AK 47

As a kid I always wanted to be a spy or an IB agent someday. The idea of seeing Heroes escaping
the villain’s trap and running away with the required ‘blueprint’ seemed very exciting. The fact that I could be able to do those fancy stunts like jumping over buildings and hilltops, handle an AK 47 or an M1A1 Thompson used to move me to a different world altogether. But to my disappointment I grew up to become a nerd and my dreams of being a secret agent saving the nation from it’s enemies continues to be a dream. Well if not for real may be I could just do
something through this piece.
The AK 47 or the Kalashnikov was first developed in USSR by Lieutenant General Mikhail Kalashnikov, a small arms designer. The device was made during the last year of World War II in 1945. The first generation AK was first used in 1946, ever since many versions of the AK have
been made. AK 47 is the most basic form of the device. It is a selective fire gas operated 7.62 by 39mm assault rifle. AK 47 still continues to remain the most widely used assault rifle even after five decades.
It is very durable, less expensive and easy to use. AK is very easy to manufacture, clean and maintain. The AK 47 was initially made to suit the Soviet soldiers fighting in Arctic region. The rifle was intended to be part of mass infantry fire, not long range engagements. The average shelf
life of an AK 47 is 20-40 years depending on its usage.
The basic design of the AK 47 has been used by many countries to create their version of the device. The Israeli Galil, the Indian INSAS and the Yugoslav M76 and M77/82 rifles and the Finnish RK 62/26 rifle are some of the successful versions.
Apparently the OJSC IzMash has claimed that majority of the manufacturers produce AK 47 without a license from the IZH, weapons manufacturers based in Izhevsk. They had acquired
a patent in 1999 making manufacturing of AK rifles by anyone other than them illegal. But older designs like the AK 47 are open for manufacturing to everyone.
The AK 47 is known to be the most smuggled small arms sold to governments, criminals, extremists, military officials and civilians. A lot of illegal trade of the AK 47 takes place all over the world. In many African countries AK rifles are sold at cheap prices. In 1986 a small town in Kenya an AK 47 cost fifteen cows. The weapon has been used for a lot of civil wars. The weapon is widely used by groups in Africa like Hamer.
“The World Bank estimates that out of 500 million total firearms available worldwide 100 million are of the Kalashnikov family and 75 million are AK 47s.”
The Kalashnikov Museum was opened on November 4, 2004, in a city located in the Ural Mountains of Russia. The Museum documents the invention of the AK rifle and also gives a
biography of General Kalashnikov. The museum attracts nearly 10,0000 visitors every month. The museum is devoted completely to the making and use of the AK rifle.

White Nights Festival

Ever wondered how it would be if evenafter the sunsets the sky is bright and the street lights are not required. This isan annual phenomenon in St. Petersburg, the northern most city in the world. In fact this is known as ‘White Nights’. The day is almost 19 hours long and the longest
white night falls on June 21/22. This occurs due to the northerly geographical location of St. Petersburg, at 59 degrees 57’north which is roughly on the same latitude as Oslo, Norway, the Southern tip of Greenland. St. Petersburg is supposed to be the world’s most northern city where the sun’s rays do not descend below the horizon enough for the sky to glow dark. So it never becomes dark in the night which makes it difficult to distinguish between and day and night.
The whole city celebrates these few days when darkness does not seem to take over the skies. People stay awake all through the night enjoying the events being held in the city. One finds a lot of romantic couples strolling by the river Neva. White Nights is not unique to St. Petersburg, other cities in Russia also experience this from May to Mid-July.
But St Petersburg being the artistic capital of Russia celebrates White Nights through a series of cultural events which takes place all over the city. Musical concerts, ballet performances, opera are held in every part of the city. Dance clubs and beach clubs remain open till 6 am in the morning during White Nights. The ‘Scarlet Sails’ which is tradition that marks the end of the school life takes place sometime in June. This custom is inspired from the book of the same title
written by Alexander Grins. Thus school students come together to celebrate the end of an academic year. Scarlet sails as the name suggests consists of tens of boats full of pirates in the waters of the river Neva, fireworks adorn the sky as these boats cross the river. This tradition began after World War II and still goes on.
The night view of River Neva is one of the best photo spots during this time. The drawbridges of the river Neva rise between 1:30am and 5am to let big ships pass. The south bank of the river
Neva offers the best view of the bridge.
‘Stars of the white nights’ are held annually at the Mariinsky Theatre this is the main highlight of the White Nights festival. This was originally started by the first mayor of St. Petersburg Anatoly Sobchak. Tickets to these festivals get sold out months before the date of performances.
The Palace Square is the central part of the city, it connects the Palace Bridge leading to Vasilievesky island. This place attracts a lot of international musicians who perform during the white nights festival. More than 50 thousand fans gather to witness these events. The recent stars who performed here were Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Scorpions and other stars. A lot of film festivals are held during this time. White Nights festival has added to cultural and literary spirit of the city, all the people of St. Petersburg look forward to this festival after tolerating extreme winters throughout the year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARgiagY0d6k

Hamlet by Boris Pasternak

The murmurs ebb;onto the stage I enter.
I am trying, standing in the door,
To discover in the distant echoes
What the coming years may hold in store.

The nocturnal darkness with a thousand
Binoculars is focused onto me.
Take away this cup, O Abba Father,
Everything is possible to Thee.

I am fond of this Thy stubborn project,
And to play my part I am content.
But another drama is in progress,
And, this once, O let me be exempt.

But the plan of action is determined,
And the end irrevocably sealed.
I am alone; all round me drowns in falsehood:
Life is not a walk across a field.

This is a poem by Boris Pasternak, Nobel Prize winner Russian poet. The poem is written from the point of view of Yuri Zhivago, a ficitous character from his novel, Dr. Zhivago. The poet compares ‘Hamlet’ the protagonist of Shakespeare’s play to Yuri in the poem. There are also
references of ‘Agony in the Garden’ from the Bible. Pasternak had a very different context of interpreting this poem. I connect with ‘Hamlet’ in a completely different way. From my point of
view the first four lines of the poem give a clear picture of the situation I am in. “The murmurs ebb; onto the stage I enter…” As I’m about to graduate there have been lots of people who are
curious to know what next. I’ve asked for and have been bombarded with suggestions and ideas by many. Some said go for a career that pays you well some said go follow your heart, the rest will fall in place.
The second line, “I am trying, standing in the door…” Clouded by others thoughts I try to seek what I want, what I’m interested in,what’s my identity. As I see others already having decided their two year plans, three year plans etc I wonder where I would end up being in the next couple of years. Yes it does get slightly intimidating at times to hear about others and sense the difference between me and them. But then there is this voice that keeps on saying, “You’ll do it well, don’t worry you’ll do it pretty well, you are good enough, believe it, it’s just a matter of time for you and you’ll be there”
“The nocturnal darkness with a thousand
Binoculars is focused on me“

Pasternak refers to Yuri’( the protagonist of his novel Dr. Zhivago, which is about a Russian poet living in Russia during the Russian revolution). Here these lines refer to Yuri Zhivago being closely monitored by the communists. The communists kept an eye on anyone who could be
a threat to them, Yuri was one of them. This also draws similarity with Hamlet (protagonist of the Shakespearean play) where he is being closely watched by Polonius, Claudius and his friends.
The next two lines “Take away this cup…possible to thee” reminds me of the chapter in the Bible where Jesus prays to God the day before he was to be crucified. He knew death was coming and he was born to face the day of his crucifixion. But though he was sent by God, he was human, he was fearful of what was about to come. It was in this moment that he prays to God in the garden asking him to ‘take away his cup’. In fact some scriptures say that Jesus was so tensed that he sweats blood on that day. So the cup basically refers to the difficulty or problem that one is going through. Taking a look at my life, I don’t really have a difficulty or problem as such (touch wood) but this feeling of fear and not wanting to face what comes next is not new to me. The anxiety before an exam that I’m not well prepared for, the fear before a submission deadline that
I’m not done with, the tension before results come out, the heart coming to the throat feeling after reaching home late and knowing that I’m going to be yelled at for the same, happens all the time.
The next four lines of the poem, “I’m fond of this project….And this once, O, let me be exempt” seem to be an extension of the previous four lines. Hamlet and Yuri both of them knew what was going to happen in the future and had no choice but to face it. In case of Zuri it was the communists who were behind him.
The last four lines of the poem, “But the plan of action is determined…Life is not a walk across a field”. Hamlet and Zuri realise this and brace themselves to face whatever comes their way. These lines reinforce the fact that come what may Sometimes situations cannot be avoided , sometimes how much ever you try to avoid something, you are forced to deal with it, there is no running away.

Ksenia Sobchak

Ksenia Sobchak is a prominent celebrity in Russia; she is well known television presenter for the Russian channel TNT. She is the second daughter of Antoly Sobchak, the first Mayor of St.Petersberg to be elected democratically after the fall of the Soviet Union.
She is known as the ‘It girl ‘or Russia’s answer to ‘Paris Hilton’. Tabloids and fashion magazines love writing about her as her name is always associated with some scandal or the other. Ksenia Sobchak roams in her Porsche and her driver always carries a pistol. She began her career in showbiz through her ultra sexy photoshoots in FHM Magazine and Playboy. In 2004 she made her film debut in Thieves and Prostitutes. She continued appearing in other films but never ended up being a full fledged mainstream actress.
Ksenia rose to fame when she hosted Dom 2 on TNT. It is apparently known to be the most scandalous reality show in Russia. The show is watched by millions of viewers, it follows a group of single young men and women as they build a house in the countryside. The contestants have no contact with the outside world and have to live together in the new house till they are voted out. The House goes to the couple who remain till the end. In order to survive in the show they are supposed to create an image of themselves and do everything possible to garner votes. In the process there have also been instances where contestants have stripped and indulged in sexual acts. In other words ‘Big Boss’ in colours is based out of ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Dom 2’. The show did invite a lot of trouble with conservatives asking for a ban. Ksenia was also held criminally liable in 2005 for hosting the show. But all of this only increased the ratings and popularity of the show. Ksenia became a household name in Russia. Ever since Dom 2 happened Ksenia has hosted a couple of other shows as well. ‘Who doesn’t want to be a Millionaire’, ‘The Last Hero’ and ‘The Blonde in Chocolate’? The blonde in Chocolate was her personal reality show on Russian MTV; it was prey for a lot controversy for her constant use of swears words and changing her clothes in front of the camera.
Ksenia manages to be in the limelight by surprising the audience by doing something wild all the time. She had an exhibition of her worn clothes where she put 450 pairs of clothes and everyone
had a chance to buy them. Her having sex with Russian rapper Timati is still talked about in a lot of Russian tabloids (In other words she is the sophisticated version of a Rakhi Sawant or Veena Malik may be)
Apart from being in the showbiz, she has also authored two books, ‘How to marry a millionaire’ and ’Philosophy in Boudoir’. She also has a column in the Russian GQ magazine.
After belonging to a political family she has Vladmir Putin in her list of friends. This is because
Ksenia’s father Antoly Sobchak had helped Putin enter Politics after he resigned from Kremlin. Thus it comes as a surprise that these days Ksenia Sobchak has been attending anti-Putin protests and recently was even caught having a meeting with a few Putin critics. When she saw two reporters filming her secretly talking to them she snatched their cameras, removed their memory cards and fired them. In fact last week she even hosted protest leaders in her new talk show which was removed by MTV and is now broadcast on a website. She has been attending a lot of anti-government demonstrations inviting a lot of media attention and criticism.

Russian Vodka

The origins of Vodka have always been debatable. Some historians claim that the mention of vodka dates back to late 9th century in Russia whereas there are records which say it was used in the 8th century in Poland. Vodka is the speciality of Russians considering the weather. It is highly consumed in the European belt. Russians are known to be ardent Vodka drinkers. Vodka is an integral part of Russian culture and lifestyle; there are many jokes and stories associated to vodka consumption. It always tops the priority list when it comes to alcohol consumption.
Vodka is made using a complicated process which involves distillation. Water and pure grain alcohol is used for this. It is said that the difficulty of growing grapes in such cold climate resulted in the use of fermented grain for producing vodka. Russians usually have Vodka along with zakuski (snacks) after each shot or black bread is sniffed in order to soak up the alcohol. Zakuski or snacks usually consists of pickles or something sour. Drinking is very much a part of every meal and it becomes very difficult to say no to a host who has invited you for lunch or dinner.
Apart from being alcoholic beverage vodka is used in a variety of other things. It is used as a medicine, cosmetic, antiseptic, cleaning substance, in food etc. During World War 2 vodka used to save lives. In case of poison a shot of Vodka with salt actually prevents the poison from spreading. The mixture is also cures diarrhoea. It is a well-known remedy for reducing body temperature. Applying some vodka on a sponge and wiping the body with it makes the body cold and brings down body temperature. It is also used to cure frostbites, toothaches and joint aches and is known to be a great antiseptic.
Vodka is also used as cleaning substance. One can used a few drops of Vodka to clean their glasses. The presence of alcohol in Vodka helps dissolve oil and fat. Thus it is used to clean collars and cuffs of woollen jackets. This is done using a tissue dipped in vodka after it is cleaned the cloth has to be ironed with a plain tissue on the top till the area concerned dries. Hair breakage and hair fall can be cured using 200gms of Vodka with one hot chilly pepper, keep the concoction for a week. Before washing the hair this mixture is applied to the roots. This is then washed off after an hour. This works as an excellent cure for hair damage. It also works well for acne and other skin problems. Vodka is also used in a variety of dishes. A lot of recipes made of fish have vodka as their main flavour. It adds that extra edge to the flavour making the whole dish exotic. It is added in yeast based dough to make it puffier. Cocktails like Bloody Mary, White Russian, Otvertka, cosmopolitan and Vodka Martini use Vodka as their main ingredient.
A lot of places in Russia produce adulterated Vodka which is known to be very fatal. People end up loosing their lives after consuming this kind of vodka which is made by distilling all the wrong ingredients. Manufacturers do this in order to cut expenses and increase production.Thus it is advised to purchase only well-known brands in order to ensure authenticity. Smirnoff is the most widely known brand of Vodka not only in Russia but all over the world. Its popularity comes from
the fact that the house of Smirnoff was the purveyor to the Romanov Tzars.

Russia: Media Scenario

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the democratization of the Russian Federation began with the concept of freedom of speech and privatization. The constitution of the Russian Federation gives the right to freedom of mass media. Though under Vladmir Putin’s rule from 2000-2008, Russia stabilized and developed to a great extent, the independent media found it increasingly difficult to criticize those in authority. They have been under a lot of pressure leading to self-censorship. This piece aims to look at how free is the Russian Press and who are the main players in the
Russian Media.
The Russian Media consists of both state owned and independent channels. Newspapers are the second most popular form of media after television. It is known to provide diverse opinions as
compared to television which is majorly state owned. The most read Englis dailies are The Moscow Times, St. Petersburg Times and Moscow News. Most of the top ten Russian newspapers are based in Moscow. There are three main Russian television channels First Channel, Rossiya and NTV. All three of them are majorly owned by the state. First Channel is 51% publicly owned, Rossiya is 100% and NTV is a channel owned by Gazprom media, a subsidiary of Gazprom which
is 50% state owned. These three channels are known to provide biased information. No kind of criticism against the government is shown on these channels. They are mostly focused on positive
news. None of the ant-putin protests which were held in Moscow were broadcast on these channels. Rossiya TV led its newscast last Saturday with Mr. Putin attending a martial arts competition, with the Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme as his guest. On the streets of Moscow that day, 54 people were beaten badly enough by the police that they sought medical care, Human Rights Watch said. Before the elections were to begin a St. Petersburg Bank with ties to Mr.Putin increased its ownership stake in Ren TV which used to occasionally show critical reports about government policies. But now under the influence of Putin the question of news
content being affected comes into the picture. Other channels are Russia K, Russia 2, Ren TV, RT and Russia Today all of which are mostly state owned.Radio is also owned by the state. The five main radio channels are Radio Russia which has a very wide reach, it is a national network run by state-owned Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK), Ekho Moskhy is an editorially-independent station, majority owned by state-run Gazprom, Radio Mayak is state run national network, Russkoye radio is a major private network, Voice of Russia is a state run external service which broadcasts in English and other channels, Radio Yunost is a youth station popular among the Russian youth.Recently before the elections there were a lot of journalists covering the protests in Moscow. They were basically protesting against Putin and his government. There have been allegations of corruption against him and his officials. Journalists and photographers who tried to cover the protests were either beaten up or jailed. They were not allowed to take pictures or capture whatever was happening during the protests. This was done mostly by the police and nationalist groups. According to a report by Reporter without Borders ” Violence was used to arrest three journalists – Moscow News reporter Pavel Nikulin, Ridus correspondent Maria Klimova and RIA photographer Andrei Stenin – at around 7:40 p.m. on 5 March in Moscow’s Lubyanka Square during an opposition demonstration against electoral fraud”. A radio reporter Alexander Borzenko was pushed to the ground and beaten up by an unidentified group when he tried to film the protests. A newspaper photographer Gleb Shyelkunov and reporter Arkady Batchkenko and leading opposition blogger Alexey Navalny were arrested in Moscow’s Pushkin Square and released the next morning after charging a huge fine. Thus there have been many attempts to suppress independent media and other channels that are critical about the government. With the recent elections things have gone from bad to worse as protestors have been raising their voices against an authoritarian government demanding a change.

The Putin System

The Putin System is a documentary made by film makers Jean-Michel Carré and Jill Emery for French TV. The documentary investigates the journey of Vladmir Putin from his initial Czarist and Stalinist influences to his dreams of restoring Russia’s glory. The filmmakers interviewed a range of people, from Putin’s former school teacher Vera Gurvich to his harshest critics, like world chess champion Gary Kasporov as well as many Kremlin and KGB workers.

The film begins with Nina Kurucheva a New York based Historian giving an account of Putin’s policies. The whole movie focuses on how each and every move by Putin is a step towards restoring Russia’s place on the world stage, let it be the war on Chechnya, the control over resources like oil, gas (Transneft), control of media to recreate his image among Russians,
special relations with Iran etc. As a boy he spent hours at the local cinema watching a Stalinist classic where a heroic agent single handedly saved the nation. At the age of 16 Putin knocked the doors of the KGB but he was told that the KGB independently decided who and when to recruit. He was told to study law and languages and sent away. Four years later the KGB officials contacted him. Yuri Andropov was the head of the KGB at that time. It was under his that Putin developed his vision of the state, economic objectives which eventually influenced his politics. Yuri still continues to pay homage to his mentor Andropov. He was posted in East Germany, with the East German secret service his mission is to recruit informers with Andropov’s objectives he had developed a network of business contacts. During the fall of the Berlin wall he was still in Germany. He felt helpless and asked for help but the KGB failed to respond. Putin felt that he and his country have been betrayed, he then returns back to St.Pertersberg.

On May 1990, he joined Sobchak’s election campaign and helps him become Mayor of the city. He was appointed as Antoloy Sobchak’s advisor on international affairs. During the fall of the Soviet Union, Putin decided to leave KGB as many others and stay on the side of the reformers in order to protect himself from being arrested. At the end of 1991 Boris Yeltsin declared the sovereignty of Russia and the USSR is dismantled, the Soviet republic becomes independent. Later Putin was appointed as Deputy Mayor by Sobchak and his job as deputy Mayor was privatization. Foreign banks like the BNP Dresdner Bank and Lyonnais were the first foreign banks to open in St. Petersberg. During the winter of 1991 St. Petersberg was on the brink of famine, at this time most of the humanitarian aid came from Germany. It was completely organised by Putin with the help of his business network he developed years ago. He had used his network of friends in Germany to create a system of barter, oil was exchanged for food. He knew the importance of energy as a tool for power. Thus money went directly into the pockets of officials and agents who organised the barter. “He considered the economy as a permanently controllable process…” says Alexander Belayev, Economist and former town councillor of St.Petersberg. During his term as Deputy Mayor he was known to have been involved in defence scams and companies accused of cocaine networks and money laundering. Having knowledge of law and contacts with organised crime networks he could do as he pleased. As his influence increases he gets his old KGB colleagues to work with him. Before the fall of the Soviet Union promising businessmen who came to be known as oligarchs. They were given State assets to be managed. They were the first ones to benefit from the new system of privatization after the fall of the Soviet Union. This went against the communist policies of the Soviet Union and people of Russia started protesting.

Yeltsin the new president sent in tanks and more than 150 people were killed. It was then that Putin realized that from now in Yeltsin’s democracy the rules were going to be dictated. Democracy never translated into its true meaning under Yeltsin. Under Yeltsin, Putin used various opportunities to prove himself capable and trustworthy. On 9th August, 1999, Putin was appointed as one of the three Deputy Prime Ministers.He later became the acting Prime Minister of the Russian Federation led by Boris Yeltsin. After serving two terms Yeltsin then announced Putin as his successor. On the 26th March Putin won the first round of Presidential elections and on 7th May 2000 he was appointed as president of the Russian Federation. Putin was re-elected on 14th March 2004 for the second term as President.

Maslenitsa- The Pancake week

Maslenitsa is the most well awaited festival after Christmas in Russia. It marks the beginning of spring and is the preparatory period for Lent- forty days of fasting and abstinence before Easter. This week long festival is celebrated with great joy all over Russia and in various parts of Europe.
Maslenitsa has its origins in the pre-Christian times when the Slavs were still pagans, this festival celebrated the end of winter and welcomed the warmth of the sun with the onset of Spring.
With Christianity coming into Russia a lot of pagan traditions were either removed or modified. Maslenitsa continued to be celebrated but as a preparatory week for Lent. Thus the festival combines pagan as well as Christian rituals. Blini, or pancake defines the whole festival. Blini is hot, round and golden and it is associated with the warmth of the sun. It is believed that it embodies a part of the Sun’s grace and might, helping to warm up the frozen earth. They are vegetarian and are made of milk and eggs and eaten with sour cream, caviar, smoked salmon and mushroom (I know! Sounds amazing right). These pancakes are made in large quantities and are
given to friends and family throughout the week.
The festival begins on Monday, children make a huge Maslenitsa doll out of straw and dress it up with an old woman’s clothes. After it is made the doll is carried to the top of a hill and slid from there. Tuesday is called ‘zaigyrish’or the playing day. As the name suggests the rituals on this day are centred on having playing around and having fun. Sleigh rididng, folk festivals and puppet shows. Groups of artists go to house to house giving impromptu performances. Guests are welcomed with pancakes. It is also said that on this day single guys go looking for young girls on their sledges. A lot of matchmaking happens during this festival and couples usually end up getting married on krasnaya Gorka , which is any Sunday that comes after Easter as it is the wedding season. Wednesday is known as the Sweet tooth day. On this day a series of sweet dishes alongwith blini and beer are served in houses. Husbands visit their mother-in-law’s house to go and relish the delicacies made. Blini is the centre of attraction of the meal and guests are encouraged to have as many servings as possible. They basically stuff themselves up with all lots of food on that day. Thursday is a day of revelry. Fist fights take place to felicitate the Russian army history when soldiers fought without using weapons. These fights have certain set of rules in order to protect opponents from killing each other while fighting. Friday was a day devoted to son-in-laws treating their mother-in-laws to blini after they had their share on Wednesday.The
Son-in-law is supposed to host a dinner party for his mother-law and do his best to make her feel special on that day. It is said that if the son-in-law fails to meet the expectations of the mother-in-law it is considered to be an insult. Also newlywed couples are well dressed and ride their sledges to show off their happiness and prosperity. Saturday is supposed to be the sister-in-law’s gathering day. On this day wives call their sister-in-laws home and treat them to good food. If they are single then single men from the familyare also invited. Apparently, this tradition originated in order to ensure everything is good between the wife and her sister-in-law. It’s a general phenomenon that sisters don’t accept their brothers’ wives initially. This tradition tries
to ensure a good relationship between the two. (Russian word for sister-in-law is Zolovka which originates from the word zlo which means evil). Sunday the last day of Maslenitsa is considered to be ‘Forgiveness day’. People ask each other for forgiveness for all their mistakes and troubles caused. In the evening they visit the graves of their loved ones and bid them farewell (just
like all souls day). The festival ends with people burning the huge Maslenitsa lady they prepare on the first day. Burning of Maslenitsa doll/lady symbolizes renewal through death. It is done to welcome the spring season when new fruits grow. The lady is chosen as she is supposed to be the source of life. People throw all their household waste in the bonfire as a sign of preparation for Lent which begins from the next day.