February, 23 Russia celebrated Defenders of the Fatherland Day. We will watch a beautiful ceremony of returning The Eternal Flame to its traditional home next to the Kremlin.
The eternal flame was moved to Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill on December 27, 2009, to allow for reconstruction of the memorial complex including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexandrovsky Gardens.
A torch lit at the eternal flame’s temporary home in Victory Park was transported to the Kremlin on Tuesday morning, traveling in an armored personnel carrier with full military honors.
Medvedev then relit the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the foot of the Kremlin Wall in Alexandrovsky Gardens.
These days we enjoying a lot of snow here in Moscow. That is not frustrating that is just fun even for us adult people. We enjoy the real Russian winter for the first time for (I think) 10 years. And that is great.
I don’t agree with Russia Today journalist – that we’ll get spring in 7 day. Not here in Moscow… just on the calendar. March is absolutely winter month here with temperature below freezing and still a lot of snow… Snow is regularly (when we have normal winter) melting in last week of March.
The fourth place in Olypmic Games is not too good result for this couple of figure skaters (Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov). Russian newspaper “Soviet Sport” asked Yuko Kavaguti about their plans.
“Just before the last competition Tamara Nikolaevna [their trainer Tamara Moskvina] told me: ‘Please, skate beautifully. Show them your soul.’ I could not…”
“I am going to skate for a while. World Championship in Turin? Probably, yes. Olympics in Sochi? I do not know …”
Yuko Kavaguti will be 32 years old and Alexander Smirnov will be 30 years old in the year of Olympic in Sochi.
Yuko you were the best and you expressed your beautiful soul – we’ve all seen it!
I am not too much in figure skating now… but as all Russians I was in my Soviet childhood. Now time just flies and I am not even able to follow all modern figure skaters. But this story made me think…
The first time I’ve heard about Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov when they did not get an Olympic medal for Russia (watch Olympic video). What a strange name and strange look for Russian skater – I thought looking at the pictures of their Olympic program? I wanted to learn more about this cute childish girl with strange name (Yuko Kavaguti), I wanted to see her best videos. Today I show you some but first let me to tell you a story of a Japanese girl who dreamed about Olympics.
Yuko Kavaguti (Kawaguchi) was born November 20, 1981 in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. She started skating at the age of 5 years old. And as junior in singles skating she won several prizes in Japan. In 1999 she decided to have lessons of figure skating from Russian trainer in USA and came to USA where she lived for several years and won several championships. She became a first Japanese skater who won in pair team.
In 2006 she moves in Russia to continue training with a new partner Alexander Smirnov – Tamara Moskvina (her favorite trainer since 1999) became their couch.
Participate in Olympic Games was a very strong dream of Yuko Kavaguti. She had to give up her Japanese citizenship and get Russian citizenship to become a part of Russian Olympic team. December 23, 2008 Yuko Kavaguti got Russian citizenship. But it still was not enough to fit Olympic rules. Olympic rules tell that her citizenship must be at least 3 year before she would be able to become a part of Russian team. So Russian Olympic Committee wrote a letter to The Japan Skating Federation and asked them to allow Yuko Kavaguti take a part in Olympic Games as member of Russian team and this permission was given.
I wish all the best to Yuko Kavaguti – she deserves it.
One of the best videos of Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov (music “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saens).
And I like this Japanese video about Yuko Kavaguti – you can see how they proud of her even she has Russian citizenship now!
For our readers who wants to know more:
Yuko Kavaguti lives in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She bought a 3-room flat (living room, kitchen and bathroom) their. Yuko attended university in Saint Petersburg and studied international politics. His father is a businessman and her mother is a teacher of English tlanguage. Yuko speaks fluently Russian, English an Japanese. She likes to read books in Japanese, solve puzzles, cook and knit, dances and mountain skiing. Youko likes go to Russian museums and watch ballet.
Today we will talk about and watch an old Russian movie (with English subtitles) “Добро пожаловать или Посторонним вход воспрещен” (known also as “Welcome, or No Trespassing”). This comedy movie was made as diploma work by outstanding Russian movie director Elem Klimov in 1964.
We will live a life of young pioneers with main movie characters for the next 74 minutes. Some people call this movie satiric – but for me that is just a comedy and this comedy is not very far from real life. This situation is known by me (been 13 years old I was expelled from camp… for really nothing).
Kostya Inochkin a very good swimmer broke one of important rules in the camp and swam by himself to an island for what was expelled from the camp. But he did not go home because he did not want to upset his Granny (he even thought that Granny could die from such upset). So he stayed in the camp but illegally… That will be a big adventure. And I recommend you to watch it!
What else could I tell… kids play very naturally in the movie. Elem Klimov is well known like movie director who can work with kids.
May be that will be interesting for you that in reality Elem Klimov has never been in young pioneer camp.
This simple and funny dance was my favorite from my childhood! And today I have a pleasure to share a video of the dance LetkaJenkka (Летка Енка) with you:
Really, we have about three version of songs with this music. They all are excellent lyrics for this one is by Michail Plytskovsky … In this song cricket, polecat, 10 little frogs, moth all together are jumping happily with music what grasshopper plays for them on fiddle.
Lets go political today! The reason for this is because of the growing powder keg situation in the Middle East! Russia has influence and growing influence in that area…
Now Israel and America have expressed serious attitudes about this visit by the Hamas to Moscow. It seems that the main issue is that Israel and America do not want any recognition of Hamas by anyone. Russia says that Hamas needs to be talked to and not put aside like a non existent political group. Looks like Russia is forcing a situation that will promote a continuation of talks by Israel or Israel could get lost by not keep up with the situation.
Moscow hopes to host a Middle East Peace Conference this year and this is a step in that direction. There is a forming of opinion that Obama has failed with Israel and that Russia is a hope that talks will be continued and become more fair between Hamas and Israel. America has put the Hamas on the terrorist list and Hamas feel that getting a fair shake from America is out of the question…
I have stated before that Russia really believes in diplomacy and Moscow really does see Hamas as an integral part of the peace process!
“Smeshariki” (literally translated “laughing balls”) was created in order to educate the younger generation and teach children to avoid being judgmental. It is the first large-scale animated series for kids in Russia that is being produced with the assistance of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
“Smeshariki” represents an imagery world in which events happen to be reality-based, the ones a child might face in day-to-day life. Villains do not appear in the series, while main characters are benevolent and frank. Each episode is a separate metaphorical story, either comical and funny or lyrical and thought-provoking.
Here is a video from Russia Today tells about Smeshariki:
But our main video is “Smeshriki meet Maslenitsa” (The cartoon is in Russian – but you and your kids will understand everything. I promise!)
Read more and watch more videos about Russian Maslenitsa:
February, 23 Russia celebrated Defenders of the Fatherland Day. We will watch a beautiful ceremony of returning The Eternal Flame to its traditional home next to the Kremlin.
