100th Anniversary of the First Commercial Flight

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This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first commercial flight. It happened on the 30th of June 1914 and was a domestic flight in Russia starting in St.Peretsburg and having Kiev as its destination. Food was served to the 4 passengers on board.
The flight was conducted in a Sikorskij “Ilja Muromets” 4-engine double-decker constructed at Russo-Baltic Carriage Factory (RBVZ) in Riga in 1913.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_Ilya_Muromets

From 30 June to 12 July 1914, it set a world record by making a trip from Saint Petersburg to Kiev, a distance of some 1200 km, and back. The first leg took 14 hours and 38 minutes, with one landing for fuel at Orsha, and the return one, with a fuel stop at Novosokolniki, took even less time, about 13 hours.
…
During an Imperial military review at Krasnoye Selo in July, Nicholas II decorated and christened the Ilya Muromets Type B Military Prototype, No. 128, the “Kievsky.”

Thoughts on Galicia

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Thoughts on Galicia by Pavel Petrovich Skoropadskij, the last Hetman of Ukraine, written in 1918. English translation after the original passage in Russian:

” …Узкое украинство – исключительно продукт, привезенный нам из Галиции, культуру каковой целиком пересаживать нам не имеет никакого смысла: никаких данных на успех нет и это является просто преступлением, так как там, собс твенно, и культуры нет. Ведь галичане живут объедками от немецкого и польского стола. Уже один язык их ясно это отражает, где на пять слов – 4 польского или немецкого происхождения…”

“Великороссы и наши украинцы создали общими усилиями русскую науку, русскую литературу, музыку и художество, и отказываться от этого своего высокого и хорошего для того, чтобы взять то убожество, которое нам, украинцам, так любезно предлагают галичане, просто смешно и немыслимо…”

“Нельзя упрекнуть Шевченко, что он не любил Украины, но пусть мне галичане или кто-нибудь из наших украинских шовинистов скажет по совести, что, если бы он был теперь жив, отказался бы от русской культуры, от Пушкина, Гоголя и тому подобных и признал бы лишь галицийскую культуру; несомненно, что он, ни минуты не задумываясь, сказал бы, что он никогда от русской культуры отказаться не может и не желает, чтобы украинцы от нее отказались. Но одновременно с этим он бы работал над развитием своей собственной, украинской, если бы условия давали бы ему возможность это делать. Насколько я считаю необходимым, чтобы дети дома и в школе говорили на том же самом языке, на котором мать их учила, знали бы подробно историю своей Украины, ее географию, насколько я полагаю необходимым, чтобы украинцы работали над созданием своей собственной культуры, настолько же я считаю бессмысленным и гибельным для Украины оторваться от России, особенно в культурном отношении.

Павел Петрович Скоропадский, гетман Украины.

…Narrow Ukrainianism is an exceptional product, brought to us from Galicia, the culture of which it makes no sense to transplant to us: it has no chance for success and will simply be a crime, as, simply speaking, there is no culture to be had there. After All, Galicians live on the breadcrumbs from the Polish and German tables. Their language alone reflects it clearly, where for each 5 words there are 4 of Polish or German origin…”

“Velikorossians (meaning Russians) and we Ukrainians (also called Malorossians) created with our joint efforts Russian science, Russian literature, music, art, and to refuse all this high and good so as to take that monstrosity that we Ukrainians are so kindly offered by the Galicians is laughable and unthinkable…”

“One cannot blame Shevchenko that he didn’t love Ukraine, but let Galicians or some of our Ukrainian chauvinists tell me in all earnesty that he, if he were alive today, would decry Russian culture, would decry Pushkin, Gogol, and such, and would only be acknowledging Galician culture; it is without doubt that he, without pausing, would have said that he would never be able to decry Russian culture, and would not wish for Ukrainians to decry it either. But at the same time he would have worked on development of its own, Ukrainian culture, if the conditions allowed him to do so. Just as I think it paramount that children at home and at school spoke the same language that their mothers taught them, knew in detail the history of their Ukraine, its geography, so do I consider paramount that Ukrainians work on creation of their own culture, and just equally do I consider it pointless and disastrous for Ukraine to severe its ties with Russia, especially in the cultural sense.”

— Skoropadskij, Pavel Petrovich (1873-1945), Hetman of Ukraine in 1918

His memoirs were written in 1918, and first published in 1995

Some predictions that I read on a forum somewhere. Will not translate for now….

Что ждет країну. 1) Банкротство экономики, невозможность оплачивать социальные льготы и пособия, подорожание товаров и продуктов питания на 100-200%, подорожание коммунальных услуг до 400-700% по условиям договора об ассоциации с ЕС. 2) Упадок и не без того хиреющей медицины, образования. Все это станет доступным только для богатых. Старики не смогут расчитывать на помощь. 3) Отделение Юго-Восточных областей, и следовательно конец промышленности и производству – безработица. 4) Отток лучших кадров за рубеж – прежде всего в Россию. Вследствие этого не будет специалистов, способных изменить положение и как-то повлиять на происходящее. 5) Внутриклановые олигархические разборки, которые приведут к запредельному уровню коррупции, о котором никто даже не может представить. При этом остатки всего ликвидного будут доразворованы провластными кланами. 6) Рост преступности из-за общего обнищания. В основном за счет деревенских молодчиков более активных по сравнению с городскими. Апофеозом будет фактически повсеместная бандеризация – неофашисты будут заправлять в обществе и держать его в страхе все больше. 7) Дальнейшее территориальное разделение – прежде всего о независимости объявит т.н. Галичина. 8) Провозглашение новой власти оставшихся областей 9) Присоединение Малороссии к России, либо в форме ассоциации или автономии.

UPDATE May 2023: Time has come to translate the above prediction from 2014…

What awaits the borderland. 1) The bankruptcy of the economy, the inability to pay social benefits and allowances, the rise in price of goods and food by 100-200%, the rise in price of utilities by 400-700% under the terms of the Association agreement with the EU. 2) The decline of the already failing medicine and education. All this will become available only to the rich. The elderly will not be able to count on help. 3) The separation of the South-Eastern regions, and consequently the end of industry and production – unemployment. 4) The outflow of the best personnel abroad – primarily to Russia (translator note: 3 million Ukrainians have so far fled to Russia). As a result, there will be no specialists able to change the situation and somehow influence what is happening. 5) Intra-clan oligarchic showdowns, which will lead to an exorbitant level of corruption, which no one can even imagine. At the same time, the remnants of all liquid funds will be further stolen by pro-government clans. 6) The increase in crime due to general impoverishment. Mainly due to the village thugs who are more active compared to urban ones. The apotheosis will actually be widespread banderization – neo-fascists will run the society and keep it in fear more and more. 7) Further territorial division – first of all, the so-called Galicia will declare independence. 8) Proclamation of the new government of the remaining regions 9) Accession of Malorossia to Russia, either in the form of association or autonomy.

Berlin and the War of the Kiev-Junta

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A few days ago a well-renowned German economist, industrialist and a former owner of a multinational company Vorstandschef der Thyssen AG, Dieter Spethmann, published an open letter addressing the German politicians to open their eyes on the events in Ukraine. He first tried to publish his open letter in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, but was declined. He published his letter then in Geolitico:

UPDATE May 2023:
WebArchived article in German (original link, no longer working)

Below is an automatic translation using Yandex translate:

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Black myths about Rus – From Ivan the Formidable until our time

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The documentary below is important is understanding how the negative perception of Russia was formed in the West throughout centuries. It is so much more important in these days, when spreading of new black myths, defamation and fear-mongering targeting Russia is reaching new heights. The English newspaper’s headlines of late is a vivid testimonial – “Putin’s Missile”, eh?

The reader will notice that I used “Ivan the Formidable” instead of the English “Ivan the Terrible”. The reason for it will become apparent below (at about 10:46).

EDIT from 2020: I noticed that someone else published a different English-subtitled version of the film, that would be easier to watch. Still, my transcript below is useful for the documentary reference.

The documentary below is in Russian. Below you will find a complete English transcript of the film in-lined with a few of my notes.

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Tribute to a victim of USA’s proxy shelling of Gorlovka

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Her name was Kristina…

She was murdered along with her baby and 11 other people on orders of criminal Ukrainian government and with the approval from U.S. and Europe.
Remember! July 27th 2014, Gorlovka

Dozens, including 2 children, die as Kiev troops shell Gorlovka in E.Ukraine (VIDEO)

tribute to kristina

UPDATE 27.07.2023: Now, 9 years later, that terrible event that galvanised and solidified the resolve of the freedom fighters of Donbass is not forgotten!

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Fake satellite images release by US intelligence on social media

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The twists and turn of lies performed by the US to demonise Russia and to foster Rossophobic sentiment are mind-boggling. In the recent charade, the US released several “sattelite” images of presumable Russia shooting with artillery over border at Ukrainian positions.

Before I go on to the images, I’d like to say a few words about the shelling of Russian territory by Ukraine. This lead to deaths of at least two Russian citizens and destruction of property on Russian soil. In one of the latest event, when criminal investigators came to the scene of shelling, Ukrainian troops did a repeat performance, targeting the team of investigators and journalists. If anything like this happened in the US, the global bully would have retaliated on the spot with an over-dimensioned retributary attack, removing the offending country from the face of the earth. Russia on the other hand limited itself to several warnings. Not surprisingly, none of this was reported by the Western presstitute MSM. In the latest statement, Russia’s foreign minister Lavrov said that any further provocation from Ukraine will be met by force and the firing positions in Ukrain that can be proven firing at Russia will be suppressed by return fire.

The whole situation reminds of the time prior to NATO’s invasion into Yugoslavia. Massive provocations and murder of Serbian population remained unreported by Western MSM, yet as soon as Serbs started to retaliate, the same MSM began trumpeting about mass murders of the US and EU best friends, the Muslims.

Now, the images. Here are two articles reporting on them:

US releases satellite images ‘proving’ Russia is firing into Ukraine
‘Fake’: Russian Defence Min rebuffs US sat image claims

Here are the images in question. Note that all images are labelled as “Artillery strikes within Ukraine”.

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Malaysia MH-17 down – theories in abandon

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The timeline of the disaster reports

Boeing-777 was downed by Ukrainian MiG-29, Romanian expert says

US analysts conclude MH17 downed by aircraft

Flight 17 Shoot-Down Scenario Shifts
From the above, it looks like the theory of the mistaken identity with Russian Presidential plane is not that far-fetched, after all:

Some independent analyses of the initial evidence from the crash site suggest the jetliner may have been destroyed by an air-to-air attack, not by an anti-aircraft missile fired from the ground. Yet, the working hypothesis of the U.S. intelligence analysts is that a Ukrainian military Buk battery and the jetfighters may have been operating in collusion as they hunted what they thought was a Russian airliner, possibly even the plane carrying President Vladimir Putin on a return trip from South America, the source said.

Here is a must-watch summary video:
Flight MH17 – What You’re Not Being Told
And a comprehensive compilation article of all known facts:
MH-17 Verdict: Real Evidence Points to US-Kiev Cover-up of Failed False Flag

After the fall of the Malaysia MH-17 flight, Kiev and the West were quick to blame Russia for everything, with the Australian PM demanding that Russia takes responsibility. This is consistent with the initial feeling that the whole thing is a false flag operation from US-backed Kiev to further provoke Russia and drag it into the war, now that constant shelling of Russian territory fails to entice needed reaction. See my article Is the West gearing up to invade Russia once again?

Russian media were much diverse in the theories presented:

  1. Technical failure on the plane
  2. Plane shot down by freedom fighters of Novorossia by mistake
  3. Plane shot down by Kiev using Buk with the intention of falling on Russian territory
  4. Plane shot down from a fighter jet
  5. Plane shot down, as a mistaken identity, taking it for the President’s plane

#5 was refuted pretty quickly: even though the planes do bear some similarities, the President hasn’t been overflying Ukrainian territory for several months now.

#1 is still on the table, until definite proof of a missile strike is found

#2 was refuted as well. The freedom fighters simply lack equipment – they have shoulder rocket launchers, capable of reaching 5km, while the plane was at 10km. They don’t have Buks, and even Ukrainian Prosecutor General denied that freedom fighters could have captured any. Also capturing a Buk does not mean you can fire it. It’s a complex system consisting of 3 vehicles, that requires extensive lengthy training and a crew of 17 people to operate.

#4 is interesting in that a Spanish air traffic controller working in Kiev saw on his radar two jets shadowing the plane before it disappeared. He twitted about it. Later that account was removed, the posts modified, and the account was re-activated again with modified information. The controller is reportedly fleeing for his life.

#3 Ukraine has the means – they have and actually produced Buks for the Soviet Union. Ukraine shot down a passenger plane in 2001 in a similar fashion. Kiev was very quick in pointing the blaming finger to Russia. A TV statement was made minutes after the crash, when nothing was really known. Within 30 minutes of a crash, Poroshenko made TV speech, where he in no uncertain terms blamed Russia, no further proof needed, and where hen mentioned calling Dutch head of state and offering condolences (shouldn’t he have called Malaysia first?). The speech gave an impression of being ready-made for the occasion. Kiev release customary fakes that turned out to be recorded the day before the disaster. Ukrainians were also quick to say that 80 children died on board, and that there were American on board. Both statements were later falsified.

Fox news reported the plane’s downing site as being near Kremenchuk, which is 430 kilometres from Donetsk, about half-way to Kiev.

Interestingly, while the British envoy to UN was raging, blaming Russia for everything and demanding that investigators are allowed to the crash site, 30 OSCE investigators were already on site, protected by freedom fighters, who announced a one-sided seize-fire.

UPDATE: I’ve just had an epiphany. There is a logical discrepancy. The American intelligence reported within hours that they have information that the plane was shot down by a SAM missile. Shouldn’t they then have the location of the SAM site that performed the launch of said missile? Seeing as US is highly interested in choking the freedom movement in their new colony (yes, it’s time everyone starts noticing the big pink elephant that is US in the room, that is Ukraine), if the freedom fighters were indeed the ones that launched that missile, the intelligence agency would have trumpeted it across the globe. What we see is sideways insinuations against Russia, all the while Kiev releasing fake videos, and today filming in Dniepropetrovsk a fake news report, as if it was filmed at the crash site. These actions speak quite loudly that it might have been a Kiev-controlled SAM doing the shooting, and US in their desperation to cover the tracks, are releasing only a half-truth on their intelligence service report. Alternatively the US intelligence might not have had any data to report, and were simply relaying information from Russian military, that said that SAM radio activity was spotted in Ukraine prior to shooting.

Here is a map, showing, where the plane disappeared from the radars, well inside Kiev-controlled territory:
MH17

By the way, doesn’t it seem strange that the relatives of the victims are completely out of picture. In “normal” disasters we see a lot of indignation from the relatives, demands to see the crash site, demands to see and identify their loved ones. Here, we have an information vacuum, when it comes to relatives and their reaction. Seeing that locals on whom the bodies were falling, said that the bodies (except for the pilots) were not fresh, is it possible to assume that there are no relatives, and one or two short clips that we’ve seen are filmed with actors?

The history tends to repeat itself. KAL Flight 007 comes to mind.

Links to more information, summed up in this post:

The Odessa Massacre Rhyme

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The Brits remember their Gunpoweder plot by a simple rhyme:

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot…

The gruesome events that happened in Odessa on the Second of May 2014, when Right Sector Nazis cornered, burn and short unarmed people in Odessa Trade Union building are worthy of a similar commemoration.

Remember remember the Second of May
Manslaughter, murder, flesh burnt.
That’s enough of a reason that Odessa massacre
Should never be forgot…

UPDATE 2024:

10 years later, The Shieldmaiden from our Telegram channel “Beorn And The Shieldmaiden” came up with this powerful variation on the rhyme:

Remember that day, the Second of May
Nazi-goons, arson, and shots
Best of reasons we have that Odessa massacre
Should never be forgot.

UPDATE 2025: A fiery tribute poem, translated by Putinger’s Cat:

Today marks 11 years since the Odessa massacre, where dozens of Anti-Maidan activists died in the burning Trade Unions House on May 2nd, 2014.

Here’s a translation of a poem, by an unknown author, dedicated to the tragedy. The original poem is below the translation.

💢💢💢

Odessa, May 2nd, 2014
by unknown author

A woman screamed in the defiled Odessa.
A woman screamed, oh, how afraid she must have been…
A woman screamed and demons were rejoicing,
They laughed and howled, a bunch of wild cavemen.

People were sliding out of gaping windows,
Forced by the vile black smoke, trying to breathe –
The devil spun, in Odessa, а reeking chrysalis
And quickly hatched out as an adolescent beast.

Possessing many heads and many tails,
With a vicious tongue, forked and multilingual,
Drunk on his own demonic violence,
He drew a wicked pleasure in the screaming.

Nursed by a cocktail from a dark glass bottle,
A liquid brown, just like all of his sick ilk,
He licked his chops, anticipating likes
And comments from unhinged Internet filth.

Bodies were burning, souls were suffocating.
And no one came. No one. Nobody. None.
A bloated scaly carcass with a vile name:
“The Anti-Terrorist Operation” or “ATO”.

They shot, and hit, and crucified, and tore
Live flesh to kill it for their feast.
They sucked on pain and swallowed mortal fear.
Where, once, were people, there were beasts.

Now, through the backstreets, they have spread
And firmly occupied important office chairs.
Hundreds of folks come out in their defense
When summoned by corrupt and snitching powers.

A woman screamed. And then she died.
And is not coming back a ruined harvest.
I never will forget the way she cried,
As the unsilent ashes beat on my chest.

💢💢💢

Одесса, 2 мая 2014
автор неизвестен

Кричала женщина в поруганной Одессе.
Кричала женщина – как страшно было ей.
Кричала женщина. Возликовали бесы.
Они смеялись, кучка дикарей.

Скользили люди из разверстых окон,
Их гнал наружу жуткий чёрный дым.
Так дьявол свил в Одессе смрадный кокон
И вылупился зверем молодым.

Многоголовый и многохвостатый,
Раздвоеный язык многоязык,
Жестокостью своею бесноватой
Он упивался, слыша этот крик.

Раскормленный коктейлем из бутылки,
Коричневый, как вся его чума,
Он предвкушал, какие будут ссылки
И комментов разнузданная тьма.

Тела горели, задыхались души.
Никто не спас. Никто. Никто. Никто.
Распухшая чешуйчатая туша,
Название паскудное – АТО.

Стреляли, били, рвали, распинали
Живую плоть, чтоб умертвить её.
Сосали боль и смертный страх глотали.
Где были люди, там теперь зверьё.

Оно порасползлось по подворотням,
По важным креслам прочно угнездясь,
В его защиту созывает сотни
Продажная и ссученая власть.

Кричала женщина. Потом её не стало.
Не возродится прежнее жнивьё.
Я не забуду, как она кричала.
Немолчный пепел в сердце бьёт моё.

UPDATE 2023: A lot of the links below are no longer functioning, what with especially YouTube “freedom-of-speeching” the truth. Here are several alternative video materials:

Resources:
Odessa slaughter survivors reveal their side of story in intl photo exhibit
ODESSA 5/02: The Untold Truth of Kulikovo Field [Part 1 ]
ODESSA 5/02: The Untold Truth of Kulikovo Field [Part 1 ] HD 1080p
Odessa 5/02: La verità non detta di Piazza Kulikovo [ITALIAN]
Kiev protégé allegedly behind Mariupol and Odessa massacres – leaked tapes
Odessa massacre victims died in seconds, not from smoke – emergency service chief
How the thugs killed Odessa inhabitants in the Trade Unions House – the details of bloody scenario
The Ukrainian City That Refuses to Implode

50 people are still reported missing, presumed dead after the Odessa massacre. Ukrainian authorities are not looking for them. Moreover, the Trade Union building, which is considered a material evidence of the crime and is surrounded by a concrete fence, is being quietly renovated and painted from the inside, erasing the evidence.

Recent Ukraine human rights violations released in ‘White Book’ report

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As reported by Russia Today:

A senior Russian human rights official has called the updated research on human rights violations in Ukraine a forced measure, and an attempt to call for action from the international community to stop the violence.

“This was a forced measure. This was not someone’s whim but a reaction to the current situation, and the situation in the South and South-East of Ukraine is extremely grave, disastrous,” the Foreign Ministry’s Plenipotentiary for Human Rights, Konstantin Dolgov, said in a televised interview.

The full updated White Book report is available on the Foreign Ministry’s website. UPDATE: The page is no longer available since July 2015. Here is a link to the WebArchived page.

Direct download (November 2013 – March 2014):
English (Update: local link)
Russian (Update: local link)

Direct download update (April – mid-June 2014):
English (Update: local link)
Russian (Update: local link)

Update: (July – November 2014):
English local link
Russian local link

A poem for a killed child

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Меня убили под Славянском.
Мне было семь неполных лет.
Со мной убиты мама с папой,
Убиты бабушка и дед.

Мне было больно, очень больно.
Так не бывает у детей.
Скажи солдат, в меня стрелявший,
Что скажешь дочери своей?

Отдашь ли ей мои игрушки?
Отдашь с рисунками альбом?
Отдашь в крови моей котёнка?
Как взглянешь ей в глаза потом?

Скажи солдат, меня убивший,
Каким ты молишься Богам?
Кому принёс ребёнка в жертву?
В какой отдашь добычу храм?

Я умерла, и я не плачу.
Застыла на щеке слеза.
Запомни враг, в меня стрелявший,
Убитой девочки глаза.

Автор – Вячеслав Бунеев

I was killed under Slavjansk.
I wasn’t yet even 7.
My mother and father were killed with me
Killed were my grandma and granddad

It was painful, very painful,
As children never should have felt.
Tell me soldier, you who shot at me,
What will you say to your daughter?

Will you give her my toys?
Will you give her my album with drawings?
Will you give her my blood-covered kitten?
How will you look into her eyes?

Tell me soldier, you who killed me,
Which Gods do you pray to?
Which God did you sacrifice a child to?
To which temple will you bring your pray?

I died, and I am not crying.
The tear has dried upon my cheek.
Remember enemy, who shot at me,
The eyes of the murdered girl.

Poet: Vjacheslav Buneev

Child in Slavjansk
She was only 6 when she was killed in Slavjansk by Ukrainian artillery shells on the 8th of June at 13:15.

So far, over 60 children were killed in Novorossia by artillery and bullets from Nazional guard, private bandit armies of Kolomojskij, Klichko, Yarosh, and regular army. Most lost their lives with their families while attempting to break through the blockade of Slavjansk and escape to safety in Russia.

In the meantime, US State Department says that refugee children are simply going from Ukraine to Russia on vacation to their grannies. Prime Minister Medvedev called such statement from US for limitless cynicism. Tonight (02.07) another child, age 5, didn’t reach her “granny in Russia” as she died in an airstrike against Kondrashovka.

Shells devastate entire streets in eastern Ukrainian town (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

“At the site of the second strike the situation is even worse: 9 people have died, and 11 have been wounded. Among the victims is a five year-old girl, who with her father. The impact was so strong her legs were blown off. Once again, the exact number of the dead will only become clear later.”

And against the backdrop of such blatant murder, Ukraine urges Russia not to accept orphans fleeing war zones.

Two Ukraines – with a Statistical and Historical View at Novorossia

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The original article “Two Ukraines” appeared as blog by colonelcassad in Decmber 2013 in Russian.

I present here a translation of the article into English, with the infographics legend explained whenever feasible; but first I want to give some historical backdrop to where Novorossia comes from.

In his article Cold War Renewed With A Vengeance While Washington Again Lies Paul Craig Roberts very astutely writes:

The EU, ordered by Washington, told Russia to suppress the opposition in southern and eastern Ukraine to Washington’s stooge government in Kiev. But, as every educated person knows, including the White House, 10 Downing Street, Merkel, and Holland, Russia is not responsible for the separatist unrest in eastern and southern Ukraine. These territories are former constituent parts of Russia that were added to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic by Soviet Communist Party leaders when Ukraine and Russia were two parts of the same country.

The county of Novorossia was established by the Highest Decree of the Russian Empress Ekaterina II in 1764 and existed until 1802, when it was divided into three smaller counties: Nikolaevskaja, Ekaretinoslavskaja and Tavricheskaja counties. The reason for creation of Novorossia countie on the former territories of Slavjano-Serbia was to create a buffer zone against Osmano-Tatar aggression

Below is the maps of the Novorossia:
1800_Novoros_gov

And here is the Ekaterinoslavskaja county shown against the borders of Ukraine:
Gubernia_de_Ekaterinoslav_-_Imperio_ruso

Here is what Ukraine consited of until February (Crimea made a lucky escape and re-joined Russia):
Ukraina1653
Legend:
Light yellow – Zaprozhje – Ukraine before 1654
Orange – Presents of Russian monarchs between 1654 and 1917
Light-green – Novorossia – Lenin’s present in 1922
Medium-green (5+6) – Eastern Galicia – Stalin’s present of 1939-1940 (given to USSR according to Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement)
Dark-green – Crimea – Khrushjov’s present in 1954
Transcarpathia (9) – taken from Czechoslovakia in 1945
Northern Bukovina and Southern Southern (7+8) – captured by USSR in 1940

So bearing in mind that Ukraine is a collection of disparate lands, and remembering the Russian roots of the Cossacks living on the lands of Novorossia, the move performed by Lenin after the coup d’etat of 1917, in creating Ukraine and assigning to it the territories of Novorossia was a direct recipe for creating a problem for future generations.

The people of the East differ to much from their Polish-rooted Western cousins.

And now it’s time to introduce the translation of the blog post Two Ukraines.


(Legend: “Yukraina” to the left; “Yakraina” to the right, with percentage of people who voted for Yushenko or Yanukovich during the last legitimate presidential elections)

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Ukraine events resonating with Half-Life2, Harry Potter and Star Wars

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Reading time: 3 minutes

I first posted these musings in a Bitcointalk thread.

With each passing week of Ukrainian events, I get a feeling that I have seen some elements of those events before, in popular culture. Namely, in two titles, that I quite like: in Harry Potter and in Half-Life2. Now before you call me mad… 🙂

The way Irina Farion of the Svoboda party has been going on about the Russian-speaking population of the South-Eastern regions calling them for cattle and creatures that need to be exterminated, along with any Ukrainian who supports them, resonates strongly with Death Eater propaganda on Muggleborns, “Mudbloods”, who need to be exterminated and registered as creatures, along with any those supporting their rights, “Muggle-lovers”.

Farion’s own behaviour is best depicted in Helena Bonham Carter’s depiction of the psychotic female Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange.

And the whole Right Sector movement finds clear parallels with the Death Eaters in general.

So:

Irina Farion = Bellatrix Lestrange
The simpering Dolores Umbridge (aka, the toad) = Victoria Nudelman (aka Nuland)
Fernier Greyback = Yarosh
Snatchers = National Guard
Death Eaters = Right Sector

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Is the West gearing up to invade Russia once again?

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Reading time: 9 minutes

Starting in April 2014, I started a topic under the same name in the Politics & Society section of Bitcointalk forum. There were some telling signs of warmongering in the air. And those signs are only getting clearer and stronger. I present here a consolidated and expanded version of my posts in that thread.

But first, here are a few links on this topic that I came across – it’s not only me, who feels that the war is in the air:

A few days ago I watched a 2-year old Russian documentary, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the war of 1812, about the information war, waged before and during the French invasion of Russia in 1812. The Film is called “The War of 1812. The First information War”.

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Velvet Divorce? – “Ukraine has already collapsed.” An AiF columnist on the political crisis in the country

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This is a translation from Russian of an article by Georgy Zotov, published in the international paper edition of Argumenty i Fakty #7/2014. Yanukovich is still the president, but the coup is being fostered by Washington. Zotov takes a look at what would happen, and as we can now see, his predictions turned to be pretty accurate.

“Ukraine has already collapsed.” An AiF columnist on the political crisis in the country

In Crimea that have already made it clear that they will not share the path of a “Banderite” Ukraine.

“The Battle for Kiev” may end up with break-up of the country

What happens if during the overthrow of Yanukovych, an anti-Russian regime comes to power? Will the republic split up (as it is predicted for her since 1991) into two parts? “AIF” observer considered both versions of events.

My Ukrainian friend, a businessman from Lugansk, is extremely dissatisfied with the behaviour of the Russian customs. The day before, his truck with candy stuck on the border with the Russian Federation – and perhaps will stand there for ten more days. My friend (a big supporter of Maidan) is terribly outraged by this fact, because it incurs losses. “Listen, you’re a fan of Ukraine’s rapprochement with the European Union, friends say ironically to him. – You could have sold all of the West.” “What do you mean?” the businessman is genuinely surprised “You can’t just like that wedge into a European market.” While stores in Russia, taking cheap Ukrainian candy, started making smaller purchases of Russian ones. So I’ll say a blasphemous thing that will not be to everyone’s taste: our economy will BENEFIT from establishing an anti-Russian government in Kiev.

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The Third Gas War: EU and US must pay for their “successes” in Ukraine

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Reading time: 19 minutes

This is a translation from Russian of an article by Evgenij Pozhidaev, originally found here. The article gives a good overview of the history in Ukrainian-Russain gas relations. It was published on the 25th of April 2014. The article is speed-translated using Google translate and then extensively edited, making it human-readable.

An in-depth analysis of the latest events in this gas war can be read in superb blog post by Lada Ray – Gas Wars: Why Is Ukraine Refusing to Pay for Russian Gas?, “Ukraine wants communism, not capitalism, when it comes to gas” and Lada Ray: Urgent! Gas Wars: Why Is Ukraine Refusing to Pay for Russian Gas? June 14, 2014.

As I was translating this, the Supreme Court of Ukraine stated that Timoshenko is innocent of all gas-related charges against her, effectively legitimizing the gas theft schemes she was involved in.

After the translation of the article, I jotted a few highlights from the latest development.

The Third Gas War: EU and US must pay for their “successes” in Ukraine

So, Russia and Ukraine are on the brink of the next (third) gas war. The gas conflict receded into the background, against the backdrop of the “hot” fighting and repression in the South East, however, it may leave a long-lasting and even larger impact on the Ukrainian political landscape. We begin with a retrospective – especially as gas wars long since became part of the Ukrainian political mythology, the main character of which is a sinister totalitarian neighbour strangling young democracy and not allowing it to achieve great success and genuine European prosperity.

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