Zapad 2017.
Full mobilization in Kaliningrad - all reservists are called in - even mobilization in Pskov.
http://www.ng.ru/politics/2017-08-11/2_7049_vdv.html
http://cornucopia.cornubot.se/2017/08/full-mobilisering-i-kaliningrad-alla.html?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral
"Is it war now or have you removed the protection of multiple children's dads?" - Russian VDV soldier in letters to Russian authorities
The offensive Russian assault exercise Zapad 17 now looks like going to 200,000 men. All reservists in Kaliningrad are mobilizing now, and the air born divisions in Pskov also call in reserves - even those who are to be released due to parenting.

Both Kalingrad and Pskov are almost border towns to Latvia and Estonia respectively.
Pskov with a lot of VDV troops lies only about 70 miles from Tartu, the second largest city of Estonia, and 20 miles from the border.

When NATO have much smaller defensive exercises in the Baltic countries Russia always complain when having those close to a Russian border and even want the UN security council to step in.
Apparently same rules don't apply to Russia.

Zapad-17 will include excercises with tactical nuclear weapons forces as well!
https://thebalticpost.com/2017/09/01/russia-mobilizes-for-zapad-2017-but-how-prepared-is-the-baltic-region/
Zapad-17, which starts officially on September 14th, can be described as a seizure exercise in which Russia’s ability to mobilize and go to war quickly will be practiced. The exercise takes place every four years, where the main exercises rotate between the different Russian military areas.
At the 2009 exercise, Russia was pursuing Warsaw in Poland with tactical nuclear weapons. Outside the exercise period, but the same year as Zapad-13, Russia practiced tactical nuclear weapons attacks against Sweden.
This year’s training activities are located both to neighboring Belarus and to Kaliningrad, Leningrad, Pskov and Smolensk oblast, as well as in the Baltic Sea.
Russia will also put its rail system on trial, as well as cyber-fighting units and nuclear weapons forces.

Russia's elusive Barguzin combat railway missile complex (BZhRK) is undermining the US doctrine of Prompt Global Strike (PGS) which envisages knocking a potential adversary out in as little as an hour, Igor Korotchenko, the editor-in-chief of National Defense magazine
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201708301056919137-barguzin-nuke-trains/

The Russian presidential elections are due in March 2018.
But it is not easy to be an opposition politician in Russia.
Murmansk FSB warns school kids: do not attend meeting with Aleksey Navalny.
The FSB and police have a clear message to local youth as presidential hopeful Navalny prepares for his visit to the Arctic city.
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/life-and-public/2017/09/murmansk-fsb-warns-school-kids-do-not-attend-meeting-aleksey-navalny#.WbpkOrIw9y8.twitter

«How charming - they sent me from Murmansk, the local administration is preparing for my visit to the city», Aleksey Navalny writes on his website and shows a message sent from a local supporter.
According to the message, the school teachers of the local School No 1 have on the request of the local government announced that students who attend tomorrow’s planned visit of opposition politician Aleksey Navalny will have to register on lists which will be submitted to the FSB.
Better not attend this meeting if you are planning to continue your studies in higher government education, the note says.

http://www.pravdareport.com/news/society/stories/12-09-2017/138648-russia_evacuation-0/

Mass evacuations in Russia as bombs were reported in schools and shopping centres

http://www.pravdareport.com/news/society/stories/12-09-2017/138648-russia_evacuation-0/

Mass evacuations in Russia as bombs were reported in schools and shopping centres

Hmm...

Perm: nine schools, a railway station, a bus station, two shopping centres, the city administration and the municipal administration;
Krasnoyarsk: seven shops and shopping centres;
Vladivostok: five shopping centres, a bus station and a dormitory;
Chelyabinsk: 10 shopping and entertainment centres;
Magadan: two cinemas, a market, four schools and two universities;
Yekaterinburg: a bus station, a shopping centre and an office centre;
Stavropol: city administration, regional council, shopping centres, schools, universities and dormitories;
Ufa: seven shopping centres;
Omsk: city administration, pension fund office, cinemas, schools, shopping malls, hotels;
Bryansk: more than 10 shopping centres
Novosibirsk: a bus station, a hotel and clubs;
Ryazan 11 shopping centres;
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: shopping centres, municipal administration and regional government.

Sounds more like a drill.
Russia have many of those today.
Almost every town lies in Siberia.
Putin checking his subjects in the East perhaps?

According to the message, the school teachers of the local School No 1 have on the request of the local government announced that students who attend tomorrow’s planned visit of opposition politician Aleksey Navalny will have to register on lists which will be submitted to the FSB. Better not attend this meeting if you are planning to continue your studies in higher government education, the note says.

The Russian Ruling Class. Be it Tsarist, Communist or Putin never changes.

Yes.
And Putin has now been in power longer than Brezhnev. 6603 days.
https://tvrain.ru/teleshow/vechernee_shou/putin_peregnal_brejnev-444761

btw. I worked with a Russian woman (many years ago) that used to see Brezhnev on the Red Square podium on Victory day.
For every year passing by he had many more medals on his chest and she wondered when he should fall over the podium:)
Well. It could be worse...

The clip of a tribute to the cult-like singer and songwriter Viktor Tsoi (1962 – 1990), the Soviet citizen of Korean origin, one of the most popular and musically influential in the history of Russian rock-music (till now even) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu0rYbwNp_w

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Tsoi

Asgardia (The Space Nation, The Space Kingdom) holds a press conference in Moscow, Russia, to celebrate its first anniversary - https://asgardia.space/en/page/notifications/Asgardia_First_Anniversary

P.S. Concept «Asgardia – the Space Nation» by Dr. Igor Ashurbeyli - https://asgardia.space/en/word

P.P.S. It's ridiculously, of course. But... time will show.

Asgardia (The Space Nation, The Space Kingdom) holds a press conference in Moscow, Russia, to celebrate its first anniversary - https://asgardia.space/en/page/notifications/Asgardia_First_Anniversary
P.S. Concept «Asgardia – the Space Nation» by Dr. Igor Ashurbeyli - https://asgardia.space/en/word
P.P.S. It's ridiculously, of course. But... time will show.

Asgardia Motto: One Humanity, One Unity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asgardia_(nation)
Asgardia intends to apply for membership of the UN in 2018:)

Some thought huge ball of light in Russian sky was alien invasion.

Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g03vomGBZcE

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation explained that there is no mysticism in the incident.
Just the ballistic missiles Putin was firing in the Arctic zone.
And the glowing ball is just a trace from the rocket.

Not only North Korea is preparing for nuclear war:(
Satan 2: Russia test fires ballistic missile that could wipe out entire countries
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/satan-2-russia-icbm-missile-destroy-countries-us-nuclear-weapons-intercontinental-ballistic-a8022831.html

Only in Russia?

Kremlin candidates for governor look more like they're training to be The Governator.
Latest round: lay under an APC, shoot assault rifle & parachute drop.

Russia’s New Governors Duck Under Tanks to Prove Their Mettle.
https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russia-new-governors-duck-under-tanks-to-prove-their-mettle-59523

Only in Russia?

Kremlin candidates for governor look more like they're training to be The Governator.
Latest round: lay under an APC, shoot assault rifle & parachute drop.

Russia’s New Governors Duck Under Tanks to Prove Their Mettle.
https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russia-new-governors-duck-under-tanks-to-prove-their-mettle-59523

Not too different than US politics.

I am reminded of the Sept. 13, 1988 'tank moment'...



Democratic Presidential nominee Michael Dukakis (in his campaign against Republican nominee George H. W. Bush) takes a ride on a M1A1 Abrams main battle tank during a campaign event.

The press just about laughed themselves to death at the sight.

The tank moment.... one of the worst campaign backfires.... ever.

---

https://youtu.be/iY57ErBkFFE

#Texit

Don't blame me, I voted for Johnson(L) in 2016.

Truth is dangerous... especially when it challenges those in power.

And I remember this.
Former president Bush arrives on carrier for 'end of war' speech.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSPNwlnpWCk
These politician "stunts" happens not only in the US and Russia.
Even in Sweden:)

Some Slave music!
Let's squat and enjoy some Kvass:)
Stay Cheeki Breeki.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBhh23-paLU

Some more Slav Music!
Hard bass!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnPkmozi7Zc
Wear an Adidas tracksuit and become a gopnic and enjoy. 
Oh. Buy a BMW or a Lada and you are home free:)

Oh, yes, of course, Ukrainian's authors music is very suitable for the "Russia in the 21C" topic...

P.S. Sarcasm. LOL.

LOL.

Hardbass or Hard Bass (Russian: Хардбас) is a subgenre of electronic music which originated from Russia during the 2000s.

Popular in most Slav countries.
Anyway. Cheeki Breeki is however from an Ukrianian computer game.
But the "composer" Arpatje is neither Russian or Ukrainian.
He was from Germany:)

Meanwhile in Russia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyDi8kI9gp0

Of Course Putin's Heroes Are Too Good to Be True
His attempt to glorify Ivan the Terrible and other historical figures isn't going so well.
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-11-21/of-course-putin-s-heroes-are-too-good-to-be-true
Yes. Putin's affection to the Russian history is well known.
But what history is Putin refering to?
For instance. Prince Vladimir I was not a Slav.
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80_%D0%A1%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87#Княжение_в_Новгороде
No. First he was the Prince of Novgorod, Holmgård as the Vikings called it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veliky_Novgorod#Princely_state_within_Kievan_Rus.27
Rather funny that Putin erect monuments of people that are of scandinavian/finnish/estonian origin and also claim they are Slavs.
Maybe Putin drank to much Kvass and ate too much Semechki when attending history classes in Saint Petersburg.
Stay Cheeki Breeki:)

Ivan Grozny is named in historical literature in English language as "Ivan the Terrible", but it's deception actually. "Grozny" in Russian is nothing common with a "Terrible". A better translation into modern English would be "Ivan the Formidable".

Ivan Grozny is named in historical literature in English language as "Ivan the Terrible", but it's deception actually. "Grozny" in Russian is nothing common with a "Terrible". A better translation into modern English would be "Ivan the Formidable".

Not "Formidable" enough:) He was denied to marry Katerina Jagiellonka, later Queen of Sweden.
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%AF%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B0