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The first edition of Шум Magazine. Winter 2014.
Citation preview
issue 1 // winter 2014
ABOUT //
Шум Magazine (named after the Russian word for 'noise') is the brainchild of editor Jenny
Skipper, and is created with the help of students and staff members from the Department of
Russian and Slavonic Studies at The University of Nottingham, both at home and abroad, all of
whom bring their own languages and experiences to the table. Set up to provide students in the
department with more extra-curricular opportunities and to provide an opportunity for students
to develop their linguistic and cultural knowledge, we are a multi-lingual, bi-annual publication,
with articles published in English, Russian, Serbo-Croatian and Slovene.
The team consists of Jenny Skipper (Head Editor / Fashion and Beauty Editor), Bryony Lingard
(Design Editor), Alex Brailey (News and Current Affairs Editor), Nóra Hadi (Travel and Biography
Editor), Imogen Usherwood (Culture Editor) and David Averre (Sports Editor).
The publication of Шум Magazine would not be possible without the continued support of The
University of Nottingham, The Department of Russian Slavonic Studies, in particular the
assistance of David Denton, Elizaveta Lacy, and David Norris.
CONTENTS An Introductory Article // Dr. Rolf Hellebust
news and current affairs
News Round-Up // Alex Brailey & Jenny Skipper
Economic Review // Alex Brailey
Political Review // Jack Daniel Mills
Putin, Power & The Media - PR or Propaganda? // Dr. David Denton
TRAVEL & Biography
Life in Russia as a 3rd Year // Molly Crozier
Experience of Russia // Georgie Suttie
Travel in Slovenia // Jack Doughtry
The Beauty of Anticafés // Nora Hadi
5 Top Tips Before a Russian Rail Journey // Dean Cordwell
culture
Aleksandar Gatalica // Imogen Usherwood
Elena Review // Laura English
Yugoslav Cuisine // Lana Vuletić
FASHION & BEAUTY
Who's Who of Russian Fashion // Jenny Skipper
Moscow Fashion Week Summary // Jenny Skipper
Focus on the Kokoshnik // Jenny Skipper
SPORTS
Russian F1 Grand Prix // David Averre
Novak Djokivic // Chris Allen (English translation David Averre)
Russian MMA // Adam Sharland & David Averre
10 bizarre Slavonic
NOISES
you probably won't believe
In tribute to the premiere issue of Шум
(and in respectful homage to the ‘listicle’
school of lazy Internet journalism).
1
beep-beep-beep! On 4 October 1957 the USSR launched the first artificial earth satellite: Cпутник (Sputnik). An aluminium-magnesium-titanium sphere of about half a metre in diameter, festooned with spiky antennae – imagine a disco ball with lightning rods. The signals emitted from its 1-watt radio transmitter provided Soviet scientists with data about the temperature, pressure, and electron density of the Earth’s ionosphere. And ham radio operators worldwide tuned in to catch the distinctive ‘beep’ of Sputnik – the electronic overture to the Space Race.
2
Pushkin’s ‘широкошумные дубровы’. You won’t find широкошумный in any dictionary. It’s a neologism, an окказионализм – i.e., invented by Russia’s #1 versifier, just for the purpose of his lyric ‘Поэт’ (1827). ‘Broad-murmuring’? ‘Wide-rustling’? In any case, this is a noise in three generous dimensions, filling the oak forest to which the Romantic title character flees in search of inspiration (as one does). And did you notice the alliteration? (‘Ш-ш-ш-ш-ш’, say the leaves in the breeze.)
Slap Šum. Where the rushing Radovna River plummets 26 metres as it passes through the Vintgar Gorge, in the Hom and Bort Hills northwest of Bled, Slovenia. ‘Slap’ means waterfall; ‘šum’ means noise; ‘vintgar’ means gorge. Straightforward people, those Slovenes! (To be precise, the word ‘vintgar’, which may have a German derivation, originally denoted only this particular ravine. But such was the touristic fame of the location that the usage spread...)
3
4
UVB-76. Also known to conspiracy buffs as ‘The Buzzer’. A name given by radio listeners to a mysterious shortwave station broadcasting on 4625 kHz. The signal is a monotonous buzz – two dozen of them per minute, interrupted only by the very occasional cryptic message ...in Russian. (E.g., ‘Я УБ–76, я УВБ–76. 180 08 БРОМАЛ 74 27 99 14. Борис, Роман, Ольга, Михаил, Анна, Леонид. 7 4 2 7 9 9 1 4.’) First reported in the late 1970s or early 80s, The station originally identified itself as УВБ-76, though in September 2010 it appears to have moved to a different location, and now goes by the call sign МДЖБ. Its actual purpose has not been confirmed. One of the most recent of the rare, baffling voice messages: ‘Т-Е-Р-Р-А-К-О-Т-Т-А. Михаил Дмитрий Женя Борис. Михаил Дмитрий Женя Борис. 81 26 Т-Е-Р-Р-А-К-О-Т-Т-А.’ This was recorded on 18 March 2014, less than 24 hours after Crimea voted to join the Russian Federation.
Шум. A village in the Nizhneudinskii район of the Irkutsk область. 222 inhabitants (according to the All-Russia census of 2010). I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this figure, having not been there myself; nor do I know why it’s called Шум. And, in the immortal words of Forrest Gump, ‘That’s all I have to say about that.’
5
Osip Mandelstam’s Шум времени. A brilliant Post-Symbolist poet, the Warsaw-born Mandelstam is also known for several prose works, including his 1925 volume of autobiographical sketches, published under the title The Noise of Time. This writing has helped cement the poet’s reputation as a key figure of European Modernism – of an era when time itself became something new, a fourth dimension, somehow different in a revolutionary way from the mundane temporality of the 19
th
century.
7
6
Chopin’s Étude op. 10, no. 12 in C minor, known as the Revolutionary Étude or the Étude on the Bombardment of Warsaw. Well, actually just the ending. Or, to be precise, the final magnificent, crashing chord that isn’t there. One of the composer’s most famous piano works, the Étude was supposedly inspired by the November Uprising of 1831, which was brutally suppressed by Poland’s imperial Russian masters. Full of sound, fury, and digit-wrenching technical demands, the piece somehow makes its way from the all-is-lost determination of the opening key of C minor to a surprising C major in the last bars. Yet the wild optimism of this key change is itself undermined by a concluding chord progression that sounds utterly... unfinished.
8
he phoneme r /. Written ⟨ř⟩. A raised alveolar non-sonorant trill. Yes, that raised alveolar non-sonorant trill. The one that BREAKS THE TONGUES of beginning students of the Czech language. My teacher would raise his eyebrows and say ‘How can anyone have trouble with this sound? It’s the most natural sound. When you are a little child, playing with your toy car, what other sound would you possibly make?’ Anyhow, if you’re a student of Russian, it’s like this: you make the rolled ‘р’ sound, and the buzzing ‘ж’ sound. And you make them AT THE SAME TIME. (*Sigh*) Sorry folks... ‘ř’ isn’t really a noise; it’s actually quite mellifluous. I guess I just need more time to work through the trauma... (To make myself feel better, I’m going to go and relax with a nice Czech tongue-twister – one that doesn’t including any toy-car sounds. How about ‘Strč prst skrz krk’? Piece of cake.)
Slavonic noise music. Frédéric Chopin doesn’t count for this one. I’m thinking more contemporary
sounds: the late-80s lo-fi cassette-tape interventions of Belgrade’s own P.P. Nikt; or the ambient
doodlings of Шумы России (YouTube NSFW alert: vague rituals performed in loincloths). Or perhaps,
to get closer to the avant-garde roots of the noise aesthetic, we could give a listen to Milan Knížák’s
Broken Music Composition. Knížák is a Czech artist who emerged from the Fluxus movement of the
1960s (Yoko Ono et al.), and took part in (and was arrested for) some of the earliest art ‘happenings’
in Eastern Europe. Broken Music came out in 1979, as part of Knížák’s ‘Destroyed Music’ series, which
made both sculpture and music out of creatively desecrated vinyl. The artist: ‘In 1965 I started to
destroy records: scratch them, punch holes in them, break them. By playing them over and over again
(which destroyed the needle and often the record player too) an entirely new music was created –
unexpected, nerve-racking and aggressive.’
9
10
The Tunguska event occurred on 30 June, 1908 in central Siberia, in what is now the Красноярский край
(Krasnoyarsk Krai). A massive explosion flattened some 80 million trees over an area of over 2,000 square
kilometres – although no blast crater was ever found. This, the largest impact event in recorded history,
may have also produced the loudest noise in history. (Enough to make you spill your кумыс -fermented
horse's milk!- in any case.) Some have theorised that the Tunguska event was the doing of a stray piece
of antimatter, or a smallish black hole, or even an alien spacecraft with wonky sat-nav. However, most
scientists now believe that the culprit was an asteroid or comet. It couldn’t happen again, right?
- Rolf Hellebust
News
&
Current affairs
News Round-up Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has claimed in a new book that Vladimir Putin sees himself as “second only to God”. He goes on to warn the current president that “self-confidence” was the illness that ruined him towards the end of his leadership of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Russian Defense Minister (DM) Sergey Shoigu has requested to the Kremlin that all elected and appointed Russian governors undergo basic military training in case of war. This was followed by the announcement of plans for a new national defense facility (The National Defense Control Center) that take control over the country in times of war. Should the West be worried?
A new document published on the official
Russian government website states that
from 10th
December this year all visitors to
Russia travelling on a visa are to be
fingerprinted upon arrival. The policy aims
to increase the effectiveness of law making
and enforcement as well as reducing
threats from illegal immigration and
terrorism.
Russia OPEC’s decision to refrain from
cutting the supply of oil has
resulted in oil prices reaching a
five-year low, with the prices
sinking below the $70 for a barrel
for the first time since 2009 (as of
Monday 1st
December).
Consequently as of the same date
the rouble has fallen more than
6% against the dollar to a new
record low. For more analysis
with regard to the diminishing
power of the rouble and Russia’s
dependence on oil turn to “A
Spotlight on Stagnation.”
MOSCOW: Europe’s biggest shopping centre opens in Moscow amidst
rouble crisis. After almost two years of construction, Europe’s largest
shopping mall recently opened its doors in northwest Moscow. Aviapark: the
size of 36 football fields, and boasting 500 stores, 80 restaurants, a floor-to-
ceiling aquarium and a 17-screen cinema, nevertheless faces fears for its
future on account of Russia’s economic woes. With the rouble having lost a
third of its value since the start of the year, Russians have seen their
purchasing power plummet. Inflation of more than 8% has seen Apple, for
one, raise their rouble prices by as much as 25%; and with reports suggesting
many visitors were browsing more than buying, it looks like Aviapark could
suffer accordingly.
MOSCOW: Doctors, nurses and patients take to the streets in rage
over job cuts and closures. In a move said to be needed to overhaul
Moscow’s outdated Soviet-era health system, plans have been
unveiled to close at least 28 of the city’s hospitals and fire up to
10,000 medical staff; and thousands of doctors, nurses and patients
are taking to the streets in protest. Their march marks Russia’s first
mass social protest in nearly a decade. The last time similar
discontent was seen, over the proposed scrapping of benefits for
pensioners and the disabled, Putin became so alarmed by the
situation that he eventually doubled pensions instead. It seems this
conflict could prove equally challenging. Despite having already
been offered additional redundancy payments of 500,000 roubles
(approx. £5900) apiece, medics are unmoved by officials’
negotiations, with many vowing they will not rest until the reforms
are halted and those responsible for them dismissed.
YAMALO-NENETS, URALS: Arctic police to
be issued with ‘reindeer transport’ to
capture criminals in snow. Russia’s
ministry of the interior is considering a
request from the police force of Yamalo-
Nenents in the Far North to be issued with
herds of reindeer to track down criminals
hiding in corners of the snowy tundra.
Perpetrators of domestic abuse,
hooliganism and thieves often flee to the
wilderness of the Urals- where
temperatures can drop to minus 50C- to
escape the law, and, since snowmobiles
are frequently broken or obstructed by the
challenging terrain, it seems this most
basic of Arctic essentials is still the best
way forward for local authorities.
CHUKOTKA PENINSULA, FAR EAST: Dozens missing after South
Korean ship sinks off Kamchatka coast. Over 50 people are missing
after a South Korean fishing ship sank in the Bering Sea, off the
coast of the Chukotka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East. Authorities
rescued seven crew members, including a Russian inspector, and
recovered the body of a South Korean fisherman said to have died
from hypothermia, but the whereabouts of most of the crew
remains unknown. The search for the South Korean, Filipino and
Indonesian men has been complicated by the adverse weather
conditions that contributed to the sinking originally. The ship was
said to have been overwhelmed after storms caused seawater to
flood its storage areas.
- Alex Brailey and Jenny Skipper
a Spotlight
on stagnationv a rundown of economic
turmoil in russia
After a decade of a rapid economic expansion
comparable only to the likes China, the cracks are
beginning to show as the Iron Curtain drapes perilously
close to collapse.
Before considering the apparent downward trajectory of
Russia’s current economic path it is necessary to afford a
look at how well they have fared since the millennium.
Indeed Russia is (or perhaps now was) along with Brazil,
India and China, one of the BRIC nations, a term coined
by English economist Jim O’Neil to describe a group of
nations at a similar stage of advanced economic
development, a group seen by many as the potential
future powerhouses and drivers of the global economy.
Russia’s economic development was exceptional in its
own right with pre-global recession growth rates
averaging at around 7% with a pre-crash high of 9.2% in
2008. Even after recession hit, in which Russia was hit
amongst the hardest, recovery was impressive with a
rebound growth of 4.9% in the second half of both 2010
and 2011. Even today Russia is ranked as the ninth
largest economy in terms of nominal GDP* and as of
2011 Moscow was ranked by international news outlet
Reuters as the billionaire capital of the world.
Today, however, the Russian economy is near stagnation
with third quarter economic growth recorded at a mere
0.7%, and the World Bank forecast offers little hope of a
respite. While Europe and the West continue along the
road to recovery, Russia not aided by the dubious
agendas of leader Vladimir Putin are facing a whole new
crisis of their own. Central to Russian plight is the
extraordinary freefell of the rouble, which has
depreciated 23% against the dollar in recent months to
an unparalleled low. In other words the rouble is losing
its power.
A consequence of depreciation is an increase in price
inflation as it becomes more and more expensive for
consumers to import goods from foreign markets as the
currency becomes worthless. However to make matters
worse, consumer price index inflation in Russia is
already remarkably high at around 8%, to put this into
perspective consumer prices in the UK have not risen
beyond 3% since April 2012.
Unfortunately high inflation is merely a splash in the sea of
problems that Russia faces. Normally when a country's
currency depreciates economic theory suggests that
domestic demand will increase as it becomes
comparatively cheaper to buy goods from the domestic
market. Take for example if the pound were to depreciate
in value relative to the dollar it would become more
expensive for a British consumer to purchase an imported
American manufactured General Motors 4X4 car and so
they would look for a domestic alternative such as a British
made Land Rover. However this hasn’t been the case in
Russia as a lack of domestic alternatives due to poor
infrastructure, particularly in the agricultural sector, have
meant consumers have faced little choice but to continue
importing. The turbulent transition from the Iron Curtain's
closed communist society to a market-based economy
brought with it a large decline in Russia’s manufacturing
and agricultural sector as its inefficiencies became
exposed. Russian production of beef, pork and poultry for
example fell by 260% during the 10 years following
dissolution of the Soviet Union. Ultimately while
consumers are forced to continue importing, which
requires foreign currency such as the dollar, pressure on
the rouble will further continue hitting Russia even harder.
It is not only Russia’s dependence on trade with the West
adding to economic woes as continued dependence on
primary commodities in spite of dwindling prices adds
further to frustration. Crude oil prices have fallen from an
average of $110 a barrel to closer to $80 a barrel in only a
matter of months whilst American government agencies
predict prices to remain around this level for the
foreseeable future. Significantly, during the first half of
2014 sales of oil and natural gas accounted for 68% of
Russia’s exports and hence falling prices inevitably lead to
a fall in revenues, for both exporters and the Kremlin. Of
course revenue for the Kremlin from taxpayer’s could be
vital in restructuring Russia’s domestic industries to
protect against future fluctuations in commodity prices,
however falling revenues amongst the already highly
contentious corruption claims surrounding current tax
revenues point to a bleak future for domestic industry.
article continues overleaf »»»
A further issue Russia face is that of Capital flight, a problem more familiar throughout history to the developing
economies of Africa and the America’s. Capital flight occurs when assets, or more specifically money, flow rapidly out
of a country as foreign investors look to pull their investments or as residents flee for a brighter economic future
elsewhere, thus resulting in large outflows of capital. Russia recently recorded a capital outflow for the 17th
consecutive quarter as investors, concerned with worsening political landscape of the East, continue to pull the plug
on their ties with Russia. It’s not just the flight of money concerning Russia; population has been falling persistently,
even since the breakup of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. In 2013 more than 186,000 left Russia, more than five times
the amount who left only two years previously, a stark contrast to the consistently increasing populations of the
other BRIC nations where thousands of young educated professionals are desperately scrambling for employment.
Whilst the causes and effects of Russia’s current economic turmoil continue to be debated attention needs to be
turned to ways to stunt the depression in Russia’s fortunes. Disgruntled Russians are looking for answers as the
Kremlin looks for ideas. Investment is needed in infrastructure, and the young and educated need to be retained and
Russia desperately needs to regain the power of the rouble.
*(Economic growth measured in Gross Domestic Product GDP is the primary tool of analysing a countries general
economic performance. Nominal GDP is a GDP figure that has not been adjusted for inflation. Real GDP however is
adjusted for inflation and as such is often a much lower value, painting a much more comparable picture of growth
across history.)
- Alex Brailey
the crimean crisis An Overview of events
February of 2014. Ukraine is reeling from the aftermath of a political crisis, and a second wave of chaos is about
to strike the nation and its territories. Suddenly, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea faces an uprising of Pro-
Russian rebels and an alleged covert invasion of Russian military personnel.
Early reports claimed that troops in unmarked Russian uniform were involved in the initial attack on areas of the
Crimean Peninsula, though the Kremlin vehemently denied any involvement. Quickly, following initial reports of
violence in the republican city of Sevastopol, the Crimean parliament –allegedly under armed supervision–
announced the dissolution of government on February 27th
. Local news outlets soon reported that hundreds of
Russian troops were beginning to filter into the area from bordering regions. A fact once again denied by the
Kremlin, who stated that military presence in the area was merely part of a training exercise. This facade,
however, was not maintained for long and on March 1st
2014, less than one month after the initial uprising,
Russian President Vladimir Putin requested that the Federation Government of Crimea allow Russian troop
deployment in the region.
Permission was granted by the ruling authority that were now, according to UN sources, entirely under the
thumb of the Russian Federation. Chaos was then exacerbated by the Crimean Supreme Council’s formal request
to accede as part of the Russian Federation on March 6th
. With a referendum set for March 16th,
, there was very
little time for President Turchynov of Ukraine to create an emergency response plan. The result of the
referendum was as predictable. With 95.5% of Crimeans apparently voting ‘yes’, the Autonomous Republic of
Crimea was officially annexed by the Russian Federation. It remains to be seen whether Russia’s annexation of
Crimea was a legitimate democratic process, or simply an internal coup-d’etat, reflective of the present-day
Russian Federation’s corrupt Soviet-era expansion tactics that gave birth to the Iron Curtain.
Over time several ruling forces have occupied Crimea, none for any extensive period. This historically multi-
ethnic identity rules out the possibility of any one nation claiming the peninsula as its own. Historically speaking,
at no point was it ruled by the land we now identify as Ukraine. Instead, the land was seized by Russia in 1783
after the defeat of the Mongol Khanate by Catherine the Great, remaining in Russian hands until the collapse of
the monarchy in 1917. At this point it passed into the hands of the USSR until 1954, when President Georgy
Malenkov transferred the territory into the hands of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Throughout the Soviet era, the Crimean Peninsula was under Moscow’s thumb. After the collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991, however, the land was transferred entirely to Ukraine, becoming known as the Autonomous
Republic of Crimea. Whilst the land was controlled by Ukraine, its population was predominantly Russian: most
certainly a ticking time bomb. A time bomb that appeared to detonate almost immediately, following the
settling of the Ukrainian political crisis earlier this year.
Victor Yanukovych, the now ex-president of Ukraine, wanted to achieve closer relations with Europe and as such
brokered a monetary support deal between Ukraine and the EU. In favour of a much needed economic boost,
the people of Ukraine rallied behind their president who, for the best part of his time in office, was undoubtedly
unpopular. Regardless, Yanukovych defied the will of the people by backing out of the EU deal and signing a
multi-billion dollar deal with Putin, eventually favouring Russia over Europe.
It was this increasing reliance on the Russian Federation, and the painful memories of Soviet-era famine under
Russia’s watch, which sparked violent protests and all-out civil revolution in Ukraine, resulting in the
replacement of Yanukovych with Oleksandr Turchynov. In response to this crisis and the ousting of Yanukovych,
Pro-Russian forces, allegedly under the influence of Putin’s government, launched a covert invasion of the
Crimea; shortly followed by the not-so covert entrance of Russian troops. This is a prime example of the Russian
government’s exploitation of the power vacuum in the Crimea created by both the Ukrainian political crisis and
the presence of a large native Russian population.
The echoes of Soviet policy in the Russian Federation’s annexation of Crimea are arguably the main cause of the
widespread international condemnation we’ve seen unfolding in recent months, rather than the simultaneous
humanitarian crisis. The responses of America, Britain and the EU to the Crimean Crisis has been unified. In the
conflict’s early stages, President Obama openly stated that any military intervention taken by Russia in the
Crimea would “come at a cost”. This was reaffirmed in March, one month after the crisis began, when he
declared international trade and travel sanctions on eleven leading political figures in both Russia and Crimea,
who were believed to be complicit. These sanctions were mirrored by Great Britain, followed by the EU, who
condemned all military action in the area and declared full support for the measures already in place.
While the response of the international community has been uniform, Western leaders have received criticism
from many left wing opponents, arguing that Obama in particular cares little for humanitarian crises, and seeks
rather to reaffirm America’s dominance over Russia. There is perhaps an element of truth in this argument, as
since July, there has been very little concrete response from Western governments to the crisis, and very little
attempt to rectify the situation in the Crimean Peninsula. This apparent lack of desire for change comes
alongside reports that, as recently as August, Russian troops were forcibly removing the native Crimean Tartars
from the region, resulting in at least eighteen documented missing Tartar leaders, reportedly kidnapped by Pro-
Russian forces.
Contrastingly, the international community now believes that the situation in Crimea has adequately de-
escalated, based on the fact that there is very little armed conflict at this time. This blatant resignation is not
acceptable. The apparent acceptance of the Russian annexation of Crimea, and the international stalemate of
sanctions against its leaders represents an international failure to handle a humanitarian crisis.
Russia’s annexation of Crimea, based on various reports of armed and political manipulation, is by no stretch of
the imagination legitimate. It mirrors the tactics used by the Soviet Union in the 1950s to control impoverished
lands like Hungary, yet the dominance of Russia over European Oil and natural gas supplies means that it is
unlikely Western governments will become more involved in the situation. Russia has cemented its place as a
modern world superpower, yet more detrimentally it has been allowed to cement its dominance over the
Crimean Peninsula for the foreseeable future.
- Jack Daniel Mills
(photo credit BBC)
PUTIN Power & THE
MEDIA PR OR PROPAGANDA?
ПУТИН, ВЛАСТЬ И СМИ – ПИАР ИЛИ ПРОПАГАНДА? // A brief look
at Putin’s rise to prominence and cult status in the Russian media.
Following the imposition of western sanctions, Russia stands on the
brink of economic recession - with oil prices and revenue falling and
the rouble in freefall reaching unprecedented levels against the US
dollar. The country faces the opprobrium of the international
community in the wake of its policy toward Ukraine and the alleged
shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17. Yet in Russia the
popularity of President Vladimir Putin stands at a six-year high. He is
for many the very incarnation of the nation, a nation which in the eyes
of many simply cannot exist without him
How can it be that this shadowy ex-KGB operative has gained such a
grip on the hearts and minds of the Russian people and of ordinary
citizens of the Donbas and southern Ukraine? How has this new post-
Soviet cult of personality come about?
There is no doubt that the Russian media today is
directly or indirectly under ever-stricter State control.
The freedoms that emerged in the wake of the
collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the
subsequent chaotic years of Boris Yeltsin’s period in
office have evaporated. Putin, a graduate of the
Leningrad Law Faculty rising to the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel in the KGB and stationed in Dresden, East
Germany between 1985 and1990, has become
increasingly despised and feared in the West, as
witnessed at the recent G20 meeting in Australia,
while his popularity at home has soared.
Initially inept in front of the cameras, Putin has become a PR icon,
straddling the Russian media scene. In Russia itself he is regarded
as saviour of the nation, restoring pride, power and dignity to a
once mighty nation following the humiliations on the 1990s. Yet
abroad, in the wake of internal security crackdowns, restriction of
press freedoms support for pro-separatist rebels in eastern
Ukraine and changes in media and information policy and
practice in Russia, Putin is viewed with suspicion. Two leading
international journalist organisations, the Committee to Protect
Journalists and Reporters without Borders, have expressed their
concerns about the degree of media freedom and state control in
Russia. In 2001, the former included President Putin in its annual
list of the Ten Worst Enemies of the Press and has described
Russia as “the third most dangerous place to be a journalist”.
Reporters without Borders has included Vladimir Putin among
“the leading predators of press freedom”.
When Putin came to power in 2000 he was an unknown figure - far from media savvy. It is often said that TV
made President Putin and secured his election, but it almost destroyed him. Barely months into his presidency,
Putin failed to comprehend the power of the media following the calamitous events surrounding the sinking of
the nuclear submarine Kursk, the flagship of the Russian Navy on August 12, 2000. Refusing western assistance
and blaming NATO for the demise of Russia’s most sophisticated piece of military hardware, Putin refused to
break off his holiday and was televised enjoying his sojourn at his Black sea villa. Putin came under severe attack
for failing to return from holiday at the nation’s hour of need. He faced the anger and scorn of the nation. The
reputation of the Russian military, national prestige and the reputation of the president himself were severely
damaged. Under pressure, the Putin regime had seemingly reverted to Soviet type, accusing the media of “lying,
lying, lying” and of attempting to discredit the entire Russian military. One grieving relative was forcibly sedated
with a hypodermic in the full glare of TV.
The Russian Government’s adoption on September 9, 2000 of
The Doctrine on Information Security of the Russian Federation
caused concern that the Putin administration might use this
doctrine as a weapon against press institutions opposing his
policies. And so it did. A day earlier during an interview on the
Larry King show Putin curtly and sarcastically responded to
questions as to what had happened to the Kursk with two words:
“она утонула” – “it sank”.
она
утонула Two years later when Chechen terrorists seized the Dubravka Theatre in Moscow, Putin ordered the storming of
the building by Russian Special Forces (spetsnaz) using secret stun gas to paralyse terrorists and hostages alike.
The failure to release details of the formula of the gas (for security reasons) and the inept handling of the affair
by military and government authorities coupled with the failure of medical support services left the Putin regime
prey to vicious criticism as graphically illustrated by Anna Politkovskaya’s book Putin’s Russia. The whole
nightmare was played out live on Russia TV; frantic telephone calls and terrorist demands aired on TV together
scenes of gas-induced death and incompetent pandemonium evident for all to see. It would not happen again.
The events of September 11, 2001 in the United States
allowed Putin to wage his own brutal war on the Chechen
people – a vicious military campaign tacitly condoned by
the West in return for Russia’s support of the Bush
administration’s War on Terror. The horror of Russian
atrocities, torture of civilians, the demonization of the
Chechen people, the indiscriminate use of vacuum bombs,
the rape of young girls – all these pictures of war were to go
largely unreported as the Kremlin imposed an information
blockade on Chechnya. Propaganda and strict control of the
media were rearing their heads.
Through strategic appointments of former associates within the intelligence services (siloviki) to key media
positions and provincial governorships throughout the Russian Federation, through the closure of hostile or
independent media outlets, the arrest or worse - the alleged murder of individual journalists - Putin began directly
and indirectly to seize de facto control of the Russian media. When the independent channel NTV, (НТВ -
Независимое телевидение) broadcast its satirical programme Kukly fiercely condemning and at the same time
mocking the Russian President’s predilection for portraying an action man image donning various military guises
and engaging in ever more ridiculous masculine outdoor pursuits, Putin reacted by effectively closing the station.
On May 11, 2000 masked and armed tax police, backed by officers from the general prosecutor's office and the
FSB, stormed the Moscow headquarters of the independent television station NTV and the powerful media group
Media-Most. Critics considered the move to be politically motivated.
Russia was becoming a dangerous place for journalists. The
Committee for the Protection of Journalists has deemed
Russian the third most dangerous place in the world to be a
journalist. In 2004 when Chechen separatists infamously
seized School No 1 in Beslan taking hundreds of children
hostage, media coverage was managed by the Kremlin. The
Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya was infamously
poisoned and almost died on a flight from Moscow to Rostov
when her tea was spiked by an FSB operative. Politkovskaya
was ultimately murdered “by unknown assailants of Chechen
appearance” in the stairwell of her Moscow flat. Her murder
took place on October 6, 2007 – Putin’s birthday.
Politkovskaya is but one of at least fifty journalists to have
been murdered, not in war zones, but on the streets of the
Russian Federation. For some, the murder of Politkovskaya
marked the end of investigative journalism in Russia.
A cult of personality (культ личности) not hugely dissimilar to that of Soviet days - but more subtle in tone,
more varied and sophisticated , more PR (пиар) than propaganda (пропаганда) - has grown around an
increasingly confident and media savvy President Putin. But this renaissance of the traditions of the Soviet
regime should perhaps come as no surprise as up to 70% of journalists are graduates of Soviet universities or
former staff of the Communist media. Putin introduced the system of “managed democracy” – democracy
managed and controlled by the President and his allies in the media. As the nation’s wealth increased on the
back of oil, gas and natural resources, Russia became more confident in itself as a nation, spending increasing
amounts on the military. Putin and the Russian Federation began to flex its muscles on the world stage – as
attested by support for pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk. With the State directly or indirectly (through third-
party industrial concerns such as the giant gas and oil conglomerate Gazprom) holding control over the bulk of
media outlets, the Kremlin has honed its PR acumen. There are two clear, distinctive patterns and imagery that
have in the Kremlin’s media portrayal of Putin.
First, Putin, man of State, burdened by responsibility, distant
– often framed by long photo shots and pictured alone against
some iconic image of Russia authority or as the equal of
western politicians. The second image is that of Putin, man of
the People, informal or personal - surrounded by the adoring
masses or engaged in manly pursuits – hunting, fishing, riding,
flying a fighter jet, fighting a bear etc. And such a portrayal of
this icon of masculinity has made Putin something of a sex
symbol adored by women and a strongman role model for
men. There is even a Putin fan club and pop song with the
chorus line “I want a man like Putin”.
Putin dominates the Russian and international political landscape. In many ways Putin and the Russian State have become inseparable - inextricably linked. Putin has become the very embodiment of the Russian people, much in the way Soviet leaders had done barely a generation before him. Evidence abounds that the cult of personality has returned, albeit in a more sophisticated form. By December, 2011 one in four Russians believed a Soviet-style cult of personality centred on then Prime Minister Putin had come to dominate the Russian political landscape. That figure was one in ten Russian in 2004. Today Putin is more popular than ever.
- Dr. David Denton
travel
&
Biography
Летом, я жила и училась в Ростове на Дону в течение трёх месяцев, в школе языков Мир Без
Границ, с другими студентами из факультета славянских языков. Ростов - не очень известный город
и, согласно русским, это крошечный (не правда: более миллиона жителей и это массивный). У
Ростова есть репутация общительности, и правда, что жители очень хотели говорить с группой
английских студентов, которая там училась. У них были два главных вопроса: "С какой стати
изучаете русский?" и "С какой стати вы в Ростове?" (Дополнительно, "Вы безумный?!") Эти не
обязательно вопросы с простыми ответыми. Одним вечером, мы ждали на остановке автобуса,
ждали и говорили, когда 14-летняя девочка подбежала к нам, чтобы сказать, что Англия её
любимая страна в мире, и она ЛЮБИТ королеву Англии. Мы были первые англичане, с которыми
она встретилась в жизни, и она едва смогла сдержать волнение.
Летом in russia
У меня было несколько странных переживаний в России, включая - первым вечером, когда мы с
соседками по квартире кушали сырую рыбу своими руками и пили виски, квас (я не понимаю зачем
существует квас - это слишком ужасно), чтобы быть для питья, бабушка, которая приказывала мне
раздеваться в кабинете в бассейне, и многие молодые женщины, которые просили меня, нахожусь
ли я в России, чтобы найти мужа (нет, спасибо). Но конечно, у меня было более замечательные
переживания, особенно восхитительные сотрудники в МБГ, Циферблат (это "анти-кафе", где платит
за время, не за чай и печенье), выходные на Черном море, три месяца красивых солнца (к
удивлению друзей в Англии, который спросил, был ли у меня хороший пару снегоступы перед
моим от ездом). Конечно, было тоже содержа тельное переживание (и не только с языком). Просто
наблюдая русскую культуру на собственном опыте увлекательно, и тоже говорила с друзьями и
преподавателями о жизни в России. Мне было надо думать о жизни в Англии, и как мне повезло
жить в стране, которая не является, такой сексистской, как Россия, и многое другое в курсе моего
собственного привилегии. Было тоже интенсивно отрезвляющий опыт посещения лагеря для
украинских беженцев и возможность говорить с людьми, которые жили там о своем опыте и
впечатление, которое они оставили позади.
Наверное, лучший опыт, для меня, было осознание того, что я действительно говорю по-русски.
Честно говоря, я не думала, что я могла до этого лета. Но каждый день я сама удивилась, от моего
первого утра, когда я потратила полчаса с Никкола, который руковадит МБГ, без необходимости
переключаться на английский язык, в то время, когда я должна была пойти в туристический агент,
чтобы изменить мой рейс домой, в разговоривала с пограничником в аэропорту Домодедово по
пути домой через Москву. И это только еще лучше, как летом пошел дальше. Теперь я могу
поддерживать беседу, заказать напиток, шутить, изучать грамматику, играть в игры, выступить с
речью, заводить друзей, все на языке, который я никогда не верила, что я могу говорить. Хотя, я до
сих пор не могу разговаривать по телефону.
Еще более неожиданно, я любила Россию и русский язык. Я определенно не думала, что я буду. Я
все ещё не совсем уверена, что заставило меня выбрать изучение русского языка в университете,
но я знаю, почему я продолжаю. Я люблю это. Я люблю как звучит, его эффективность, это ритм. Я
люблю "боже мой", "да нет наверное", "блин", все маленькие, слегка бессмысленные звуки,
которые заполняют пробелы в разговоре. Я подтвердила свою любовь к литературе, фактически
пытаясь читать в оригинале и, посетив родной город Чехова. Я встретила замечательных,
прекрасных людей, которых я не могу ждать, чтобы увидеть, когда я вернусь следующим летом (я
ловко вернулась от русской зимы). Россия стоит усилия я положила в изучении языка. Я никогда не
думала, что буду грустно уезжать, и все же я боролась, чтобы не заплакать в такси в аэропорт в
сентябре.
- Molly Crozier
В течение моего года за границей, я была в
Ростове-на-Дону почти четыре месяца. Ростов не
известный город для европейских людей, но он
очень перспектиыный. Я думаю, что нам надо
распространять информацию о том, что это не
только Москва и Санкт-Петербург, которые
привлекательные для туристов.
Есть много ремонта в настоящее время в Ростове
потому, что строится много домов, баров и
ресторанов в центре. Университет в Ростове растет
постоянно, и молодежь стекается в город, чтобы
баловаться разнообразной культурой южной
столицы России. Чемпионат мира по футболу в
2018 году будет в Ростове, и сейчас строят
массивный стадион в центре города.
Международный аэропорт строится тоже и скоро
вы сможете забронировать билеты прямо из
Лондона в Ростов.
Прожив в России и пережив ее красивое лето, ее
пляжи, ее увлекательную историю и, больше всего,
привязанность людей там, меня удивляет то, что
Ростов не более попульярный, как туристическое
направление.
Визовые правила в России - очень строгие, и общее
восприятие русского народа в том, что они
холодные и недружелюбные. Многие англичане
думают, что Россия страна всегда холодная и
страшная, которую они наткнулись только на урок
истории, где они видели исключительно
негативные изображения Сталина и коммунизма.
По-моему, Ростов-на-Дону восхитительный город,
который всегда полен жизни и имеет много, чего
предложить посетителям. Однако, в настоящее
время, кажется, что Москва и Санкт-Петербург
единственные города, которые туристы из границы
хотят посетить. Я думаю, что это должно
измениться, но к сожалению, текущая
политическая ситуация в России значит, что это
маловероятно.
Я хочу рассказать о своих замечательных
впечатлении в России и помочь изменить эту идею
России, которую иностранцы не хотят посетить.
Дайте России шанс! Это замечательная страна, я
вам обещаю.
- Georgie Suttie
Дайте России шанс
Почему Ростов должен быть более
попульярным, как туристическое направление
DOBER
DAN! Slovenia is an often forgotten country in south
Europe. Bordering Italy, Austria, Hungary and
Croatia, the vast majority of people wouldn’t be
able to place it on a map or name its “beloved”
capital city, Ljubljana. First, a little history: the land
that Slovenija currently occupies has been in many
hands over the past hundred or so years, notably as
part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and
Yugoslavia. In 1991, Slovenia seceded from the
republic, and though there was a brief war, less
than 75 lives were lost. Since then, Slovenia has
developed a lot as a country, becoming a member
of the EU in 2004 and converting from the tolar to
the Euro in 2007.
For me, the first time I went to Slovenia was in
December 2004. Having moved and downsized
from Derbyshire to Lincolnshire the year before, my
parents decided to buy a holiday home near the
town of Krško in East Slovenia. Since then I’ve been
nearly twice a year with my family and various
friends and have visited much, but by no means all,
of the tiny country. I’ve swum in the Krka, kayaked
the Kolpa and white-water rafted the Soča, a river
notable for being where Prince Caspian was filmed
and also being the name of my dog. I’ve explored
the caves at Postojna, skied at Rogla and played on
the lake bed of Slovenia’s largest lake, Cerknica,
which vanishes for half the year, fish and all. One of
the Slovene charms is that it’s still kept its identity.
In this day and age, it’s very easy for tourist
destination to become anglocentric, but this hasn’t
affected Slovenia much. Whilst there exists very
touristy areas like Lake Bled, Kranjska Gora and the
Soča area, they still remain quintessentially
Slovene.
Even Ljubljana, a place name with far too many j’s for
the typical monolingual Englishman, is still fairly
quaint, and somewhere where my parents felt
comfortable walking around at midnight with me and
my siblings aged 11, 10 and 8.
It’s also very student friendly as far as a budget is
concerned. Although it’s been part of the Eurozone
for nearly 8 years now, European prices haven’t
quite caught up, which is good for those on a limited
budget. When going to a restaurant a 20 inch pizza
can cost as little as €7.50, even in the capital, and in
most restaurants a pint of Laško, the most popular
Slovene beer, is cheaper than a 250ml bottle of Coke.
A taxi to the main water sports town costs €25
despite it being a nearly two-hour trip, and the
hostel there is only €10 a night, with a discount on all
the activities and clubs there as well.
All in all, Slovenia is a wonderful place that I can’t
recommend enough. There’s so much more that I
didn’t mention, but you can make your own
adventures and fill it in for yourself. And then maybe
you’ll be able to write a follow up article, about your
soon-to-be favourite country.
- Jack Doughty
ANTI CAFéS THE
BEAUTY OF
Having visited Rostov for the first time in the summer,
and attending the language school Мир Без Границ with
the 3rd years – who were needless to say much more
accustomed to life in Rostov than us – we heard the word
«anticafé» being thrown around a few times. Being the
keen and curious tourists that we are, we decided to
accept their offer to be taken to a local one just down the
main avenue, to experience the atmosphere of a
traditional anticafé. However, the question on our minds:
what exactly is an anticafé??
So we followed the 3rd years, strolling along, and waiting
for some magical building to appear with the word
«ANTICAFÉ» on it in big conspicuous letters – if this place
is so often talked about and frequented, it should be
rather conspicuous, right? Wrong. But wonderfully so.
We were soon enough led into what seemed like a small
ordinary room, and then up a steep flight of stairs. When
we got to the top of those stairs, we were met by a
charming Russian gentleman who took our names and
coats and gave us what looked like mini stopwatches,
ushering us further into the room.
It was then that it dawned on us exactly how an anticafé functioned: you go in and you pay not for what you eat
and drink, but for how much time you spend inside. During this time, you are free to eat and drink whatever is on
offer, relax, socialise, and make use of the free-wifi (a Godsend considering the wifi in our hostel was, let's say, less
than reliable!). We took our seats at one of the many small tables on which sat various nostalgic objects – an old-
fashioned typewriter, a set of 1920s books, a stack of vinyl records, and everywhere pots of flowers and art. Looking
around, there were newspaper banners hanging from the ceiling, cabinets filled with old books and newspapers,
and families of paper cranes hanging from the lampshades. This was my kind of place. After taking in the
decorations and the atmosphere, we decided to make the most of our time here and help ourselves to drinks and
snacks. The selections of teas available was overwhelming. To think, we'd have to be here for many hours to try
them all! Not to mention the coffee, soft drinks and hot chocolate that was on offer. Eventually, after making our
tough decisions on what tea to have, we were overjoyed to find freshly baked cakes and various savoury snackes to
pick and choose from – after all, they were technically free. We then made our way back to our little tables, and
spent the next couple of hours relaxing, conversing with each other and with a some friendly and rather sociable
Russians, sipping away at mug after mug of tea, and taking advantage of the free wifi as the sunlight streamed
through the drape curtains. As we were leaving, over 2 hours and countless mugs of tea later, we were shocked and
thrilled to find out we only had to pay 250 roubles – the equivalent of around £3.50! It was, needless to say, an
afternoon well spent. // If it were up to me, there would be anticafés all over the world by now. However I think
one of the reasons that makes them so special is how rare they are to come across (they did originate in Russia),
and how few people know of them, since they are quite a recent invention. But all in all, if you do come across a
gem of an anticafé in Russia, don't hesitate to go in, be welcomed by charming Russian, and spend an afternoon
relaxing with a mug (or ten) of tea, wifi, and of course, good company!
- Nora Hadi
5 things you should know
before taking your first
Russian train journey
This summer it was my first time visiting Russia. For little old me, having never travelled further east than Italy, it seemed
an alien place. However, I had heard stories from people who had been before of the great times they had had on
Russian trains, whether that was a train from Moscow to Petersburg or the great Trans-Siberian. I decided I wanted to see
what all the fuss was about. I managed to find a few people crazy enough to, after only having studied Russian for less
than a year, join me on the train. None of us died, none of us were attacked, none of us were robed – just about – but all
of us had a great time! However, these are five things that I wish I had known before getting on my first Russian train.
1 Book in advance - we had heard that the best way to travel by train in Russia was to book on the day from the
station. It made sense, you didn’t have the language issues of booking over the phone, and you avoided the
plethora of extra charges encountered through booing online, like the booking fee, foreign card transactions,
and poor exchange rate charges from your bank. Don’t follow what we did! We ended up waiting then having to
all book seats online the day before we flew to Moscow as all the spaces were nearly booked. We ended up
spread between carriages and on some of the worst beds. Book safely in advance, you pay more, but you get
what you want.
Now, what do you want? Well, you want to book in плацкарт (platscart). It is the cheapest and most sociable
carriage, you will spend the entire journey surrounded by, and immersed in Russian. You also don’t want to
book at the far the right end of the carriage, this puts you next to the toilets. On a 24hour train journey, a small
stench does begin to develop, you don’t want to be near that. You also don’t want the side beds, it separates
you from a group and everyone spends all night walking a foot in front of your head. If you’re a light sleeper and
nervous around strange people, don’t take this bed. Also, top bunks only give you two foot of space between
your bed and the ceiling: don’t sit up in a hurry! So, book in advance, get a bed around a table, preferably the
bottom bunk, and far from the toilets.
2 Bring food - if you’re a taking a journey anywhere near as long as ours (a 21 hour stint from north to south)
then you will need food. When deciding what food to bring, choose stuff that will not make crumbs, you
don’t want these in your bed and, worst of all, you don’t want to put them in the bed of that nice Russian
you’ve just started talking to. Russians like to share food on their train journeys and you should bring stuff
to share. Think foreign! Describing food and where you come from is a really easy way to start a
conversation, and who doesn’t like to try new food for free? During our journey we were given strange
Russian fruits, nuts, ice cream, and sweets local to Moscow. If you are stuck for ideas, bring shortbread or
something with the Queen’s head on, always goes down a treat.
3 Bring your own tea/ coffee - Russian trains have free hot water. Yes, free hot water! I think I may have drunk
my own body weight in tea during those twenty hours. I mean, that is once I found out how to get a mug. Of
course, I had forgotten the word стакан (mug), so this involved a lot of miming at the very patient Russians.
Eventually I did manage to get one. For anyone who wishes to avoid my difficulties, they are given out from
the conductor’s cabin, just ask for a стакан and write your bed number and name down, then its 20 hours of
unlimited, free hot water!
article continues overleaf »»»
4 The pauses - Russian trains stop at the stations for a period of time. This is a chance for passengers to stretch
their legs and do a bit of shopping. If you have never been to Russia, one thing you will quickly realise is the
number of people selling food on the street is incredible! The stations are no different. You can get nuts, fruit,
pies, pastries, and a variety of foods - one person insisted we buy fish soaked in beer, another said it would be
the worst decision of our lives, all of us followed the latter, but if you are braver go for it! All of the foods are
designed for Russians and priced as such, however they will notice you are foreign and charge you more. Go up
behind a Russian and insist you pay closer to what they paid, it usually gets you a bit of a discount from the
foreigner rate.
The most important thing is to listen to the overhead speaker. Each time the train stops the stoppage time is
different and no one shouts to warn you before the train leaves. If you miss the time, ask a Russian. You do not
want to be the only person left on a platform in the middle of Russia, not a good way to start your trip. This
brings us on to our final point, talking to people.
5 Make friends - Russians are incredibly friendly and accommodating people, you just need to talk to them
and be polite. Just chat to everyone you see! I ended up chatting to four lovely pensioners travelling south
from Moscow to meet friends and family, as well as playing peek-a-boo with a little boy, and playing lots of
cards. You don’t know what will happen until you start speaking, just go for it! If you need any better
incentive, one of those Russians saved me a few hundred roubles.
We had all packed to get off the train and the conductor shoved a piece of paper in my face. Apparently I
was supposed to pay an extra charge due to being a foreign student, or some other nonsense. I played
dumb pretending I couldn’t read the note and tried to get the conductor to decide it wasn’t worth it and
just give up. She didn’t. Eventually a Russian lady I had been chatting to took the piece of paper from me,
let’s just say that a few choice words were shared and the conductor decided it was better to just leave.
So I hope you are now ready for your first Russian train journey. I can’t promise it will contain free ice-
cream; cute Russian children who want to play peek-a-boo; and corrupt train conductors, but I can promise
you will have a great time and receive a window into another culture.
- Dean Cordwell
CULTURE
Aleksandar
Gatalica
Dvanaestog novembra ove godine posetio je naš fakultet slavističkih jezika srpski pisac Aleksandar Gatalica iz
Beograda. Gatalica je već objavio pet romana i nekoliko zbirki pripovedaka. On je došao u Notingem da promoviše
novi engleski prevod svog poslednjeg romana "Veliki rat".
Ovaj istinski epski roman priča o Prvom svetskom ratu iz perspektive mnoštva junaka. Knjiga ima pet delova koji
predstavljaju pet godina rata. Pripovest razvija i prati živote preko sedamdeset likova tokom ovih sudbonosnih
godina XX veka. Gatalica pokazuje da su svi njegovi junaci, od vojskovođa do običnog čoveka, jednaki. Niko nije
velik u vreme rata. "Veliki rat" je napisan bogatim jezikom u maniru najbolje klasične istorijske književnosti, a
istovremeno uključuje nadrealne i fantastične elemente. Pre dve godine, posle objavljivanja knjige na srpskom,
"Veliki rat" je postao najpopularnija knjiga godine u Srbiji i dobitnik NIN-ove nagrade za najbolji roman godine. Od
dve hiljade dvanaeste godine do dve hiljade četrnaeste godine je Gatalicin srpski izdavač Mono i Manjana objavio
dvadeset četiri izdanja romana. Zaista je izvanredno da je stekao popularnost u Srbiji tako brzo. Gatalica se nada
da će njegov roman imati više uspeha u inostranstvu kada budu objavljeni prevodi romana i na engleskom i na
francuskom.
Ovog semestra studenti koji uče srpski jezik na univerzitetu preveli su sa srpskog na engleski sedam pripovedaka
iz Gatalicine zbirke "Vek". Studenti su se suočili sa mnogo problema kada su prevodili. Na primer, pravopis za
pisanje imena i mesta i likova je različit na srpskom i na engleskom. Bilo je teško da se raspoznaju čak i engleska
imena u pripovetkama zbog neuobičajenog pravopisa. Svi studenti su morali da razumeju dobro pripovetke da bi
stvorili tačan prevod. "Pripovetka koju smo preveli na engleski je čudna, ali smo se zaljubile u nju tokom proseca
prevodjenja," - rekla je Natalija Rnić, studentkinja druge godine srpskog jezika i engleske književnosti.
Posle podne dvanaestog novembra Gatalica je proveo vreme i sa prevodiocima svojih pripovedaka. Za početak je
držao na srpskom predavanje o procesu pisanja. Naglasio je važnost izbora imena likova, tema, reči, književnog
stila i tako dalje. Sve što piše autor je važno i stvara snagu pisanja. Zatim je objasnio kako je planirao svoj roman
"Veliki rat". Zanimljivo je da Gatalica nikada ne zapisuje svoje ideje na papiru tokom faze planiranja. "Treba da
razmotrim i rešim sve probleme u svojoj glavi pre nego što počnem da pišem." - rekao je Gatalica. "Kada počnem
da pišem, ja se ne zaustavim dok ne bude završeno."
I to je bila dobra prilika da studenti razgovaraju o prevodima pripovedaka. Prvi put je Gatalica imao priliku da čita
engleske prevode svojih pripovedaka. Studenti su sigurno bili nervozni kada je autor čitao prevode i video kako su
promenili pripovetke! Studenti su ga pitali šta misli o prevodima i kako ih ocenjuje. Odgovorio je da mu se čini da
su pripovetke "nove i poznate istovremeno". Rekao je i da jedan od engleskih prevoda zvuči bolje nego srpski
original, što je divan kompliment studentima! Gatalica je objašnjavao i ulogu i važnost dobrih prevoda, što je bilo
zanimljivo studentima jezika. Po Gatalicinom mišljenju, prevodilac mora da bude tačan, ali je veoma važno da se
prevod čita dobro. Bolje je da se promeni original da bi se stvorio dobar konačan prevod.
Uveče dvanaestog novembra je bilo književno veče, koje je bilo otvoreno za javnost. Veče je počelo čitanjima iz
Gatalicinog romana "Veliki rat" i na srpskom i na engleskom. Potom su studenti čitali nekoliko engleskih prevoda
pripovedaka. Onda je bila diskusija i Gatalica je odgovarao na dodatna pitanja. Prevod je bio opet jedna od tema
razgovora zato što Gatalica, kao prevodilac sa antičkog grčkog na srpski, razume mnoge probleme tog procesa.
Takođe je naglasio da su njegovi doživljaji kao prevodioca i znanje antičkih grčkih tragedija uticali na njegov
književni rad. Druga tema diskusije je bila ideja da pisci u Srbiji imaju ozbiljniju odgovornost u društvu. Pisci u
Velikoj Britaniji nemaju ulogu kao kritičari društva u današnje vreme, a u Srbiji pisci još uvek moraju da
komentarišu poli čke i kulturne probleme. Gatalica je rekao da je ova ideja "mit". Pisci ne mogu da reše sve
probleme u društvu. alio se da mada njegovo prezime znači "fortune teller" na srpskom, on ne može da zna
budućnost.
Veče se završilo, naravno, srpskom hranom i vinom. Svi su se složili da je dan bio uspešan! "Književno veče sa
Gatalicom je bilo veoma zanimljivo!" - rekla je Ejmi Bajron, studenkinja ruskog i srpskog jezika na finalnoj godini.
"Posebno mogućnost da se upoznamo sa njim tokom dana i da razgovarimo o našim prevodima. Za mene je bilo
najzanimljivije da čujem kako radi um pisca."
Izdavačka kuća Istros Books je objavila Gatalicin roman "Veliki rat" na engleskom u Velikoj Britaniji u novembru
dve hiljade četrnaeste godine. Pripovetke iz zbirke "Vek" koje su preveli na engleski studenti Notingema uskoro će
se naći na sajtu Gatalice: www.gatalica.com.
- Imodžen Aševud (Imogen Usherwood)
(photo credits Borislav Borisov)
Рецензия на фильм
«Елена» Известный русский режиссёр и актёр, Андрей
Звягинцев, возвращал себе видное положение с
выпуском в 2011 году фильма «Елена». Фильм
вызывает разные мысли и эмоции. Первый показ
этого фильма произошёл на каннском
кинофестивале, где выиграл приз. На мой взгляд,
такая награда не удивительна потому что «Елена»
показывает понимание современного общества
Москвы, а в то же время фильм расследует уместные
и универсальные основные мысли, которые каждый
может понимать.
Фабула фильма следит за жизнью Елены,
домохозяйки, которая живёт с мужем Владимиром.
С самого начала, всем очевидно, что эти супруги -
состоятельные, вернее сказать Владимир богатый,
так как пара живёт в роскошной квартире в
шикарном районе Москвы. Кажется, что главное
яблоко раздора между супругами состоит в том, что
ни мужу ни жене не нравятся дети из бывших
браков, что вызывает ссоры между ними. Елена
думает, что Владимир балует дочерей, а плохо
относится к Сергею, сыну Елены. Внезапно, когда
Владимир умирает от инфаркта, дело его наследства
выходит на первый план.
Этот фильм расследует ряд тем, которые и
современные и универсальные, например одной из
главных тем является роль женщин в обществе. Во-
первых, Елена и тоже Таня, жена Сергея, без
сомнения подобострастные мужчинам, всё время
удовлетворяя каждую потребность мужей. Однако, я
думаю, что режиссёр переворачивает слегка этот
стереотип во время фильма так как, Елена –
кормилица семьи Сергея, т.е. она дает деньги, чтобы
содержать семью. Но я не могу не думать, что Сергей
зксплуатирует свою мать, ведь он может сам
работать, но он просто ленивый. Поэтому, всё
полагается на Елену. Следовательно, можно сказать,
что Елена и женщини в общем слуги и подчинены
мужчинам.
Возникает вопрос о социальном классе и деньгах из-
за морганатического брака между Еленой и
Владимиром. У меня появилось впечатление, что
этот брак изображает современное общество
Москвы, существуют богатые жители рядом с теми,
кто делает каждое усилие, чтобы стать богатым.
Елена и Владимир восходят из разных классов. Хотя
все персонажи в фильме из разных классов, каждый
думает о деньгах – и эта страсть исследуется во
время фильма.
Я сказала бы, что артисты – чудесные, особенно
актриса, которая играет Елену. Она меня держала в
неведении. Мы просто не знает как она будет
реагоровать или действовать в течение фильма. Она
несомненно непредсказуемая. Однако,
единственная вещь, которая меня раздражала в
фильме – мужыка или звуковая дорожка. Я не могла
не думать, что саундтрек монотонный и ужасно
занудный, потому что он постоянно повторялся во
время фильма. С другой стороны некоторые думали
бы, что такой эффект изображает и напоминает
тяжёлое сердце. Елена разрывается и должна решать
между безответственным сыном и мужем. Музыку к
концу фильма я терпеть просто не могла.
В целом, я рекомендовала бы фильм «Елена». Я
восхищалась неожиданными поворотами фабулы и
отличной игрой артистов. Я очень рекомендую этот
фильм - нельзя его пропустить!
- Лаура Инглиш
(Laura English)
yugoslav cuisine
Božić na balkanski način
Porodica je na okupu, na stolu su kristalne čaše, porculan i pribor za posebne prilike, a iz kuhinje se šire čarobni
mirisi. Na prvi pogled Božić na Balkanu se ne razlikuje mnogo od Božića u Velikoj Britaniji. U jednu ruku tako i
jeste. Božićna trpeza na Balkanu je bogata i izdašna, međutim božićni se specijaliteti umnogome razlikuju od
ovdašnje pečene purice i tradicionalnih priloga.
Balkanci prednost daju crvenom mesu, vjerovatno zbog toga što se i katolici i pravoslavci pridržavaju posta pred
sami Božić. Naime, na Badnji dan se pripremaju posna jela koja, s izuzetkom ribe, ne smiju sadržavati namirnice
nikakvog drugog životinjskog porijekla. Vrsta pečenja ovisi prvenstveno o regiji. Tako se, na primjer, na sjeveru
(Srbija, Zagorje) sprema svinjsko pečenje, najčešće odojak, dok je na jugu popularnija janjetina, a negdje i
teletina. Uz pečenje neizostavna je i sarma. Sarma je tradicionalni balkanski specijalitet od kiselog kupusa i
mljevenog mesa, obično uz dodatak suhog mesa, jelo koje balkanskim domovima daje posebnu božićnu aromu.
Česnica je tradicionalna ceremonijalna pogača koja se služi na božićnoj trpezi. U česnicu se obično umijesi
novčić. Prilikom svečanog božićnog ručka običaj je česnicu okrenuti tri puta slijeva nadesno, te je razlomiti među
članovima porodice. Kaže se da će onaj koji nađe novčić u svome dijelu biti izuzetno sretne ruke u nastupajućoj
godini. Varijacije česnice postoje u svim dijelovima bivše Jugoslavije, kao primjerice u Dalmaciji gdje se služi sa
zabodenom svijećom u sredini trpeze, dok se u Vojvodini česnica nerijetko priprema kao slatki hljeb sa medom,
orasima ili suhim voćem.
Uz pečenje se, osim pečenog krompira, služe prilozi poput prebranca, podvarka i ruske salate. Prebranac je
zapečeni grah, popularan posebno u Srbiji. Podvarak je jelo od sitno sjeckanog kiselog kupusa i luka, koje se, kao
i podvarak, priprema u pećnici. Ruska salata je mješavina sitno sjeckanog povrća, mesa, kiselih krastavaca i
majoneze.
Za desert se, uz orašaste plodove i suho voće, služi mnoštvo sitnih i suhih kolača – kiflice, oblatne, kroštule,
medenjaci, šape, makovnjača, smokvenjak, a sve uz vino i domaća žestoka pića i likere. U Dalmaciji se takođe
služi i tradicionalna rožata – crème caramel na dalmatinski način.
U ovom broju vam darujemo dva recepta tradicionalnih božićnih specijaliteta sa Balkana koje bez mnogo muke i
sami možete pripremiti tokom nadolazećih praznika. Prijatno!
Ruska salata
Two tins of peas or petits pois 200 g cheddar cheese, cubed 300 g cooked ham, cubed One roast or boiled chicken breast, chopped Large jar of dill pickled gherkins, drained and chopped 4 large carrots and two medium potatoes, boiled and chopped 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped Large jar of mayonnaise One teaspoon of mustard Two tablespoons of tomato ketchup Two tablespoons of crème fraiche Seasoning
Mix all ingredients well, season to taste and serve chilled.
Sarma
One whole fermented cabbage (available from East European shops)
1 kg good quality beef mince (but not lean)
3-4 onions, finely chopped
One large bunch of fresh parsley
One whole garlic
Smoked paprika
Tomato puree
One whole butter
One small cup of white rice
Oil
Seasoning
Separate the cabbage into leaves, removing any tough parts and making sure they are pliable.
Sweat the chopped onions on medium heat and once they are glassy and transparent add them to your mince. Add
the chopped garlic, parsley, rice, paprika, tomato puree and season to taste. Mix well. Use this mixture to stuff the
cabbage leaves packing them tightly into a large pot. Add some lukewarm water over your sarma and simmer
gently for two hours adding more water if required. Add the butter and continue simmering for 2-3 hours.
Sarma is usually made with the addition of cured meat (smoked ribs, bacon or sausages), which gives it its rich
taste. As such meat is difficult to source however, this recipe contains butter to make sarma richer. You could also
substitute beef mince for any other type of meat, for example minced pork or even a mixture of the two.
- Lana Vuletić
Fashion
&
Beauty
The Who's Who of russian fashion
// the designers // Ulyana Sergeekno: A longtime couture connoisseur and wife to insurance oligarch
Danil Khachaturov, Ulyana’s unique brand of fairytale-infused fashion hit the big
time when, unsurprisingly for a glamazon whose go-tos include fur-festooned
capes and princess-pouffy petticoat skirts (all paired with sky-high stilettos,
natch), she began to be snapped outside Paris shows and lauded for her street
style. Eventually, having grown tired of her collaborations with favourite designers
going uncredited, her eponymous haute-couture label launched in 2011.
Renowned for synthesising sophisticated Dolce-Vita styling with a Soviet strain,
Sergeenko’s work takes iconic fashion moments and rebrands them in a Russian
frame… think Scarlett O’Hara’s green gown bedecked with buttons depicting
traditional nursery rhyme characters. Naming her babushka as her biggest style
inspiration, Ulyana may show in Paris but hasn’t slighted her St-Petersburg roots;
the collection is designed, produced and crafted entirely in Russia.
Vika Gazinskaya: Noted for her combining of childlike hand-drawn prints and demi-couture structural cuts, former fashion editor Gazinskaya is a well-established figure on the Russian fashion scene (her label having launched in 2006); but has recently gone very global. Now stocked at such renowned retailers as Net-A-Porter and Moda Operandi, and around the world from Tokyo to Toronto, there’s no denying Vika’s star is on the rise… not bad for a Moscow girl who set about her styling career fashioning clothes for her Barbies in the family kommunalka (communal apartment).
David Koma: You might know him as the creator of that (admittedly slightly out there!) ‘dustbin-lid’ dress sported by Cheryl Cole on X-Factor some years ago, but this Central St Martins-educated designer, raised in St Petersburg, is undoubtedly going places in the fashion world. His signature metal-embellished, ultra-sculptural designs have been showing at London since 2009, and worn by A-List starlets such as Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez. With his recent appointment as artistic director of Thierry Mugler, expect to see more and more Koma creations soon on a catwalk near you.
// the Editors // Miroslava Duma: Clocking in at just over five foot tall, this pint-sized fashionista provides style inspiration for petite ladies all over the world, pulling off such tricky trends as head-to-toe lustrous leather or flamboyant floral prints with an aplomb the most statuesque of supermodels would envy. A former editor at Harper’s Bazaar Russia, Duma has now founded Buro 24/7, a fashion news website currently running Russian, Ukrainian, Croat, Kazakhstani, Azerbaijani and Middle Eastern editions… with plans to expand to the UK soon.
Aliona Doletskaya: One smart cookie even as editors go, having done doctoral work at Oxford, Doletskaya can be credited with spearheading Vogue Russia in the most exacting of economic circumstances. She became this style bible’s first editor-in-chief in the midst of a 1998 financial crisis, at a time when such a bastion of luxury and extravagance was totally unprecedented; eventually raking in so much revenue that it was rumoured she would be replacing Anna Wintour at American Vogue after the appointment of current head Viktoria Davydova. Currently, Doletskaya is applying her considerable sartorial prowess to editorships at the Russian and German editions of Andy Warhol’s famed publication Interview.
// the supermodels // Elena Perminova: Sometime model and wife to media magnate (and owner of The Independent and The Evening Standard) Alexander Lebedev, Perminova has, along with the likes of Sergeenko and Duma, become a prime target for street-style snappers worldwide with her enviable ensembles… think hot-off-the-catwalk Louis Vuitton, colourful Katrantzou prints and luscious Helen Yarmak coats in cool neon hues. Hailing from Siberia, Elena’s remarkable rags-to-riches story is worthy of any designer-devotee Cinderella; she originally met her billionaire husband while in prison for dealing drugs in a Novosibirsk nightclub, aged just 16.
Natalia Vodianova: Natalia’s modelling credentials speak for themselves. Having walked in over 175 runway shows in Europe and the US, graced the cover of every major magazine you could name (including a grand total of 67 international Vogue covers), and starred in campaigns for such iconic brands as Chanel, Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuitton and Yves St Laurent, she is undoubtedly the most super of Russian supermodels (and there have been many!) ever to favour the fashion world. A mother-of-four, close friend of Sergeenko and West Sussex local, this Volgan Venus has recently branched out into philanthropy, founding the Naked Heart Foundation, an organisation aiming to provide play facilities for children in urban Russia. Nearly 30 play parks have been constructed all over Russia- the first in Vodianova’s native Nizhny Novgorod.
- Jenny Skipper
(photo credits: millineryatelier.com, laughcryrepeat.com,
alionadol@instagram, Vogue Russia, Guerlain, easyfashion.blogspot.co.uk,
thefashionscoutsept09.blogspot.co.uk)
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia 28-31 Октября 2014
Дженнифер Скиппер суммирует кульминационные моменты недели моды (Fashion Week)
Москвы. Давай посмотреть все самые лучшие коллекции для весны 2015 года!
Алена Ахмадиллина дизайнер прославленный
благодаря мотиву сказок, который доминирует над
всеми своими показами; и эта коллекция не
исключение. Мы увидели подиум весь в пышной
траве и деревья; и модели как экзотические птицы
или цвети, которые пускаются из земли, в красивых
цветах и тропических принтах. Есть характерные
намёки стили ар-деко с геометрическими и
калейaдоскопическими рисунками платьев. Однако
сейчас мы его смотрим с поворотом хиппи, с
бахромой кожи на сумках, ремнях и подолах…
совершенный намёк на моду семидесятых годов
следующего сезона и на месте показа.
Рия Кебурия - На показе этого грузинского дизайнера
сосредотачивается на одежде как пижаму. Это свободная,
беззаботная, которая напоминает и одежду ребёнку, и
традиционную японскую моду. Одежда спокойная
демонстрировала элементарное чувство коллекции; центр
на свободе и гибкости детства. Кебурия подчёркивала это
с рисунками поездов и самолётов, палитрой пастельной и
игрушками везде на подиуме. Время от времени, модели
садились играть с мишками и яркими грузовики
грузовиками, иногда одна, иногда вместе. Самый
интересный аспект: не только женщины, но и мужские
модели гуляли на показе. Поразительно, мужинский
человек с татуировкой на руке был одетым одним из
самых хорошеньких платьев, бирюзовое с белой
цветочной вышивкой… характерный намёк на самую
большую свободу детства; путаница между мужской и
женской ролей; свобода быть тем, кто вы есть, без
ожиданий общества.
Cap America - Ольга Шурыгина, перспективная основательница марки,
вероятно самый молодой дизайнер на Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
Russia, и это отображается по причине юношеской экспансивности
своей коллекции. Почти подчёркивать творческие эксперименты и
новые опыты, которыми должна наслаждаться Шурыгина, у коллекции
была "Лабораторная" тема. Приглашения, которые получили
редакторы до показа были в форме пробирок, полные цветистых
жидкостей, и одежда была занимательное соединение разных тоны,
рисуноки и форм. Мы увидели почти-комбинезоны и платья-рубашки
как вещи, в которые были бы одетые ученые; но с новой палитрой
весёлой. Яркие цвета как небесно-голубой; жёлтый; фуксия оживляли
пространства ткани белого… как самый шикарный индикатор PH мира!
Walk of Shame - Марка только трёх года, Walk of Shame
стремительно становится одним из самых замечательных
успехов Москвы. Юношеская и беззаботная марка до
основания, дизайнер Андрей Артемов решил проводить
свой показ несколько недель до Mercedes-Benz Fashion
Week, решительный выделяться из толпы самой
популярной маркой момента. В соответствии с своим
имиджем беспечном, показ находился на
импровизированный подиум в парке в Москве, и
прохладное самосознание Walk of Shame красиво
отображалась с платьями блёсток, короткими верхами и
сказочными резниками для волос сверкания. Волосы
моделей были небранные и спокойные; были одетые с
глиттерой с ног до головы; несомненно оправдывали имя
этой марки ночных клубов образом самым сказочным,
готовы танцевать до рассвета.
Украинский дизайнер Яся Миночкина дополнительный
молодой талант; она основала свою марку только два года
назад, и уже получает всемирное признание. Её одежда
выходила в итальянском выпуском Vogue, и популярный
сайт моды Luisa Via Roma её одежду продаёт. Можно
понимать почему с учётом простоты и пригодного стиля
коллекции. Миночкина концентрируется на комфорте,
качестве и повседневном элегантности, с ясными цветами
и простыми силуэтами своих свитеров, несложных платьев
и пальто-коконы. Необходимые вещи получили
роскошное преобразование с мерцающими тканями и
техническими сетями. Девушки Миночкины могут
обходить между офисом и баром, собраниями и
свиданиями… и выглядеть лучше, чем любая другая
девушка города в процессе!
Pirosmani Евгении Малыгины - Евгения Малыгина всегда
собиралась выделяться из толпы Москвы, учитывая свою
философию дизайна, 'Антиподиум'- свобода от поверхностных
мод, и вместо центр на отличном покрое и ассиметричных
готических формы. Эта коллекция верная корням марки, но
увидели мы её с поворотом стиля грюндж, с в основном чёрной
палитрой которой подчёркивала конструкцию и роскошные ткани
одежды; например красивые бархатные пальто и яркий красный
брючный костюм- несложный но впечатляющий главный вещь для
этого популярного показа.
- Jenny Skipper
(photo credits: Buro 24/7, fashionweekkiev.ua ,
http://mercedesbenzfashionweek.ru/en/gallery/391)
focus
ON THE KOKOSHNIK You might think you’ve never heard of the kokoshnik. But just look
to any sepia-tinted snapshot of long-ago tsarinas or old-world
etching of pretty peasant girls primped in their Sunday best, and
you will soon see that it’s an integral- and utterly fabulous- part of
Russia’s classical costume and heritage. Reportedly gaining its name
from the Old Slavic word for ‘cockerel’, ‘kokosh’, these grandiose
headdresses take the form of a half-moon halo, constructed from
thick cloth or wire with varying degrees of ornamentation on top.
This embellishment might comprise pearls, precious stones,
goldwork, plant and flower appliqués or beadwork. The forehead
area is generally decorated with pearl netting; and the crown-like
kokoshnik then ties at the back of the head with long, thick ribbons.
When I first laid eyes on kokoshniki, shining through faded figures of Russia’s long-lost queens, princesses,
duchesses, I wrongly assumed they were the preserve of this olden aristocracy. Nothing could be further from the
truth. Kokoshniki have been worn by ordinary Russian women on special occasions since at least the 10th-12th
century, their forebears having been found in tombs from this era in the ancient city of Veliky Novgorod. It seems
their original purpose in society was to prevent married women from showing their hair in public, which would
supposedly bring misfortune to their households. In fact, banned from the upper echelons of society by Peter the
Great’s (Tsar 1721-1725) modernising measures, kokoshniki were only embraced by arguably their most expected
natural adherents- the aristocracy- following Catherine the Great’s revival of traditional Russian fashions. From
there on, the kokoshnik was King, rehabilitated to the royal court in 1834, and so popular in some peasant
communities that young brides would reportedly wear one constantly from the time of their marriage until the
birth of their first child.
Of course, along with most other ancestral symbols of Russia, the kokoshnik was swept away by the revolution
that bred the Soviet Union. However, this was just when it was finally discovered by foreigners- and sparked one
of the biggest fashion frenzies of the Roaring Twenties. As Russia’s erstwhile élite became refugees all over
Europe and Ballets Russes tours fascinated the Western World, the kokoshniki worn by displaced duchesses and
artistes such as Anna Pavlova captivated high society. Silver screen starlets such as Mary Pickford and Hope
Hampton sported the headdresses in Hollywood; the houses of Jeanne Lanvin and Auguste Bonaz produced
kokoshnik-esque millinery collections in Paris. Blue-blooded brides all over England such as Edwina Ashley (Lady
Mountbatten) and Mary Latta (Comtesse de Cramayel) wore them on their wedding days, no doubt moved by the
same bygone majesty that has inspired many modern designers to revive this most traditional of Russian toppers
almost a hundred years after it first hit the big time.
The late Alexander McQueen, for one, a man renowned for his theatrical and spectacular work, featured larger-
than-life kokoshniki (with opulent jewelled fringing stretching past models’ chins) in his A/W 2000 show for
Givenchy. Even more recently, Karl Lagerfeld- in homage to Coco’s rumoured love affairs with Stravinsky & Grand
Duke Dimitri Pavlovich (cousin to Nicholas II) and costume-design collaborations with the Ballets Russes- unveiled
a Slavic-styled ‘Paris-Moscou’ collection for Chanel’s annual Metiers d’Art show of 2008. Startlingly elaborate
kokoshniki, dripping in pearls and strands of glistening gold, were crafted especially for the house by their master
ateliers. And yet, from simple Siberian crescents, to triangular Kostroman ‘kika’, to the towering cylinders typical
of Novgorod; the heirloom kokoshniki that once gathered dust at the back of family cupboards are now worn with
pride everywhere from the Moscow metropolis to the villages around Vladivostok… True proof, as if it was
needed, that this humble headdress is equally at home on the heads of the devochkas of the districts as those of
the world’s stateliest supermodels; and, with that, can truly be considered a crucial component of folk culture on
both a national and a global scale.
- Jenny Skipper
Sports
Given her current political stature and economic issues as a result of the crisis in Ukraine and Crimea, Russia’s
hosting of an F1 race has left a bad taste in the mouths of many an F1 pundit and fan alike. However, despite
all of the controversy and debate over the political issues encircling the race, it can be argued that the most
distasteful aspect about the situation is this: Why aren’t we focusing on the race itself?
For the first time in modern motor racing history, the glitz and glamour of the world’s most elite level of motorsport, Formula One, touched down on Russian soil this October at the Автодром Сочи (Sochi Autodrom). A fitting venue for the exclusive aura of wealth, pomp and circumstance that is synonymous with F1, the 5.848km Автодром Сочи is a winding snake of tarmac which encircles the Sochi Olympic Park, the venue for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Add in the unique geography of Soc
Sochi itself; the sprawling Caucasus Mountains on one side, the glittering Black Sea on the other; and you’ve got a dazzling location for a dazzling sporting event. It would be hard to believe that anything could possibly eclipse such an incredible affair, if it wasn’t for the eye watering amount of controversy surrounding the inaugural Russian Grand Prix. In light of the recent conflict in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea; events which the EU and US deemed severe
severe enough to warrant the introduction of economic sanctions against Russia; many questioned the validity of allowing Russia to hold such a prestigious and internationally recognised event.
Much like the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix, which was omitted from the F1 calendar due to political and civil unrest, the scrutiny generated as a result of Russia’s troubling political situation led the World Superbike Championship to cancel their scheduled race in Moscow in September, showcasing the severity of the issues and putting further pressure on Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting to follow suit. However, when asked about the mounting pressure and the difficulty in dealing with follow
political issues outside of the sport, Ecclestone reaffirmed that the race would go ahead as planned. In an interview with Sky Sports News, F1’s most prominent powerbroker was simple and clear: “We have an agreement. We’ll be there.” Going hand in hand with the political controversy, the economic factors concerning the Russian Grand Prix have also contributed greatly to the debate surrounding the event. While this should be much less of surprise; dealing with economic issues is always to be
expected in a sport where the paddock’s top drivers are earning upwards of €20million a year; the £30bn price tag attached to the construction of the Автодром Сочи is a mind-boggling sum of money, especially considering the EU-US economic sanctions placed on Russia. When added to the £120million President Vladimir Putin is reported to have paid to secure a 5-7 year contract ensuring Russia’s participation in the F1 calendar, the figures have attracted discussion.attached
“We have
an agreement.
We’ll be there.”
LEFT
Lewis Hamilton celebrates his race win, as Vladimir Putin
looks on (Photo credit – The Times)
RIGHT Автодром Сочи – The Sochi Autodrom
(Photo credit – formula1.com)
The 2014 Russian Grand Prix
Putin’s apparent willingness to secure the presence of F1 in his country via the contents of her purse has piqued the attention of the F1 media and has invited inquiries as to whether the Russian president is using his country’s funds to bypass political tensions. At this point, it seems as though the F1 media and fans alike have asked every question there is to ask about the validity of the Russian Grand Prix, the political troubles and the economic issues, yet the Grand Prix went ahead regardless. Now that all of those questions have been asked, why is nobody asking about the reason we all tune in to F1 in the first place? The reason we care about the drivers, the teams and why we follow their journey towards the championship throughout the entire year? We do it because we care about racing. Team Red Bull’s boss, Christian Horner, gave a refreshing take on the situation, declaring that the teams take part in the championship to compete and to race, and that boycotting an event would be against the fabric of all the crews in the paddock. “Look, there’s a calendar that comes out in October and November. We all have a choice whether we enter the World Championship or not. All the people sitting here are racers and they’re here because they are passionate about the sport and they want to compete." It may be unsurprising to hear that the desire to compete and to race is the most important thing according to a boss whose team won four consecutive world championships from 2010-2013, but it is nonetheless the right viewpoint to have. Perhaps even more encouraging is the approach of the first ever Russian F1 driver, Даниил Квят (Daniil Kvyat). The fresh faced rookie made a splash when he arrived in the paddock at the start of the year driving for Red Bull’s sister team, Toro Rosso, at a mere
20 years of age. Any new addition to the exclusive club of F1 drivers courts plenty of media attention, and with Kvyat having the opportunity to drive at his home Grand Prix this early in his career, he was a magnet for the cameras and microphones. Yet despite the political scenario, Kvyat refused to give any political viewpoints or opinions, instead merely stating his desire to race, his goals to increase awareness and change the perception of F1 among his countrymen. In an interview with CNN, when asked about the significance of F1 to him and his thoughts on driving in his home Grand Prix, he simply replied, “I live for this”. With Kvyat’s apparent skill level and confidence, as well as the knowledge that he has signed a contract to drive for the four-time championship winners Red Bull next year, it is extremely promising to discover that he is focused purely on his racing and setting a fine example as a sporting figure for the Russian F1 fans, and heart-warming to learn of his apparent lack of interest in, or at least unwillingness to give any attention to the damaging political controversy. Kvyat is adamant that the racing comes first for him – as it should for all of us, fans and media alike. Fortunately, once the controversy was sidelined for the race itself, we were treated to a compelling affair. After Nico Rosberg managed to squeeze his Mercedes past team mate Lewis Hamilton on the first lap, he braked too late, causing his tyres to lock up and send him back down the order. Hamilton went on to take the victory, while Rosberg fought his way back through the field to clinch 2
nd. Behind the two front
runners there were several interesting battles between the Ferrari, McLaren and Williams cars, with Valtteri Bottas of Williams claiming the last step on the podium. The drive of the day
arguably belonged to Jenson Button, who managed to urge a struggling McLaren car into 4
th
position. With the one-two victory, Team Mercedes won the 2014 F1 Constructor’s Championship, displaying their dominance and leaving their two drivers, Hamilton and Rosberg, to contest the Driver’s Championship. After the race, it seemed as though Briton Lewis Hamilton ignored Vladimir Putin’s attempted handshake, which of course sparked feverish speculation, but his vision was merely obscured by his helmet; when receiving his winner’s trophy on the podium, he graciously shook the President’s hand and accepted his prize without any incident, thankfully allowing the race weekend to come to an amiable conclusion and allowing our final thoughts to be directed towards the enjoyable race and Hamilton’s victory. Over the course of this past year, it has been said that F1 has moved out of the golden age of the sport, into an era plagued by ever more restrictive rules and regulations, increased monetary imbalances amongst teams, and an undeniable power monopoly held by the aforementioned Bernie Ecclestone and his compatriots. Yet, if the attention and scrutiny of the media is placed upon external issues such as political and economic troubles, as was the case at this Grand Prix, it will only serve to compound the problems faced by the sport. If the spirit of competition, edge of the sea racing, and the incredible levels of skill, determination and desire showcased by the drivers and their teams are to be preserved as the most important elements in the sport of Formula One, it’s about time we stopped caring so much about what is going on off the track, and take a good look at what’s happening on it.
- David Averre
arguea
Новак Джокович отец, филантроп, пародист и чемпион по теннису
Кажется, что у Новака Джоковича целая бездна талантов. Без труда он справляется с трудностями отцовства,
благотворительной деятельностью, и к тому же, режимом тренировок лучшего теннисиста в мире. Несмотря
на это, у него достаточно времени и энергии, чтобы придумывать различные пародии на теннисистов
международного класса и развлекать ими зрителей своих же игр. Как Джокович стал одним из самых щедрых,
интересных и успешных теннисистов в истории?
Джокович родился в 1987 году в Белграде, который тогда являлся частью Социалистической Федеративной
Республики Югославии. В возрасте четырёх лет, он неосознанно принял самое важное решение в своей
жизни: он начал играть в теннис, несмотря на тяжёлую обстановку в стране. В то время война в бывшей
Югославии, которая привела к бомбардировке Белграда, подвергла семью Джоковича опасности: в течение
трёх месяцев, они проводили практически каждую ночь в подвале. Джокович считает, что тяготы войны
придали ему больше решимости в достижении поставленных целей в мире тенниса. Родители Джоковича
управляли рестораном быстрого питания на горе Копаоник, где уже через два года после начала его занятий
теннисом, летом 1993, шестилетний мальчик привлёк внимание югославской теннисистки Елены Генчич.
Молодой Джокович добивался успехов в теннисе
настолько быстро, что после шести лет тренировок,
Генчич решила, что они должны поехать за границу, в
поиске конкуренции более высокого уровня. В 1999
году 12-летний теннисист поступил в теннисную
академию Николы Пилич в Мюнхене, Германия, где он
провёл четыре года. Здесь он показал свою
способность к иностранным языкам, а именно –
немецкому. В настоящее время он говорит на
нескольких языках: сербском, английском, немецком
и итальянском. Но большого успеха Джокович добился
в возрасте 14 лет, когда он начал свою
международную карьеру, выиграв чемпионаты
Европы в одиночных, парных и командных
соревнованиях.
Как оказалось, это было только начало карьеры молодого спортсмена. В возрасте 16 лет, после победы в пяти
турнирах Международной Федерации тенниса, Джокович стал одним из лучших теннисистов среди юниоров.
В 2010 году благодаря его мастерству сборная команда Сербии выиграла Кубок Дэвиса впервые. В 2011 году
он выиграл 43 матча подряд, став единственным теннисистом в мире, который поставил такой рекорд. Среди
его побед 2011 года выигрыш на Уимблдоне и титул лучшего теннисиста мира. В 2012 году он победил на
Открытом Чемпионате Австралии, и дошёл до полуфинала Уимблдона, но уступил Роджеру Федереру, что
помешало ему стать чемпионом Уимблдона повторно. Однако в этом году он вернул себе титул Уимблдона,
одержав победу над уверенным в себе швейцарским теннисистом.
В течение этого времени, международный чемпион по теннису также создал свой собственный
благотворительный фонд и обзавёлся семьёй.
« Новак Джокович Фонд » был основан в 2007 году с целью предоставить финансовую помощь детям с
проблемами со здоровьем и детям, которые потеряли родителей во время войны. Кроме того, фонд
финансирует содержание сербских монастырей и церквей, которые считаются национальными памятниками
культуры. Сербская Православная Церковь вручила Джоковичу свою высшую награду: Орден Святого Саввы 1-
го класса за « его проявленную любовь к Церкви и сербскому народу ». Джокович также порадовал сербских
болельщиков, когда в 2014 году, через несколько дней после победы на Уимблдоне, он женился на Елене
Ристич, и когда Елена родила их первого ребёнка, сына Стефана.
Похоже на то, что « Djoker » (кличка, которую он получил из-за своих смешных пародий на других
теннисистов) навсегда останется легендой Сербии и международного тенниса. Сейчас остаётся загадкой,
справится ли Джокович с ролью отца, любимца публики и лучшего теннисиста мира одновременно. На
данный момент его главной задачей является победа на Открытом Чемпионате Австралии после зимнего
перерыва, на котором ему придётся играть против Роджера Федерера, который одержал победу над
Джоковичем в его последнем турнире.
Многие считают, что он потеряет форму теперь, когда у него есть сын. Но в связи с тем, что Джокович одержал
победу в семи турнирах Большого шлема, а на прошлой неделе завоевал свой первый титул « Masters » в
Париже, несмотря на то, что стал отцом, кажется, что на самом деле нет ничего невозможного для этого
сербского спортсмена.
- Chris Allen
(photo credits: celiacentral.org, bleacherreport.com)
It seems as though Novak Djokovic has a whole host of talents.
He can easily cope with the difficulties of fatherhood and holding regular charity events, not to mention the
training regime of the best tennis player in the world. Despite these activities, he has the time and the energy to
invent myriad parodies and impersonations of other world class players to entertain spectators during their
games. So, how has Djokovic become one of the most generous, interesting and successful players in history?
Djokovic was born in 1987 in the city of Belgrade, which was then part of the Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. At the age of four he, unbeknownst to him at the time, took the most important decision on his life:
he began to play tennis, despite the extremely challenging environment in his country. During the war in the
former Yugoslavia, which led to the bombing of Belgrade, Djokovic’s family were exposed to a great deal of
danger: for three months, they spent almost every night in the basement, sheltering from the blasts. However,
Djokovic believes that the hardships of war simply gave him all the more determination to achieve his goals in
the tennis world.
Djokovic’s parents ran a fast food restaurant on Mount Kopaonik where at the age of six; a mere two years after
he started to play tennis; Djokovic caught the eye of Yugoslav player Jelena Gencic. Djokovic achieved such
success so quickly after only six years of training, that Gencic decided it was necessary for them to go abroad in
search of a higher level of competition. In 1999, the twelve year old prodigy joined the Nikola Pilic Tennis
Academy in Munich, Germany, where he trained for another four years. It was here that Djokovic showcased
another of his incredible talents: his aptitude for foreign languages, namely German. He is currently fluent in
several languages: his native Serbian, English, German and Italian, but it was at the age of 14 when Djokovic
achieved one of his biggest successes; he began his international career with victory at the European
championships in singles, doubles and team competitions.
As it turned out, this was only the beginning of the young athlete’s career; after winning five tournaments of the
International Tennis Federation aged 16, Djokovic was recognised as one of the world’s best junior players. He
carried this recognition with him into his senior career, when in 2010, thanks to his mastery on court, the Serbian
team won the Davis Cup; the most widely recognised team tournament in the tennis world; for the first time.
Then, in 2011, Djokovic won 43 games in a row, breaking records and receiving the “Player of the Year” accolade.
He became the only tennis player in history to have manufactured such an incredible streak of victories, among
which stands his first ever Wimbledon title.
article continues overleaf »»»
Translation novak djokovic // Father, philanthropist, impersonator and tennis champion
Since 2011, or “the year of Djokovic”, he has never looked back. In 2012 he won the Australian Open and
reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon, only to have his hopes dashed in the final by Roger Federer. This year,
however, Djokovic regained his Wimbledon title, defeating the Swiss maestro in one of the games of the year.
Yet somehow, over the course of these exceptional few years, the international tennis champion also managed
to create his own charitable foundation and start a family.
The "Novak Djokovic Foundation" was founded in 2007 to provide financial assistance to children who lost their
parents as a result of the war and are suffering from health problems. Furthermore, the Fund finances the
content and the maintenance of Serbian monasteries and churches, which are considered national cultural
monuments. The Serbian Orthodox Church has since handed Djokovic its highest award, the Order of St. Sava
(1st Class) for "the manifestation of his love for the Church and the Serbian people." Djokovic delighted his
Serbian fans further when in 2014, a few days after his second victory at Wimbledon, he married his long-time
girlfriend Helena Ristic, whom in October gave birth to their first son, Stefan.
It appears that the “Djoker” (a nickname earned as a result of the amusing impersonations of his fellow
competitors) will forever remain a legend of both Serbian and international tennis. For now, it remains to be
seen whether Djokovic will be able to handle the responsibilities of being a father, a fan favourite and World
Number 1 tennis player at the same time, but his next objective is to win the Australian Open after the winter
break.
Many believe that he will begin to lose his form, now that he has a son to look after. However, given that
Djokovic has won seven Grand Slam titles and as recently as 2nd
November retained his title at the Paris Masters
despite the fact that he had just become a father, it seems that nothing is impossible for this miraculous Serbian
athlete.
Translation: David Averre
The fastest growing sport in the world, MMA has been dominated primarily by American and Brazilian
competitors since the inception of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, the most elite tier of MMA
which has elevated the sport into the public consciousness.
While fighters from Brazil and the US displayed their abilities in the UFC, Russian and Eastern European
fighters remained isolated from the promotion as their managers opted to keep the Russian talent within Asia.
This prevented the athletes from performing on the big stage; until recently, Фёдор Емельяненко (Fyodor
Emelianenko) was the only Russian mixed martial artist to achieve recognition throughout the MMA world.
Fortunately, this trend has begun to fade and a wave of Russian athletes has taken the top MMA promotions
by storm, showcasing their ability to perform at the highest levels in direct competition with athletes from the
MMA superpowers of Brazil and America.
The UFC has seen an invasion of Russian talent in almost every weight division, and this incursion has been
spearheaded primarily by three men from Республика Дагестан (Dagestan), the first of which is Рустам
Хабилов (Rustam Khabilov).
Хабилов attracted the attention of the MMA community after only one fight in the UFC. It is difficult for
someone to achieve such fame so quickly in a division with as much talent and depth as the lightweight 155lbs
class, but a sensational victory over prospect Vinc Pichel ensured that Хабилов did not go unnoticed, clinching
the victory via knockout with a signature SAMBO suplex. The only thing which attracted more attention than
his emphatic KO victory was Хабилов’s excellent quote post-fight: “It’s my job to throw him, how he lands is
his business”. With only one setback; a closely contested loss against a former champion; Хабилов has had
continued success in the UFC and is considered to be one of the top ten lightweights in the world.
The second fighter making inroads into the UFC is Али Багаутинов (Ali Bagautinov). Багаутинов became the
first Russian to rise all the way to the top of a UFC division and contend for a world title after outclassing
everybody he faced, one of his most notable performances being a dominant victory over long-time contender
and knockout artist John Lineker.
After this fight; a contest in which Багаутинов appeared so confident he was comfortable enough to showboat
to the crowd while fending off attacks from Lineker; he was granted a shot at the world championship. While
he was unable to best the undisputed champion Demeterious Johnson in his challenge for the title,
Багаутинов remains at the top of the division and is undeniably one of the best flyweight fighters in the UFC.
The third Russian fighter and the most likely to be holding world championship gold in the near future is Хабиб
Нурмагомедов (Khabib Nurmagomedov). Also known as “The Eagle”, Нурмагомедов has been wrestling
bears since he was 9 years of age and became an elite SAMBO champion in his native land.
Martial Arts Russia is a nation steeped in martial arts culture. While it may not be as well-known as the fighting styles
originating from other Asian nations such as Japan and Thailand, the discipline of Самозащита Без Oружия
(self defence without weapons, or SAMBO) is an extremely versatile martial art which incorporates a range
of grappling and striking techniques. As a result, one would expect that Russian martial artists would excel in
the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, but that has not been the case - until now.
After turning his attention to
MMA, Нурмагомедов
continued to excel, racking up
an impressive record of 16
wins with no defeats before
entering the UFC. Due to the
unpredictable and volatile
nature of MMA, meaning that
a fight can be won or lost in a
split second by just one punch
or a tiny lapse in
concentration, it is extremely
rare to see any fighter
manage to maintain such an
exceptional streak of victories. Yet somehow, Нурмагомедов has been able to continue his winning ways at
the highest level of the sport in the UFC, now boasting a mind-boggling record of 22-0.
Dismantling the highly touted Brazilian Rafael Dos Anjos in his last outing, Нурмагомедов has launched
himself into the #2 spot in the UFC lightweight division. Although the champion Anthony Pettis is currently
booked to fight number one contender Gilbert Melendez December 6th, it is almost certain that the victor’s
next date in the UFC Octagon will be with Нурмагомедов, and in his current form, the Dagestani athlete is
looking perfectly placed to snag the world championship belt.
With the arrival of these three highly skilled fighters, not to mention several more in the UFC and in other
renowned organisations such as Bellator and the World Series Of Fighting, the prospect of a Russian Mixed
Martial Arts world champion has never looked stronger. The influx of these fighters has forced the once
unparalleled Brazilian and American competitors to step up their game in order to cope with the SAMBO
mastery of these Russian athletes. Whether they are able to adequately adapt to beat back the Russian
invasion remains to be seen, but right now it looks as though the Russians are here to stay.
- Adam Sharland and David Averre
(photo credit: mixfight.ru, Zuffa LLC,
UFC/Getty Images, combate.com)
Хабиб Нурмагомедов sporting his папахa
(an article of clothing worn by throughout
the Caucasus, particularly by Dagestani
clans) while weighing in at UFC 148.
Рустам Хабилов showcasing a picture perfect Suplex throw, a signature
technique of the SAMBO discipline, on unfortunate opponent Vince Pichel.
Али Багаутинов delights the crowd by
showboating mid-fight, appearing
seemingly unfazed by John Lineker’s
attempts to tear his leg off.