} or tcontent.DisplayStop is null)
        )
        )
        )
        )
        AND (
        tcontent.mobileExclude is null
        OR
        tcontent.mobileExclude in (0,1)
        )
        order by
        tcontent.lastUpdate desc
        siteidtitlemenutitlerestrictedrestrictgroupstypesubTypefilenamedisplaystartdisplaystopremotesourceremoteURLremotesourceURLkeypointscontentIDparentIDapprovedisLockedcontentHistIDtargettargetParamsreleaseDatelastupdatesummaryfileSizefileExtfileidtagscreditsaudienceorderNoratingtotalVotesdownVotesupVotescommentsparentTypepathcreatednextnmajorVersionminorVersionlockIDlockTypeexpiresAssocFilenamedisplayIntervaldisplayfileAltTextchangesetid
        Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

        Some of our Books

        Murder at the Dacha
        July 01, 2013

        Murder at the Dacha

        Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

        Marooned in Moscow
        May 01, 2011

        Marooned in Moscow

        This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

        Driving Down Russia's Spine
        June 01, 2016

        Driving Down Russia's Spine

        The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

        The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
        October 01, 2013

        The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

        This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

         
        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.

        Little Golden Calf
        February 01, 2010

        Little Golden Calf

        Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

        The Moscow Eccentric
        December 01, 2016

        The Moscow Eccentric

        Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

        Russian Rules
        November 16, 2011

        Russian Rules

        From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

        About Us

        Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

        Latest Posts

        Our Contacts

        Russian Life
        73 Main Street, Suite 402
        Montpelier VT 05602

        802-223-4955