travel to Russia

CNN.com - World » Fears over China dam sparks more panic

Posted 4 hours ago

Rescuers in China held out hope for finding more survivors from this week's devastating earthquake, buoyed by news Saturday of the rescue of a German tourist. [Link]

CNN.com - World » Pakistan diplomat freed after kidnapping

Posted 6 hours ago

Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizudin has been freed three months after he was abducted in the Pakistan's tribal region while traveling to the Afghan capital of Kabul, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said. [Link]

CNN.com - World » French aid ship awaits Myanmar permission

Posted 6 hours ago

Read full story for latest details. [Link]

CNN.com - World » Dominican leader sets sights on election win

Posted 8 hours ago

President Leonel Fernandez was leading the Dominican Republic's presidential election with more than 53 percent, an elections official said. [Link]

CNN.com - World » Obama blasts Bush, McCain over attacks

Posted 11 hours ago

Sen. Barack Obama slammed President Bush on Friday for launching "exactly the kind of appalling attack that's divided our country and that alienates us from the world." [Link]

CNN.com - World » Trial of bin Laden's driver postponed

Posted 12 hours ago

Read full story for latest details. [Link]

CNN.com - World » Iraqi police beat news photographer

Posted 15 hours ago

An Iraqi photographer working for Reuters was hospitalized Friday after police beat him at the scene of a bombing, officials told CNN. [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » Winemaker Robert Mondavi dead at 94

Posted 15 hours ago

Read full story for latest details. [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » Delphi sues Appaloosa over nixed deal

Posted 15 hours ago

Read full story for latest details. [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » With record Sotheby's sale, art market keeps booming

Posted 16 hours ago

The sky may be falling on the economy, but the art market is flying high. [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » Union ends GM strike in Michigan

Posted 16 hours ago

Read full story for latest details. [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » Week 3 of rebates: $13.5 billion sent out

Posted 17 hours ago

The Treasury Department said Friday it sent out more than 15 million economic stimulus payments this week, totaling more than $13.5 billion, in an effort to boost the nation's spending power. [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » Bonds fall on price inflation fears

Posted 18 hours ago

Read full story for latest details. [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » Stocks recover poise after slipping

Posted 19 hours ago

Stocks were mixed Friday, with the S&P 500 managing to eke out a multi-month high, despite record oil and gas prices and a weak consumer sentiment index. [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » Builders get hammered again

Posted 19 hours ago

Demand for new homes collapsed last year. Next up could be a similar drop in the rest of the construction market — and that could be the latest drag on an already sputtering U.S. economy [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » Lehman Brothers to cut 5% of staff

Posted 19 hours ago

Read full story for latest details. [Link]

CNN.com - World » Pakistan protests killer missile strike

Posted 19 hours ago

Read full story for latest details. [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » Fannie's new watchdog

Posted 19 hours ago

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is talking tough, but don't expect Washington to bring Fannie Mae to heel till the housing crisis eases. [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » Bringing all your properties under one LLC roof

Posted 20 hours ago

Dear FSB: I own four properties and only one is under an LLC. I would like to get the other three under the same LLC. Will the banks have an issue with this? Will I need to get bank approval? [Link]

Latest financial news - CNNMoney.com » Paulson sees faster growth by year end

Posted 21 hours ago

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Friday he expects "to see a faster pace of economic growth before the end of the year." [Link]

Various hot beverages were highly popular and widespread in Russia at all times. When prince Vladimir, who campaigned all over the world a thousand years ago, was put into a dilemma “to drink or not to drink” (sounds like Hamlet) and came to a conclusion that Russian men should deny themselves wine, like Muslims. According to his opinion, Russians merriment cannot be without drinking. Therefore, different alcoholic drinks were welcome and highly esteemed in the Rus from the earliest times.

Foreigners noted that Russians always were hearty drinkers, fond of overseas wines and home-made mash. However, a good wine, which was very expensive at the time, could be afforded by noblemen only. Commoners usually drank beer, medovukha (honey-made drink) and mash (ligh spirits).

Since the baptism of the Rus (9th century), wine was introduced as Christ’s blood and played an important role in religious rituals. The Orthodox church never denounced wine, but condemned drunkards heavily. A famous Russian historian, Willam Poklebkin affirmed that Russian monks produced vodka in 1503 for the first time. So it turned 500 in 2003!!!

Russian vodka underwent repression and persecution of the authorities over these years. But it never bent its head down to gin, whisky, shnapps, sake, rum or even Mexican tequilla Nobody can say for sure where Russian national drink comes from. Some believe, that alcohol appeared in Russia when a distiller was brought here from the East.

However, there are all reasons to believe Mr. Pokhlebkin that this outstanding drink was produced by Kremlin monks. Anyway, it has become a tradition since then. The genie, released from the Kremlin bottle, refused to return back. The old-time vodka was weaker than nowadays - some 30 degrees.

The epoch of Peter the Great was even more debauched. The emperor himself and his main advisors set the evil example for Russian folk. Peter checked the aptitude of all ambassadors before sending them abroad - the tsar made them drink a bucket of vodka. If the ambassador withstood and didn’t talk nonsense, he was good for diplomatic service. However, real Russian vodka, which we drink nowadays, appeared long after the reign of Peter the Great. It is associated with a well-know Russian scientist Dmitry Mendeleev. Following his instructions, modern vodka became a mixture of ethyl alcohol (40 degrees) and water, treated with activated carbon.

You should know a Russian man! For instance, if he wants to shoe a flea, he will do it by all means (it’s a fact!). But why are Russians still famed for heavy drinking? They are famed because under the tsar people lived in poverty and drank of sorrows and misery, but not of joy. They simply wanted to get dead drink to forget their damned life. He had no money to buy food, had nothing to eat and got drunk. Now life has becom

So if you meet a Russian, don’t ask him about Russian drinking, we have plenty other things to talk about

We’re very glad that you are here. It means that you’re really interested in the city we admire so much. Whatever the reason you’ve come to travel to Moscow – tourist voyage, business-trip with a single free evening, just curiosity or something special you love about Moscow – we’re going to have your attention as long as possible. To do it, we’ll try to reveal you the mysterious dual nature of our city. That is observed in both, time and space categories.

Moscow is wonderful! In summer there are baking dust and heat, and the intense, shady green and blue of birch forests and sparkling rivers encircling the city. A mystical summer moon hanging low over the red walls of the Kremlin. The world’s best ice cream and the cool of the world’s best metro system. Moscow State University, up on the hill, its majestic spire shimmering in the haze. Long walks in the historical Moscow centre, picturesque grand churches, night city with elaborately illuminated fountains, river cruises and many other attractions are always winning points to be adored by any tourist.

In winter snow and flat gray skies draw czarist-era buildings standing elbow-to-elbow with concrete Soviet monstrosities all together in a vast, if not solemn, monochrome panorama. The hills’ main overlook point is a popular point for tourists and newlyweds to pose for photos and in winter, the couples gaze long at the city before they rush giggling back to their cars, the brides’ skin pink under their lacy dresses. The Kremlin, when its

walls rise against a lowering, foggy winter sky, is a primal image of inscrutable power and devious maneuvers, baleful and profoundly foreign no matter where a visitor comes from.
Muscovites don’t just live through the Russian capital’s long and harsh winters, they live IN them with verve and merriment. One of Russia ’s prime winter art forms is figure-skating. Gorky Park floods much of its sidewalks in winter, so figure-skaters can meander deep into the park, stopping off for coffee or shashlik at booths along the way, and Hermitage Gardens , a pretty but little-touristed park in the center city, also has skating.

Moscow in winter is second to none to West in culture. The renowned Bolshoi Theater and Tchaikovsky concert hall are jammed nightly, the innovative Gelikon Opera draws adventurous listeners, and the stage scene is as rich and energetic as New York’s and London’s - some 70 theaters with nightly productions, their acting so good and tickets so cheap that even an audience member who doesn’t know a word of Russian will leave feeling rewarded.

Speaking about time changes, Soviet era presented Russia of great richness, but locked away behind closed doors; a Russia somehow in hibernation. After a decade of post-Communist change, a country has dramatically altered. The transition is messy and difficult. But far more profoundly and rapidly Russia ’s traditions of courteousness and craftsmanship, of enthusiasm, quality and pride, are bubbling back to the surface, true to Russia ’s essence, through three disconnected generations.

A few small signs of that. Vodka in Soviet Russia was always good, but the beer was at best mediocre. The roads were terrible, canteen food and service unspeakable and building standards together with Moscow apartments appalling. Today in Moscow, good food is served with a smile. Many of the main roads are excellent, Russian beer is everywhere, cheap and of breathtaking, almost Czech, quality. And of course tourist business is booming, plenty of European
class hotels being built and renovated. Western system of small hostels and convenient cozy apartments in central Moscow has also recently entered Russia, and visitors are attracted by all various tours and excursions.
Moscow is a city of long history and surprises, recently revealed by the West, and as far from disclosing all its secrets and beauties as one can imagine. This is your challenge and we’re always happy to face it with you, our Dear Guest. Welcome to Moscow, great heart of Russia!

Good article about Russia!