#Moscow fashion Week

[poohsources]

🐝  *  ―  𝑪𝑶𝑪𝑲𝑻𝑨𝑰𝑳 𝑸𝑼𝑰𝒁. ( send one or multiple of these to learn a little more about my muse(s). )

[ mai tai ]  if they could have any superpower in the world, what would they choose? [ white russian ]  what would they do if they won the lottery? [ grasshopper ]  what / who would they dress up as for halloween? [ tequila sunrise ]  how would they spend their perfect day? [ californication ]  what do they think is their greatest achievement in life? [ caipirinha ]  if they could change one thing about themself, what would it be? [ painkiller ]  what is their greatest regret? [ moscow mule ]  if they could travel through time, where would they go? [ dry martini ]  what is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to them? [ tom collins ]  which living person would they most want to meet? [ greyhound ]  if they could have a dinner with just one person ( dead or alive ) who would they choose? [ planter's punch ]  how long does it take to befriend them? [ sangria ]  do they have any special routines they follow every single day? if yes, which? [ whiskey sour ]  what is the biggest lie they ever told someone? [ zombie ] do they believe in life after death? [ margarita ]  what are their biggest pet peeves? [ mojito ]  what is one goal they are working towards? [ appletini ]  who do they consider the most important person in their life? why? [ cosmopolitan ]  what is their happiest memory ever? [ gin tonic ]  who influenced them the most? [ bloody mary ]  what would they do if they only had one week left to live? [ manhattan ]  where would they like to travel the most? [ old fashioned ]  what would their adult self tell their kid self if they could go back in time? [ blue lagoon ]  how do they typically react when faced with something they fear? [ sidecar ]  what type of person are they most likely drawn to? [ negroni ]  what is one piece of advice they would give others? [ hurricane ]  which song describes them the most? why? [ sex on the beach ]  what do they consider red flags in a relationship? [ mimosa ]  which incident shaped them the most? [ long island iced tea ]  if they had the chance to redo their life, what would they do differently the second time around? [ mint julep ]  which was their dream job as a kid? [ singapore sling ]  how do they react to disappointments? [ alexander ]  what would they do with one million dollars / euros / pounds / whatever currency they use? [ screwdriver ]  which habit do they wish they could get rid of? [ gin fizz ]  do they consider a glass half-full or half-empty? [ aperol spritz ]  which is one thing they still think about a lot? [ piña colada ]  how do they show affection? [ swimming pool ]  what is the most important lesson they've learned in recent years? [ b52 ]  how would they describe themselves in as few words as possible? [ daiquiri ]  do they believe in true love? why or why not?

[dontforgetukraine]

TIFF: And so it continues...5 to ZFF

Aaand "Russians at War" is going to be at the Zurich Flim Festival. Because of course.

The Russian Canadian director Anastasia Trofimova met a soldier on home leave in Moscow's subway, accompanying him to the front lines, where she spent over a year filming unauthorized footage in a battalion near the Ukrainian border. In her film, she gives voice to soldiers who have no understanding of the war's causes and soon find themselves mourning comrades who have become Putin's cannon fodder. This harrowing and unique war documentary captures images you would never see in the news media. 'Who are the Russian soldiers who are fighting against Ukraine? What do they think of Putin? The documentary has them speak their minds. A film that revealed more to me about this conflict than 100 newspaper articles.' – Christian Jungen Anastasia Trofimova Anastasia Trofimova was born in Moscow and is a Russian-Canadian filmmaker. She first studied communications and political science and then international relations. Trofimova is a renowned filmmaker who has made a name for herself through her work in conflict zones such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Russia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In her films, she addresses social inequality and injustice. She has been honoured with the Canada Screen Award and has participated as a jury member at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards five times. RUSSIANS AT WAR (2024) / CONGO, MY PRECIOUS (2017) / VICTIMS OF ISIS (2015) / HER WAR: WOMEN VS. ISIS (2015)

No mention of RT in the director's bio of course. Same shit, different film festival.

Also, if this propaganda film reveals more to you about the war than 100 news articles, that's not shining praise for the film, but rather an indictment of the sorry state of our collective media landscape in Ukraine and the West.

The West obviously has a problem of not reporting on Ukraine as often anymore. It's not "fashionable". A lot of the reporting I've come across is superficial and there is rarely a deep dive into the Ukrainian civilian aspect of the war. It seems there always has to be either a grotesque catastrophic event due to Russian aggression (like the Okhmatdyt children's cancer hospital), or an interesting enough topic in order for something to be considered (like the Mykola Hryshko national botanical garden being in danger of losing its tropical plants due to the war causing electricity cuts.) There is a dearth of human interest stories, which is the core of understanding this war and the effects it has on Ukrainians.

When there is such a story, it falls into the situation of the "box-ticking approach", as described by Dr. Olesya Khromeychuk:

It is not enough to simply ‘do Ukraine’ by reviewing one book on the war, especially if it’s by a Western journalist rather than a Ukraine-based author. It’s not enough to host one exhibition, particularly if it is by an artist or photographer who only spent a few weeks in the country. Quickly putting together a panel on Russia’s war in response to a major development at the front and adding a sole Ukrainian voice at the last minute doesn’t cut it either. This box-ticking approach is unhelpful and insulting.

Most if not all of the quotes I pull from human-interest stories are from Ukrainian journalism. If you've been following me for the short time I've had this blog up, you'll notice I read a lot. At this point I've given up on looking up Western based English media, because the core stories that define the war are just not there. If there is an interesting article from the West, I'll usually see it pop up on my Twitter feed (like the botanical garden story) and I'll take a look then because its been recommended and has what I'm looking for.

And finally, Western media can't let go of having some Russian expert talk about Ukraine, instead of actually talking to Ukrainians.

Kate from Kharkiv: Ukrainian media, both in Ukrainian and English, must improve their regional reporting. They are increasingly resembling local Kyiv media, which limits global awareness of events across Ukraine. Consequently, international media rarely cover these regions unless we die en mass. But not too often, because if often it is not news anymore.

Like Kate from Kharkiv points out, mass-casualty events are no longer "fashionable". She further indicates the lack of essential reporting in specific regions where conditions are different from Kyiv. One such example is the Russians turning Kherson into a "human safari". Initially, only Zarina Zabrisky was reporting on how Russian drones pilots were deliberately targeting civilians, and she shouldn't have to be the only one reporting on this. While there are some Western news outlets that have reported on this situation now, it's still not enough. Zarina Zabrisky is still diligently doing the bulk of the work in reporting on this. I can only imagine what other stories in other regions are going untold because there is little to no coverage.

The other obstacle I've noticed is accessibility to news in Ukraine from a language perspective. There isn't enough English language coverage from Ukrainian media outlets. While I would love to be able to read Ukrainian confidently, I'm nowhere near there yet, and the West is collectively even further away. Google translate isn't a great substitute either for obvious reasons. The number of times I wanted to read/watch a news report, and there was no English supplement is a lot. It happens frequently with the English language Ukrainian news accounts I follow. They'll post a clip from a news report with no translated subtitles and say, "look at this!", but I can't extract the information they want to show because of this problem.

This is why I hold volunteer translators as some of the most valuable contributors in the information space, and I will always credit them.

It's a vicious cycle. If a large proportion of Ukrainian news media is inaccessible to Western media due to the language barrier, information has even less of a chance of being noticed and spreading. This is, in my opinion, the other side of the coin on issues in the information war.

[ddagent]

Happy First Day Back at School!

"Good morning." The receptionist didn't look up. "My name is Margaret Reynolds?" Still no response. Margo wrinkled her nose as she explained why she was here at all. "I'm the new substitute?"

At that, the receptionist at Spiro T Agnew High School looked up and gave Margo what she needed: ID, class list, directions to her classroom. The receptionist eyed her carefully, taking in the support bandage around her wrist, the welts on both. The slight crack in one glasses lens and fashion that was 'Soviet chic' (which it was). But then she blinked, and moved on to getting Margo the rest of her paperwork. No doubt she thought Margo just another retiree dragged out to help the state's teaching crisis. Certainly not a Russian defector who had been tortured by Russian state police not one week earlier.

"Head down that corridor, ask for Mister Bezukhov. He's the head of Physics; he'll help you."

And just like that, Margo began her illustrious, if temporary, teaching career. "Thank you."

With a nod, Margo moved down the corridors of the Iowa high school. She had rarely stepped foot into such academic halls; Emma had always rejected any invitations for her to speak at graduations, careers events. Margo hadn't wanted to stand on a podium and be an inspiration: she'd wanted her work to speak for itself. The work. That was why she was here after all. That was why she was hidden. After eight long years sitting in a Moscow apartment staring at the walls, Margo was on the cusp of returning to what she loved most.

All it had taken was a major accident on an asteroid and a coup in the Soviet Union.

But until NASA had the report from Roscosmos – and until the CIA could be sure the KGB wouldn't kill her for her re-defection – Margo was stuck here. In Iowa. She wasn't allowed to return to Houston without her handler. Not permitted to contact Aleida. Not permitted to even try to find—

"Sergei."

Margo couldn't believe it. It had to be someone else. There was no possible chance that the CIA would have stashed her away in the same town they were keeping another high-profile defector. But it was him. Same bright, unyielding smile. Same eyes that missed nothing, whether it be calculations or trajectories or some kid heading off to smoke in the bathroom. Same love of sweaters. He looked good. So good. Better than the last time she had seen him in person: he wasn't coughing up blood into a handkerchief, his face wasn't gaunt, his eyes not always cast over his shoulder, waiting for the next KGB blow.

But as she took in Sergei Nikulov, her heart filling with something akin to joy, she caught sight of his right hand, and the wedding band nestled on his finger. Of course he was married. Of course he'd moved on.

Margo was suddenly experiencing a depressurisation event. All the oxygen had been sucked out of the room and she couldn't breathe. Couldn't think, couldn't function. She just needed to go. Couldn't face him; couldn't ruin the careful existence he'd carved out for himself. A life. With a wife and a job and a house and all the things Margo never could have given him. I need to go.

She stumbled back, right into a group of twelfth graders. There were a few cuss words offered that reinforced Margo's continual decision never to procreate. And then Sergei was behind her, telling them to be more respectful, to be professional in these hallowed halls of learning. They got five paces away before the kids cackled. Do you hate this? Margo wondered, staring straight ahead at an emergency exit. Or is this better than staring at the walls?

"I apologise for their conduct; they are not all like that." Margo could not turn around. Could not greet the smile that was no doubt waiting for her, before it faltered at the sight of her. "You are Ms Reynolds, yes? I am Sergei Bezukhov. I have been looking forward to having another engineer here."

He laughed. It quickly died in his throat. He took a step closer. "Is everything alright?"

Margo turned around. What else could she do? She turned around and watched as the colour drained from his face and she satisfied an eight year old promise she had never thought she'd keep. "Hello, Sergei."

[look-sharp-notes]

Серебряная, позолоченная, эмалированная настольная сигаретница Карла Фаберже. Золото, кабошон сапфира, навершие из лунного камня. Москва, около 1896 г. /

"Среди русских аристократов той эпохи было модно иметь новый портсигар на каждый день недели. Каждый четверг придворный ювелир Карл Фаберже выставлял в своих магазинах новые изделия, и "звезды" и знаменитости той эпохи собирались у входа в магазин, чтобы посмотреть и купить что-нибудь новенькое".

An enamelled silver gilt table cigarette box by Carl Faberge. Gold, cabochon sapphire, moonstone set finial. Moscow, circa 1896. /

"It was fashionable between Russian aristocrats of that era to have a new cigarette case for each day of the week. Each Thursday court jeweler Karl Faberge exhibited new items in his shops and 'the stars' and celebrities of that era were to be gathered at the storefront to see and to buy something new".

[yoificfinder]

Hello!! Thank you so much for your help in finding fics and recommending fics for us :))

Thanks to ur acc ive gotten to read alot of fics!!

I was wondering if you could please recommend some Model aus?? I have been wondering about a model au of viktuuri for a while and just wanted to know some good ones tyy!!

Hello and you're very much welcome!

Here are the model AUs I rec:

caught on film, captured forever by @thehobbem [T, 5K]

First, Victor looks.

He's a photographer after all, look is what he does. Besides, beautiful things are meant to be looked at, and what could be more beautiful than Yuuri Katsuki?

But when Victor listens, touches, and opens his eyes not to look but to see, he realizes that just looking at Yuuri is missing the point.

the click of your heels on the floor (sets my heart racing to the beat) by thewalrus_said [M, 7K]

“Yes, I design shoes,” Nikiforov told us this week, face flushed and hands uncharacteristically flying around as he spoke. “But I don’t design a shoe to be put on a foot. I design a shoe to be worn with the whole body. I design expressions, confidence, attitude - if you put on a pair of my shoes, you should feel it all the way up in your eyebrows. The first time I saw him in one of my designs, it was like my sketches had walked off the page. He is what I’ve been working towards my entire career.”

He is Katsuki Yuuri, a breakout model who made his debut last year at Moscow’s Fashion Week.

Lesson In Love by rinsled05 / @dreaming-fireflies [T, 28K]

Viktor is a fashion designer who owns a luxury lingerie store and is in a creative rut. Yuuri is a graduate with a business degree and desperately eager to prove himself. Yuri can't understand how the hell the two fell for each other. (Phichit totally gets it, though.)

Striding the Line by @lucycamui [E, 4K]

Victor is a luxury shoe designer struggling with inspiration and in desperate need of it to save his new line. In comes Yuuri with his soft nature and pretty feet, whose professionalism on set and transformation off set has Victor determined to create the perfect pair of shoes that will capture the enigmatic Eros nature of one Yuuri Katsuki.

[dreadteller]

  *  ―  𝑪𝑶𝑪𝑲𝑻𝑨𝑰𝑳 𝑸𝑼𝑰𝒁. ( send one or multiple of these to learn a little more about my muse(s). )

🍍 [ mai tai ]  if they could have any superpower in the world, what would they choose?

🐻‍❄️ [ white russian ]  what would they do if they won the lottery?

🦗 [ grasshopper ]  what / who would they dress up as for halloween?

☀️ [ tequila sunrise ]  how would they spend their perfect day?

🌴 [ californication ]  what do they think is their greatest achievement in life?

🪞 [ caipirinha ]  if they could change one thing about themself, what would it be?

💊 [ painkiller ]  what is their greatest regret?

🐴 [ moscow mule ]  if they could travel through time, where would they go?

🍸 [ dry martini ]  what is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to them?

📞 [ tom collins ]  which living person would they most want to meet?

🐾 [ greyhound ]  if they could have a dinner with just one person ( dead or alive ) who would they choose?

👊 [ planter's punch ]  how long does it take to befriend them?

🍓 [ sangria ]  do they have any special routines they follow every single day? if yes, which?

🍋 [ whiskey sour ]  what is the biggest lie they ever told someone?

🧟‍♂️ [ zombie ] do they believe in life after death?

🧊 [ margarita ]  what are their biggest pet peeves?

🌿 [ mojito ]  what is one goal they are working towards?

🍎 [ appletini ]  who do they consider the most important person in their life? why?

💃 [ cosmopolitan ]  what is their happiest memory ever?

💦 [ gin tonic ]  who influenced them the most?

🦟 [ bloody mary ]  what would they do if they only had one week left to live?

🌇 [ manhattan ]  where would they like to travel the most?

🗝️ [ old fashioned ]  what would their adult self tell their kid self if they could go back in time?

🌊 [ blue lagoon ]  how do they typically react when faced with something they fear?

🚘 [ sidecar ]  what type of person are they most likely drawn to?

💬 [ negroni ]  what is one piece of advice they would give others?

🌪️ [ hurricane ]  which song describes them the most? why?

🍆 [ sex on the beach ]  what do they consider red flags in a relationship?

🍊 [ mimosa ]  which incident shaped them the most?

🫖 [ long island iced tea ]  if they had the chance to redo their life, what would they do differently the second time around?

🐎 [ mint julep ]  which was their dream job as a kid?

🤬 [ singapore sling ]  how do they react to disappointments?

⚔️ [ alexander ]  what would they do with one million dollars / euros / pounds / whatever currency they use?

🪛 [ screwdriver ]  which habit do they wish they could get rid of?

🫧 [ gin fizz ]  do they consider a glass half-full or half-empty?

💨 [ aperol spritz ]  which is one thing they still think about a lot?

⛱️ [ piña colada ]  how do they show affection?

🎱 [ swimming pool ]  what is the most important lesson they've learned in recent years?

💣 [ b52 ]  how would they describe themselves in as few words as possible?

💌 [ daiquiri ]  do they believe in true love? why or why not?

from @poohsources !!

[styleofdiamandis]

PHOTOSHOOT: FLAUNT MAGAZINE

One of Marina's most colorful photoshoots up to date has to be her Flaunt Magazine shoot lensed by Andrew Yee.

The whimsical styling was done by Laury Smith with hair by John D. and makeup by Dawn Broussard.

For the first photo, Marina wears a nude nylon mesh ruffled puff sleeve mini dress designed by Paule Ka. I couldn't find the exact dress but I strongly believe, judging by the shape of the shoulders, that it belongs to his Fall/Winter 2009 collection.

Throughout the entire spread, Marina wears costume jewelry by Erickson Beamon. Her blue patent leather belt is from Vivienne Westwood's "Red Label" line, and she also wears Tricot hot pink dernier tights by American Apparel.

The futuristic trend, which was huge back in late 2009/early 2010 was also pretty much present during this shoot, especially with the help of this Alexander McQueen Pre-Fall 2010 Galle printed stretch silk cocktail dress with sharp, padded shoulders.

The theme (and silhouette) continues with this grey and nude geometric printed stretch jersey dress with padded shoulders and long sleeves from emerging designer Clare Lopeman's Fall/Winter 2010 collection presented during Moscow Fashion Week!

Marina then smoulders into the camera while wearing a vintage plissé silk jacket with print - a gem found at The Way We Wore, my favorite vintage store in Los Angeles!

Last but definitely not least, the Greek-Welsh beauty poses in a colorful patchwork silk jacket which is an off-the-runway piece from Indian designer Manish Arora's eclectic Fall/Winter 2009 collection.

[ukrainenews]

President Joe Biden slipped into Kyiv on Monday for the first time since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago, demonstrating in dramatic personal fashion his commitment to the country and its struggle as the war enters an uncertain new phase.

The highly secretive visit – which took place as air raid sirens could be heard ringing out around Kyiv while Biden walked alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky around the gold-domed St. Michael’s Cathedral – comes at a critical moment in the 12-month conflict, with Russia preparing for an expected spring offensive and Ukraine hoping to soon retake territory.

Biden announced a half-billion dollars in new assistance, saying the package would include more military equipment, such as artillery ammunition, more javelins and Howitzers. And he said new sanctions would be imposed on Moscow later this week.

[viandede-porque]

Ah, yeah. Moscow fashion week.

[choerrysjubiles]

Love in Moscow

King Ivan x reader

Warnings: written with the intention of gn reader but one detail slipped and mentioned afab :(, mentions of animal hide (only once!), mentions of food

word count: 2.4k

Author’s note: inspired by one's songs 'Moscow Moscow' and 'we must love' but there's no correlation in the lyrics, just vibes.

The Kingdom of Snow was cold. That was obvious, if a place snows it's cold. But no one told how cold the Kingdom of Snow was. It’s easy to dismiss miles upon miles of ice and constant snow as cold but to travel through it and feel how cold this tundra was is a completely different thing.

Because of the weather, carriages are hard to come across. The harsh winds can blow everything you carry away, the ice can wither down the wood easily, the long stretches of land between cities can leave you to succumb to the elements. To travel in this kingdom was for the wealthier: to own a carriage with steel wheels, to bulk up your horses for the long and cold journey, to supply a large stock of resources during the long voyage through the cold.

Once you pass the cold meadows you then travel into the forests. This part seems easier. Instead of harsh snowy winds, you saw tall fir and pine trees. Here you could warm better from the insulation from the thick woods surrounding you. You saw glimpses of wildlife, foxes and snow rabbits, when peering out of the carriages windows. Seeing the vast landscapes of this kingdom reminds you of your role to play. Your role in your new marriage.

After the passing of his father, Prince Ivan was crowned the new king. There was little interaction with the public during that time, you could only guess that there was talk of coronation, betrothal, new positions in government. 

And here you are, a noble daughter from the outer parts of the Rain Kingdom, traveling north. A long journey from where you’ve spent all of your life. Where you were from had some bad winters but it's nothing compared to this. And you're not even there yet. You’ve been traveling for almost a week, a few days trip taking so long because of the harsh snow. You’re not mad, it’s just very shocking to see places so vastly different, and especially cold. You're so deep into thought about the weight of everything you jump a little when your lady in waiting talks.

"Are you nervous?"

You take a second to collect yourself, trying to remember what your friend, Rosalie, just asked.

"U-umm," Your face flushed, "Maybe." You couldn’t help but laugh. "I'm not scared-nervous, but I'm kind of nervous?"

"That doesn't make sense Y/N."

Hushing her, you said "Maaaybee, but it's not like sweating-nervous but a hmm-what-should-i-expect-nervous" you tapped your chin to animate your thought. 

You both start laughing. This moment helped you, you’ve been so caught up in what could happen you’re finally able to take a breath and live in the now.

Rosalie starts grabbing at something she kept in her pocket. 

“Now,” She brings out a little portrait of someone and holds it by the side of your face, “I do dare say you two would make a handsome couple.” 

Your face burns hot, “You did not take that.”

“And who to say I did? Maybe a certain princess, soon-to-be queen, may have.”

You grab the portrait laughing, “Where did you find this?”

The portrait came in the mail with a package of animal pelts, fashioned into cloaks and jackets, alongside a paper talking over a betrothal arrangement. A huge opportunity, especially from a lower noble of a foreign kingdom. Your parents talked it over with the court of the Rain Kingdom and it was decided to set the betrothal for the two of you. Later on, your kingdom’s court painter did your portrait to send over to the Snow Kingdom’s court.

You remember showing your friends at court, though your mother told you not to, this portrait of Prince Ivan. So much fun, picking out clothing for your portrait, them analyzing his face to guess his personality. Though it was only a few weeks ago, so many fun memories arose from this portrait. 

When you awoke the coach announced that they would be arriving soon. That soon was apparently in an hour. You quickly woke up Rosalie and Jane telling them the news. Oh my god, you’re going to be meeting your husband. Your heart rate is going through the roof. Will he like you? Do you look good enough to meet the court? Who’s at the court? Will someone make enemies with you? A million things are going through your mind. 

“Hey, Y/N! Stop making that face, it’s fine.” Says Jane.

“How do you know?”

“Because he’s probably doing the same thing, running around his palace acting a fool. He’s probably changed his clothes three times to make sure he looks good for you.” She’s rubbing your back in circular motions.

“Yeah, yeah. H-he was the one who sent his portrait, not me.” You rationalize.

“Exactly,” chimed Rosalie, “You must remain calm and collected to out-cool him.”

You laugh, “Yeah, out cool him. I’m new, I’m cool.

Before you know it, you’re already in the city.

Jane claps her hands together saying “Okay, we’re almost there! Let’s get you to your best presentability.” 

You rake your fingers through your hair, brushing and smoothing it out, your friends smooth out your clothes. When you arrive at the gates of the court you only peak through the little bit you can see from the closed curtain. From what little you do see, you saw ornate brick and a huge palace with details of gold and beautiful shrubs. It was classy without showing off. A perfect balance between simple yet intricate. 

The carriage stopped in front of a tall staircase leading up to the palace, giving a beautiful view of the building. Everyone got out and the luggage was taken to various apartments. With very step you looked everywhere, from the floor to the light shining on the palace, the height of the palace to the gardens in the background, this was such a beautiful place. Your breath was taken even more when you entered the palace. Warm wood flooring with gold embellishments everywhere. Walls were adorned with a cerulean blue wallpaper, perfectly accenting the gold furniture. 

You were shown to the apartment where you would be staying. It was very spacious, having the size of two rooms, it looked like they removed a large door to open up this front room to the back room. The front part of the room was adorned with a mini piano, some chairs,a couch, a table, and a bookshelf. While the back half of the room, beyond the arch, was the bedroom. Here was a bed, a wardrobe, a vanity, a privacy screen beside the wardrobe, a writing desk, a small fireplace, another bookshelf, and a set of nightstands. 

You were dazzled by the details in every furniture piece, the deep brown colors contrasting the gold hardware. The wallpaper in your room was a soft gray blue, there were some picture frames on the walls, some of the women who were nobles here.

A chambermaid walks in with your trunk and curtsey at you, “Hello, ma’am, I’m Ivanna. I’ll be your servant.”

You curtsey back at her, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ivanna.”

Turning towards a certain painting, “Could you tell me who she is?”

“That’s the King’s mother, ma’am.”

“Oh, thank you.” You walk towards the trunk she carried in and started going through it. You see her leave the room, probably to grab at the rest of them. As you lay out the contents you start putting things away in their respective area. 

When Ivanna reappears she tells you that this is your clothing trunk. 

“Ah, thank you. I’ll put these up immediately.”

“Ah, ma’am, should I help you get ready for dinner tonight? It may start in two hours.”

“I don’t want to hassle you, you’re doing enough for me already.” 

You walk over to the vanity, by the window, and start fixing your hair. You smooth it out and style it accordingly. When done, you walk over to your trunk and look through the clothing to pick out your dinner clothes. 

“Could you help me, Ivanna?” You flushed a little, “I don’t want to wear the wrong thing on the first dinner here.”

She walks over and looks at the clothes laid out. Scanning over them, she picks out the light blue outfit. “This one.”

“Thank you!” You grab it and take it to the other side of the wardrobe screen. It was a gray tone baby blue cotton outfit, adorned with white flowers along the seam lines and neckline. After dressing you paired it with some silver and clear crystal jewelry. You walk towards the bed seeing a small oval picture frame next to some books, examining it you realize it’s the portrait of Prince Ivan. Blushing you grab it and store it away into one of the nightstands. 

You hear a light knock on your door, turning around, you see your mother walk into the room. She smiles at you, “You look so well.”

“Thank you, mother.” You smile at her.

“The dinner will start soon,” She locks her arms with yours, “I’ll miss you.”

“We still have time together, mother, we still have today and tomorrow morning.”

“We do, I’m just stuck in my head.” She chuckles.

The two of you walk down the hallways to find the rest of the party. The servants escort everyone to the dining hall, during the walk down you notice how different everything looks in candlelight. Before the palace had a yellow softness from the sunlight and now everything has an orange tinge to it. Not bad but it’s very different, almost feels like a whole new palace. 

When you arrive at the dining hall King Ivan, his mother, and someone new was there to greet you. Everyone did their curtsey to the new king and found their place at the dinner table. King Ivan looked quite similar to the portrait given to you, but the painting couldn’t show how tall he was going to be. He’s almost towering over people, had he not brought his, even taller, friend, Ivan would be the tallest in the room. 

Before everyone was finished exchanging names, Ivan made his way over to you. “Thank you for making tonight, or, um. Thank you for agreeing to this arrangement.”

You try to stay collected when answering, hearing his fumble over his words calms your nerves. 

“Of course, thank you for the invitation and everything.”

He smiles at you, “How was the trip up here, other than cold, of course.”

“It was fun, the countryside is very beautiful.”

“That’s a relief, most can’t stand the solitude of the countryside.” He laughs.

“Do you prefer the city or the countryside?” You ask.

“O-oh, um, both are good. I like the city, but I think I like the countryside more. There is when I don’t have to worry, you know? I can be me, not king or prince. U-um what about you?” Ivan asks.

“I also like the countryside. I do agree with you on the, hmm, liking to take a break to the countryside. The city is nice but everyone deserves a break, every now and then.” You explain. 

You can see the sigh of relief Ivan let out. As soon as he thought of something to say everyone was ushered to sit at their spots.

The table was made of three long tables pushed together creating a squarish ‘U’ shape, with King Ivan and yourself at the front alongside your parents and his side had his mother and his friend. The longer sides were filled with his court guests and your party. 

“This palace is very beautiful.” You compliment him.

“Thank you, it’s a relief to hear how much you enjoy this kingdom. I was worried you’d hate everything.”

The servants come out and put down many dishes at every table. Roasted chicken, a stew, steamed fish, and two desserts, a cake dessert as well as a chocolate dessert. They served glasses of orange water as well as wine. 

Before everyone started eating, Ivan rose to give a toast.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming here. I appreciate those from the Rain Kingdom for making the journey to us, I do hope we treat you hospitably. May this union be happy and fruitful.”

As he sat down your mother caressed your hand, turning to face her, you see her smiling face. 

“He’s very promising.”

You laugh, “He is."

When everyone finished eating and conversing, people slowly started retiring to their apartments. You had conversed with Ivan most of the night, whether it was small talk or a deep question. You were completely immersed into the world of the two of you. At one point, you yawned and, worrying he tired you out, Ivan wanted you to go to bed. Going so far as to walk you to your room.

“You really didn’t have to walk me, but thank you.” You smiled.

“If I didn’t walk you here how could I be sure you don’t get lost?” He questions.

You laugh, “Maybe.”

Lingering at the door of your room, you don’t want to go in. Not just yet.

“Thank you,” you begin, “Not just for walking me here, but for everything. You’ve shown me such kindness.”

You can feel your hands shake from how nervous you are, the both of you instinctually move closer to each other. You wonder if your heartbeat is audible from how hard it’s beating in your chest. 

“Your highness-”

The both of you jump from the sudden sound, moving away from each other as if caught in a bad position. A simple chambermaid was doing her usual duties and walked up to the two of you, both unaware of your surroundings.

“Are you okay, your highnesses?” the maid asks.

“Y-yes, I was just going to my room.” You explain, still jumpy.

“I-I walked her here, d-don’t worry!” Ivan is flushed a deep pink.

“I’m sorry if I disturbed you.” She curtseys and starts walking away.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get going.” Ivan says before he power walks away to his apartment.

You also go away and walk into your room. Closing the door behind you, you can feel your heart beat what feels like a hundred miles an hour. You walk over and fall onto your bed, exhaustion finally settling in. Looking up at the ceiling all you can think about was the dinner. Thinking of how this would be in a year from now, thinking of what the wedding was going to be like. 

You get up and change into your sleeping clothes. Before you climb into bed you open the nightstand where you threw that portrait. Smiling, you close the drawer back up.

[thenuclearmallard]

GLOBAL INDIGENOUS: Indigenous Russians, children and high fashion

MAR 1, 2023

Children of the Indigenous Russian Nenets people attend the Reindeer Herder's Day holiday on Sunday, March 15, 2015, in the city of Nadym, about 1,500 miles northeast of Moscow. Indigenous people in Russia in 2023 are being hit hard by the war in Ukraine through Western sanctions, mobilization to fight and loss of resources. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky/FILE)

Coverage around the world on Indigenous issues for the week ending Feb. 26, 2023

Deusdedit Ruhangariyo

Special to ICT

Around the world: Indigenous people in Russia are suffering from Putin’s war, a debate in Finland over Indigenous identity turns ugly, a Cree designer breaks through on a New York runway, and Australia’s Parliament is considering new protections for Indigenous children

RUSSIA: Putin's war hurts Indigenous Russians

Many of the consequences of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine is falling on Russia’s Indigenous population, who were already facing a steady decline in population, WorldCrunch.com reported on Feb. 7.

Indigenous communities are more prone to being mobilized and experiencing the effects of Western sanctions, according to WorldCrunch.com. They are also suffering from a loss of state benefits, with those funds now being redirected to the war effort.

Russia is home to 47 indigenous groups, some with populations as small as a few dozen people. The 2021 All-Russian Population Census revealed a significant decline in their numbers over the past decade, WorldCrunch.com reported.

Russia’s Indigenous people include the Kereks in Chukotka, the smallest Indigenous group with just 23 members reported in the 2021 census, to the Nenets of Russia’s Arctic region, the largest indigenous group with just under 50,000 individuals recorded in 2021.

The accuracy of the census data is questionable, however, since the government can manipulate the numbers, according to Dmitry Berezhkov, editor of the Indigenous Peoples website of Russia and a representative of the Itelmens, an Indigenous ethnic group of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

The Nenets, for example, could be even larger, but under Russian law, groups with more than 50,000 members are not considered Indigenous. The government may have chosen to reduce the reported numbers since the Nenets are heavily involved in traditional economic activities, such as reindeer herding and nature management, Berezhkov said.

"Removing them would affect the government’s framing of Indigenous people,” he said, according to WorldCrunch.com.

[mariacallous]

For most global observers trying to make sense of recent events in West Africa, the key points of interest follow a story as old as the Cold War: Outside of enormous humanitarian crises, the only events that garner much attention in Africa are contests between big outside powers.

For decades, that mostly meant the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. More recently, during a period when Beijing’s profile on the continent was sharply rising, it was U.S. interests versus China’s. And now, following the coup in Niger, writers have been rushing out analyses about a seesaw battle between Washington and Moscow in Africa’s Sahel region, with the added wrinkle of the shadowy Russian mercenary outfit known as the Wagner Group.

The years may come and go, but the main question asked in the rich world seems to never change: How will the rise of the latest authoritarian government on the block that doesn’t hew closely to Europe or Washington threaten to reduce U.S. or Western influence and power?

As persistent as it is, this pattern of assessments can only continue so long as the writers only think in the short term and fail to ask bigger questions. For starters, that might include looking into why, if Africa supposedly matters so much to Washington (or Europe), it hasn’t built more solid relations with the countries of that continent by now, into most African countries’ seventh decade of independence and nominal sovereignty.

As in Niger in the last two weeks, the least hint of a supposedly menacing wind from any authoritarian quarter brings on all kinds of heebie-jeebies for policy people in Washington (and Paris, in this case), as well as for most Western commentators. What they never seem to get around to asking is why the United States (or the continent’s former imperial bosses) has such tenuous relations with African countries in the first place, nor what—let’s stick to Washington for now—the country’s diplomats have been doing on the continent all this time to make the arrival of a new potential partner for an African state seem so disruptive and challenging.

To pursue such questions would invite painful self-scrutiny. Washington has mostly dawdled away the decades in Africa, switching around policy slogans every few years according to the tides of fashion but mostly sticking to two messages for Africans. The first: Don’t look to us for any kind of checkbook help in terms of vitalizing your economies. We wish you well as you pursue something called “public-private partnerships,” which usually mean very little of the former and not so much from the latter, either, unless the private businesses are involved in oil and gas.

The other well-worn theme is, of course, democracy. U.S. policymakers profess to love it in Africa, but they’ve never shown much skill at figuring out how to promote it there—nor, as the Niger coup amply demonstrates, defend it when it comes under attack. Washington spends a fair amount on military assistance in friendly African countries, but this is mostly about protecting U.S. interests, such as the so-called war on terror. As this Wall Street Journal piece shows, this has proved of little help when African democracies come under internal attack.

Let’s look at the threat side of the equation for a moment, though. As China dramatically expanded its influence in Africa beginning in the 1990s, especially accelerating in the early 2000s, did this really come at Washington’s expense, as so many handwringers warned? Very few are the African states that would not welcome much more U.S. (or Western) investment today, however thriving their China ties are. And many of these would also welcome much closer political relations, for that matter, so long as they were respectful. Such things would require change in Washington, though, and there is no hint of that on the horizon.

This makes all the talk about Russian gains in the Sahel and, more broadly, in Africa sound all the shallower. Yes, it is true that Moscow or Wagner could conceivably take over operational control of some of Washington’s drone bases in this very poor and generally sparsely inhabited region of Africa—and even possibly win some mining business there, too. But if this hasn’t happened with a much more thriving and dynamic China, which but the most desperate African countries would like to lash their medium- or long-term fortunes to Russia?

One quick measure of an answer came from the attendance at the 2023 Russia-Africa forum in St. Petersburg, which took place as the Niger coup was unfolding. According to one recent assessment, African participation at the head-of-state level was significantly lower than at the first such summit in 2019. It was also lower than at the U.S.-Africa summit last December.

All of this is to say that most of the reflexive talk about which outside power is winning or losing an edge in Africa is noise largely devoid of real significance. And to the extent that the United States gets worried, it only has itself to blame for being so unambitious in its engagement with the continent for so long. This reflexive focus has another negative effect, though. It prevents outsiders, and oftentimes even Africans themselves, from seeing what truly is significant about events surrounding the Niger coup.

The real action isn’t as spectacular as an international summit or headlines about great-power rivalry, and yet the most important politics in this and many other recent African crises are squarely African politics. These often draw upon deep historical currents that too few bother to take seriously. They also highlight the realities of state capacity and, indeed, state-making in Africa like little else. Finally, they point to an unavoidable reality: Africans will ultimately make or break their continent’s geopolitical landscape—and foreign interlopers, however muscle-bound they may appear, are ultimately fated to play a secondary role.

Witness, for instance, the visit to Niger shortly after the coup of the sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Abubakar—a spiritual leader of Nigeria’s Muslim community—as part of a mediation delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The sultan is revered and even followed by tens of millions of people in Nigeria as well as the neighboring countries of Niger and Chad, some of whom pay him tribute.

Today’s Sokoto state, located in northwestern Nigeria, and its sultan are the remnants of an indigenous caliphate that predated colonial rule and continues to hold influence and a grip on people’s imaginations and identities. That ECOWAS chose to send Abubakar to try to mediate Niger’s crisis shows that Africa’s own past, traditions, and many of the institutions that survived colonial rule retain more relevance in the lives of the continent’s people than many, especially outsiders, realize.

I have seen similar periods of intense intra-African geopolitics during my time writing about the continent. Nigeria’s leadership of peacekeeping efforts to help end the violence in deadly and disastrous wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone in the 1990s is one example. A conflict in post-Mobutu Zaire (Congo), which I also reported on from the ground, drew in so many of that giant central African country’s neighbors as rivals that it became known as Africa’s World War.

Niger’s coup has created a truly geopolitical moment for Africans—a time when the United States, Russia, France, and China became less immediately important than Africans themselves.

This is best seen in the role of Nigeria, the region’s largest country by far, whose new president, Bola Tinubu, happens to be the sitting head of ECOWAS, the region’s most important interstate political and economic organization. Tinubu and ECOWAS loudly insisted on the restoration of Niger’s overthrown leader as well as its democratic system. And it is not because the deadline they set for that to happen came and went (probably because several West African states vowed to defend Niger’s coup leaders) that this did not seem to matter.

Africans are feeling their way forward in the Sahel. This may seem halting, but it is indispensable for the region’s, and indeed Africa’s, future that Africans increasingly take charge of their own processes—creating their own bylaws, establishing their own guardrails, and brokering their own diplomatic as well as, where need be, military solutions.

I want to suggest an idea as old as the movement that led to independence on the continent starting with leaders like Kwame Nkrumah: African countries won’t begin to have meaningful sovereignty, and perhaps not be very consequential states at all, until they become the stewards and custodians of their own regions. This idea also draws on a venerable school in political science pioneered by the late social theorist Charles Tilly. His most cited nostrum was that war makes states.

Those who take this as a suggestion that African countries must fight each other as an obligatory step toward the development of capable states, as the European nations that Tilly studied once did, will have misunderstood me. What I mean, rather, is that working out an ever-deeper sense of mutual interest in regional political development, stability, and economic cooperation through deeper statecraft and engagement is going to be required of African nations if they are to get anywhere. And relying on outsiders to play front-line roles at the first sign of trouble will always be inimical to that.

[n-lesnikova]

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💥 Интересный образ на Moscow Fashion Week от @beena_style

✏️ #Art_NL

[kalikatze]

1, 15, 29, 50, and 89

1. What have you eaten today?

It's half past five in the afternoon, I've had breakfast and lunch so far. Breakfast was a bagel, one half with butter and cherry jam, one with chocolate spread. (And medication, but that isn't exactly food)

Lunch was a Brezel with butter and pieces of cheese (six different kinds, but don't ask which, I can only tell you one of them was a brie XD) and some iceberg lettuce with vinaigrette (rice wine vinegar, sunflower oil, mustard, honey and too much herb-salt).

I think I actually didn't snack anything between meals, which is rare, but I made East Friesian tea which is drunk with rock sugar and milk (well, cream traditionally, but I take milk), so I guess my desire/need for calories was satisfied that way.

15. Which do you prefer:a museum, a night club, the forest or a library?

Not the night club for sure.

Otherwise it depends on my mood and physical state (and what kind of museum).

On a bad pain day, definitely the library.

The museum is tempting if it's for something I'm interested in (shiny stones, science, art I like, historical fashion..) and if it has seats at regular intervals bc ugh are many museums unaccessible in that respect!

Forest is often lovely, but there's usually bugs and such, and no seats.. can you tell I struggle with fatigue and pain but can still walk XD

15. What is your style?

Mostly black jeans and t-shirts with prints. Very long hair up in a bun. Is that what this is asking? I'm not really going for a special aesthetic, I wanna be comfy and approachable to nice people but off-putting to bigots XD

29. What is the best thing that has happened to you this week?

So since I put the pillow in the last one, another highlight was ordering a German Russian course book, bc I'm losing my mind over Duolingo not teaching grammar. I know it makes some amount of sense and a lot of ppl starting from English don't know the concepts, but it's driving me nuts. From what I can tell, Russian shares a lot of grammatical concepts with German and I'm hoping the book will give me some aha moments

50. Favorite fruits?

Yaaaaas fruits! Raspberries are called 'cat berries' in our household bc I love them. I also love apples (braeburn or story), mandarines (though I have.. conditions they need to meet), cherries, peaches, strawberries (but only fresh and ripe), mangoes, granadillas, figs, apricots, litchis, .. I'm sure I'm forgetting some XD

89. If money wasn’t an issue, what top 10 places would you travel to? (You get to stay at each place for a week)

Oh dear, money isn't the biggest hurdle, accessibility/my energy levels is, and a few other things play into it as well, but let's see

1. Visit @prettypangolins again. I love them and want to spend time with them

2. Glasgow. Loved it there, want to see what changed, want to visit the Yarn Cake and Purrple Cat Café again

3. Visit @catblog-weatherwax and finally meet them for real, and their family, including cats

And then it gets interesting bc we get to the territory of visiting ppl I'd like to meet who I don't know if they'd want me to visit, and places I'd kinda like to see but don't know if they'd be accessible/safe enough for me, but let's assume both, then I'd go to

4. LA

5. Texas (probably two cities, I'd have to ask XD)

6. Moscow

7. New Zealand

8. Japan (make that at least Tokyo and Kyoto, maybe Osaka)

With the brackets we're at 10-11 then, right? Else I'd add Brussels, I think, and somewhere to see aurora borealis

Thank you for the ask, that was fun!!

[theorymin]

Moscow Fashion Week: Minimalist Marvels- Global Runway Trends Toward Minimalism - Firstpost

https://news.google.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?oc=5&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr