Shiny happy old Russian people are hitting all the records!

A photographer Vladimir Yakovlev together with the SNOB project is showing us the Russian secrets of longevity

Andrey Chirkov, a marathon runner, 71 y.o.

Igor Goldman, athlet heavy weightlifter, scientist, 77 y.o.

Yegor Mishustin, an athlete weightlifter , 81 y.o.

Aleksandr Rozental', actor and a mountain-skier, 95 y.o

source: snob.ru

International Women's day

This beautiful day of the spring started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily Eastern Europe and Russia. As the time goes past in many regions, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women and the children express their love for their moms. So in a way it's somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and St.Valentine's Day.
On the eve of March 8th, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has congratulated the female journalists' team and all the women of Russia with the upcoming holiday, describing them as very different, but always beautiful. 

"Woman gives us a life. We should all be grateful to the woman for what she gives us. But it’s certainly not everything what a woman does. We look first to the mother, the grandmother, then, when we grow up, we have a girlfriend, wife and then a daughter or a daughter in law. Women are always accompanying us throughout our life, everywhere. And of course, we men, really want for the women to be a beautiful decoration of it,” – said Putin.

On this day men are giving small presents for their mothers and girlfriends/wives, like firts spring flowers "podsnezhniki" (the snowdrops), "mimoza" (the mimosa) or "tyul'pany" (the tulips).     
Children give to their mothers, grandmothers, nannies and teachers handmade postcards that they fill with lots of love and of course spring.
It's a very important day for every woman in Russia or Eastern Europe. Every woman does feel REALLY important on this day! You cannot really forget about 8th of march and do not give to your loved one a small gift, showing attention and care.
Some single women go crazy on this day!:) There are lot's of theme parties, where women are allowed to do everything! Because like the famous poem says:

Тебе поет сегодня лира,
Сегодня для тебя цветы,
Сегодня ТЫ царица мира!
И королева красоты!

Translating: Let the lyre sing for you today! And all flowers are just for you today! Because today YOU are the tsarina of the world and the queen of beauty!

P.S. Unfortunatelly the such an important date on the calendar does not liberate the woman from cooking a lot for the whole family and friends that will come to celebrate this day with her. And afterwards there are also dishes that noone will wash, but you. So from the tsarine of the world and a queen of the beauty you'll turn the tsarine of the kitchen and the queen of the dishes. And that what you call a Russian Woman fate, to serve the motherland, to serve the society, to be a mother and a wife and a cook and a lover and the most perfect woman you imagine she could ever be. We are like this! Happy Women's day!

photo source: HuffingtonPost

Birthay habbits in Russia

Today is my birthday!! And I wanna share with you how people celebrate their birthdays in Russia!!

 It's not really different from the other countries, but...

1) Everyone gives you presents! At school, at work...even if it would be just a card or a chocolate bar. Presents is something cultural there.

2) If you are inviting people for your birthday you pay everything! So make sure that you really have money for this! Because you would have to pay the restaurant, the food, the drinks, the entrance if you are going to a nightclub for EVERYONE who you invited. So be aware, there is no way back! To celebrate your birthday in Russia in a circle of close friends is expensive.

3) If you are invited to a birthday you can never appear there with the empty hands! Obviously, the birthday girl/boy would be spending a fortune on you, so respect her/him please - buy an expensive present to compensate the financial loss due to the party.

4) What to do people give as presents? Normally perfumes, expensive lighters i.e. Zippo, leather wallets with some money inside, money itself (not less than 100 dollars), books' collections, make up or cosmetics of a good brand, but only if you know the person quite well. Jewelery is another good option. Gold, Silver or even some pieces from the Swarovski collection would be accepted with the great pleasure. Expensive drinks like champagne Don Perignon or Veuve Clicquot, vodca Grey Goose, The Macallan Fine & Rare 40-years old whiskey, cigars Romeo y Julieta and other luxury goods would be always welcomed!

5) Remember that the birthday celebration in Russia is something really huge and important with lots of fun and dancing and entertainment! Some birthday parties can even go on for three days! So if you are invited for one prepare yourself for partying "til you see the sunlight"! Yes, it might be a bit expensive for you, but trust me it's a worthy investment! Happy birthday!

Russian nightclubs are the craziest ones!

Renato Krauzs, the senior editor of the VIP magazine in Brazil went to Moscow in January and almost stayed there forever...

Visiting the best nightclubs and bars Rai, Rolling Stone and Soho rooms he took also the best pictures!

"When outside was -20, inside was pretty hot!", tells Renato in his article "Russian nightclub" ("Balada Russa"):http://vip.abril.com.br/boa-vida/festas/balada-russa/ and images:http://vip.abril.com.br/fotos/boa-vida/festas/baladas-russas-em-imagens/

Material and photos: Renato Krausz, VIP

Everything is big in Russia

A huge penis of 65 meters was painted on the drawbridge in Saint Petersburg!

A group of artists who painted a large phallic object on a bridge in Russia was disqualified from winning a major prize this week.

The piece was a symbol of protest by the Russian art group called Voina (War) which was against a meeting of international leaders.

 

 “A Penis in KGB Captivity,” masterpiece was also entered into a Russian State Center of Contemporary Arts competition and initially eligible for the organization’s innovation award.

 

That was before St. Petersburg leaders ordered the painting be washed away by firefighters.

 Because it was visible to thousands when the bridged opened, officials deemed the painting inappropriate for passersby. 

 

A Voina spokesman said banning the group from the contest besmirched the name of the arts community and organizers of the competition.

 

Source: metro.co.uk

Russian pancakes recipes

Maslenitsa is here already, so let's prepare at home some traditional Russian pancakes!

How I do them!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• pinch of salt
• 110 gr. of flour
• 200 ml of milk
• 75 ml. of water
• 2 table spoons of butter

  

        

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and the salt. Sift the flour into the bowl, and stir in along with the milk and the water. Add the butter too. Mix until smooth and well blended. The batter should be thin.
2. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Lightly butter the pan. Remember the Russian pancakes you only fry on butter! It's a butter week, no?. Tilt the pan to spread the batter out evenly. Then you can start pooring the "dough". Wait until the edges of your "blin" are crisp looking and the center appears dry, slide a spatula carefully under the crepe. Flip, and cook for about few seconds on the other side, or until lightly browned.
3. Remove your "blini" to a plate. Put a little butter on top, (butter never spoils the taste) and continue to stack the pancakes on top of each other. To serve, spread with desired filling, then fold in half, and in half again to form a triangle or you can just roll them actually, creating a small tube.

Possible fillings:

Could be anything, really...cheese and ham (People who are doing the Easter Fasting during the Butter week cannot eat meat), fried mushrooms and onions, smoked salmon (my favorite one), the sweet alternative could be lemon juice with a bit of sugar or honey....mmmm!! I like all of them!!

Butter Week, Pancake week, or Cheesefare Week!

Масленица (Maslenitsa)

(28/02 - 6/03 - 2011)

Cheese, or a carnival week is a preparatory week of the Fasting in the Christian society. It is dedicated to one purpose - reconciliation with others, forgiveness of injuries and the preparation for repentance towards the God. Butter week is a colloquial name of the last week before Fasting. During this time is prohibited to eat meat, but you can eat fish and dairy products. During this week you are free from the one day fasting, that you normally do every week on Wednesday and Friday.

In Russia, Maslenitsa was always a joyous celebration. In Ukraine for example was nothing like this, people have different traditions and well, we have to respect them. But even without any type of the celebration when I hear the word "maslenitsa" I already smell the pancakes, imagine a river of a melted butter, feel the taste of the salty smoked salmon wrapped in the warm crepes.

It is widely believed that the russian "carnival" week is a celebration rather pagan, and not Orthodox, but It's not quite true.

This preparatory week before the Fasting is like I have already mentioned dedicated to one purpose - reconciliation with others, so it is the time when you need to devote good communication with the neighbors, relatives and friends. 

The Church of course calls to remember that at no time people should have fun, which leads to conscience loss.

The prayer during the Fasting period, unfortunately cannot be translated: 

"Господи и Владыко живота моего, дух праздности, уныния, любоначалия и празднословия не даждь ми! Дух же целомудрия, смиренномудрия, терпения и любве даруй ми, рабу твоему. Ей, Господи Царю, дай ми зрети моя прегрешения и не осуждати брата моего, яко благословен еси вовеки веков. Аминь".

Source: GotovimDoma

Photo source: TheVoiceofRussia