#from the russian [russkaya]

[ruskayas]

bledyshka -> ruskayas

[redswaberkez]

I want your corkscrew hcs!!! just rly anything. It can be fun stuff like his favorite soda or fave movies. Maybe some stuff specific to living in Russia that I'd have no idea was a thing otherwise if u got anything like that! I feel like all my hcs for him will be so lacking because I know so little about living there, but living in Sweden has rly upped my love for learning all the lil mundane differences in daily life from country to country

Okay small and specific shtop hcs leggoo

OUFFF my time has come i guess....finally expirience living in *there* would be useful lmao FIRST of all i wanna mention this one russian song in goin postal playlist

i think its a tribute in shtopors honor. bc like why else rws would put this ru song in there???

ANYWAY.

im not really good at explaining my feelings so im gonna throw a bunch of memes that has STRONG SHTOP VIBES. Memes are the ultimate association language right? im not apologising for klukva (stereotype memes) bc?? original dude is lit basic american trash so errything he knows abt russia is a bunch of stereotypes. makes sense ig

ok now here goes ru memes💥💥💥💥💥

(2nd pic: your pigs grunt violates the laws of the Ural (including shutting the rotten mug up, p.18) and i told my bois about it. I hope, your identity will be established. When crossing the border of Ekaterinburg you will kicked the fuck out with bicycle chains. This is Ural, not Moscow) (3rd pic: [i] hate the rednecks)

Ok NOW ONE SPECIFIC THING. once i mentioned that hes an airbone and here, when the national airbone day comes, its a common joke that the ones who served in it will jump into a fontains like PARATROOPERS WOOHOOOO. yea.

Tbh its really hard to tell where is the diff between your culture (i.e ur everyday life) and others when theres nothing to compare with. BUT. ill try

His concept of personal boundaries is really strange and fucked up compare to others bc here [russia] we r suspicious as hell (imo.) but also like a big family. but the cracked one. Or kinda sorta like that. BUT at the same time he is ready to help everyone who need it and he will not ask any questions. Also he would let live his friends in his small flat if they needed to. It would be really tricky tho. Also shtop is really REALLY LOUD. in every sense of the word

Shtopor knows how to survive in harsh conditions. How to make not-that-bad-edible food out of canned food. Just google navy-styled macaroni! (or Makarony po-flotski) yeass NAVY styled aaand hes the "army one". Out of all dudes at least shtop knows how to COOK. blini, macaroni, syrniki, okroshka, - all of it actually cheap, easy and real tasty. LOOK AT OKROSHKA I MEANNNN. cold soup of raw vegetables. ok.

Shtopor one of those dudes who is a coldfucker. He is actually low-temperatures-proof. (small preface) shtop is an eastern orthodox. AND ANOTHER ONE russkaya zabava. When the baptism of jesus comes we have a tradition to cut out the ICE HOLE in the river AND JUMP INTO IT 👍 or another similar thing when ur hot after the banya you fall into a snowdrift. (banya is like sauna or steam bath. u rarely go to the banya alone.) ((public banyas divides to male and female, commonly yall naked in there, now imagine shtops in public banya and his bi neuron activation haahahah)) (personay i dont really like public banyas cuz its PUBLIC)

Another notable mention i think shtop is actually dgaf what to whatch on tv but he likes to talk with it. That sofa commentators type of ppl u know em. After a really looong day he would mix vodka and beer, sat down in front of tv and gave his VERY IMPORTANT COMMENTS ON LITERALLY EVERY THEME IN THE WORLD in until he fell asleep.

Russian curse words is veeery various, it can contain a lot of definition for one word, but be different on vibes and occasions to use it. U can say an entire sentence without a single cultural word in it. And therefore shtop complains about the lack of swear words in english and often swears in Russian. "--da blyaaaaat' kak zhe zae- -- OH gimme this gun. you started speaking russian which means things are bad." ill brb later with more things but now im kinda tired rn so here u go.

[usa-manors-library]

Food Stash Finding

(A/N: Heyyy let me give you a warning real quick, guys, gals, pals; Alaska abuse! If you want to pass it, scroll until you see the text divider.

Also; I'm Latinizing most Russian words for the sake of my English speaking audience. Obviously the Russian language uses a different alphabet, but I thought I'd make it easier for most of  you readers to pronounce in your heads.)

"Russkaya Amerika," Imperial Russia demanded in a stern, disapproving voice as he threw open the door.

The colony jumped, startled by the sudden entrance of his father. He turned away from his window and offered a shaky smile.

"Zdravstvujtye, Papa," He greeted, "How are you?"

"How am I? Syn, you're a fool if you think I'm here to talk about feelings," The Russian scoffed, tipsily stumbling into the room, "We both know no son of mine can be a fool. So. Where is it?"

The boy's smile wavered, mind running a million miles per second to figure out what his father was talking about, "Where's what?"

"Don't play dumb with me, you thief," Russian Empire huffed, starting to shuffle through his son's things, "There were twelve loaves of Kalach bread yesterday morning. I ate one, and today when I went to get a pre-supper snack, there were nine. Tell me, you little pig, how does that math make sense?"

Russkaya Amerika paled.

"I don't recall permitting you to eat breakfast today. In fact, I wasn't home to allow you to have dinner either. I also sent you to bed without supper last night..." Imperial Russia continued, "So I have a theory. I believe, we have a rat in this house."

"A... rat?"

"You heard me. We have a fat, gluttonous rat roaming these halls. A filthy rat that must've been hungry, after missing three meals..." The empire eyed a bit of crumb on the bookshelf, "A rat that was so hungry, it didn't bother covering its little tracks..."

"...Papa. Papa, wait—!"

Russian Empire went to the bookshelf and brushed off the crumbs. He turned to glare at Alaska.

Russian America's eyes widened as he covered his mouth.

"Izveeneetye, izveeneetye, izveeneetye!" He tearfully apologized, bowing his head, "I— I didn't... I was hung... Izveeneetye! It slipped out, I didn't mean to—!"

*THWACK*

"You do not have the authority to tell me what to do, rat," The Russian hissed, lowering his throwing arm.

His son nodded without looking up, trembling as his hot tears fell off his face.

"...And for the love of God, stop being so pathetic," Russian Empire gave an exasperated sigh, "It didn't even hit you."

He's right. The dictionary flew past the boy's head. Papa wanted to scare him, not hurt him. But that would change, the second he turned around. 

10-year-old Alaska wasn't crying over the crumbs. He was crying over the food stash, formerly hidden behind that book.

He felt the blood freeze in his veins as he heard the country look behind him.

"Russkaya Amerika... Stealing your own father's food?"

Russian America was very grateful that the heaviest book was already thrown.

──────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────

"Alaska?" America called, softly knocking on his new territory's door, "May I come in?"

Alaska's eyes widened at the sound of his country's voice. He almost tripped over his own feet as he rushed out of bed and to the door, quickly opening it for America.

"Да— Yes!" Alaska nodded, "Of course."

He mentally cursed himself for taking so long. If he had only watched where he was stepping, he could've gotten to the door sooner. There was also the language slip-up. What kind of idiot forgot the language spoken in his own country?

He watched America's face (and hands) for a reaction, but... nothing happened.

America took a step forward.

Alaska braced himself for whatever was coming.

America simply walked into the room and smiled.

"Ah, alright! I just wanted to make sure Indiana replaced your pillows and sheets. The ones that were in here before were made to be uncomfortable," America chuckled, "We used this as a guest room— specifically for guests we didn't want to hang around too long, so we sabotaged the bedding in hopes of making them want to leave sooner."

"She already replaced them then," Alaska confirmed, "They're very nice. Uhm... Maybe too nice? Are you sure I have the right ones?"

America laughed, much to Alaska's silent confusion.

He was serious. Surely America didn't mean to give something that well-made to him, right? At home— Well, at his former home, he didn't even have a pillow.

But this isn't Russia, Alaska reminded himself, And I have no right to question America's decisions, even if they aren't very... normal.

"I'm glad you like them! Now, I also came here to see how you're doing."

Okay, this had to be a trick.

"I know this whole thing's probably... odd for you, to say the least," America continued, "And this house can be a bit loud and... rambunctious, at times—"

Alaska gave a small nod, pretending to know what 'rambunctious' meant.

"So I wanted to check in on you. Is everything alright?"

Govno. Alaska didn't know how to answer.

If he said no, America would be angry— 

Upset, He corrected himself, Countries... Countries never get angry. They get upset.

He would be upset with Alaska for being ungrateful of his hospitality.

If he said yes, America would think that's— That's egotistical, right? To say you're alright when so many other people aren't? Papa told him it was.

"It's different, but everything's fine," Alaska answered dryly, hoping that was neutral enough.

Apparently it was, since America seemed semi-satisfied with the answer.

"Good," The American nodded, "If there's ever a time when you don't feel like it is... you can always tell me."

'So I can discipline you for being a whiner,' Alaska mentally filled in the blank.

Instead of vocalizing his conclusion, he simply nodded.

"Yes sir."

"Great." America made his way to the door, "By the way, supper's going to be a little late tonight. Ohio started a fire in the kitchen by making flammable... tea? He seems to be really good at lighting water on fire. Anyway, it took a while to clean up, so I'd say it'd be— What, thirty minutes late?"

America thought for a moment before shrugging, "I'm not certain. I'll just call for everyone, so keep an ear out, alright?"

Alaska nodded once more.

"Nice. See you then!"

*BANG*

*THUD*

America accidentally slammed the door, making Alaska jump as a heavy, insecure portrait fell off the wall.

Alaska felt his heart stop.

That was the portrait he hid his new food stash behind.

"Ti Durak...!" Alaska quietly insulted himself, frozen in fear as his eyes went to the stash scattering across the ground to the turning doorknob.

"Sorry about that! I guess I don't know my own... strength..." America surveyed the scene, "...Alaska?"

Alaska fearfully dropped to his knees, trembling as he attempted to clean up his mess with his shaky hands.

"Iz— izveeneetye! Izveeneetye, izveeneetye!" A terrified Alaska blurted out, "Izveeneetye! I'm... I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, sorry!"

"Alaska..." America carefully approached the territory, crouching next to him.

"I'm— I'm sorry! Izveeneetye, iz-izveeneetye!" He continued to apologize, "I... This... I was hungry, I'm sorry!"

America lifted his hand. Alaska responded by wincing and bowing his head, heart hammering and mind racing.

Would America's hits hurt more or less than Papa's?

I mean, Papa was my father, surely he held back a little, since I was his son. To America, I'm just a random territory. He doesn't have any reason to weaken the blow.

How can I be a burden to him already? I haven't even been here for a week, and I've already screwed up! Looks like Papa had the right idea...

Will America sell me? When? Would the person he sells me to sell me, after they realize what a waste of space I am? What about the person they sell me to? The person that sells me after the other?

Will I just be bought and sold over and over again until I'm old and gray?

America brought his hand down, gently resting it on Alaska's as a sign to stop.

Alaska paused and looked up to America with bewildered eyes.

"You don't have to apologize. It wasn't your fault," America carefully explained with a softened expression, "It was mine, really. I was the one who slammed the door. I'm not mad."

"You're not... Countries don't get... mad. You're— You're upset."

"No. Not with you," America negated before motioning to the mess on the floor, "Now. Do you feel like telling me what all this is about...? It's completely alright if you want to catch your breath first. I won't make you tell me if you don't want to."

"I... It's... I'm sorry for being such a little... little rat... I stole— I stole from your pantry. I ate without your permission!"

America studied Alaska's face and frowned.

...That can't be good—

"Alaska... you're not a rat. You don't need my permission to eat. You don't need it to get something from the pantry either. You live here. It's your pantry too..." America furrowed his brow, "Have you... Have you been skipping meals? Since I haven't been... 'permitting' you?"

Alaska hesitantly nodded.

Yep, now America's definitely worried.

"So you haven't had breakfast since...?"

"Ehm... A couple days before I left Russia."

"Well then, I'm certainly glad you 'stole'," America made sure to dramatize the air quotes, "From the pantry. Is... Was asking for permission normal for you?"

Alaska nodded once more.

"And if you didn't?"

"I... I, uhm, got disciplined."

That word made the country queasy, for some reason.

"What did that... entail?"

"Just..." Alaska rolled up his sleeve to show off a couple bad bruises, "This and yelling. Discipline."

And now America's pissed. 

"How long had he been... 'disciplining' you?"

"I don't... remember the first time...?"

Russian Empire's very lucky they're both countryhumans. Beating the crap out of him could destroy thousands of lives. Otherwise, he and America would have some words.

Some very long words. 

Some words that may or may not be eternally solidified in his mind via punches.

And I'm not talking about the word 'discipline.'

"Alaska... That's not... good. Or normal."

"I— I know! I should've been better! I should've been less of a burden! It— It was my fault! If I was... If I was a better person, than he wouldn't of had to... to—!"

"No... no... That's..." America shook his head, "That wasn't your fault."

"But it was!" Alaska snapped, "It always was!"

His eyes widened as he realized his own tone.

"I'm— I'm sorry!" He bowed his head again, "It— It slipped out, I...!"

"You're okay, Laskie," America reassured, placing his hand on the territory's shoulder softly, "You don't... you don't need to apologize for emotions."

Alaska seemed unconvinced, but his string of apologies trailed off into silence.

America took a deep breath. He could do this.

"Alaska, do you know what abuse is? Izbiyeniye?"

"Of course I do," Alaska spoke up, "But I don't see how that's relevant."

"What's your definition of abuse?"

"Beating up somebody. Maybe starving them or yelling at them for no reason."

"So you were abused."

"No," Alaska shook his head, "No... That's different."

"How so?"

"I... I was being disciplined. Punished. Taught a lesson. It's the only way I learn anything."

"...Follow up question; have you ever heard the term 'gaslighting?'"

"Yes, but..." Alaska's head jerked up with realization, "He didn't do that! He never would! I'm his son! Who's ever heard of a somebody trying to gaslight their own family members!?"

America slowly raised his hand.

"I... That..." Alaska stammered, "That's— That's not fair. England and Britain don't count."

America slowly lowered his hand.

A brief period of silence fell over the room while Alaska tried to gather his thoughts.

"Your... Your dad tried to gaslight you... You and your uncles... And maybe even your siblings, right?"

"Mhm," America nodded.

"...How were you able to tell? To— To realize what he was doing?"

"I realized that his lies didn't add up."

"And... And you did that by...?"

"...What did Russia 'discipline' you for?"

"Stealing food, naturally," Alaska replied, inwardly cringing at his accidental rolled 'r.'

"Taking care of a basic human need that he refused to provide?"

"Ehm... Getting in his way. Like standing in a room or hallway he didn't want me in."

"On purpose?"

"No... I didn't go into the closed-off rooms."

"So... Just existing in your home?"

"I... Yes. But, but there were times when I was obnoxious and made too much noise!"

America looked at Alaska doubtfully, "You don't seem to be the 'loud and obnoxious' type."

"When... When I was goofing off, or laughing at something stupid, or rambling about something I liked, or—"

"Just being human?"

"But I was an attention seeker, too! I got scared, sometimes I got angry, sometimes I was sad—"

"So... Just being human?"

Alaska paused and furrowed his brow.

"But... But when I was little I had nightmares and woke him up! I... I bothered him with imaginary stories and tried to get him to play! That was selfish—!"

"That's... That's just being a kid, Laskie. A kid who..." America's gaze turned sorrowfully nostalgic for a moment, "Wants his father."

"I...! I..."

Alaska couldn't think of any more examples.

The fragile hallucination of his Papa being a perfect father was shattering before his eyes.

"Listen... I'm not claiming to have gone through something as bad as you have," America started, "I mean, I always had food. Fath— England wasn't as physically violent as Russia sounds. At least when I was growing up as a failure— *Ahem*, failed colony."

Alaska's ears perked up at that. He didn't know America used to be a failed colony too.

"But... Our situation's share a little common ground. I know... I know how hard it can be to come to terms with the fact that your dad... might not be the hero you made him out to be growing up," America disclosed, "I know what it's like to worry about left behind siblings... What were their names?"

"Litva and Finlyandskoye. Or... Or Lietuva and Suomi. Lithuania and Finland, for you."

"Lithuania and Finland... I'll remember that," America filed away before continuing, "I... also know how difficult it can be to get through when you feel alone, and... I don't want that for you, Alaska."

"What... What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm... I'm here for you," America stated, "Realizing how abnormal your life was before can be... a scare, a migraine, a blessing, a curse, a... a jarring change... And I want to help you sort it out. When you're ready to, of course. I just... I want you to know you can rely on me for help.

For support, talks, my opinion, or whenever you just need to be around a friend... I'm here. I don't want you to feel utterly alone like I... Like some people feel, when they're untangling a mess like this."

"...Really? You'd do that for...?" Alaska looked down, "I... I don't want to burden you with..."

"You're not a burden, Laskie. You've never been."

"I'm... I'm not sure if I believe you about that..."

"You wouldn't, right away," America admitted, standing up, "But I'm hoping you'll believe it one day."

Alaska gave a small nod as America helped him up, "Maybe... Maybe one day."

Not today, but...

Maybe one day.

[tomorrowusa]

From @nexta_tv

Always take news from the Russian government with a few tons of salt.

Despite burn and scorch damage, it's clear that the patch from the dead soldier is unmistakably Russian. It looks like they may have tried to photoshop the remaining telltale lettering away. There also seems to be a Russian red star on the hat of the caricature.

The rather odd inscription is: РУССКАЯ ТАКТИЧЕСКАЯ БОРОДА It means "Russian Tactical Beard". It doesn't seem to be a unit but rather some sort of community. They even have an account at VK which is Russia's largest social network.

Just for comparison, this would be the same phrase in Ukrainian: РОСІЙСЬКА ТАКТИЧНА БОРОДА; Ukrainian nominative feminine adjective grammatical endings tend to be -А rather than -АЯ. No Ukrainian would be caught dead wearing that Russian patch. If you do a search for "УКРАЇНСЬКА ТАКТИЧНА БОРОДА" (Ukrainian tactical beard) that style doesn't show up.

You can buy such a patch in Russia for 590 rubles. https://alfastore.ru/aksessuary/shevrony/shevron-russkaya-takticheskaya-boroda

Those patches do come in a variety of fonts and colors.

Because Missing In Action is not the same as Killed In Action, Russia has a habit of abandoning the bodies of its dead on the battlefield. That way Putin doesn't have to pay relatives of the dead soldier any survivor's benefits. By pretending those Russian tank crew members are Ukrainian, Putin can pocket a few more rubles to help build another palace for himself.

As for that Russian, misidentified as Ukrainian, he joins over 216,000 other Russians as fatalities in Putin's three-day "special operation".

[slashhinginghasher]

💛 💜 💔 for the ask game

💛 YELLOW HEART — how many languages does your oc speak? what language(s) are they learning, if any?

Already answered this one, but she speaks Russian and English and is learning ASL.

💜 PURPLE HEART — what is your oc's ancestry/genetic background?

100% russkaya babeyyyyyy

💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc's negative traits?

1. Avoidance - she'd rather run away from a problem or pretend it doesn't exist rather than solve it, especially interpersonal conflicts.

2. Lack of empathy/sympathy - thinks vulnerability or displays of emotion in others is pathetic, annoying, or manipulative unless they have suffered on a similar scale to her

3. Impulsive - does not give much consideration to the consequences of her actions, especially physically destructive ones. She is very much the cat who swats a glass off the countertop and leaves you to deal with the broken mess.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Friday, February 24, 2024

february 10_february 4

PRINCESS ANNA OF NOVGOROD (1050)

The reign of Yaroslav the Wise and Irina was the highest period of Kievan Rus. Yaroslav laid out plans to set up Kiev, his capital, as “a city of God,” an earthly reflection of the Heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 2:10). The Church of Holy Sophia became the center of Kiev. The entrance into this city of God’s Wisdom was through the Golden Gates, upon which a Church was built and dedicated to the Annunciation. Those who had recently been pagans now deeply venerated the All-holy Virgin, seeing her as the temple of God’s wisdom. Because of this, the feast day of The Cathedral of Holy Sophia in Kiev was the Nativity of the Theotokos.1

In 1046, when the Greek princess Anna married Vsevolod, the son of Irina and Yaroslav, she brought with her to Kiev the icon of the Theotokos known as Οδηγήτρια (Directress) as a blessing from the Most-holy Theotokos to the Russian state. The words of the Akathist to the Theotokos show the spiritual meaning of this icon for Christian Rus’: “Rejoice, unshaken wall of the Kingdom.” Later on, this icon started to be called the “Smolensk Icon of the Theotokos.”

In 1051, Venerable Anthony of the Caves came from Mt. Athos to Kiev to found the Kiev Caves Lavra. Through him, the Mother of God blessed Kiev as her third earthly garden.2

Yaroslav the Wise strived to make Rus’ an organic part of worldwide Christendom. Churches were built throughout the Russian land. Greek singers began to teach the Russians Orthodox church music. It was during Yaroslav’s reign that the first Russian legal code, the “Russkaya Pravda,” was compiled and The Rudder, the book of Byzantine canon law, was translated. Yaroslav gathered books and manuscripts and had them translated from Greek into Slavonic. In order to spread literacy among the people, he asked the clergy to educate the children and he built a school in Novgorod.

Within a very short period, the Kievan scribes had mastered the great literary riches of Byzantium. They also mastered the standard models of the Byzantine art of architecture and painting. No less important for the destiny of Rus’ was the inheritance left behind by Sts. Cyril and Methodios. “Now, the Slavic tribes shall fly,” said St. Cyril, prophetically pointing to the growth in importance of the Slavic peoples. From out of Bulgaria, which had a rich collection of Christian literature, Rus’ received an enormous collection of books. Most importantly, they received liturgical books in a language that was close and understandable to them.3

The Grand Prince often had to travel on long campaigns and trips, during which time Irina stayed behind in Kiev, running his affairs.4

Already during Irina’s lifetime, she was praised for her virtue and piety. St. Hilarion, Metropolitan of Kiev (†1053, commemorated on October 21), who wrote the famous “Homily on Law and Grace,” wrote about her to St. Vladimir the Baptizer of Russia (†1015, commemorated on July 15), who had already reposed. “Look upon your daughter-in-law Irina! Look on your grandchildren and great-grandchildren! Look at how they live, how God preserves them, how they keep the faith that you gave them, and how they praise the name of Christ!”

Irina gave birth to seven sons and three daughters. Her sons are especially noteworthy: the Holy Right-believing Prince Vladimir of Novgorod (†1042, commemorated on October 4), Grand Prince Izyaslav of Kiev, Sviatoslav of Chernigov, and Vsevolod of Pereyaslavets (the father of Vladimir Monomakh).

Irina’s daughters, like their father, mother, and brothers, were raised in an atmosphere of literacy. An ancient chronicler relates that Yaroslav “sowed the words of books” in the hearts of the people close to him. The Grand Princess taught her children her native language and they understood well all the Scandinavian sagas, which Varangian5 soldiers sang in the courtyard of the prince. The daughters of Irina and Yaroslav became queens: Anna became queen of France, Maria became queen of Hungary, and Elizabeth became queen of Norway...continue reading

St GALINA (3rd.c.)

During the persecution against Christians in the third century, a certain pious woman named Rufina fled from Corinth to a mountain to escape from her pursuers. There she gave birth to a son, Quadratus, and died soon afterward. By the Providence of God, the infant remained alive and was nourished in a miraculous manner: a cloud appeared over him, dropping a sweet dew into his mouth.

The childhood and youth of St. Quadratus were spent in the wilderness. When he was a young man, he met some Christians, who enlightened him with the light of the true Faith. Quadratus studied grammar, and later learned the physician’s art and attained great success in it. But most of all, Quadratus loved the solitude of the wilderness, and he spent the greater part of his time in the hills, in prayer and meditation of God. Many years passed, and his friends and followers frequently visited the saint to hear his teachings. Among them were Cyprian, Dionysius, Anectus, Paul, Crescens and others.

By order of Emperor Decius, a military prefect named Jason arrived at Corinth to torture and slay Christians. Since Quadratus was the eldest, he spoke for the rest. The saint bravely defended his faith in Christ the Savior, then the torture began. St. Quadratus, despite inhuman suffering, encouraged the others, urging them not to be afraid and to stand firmly for the Faith.

Unable to persuade any of them to deny Christ, Jason ordered the martyrs to be thrown to wild beasts to be torn apart, but the beasts did not touch them. They tied the saints to chariots by their feet and drug them through the city, with many of the crowd throwing stones at them. Finally, they condemned the martyrs to beheading by the sword. At the place of execution, the martyrs asked for time to pray, and then one after the other bent their necks beneath the sword.

Imitating the men, many holy women – including St. Galina – also went voluntarily to suffer for Christ.

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese

2 PETER 1:1-10

1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

MARK 13:1-8

1 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" 2 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down." 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled? 5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

[lindsaystravelblogs1]

Days 43-44, Friday-Saturday, 27-28 January 2023

Alas, they fixed my glasses – and they broke again (and again), so I now have them held together with sticky tape that is not rigid so one lens makes eye a bit short-sighted while the other is long-sighted.  I will struggle on, but make sure I have a couple of extra back-ups for our next trip.

I saw a bird today – it was a Snow Petrel – no big deal, we have seen plenty of them.  Indeed, for most of this voyage, they have been the most abundant, sometimes only, species we have seen.  But during the past two whole days, I have not seen a single bird.  I have also not seen the internet for about the same time, actually a bit longer, but it is promised for this evening.  I hope!

It was a spectacular day for all that.  Overnight, we had moved to Siple (pronounced Sipple – a pretty amazing guy that never got the recognition he deserved) Island.  It was crowned with Mount Siple and we were in Siple Bay – literally on the ice.  The ship had driven about 450 metres into the ice and parked there so when we opened the curtains, we were surrounded by a huge flat plain of crunchy ice with a few inquisitive Emperor Penguins not too far away. The ship stayed there until mid-afternoon and we were able to walk down the gangplank and wander freely over quite a large area of crisp ice.  We could have trekked an hour and a half to an Emperor Penguin colony but we stayed quite a bit closer to the ship and had fun doing some odd things and taking photos. At one time, we saw at least two, probably three, minke whales blowing in the narrow channel cut into the ice by the ship.  They were right at the stern of the ship, but by the time we got to a suitable viewing point, they were at least a couple of hundred metres away.

Heather with Mt Siple behind her. 

I think I said before, after our walk at Strang, how thrilling it is to walk on pristine snow that has never been stepped on by man or beast before.  It was like that on this occasion too.  We could roam quite widely so we were often well away from other people and the crunch of snow when your weight compresses the top centimetre of two with a brisk click is quite exhilarating.  We spent a few hours out there before going back on board for a while and taking another walk in the snow.  Truly fantastic.  And pulling the ship along was fun too.

Big Foot?

Heather dragging the ship into position. 

They set up for the Polar Plunge (that we were unable to do due to the medico’s ultra risk-averseness) but it was not a spectacle event at all.  It was set up on the edge of the ice about 250 metres from the ship and we were not allowed off the ship while it was happening.  They had a tent set up and a small area quarantined and completely surrounded by staff so even taking a long-range photo was very difficult.  They have an official photographer who charges an arm and both legs for anything you buy on the ship (about $AU25 for a 5x7 print or $AU20 for the digital image, $AU140 for a 15x23 print, and so on) and certain restrictions are imposed to hinder amateurs wanting to take the same photos.  I am pretty sure this is one of the situations where he expects to fund his next Porsche by selling photos to all the Plungers because nobody else had a chance to take a pic to give to the brave souls free of charge.  If you want proof that you did it, it is going to cost you at least an extra $50.

With my 400mm lens fully extended. 

An interesting sidelight was that only a few days before we were in this area, some scientists announced that they had identified a new Emperor Penguin breeding site very close to where we were – not previously identified because almost nobody else has been in the area.  The scientists had used satellite images to identify the spot but we were there in person.

We then set off for an abandoned Russian Station (claimed to be ‘temporarily inactive’ for over thirty years in case they want to return in the future) called the Russkaya Station.  

Day 44, Saturday, 28 January 2023

We had hoped to make a landing at the Russkaya Station and apparently had permission if it was not inhabited, but once we reached it, a landing was clearly not possible.  The station was very high on a hill and after scouting for a possible landing place, the expedition team concluded that the only way to reach the station was by ship and then by helicopter – not that the Russians would be likely to be hiding anything in breach of the Treaty.

Russkaya - with emphasis on the skay! 

We moved on, aiming for Cape Colbeck but with absolutely no idea what was there. The Precap told us that they didn’t know if any structures might be there, whether a landing was possible – nobody knew anything about it other than the name on the map.

As we bumped and crunched through the ice, there was a very excited message on the tannoy that a Ross Seal had been spotted and the ship was turning around to try to find it again so that the naturalists could photograph it.  They are apparently very rare and because of where they live, very few people have seen one and there was a great deal of excited running back and forth looking for it and vying for preferred vantage spots to photograph it. We found it soon enough and despite the frenetic activity of experts taking thousands of photographs, it looked just like a seal to me.  Maybe it was a little smaller, a little browner, but still very much like a seal. It was well aware of the ship looming over it and it lifted its head a few times to check us out, but promptly went back to sleep – it was less excited to see us than vice versa!  After the millionth photo was taken, the ship slowly backed away to avoid waking the seal and eventually turned around and we went on our way again.  (And we saw another one about an hour later without disturbing it or the naturalists!)

A very complacent seal aka Ross 

Amid all the excitement we had another lecture or two, but the most notable activity was a general knowledge quiz.  Believe it of not, we won hands down. We got 17 out of 20 correct with our closest rivals scoring 13.  You have to be lucky, but Florent just asked the right questions for us and between Heather, Dan (a Swiss guy) and me, we just clicked and got most things right.  Not to be repeated, but we are definitely a team for next time.

[blogrussianworld]

SOME INFORMATION REGARDING RUSSIAN WORLD

The term "Russian world" (Russian: усски миp, transliteration: Russkiy mir; Latin: Pax Rossica, Pax Russica) refers to the whole notion of society linked with Russian culture. As a concept, Russkiy mir celebrates the core Russian culture and engages with Russia's varied cultures via Russian customs, history, and language. The Russian diaspora, with its global effect, is also included. This idea is derived from the idea of "Russianness," and both are seen to be ambiguous. The "Russian world" and how people see it emerged from Russian history and were influenced by its eras.

Prior to and throughout the Russian Empire, history

In the 11th century, Grand Duke Iziaslav I of Kiev is credited with using the phrase "Russian world" for the first time when he praised Pope Clement II and said, in Russian, "With gratitude the faithful slave gave enhance his master's talents - not only in Rome, but everywhere: both in Kherson and the Russian world."

Some have suggested that the List of 15th-century Russian Cities, Near and Far, serves as an early illustration of the Russian notion of the globe, including Mikhail Tikhomirov.

Russia was seen as a closed world in the 16th century. Unknowingly, the "Even if these impacts are rather minor in the perspective of the developing "Russian world," the "Russian world" also absorbs foreign influences from the Western and Eastern/Oriental worlds. Russia was not planned to become more European until the 17th and 18th centuries, under the tsar's monarchy.

The concept of the "Russian world" was a kind of conservative nationalism inside the Russian Empire. The "Russian world," according to Vyacheslav Nikonov, head of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, does not include any countries save Russia. He said in an interview from 2008: "The Russian Empire, which had 170 million people, and the Russian world coexisted at the start of the 20th century. When there were one billion people on the earth, the Russian Empire was home to one in every seven individuals. While the world's population has surpassed 6 billion, we now have a population of 142 million. Only one in fifty individuals now reside in Russia."

1990s

In post-Soviet Russia, Pyotr Shchedrovitsky, Yefim Ostrovsky, Valery Tishkov, Vitaly Skrinnik, Tatyana Poloskova, and Natalya Narochnitskaya are primarily responsible for the resurrection of the idea. The "Russian notion" cannot be ethnically oriented, as in Orthodox dogma, Autocracy and Nationality of the Late Russian Empire, since Russia emerged from the Soviet Union as a strikingly multi-ethnic and multicultural nation. In the essay "Russian world and Russian transnational aspects," published in 2000, Shchedrovitsky established the key concepts of the notion of the "Russian world," with Russian serving as one of the primary languages. After examining Shchedrovitsky's paper, Andis Kudors of the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars came to the conclusion that it supported theories first advanced by the 18th-century philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder regarding the influence of language on thinking (also known as the principle of linguistic relativity): Russian speakers ultimately act on Russian and think about Russian.

Trump is

The Russian government eventually came to believe in the concept of a "Russian world," and in 2007 Vladimir Putin issued a decree establishing the government-funded Russkiy Mir Foundation.

Some analysts believe that the notion of the "Russian world" is being promoted as part of a spiteful plan to bring Russia or its influence back to the former Soviet Union and Russian Empire's boundaries.

According to some analysts, the idea is a weapon for showcasing Russia's soft power. The Russian-Ukrainian War has come to be connected with "Russian world" marketing in Ukraine. Pavel Tikhomirov, the associate editor of Russkaya Liniya, claims that for a growing number of politicized Ukrainians, the "Russian world" today is "just neo-Sovietism dressed up." ". He explained how the Soviet Union and the "Russian world" were united inside Russian society.

Politics

In 2005, leading archaeologist Gennady Zdanovich and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in person at the Sintashta culture's Arkaim site. The Russian media gave the visit a lot of coverage. They said that Arkaim is "home to the bulk of modern people in Asia and to a lesser extent Europe." Arkaim is referred to be "the most ancient Slavic-Aryan settlement" and "the great city of Russia" by nationalists.

According to reports, Zdanovich gave the president Arkaim as a "Russian national idea," a fresh conception of civilisation that Victor Schnirelmann dubbed the "Russian idea." Orthodox Church of Russia The "Russian world," according to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, is "the common civilized space founded on three pillars column: Eastern Orthodoxy, Russian culture and especially language, and historical memory shared and connected with its shared vision of further social development," on November 3, 2009, at the Third Russian World Assembly.

Many in the Russian Orthodox Church hierarchy support the Russkiy Mir philosophy. This philosophy is also shared by Patriarch Kiril of Moscow; for the Russian Orthodox Church, Russkiy Mir is also "a metaphor for the spiritual idea that God has dedicated these people to the work of creating a Divine Rus via Rus' baptism.

Receptionist

On March 13, 2022, some 500 Eastern Orthodox academics signed the Declaration on Teaching "Russian World," describing it as a "ideology," "a pagan cult," and "a kind of authoritarian thought." "religious conformity. [23] Six "facades of theology" were condemned. These condemnations include: replacing the Kingdom of God with an earthly kingdom; sanctifying a culture; sanctifying the state via theocracy and caesarean section; and refusing to speak the truth and failing to recognise a party's "murder and criminal purpose."

The Russian-Ukrainian War was meant to put the Russian global concept into practice. The idea of the "Russian world," according to The Economist, has been used as the foundation for a crusade against the liberal culture of the West, inspiring a "new Russian worship of war." It claims that with its concoction of secrecy, Orthodox faith, anti-Western attitude, nationalism, conspiracy theories, and Stalinism of the security state, Putin's rule has intentionally damaged the idea of the "Russian world." It is based on an examination of Putin's first address in public after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which started with him praising the Russian troops and alluding to Jesus' teachings on love as the giving up of one's life. He also praised Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, the Orthodox patron saint of long-range bombers with nuclear weapons. Ushakov's remark that "the storms of war will honor Russia" was reiterated by Putin. The Economist also quotes priest Elizbar Orlov, who said that Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine is ridding the globe of "a diabetic illness," about the holiness of war and its role in putting an end to the allegedly debauched homosexual culture of the West.

[theundergroundlondon]

ROMAN BARANOVSKY (RU) VS. OLIVIER FONTAINE (FR)

Roman had been thrilled to find out that he was fighting another Frenchman. After last year’s victory, he had upped the training. It was good on the streets, but it also kept him in shape for the big event - to make sure that the French were put in their place. Stepping into the ring, he scanned his opponent: tall, blonde, cocky. Nothing that Roman had ever dealt with before.

And being placed in the middle, he knew he was going to have to make this a show. It would be embarrassing if people were too bored to watch. So he waited, he wasn’t going to shake the man’s hand, he wasn’t that polite, and waited for the bell

-

Olivier was fighting a battle of nerves that had managed to wind itself into his core, as his feet planted onto the slightly sprung floor, a bounce to his step as eyes of cerulean blue landed upon his opponent, Roman. Instantly he fell into his usual way of checking around the room, landing upon an array of eyes trained to the both of them, sucking in a haggard breath. When he felt like he had everything mapped in his mind, he tried to centre himself once more. He had something to prove, a title to uphold and many people to impress. Taking those few steps to the middle of the ring, eyes dead on the outside. ‘’Let the games begin, Roman.’’ he calls.

-

Roman’s eyes narrowed at the Frenchman’s words. He already wasn’t a talker, so he never would have responded even if this was a regular fight; but there was something about his opponent saying his name that just made Roman’s blood boil. He flipped the man off as the fight started, turning the hand into a fist as he threw a punch aiming at the man’s throat.

-

Olivier managed to scramble back on his feet, dancing now as he hopped from one foot to the other, a beckoning smile taunting as he cocked his head to the side. ‘’That’s all we’ve got?’’ Olivier let himself freely move around the ring; Roman was unpredictable, which was what made this harder than a usual fight that Olivier may have found himself involved in. Trying to watch his body movements to see if there are weak spots; he lunges forward himself, trying to get a hook in, hoping to keep the show alive just a little longer. Anticipation was key.

-

Roman rolled his eyes at the French man - honestly wishing that he would shut up. His words in that horrendous accent just took away from the beauty of the fight - the art form that Roman had worked hard to become an expert in. Though one of the better things about Olivier being bigger is that it took that much more effort to move. Half a second more to throw a punch, take a step, everything because he had so much more body mass than Roman. He dodged the hook, and threw another punch, aiming for the man’s jaw. With a hit, it would at least get things going, and with luck, it would shut his opponent up.

-

How could he have missed that, a drop of his right arm and the connection to his jaw was almost instantaneously painful as a sound of air flew from his mouth, he stumbled back just slightly as the spinning room slowly came back into focus and for the first time the nerves were gone from Olivier as the anger ignited deep within the pit of his stomach? This was now pure rage, but amidst that, the pain was there creeping across the side of his face. ‘’Fuck you.’’ He spat spots of blood landing upon the floor. He beckons him with his hand, now purposefully taunting and luring. It took only a few moments as he watched the steps of his feet before he took a lunge, making his first connection with Roman.

-

He was angry - which was what Roman had wanted. People were more prone to mistakes when they were angry, when they let emotions run their fight. it was a great way to see a person’s weaknesses. They tended to be more prominent when they were acting on emotion. Was it the same for everyone? No. But Roman had fought enough people to see the trend. Roman smirked at the blood on the floor, he always as a fan of making his opponent bleed first. 

The lunge caught Roman off guard - he didn’t expect a man of that size to move that fast, but it was a learning experience. Enough of one that he could see what Olivier did and adapt, not to leave that kind of opening again. He felt his nose crack, and the blood seep down, and while he knew that Vika would be annoyed that his nose was inevitably broken. He moved back, walking around the ring for a moment, looking for a weak spot, before quickly turning on his foot, going to try and kick in the man’s knee. 

-

The sound of a crack and the sight of gushing blood gave him the dose of confidence he’d been sourly lacking throughout the day, as he hopped from one foot to the other. In his time training they’d always told him to be light on his feet, for a man of his statue he needed to be able to move around in order to get his attacks in from different positions and angles. Seeing that he’d finally managed to land one on Roman, the crowd was a battle crowd — screams for both their names could be heard from each side. He was sure Evelyne was watching somewhere; he didn’t have time to look.

But his moment was fleeting as he felt the world slip from beneath him as he hit the deck with an almighty crack. His knee was most likely out of place, as cerulean eyes looked for a second and tears welled in his eyes — the pain was almost unbearable as he let out what could only be described as a feral animal growling in the face of danger. He would not cry. Instead he let his mind go his job, there is always a way out, he thought. He saw it straight away like it’d been staring him in the face, Roman’s leg. Reaching out he took no time to grab both his hands around Roman’s ankle as he yanked it from beneath him, the thud satisfying. 

‘’If I go down, you come with me mother fucker.’’

-

How the fuck does this asshole keep talking? 

Roman thought to himself, pain radiating through his body as he hit the hard floor. It took a second to recalibrate and work through is body. He didn’t think there were any major injuries, though he was sure to be bruised not that long after the fight. But Roman didn’t care about that. Glancing at his opponent, he noticed the tell-tale signs that Olivier’s knee was dislocated. The man wasn’t getting back up. 

It was Roman’s time to shine. 

Rolling over, he straddled the man’s chest, and began punching. With the height difference gone, and Roman with the advantage, his aim was the man’s face. It would only be a few more punches before the man was unconscious - and Roman would no longer have to hear his annoying banter anymore. 

-

It only took a few seconds before the weight was on top of him, each hit sending a searing shot through his head, sure enough the damage would be lasting. His knee added to the pain that was mounting up as each second passed, he was grasping for anything he could get his hands on; Roman was prepared and way too powerful. Olivier knew there was no way he was going to be able to get back up on his feet at this point, trapped beneath him and struggling to move. THINK. His mind was screaming as another hit pushed his thought process to halt for just a second, he managed to open an eye that was already beginning to close up. The eyes. 

His eyes. 

It was like a new lease of life had been poured into Olivier, a new found strength as he reached up with both hands quickly, thumbs heading towards Roman’s face, just one kick move and his thumb had jabbed into the left eye, and the right just a few seconds after. He screamed in anger, pain and emotion as he used every ounce of strength he had left to push inwards. ‘’I hope to god I fucking blind you, you absolute russkaya pizda.’’ Using the Russian language to hurl his insult to the other male.

-

Roman had assumed that the fight was over. It was cocky, but normally people in Olivier’s position didn’t keep fighting. So when the man’s thumbs were in Roman’s eyes, it took him by surprise. The pain rushed through his eyes, through his brain, and when he pulled away it didn’t disappear. HIs eyes watered and his vision went blurry. And that was the point that Roman knew he had to finish it. 

Even with blurry vision, the man’s face hadn’t moved. And Roman’s punches were coming faster, with more intensity. It took a second for him to realize that Olivier was unconscious - that he had most definitely won. Roman got up, but there was something that still stayed with him. The talking, the bastardization of his mother tongue, just the general arrogance of the French. And with an evil, monstrous grin, he stomped as hard as he could on the man’s throat. Hard enough that if there wasn’t damage to his larynx Roman would be legitimately surprised. 

Maybe that would finally shut him the fuck up. it was at least worth the shot as he left the man on the floor of the ring. 

[russkayas]

I was tagged by @kurapikalesbian to answer the questions and tag 20 people! Thanks Hannah! 

Name: Anya

Star sign: Aries (but my chart is mostly Taurus tbh)

Height: 5′2″ 

Birthday: March 27

Favorite bands: The Score, Bastille, Imagine Dragons

Favorite solo artists: Hozier, Annapantsu, Taylor Swift (for the nostalgia)... having trouble thinking of bands and artists right now lol

Song stuck in my head: Miracle (stripped) by The Score

Last movie watched: Honestly I can’t remember, my girlfriend and I mostly watch TV and we’re really bad at finishing movies... probably Howl’s Moving Castle

Last Show: Steven Universe and The Owl House

When I created this blog: August 2015, but I’ve been on tumblr on different blogs since 2012-13

Last thing I googled: “French language imparfait” 

Other blogs: @musaliya is my gymnastics & figure skating sideblog!

Do I get asks?: From time to time

Following: 546

Followers: 1,328

Why I chose my url: I’m studying Russian at university and wanted something pretty when I changed my url a few years ago. “Russkaya” is the feminine form of the adjective meaning “Russian”, but that was taken as a url, so I just added an s onto the end. 

Average hours of sleep: Like... 8ish? Depends on the night. 

Lucky number: 11 and 22

Instruments: I’ve been playing the piano for almost sixteen years, I dabbled in the violin and the cello for a few years each, I’m proficient at the ukulele, and I’m currently very slowly teaching myself how to play the guitar

What I’m wearing: my gf’s ironman onesie lol

Dream trip: There’s so many places I would love to go... I want to go back to Ireland someday, but I also want to see new places. Maybe Japan?

Favorite food: Probably my girlfriend’s lasagna, it’s delicious

Fave song: Probably Little Miss Perfect and Ordinary by Joriah Kwame because I adore The Owl House

Top 3 fictional universes I’d like to live in: Avatar the Last Airbender (after the series ends), The Owl House, and Breath of the Wild (before the Calamity or long after)

I’m tagging: @melniikova @idiotwerewolf @pixie-mage @awaywiththe @mahouwhore @sketch-elf @sketch-wolf @heroesneedalancer @stardewvgf @pinecone727 @rizadyke @yangles @galvajane and anyone else who I forgot to tag but would like to do it! 

[thegoodomensdumpster]

Rules: Tag 9 people you want to know more about (or want to become friends with.)

I was tagged by @ilarual Top 3 Favorite Ships

Number 1 is obviously Aziraphale and Crowley The others are... mostly nothing. I don’t tend to ship easily (i even tend to unship characters that get together in canon more than the opposite), and I’ve only had crack ships or ships I was never that much invested in. As I’ve been a huge Pokémon nerd, two of these -very rare- ships would be the bosses from team Magma and team Aqua (they still crack me up) and Red and Blue / Green (this one has potential for both huge softness and hilarious shenanigans. Pretty sure Blue went to fetch Red himself from Mount Silver and scolded him for disappearing like that on top of a mountain for so long. Such a dramatic bitch.).

Last Song Listened To

I don’t speak russian (but I can decipher something along the lines of BLK Clinoss - Russkaya Rat ???) so I don’t know the name of the song and I’m not even sure this is the band’s channel but it’s this one (I think it slaps and I’m crossing my fingers it doesn’t contain hate speech of any kind)

Last Movie Watched:

Jojo Rabbit. Not my favorite Taika Waititi movie, but still very good.  Reading: I had started one of Pratchett’s Discworld books a few weeks ago but a friend scolded me for reading it before another volume so I stopped and now I’m reading nothing. What food am I craving right now: I had a craving for french fries earlier that I filled by getting some at McDonald’s. Now, I am at peace. I do not crave.

Nine people: I never tag anyone in these things, feel free to join if you want to.

[walaw717]

Russian America - The history school left out.

Russian America (Russian: Русская Америка, Russkaya Amerika) was the name of the Russian colonial possessions in North America from 1733 to 1867. Its capital was Novo-Archangelsk (New Arkhangelsk), which is now Sitka, Alaska, United States. Settlements spanned parts of what are now the U.S. states of California, Alaska and three forts in Hawaii. Formal incorporation of the possessions by Russia did not take place until the Ukase of 1799 which established a monopoly for the Russian–American Company and also granted the Russian Orthodox Church certain rights in the new possessions. Many of its possessions were abandoned in the 19th century. In 1867, Russia sold its last remaining possessions to the United States of America for $7.2 million ($129 million in today's terms).  

The earliest written accounts indicate that the first Europeans to reach Alaska came from Russia. In 1648 Semyon Dezhnev sailed from the mouth of the Kolyma River through the Arctic Ocean and around the eastern tip of Asia to the Anadyr River. One legend holds that some of his boats were carried off course and reached Alaska. However, no evidence of settlement survives. Dezhnev's discovery was never forwarded to the central government, leaving open the question of whether or not Siberia was connected to North America.

In 1725, Tsar Peter the Great called for another expedition. As a part of the 1733–1743 Second Kamchatka expedition, the Sv. Petr under the Dane Vitus Bering 

and the Sv. Pavel under the Russian Alexei Chirikov set sail from the Kamchatkan port of Petropavlovsk in June 1741. 

They were soon separated, but each continued sailing east. On 15 July, Chirikov sighted land, probably the west side of Prince of Wales Island in southeast Alaska. He sent a group of men ashore in a longboat, making them the first Europeans to land on the northwestern coast of North America. 

On roughly 16 July, Bering and the crew of Sv. Petr sighted Mount Saint Elias on the Alaskan mainland; they turned westward toward Russia soon afterward. Meanwhile, Chirikov and the Sv. Pavel headed back to Russia in October with news of the land they had found.

In November Bering's ship was wrecked on Bering Island. There Bering fell ill and died, and high winds dashed the Sv. Petr to pieces. After the stranded crew wintered on the island, the survivors built a boat from the wreckage and set sail for Russia in August 1742. Bering's crew reached the shore of Kamchatka in 1742, carrying word of the expedition. The high quality of the sea-otter pelts they brought sparked Russian settlement in Alaska. 

Beginning in 1743, small associations of fur-traders began to sail from the shores of the Russian Pacific coast to the Aleutian islands. As the runs from Asiatic Russia to America became longer expeditions (lasting two to four years or more), the crews established hunting- and trading-posts. By the late 1790s some of these had become permanent settlements. Approximately half of the fur traders came from the various European parts of the Russian Empire, while the others had Siberian or mixed origins.

Rather than hunting the marine life themselves, the Russian promyshlenniki forced the Aleuts to do the work for them, often by taking hostage family-members in exchange for hunted seal-furs. This pattern of colonial exploitation resembled some of the Russian promyshlenniki practices in their expansion into Siberia and the Russian Far East. As word spread of the potential riches in furs, competition among Russian companies increased and the Aleuts were enslaved. Catherine the Great, who became Empress of Russia in 1763, proclaimed goodwill toward the Aleuts and urged her subjects to treat them fairly. On some islands and parts of the Alaska Peninsula, groups of traders had been capable of relatively peaceful coexistence with the local inhabitants. Other groups could not manage the tensions and committed acts of violence. Hostages were taken, families were split up, and individuals were forced to leave their villages and settle elsewhere. The growing competition between the trading companies, merging into fewer, larger and more powerful corporations, created conflicts that aggravated the relations with the indigenous populations. Over the years, the situation became catastrophic. 

As the animal populations declined, the Aleuts, already too dependent on the new barter-economy fostered by the Russian fur-trade, were increasingly coerced into taking greater and greater risks in the highly dangerous waters of the North Pacific to hunt for more otter. As the Shelekhov-Golikov Company of 1783-1799 developed a monopoly, its use of skirmishes and violent incidents turned into systematic violence as a tool of colonial exploitation of the indigenous people. When the Aleuts revolted and won some victories, the Russians retaliated, killing many and destroying their boats and hunting gear, leaving them no means of survival. The most devastating effects came from disease: during the first two generations (1741/1759-1781/1799 AD) of Russian contact, 80 percent of the Aleut population died from Eurasian infectious diseases; these were by then endemic among the Europeans, but the Aleut had no immunity against the new diseases.

Though the Alaskan colony was never very profitable because of the costs of transportation, most Russian traders were determined to keep the land for themselves. In 1784 Grigory Ivanovich Shelekhov, who later set up the Russian-Alaska Company that developed into the Alaskan colonial administration, arrived in Three Saints Bay on Kodiak Island with two ships, the Three Saints (Russian: Три Святителя) and the St. Simon. The Koniag Alaska Natives harassed the Russian party and Shelekhov responded by killing hundreds and taking hostages to enforce the obedience of the rest. Having established his authority on Kodiak Island, Shelekhov founded the second permanent Russian settlement in Alaska (after Unalaska, permanently settled since 1774) on the island's Three Saints Bay.

In 1790 Shelekhov, back in Russia, hired Alexander Andreyevich Baranov to manage his Alaskan fur-enterprise. Baranov moved the colony to the northeast end of Kodiak Island, where timber was available. The site later developed as what is now the city of Kodiak. Russian colonists took Koniag wives and started families whose surnames continue today, such as Panamaroff, Petrikoff, and Kvasnikoff. In 1795 Baranov, concerned by the sight of non-Russian Europeans trading with the natives in southeast Alaska, established Mikhailovsk six miles (10  km) north of present-day Sitka. He bought the land from the Tlingit, but in 1802, while Baranov was away, Tlingit from a neighboring settlement attacked and destroyed Mikhailovsk. Baranov returned with a Russian warship and razed the Tlingit village. He built the settlement of New Archangel (Russian: Ново-Архангельск, romanized: Novo-Arkhangelsk) on the ruins of Mikhailovsk. It became the capital of Russian America – and later the city of Sitka. 

As Baranov secured the Russians' settlements in Alaska, the Shelekhov family continued to work among the top leaders to win a monopoly on Alaska's fur trade. In 1799 Shelekhov's son-in-law, Nikolay Petrovich Rezanov, had acquired a monopoly on the American fur trade from Tsar Paul I. Rezanov formed the Russian-American Company. As part of the deal, the Tsar expected the company to establish new settlements in Alaska and to carry out an expanded colonisation programme.

Alexander Andreyevich Baranov, called "Lord of Alaska" by Hector Chevigny, played an active role in the Russian–American Company and was the first governor of Russian America.

By 1804, Baranov, now manager of the Russian– American Company, had consolidated the company's hold on fur trade activities in the Americas following his suppression of the local Tlingit clan at the Battle of Sitka. The Russians never fully colonized Alaska. For the most part, they clung to the coast and shunned the interior.

From 1812 to 1841, the Russians operated Fort Ross, California. From 1814 to 1817, Russian Fort Elizabeth was operating in the Kingdom of Hawaii.

By the 1830s, the Russian monopoly on trade was weakening. The British Hudson's Bay Company was leased the southern edge of Russian America in 1839 under the RAC-HBC Agreement, establishing Fort Stikine which began siphoning off trade.

A company ship visited the Russian American outposts only every two or three years to give provisions. Because of the limited stock of supplies, trading was incidental compared to trapping operations under the Aleutian laborers. This left the Russian outposts dependent upon British and American merchants for sorely needed food and materials; in such a situation Baranov knew that the RAC establishments "could not exist without trading with foreigners." Ties with Americans were particularly advantageous since they could sell furs at Guangzhou, close to the Russians at the time. The downside was that American hunters and trappers encroached on territory Russians considered theirs.

Starting with the destruction of the Phoenix in 1799, several RAC ships sank or were damaged in storms, leaving the RAC outposts with scant resources. On 24 June 1800, an American vessel sailed to Kodiak Island. Baranov negotiated the sale of over 12,000 rubles worth of goods carried on the ship, averting "imminent starvation." During his tenure Baranov traded over 2 million rubles worth of furs for American supplies, to the consternation of the board of directors. From 1806 to 1818 Baranov shipped 15 million rubles worth of furs to Russia, only receiving under 3 million rubles in provisions, barely half of the expenses spent solely on the Saint Petersburg company office.

The Russo-American Treaty of 1824 recognized exclusive Russian rights to the fur trade above Latitude 54°, 40' North, with the American rights and claims restricted to below that line. This division was repeated in the Treaty of Saint Petersburg, a parallel agreement with the British in 1825 (which also settled most of the border with British North America). However, the agreements soon went by the wayside, and with the retirement of Alexandr Baranov in 1818, the Russian hold on Alaska was further weakened.

When the Russian-American Company's charter was renewed in 1821, it stipulated that the chief managers from then on be naval officers. Most naval officers did not have any experience in the fur trade, so the company suffered. The second charter also tried to cut off all contact with foreigners, especially the competitive Americans. This strategy backfired since the Russian colony had become used to relying on American supply ships, and the United States had become a valued customer for furs. Eventually the Russian– American Company entered into an agreement with the Hudson's Bay Company, which gave the British rights to sail through Russian territory.

At Three Saints Bay, Shelekov built a school to teach the natives to read and write Russian, and introduced the first resident missionaries and clergymen who spread the Russian Orthodox faith. This faith (with its liturgies and texts, translated into Aleut at a very early stage) had been informally introduced, in the 1740s–1780s. Some fur traders founded local families or symbolically adopted Aleut trade partners as godchildren to gain their loyalty through this special personal bond. The missionaries soon opposed the exploitation of the indigenous populations, and their reports provide evidence of the violence exercised to establish colonial rule in this period. 

The RAC's monopoly was continued by Emperor Alexander I in 1821, on the condition that the company would financially support missionary efforts. Company board ordered chief manager Etholén to build a residency in New Archangel for bishop Veniaminov.  When a Lutheran church was planned for the Finnish population of New Archangel, Veniamiov prohibited any Lutheran priests from proselytizing to neighboring Tlingits.  Veniamiov faced difficulties in exercising influence over the Tlingit people outside New Archangel, due to their political independence from the RAC leaving them less receptive to Russian cultural influences than Aleuts. A smallpox epidemic spread throughout Alaska in 1835-1837 and the medical aid given by Veniamiov created converts to Orthodoxy. 

Inspired by the same pastoral theology as Bartolomé de las Casas or St. Francis Xavier, the origins of which come from early Christianity's need to adapt to the cultures of Antiquity, missionaries in Russian America applied a strategy that placed value on local cultures and encouraged indigenous leadership in parish life and missionary activity. When compared to later Protestant missionaries, the Orthodox policies "in retrospect proved to be relatively sensitive to indigenous Alaskan cultures." This cultural policy was originally intended to gain the loyalty of the indigenous populations by establishing the authority of Church and State as protectors of over 10,000 inhabitants of Russian America.

(The number of ethnic Russian settlers had always been less than the record 812, almost all concentrated in Sitka and Kodiak).

Difficulties arose in training Russian priests to attain fluency in any of the various Alaskan Indigenous languages. To redress this, Veniaminov opened a seminary for mixed race and native candidates for the Church in 1845. Promising students were sent to additional schools in either Saint Petersburg or Irkutsk, the later city becoming the original seminary's new location in 1858. The Holy Synod instructed for the opening of four missionary schools in 1841, to be located in Amlia, Chiniak, Kenai, Nushagak.  Veniamiov established the curriculum, which included Russian history, literacy, mathematics and religious studies.

A side effect of the missionary strategy was the development of a new and autonomous form of indigenous identity. Many native traditions survived within local "Russian" Orthodox tradition and in the religious life of the villages. Part of this modern indigenous identity is an alphabet and the basis for written literature in nearly all of the ethnic-linguistic groups in the Southern half of Alaska. Father Ivan Veniaminov (later St. Innocent of Alaska), famous throughout Russian America, developed an Aleut dictionary for hundreds of language and dialect words based on the Russian alphabet. 

The most visible trace of the Russian colonial period in contemporary Alaska is the nearly 90 Russian Orthodox parishes with a membership of over 20,000 men, women, and children, almost exclusively indigenous people. These include several Athabascan groups of the interior, very large Yup'ik communities, and quite nearly all of the Aleut and Alutiiq populations. Among the few Tlingit Orthodox parishes, the large group in Juneau adopted Orthodox Christianity only after the Russian colonial period, in an area where there had been no Russian settlers nor missionaries. The widespread and continuing local Russian Orthodox practices are likely the result of the syncretism of local beliefs with Christianity.

In contrast, the Spanish Roman Catholic colonial intentions, methods, and consequences in California and the Southwest were the product of the Laws of Burgos and the Indian Reductions of conversions and relocations to missions; while more force and coercion was used, the indigenous peoples likewise created a kind of Christianity that reflected many of their traditions.

Observers noted that while their religious ties were tenuous, before the sale of Alaska there were 400 native converts to Orthodoxy in New Archangel. Tlingit practitioners declined in number after the lapse of Russian rule, until there were only 117 practitioners in 1882 residing in the place, by then renamed as Sitka.

By the 1860s, the Russian government was ready to abandon its Russian America colony. Zealous over-hunting had severely reduced the fur-bearing animal population, and competition from the British and Americans exacerbated the situation. This, combined with the difficulties of supplying and protecting such a distant colony, reduced interest in the territory. After Russian America was sold to the U.S. in 1867, for $7.2 million (2 cents per acre, totaling $114,657,180.85 in today's USD), all the holdings of the Russian–American Company were liquidated.

Following the transfer, many elders of the local Tlingit tribe maintained that "Castle Hill" comprised the only land that Russia was entitled to sell. Other indigenous groups also argued that they had never given up their land; the Americans encroached on it and took it over. Native land claims were not fully addressed until the latter half of the 20th century, with the signing by Congress and leaders of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. 

At the height of Russian America, the Russian population had reached 700, compared to 40,000 Aleuts. They and the Creoles, who had been guaranteed the privileges of citizens in the United States, were given the opportunity of becoming citizens within a three-year period, but few decided to exercise that option. General Jefferson C. Davis ordered the Russians out of their homes in Sitka, maintaining that the dwellings were needed for the Americans. The Russians complained of rowdiness of the American troops and assaults. Many Russians returned to Russia, while others migrated to the Pacific Northwest and California.

[lexlingua]

Now this is what’s called a Museum Experience: “The Russian Fairy Tale. From Vasnetsov to the Present.” Tretyakov Gallery.

https://www.tretyakovgallery.ru/en/exhibitions/russkaya-skazka-ot-vasnetsova-do-sikh-por/

[amirblogerov]

Bloody attack: the Turks hit their own in Syria

January 20, exactly 4 years, as the Turkish armed forces and pro-Turkish armed groups of militants of the so-called Syrian opposition are conducting a military operation "Olive Branch" in the province of Aleppo in northern Syria.

About this in the new material of the "Russian Spring" from the Syrian Arab Republic.

All these years, hostilities have not stopped on Syrian soil, and many residents of Syria will never see peace and prosperity in the region - one of the goals of the Turkish operation.

Bloody provocation on the anniversary of the Turkish operation "Olive Branch"

So today, on this anniversary, an alleged rocket attack was launched on the market and residential areas of Afrin, as a result of which at least seven civilians were killed, including children, and at least 30 people were injured. The death toll is expected to rise as some people were seriously injured.

Turkey immediately accused the Kurdish self-defense units of shelling and received an excuse to launch a massive missile "retaliation strike".

A military source from the Syrian intelligence agencies told Russkaya Vesna military commissars that, according to preliminary data, this terrorist attack was by no means carried out by the Kurds, who at that time held a series of peaceful demonstrations throughout the country in memory of their forcible eviction from their native region.

“This attack was carried out by Turkish-led gangs to justify the start of active hostilities against the Kurds in the region. Ankara is trying to justify its attacks to the world community, calling them a response to aggression,” the officer said.

[karamazovdmitri]

Ok so I know you love Dostoevsky but do you have any tips on how to read his books and just russian lit in general? I'm really interested but I feel like his or Tolstoy's or Turgenev's,etc. books might be very dense and complex and hard to understand and not relatable because they were written a while ago idk I'm just afraid I'm not gonna get them and enjoy them because of their complexity. Do you have any suggestions of where to start?

 ooooh boy ALRIGHT sorry i took so long to reply to that schools a binchso uh first of all im so glad the ruslit love is spreading! and alright yeah ok lets get right down to it, i’ll focus on dosto for now and yes his books seem complex and and i wont lie that they are, but theyre not necessarily complex in their writing or their prose, its in what it holds. like its hard to explain but its just. so packed with everything.i feel that theres not one way to “get” the books. though i see what you mean because i often say i dont “get” poetry, but i think that even if you dont unveil the secret of his books or something, its still such a good read. we did that in lit class with crime and punishment, kinda just like tryna unveil the mysteries of it and... you cannot just do it like that, you can get closer to it but like... i guess its kinda like that saying that says destination isnt as important as the journey. as for them not being relatable i got GREAT NEWS FOR YOU, the brothers karamazov was probably the most relatable book ive read in my whole life. like i know because its Classic Lit™ and all, it might feel distant and foreign and like its well, not relatable, but once you dive into it the characters are the same you’d find in other books, theyre all painfully human. like if you take evgeny bazarov from turgenev’s fathers and sons, sure hes that like complex nihilistic character but also hes a bitchass med student like you’d find in any university i swear alright, like... god i feel like i cant express my thoughts coherently but what i mean is even if the prose in itself seems complicated (once you dive into it, its really not that bad honestly?? to be fair i havent read tolstoy yet -yeah what a bad ruslit hoe i make- but dostoevsky, while not the simplest in appearance actually just boils down to feelings nd shit. like you’ll just FEEL it. and yeah for me it has made me reflect a lot on who i am as a person and who i want to be, but as you probs have guessed i do take ruslit quite to heart... maybe thats the secret to enjoying it so much? idk? like im not tryna read for 5 layers deep interpretation, i guess as i said... you just somehow feel it. AS for suggestions... if you want to go with dosto, my first read by him was personally crime & punishment, which i feel is a good start?? its always the one i rec because its part of the holy dosto trinity (aka C&P, the bros karamazov and the idiot) but i think its the most accessible one. like it has a clear plot, raskolnikovs character is complex but not inaccessible and the main ideas that want to be communicated are clear cut, more than in the huge rambles that you’d find in the brothers karamazov. i mean like i dont wanna spoil shit but like unless the brothers karamazov, when i read C&P i didnt find myself putting the book down every now and then to just. breathe and think about shit (i did however had to put it down to yell about razumikhin but thats just me)for other ruslit i kinda just like. go with whatever. i read fathers and sons because i saw it in the bookstore and just. bought it lmao and honestly since its like significantly shorter than one of the dosto bricks™ that might also be a good place to start. honestly i dont think theres like one Good Place to start but if youre 0 familiar with the russian culture and history and stuff, like dont start with the brothers karamazov (if you ask me, just dont start with TBK because its dostos best book and like you gotta gradually make your way to it, just keep raising the expectations higher and higher) (can yall believe right before i started reading tbk i was like “man can this really top C&P?” LMFAO) but anyway yeah, russian lit however is a good way to familiarize yourself with like Russia™ as a concept, and the russian soul, decent slav sadness and all that sweet stuff so just start with something and then the more you’ll read the more you’ll get what i mean by that russkaya dusha thinganyway uhhh youre probs fuckin tired of reading by here hopefully i was of any help??? basically dont be afraid anon, academics really like to brand classic rus lit as like some kind of extremely fancy and complex shit, and like its complex but not in the way you think. its complex because its depictions of the human soul so theres a lot packed in that. but even if you couldnt care less about like the soul and shit, theyre absolutely amazing psychology-wise. so yknow just pick up a book and go for it!! if it makes you more comfy, start with a short one! it can be fathers and sons, it can be even shorter and be Notes from underground (this ones kinda hardcore though, i gotta say) can be death of ivan illyich, could be a play by Chekhov like honestly... theres so much to choose from, treat yoself(also i want to thank you for that ask i feel like??? so honoured to be considered some kind of reference when it comes to russian lit, truly warms my heart and dont hesitate to come ask for more info bc i know this is kind of just a huge dump of whatever)

[zloyodessit]

Hackers attacking European medical outlets to promote Sputnik-V, try to legalize "DPR"

Russian hackers have targeted European medical online platforms to create the appearance of international recognition of the Sputnik-V vaccine and at the same time try to "legalize" Moscow's proxy forces in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

The other day came another proof that Russia never abandoned attempts to popularize and exaggerate the importance of their Sputnik-V corona jab, which in reality has been confronted with a huge number of critical reviews and remains largely snubbed by international healthcare community. Along the way, the Russians tried to complete a task from a different domain – to try and legalize in the Western media space the unrecognized "DPR' (the self-styled "Donetsk People's Republic).

Platforms affiliated with Russia's military intelligence, ranging from Telegram channels such as Zrada Chy Peremoga (Treason or Win), which poses as a Ukrainian one, to puppet propaganda media such as Russkaya Vesna (Russian Spring), Vesti.UA, and others, started circulating reports claiming that a popular outlet Nature.com told their readers about the efficacy of the Russian vaccine, while illustrating their stories with a photo of Denis Pushilin, a puppet leader of the so-called "DPR"!

So the story is attempting to deliver a win-win for Russia – rooting for the vaccine and praising a rogue leader. This is actually a classic and well-thought out psy-op effort aimed to kill two birds with one shot.

In fact, though, if you check out the Nature.com site, you won't find there any mention of Denis Pushilin there. The outlet never posted the warlord's photo showing him taking a Sputnik-V shot in the occupied Donetsk.

But if you take a snapshot allegedly taken from the said site and put the name of the article into a Google search bar: "COVID research updates: Russia's Sputnik V vaccine shows high effectiveness" search results will definitely surprise you. The only clickable link will take you to the PubMed medical database, which aggregates articles on medical biological topics. But, here's a twist. The link posted on PubMed, in turn, takes you to Nature.com's piece "COVID research updates: What makes a person with COVID more contagious? Hint: not a cough" from the site's section which regularly posts articles on the spread of COVID-19 and the efforts to tackle it – including through vaccines.

So what was that all about anyway?

This is actually what's being observed on many other information platforms, even Wikipedia, where absolutely unfounded claims pursuing Russian propaganda goals appear from time to time. Media tend to sensationalize such material before moderators and admins spot the error and fix it. This way the "breaking news" makes its way unhindered to the plate of information fast food consumers.

So, what we have here is that malicious actors briefly put up a piece on Nature.com on Sputnik-V vaccination, with a photograph of Denis Pushilin. The article was immediately picked up by news dumpsters from Russia, as well as automatically made it to the PubMed aggregator.

At both platforms in question, moderators were too slow with the response to take the flawed piece down so the article was deleted only after it had already been circulated by Russia's fringe media.

Of course, there was never any recognition of the Russian drug or "legalization" of a Donetsk gangster. It was simply a cyberattack, which aimed at posting a fake news piece channeling a Russian psy-op's narratives.

Unfortunately, the not-so-picky audiences tend to easily swallow and digest such info junk food, without thinking twice about the source or credibility of what they consume.

https://medium.com/@zloyodessit2.0/hackers-attacking-european-medical-outlets-to-promote-sputnik-v-try-to-legalize-dpr-7d75b8a1d636