BBC Panorama; "Putin's Secret Riches"

I caught up with the recent edition of BBC's Panorama called "Putin's Secret Riches" (available on i-player until Jan 2017).

It left me with mixed feelings...

New Year Tree

Where did you get your tree from this year?

Perhaps an artificial one from shop or from the attic, like us. Maybe you decorated a real one, from a street seller or the forest (if you were naughty... no presents from Santa for you then).

In the Russian village of Spasskoe, they went one better...

Two sides to every coin.

Russia Today reports that an organisation called For Security is calling for special cyber police to crack down on internet trolls.

As a part of this, the suggestion is to fine anyone who creates a social network page using a false name (about £7 - £30) and is a way to stop cyberbullying.

VKontakte - Russia's equivalent of Facebook

This is all very commendable, but

Up in smoke

As widely reported, a fire in a shopping centre in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russian has killed 14 people, with more bodies likely to be found.

Photo: BBC

Reuters say that the cause could be arson, but, according to the President of Tatarstan, that the managers hadn't complied with safety regulations. This reminds me of a couple of things from my time in Russia.

The good news

The good news is that the Moscow Times reports that the suicide rate is the Russian capital is falling.

 The bad news is that...

Crisis? What Crisis? (part 2)

I wrote about some Russians' reactions to the Rouble's fall a few weeks back.

Had some more feedback...

Russia bans transgender drivers

It has been widely reported that the Russian government has decided to ban transgender people from driving (BBC, Guardian). They have added many conditions which they deem to be "mental disorders", including transgenderism, fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism, as well as kleptomaniacs and those with a gambling addiction.

Of course, Russia's absurdly high road accident (mortality) rate (30,000 deaths and 250,000 injuries annually) has nothing to do with alcohol, macho driving stupidity or poorly-maintained vehicles. If you want a laugh, watch (some of) this collection of videos from Russian dashcams.

With homosexuality sometimes viewed as an 'illness' in Russia, you can't help but wonder which direction such a law change might go next.

Now, cue the piss-take...

Concerned parents

My in-laws, in Siberia, sent several messages because they were worried about us after seeing Sheffield on the Russian news and how it had been affected by the snow.

Sheffield, Dec. 2014

Crisis? What Crisis?

President Putin's major end of year press conference glossed over the current situation in Russia, almost echoing Jim Сallaghan's dismissiveness, paraphrased and immortalised in the Sun headline, "Crisis? What Crisis?"

source

So, what's the feeling among 'ordinary Russians'?

Ouch!

When the Rouble started falling last Tuesday (16/12/14), I saw that the Apple shop was down.

16/12/14 offline

So...

It almost brings a tear to my eye...

... well, not quite. The Guardian reports that the tumbling Rouble saw the owners of two English football clubs take big hits.

Alisher Usmanov, Arsenal owner, lost £517million over 48 hours. I don't know who to feel sorrier for; him, down to his last £8.5bn, or the Arsenal fans who may have to continue complaining about the club's reluctance to spend freely in the transfer market.

Usmanov

Meanwhile...

the evil eye...

It's been in the news that, in honour of the final Hobbit film having its Russian premier, an art group, Svechenie, had wanted to place a holographic Eye of Sauron on a Moscow skyscraper to mark the occasion.

The proposed design.

However...

A wing and a prayer

The Siberian Times reports that passengers had to push their plane as it had frozen to the runway at -52°C. There's nothing wrong with that - it's more of a problem when you have to get out to push in the middle of the journey!

Video below.

Russian Football: Capello's pay woes

News reports suggest that Fabio Capello, manager of the Russian football team, isn't receiving his salary. Hmm, working in Russia and your employers not paying you or not fulfilling contractual obligations... can't imagine that... not!

Capello incognito after a string of mediocre results.

Capello claims that he hasn't been paid for five months. Maybe that's true; maybe his salary is being paid in another currency but linked to the Rouble so it just feels like he's getting nothing in comparison.

Meat disguised as chewing gum

AFP report that Russian customs officials have seized EU meat disguised as chewing gum...

Russia: A Victim of Bad Press?

It's fair to say that Russia has something of an image problem. Despite the opportunity offered by this year's Winter Olympics to win new friends, Russia is in fact doing the opposite. In addition to the obvious, major candidate of Crimea and Ukraine, there is a steady stream of minor news stories relating to issues such as racism, freedom of speech and homophobia.

Screenshot of the Guardian website today

No to Halloween

With the end of October fast approaching and the accompanying annual festival, it is only appropriate that Russian politicians come up with some of their own appropriately creepy ideas. Russia Today reports on one such suggestion from the Public Chamber.