Breast Cancer Pinky Ring

The raging grandfather

Kostroma (September 2003). "Come, my little children," Irina calls with full force into the dense forest. "Go faster!" Eleven of her charges already pawing impatiently at the bit before the empty feed troughs, but some are still missing. Irina looks after the offspring of Russia unusual farm - the elk farm of Sumarokowo. Already the first two month old cubs spend the most time in the forest, because the stable lock can not moose.

are the big deer, regardless of age, somewhat idiosyncratic contemporaries. Just as at that time also the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. The Secretary-General had in the 60 years he arranged not only to Soviet collective farmers to grow corn instead of wheat. In the Workers 'and Peasants' empire should also be domesticated elk.

scientists opened in the taiga several experimental farms to explore the animals. So also in Sumarokowo near the regional capital of Kostroma, 350 miles northeast of Moscow. What man could do the moose was then still unclear.


Some ask, what is all this

"In theory, everything looked quite brilliant," recalls Nikolai Grachev, director of the reserve, which also includes the elk farm. "Without much cost for care and feeding, it was hoped to solve the problems with the farms in the meat supply." Grachev, who during the time a revision Tarnfabren uniform with the Russian forest guard, a young bull moose strokes. In Sumarokowo born animals are quickly tame. There

36 elk at the moment on the farm. From idea to kill the animals, took Grachev and his colleagues quickly distance. Meanwhile, the elk farm sold only milk and pups survived, but remains above all of the modest state grants. is

Since the perestroika in Russia of course, money is tight for such experiments become. "Of course we need to hear again from above, the question of what this is all really," says Grachev and pulls on his cigarette.

between a professional dairy industry and of elk farm Sumarokowo are still worlds. No fewer than three liters of fat-containing milk does a cow elk on average every day, no serious amount compared to bred high-yielding cows.

"If the weather is bad or has the moose bad mood, but it is not even out of the woods for milking," says Natalya Karenkowa, who works as a vet in Sumarokowo and tourist groups out over the area.

Per speakers try the milkmaids then often in vain, to lure their animals from the bush. "I can conclude a Contract with anyone and guarantee a certain amount of milk because it may be, that we have on some days does nothing to offer," says Grachev.

miracle medicine from the elk farm

is even worse but that each year some of the laboriously reared animals forever looking into the distance. The collars with pet names and radio stations will not help much.

also think Larissa Witsch therefore must often improvise. The strong-minded woman is the best customer of the elk farm of Sumarokowo and the chief physician of Ivan Susanin Sanatorium, located less than five miles as the crow flies.

Out of curiosity, an employee of the farm had begun to drink the moose milk. "After some weeks he presented amazed found that the gastric ulcer that plagued him until then was virtually disappeared," says Denke Witsch. Several laboratory studies have bestötigt in the period following the healing.

moose milk strengthen the immune system and kill off microbes. Even in people who suffer from blood cancer, the disease had improved.

Susanin The Sanitarium offers its dyspeptic spa guests now except fresh Forest air and mineral water also moose milk-treatments. Three small at guests' milk are administered to patients daily, the liter is sold for 210 rubles (6 €). 250 liters can think Larissa Witsch frozen in liquid nitrogen to in the autumn and winter have something in stock.

Some stomach sick now come from far away extra mission in the sanatorium. Others experience only site of the miraculous power of moose milk. "My roommate told me it was good for the power," smiles Sergei, his stomach pains was actually cure with medicinal water. "Since he has been right way."

(epd / kp)
Originally published in
Russia News . There

Everything to know about the moose farm near Kostroma it on Alexander Minajews website \u0026lt;.

Lic Money Plus Secured Fund

embedded journalist in the Kalmyk steppe

Moscow, Kirov, Izhevsk (March 2004). The press office of Russian Railways, it had never been problems. An interview with the rail head was not a problem, it had therefore been called as expected. In a week or two I would get the appointment. The editorial offices was pleased with the commitment and reserved an entire newspaper page for their next Eastern European special edition.



Fadeev (speaking) with his replacement as rail boss in the summer of 2005

Gennady Fadeev was an interesting man, he built the monstrous Russian Ministry of Railways to just in a corporation. By his subordinates of the white-haired Fadeev was often just "Djeduschka" called "Grandfather" also. Already during the communist era he was deputy railway minister, he had already reached retirement age. But still he flew tirelessly in matters of official business around the globe.

The enormous capacity for work of the "grandfather" cried out for employees sincere admiration. Unfortunately, it also meant that I could give his press office partout no interview. But it would work and certainly in time, I heard every demand. Five days before a deadline, I was getting impatient. "Oh, that does not look good," said a spokeswoman, finally. I reminded her of demanding a firm commitment and the blank newspaper page. there is only one possibility, "she said finally. I could accompany the rail head on the next day on a business trip in the Urals. Heading his team a chance, would arrange for an interview.


interviewees roars to escort them

A bus of Russian Railways in the early morning brought us out of the city near the airport Scheremetjewo, wo von einem separaten Terminal Privatmaschinen starten. Fadejew reiste mit Komfort: Eine zum Geschäftsflugzeug umgebaute Tupolew-134 wartete auf uns. Insgesamt wollten sieben Journalisten mit in den Ural, darunter auch zwei Leute vom "1. Kanal" des russischen Fernsehens, die ebenfalls ein exklusives Interview mit dem rasenden Großvater abgesprochen hatten. Unglücklich an unserer Lage war nun vor allem, dass die Presseleute hinten im Flugzeug in einem abgeteilten Raum saßen, Fadejew und seine wichtigsten Mitarbeiter vorne hinter einer verschlossenen Tür.

"Auf dem Hinflug wird das nichts mit dem Interview", raunte mir Konstantin Paschkow zu, als er kurz nach dem Start durch die Tür nach hinten kam. Fadejew must still prepare for its official meetings. The PR chief of the railway promised he would arrange an interview during a break in Kirov. During a break? My doubts grew as to whether I would return this evening with an interview on the Voice back to Moscow.

first anyway, the national media were on the train when we landed at the airport of Kirov. The condition of the airport was completely deserted after the close of the first machine for months. "Why is the rail head is actually with the aircraft," asked the Kirov regional television. "Listen, the day after tomorrow I should be in Vladivostok, as they face the actually going, "growled Fadeev, climbed into a waiting black Mercedes and sped off with police escort. The press followed at a distance of two kilometers in a bus.

Gennady Fadeev was an important man, that was immediately apparent when you saw the provincial governor and other important people dealt humbly with the Moscow guest. The regional companies were specially built for the visitor a small industrial exhibition. Probably they hoped to get a piece of the billion-dollar investments, which awarded the railways, especially in the form of contracts. New locomotives New tracks, new signal systems, the ailing railway as a public company would make the leap into the 21st century. It was about huge sums Fadeev and the conversation sought with everyone.

A question for the German press

came after three hours, the railway employees in slight panic. The daily schedule was already fallen into utter confusion. The lunch was canceled, commanded by the press in the bus. When we arrived at the airport, we even ran out onto the tarmac, up the gangway and knocked on the door outside the Tupolev, because there was nowhere to be seen airport staff. We had strapped ourselves as the Fadeev escort arrived on the runway and closed the door of a friendly stewardess back room.

We went east to the second stop on the day's journey. After Izhevsk in Udmurtia - An autonomous Russian republic, were invented in the so-important things like the Kalashnikov submachine gun and the Pelmenis. In Izhevsk was still snow, a group costume with bread and salt, and the Udmurt Republic President formed the welcoming committee and froze in the snow rain. The rail head jumped back into a waiting car and disappeared, with some distance we followed. My newspaper page was still as white as in the morning.

Meanwhile Pashkov had declared to the traveling press, the inauguration of the brand-new sleeper Izhevsk - Moscow, for its maiden voyage Fadeev wanted to enter the departure whistle was scrapped due to time constraints. Regardless, the press office had in the morning eine Mitteilung zum Thema an die Nachrichtenagenturen versendet. Die wiederum hatten den Besuch inzwischen längst über ihre Ticker vermeldet, obwohl die beschriebenen Ereignisse weder stattgefunden hatten noch jemals stattfinden würden. Immerhin sollte es ein kurzes Treffen für Journalisten geben. "Und mein Interview?", fragte ich, mehr flehend. Für alles sei gesorgt, versicherte Paschkow.

Ein großer Haufen von Journalisten umringte im Eisenbahner-Kulturpalast von Ischewsk den Bahnchef, doch Paschkow ließ die Reporter nach zwei Minuten zurückschieben. "Jetzt nur noch die deutsche Presse und der '1. Kanal"' sagte er gebieterisch und zog die Fernsehleute und mich in einen Nebenraum. "Jeder von euch eine Frage", He then opened up to us. Before I was still wondering whether this is seriously my should be for months scheduled exclusive interview, came after Fadeev and we could make him really all a question to which he replied, shortly before he was of his team pulled out of the room. His negotiations with the Udmurt President waited. The press went back behind the bus, then we waited an hour before the ostentatious presidential palace. At least I had had Pashkov still know what I thought of this way of organizing an interview. He nodded sympathetically and promised to help.

"I answer to everything even"

On the return flight Moscow saw the blank newspaper page with me forever unpleasant stomach pain. As Pashkov came for a short time in our back room, I asked now with all the vehemence of my conversation. He went back and promised to persuade Fadeev. But that would be difficult after a hard day his boss was pretty tired and worn out.

After all, he returned after a short time. "Ten minutes at most," was his verdict, and now I was dozing in the front room of the machine where the rail head is exhausted in his chair. For the ten minutes were 15, then said Pashkov ended the conversation for me and brought back to the rear. Fadeev had a lot of usable however, does not say that. "From this I can do anything reasonable," I scolded. Pashkov nodded. Then he made a proposal to finish: "I write all the questions on DC tomorrow morning I will answer itself on everything, and you can, to quote and make at all with the material, what you want.."

When I was two days later, half an hour before the Hamburg copy deadline, the fragments of Udmurtia, plane call and Paschkows versions together into a text, I swore I never talk to again with the railway press office. In the last minute after all the railway workers had kept their word. The newspaper page had become full - and what I was most surprised - no one had asked me to submit the interview before the release to the counter reading. After all, the conversation was no longer necessarily all too authentic, and the German railway is already demanding authorization, if journalists want to quote only one sentence of the Press Secretary.

But at least some bad habits of the free Western media had not yet arrived in Russia. The raging grandfather would have already been much too busy to read his own interviews again.

Tracker Confirmation Letter

A Night in the Soviet prison

Elista (September 2003). An empty dark main road, no street lights to see people. So that was Elista, the capital of the Russian republic of strange Kalmykia. Center of Russian Buddhists. Venue for the world chess championship. But at half past four clock in the morning but at first only a dark Provinzkaff 1600 km away from the warm Moscow apartment.




The night bus from Rostov had stopped right in front of the only hotel in town and drove the same, as we had unloaded our bags. But me still a young woman got out in camouflage uniforms, apparently a military personnel. We both ran over to the locked door of the hotel and knocked. The porter, an old Kalmuck made only a small slit wide open. "All evidence," he snarled curtly and proposed the door again before we have much to say.

"insolence," murmured the woman, then she said, turning to me. "Irina, military prosecutor of Rostov. I will arrange hotel rooms for both of us already. Come on, do not we go to the Military District Command. "Together we then walked down the dark street.


tea and biscuits in the morning at six clock

inserted before the Army National Guard two young recruits. She winced as my new friend rattled the gate. "I will now speak to the commander," she cried, calling name and rank. Before I could even think about whether I not me should adopt better, we were let in no questions asked, we were sat in a waiting room, served tea with biscuits and promised to immediately wake up the military commander of the Kalmyk government.

Meanwhile, the young prosecutor explained the reason for their trip. She was the prosecutor in the trial of a young soldier from a village in the Kalmyk steppe. He had run over with a truck in Chechnya several children. Of course he was completely innocent, Irina assured that the Chechens would constantly push their children from intentionally Russian military vehicles, they said in all seriousness. But any process there must just give, it should be the law. Therefore, it is on the way to a town in southern Kalmykia.

If the commander calls the hotel, people would then immediately beat up their heels and find a free room, she was safe. I also wanted to help her, the prosecutor promised. She would just say, I was sent by the Moscow Department of Defense to report on the case law in the military and about the process. Your official guide, so to speak.

The legend becomes a problem

So I was then presented to the thick Kalmyk field commander, a friendly man with a sitting perfectly uniform, which seemed a bit confused, because at six clock in the morning suddenly sat for a prosecutor and a foreign correspondent in his office. He let us continue to serve, eventually showed us some pictures of his children and then went to take care of the hotel room. "Before anything, the fear," Irina said with an expert eye.

The Colonel was now always courteous. No way we should go out by bus to the court after Prijutnoje. He would leave us like his personal chauffeur service with Volga. And, oh yes, two single rooms in the hotel are also just become free when we return to the process. Irina had my horrified look immediately seen through. "Excuse me, but now you have to still play the role well for a while," she whispered. Unwittingly, I was "embedded journalists" the Russian armed forces have become.

Direct from the grounds of the military administration, we started at this unexpected for me and especially unplanned trip. Full tilt, the black car roared with army service mark through the treeless, gently rolling steppe. We stopped in front of the local army recruiting office, where Irina wanted to discuss their approach to the process again. I looked from the window on the village street, the one-story stone houses with corrugated iron roofs, the grazing cows and leafed through the corridor in laid out copies of the army newspaper Red Star. " Half an hour later

my attorney was angry from the office. Everything was free, the judge was sick, they complained, we jumped back into the official car and left us in the capital return. With such a quick release, I had not even expected. As the trial ended later, I have never experienced. It's possible that the judge found that Chechens would throw their children to the Russians before the cars.



Buddha's return to the country Chalmg Tangtsch

From Karsten Packeiser, Elista. After two hundred kilometers Ride across the steppe Elista seems like a mirage. The capital of the autonomous Russian republic of Kalmykia surprise with lots of green grass amidst parched landscape and many new buildings with exotic pagoda roofs. Currently Elista only knows one thing: The announced with great pomp visit of the Dalai Lama in the only traditional Buddhist region in Europe has to fail again.

"Many old people have so been waiting for his holiness," says a woman who sold in the lobby of the great Buddhist temple on the outskirts of incense, amulets, and images of the Dalai Lama. "They wanted to see him again before they die" she adds, then big tears rolling down her face. In order not to burden the relationship with China, the Russian Foreign Ministry as early as the Nobel Peace Prize last year refused a visa again.

"That's absurd," Telo Tulku Rinpoche also wonders, the spiritual head of Kalmyk Buddhists. "Even during times of Brezhnev was the Dalai Lama to travel to the Soviet Union, but the new democratic Russia, he may no longer visit. I understand, "said the lama," that is politics. But what we have faithful to do with politics? "

300,000 people, as many sheep

called in Kalmykia, in the Mongolian language Chalmg Tangtsch living between the Volga and the Caucasus on an area the size of Bavaria just over 300,000 people and about as many sheep. Like the Germans from Russia were the Kalmyk during the 2nd World War II was deported to Siberia, ostensibly because they collaborated with the Wehrmacht. In exile and in the years after the return they could speak neither language, or exercise their religion. "In the early 90's years, the people no longer knew who they were and what is Buddhism," says Telo Tulku Rinpoche, a descendant of Kalmyk immigrants, who grew up in the U.S..

Since the skurrile Millionär Kirsan Iljuschinow 1993 die Macht in der Steppenrepublik übernahm, wurde den Nachfahren der mongolischen Nomaden die Rückkehr zu den Traditionen ihrer Vorväter verordnet. Während Iljumschinows Regierungszeit entstanden überall in Kalmückien buddhistische Reliquienschreine und Tempel, angeblich teils aus dessen Privatvermögen bezahlt. Als Präsident des Schachverbandes FIDE holte er die Schach-Olympiade in das der Welt bis dato gänzlich unbekannte staubige Steppenstädtchen Elista.

Kritische Journalistin ermordet

Gleichzeitig brach die Wirtschaft Kalmückiens endgültig zusammen, in Elista gibt es inzwischen weder einen öffentlichen Busverkehr noch a street lighting at night. Iljumschinows sharpest critic, journalist Larisa Yudina, fell victim to a brutal murder. Many opponents offers the busy business man of mismanagement, despite his concerns about national culture and the religious revival of Kalmykia.

"Even when we are separated church and state," said Mikhail Burninow responsible in the presidential administration for the contacts with religious organizations, the policies of his bosses. "But the state has destroyed in Soviet times, the religious culture. What we do is to send a message of atonement. "

(EPD)
Originally
published by Russia News .

One Piece Suit Ugly Ski

requirement

Liepaja (December 2004). The twenty most young men and women hold hands on the back and some even embarrassed smile. "Damn," the shaven men in uniform yells at the court before the red brick building. "Have you chicken shit in the head or a brain?" In the former naval prison in Liepaja has just started a new leadership.

For several years, tourists can be arrested there and interrogate - and desire to spend even a night behind bars.

march in single file, visitors, employees of an international company based in Riga, on the terrain. Talk and laughter is forbidden. Those who do not follow the rules holds, is subject to penalties: do 20 push-ups on the parade ground or scrubbing the prison corridor. At the gateway all the guests had signed a statement that they accept the rules and do not mutiny against the treatment.


Authentic treatment for nine €

For the price equivalent to about 9 €, interested parties can even stay where hundred-year castle walls, on request either in a bed and open cell doors or on the floor, with an overnight interrogation, and authentic treatment. Encounters with the spirit prison, of all employees swear that it really give it are free.

to communism was an important base for the Liepaja Soviet Baltic fleet, not only for closed visits by foreigners, but even for Soviet citizens a forbidden city. The district Karosta ("Port War") was dedicated to Russian Navy, it is not even allowed to enter the inhabitants of the third-largest city in Latvia. Since the departure of the Russians threatened the former naval base of the decline.

prison performance is was an immediate success

At a travel fair in 2002 was born the idea to the participants other than a conventional City to show leadership and the former naval prison - and to this for some time behind bars, lock. In this way, all visitors will experience first hand what it means to end up in a Soviet prison cell. "We invited an actor from the city theater," recalls the travel clerk Liiga Engelman, the director of the museum's prison today, "I even played a nurse." Shortly after the jail-Peformance, which should actually be a unique advertising campaign, announced the first travel agencies in town. The organizers were asked to organize other groups a failed prison management.

Meanwhile, the city the construction of angel Manes prison troupe leased, an association for the rescue of Karosta with the Latvian abbreviation KGB. "With the condition that all profits are put into the renovation of the building," says the woman. Sometimes guests complain about poor treatment or about the fact that the suffering of the former prisoners now a business is done. This is the real goal of the project, to remember the dark chapter of recent history.

The army is a dream

gloom stories about the prison in Karosta there are many. After the first Russian Revolution of 1905, the original Hospital converted for the custody of rebellious sailors. During the Nazi era were shot and buried in the backyard of prisoners behind prison walls. In Soviet times, but no one here was executed, but the conditions were inhumane. Instead of beds, it was only nailed together boards. The prisoners were suffering from chronic sleep deprivation. "The army is a dream," a Soviet soldier carved in the black-painted walls, "but God grant that this dream was never to be." Still later, to 1997, took advantage of the Latvian Navy on the prison.

A part of the group is now facing the wall in the cold, dark prison gear. One by one the prisoners pushed to a brief health examination in the hospital room and then photographed with a prisoner number. "What are you doing here in the socialist Latvia? "One of the soldiers said in English to a Dane, who is not on the line. "What did you want on the military base?" In the subsequent interrogation

goes out pretty quickly. "For your behavior you will pay according to the law," hissed the man in uniform, whose face is barely visible. For a desk lamp shines directly into the prisoner's eyes. A stamp slams on the prisoner's file, several years in prison camps expect Convicted. "What am I glad I'm free again," sighs shortly after the Dane with a glass of weak tea and a plate of cabbage soup.

(EPD)

How Long Is Grad Chapter Pledging

Moscow:: On the siding of the Eastern bloc

Moscow (September 2002). Decades, the governments of the free countries of the West had criticized the communist countries that the people could not freely travel from there to other countries. What hypocrisy! Hardly introduced the new democratic Russia the right to travel, the Europeans had nothing else to do, as the entry requirements for Russians to tighten dramatically. All EU candidate countries had to order from Brussels to introduce visa requirements for Russians. Towards the end of the nineties Years, there were hardly any countries in Europe that could have been a German-Russian pair without complicated bureaucratic procedures can visit.


summer sales in the German Consulate

The German visa office in Moscow was in any case as a deterrent foreign missions. And not just because the asbestos in former East German Consulate on Leninsky Prospekt was located.

In summer, the Russians stayed on the street in front of the visa section. Some had traveled thousands of miles to make its application. Some were screaming from the premises because they were by the bank employees because of a lack of paper sent home. For hours the people had to rain or freezing at the gate to endure visa section, in the hope that it might create before the end of the day on the site. Not always succeeded in the first attempt. A kind of Mafia sold some waiting near the entrance.


No space for mobile phone

Just a few years ago, eliminates the biggest mess when you get an appointment in advance to face meeting with the Germans had, mind you on a pay phone number. For 2,50 € per minute. Since then, the queues were shorter, but in return, the increased processing times for visas to several weeks. In the summer, Russians regularly had one and a half months before the travel date to seek their visa. Freedom of movement actually looks different.

The first major hurdle for all applicants was also a house entrance, where identity cards checked and the bags were searched for weapons. Occasionally, the consulate was thinking of new harassment: At some point, it was suddenly forbidden to take mobile phones with in the visa section. At the entrance they could not deliver. "Ask any of the insurance agent on the street" snapped, the bouncers, if anyone dared to ask her if you throw it away because his telephone was now. The sellers of health insurance hung around the front of the consulate, were delighted with the vagaries of visa offices line. They had now a lucrative additional income. exacerbated

long already, before the grant of visas under the so-called "visa scandal" once again, all applicants had to "interview" compete, a survey that had to go through all travelers in person, if not their visa for a lot of money on dubious intermediary firms bought. Which there was at any time after the "visa scandal" only increased the price of something. For those who could not pay several hundred euros, was no getting past the personal interview. Finally, the visa section had all Applicant screened out, which would probably apply for asylum in Germany, steal cars or engage in prostitution wanted. Single women had it from the start already very slim chance of a visa, any more than Caucasians.

Where are you are driving, Anna?

The German Consulate employees and their Russian auxiliaries name basis with the applicant, accosted around you and behaved in every way that you would have as a German for his country should be ashamed. If you would have been for it and would not have given the strict rule that German had not admitted to the visa section. Not even as a husband I could to the so-called interview with my wife.

"They have no deadline," grumbled the bouncer, and drove me back to the road. These bouncers were really a hard job, because their prohibitions were not always implemented: after all, the site could be accessed through other gates. Quickly into another snake found thought the bag inspections any reason why I bent into the consulate had ("Will issue an invitation for my friend."), After checking into the visa section and already was the object lessons begin, as a German authority should not work more comfortable with:

Employees laid behind their glass panes in Interview with applicants interesting peculiarities of the day: "Where are you going, Anna," was still one of the friendly questions, to listen to the (adult) visitors were given. Once a Russian who dared to contradict the official in charge, subject to the usually behind the blinds of the window, stood up and let the applicant sitting helpless on the other side of the glass wall. Hissed like to young women through the glass pane from the grandmother Province: Never before had to fill out the applications made someone so stupid. The pensioners looked then lowered to the ground.

Even after we were married in Moscow, we were the first visa for the summer holidays in Germany initially denied: With the very reasonable grounds that Anna should request a "family reunification" and not a tourist visa. The idea that a family could possibly live in Moscow and possibly not even had the desire in the Golden West überzusiedeln, the consulate staff did not come until the second visit in the head.
Slovak visa section on course for Europe

Over the years, increased my dislike of the German visa center in Moscow indefinitely. However, other consulates outbid each other in increasingly arbitrary demands, conflicting regulations and a possible appearance of haughty for the Russian applicants. As well, I thought that there was Slovakia. Just the right place for a getaway. Although the Slovaks Russian tourists were the only country with a visa. But at least they made it red tape, and above all without a formal invitation from the country. It's all a matter of minutes, I thought.

When I arrived with Anna's Russian passport and a completed application to the Slovak Embassy, the good mood was instantly gone. Here too, a long line of people waiting on the crowded street, which was moving slowly forward. In the barely lit, gloomy visa section itself, the people crowded in front of several switches, where consular staff behind a thick glass window sat and talked only through a microphone with the visitors. Everything, like the Germans. The clerk leafed

bored by our documents. "Where are you?" She asked.

"I do not know. Since liked where we like it, we rent a hotel room. "

This answer her at all. She grimaced, "You must specify the exact address in Slovakia. Otherwise I can not accept the request. "

" But it is nothing in your rules. "

" So what. This is the rule. Book a hotel and you come back. "

"Why do you think here of rules that are nowhere written down officially?"

"arrangement of the ambassador. We do not accept applications if no exact address is known. "

behind the glass seemed a major problem for our planned vacation to appear. My increasingly angry arguments made no impression. "Listen lady, I know what," I finally called the phone system so loud that all could hear in the waiting room. "We're going to Austria, as there is already beautiful mountains as yours. Good-bye. "I turned around and left.

"Hey Wait, you all. "A Russian who was standing at the exit, holding a dozen passports in hand, gave me a hand signal. I stopped.

The man took me aside and briefly introduced himself as a courier for a travel agency that visa procured. "We always do it: For all our customers, we just always assume that they stay in our Hotel Bratislava in Bratislava. Since there are never "problems, he revealed.

I thanked him, wondered whether the consulate would aunt after the dispute ever again speak to me, added, including the visa application and went back to the counter. The waiting, who had followed the heated debate with the clerk left me over immediately to the queue.

"Hello, Miss," I said, grinning. "We have now decided where we want to spend our holidays. Here, you see. Hotel Bratislava in Bratislava »

The woman saw me for a long moment, surprised. "But is it not yet," she then said with narrowed eyes.

"Of course it's not true," I replied as amiable as it could. "They wanted me the name of the hotel. And now here he is written so that everything is done right. "

little bit unsure, she took my documents, muttered something they have never experienced. They could not guarantee whether under these circumstances will be issued a visa, she said. And then - in three days I was to come back to pick up the completed passport.

The European consulates in Moscow were not all places that a normal person would have attended voluntarily. And yet there was at least a visa office has friendly staff and the applications processed quickly and easily. Several times I was on the way out of time and reached the consulate only when it was actually already closed. "Please," I then told the guard, "I've taken an extra half day leave to apply for the visa." The man in uniform said a father, I should go next time please some hurry, let me pass and then proceed to the switch. Heavenly situation, given the otherwise customary practices. The country with the single-friendly visa office in Moscow was called Belarus. Belarus. Europe's last dictatorship.

Gas After Going To The Bathroom

Russian elk farm, the "Prestigious neighborhood"

Moscow (April 2000). Added. Even some Russian friends twisted his mouth into a grin when they heard our new address. "We live now in the third radiator road, house 13" could indicate No, not with such an address here. In the north-west of Moscow, hidden behind the houses of the Leningrad Highway, three radiators with their low-lying roads - that is five-to twelve-story apartment buildings from various post-war decades - and many tall trees lining the roads.


for taste not: Moscow, Rubljowskoje road to Yeltsin's House (c) Rödi

had once directly found on the road the large radiator factory that polluted with their chimneys, the air and with their production waste contaminated soil. The name of our district, recalled the long since rotted industrial culture, the times when the heating plant had not yet been transformed into a chaotic construction market.

That was a blessing. Of the residential blocks of the radiator on the major roads could be Lakes of the adjacent city park view, in late spring on warm nights croak through the open windows to hear the frogs. And despite all the rents were much lower here than just a Metro station further into town in the prestigious district of Sokol. The Moscow were quite sure in which quarter of the Twelve metropolis this was a "prestischny raion," a "prestigious district." Sokol was "prestischny" not our neighborhood was a kilometer north-west roads along with the radiator.


houses from the Stalin era raise the prestige

The more people in the Russian Capital money came, the more of them wanted to live in style. Residential area in the city but there was not not even neighborhoods with single family homes. Accommodation is in Moscow almost exclusively in residential high-rises, mostly unsightly prefabricated buildings. And yet, who lives in Moscow learns immediately that can range from first glance identical, monotonous neighborhoods worlds.

Sometimes there were reasonable grounds for the prestige of a quarter: I liked the houses from the Stalin era, lie at the apartments with high ceilings and bay windows and ornate, which made the streets there something more human. Because there is no front of the window stainless scrap heap and factories were.

was a rule but rather unclear where did the high regard in which some parts of the city was said. Bringing the drab dormitory towns along the main road Rubljowskoje road had earned its status must remain the secret of real estate agents. It is common along the famous route that connects the Kremlin with President estate, could be preferred the rich and famous down the capital city. A look at the signboards of the local boutiques and furniture stores was proof enough.

prestige and greed

That made the repulsive Soviet bloc with its blue and white Tiles on the walls certainly not pretty. From the central line of the huge loss and not to mention the significant fact that this road was completely closed to traffic on a regular basis, so that president Putin lawn with his escort in the Kremlin could, without being disturbed by the subjects. In a way it was with the "prestigious neighborhoods" as the "leading universities" in Russia. Even in those times turned out to be dignified as dummies, as I had now experienced painful.

Even once we had an apartment Rubljowskoje on the road. We also felt a touch of prestige that came from that street. Probably made the "prestige" of the area where the landlord but also very greedy. Our landlord, a dentist, which we had found through acquaintances, as the late nineties was quite usual turned out to be - to say the least - as an impostor. Although she was even officially registered in the apartment, but it was not her but her step-son.

The learned one day from the windy shops his relatives, and finally landed here with police escort from an unpleasant visit. Unfortunately, they chose well remember which day we had arranged with Anna's colleagues, a second wedding reception in the flat and straight On the last gentlemen were waiting when the doorbell rang.

The celebration was overshadowed by the need to put on a police report, a few days later we moved away from and for ever from the world of the rich and successful. Still, I consoled myself that our dentist had taken over their greed and a little before it was now due judicial trouble with the stepson.

view of Yeltsin's apartment

At the "Rublyovka," as the saying goes that route calls, but there was still a very special home. Just before the city limits, maybe two and a half miles from our temporary apartment building, stood in the middle between the repulsive prefabricated housing a beige brick building, six stories high, surrounded by a high fence. Here, on the hills of Krylatskoje, there was the official residence of Moscow's Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and omnipotent - the head of state by no less than Boris Yeltsin. Neighbours reported that Yeltsin's wife Naina in the early nineties even occasionally appeared even in the grocery store nearby.

Politicians elite had over the years, of course zugeschanzt noble self-service villas and country houses provides. Officially, the beige block housed on the homes of some of the most important politicians of the country. Before our wedding we had rented an apartment in a nearby house for the German guests. They do not believe me until today that they looked amidst the concrete jungle of the kitchen window directly on Yeltsin's apartment. The fact that they were staying in a place that is not simply "prestischny," but was "super-prestischny."

had occasionally even I am supposed prestige of some of Moscow's dazzling addresses. Stalin's wedding-cake skyscrapers seemed to me a long time as possibly the best address in the capital. A dwelling had to be a dream high above the city, I thought. Then I learned that a colleague from the Moscow radio even had just such an apartment. Commentator Alexander Scholkwer, zu Zeiten der Sowjetunion langjähriger Korrespondent in Bonn, war nach seiner Rückkehr mit einer Wohnung in einem Seitenflügel des Hotels «Ukraina» belohnt worden, direkt an der Prachtstraße Kutusow-Prospekt.

Mir blieb vor Neid der Mund offen stehen, doch Scholkwer winkte mit einer geringschätzigen Handbewegung ab. «Es ist die Hölle», sagte er und berichtete von dem dröhnenden Verkehr, der sich Tag und Nacht an seiner Wohnung vorbei wälzte und ein normales Leben unmöglich machte. Scholkwers bescheidenes Nachwende-Gehalt reichte noch nicht einmal für den Einbau schallisolierender Plastikfenster.

Soccer Studs In India To Buy

Filling up in Viipuri

Wyborg (Dezember 2001). „Nein, im Hotel Druschba sind keine Zimmer mehr . Free "The hotel front desk makes no hope that perhaps a reservation is canceled," Our tourists are always "Whether White nights in the summer or chilly winter. Reaches every weekend, a caravan of colorful coaches the peaceful Russian provincial town of Vyborg on the Finnish Gulf breathes and lives. Vyborg is next to the Estonian capital of Tallinn, the Centre for Finnish tourists drinking in general.


Vyborg - a city in a deep sleep

Vyborg, in Sweden from the 13th ruler Knutsson Century was founded under the name Viipuri long been a part of Finland to Stalin the small neighboring country in 1939 with its divisions invaded and annexed the eastern part of Karelia. Since the end of the Second World War, the city is finally on the Leningrad region. But on the weekend, the Finns get back the sovereignty over their ancient trading city.

on the market place where locals crystal glasses, fur hats and pirated Hollywood films sold in the Finnish dubbing, Finnish is however long become the lingua franca. Even the beggar pray in the language of rich neighbors for alms. The visitors only 30 kilometers away from the neighboring country are not homesick tourists, like the Germans in East Prussia, once again want to see their old home. They were not really interested for the medieval castle or partly preserved old town.


champagne in one hand, vodka in the other hand

Most Finns flee from the Scandinavian restrictive alcohol legislation and the astronomical prices for hard liquor. Vyborg is a mecca for those who do not like on Saturday night to put up with a sticky-sweet lemonade. "In the summer they sit on the roadside, in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other a bottle of vodka," says Marina, cloakroom attendant in Vyborg local history museum. "The Finns Vyborg love it."

And although the Finns do not Vyborg absolutely loves it thrives on them. In every street of the city cries out for fresh paint and new plaster. Many historic buildings that the civil war between the White and Red Fins and later survived the heavy fighting between the Soviet army, the Finns and their German allies, fifty years after the war, only dilapidated ruins. In the narrow streets, in which the Finnish visitors often get lost with its garish jackets, Vyborg still sleeps his long sleep and waits for an end to the steady decline.



Without the Finnish neighbors see it in the city certainly made even sadder. And therefore depends the shop windows along the Lenin prospectus (probably the only street of this proud name in Russia with cobblestones) everywhere sticker with Finnish flags and the words "tuloa Terve! Hello world! ".

"At the invitation presented by the Finns at the border stands as a cultural exchange trip purpose, often," laughs Arsenjan arsenic, while he chases his car on the empty street Saimaa Canal to the north. "This is really a nice form of cultural exchange that is practiced here."

Arsenjan also earned his living thanks to the guests from the rich neighbor. He is a taxi driver between the worlds. For the equivalent of about 30 dollars, he drives his red Lada practically every day, the route from Vyborg to Finland and zuürck. What is the purpose of the visit he stated that when he asked his Finnish permanent visa, he was not told.

"Many Finns go only up to the first gas station behind the Russian border control, and fully recharge once again contact," says he. Forty minutes would take the trip from Lappeenranta to Vyborg, the first major town on the Finnish side, if it were not for the border. But only stop on the Russian side, each car at four barricades. In summer, it then quickly five or more hours waiting.

But knowing not only the Finns the benefits of a visit to appreciate in the neighboring country. More and more Russians are coming to shop in Finland. High-quality clothing and electronic goods are often much cheaper here than in St. Petersburg or Moscow. Moreover, the Russian tourists shopping at the border can refund the 15 percent VAT.

And because in the meantime, the Lappeenranta Restaurants by four-star hotels as well as basic kebab stalls have naturally on Russian menus, could be the integration of Russia into Europe really a great one day be irreversible.

Originally published in Russia cur- .

Anna Griffin Damask Wedding Invitations

A student named Samantha

Moscow (January 1996). "Oh Karsten, I did a big mistake." Ananda Samantha looked out the window of the dorm room. Besides the snowflakes umwirbelten the skyscraper, was not much to see. Since I made in our small two-man rooms 13th Floor was stripped, Samantha had the room to yourself, but happy he was therefore not the same. He had presented Russia very differently.



In Sri Lanka, where Samantha is a man's name, there were many graduates of Soviet universities. They praised the high level of training and the low cost of living. From the icy winter they had not said anything, or Samantha had not been listening. He had been advertised as a medical student at the University of International Friendship, for in his home country places were hard to come by. A dubious intermediary company, he had paid a lot of money so they forwarded his request to Moscow. He finally got the approval. We met in the hall in a queue in front of the Housing Department and spontaneously decided to take care of us together for a room.

That was a good decision. We could train both our English and boring it was rare when we have told our home countries, which had absolutely nothing in common. On the first day after we moved into our common room, he called me concern to the bathroom: "The tap water is broken," he said. "Why?" I asked, finally scored a steaming stream from the faucet into the sink. "The water is very hot," Samantha said helplessly. In Sri Lanka, apparently did not need a man hot tap water.


Shocked by the Russian conditions

Samantha's family was wealthy for the situation in Sri Lanka. His brother dealt in precious stones and traveled abroad. After all, Samantha was in the summer holidays to fly to his home and had therefore to the many Africans and Asians are a big advantage, because the had some seven years long stay in Russia without even seeing her family again.

felt the conditions in Moscow itself, many students from developing countries as shocking: The dilapidated home for the newcomers with the filthy floor, showers and toilets, where it was held Klobeck only holes in the floor, the humiliating treatment by many university staff, the tough, lukewarm meat in the student cafeteria. Of which the trained in the Soviet Union doctors Samantha had also told her anything. But he also wanted to be a doctor and was willing to hold out for seven years. A termination of the study would have also forgiven the family barely. Before

Medizinstuium began the six-year, he first had for a year a so-called preparatory faculty ("Podfak") to visit, where the students were taught from the world of zero in Russian. The older ones made a game of it to teach the newcomers their own lessons. The teachers must be at the beginning of the day politely ask after her health, she says, leaving the unsuspecting "Podfak" learn-students memorize instead of supposed greetings a few particularly nasty mother curses that they used but generally only once in conversation with their teachers.

The water is very hot

Getting used to the harsh living conditions on campus, was in any case not easy. How difficult it is for a man should be, who was on a tropical island grew up, where bananas and mangoes growing on the roadside, I could hardly imagine. Sri Lanka, the paradise island that was hit by an unspeakable civil war had to be a very different world than anything I had ever seen.

One evening, as it seemed to me that Samantha particularly saddened by his textbooks was sitting, I decided to go to the market and something to cheer him. I purchased from a Central Asian traders oragnefarbenen two kilograms of that fruit, which the Russians "Churma" call, the Wörtbuch translated as "persimmon" in German supermarkets, however, sold as "Sharon". "Here," I said to Samantha and asked him a plate with the sliced fruit on the table. "It may well be that grow in your home avocados and papayas in the garden. But something you do not know. "Samantha looked determined at me in amazement. "Yes, yes, we know that. But the fruits are often stuck in the mouth. Therefore, we feed it only our pigs. "

evening Samantha often told by fakirs and psychics, explained how he was meditating in front of a Buddha image, if he had problems. He taught me lentil stew with red pepper offset to cook and to write my name in Sinhalese characters. Soon he met a cute medical student to know who lived a few miles from his hometown. A meeting of the two would be during the holidays was a breeze but an impossibility. No young man in Sri Lanka would dare to openly enter into a relationship with a woman without asking the blessing of the family, complained Samantha.

awaited the first snow of his life he was still awaited. He fell in late September, now he bought thick winter clothing and a hat with earflaps, as they had almost all foreign students. "Karsten, I think I'm getting crazy here in Russia, "Samantha finally said in early November. "It seems as if the days are getting shorter and the nights longer and longer."

registration certificate torn

At the university, the students from Sri Lanka, one of the largest groups. To outsiders, it was under the impression that stuck together Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims in Moscow and the surrounding circumstances, they welded together. Soon, Samantha also understood that the winter was not the greatest evil in Moscow, but the racism. Dark-skinned students dared in the dark only in groups on the road, they always left behind at one of the older students target and route.

fear they not only had prior bald young Russian Nazis and drunken football fans. More important, they feared the police. Of the youths threatened worst beatings or abuse. The militiamen wanted to see the money, otherwise it could happen that they rent out identity checks on the valid registration cards and the students then dragged for lack of papers on the guard. All students with dark skin could tell such stories. After a half years, my Sinhala friends traveled again for a long weekend to St. Petersburg. They came back excited. But more than the Tsar's palaces, canals and the Hermitage, they were thrilled that during the days not even their passports were checked.

When Samantha was in her second year, he experienced a very unpleasant news for him. Because in Sri Lanka practiced more and more doctors who had their Russian higher education diplomas bought with bribes, the government pulled the emergency brake in Colombo: All graduates of Russian universities had when they return to Sri Lanka once again put all the state exam. The Indians had introduced a similar scheme. Samantha said now passable Russian, had to the foreign food habit started to act a little bit of tea, in order to finance his living. After all, we agreed: who would hold out as a foreign student for seven years in Moscow, the additional tests are expected to actually make no more fear.

Hooking An External Harddrive To A Tv

Ikea in Russia - Thank you, "image" newspaper!

Khimki, near Moscow (March 2000). "There is still snow in Moscow, and it is very cold this morning. A transporter would bring furniture into the camp. Two more hours until opening! Nevertheless, thousands of Russians waiting in front of the entrance of the blue and yellow furniture store. They do now have the furniture with the funny name. Since yesterday, there are also Ikea in Russia. "



furniture truck was not visible, two hours before the opening were not sure thousands of Russians at the door and it was not really cold. But a degree of artistic freedom and a few minor factual errors should be conceded to the great tabloid newspaper with the big letters already. After all, it was a historic event: the first Ikea in Russia. And a picture from my camera the first time in the Bild-Zeitung.

For a small radio report I had gone that morning in the Moscow suburbs. The legendary CEO Ingvar Kamprad had arrived in the canteen, there was smoked salmon and Swedish Köttbullar with Preißelbeersoße. Because there was to win an Ikea-living facility, many people actually came.


imprint on the second page

I've just been cutting together the original sound of the opening party, as Inna, the photo editor of rufo, called. The "Bild" urgently looking for photos of the opening, the big photo agencies had apparently slept through the appointment. Coincidentally, I had made for my private album a few pictures to finally fully shoot an old movie. I unwound so quickly the film cartridge from the camera, ran to the nearest photo studio that had a flash development in the offer and brought the - my Very humble opinion - shots quickly to rufo office.



The "image" editorial was obviously very pleased, a snapshot is printed on the second page. Meanwhile, I can probably tell: The ten-year-old film camera had only two functions: a button to turn on and off and a timer. The flash was a long break, and what was a zoom, I knew then just hearsay. The photo-fee was therefore more than twice the original price of the apparatus. Thank you, "image"!

Alvin And The Chipmunks Stuffed Animals

Value Apatheid

Astrakhan (May 1998). "Go to hell along with your hotel!" Enraged, I stormed out of the hall and dragged Anna with. After a few years ago Russia was hardly a situation in which I was really angry. The young woman at the front had made it. Completely emotionless, she had insisted that I use for my half of a double room, we wanted to rent, should pay twice as much as my wife for her. Foreigner price. So that was just in Russia.

Hotel "Lotos", was a great block and right on the bank of the Volga, and only a few steps from the white of Astrakhan Kremlin a thoroughly Soviet house and still a best addresses in town. On the river banks were lined up the small places where all kinds of fish were prepared. At garden chairs could on the last kilometers of the Volga look before it reached the Caspian Sea, to drink a Pepsi-Cola and eat fried sturgeon with French fries. The breakfast in the "lotus" was served on the Roof, mashed potatoes with sausages and ketchup - so could not start the day well. Evening two young men knocked on the door and asked me if I would not chance something, "relax." An inappropriate range for my honeymoon, I thought.


just behind the burning garbage containers no foreigner price

In the "lotus" it went to the way in hundreds of other Russian provinces. Prostitutes, cooked Würtschen with mashed potatoes for breakfast, a "women's floor" on each floor, bath seat - and of course a peppered special price for foreigners. So it was just normal. Upon our arrival I had with the price-apartheid but no longer want to resign. My call for the same price remained unheard, angry growling of constitutional violation and disregarded laws had no effect, not even a Russian student card would have brought the price closer to Russians.

So we left the "lotus", I left Anna with the luggage back on a park bench on the Volga and the hotels would run around fast. United was not the selection. A hotel in downtown was closed for renovation, in the other a few years ago Anna had once stayed with a girlfriend - and witnessed unknown attempted at night, from the outside to go into her room. There remained a third address in walking distance. Also situated on the Volga river. However, I lost my way in a settlement from run-down apartment blocks.

"Where is it here to the hotel?" I finally asked two boys playing in the dusty street football. They were very helpful and told me the way: "Behind the blue panel to the right, to the burning garbage containers over," they pointed to the black Smoke cloud on the end of the road. "There it is." The hotel was it really, it was not even a foreigner deal, because probably over dared hardly alien to the burning pile of garbage. Somehow inappropriate for a honeymoon.

There seemed to be a major embarrassment: An hour after I had run furiously to brag from the "lotus", we were way out for lack of crushed back to the reception. I threw my passport at the reception desk. "A single night," I said as unfriendly. "Tomorrow we go to another city." The Volga was finally long enough.

This sentence was unexpected effect. With a loud clatter printed the reception woman from our account - and lo and behold at once our double room cost only ordinary domestic prices. We have not had much opportunity to breakfast sausages on the roof terrace to enjoy.

No ticket counter at the station

slowly disappeared in the nineties, the discrimination of foreign price of Russian life. Soon there was only one flight ticket price for all the hotels in big cities, especially the expensive, accustomed from the tariff-apartheid. Other bodies were found to be bastions of the old order. The Kremlin Museums and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg demanded by foreign Guests sometimes ten times for a ticket. What the early nineties, perhaps justified might have been more bizarre with each passing year.

For foreigners, it was almost impossible to pass the entrance ticket to Russian control. The clothes, the facial features, the look, the way in which the camera was hung around the shoulder, there were hundreds of little things that betray the foreigner, even if he is good Russian language, or counted the money for the Russians map exactly onto the counter had set. Friends from the West, that I tried it but had to leave before carefully instruct. If they like the shirts stuck in his pants and otherwise made no mistakes, we made it sometimes.

The railway, however, were all the tricks from the start Love's Labour's Lost. In order to combat the rampant black market tickets, tickets since the early nineties, only upon presentation of passport sold, the name was written on the ticket. When boarding the train the guard could check the papers. It was therefore particularly galling that the train slowly separated from the special treatment for foreigners. At some point the fare is well aligned. But tickets to foreigners have been shared only with a few special funds sold, but not normal at the counters.

was in Moscow this System even partially beneficial. In place of the three stations for example, where the snakes accepted in the summer months enormous proportions, the higher ticket sales took place at the foreign box office one floor often only a few minutes. Elsewhere, the situation is not so pleasant. In the city of Rostov-on-Don million could buy about a foreigner at the train station at all any tickets. The only switch, where that was possible, was in the office of the former Soviet state company "Intourist". And that was about five kilometers from the railway station.

Moreover must be noted in fairness that the foreigners do not represent the prices of the Russians summit of the impossible. As in some other situations, the Ukrainians put their big brothers in the shade. In the Kiev hotels were at the same time, three price groups: the least the Ukrainians paid themselves, Russians and visitors from other former Soviet republics had to dig deeper into their pocket and pays most of course also clients from the "Far Abroad" for the same performance .

Sailboat Congratulations Card Wedding

's afraid of the KGB - If Chekists taps change

Moscow (August 1999). The elderly gentleman had screwed up his eyes, with distrustful gaze wondered what the girl as to think Russia so interesting. And our Swiss intern Claudia replied enthusiastically. Narrated by the volunteer in Belarus, and I translated. The older Mr. eventually you should issue an official pass for the Broadcasting House of Moscow Radio.

When Claudia told of her work at a small non-governmental organization, the Lord became more attentive. By the time she began to tell of the evil Lukashenko's regime, I decided to intervene. The gentleman at the desk told only a very short and very freely retold his version, so all water, the Swiss said. "I think you do not know me properly translated," she said as we walked back down the stairs to the German editor. "Yeah, but you wanted to get the badge."

with Argus eyes, the Soviet power watched over "Radio Moscow". No word should get out of the radio station out into the world that is not the general line of state and party in line. You had not an expert on espionage and counter-espionage to be to imagine it: not only because of the many foreigners in the editorial offices of the KGB also had his men on the radio. Editors who wrote down what they thought colleagues, professionals who peered behind the foreign translators.


Two Chekists for foreigners care

Only occasionally were the "fighters of the invisible front" gone through major blunder. After the Soviet invasion such as in Afghanistan, told journalists the veterans of the "Voice of Russia," a newscaster had spoken of the English broadcasting service for days of an "invasion." This was according to the official version, but a brother the help of the "limited military contingent".

who spied exactly in the German editorial colleagues, will probably always remain their secret. However, there were two floors above the German broadcasting service, two elderly men, officially off to take care of the foreigners employed at the transmitter. Even if they never had anything to do with the KGB and its successor agency - with all their occurrence If the suspicion is pushed to very simply that I was never a doubt in their own employer.

One of them was an amiable buddy type, the other usually looked very grumpy and put constantly uncomfortable, probing questions, if you wanted something from him. Normally, only one of them sat in the small office. It was like a spy movie: good investigator, investigators evil.

The fees related to the Russian foreign radio were the late nineties so low, that every translated Din-A4-side were rewarded with just a few rubles. The translators, some lived off the money tapped, the lyrics down in a breathtaking staccato pace. For Foreigners, however, it was an important reason to have to queue at the "Voice of Russia»: a furnished service apartment - for rent, so symbolic, such as low salaries. And as to explode in the housing market, prices were beginning, that was a considerable financial burden.

For nearly a year, I came to enjoy such an accommodation with two rooms on the Miklukho-Maklaj Street, overlooking a parking lot full of cars, their bright alarm systems every night howl when a cat jumped on the hood. The apartment was in a pitiful state.

official residence with alarms concert

The "nice" of the two Chekists from the eighth floor of the radio station had shown me the accommodation, guided me through that zerwetzten chairs cluttered room. He handed me the keys, I signed a transfer protocol, which includes the chair with the fractured leg was listed. Then I was back in the new accommodation, somewhat depressed because of the garish green wallpapers and the stuffy mattress in the bedroom.
should
The next morning I still get a lease in the immigration department. There was only the Grim. "Well, how do you like the apartment?" He grumbled. "Well, frankly," I hesitated for a while about whether I should find fault with the same. "It's broken a lot there." Then I had that all cabinet doors are broken, the color crumbly from the kitchen ceiling and all the faucets should be replaced urgently, but otherwise the location of the apartment was very conveniently located.

The gloomy Chekist looked at me: "You do not think that we enjoy, our staff to put into those homes," he growled. It was now even no money to keep the accommodation in good shape. Hard times make Russia by now. "Well, and because of the shortcomings, I'm going to Gennadi Wassiljewtisch send to you."

Gennady Vasilyevich was nice of them. At first I thought I had misheard. What did the old man with my dripping taps, I could not quite understand. I would now replace the KGB about the seals? Had I misheard?

But in fact, came forward Gennady Vasilyevich Germany a day later in the newsroom. He had heard that I had noticed some flaws and he would like to eliminate. Whether there was a morning where I could once again be left him the house key, he said. For a moment I wondered if the old people there could have such an ulterior motive. If they wanted to bug me the apartment? This idea I soon discarded, the condition of the official residence was more a sign that the Russians and the money for modern listening devices many years ago, had gone out in better times.

chocolates for the state security

When I arrived several days later by the editors back home, I was quite amazed: Gennadi Vasilyevich was repaired in the morning, in fact, the cabinets, screwed a new faucet in the bathroom. I found that only the deepest shame. So far, it was now already come, that an intelligence had to remove close to retirement age a young lad from abroad such trifles craftsmanship. I never should have been satisfied, angry I am at my convenience, ran down the supermarket "7 Continent "and bought my friendly KGBler a box of chocolates.

I wanted to bring him the next day to the office. There was however, would not the unfriendly companion. He looked very angry. "Excuse me, where is because Gennady Vasilyevich?" I asked. "The last was yet with you in the apartment," hissed the Grim. "Afterwards he felt bad. Very bad. The heart. He is now only once a week on sick leave. "

This day brought me a real eye-opener. The Russian secret service, it turned out, was not only composed nasty henchmen a lousy regime. Not only from dissidents unscrupulous hunters, like you could take a Westerner. But also very nice, older men who come in the sizing of doors quite out of breath. The Chekist - a human being like you and me.

Mild Alopecia Areata Stories

The "Voice of Russia": desk with Kremlin view

Moscow (December 1998). Only a few radio stations can boast that their listeners on a regular basis in danger went, not to miss the broadcasts. The International Radio Moscow once belonged to this category. During the Second World War, the death penalty was on the interception of the German program. The listeners could be Undeterred, the information was too tempting, so sounded quite different than the propaganda of the Nazis.


Nikolai Jolkin, Emilia Lebed and "Voice of Russia" junior

Radio Moscow, the Soviet international broadcaster, had for decades the official position of the Communist leadership sent out into the world. In part, the Moscow radio station into several dozen languages praised the socialist system in the sky and exposed the crimes of capitalism. Left emigrants from all over the world working at the station as translators, editors or stylistic spokesman.

During the Cold War with Moscow radio worked only hand-picked journalists, a job with international radio was considered Dream job. After all, the editors had access to the Western press, the chance to travel abroad - and the level of propaganda was not as clumsy as the other Soviet media. Vladimir Posner, Yevgeny Kiselyov, the founder of the legendary radio station "Echo of Moscow" - they all came from the international broadcasting. Not to mention: The low cost of canteen Radio Moscow was the best of Moscow after the Kremlin.

1998, when I first visited in the German editor's office, the situation changed cardinal. Now in the "Voice of Russia" renamed foreign radio went through a serious identity crisis.


One phone per floor for Long distance

In the summer I had found this one in a Moscow supermarket a West German newspaper, the first issue of "Moscow German newspaper in which I immediately applied as a freelancer.

"Do you want to work additional hours may be the way to radio," my editor Mikhail Podwigin asked during the interview. Podwigins wife Valentina was the head of the German program "Voice of Russia" and a few days later I entered the house on Ulitsa Pyatnitskaya radio, then as now, guarded by policemen with Kalschnikow. Even the entrance makes a lasting impression. And then the view from the windows of the German broadcasting service: From the desks could look directly at the Kremlin towers.


Kremlin view from the editor window

lasted seven hours daily German-language program in Moscow. To fill this air time, has become a daily challenge for the editors. There was a lack of translators in technology, money, virtually everything. Therefore, the editorial was happy about any kind of support.

About the meaning of the items are left at that time namely the spirits. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the communist era propaganda abroad was suddenly superfluous. The state broadcaster was hardly Grants, the best journalists left the station and made the many new radio and television career. The new director tried to resolve the financial straits in which he first rented the house floor by floor to other radio stations or corporate offices.

false prophets Moscow wavelength

addition, the former voice of the global communism now their frequencies for individual transmission blocks Doubtful mission services. The German program has been around several times a day interrupted for a few minutes of commercials of dubious revelation movement "Universal Life". Then allowed the self-proclaimed prophetess Gabriele Wittek their illuminations scream into the ether.

empire was foreign radio and this does not. For all European broadcasting services, there was 1998 a single phone could be out of the trunk call. Because of the cost of each call was conducted meticulously book. The broadcasts were recorded on old tape reel in advance that had yet been made by the VEB Wolfen, permanently erased and recorded again and again been torn down at inappropriate moments. The worst was probably that the transmission signals from Moscow for cost reasons, were not as strong as ever. This enabled the program in Berlin on medium wave will still receive a good quality. heard in Switzerland Russia interested in the Moscow wavelength often just noise.

The remaining employees of the German editorial work for a pittance and were often kept only because of their generally excellent language skills above water where they casually translation or interpretation services accepted.

miserable Accordingly, the work ethic was of many editors. They did their duty with little trouble trying to stand out as little as possible, and otherwise devoted to the more pleasant things in life. The liked the quality of the items may not necessarily be beneficial, but it also brought ideal prospects for an internship with them.

The intern sent to Chancellor

expected to because nobody is the proverbial coffee. From day one I was in the middle of the action. Just a few days after my debut at the "Voice of Russia" is no longer heruntergedonnert I edited the translations of their Russian colleagues had typewriters in the chord, but was allowed to write my own posts. A few weeks later, I was (still to be totally inexperienced intern) already in the Kempinski Hotel in the background discussion with Chancellor Schroeder.

Officially, I was still a student at the Moscow State University, but the faculty I visited now only if it had to be sure. Mostly I was now from morning to night at the radio station, and looking back, my year and a half appear in the "Voice of Russia" so eventful, as it would have been five.

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The Old Believers from Augsburg

Moscow (February 2004). We fell immediately, as we crowded the cathedral on the eastern outskirts of Moscow entered. Daniil and I were the only two adult men with flowing beard. Already lasted for five hours of service, with the celebrated Russian Old Believers, the election of their new metropolitan. We had mixed in with the community and felt immediately that the other men are somewhat surprised at her.

No other Christian community cling so rigidly to all the ancient rites of the meticulously as the Russian Orthodox Old Believers Church. In the 17th Century it had split off after the church reform of the Patriarch Nikon of the Russian state church. That the sign of the cross should be beaten with three fingers instead of two that were played in the liturgy Hallelujahs three instead of two - these and other changes appeared to the Old Believers as a devil. They fled to Siberia were, to death, but she did not give up their ancient rituals. The Russian Old Believers

church undoubtedly had an enormous percentage of colorful characters. But one was even Altläubigen ratios curious thing that the religious side dish the Moscow newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta necessarily result in an interview with him was Michael Herzog, the first foreigner who has been in the history of each assigned by the Old Believers, an entire diocese - as "Bishop Ambrose of Augsburg, Germany and the Baltic countries" . As Ambrose is not good enough Russian language, the editors had asked me for help. I should lead the interview in German.


Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox,

Duke had a quite remarkable religious quest behind him. Born a Protestant, he was first appointed to the Catholic Church. Later, he was orthodox. The Greek Altkalendariern, a breakaway from the Greek Orthodox Church, he was even ordained a bishop. Eventually he came to the conclusion that the true Christian church has been preserved only in the Russian Old Believers, converted a second time and was soon again bishop.

Daniil of the newspaper office had arranged our meeting for 12 clock, but also by 13 clock of the thanksgiving service is still going on. There was a reason for it all: The election of the new Metropolitan, the Old Believers previously barely escaped a further schism. But even after the end of the Mass, the German bishop was running past us, we paid tribute to not look and blessed instead rather the faithful who gathered around him.

The "Nezavisimaya Gazeta had warned me that I had something to spend more time if I wanted to focus on the Old Believers. The members of this church have generally a time understanding that, of which the "ordinary" Russians differed somewhat. That was no exaggeration. We had hardly Duke finally put aside, was an employee of the church administration, declared that the Metropolitan would speak to the bishop, whereupon the German got up and disappeared.

praises of the new Church leader

We represented a while freezing the feet on the snow-covered cemetery, invited to the Old Believers are friendly to their banquet, they honor the newly elected Metropolitan Andrian to line up. At long tables covered were all members of the council. On the tables were salads, pickled vegetables, potatoes, meat and vodka. Every minute, another bearded man stood up and agreed with a deep bass voice to a song of praise to Andrian. All other arose from the benches and then wanted their new leader, "many, many years" of beneficial activity. In the ballroom there was a strange atmosphere, however, was sheer Lobsängen to the food to think any more. The banquet attracted more and more in length.

It was already dark when we finally after nearly five hours were able to put together in the guesthouse of the German church with the bishop. We should wait in a monastic cell to him in which he was to come for the time of the council. The staff of the church administration had previously instructed us to appeal to the bishop, "Your Eminence." Moreover, they said, Ambrose had really no desire to be interviewed. We it is best to ask questions about his favorite topics, such as about his personal relationship with the archpriest Avvakum, suggested the church people. Maybe he would respond.

No Time for contacts with other churches

Duke, a tall man of fifty, wore a long gray beard, round glasses and a self-designed models for medieval Bishop's Cloak. The bishop did not want to talk about the holy founder of Altgläubigenkirche, nor about his own German community. With difficulty we managed to figure out even some words from the born in Austria church hierarchs.

"On the number of members of the Old Believers say rarely or never," he oracular. Probably it was too embarrassing, the numbers - a few dozen souls in all of Germany - to . Call give contacts with other churches is not it, but he also had "no time", let it be known Ambrose. The fact that the Old Believers were not at all to find, there was neither a phonebook entry with a website, did not bother him. "Who seeks us find ourselves too," was his motto.

relief I was relieved when the "interview" was finally finished. Rarely have I wondered then so much, with whom I had spoken properly. With the representative of an ancient church or with their own cartoon?

The interview was published on 3 March 2004 in Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

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Victory Day - My friend the enemy

Moscow (May 2005). "Why are the German Soldiers then actually moved only to Ikea? "My daughter once asked, as we passed the massive anti-tank obstacles that mark the extreme front line in Moscow from December 1941. With five it was her just before the 9th May visibly uncomfortable, somehow to belong to those who attacked Russia at that time.



later than mid-April can not escape a German in Russia's history. The past is omnipresent. Before every ninth May, the day of victory over Nazi Germany, send the TV channels repetitions of all Soviet war films that have been long since become classics. In kindergartens and preschools Boys and girls paint the heroic deeds of their great-grandfathers of the Great Patriotic War in ink on.


A glass on the veterans

Every May walked the old men and women with their dress uniforms, the Moscow boulevards, and despite the traffic noise was then everywhere the gentle strumming of the heroic badge heard. The reforms pushed into economic misery, it was for the World War II veterans still at least this one day a year where they could hear the acceptance speeches of the big bosses ingratiating - but where they also young girls on the street completely honest red Carnations donated.

The Red Square, with its martial military parade was on this day always hermetically shielded by ordinary citizens. Away from the public spectacle, however, had the Russian Victory Day over Germany at the same time always friendly pages.

also in the German editor of Moscow Radio, it was a tradition, before 9 unpack May together back a few tables that had brought drinks, cakes and salads and to the health of Alexander Scholkwer to launch. The author of the daily state-supporting comments for the news broadcast was as a young man himself marched to Berlin, his war medals proudly wore on his lapel. He was the last of the veterans who have worked in the newsroom. And the Germans celebrated in the newsroom with naturally.

"You were not even proper winter boots"

somehow to belong to the other side, it was still a strange feeling. Only law in a country where some thirty million people had lost their lives in the most murderous of all previous wars. Yuri Sergeyevich spoke frequently about the war, when he came to pick up his rent and then we still sat with a cup of tea in the small kitchen of my first Moscow apartment. He had seen the start of the war as a sailor in the Kronstadt naval base on the Baltic Sea and survived the Leningrad blockade. Had the bodies of frozen in the cold hallways are seen, in which all the neighbors were far too weak to bury the dead still.

When Yuri told of the Wehrmacht soldiers, he did not say "the Germans", and certainly not "the fascists". No, he said "her". "I have over seen with binoculars from the front on your side," he told with his charming voice and I poured more tea. "Why should I hate you? You had not even yet sensible winter boots. "The war years did not leave him bitter. Yuri was not only a winner of the Great Patriotic War, he had also won his own personal victory against the madness of this war.

who traveled as a German, European countries, which Hitler had once felt attacked, even after more than six decades in many places, the aversion to all things German. Not so in Russia. Quite the contrary. Perhaps nowhere to fly a German to devote as much sympathy. Goethe, Heinrich Heine, the great composers, the order, not last. Often we were in our Moscow years looking for a home - and every house we visited, we would have to rent immediately. This was the German bonus in a country where the head of state his children to the German Embassy School was sent. Positive racism on Russian Art

And the mass killings? The exiled towns, villages wiped the eye? In few places was as a German but a hard time, there was the past so cruel that they even sixty years later one seemed to push away the still air. In Volgograd about. The city, which has risen on the ruins of Stalingrad from nothing. For "Arte" We shot in summer 2001, a documentary filmed in the city, on the Mamaev Hill, the Motherland statue and a wedding party.

some point I said to our director, it was time that he expresses a toast to the bride and groom. Matt had come up with the idea yet, but without thinking twice, he said exactly the right words that could be said in this situation. "In Germany, most people knew only as long as your city the scene of a terrible battle. A place of war, destruction and death, "he began his little speech, and the celebrants looked up at him. In reality everything is different. Volgograd want is a place dear to the young people marry, have children and have many, many future plans. That's wonderful. ! On the couple "Some people at the table clapped their hands and the bride's father said solemnly:" Until you were just German journalists, from now on since it our guests. Provides finally your camera away and party with. "

An SS colonel in the service of Moscow

From Karsten Packeiser, Moscow. "A real-Aryans. Nordic, determined character. "Cadres Act of SS colonel Otto von Max Stirlitz is impeccable. That in fact Stirlitz Maxim Isayev and is serving as the Kremlin's first inkling of the Nazi leaders yet. No other Soviet television series has become nearly as popular as the twelve-part series "17 Moments of Spring," which tells the adventures of the agent Stirlitz and was broadcast 30 years ago for the first time.

At the first performance In 1973, the Moscow streets were deserted. Meanwhile, the Russian television stations any pretext, to repeat the cult series, it was another anniversary of the victory in the Second World War, or a milestone birthday of the main characters. The television producers can be assured that turn millions of people between Kaliningrad and Vladivostok.

The plot of the series is based partly on historical events, a novel by Julian Semyonov it served as a template. During the "Third Reich" in the spring of 1945 is already on its last legs, Isayev met alias Stirlitz a delicate task. It is designed to prevent Nazi Germany agrees with the Western Allies for a separate peace and various Nazi leaders play sent off against each other.

The "17 Moments of Spring" are one of the few foreign film productions that tell about the war, the Germans do not represent but not as anonymous enemies and the Nazi leader as one-dimensional, brutal monster. Tatjana Liosnowa director paints a detailed picture of each character with all its emotional depths. Apart from the East German television Vorwende the time, the series is still never been shown in Germany.

This may be because Stirlitz is just not a Russian James Bond. In the black and white series, there are no wild chases, shootouts and explosions, as them in western movies a must-agent belong. Although Colonel Isayev had to leave his wife years ago in the Soviet Union, he does not even have a mistress.

Long portentous dialogue of the protagonists and again close-ups of the silent heroes determine all the consequences, which reduces the voltage means. Even today, the Russians increased again each time the breath at that point, drew as Gestapo chief Mueller nachruft suspicion and the Soviet agents the legendary words: "And you, Stirlitz, I ask you to stay."

The Soviet TV spy has long since become a genuine folk hero. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, himself once worked for the KGB on the invisible front, the actor Vyacheslav Tikhonov Stirlitz presented to the 75th Birthday one of the highest Russian medal for services to his country.

the saying has been invented hundreds of jokes about the agent. "The situation in Berlin had become so bad that even in the Reich Chancellery, long queues formed when meat was sold there," says one. "Everyone waited patiently, but Stirlitz jostling each time roughly by the snake over to the front, which upset the Gestapo scary. You did not know that heroes of the Soviet Union always operated out of turn. "
Originally
published by Russia News .

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crash of the space station Mir - obstacle course with a green pass

Moscow (March 2001). Only in unusual situations, several hundred journalists from all over the world jostle together in a single room, to report on an event that takes place thousands of miles away. And only in truly historic night is not even from the great hall of the Russian space flight control center in Korolev, to catch the rush of visitors.

middle of the night was to be destroyed by the Space Control Center ZUP from the pride of Russian science. More than 86,000 times the space station Mir in 1986 was circling around the earth, should now three braking pulses from the vicinity of Moscow the 15 Year-old technological wonder, to bring out of its orbit. The remains of the station should sink into the Pazifk, somewhere at the other end of the world, near the Fiji Islands. About six hours were scheduled for the fall maneuvers.



fear of Russian space debris

Ever since a dramatic series of glitches late nineties I was an international media star. More trade, the situation was so explosive that emergency evacuation of the cosmonauts was likely. Only the courageous intervention of the crew allowed the continued existence of the Russian manned space flight. Tabloids around the globe sealed before the crash Horror stories about the supposed threat from uncontrolled Russian space debris. The Mir was during her last days in Germany in the Kitchen. Gisbert and I hope to achieve de spectacle about a dying space station new attendance records on the Internet pages of our newspaper.

At the entrance to ZUP there was first a nasty surprise: The space agency had divided the press people because of the massive interest in two classes. The major Russian broadcaster, CNN, ARD, Reuters, and also the correspondent of the largest international newspapers, got blue passes handed out. So they could go directly into the room from which sunk in the ocean from the Mir should be. were in the wrong seats

Flugleitsaal

apparently for representatives of lesser-known media, green passes. The "green" journalists should move into the visitors' balcony of a second, identical room. From there, the new International Space Station was controlled. With the dramatic fall of the events I had to do in this room but not in the least. After all, promised those responsible, even in the ISS control room would the press informed of the progress of events.

Some correspondents with green cards attached to their fate. Probably they had decided that there is nothing accounted for when instead of 15,000 miles were now 15,000 kilometers away 50 meters from the Fiji Islands. Our agency Rufo had been allocated for the ISS room. Gisbert, however, had other plans. He discussed a long time with the press of the space agency, the security guards at the entrance to the control room, cursing and finally decided to come at any price in the right room.

There were places on the visitor balconies filled quickly: TV crews from around the world, deserving cosmonauts who had once spent weeks or even months on the Russian outpost in space, Arab military attaches with epaulets on their uniforms. They all stared at the giant world map on the wall, which had shown for years the endless elliptical orbit Mir. Still flashed the spaceship on the map, but it was the end of his journey ever closer.

middle of the crowd appeared occasionally on Yuri Koptev, the gigantic head of the Russian Space Agency. He said the press corps in monosyllables, or not at all. The guest of honor was Sigmund Jaehn come into the ZUP. The ZDF was the first German space plane has been taken exclusively under contract. Jaehn said now for the German TV viewers watched the event from the control center. From the right room, of course.

discovered in the crowd at the passport control Gisbert finally some neighbors - the television team from RTL. The two colleagues had blue accreditation cards, they were together and happy to help. So that our problem was solved: the two RTL-people went into the right space, a built up the technology, the second came back with the blue pass the other in his pocket and discharged one of us right in the room. During the evening, the colleague with the RTL-accreditation, the half-German correspondent corps helped by the entrance.

all expected a long night in a windowless room with an increasingly stifling air. Alone - there was not much to report. The sinking of a space station in the Pacific proved to be an extremely lengthy Maneuver. The Flugleitsaal the Mir was filled during the night but more and more. We obviously were not the only ones who had invented the same trick. burns

morning that I had been without incident, their remains exactly in the calculated grid square fell into the sea, I looked on the way out again in the hall for the journalists with green passes. Where there was emptiness go - up to a dozen reporters who were asleep in their chairs, had all of them are smuggled in the other room.

On the subject see also: The final way of me by Gisbert Mrozek.

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Interview with a cattle

Serpukhov, Moscow Region (December 2002). As experience shows, it is not easy to coax a bison sound bites for a radio report. The animals make no noise. However, not only to journalists, the scientists of the bison reintroduction center in Priokski Nature Reserve had its problems a few years ago, the researchers had for each of the giant wild cattle come up with a unique name and slowly walked to the employees of the reserve out of ideas.



The animals from the Russian nature reserve should all get a name with M at the beginning. This was an agreement by the international bison experts. For the report I had then equal to the whole family with the Oka taken. A trip with consequences, as it turned out later. End of 2007 the Russian state television broadcast a documentary from the Priokski Reserve - several times in the picture, a young lady names bison Magdalene.



The return of the buffalo

From Karsten Packeiser, Moscow. They are to difficult to 1,200 pounds, look like giant ruffled cattle mooing, but not all grunt but if from time to time. The five bison, which are in a gate of the breeding center in the Russian Priokskij Nature Reserve, belong to one species, the extinction was so close that they really do not more likely to give. Now conservationists are planning and environmental authorities, meant that a strong population of 1,000 animals in the forests of central Russia.

Natalya Treboganowa, head of the bison-breeding center shall, after a couple of hay bales, which devour their charges greedy. During her studies she did an internship in the park and was so fascinated by the bison, that she stayed. She knows her animals. "Bison mate never before the eyes of the other herd animals," she says of the romantic love life of ungulates, "they go for two deep in the forest to be disturbed."

The traditional wild cattle in the gate for new items, from Swiss zoos of Bern and Winterthur have been brought to Russia are opposed to their first introduction into the wild. In the far corner of this huge enclosure, they are as close as possible to the feeding troughs. A noisy group of children can be explained in front of the enclosure, the differences between the European bison and American bison.

come every day, especially on summer weekends, rolled up to thirty fully loaded buses from Moscow and other cities around the park. Then the visitors jostling in the little souvenir shop where there are bison and bison-Postcards T-Shirts for sale. Guests at the breeding center to bring some money into the empty Funds of the Priokskij Nature Reserve, home to only 50 square kilometers, about 50 mammal and 130 bird species. The notorious problems of money from the state-forgotten Russian national parks and protected areas can not solve a couple of souvenirs sold.

It played the Bison center 100 miles south of Moscow, a key role in saving the species. Towards the end of World War II seemed their fate already sealed. The last ones in the wild have been slaughtered, as the Russian empire fell into civil war and chaos, no one voiced concern about animal welfare. In various dispersed throughout the world zoos at that time lived twelve reproductive capacity Animals.

once again there are about 3,000 specimens in zoos and wildlife parks all over the world and in some national parks. "Increase in the zoos of Europe, the bison so that Europeans often do not know now what to do with them," says Treboganowa. In Priokskij Nature Reserve, it prepares the animals slowly on life in the wild. Sample copies are kept her for breeding, which was not always without problems.

ended the first reintroduction attempts in Soviet times in a fiasco. First, the Russian zoologist put their bison in a national park in the Ukrainian steppe, there were the animals to eat anything and dead. Then concentrated the reintroduction program were transported to the Caucasus, and bison from the breeding center after Ossetia and Chechnya. Shortly after that began in the early 90s for the Caucasus region, a time of war and chaos. Information on whether animals have survived, there is not. "We believe that all died," says Treboganowa.

pull in the central Russian administrative regions Orel, Bryansk and Kaluga authorities, Russian environmentalists and the WWF together. Here, new protected areas established and released the first animals from the breeding center to freedom.

The bison experts in Priokskij National Park hope that the animals of this Times are better prepared for life without human help. The first bison in the region did have a real desire to develop civilization. "They came literally in the cow-sheds of the collective farms run," says Natalya Treboganowa. Ultimately, this was not surprising, as the bison were finally known for generations only a life in captivity.