#moscow travel guide

[besttimetogo2]

When is the Best Time to Go to Moscow? A Seasonal Guide

Moscow, the capital of Russia, is a city that seamlessly blends rich history with modern sophistication. Whether you are drawn to its stunning architecture, vibrant arts scene, or cultural landmarks, timing your visit can greatly impact your experience. Moscow’s climate is as diverse as its offerings, with each season providing a distinct atmosphere. If you're wondering when the best time to go to Moscow is, here’s a guide to help you plan your trip according to your preferences.

Moscow in the Summer: June to August

If you are wondering when is the best time to go to Moscow, here’s the answer. Summer in Moscow is considered the best time to visit for most travelers. From June to August, the city enjoys pleasant temperatures, with daytime highs ranging from 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F). This is ideal for sightseeing, outdoor activities, and exploring Moscow’s beautiful parks, gardens, and riverside areas. The long daylight hours—sometimes up to 18 hours—allow you to make the most of your days, and the city's outdoor cafes and terraces come to life with locals and tourists alike.

Summer is also the time for festivals, open-air concerts, and cultural events, making it an exciting period for visitors. The Moscow International Film Festival and various art exhibitions add a special touch to the summer experience. However, it’s important to note that summer is also peak tourist season, so the city's popular attractions can be crowded. If you prefer to avoid long lines, booking tours and tickets in advance is recommended.

Autumn in Moscow: September to November

If you are questioning yourself when is the best time to go to Moscow, here’s the answer to your question. Autumn is another wonderful time to visit Moscow, especially for those who enjoy cooler weather and fewer crowds. From September to November, the city experiences crisp air and colorful foliage, making it an excellent time for sightseeing and enjoying Moscow’s parks and gardens. Temperatures during this period are comfortable, with highs ranging from 10°C to 15°C (50°F to 59°F), though it can get chilly later in the season.

The fall also offers a more tranquil atmosphere compared to the busy summer months, as many tourists have returned home. For those who appreciate art and history, autumn in Moscow is perfect, as the cultural venues are less crowded and events such as the Moscow Art Fair and the Golden Mask Theatre Festival take place.

Conclusion

If you are asking yourself when is the best time to go to Moscow, consider your preferences and what you hope to experience. Summer offers pleasant weather and vibrant events, while autumn provides a quieter, scenic atmosphere. Winter, with its snow-covered streets and festive spirit, attracts those who embrace the cold, while spring offers a refreshing, peaceful time to visit as the city begins to bloom. No matter when you choose to visit, Moscow’s rich culture, history, and beauty promise an unforgettable experience.

[goodoldbandit]

Russia: The World's Largest Country.

Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo. skm.stayingalive.in Discover the beauty, diversity, and grandeur of Russia, the world’s largest country, rich in history, culture, and natural wonders. A Land Like No Other Stretching across 17.1 million square kilometers, #Russia stands as the largest country in the world. Its vast territory spans eleven time zones, boasting unparalleled natural…

[holidaymyplanet]

Discover the captivating charm of Russia’s grand cities and historical landmarks. Visit Moscow’s iconic Red Square and Kremlin, explore the artistic treasures of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and journey through the picturesque Golden Ring towns. Russia offers a blend of rich culture, stunning architecture, and breathtaking natural beauty.

[martin-james2121]

Do’s and Don’t You Should Know Before Visiting Moscow

Moscow, located in the center of the European part of Russia is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is a vibrant metropolis that effortlessly blends history, culture, and modernity. This place is considered perfect for people who love to perform adventure sports all the time.

Moscow is one of the most fascinating cities of Russia which is also known for its museums that immerses you in the rich cultural tapestry of the city’s past. The charm of this city lies in its contrasts, and respecting local customs will also enhance your travel experience undoubtedly. So, pack your bags, venture into the heart of Russia, and let the beauty of Moscow unfold before you.

Check out this list of certain do’s and don’ts that you should be aware of to make the most of your visit. 

Do's

1. Embrace the Cyrillic Alphabet

Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, and while many signs have English translations, it's beneficial to familiarize yourself with the basics. This will make navigating public transportation and reading street signs much easier.

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[forasecondtherewedwon]

Forgetting It

Fandom: The Queen's Gambit Pairing: Benny x Beth Rating: T Word Count: 2667

Summary: It seems to Benny that regular people don’t have to think so much. That maybe they’re happier. That they take women to bed more often, definitely. Regular people don’t lie awake with “forget it” echoing in their head while they stare at the ceiling.

He thinks about them sometimes, regular people. Not a lot. Not enough to seem like one of them, probably; his inattention to most things that aren’t chess is pretty obvious. Nobody asks him for directions or the time. To the regular people, he must look like he belongs to another world (not a better one), because he’s often only halfway present in everyday life, the other part of his mind doing a pawn tango as he navigates a pretty, mental middle game.

A regular person would do this better than he would. It’s not so strange, and Benny has been flirted with before, even to the point of propositioning, but it grabs the two halves of his brain and focuses them on the same thing, and that feeling is strange as hell. Beth’s fingers on his hair.

Say he’s a man—a man not himself. A man in a bar, doing this on purpose. He sees a woman he wants to take. (Meet.) Say the bar is crowded and he advances on the diagonal. (Walks over.) He’s in front of her, and the clock’s ticking, and they’re exchanging pieces. (Feeling each other out.) Benny’s already failed because he can’t stop seeing a chess board.

But a regular person would see Beth without the accolades, without knowing her brain. They would just see her—(and Benny doesn’t say “lovely,” but…) lovely. Sitting at the bar with her legs crossed at the knee, foot tapping the air like some kind of freefalling Ginger Rogers. She would turn when they sat, this regular person, and her eyes would be dark and curious, and quickly challenging. Maybe she would smile, or maybe not. And they would do better than Benny would—better than he did. Is there a chance in hell that slipping from his stool after telling Beth they won’t be having sex looked like anything other than running away?

Forget it. That’s what he told her, and now he’s lying in bed naked (a regular person would probably travel with pajamas—they change the sheets in these college dorm rooms, don’t they?), able to think of anything but forgetting it. Benny huffs and stuffs his hand under the back of his head.

Talking to Beth Harmon too long is dangerous; he forgets he’s not talking to himself, that maybe that’s who the warning-off was for. This girl? Forget it, Benny. She’s a walking, talking bad idea. What scares him about Beth is that she only thinks she knows how good she is. At all of it. She’s even better than that. He knows it. But she’s terrifying, almost like she shouldn’t be told her full potential. Good thing he just signed up to fucking coach her into it.

Sex is a bad idea because they need to focus, especially her. It’s a bad idea because he’s older than she is, and more sensible. Probably.

If he was that other guy—that regular guy—he wouldn’t have said it. He wouldn’t have commented when she touched his hair, except with his eyes: locking them on hers. His hand would have found her lower back. It would’ve stayed there as he lightly guided her from the bar. It seems to Benny that regular people don’t have to think so much. That maybe they’re happier. That they take women to bed more often, definitely. Regular people don’t lie awake with “forget it” echoing in their head while they stare at the ceiling.

This is what doing the right thing feels like.

Benny tightens his hands into fists, then releases them.

He hasn’t even thought about losing. Is Beth relishing the win tonight? He thinks he knows just enough of her character to doubt it. They’re both looking ahead, like pawns; unable to go back. Almost obediently, Benny casts his mind forward to Paris, to Moscow. To New York. Beth his live-in trainee. He couldn’t withdraw the offer, even after those dainty, killer fingers reached towards his face to gently brush his hair aside. Saying, Actually, Beth, it looks like this probably isn’t wise, when paired with slipping away the way he did, would’ve doubled his weakness. He couldn’t show her it got to him—the light touch of a young woman on the man who carries a knife. He had to bat her advance aside without any kind of contact; it was just an annoyance in the face of the plan he was presenting. The plan is what matters. Beth’s training. Her success.

Thirty moves. Christ.

He can’t be taken with her. He refuses to be smitten. Like all good chess players are, he’s in love with himself, and that’s all. He’s coaching her for his own glorification; if she’s going to be better than him (she is), then he’s going to be the guy who made her even better than that. He’ll make her a chapter in his next book, just not the dedication. No To Beth—for that time you touched my hair. He’s not insane. Well, not beyond the standard for his chosen profession.

Benny shifts, sighs, and stares at the door. There’s a little light coming from beneath it, the hallway apparently blindingly and perpetually lit. How do college kids sleep? Preppy, geeky, horny college kids. They must just wipe their minds each night like a chalkboard, then drift off. Benny sighs again, rolling definitively onto his side, shoulder digging into the thin mattress, necklaces skimming across his chest. His mouth tenses in annoyance. It’s not indecision that’s pissing him off—it’s that he has decided.

Like that, he’s up, rushing his pants on, stepping into his boots. T-shirt over his head. Wallet, keys in the pocket. Belt fastened to keep the knife in place.

“Goddammit,” he mutters to himself, hands on his hips. Then, Benny strides for the door.

He doesn’t need to ask where Beth’s room is; all of them—the chess people—have been housed in the same couple halls of this dormitory. Stowed indiscriminately, or else he and Beth would’ve been neighbours, down at one end, away from those who can’t tell a white bishop from a saltshaker. Still, Benny doesn’t know exactly which room is hers, and all the doors are shut now. It’s late. Remembering he’s driving to New York in the morning makes Benny stifle a yawn. But he’ll never sleep unless he sees her, or talks to her, or something. (A dangerously unspecific word.)

He strolls all the way to the end of the hall and paces there, eyeing the dark sliver beneath every door. That wouldn’t be Beth, would it? She wouldn’t get to sleep that easy, would she? Not when he couldn’t. Although, she was drinking, and today’s match was intense—at least for one of them, and she mentioned staying up to study the night before. Did she though? He’d like to know more about the kind of night she had after he fleeced her at speed chess. It makes Benny smirk a little. He’s not always a gracious winner.

It occurs to him that Beth might know him about as well as anybody does. True, she listens to him less—never joins the flock that surrounds him at tournaments—and she’s skeptical of most of his bullshit (likely all of it, but he’s not ready to recognize the breadth of her power to strip him bare), but whatever she does hear, and whatever she does see… well, it’s something genuine. That’s probably the only thing that could rattle him, and it does. It has him patrolling these hallways with bleary, burning eyes, waiting to get lucky enough that Beth’ll just pop out of one of these shut doors.

But it’s not happening. Benny makes a clicking, disappointed noise with his tongue, shakes his head at himself, and retreats.

Air. He just needs a little air. So decided, Benny detours on his way back to his own particular hallway, pushing out a side door.

Quickly, he has to gather his wits and get out of the way as the door he shoved comes swinging back before he’s fully stepped over the threshold. The sight of her brought him to a halt: Beth Harmon, staring at the moon while she traces a finger around the carton of cigarettes in her hand.

“Another bad habit?” Benny inquires, startling her. It helps him feel like he’s taken the upper hand back after almost being struck by the door. He walks towards her.

“Still hung up on my drinking?” she demands. “Don’t patronize me.”

“Just observing.”

“Don’t do that either.”

Benny laughs softly to himself as Beth turns her face decisively away from him. Regardless, he stands beside her.

“I have to,” he says. “I’m going to train you, remember?”

“That doesn’t start until tomorrow.”

“Tonight I can fuck off, is that it?”

He’s smirking, and Beth frowns when she glances at him and catches his look.

“What?” Benny continues. “I can’t say ‘fuck’?” He crosses his arms when Beth doesn’t reply. “So, it’s not actually the drinking you’re feeling defensive about, it’s the sex thing.”

“There is no sex thing,” Beth says flatly, deliberately, her finger still running around the carton.

Benny ignores her denial and watches the work of her hand for a minute.

“Are you gonna smoke one of those?” he finally asks.

Beth drops her hands to her sides, then tucks the cigarettes into the pocket of her jacket. She sniffs.

“No.”

“You don’t need to, I don’t know, settle your nerves?” Benny ventures conversationally.

Beth scoffs and faces him.

“I don’t smoke to settle my nerves, I smoke after—” She bites off the end of her sentence, bites her lip between her teeth. It’s a gesture he wouldn’t have thought about before what happened at the bar earlier, but now, it draws his attention like a clear path to checkmate.

“After what, Beth?” Benny teases smugly, willing to bet all the money he won from her at speed chess and more that he knows exactly what she was about to say. “Not after winning tournaments, obviously, or you’d have one of them lit right now.”

Beth hangs her head, clearly mortified, but just as clearly clenching her jaw to resist it.

“You know.”

“I do,” Benny confirms. He shows her a little mercy by staring up at the moon she was admiring instead of at her face. “But, come on, Beth—a cigarette after sex? I didn’t think you were that cliché.”

“I didn’t think you thought of me at all,” Beth retorts, a little harsher than he would guess she meant to be, a little accusing, a little brittle.

“Of course I do. Just not like that,” he clarifies, feeling her gaze steal over to him.

“Right.”

“Right,” he insists. He steals a glance back at her. “I thought you heard me the first time.”

Beth meets his eye. She’s never afraid, Benny’s noticed, to communicate with her dark, judgemental eyes exactly how full of shit she thinks a person is. She’s doing it now. Then, her expression turns flippantly bland.

“I heard you say no to sex.”

“Exactly,” he pronounces, rocking on his feet.

Beth scoffs and turns to him. “Exactly nothing,” she counters. “Saying you won’t have sex with me isn’t the same as saying you don’t want to.”

“But I did just say I don’t want to.”

“You were lying then,” she says definitively, immediately.

“Based on what?” he demands, crossing his arms as he turns to face her too.

She does this delicate one-shouldered shrug.

“I can read you.”

“You can read my chess game. That’s different,” Benny asserts, hopes, maybe begs. Why he’s working this hard to lie to Beth he can’t say. So easily, she could point out that he’s here, out of bed, arguing with her about not taking an interest in her when he seems unable to stop proving that he does. Maybe she’s blind to the most obvious move. Maybe she isn’t, but she’s hoping he is. If that’s how she feels, then they’re just talking to talk, fighting to fight, intertwining their words instead of their bodies.

This all goes to hell if he sleeps with her.

He might always pine for her if he doesn’t.

“Because you’ve worked so hard to separate chess from your identity,” Beth accuses. The words are slow, yet sharply sarcastic. Benny swallows.

“You don’t know everything,” he warns, leaning heavily on the patronizing tone as another way to hide. The way Beth’s studying his face says that’s not going to work.

“I know we wouldn’t still be standing here talking if either of us were normal.”

He smiles to concede her point.

“I wouldn’t know where to start. With being normal.”

“I’d know where to start,” she says, blunt—like the look in her eyes, “but I’d have no fucking clue where it would end.”

“Yeah,” Benny agrees softly. He sighs. “That’s what scares me.”

Beth cocks her head. “That’s why you said no sex?”

His posture stiffens.

“I said no sex because there won’t be any sex,” he states, furious at himself.

Beth grins, and he’s furious at her too. He glares down at the shape of the cigarette carton in her pocket.

“You might as well smoke those here. You won’t be smoking in New York.”

He moves away from her, back towards the dorm, anxious, flushed, even with his arms chilled from the night air. The last thing he thinks before they touch is he’s going to be taking a lot of long, solitary walks when they get to New York. The last thing he does is trail his fingers across his forehead to sweep aside his hair.

Beth’s hand, neither warm nor cold, grips his upper arm, stopping him.

“No sex in New York?” she checks.

Benny looks at her.

“No sex in New York.”

“So, here…?”

Benny crumbles. He crumbles like she made him crumble, seated across the chessboard.

“In Ohio? How could I not want you in Ohio?” he asks helplessly.

He sees the decision in her eyes, thinks she lets him see it. Without releasing his arm, Beth leans in and up, touching—just touching—her lips to his. He has to gather her in his arms to hold her in place, press harder, feel the breath go out of her nose as he kisses her insistently. He’s given in to something, and he can’t take it back.

If they don’t speak, Benny doesn’t have to listen to himself try to stop something that was always going to start—ever since yesterday, ever since Vegas. If they don’t speak, he won’t hear Beth’s teasing tone, reminding him how young she is, how she needs his guidance, his expertise…

Fuck it. She mopped the board with him, and they both know it. And they both know they both enjoyed it. Maybe it takes having an ego the size of his in the first place to tolerate a public loss like that, or maybe even a regular guy would get hard from being beaten so good. Benny’s not gonna fawn, but he’s survived this coup with his head intact, and the smart money says, Bow to the successor. Something that’s not money, that’s not smart, that’s not even his head, says, Devote yourself to her. There’s a difference, and he can feel it in the texture of her coat under his palms, taste it on the sigh that escapes around the shape of his tongue in her mouth.

Benny moves his hands to cup her face between them as they kiss, and hers smooth over his t-shirt, stroking up his back.

“I have to drive tomorrow,” he breaks away to remind them both, almost panting.

Beth smirks and adjusts her headband.

“Then you should probably go to bed.”

He grits his teeth, trying to control his smile. For several seconds, he feels the words in his mouth. With no other move left, he plays into her hands, letting the words out: “You win.”

[whencyclopedia]

Ancient History Encyclopedia in Armenia

Last fall, Ancient History Encyclopedia (AHE) received a grant from the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) and the Knights of Vartan Fund for Armenian Studies to complete a grant project that would entail the writing and publishing of content on topics related to ancient and early medieval Armenian history and culture. Generous funding from the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research also permitted me to travel to Armenia this past May and see first-hand countless sites of interest and explore Armenia's cultural treasures.

Arrival

My flight from Moscow Sheremetyevo to Yerevan, Armenia on Aeroflot had been delayed two hours due to unseasonably cold and wet weather. (It had actually snowed several days earlier while I was in Moscow much to surprise and consternation of spring-mad Muscovites.) I was eager but also nervous and excited to be traveling to Armenia. Despite reading endless guidebooks and a reassuring exchange of over 100 emails with Arara Tour, I felt a perceptible gnaw of apprehension about my first visit to the Caucasus. My worrying, however, was utterly misguided, as a real adventure and education awaited. Over the course of nine days, I traversed prehistoric archaeological sites that were over 4,000 years old, immersed myself in the splendor of medieval churches and monasteries that were unlike anything I had ever seen, and caught enigmatic glimpses of centuries of flourishing cultural exchanges along the fabled Silk Road.

I had chosen the perfect time of year to visit Armenia; spring had just arrived and although the flowers were in bloom, the sun's rays glistened the snow still on mountain slopes. With my guide Ara Petrosyan, a former archaeologist and scholar himself, I set about exploring Armenia's rich past. Yerevan, the capital of present-day Armenia, is situated close to several key sites that I visited: the Metsamor archaeological site, which once had been a thriving community between c. 4000 to 3000 BCE; the holy city of Echmiadzin, which is headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church and operates much like an “Armenian Vatican”; the medieval Amberd Fortress located high on the mountain slopes of Mount Aragats, which was never conquered by Arab invaders; and the ruins of the ancient fortress of Erebuni, which predate Rome and was founded by the mysterious Urartian civilization.

In Yerevan itself - a city of over a million people - I visited the Matenadaran Museum, which contains chiefly Armenian manuscripts dating from Late Antiquity through the Early Modern Era, and the History Museum of Yerevan, where I came up close and personal with the grand scope of Armenian history. Saying that my first days in Armenia were “busy” would be an understatement; there was much to photograph, record, and collect for my fellow team members, and thankfully Ara proved to have unfathomable patience with my endless rounds of photo stops. (We later laughed about this over dinner, where I was assured that I was actually quite fast and disciplined in “keeping up a solid pace.”)

Continue reading...

[quillnqueer]

✨ Interesting New Releases | 19th June

Bad Graces: following a group of young women as they face the stress of harsh elements, a mysterious monster, and an unraveling of secrets after their yacht is wrecked off the coast of North America

The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands: Passengers brave enough to face The Wastelands are travelling from Beijing are heading to Moscow via the Great Trans-Siberian Express, hoping they'll survive the journey

The Glassmaker: a rich, transporting story that follows a family of glassmakers from the height of Renaissance-era Italy to present day

Little Rot: from the author of Pet, this is about five friends trying to outrun and outmatch a powerful, underground world in Nigeria

Of Jade and Dragons: Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate an engineer guild’s male-only apprenticeship trial after her father's death

We Used to Live Here: A young Queer couple who flip houses and a house that causes them to descend into madness when they invite the previous residents in

[besttimetogo2]

The Optimal Time to Go to Moscow: A Seasonal Overview

Moscow, the grand capital of Russia, offers a captivating blend of history, culture, and vibrant city life. When is the best time to go Moscow? The answer depends on what you want to experience and your tolerance for different weather conditions. Here’s a simple guide to help you decide when is the best time to go Moscowand make the most of your trip.

Spring (March to May)

Spring in Moscow is a refreshing season to visit. As winter's chill fades, temperatures begin to rise, ranging from 0°C to 15°C (32°F to 59°F). By April, the city starts to shake off its frosty cover, and parks like Gorky Park come alive with blossoming flowers and outdoor activities. This season is perfect if you want to experience Moscow’s transformation from winter’s grip to a more temperate climate. When is the best time to go moscow if you’re keen to witness this seasonal change? Spring is a fantastic choice. It’s also a time when the city’s cultural calendar is bustling, with various events and festivals celebrating the arrival of warmer weather.

Summer (June to August)

Summer in Moscow is a time of energy and vibrancy. The long daylight hours and warm evenings make it ideal for exploring outdoor attractions like the Kremlin, Red Square, and the picturesque Moscow River. When is the best time to go Moscow for those who enjoy lively street life and cultural activities? Summer is the answer. The season also brings numerous festivals, concerts, and open-air events, making it a lively time to visit.

Autumn (September to November)

Autumn in Moscow is a season of striking contrasts. The weather is crisp and comfortable, with temperatures ranging from 5°C to 15°C (41°F to 59°F). The city’s parks and streets are painted with vibrant fall colors, creating a picturesque setting. When is the best time to go Moscow for a blend of pleasant weather and fewer tourists? Autumn offers a great balance. It’s an excellent time for sightseeing and enjoying Moscow’s rich array of museums, theaters, and historic sites. Autumn also marks the start of the cultural season, with many performances and exhibitions opening their doors.

Winter (December to February)

Winter in Moscow is cold, but it’s also magical. While the cold may deter some, it also means fewer tourists and a unique, serene beauty to the city. When is the best time to go Moscow to experience its festive charm? Winter is the answer. Moscow’s winter charm is embodied in its festive holiday decorations and markets, like the famous Christmas markets in Red Square. If you don’t mind the cold and want to experience Moscow's cozy indoor attractions, winter can be a wonderful time to visit. Just be sure to bundle up and be prepared for snowy conditions.

Key Considerations

Events and Festivals: Moscow has a packed calendar of events. For example, the Victory Day Parade in May and the Moscow International Film Festival in June are highlights. Check local event calendars to align your visit with any festivals or cultural events you’re interested in.

Weather Preferences: Your comfort with cold or warmth will influence your choice. Spring and autumn offer milder temperatures, summer provides warmth and energy, and winter presents a unique, snowy landscape.

Crowds and Prices: Peak tourist seasons like summer and the holiday season can mean higher prices and more crowds. If you prefer a quieter experience and better deals, spring and autumn are ideal.

In essence, when is the best time to go moscow depends on your weather preferences and what you wish to experience. Each season brings its own flavor to the city, ensuring that no matter when you choose to go, Moscow will have something unique to offer.

[mariacallous]

ODESA, Ukraine—In his office overlooking Odesa’s Pivdennyi Port on the Black Sea, Viktor Berestenko smiled contentedly at the half-dozen large international cargo ships just beyond the harbor. “It’s as beautiful as your first kiss,” said the grinning president of the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine. Speaking to Foreign Policy in late March Berestenko was only too happy to inform me that Ukraine’s three free ports—all in and around Odesa—are operating 24/7, and that the country’s grain exports are back to prewar levels.

The restoration of Black Sea trade is a major breakthrough for Ukraine, in stark contrast to the losses it has endured this year on the eastern fronts. In the Black Sea theater, Ukraine has pulled off the unthinkable: beating back the esteemed Russian Navy even though it has next to no naval force of its own.

From the tiny swath of coastline around Odesa, Ukraine has stymied Moscow’s attempt to landlock and hobble its economy by rendering it unable to market its voluminous agricultural exports. In the spring of 2022, the Russian military barricaded Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and brought exports to a standstill. This forced Ukraine to shift to land routes to market its goods and caused worldwide grain prices to spike, which raised concerns about famine in the Middle East and Africa. Today, Russia still occupies 16 Ukrainian ports. But the Black Sea front looks more hopeful for Ukraine than at any time since the war’s onset more than two years ago.

The Ukrainian fleet lost 80 percent of its vessels after the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014. But, relying a combination of missile systems and unmanned drone boats guided by advanced GPS and cameras, Ukraine’s armed forces claim to have crippled a third of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. They have also upended the Russian supply lines that serve thousands of troops in the occupied areas of southern Ukraine.

On March 24, Ukraine landed another blow, reportedly using U.K.- or French-made air-to-surface missiles, taking out two large Russian landing ships and other infrastructure near the occupied Crimean port city of Sevastopol. Russia’s fleet has suffered such a drubbing that it prompted the firing of its top admiral, Nikolai Yevmenov, in mid-March. Today, Russia’s remaining ships are in docked in berths along the far side of the Crimean Peninsula, out of sight but not entirely out of Ukraine’s reach.

“Russia wanted to turn the Black Sea into a big Russian lake. But Ukraine reversed it,” said Volodymyr Dubovyk, the director of the Center for International Studies at the Odesa Mechnikov National University. “Russian ships today don’t venture into the northwest of the Black Sea.”

This cover has enabled Ukraine to improvise a sea corridor that begins in Odesa and hugs the safe shores of NATO members Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey as ships travel southwest en route to the Bosphorus Strait, through which most Black Sea trade passes. Exploiting a bumper crop, Ukraine is now exporting as much grain—corn, wheat, and barley—as it did before the war, as well as other goods, and has opened its Odesan ports for nighttime business to handle yet more. Prior to the war, Ukraine traded more grain than the entire European Union and supplied half of the globally traded sunflower oil, as well as iron ore and fertilizer, according to Bloomberg.

“This is enormously important for Ukraine’s economy, for the Odesa region, and for our future,” said Sergey Yakubovskiy, an economist at Odesa National University. “We have to do everything to keep this route open and reliable.”

Ukraine’s asymmetric Black Sea strategy relies ever more upon Ukraine-made drone boats—known as uncrewed surface vessels (USVs)—that speed across the water beneath Russian radar carrying up to 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) of explosives. These projectiles have sunk or disabled some of the 24 lost Russian warships, evidence that Ukraine’s domestic arms production has been stepped up and is increasingly consequential in the absence of anticipated U.S. and European assistance. According to the Guardian, there are currently 200 drone manufacturing companies in Ukraine, some of them bankrolled by crowdfunding campaigns. In December 2023, they delivered 50 times as many robotic explosives as in the entire year of 2022, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation.

Ukraine’s strategy is to maintain its presence in the Black Sea with the prospect of soon acquiring the longer-range missiles that it needs to hit Crimea itself and Russia proper beyond it, Dubovyk said. For Ukraine, he explained, the pressing issue is what comes next. “Crimea is in play, and if Ukraine can put more pressure on Russia there, it can make the occupation untenable. It would change the war’s logic if Russia couldn’t supply the eastern fronts from Crimea,” he said.

Russia’s response has been to target Odesa’s ports, energy infrastructure, and housing blocks with ballistic missiles. Seldom does a day pass without air raid sirens in the port city, which send its residents scrambling into their cellars. In March alone, Russian attacks killed 32 civilians.

One would think that the new coastal sea route would obviate Ukraine’s need to access EU markets via land, namely through Central Europe, and thus ameliorate the friction it has caused between the Central Europeans and Ukraine. Following Russia’s invasion, the EU allowed Ukraine tariff-free access to its markets, which had the effect of undermining the Visegrad Group states’ own grain trade and prompting farmers to take to the streets in anger, above all in Poland. Now, logically, trade could revert to its previous routes and the injurious tiff come to an end.

Not so quickly, explained Yakubovskiy, the economist. He pointed out that Ukraine’s new sea corridor is a temporary and unsanctioned byway, possible now only as a result of Russia’s naval weakness and an informal agreement between Russia and Ukraine not to target civilian shipping. It could end at any moment, he said.

As for Russia, it is not likely to improve its Black Sea positions soon. This is because Turkey controls the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, and Ankara has chosen to adhere to the letter of the 1936 Montreux Convention, which prohibits the passage of warships through the straights into the Black Sea in a time of war. Russia thus has no way of getting reinforcements to its ports.

The upshot of Russia’s retreat from Black Sea waters and Turkey’s control of the straits has put Ankara in the driver’s seat. Whether Ukraine maintains its new trade route thus depends, to some extent, on Turkey.

In the past, Ankara has shown itself deft at using leverage to promote its own interests, whatever they may be. It could turn Viktor Berestenko’s bliss into a short-lived fling.

[stevebattle]

Ambulant Dishwasher by Donald G. Moore (1957), Whirlpool Corporation. The American National Exhibition in Moscow (1959) was billed as a showcase for how Americans of the 1950s were living and prospering, and included the RCA/Whirlpool Miracle Kitchen. “The tireless ambassador on hand at the RCA/Whirlpool “miracle kitchen” exhibit was Anne Anderson, a woman who grew up in Argo, Illinois but whose Ukrainian parents taught her to speak Russian. … She presses a button, and the dishwasher “walks” an electronic track to the dining table. Kitchen also has a robot floor cleaner and automatically adjustable sinks. By pressing buttons, Anne can prepare a complete meal without leaving the kitchen’s control panel." The patent describes the robot as, “an automatic dishwashing machine which may be automatically controlled to move from a storage location to a serving location where soiled dishes are loaded into the washer, and automatically returned to its storage location, thereby reducing the manual work necessary for loading the dishwasher and operating same. … The dishwasher may be actuated by pressing a control button on the control panel, or by a control on the serving and dining table. The motor for driving the conveying vehicle is then energized through a guide track in the floor. … The dishwasher will then begin its travel following the path, and move to its operating position beside the table. The dishwasher may be stopped by the control or may be automatically stopped by a control switch on the dishwasher cabinet. The operator then fills the dishwasher with the soiled dishes and again actuates the control whereupon the dishwasher will travel back along its path to its original storage position within the storage cabinet.” – Perambulating Kitchen Appliances and Control Means Therefor, Donald G. Moore.

[vincent-duboisfournier]

Thomas Dworzak ©Thomas Dworzak

Born in Germany in 1972, Thomas Dworzak has documented many of the most important news stories since the 1990s. At the age of 16, he started traveling to photograph conflicts in Northern Ireland, Israel/Palestine, and the disintegrating Yugoslavia. After he left his native Germany, he combined his attempt to become a photographer with an effort to study languages: Spanish in Ávila, Czech in Prague, and Russian in Moscow. During the 1990s, Dworzak lived in Georgia, exploring the people, culture, and conflicts in the Caucasus, which resulted in the book Kavkaz in 2010.

A months-long assignment for the New Yorker in Afghanistan, where Dworzak discovered studio portraits of the Taliban, became his first book, Taliban (2003). Images taken during his many assignments in Iraq, most of which were shot for Time magazine, were used to create his next book, M*A*S*H IRAQ (2007). Since then, Dworzak has gone on to photograph the revolutions in the former Soviet republics of Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine, and to cover stories in dozens of countries. In a recent project, Feldpost (2013–18), he photographed the “memory” of the First World War in more than 80 countries, producing 1568 “postcards” (one for every day of the war). It was completed on November 11, 2018, exactly 100 years after the end of the conflict.

Dworzak is also a keen curator, with a particular interest in digital culture. His work mining Instagram memes under various hashtags, ranging from animals dressed as the Pope to the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, has resulted in twenty sketchbooks compiled of his findings.

When covering the 2015 refugee crisis, Dworzak conceived Europe – a photographic guide for refugees, which was produced and distributed free of charge to migrants. His current long-term project, War Games, was interrupted at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, whereupon he explored and photographed almost exclusively the new virtual “Zoom” world. In 2021, his 2003–18 documentation of Georgian troops in the “war on terror” was published as a feature-film screenplay/photobook, Khidi – The Bridge. Dworzak became a Magnum Photos nominee in 2000 and a full member in 2004.

He was president of Magnum from 2017 to 2020

[i-have-41-protons]

Hi👋

May I ask one question that interests me 🤔

What do you think about Russia in general? I am talking about the country itself and the people who live there, not about politicians.

Okie dokie! I think that the greenery, skies, air and the general nature here is amazing. Honestly, it’s a great place to live if you’re looking for a serene countryside. As well as that, Moscow is a pretty cool mega city and I loved living there when I was small (I lived in Russia until I was 9). The architecture is rlly great, the streets are comprehensible and walkable, there are many amazing places to go to (just today I went to a Disneyland-like place which was awesome 🤩). There are four clearly defined seasons, with warm and sometimes hot (like this one) summers and snow in the winter which I think is rlly cool (I miss it a lot).

Now, in the big cities there’s obviously a lot of tourists (or used to be: obviously there aren’t a lot now) and there’s a lot of traffic. Also Russia — and I’m talking not only abt the government, but also about the people — is pretty conservative in terms of, well, everything. Of course, there is a huge lot of accepting and cool people, but from what I’ve seen the majority au be racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc. it’s not great.

I’m in no position to judge the people here, since I barely communicate with strangers (I come here in the summer and mostly hang out with my relatives and friends) so idk abt that. From what I know though, they’re kind of… colder?Than the ppl in Cyprus or other southern countries. Not as welcoming, more serious, don’t smile as much I guess.

Then there’s the matter of culture. Now I need you to understand that I haven’t lived on this planet for that long and thus cannot be a good guide on any country’s culture. As well as that, in Russia I’ve only ever lived in Moscow, so I don’t have the full experience. When I come here I visit a whole lot of theaters, art galleries, museums — and believe me, there are a LOT. This says quite a bit about the level of culture in Moscow (not about how much the people use it, though). There’s a lot to see and it’s very interesting. There’s a lot of historical value in the smaller towns so I would recommend traveling there too.

idk exactly what you’re looking for but if there was no war and I didn’t have to stare at the wretched “your country needs you” posters every day, I would totally like to live here :3

[ratcatcher0325]

Greetings! This question is once again addressed at the most sophisticated and well mannered little gentleman. We all know his name by now.

I hope I'm right when I say that you've shown an interest in traveling the world or seeing new and foreign places. Where would you like to go one day, what parts of the world have piqued your interest the most and what place would you like to visit first, if given the chance? Perhaps Natalie could take you somewhere, someday? Thank you in advance.

Yours in curiosity,

your fellow supporter from far away, Lena

Well, I don't mind this style of address one bit. Will you do me a favor and instruct Natalie on how to flatter and impress, as you say, a sophisticated gentleman, such as myself? She's falling far behind you in every aspect.

Ah, yes, the magical allure of international travel: Something I've only experienced inside the rich imagination of my own mind. Believe me, I've read every tome I could get my hands on about foreign nations and their many wonders. I've whiled away many a quiet hour in the dark, isolated and alone, imagining myself immersed in some far-off vista.

You ask a deeply intriguing question. If you'd like the full breadth and depth of my many desired destinations, you'd surely grow tired of reading before the list was complete. However, I will endeavor to shorten this message to the essential highlights:

I'd very much like to see the Acropolis in Athens, the Pantheon in Rome, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, Machu Picchu in Aguas Calientes, the Templo Mayor in México City, the Red Square in Moscow, the Taj Mahal in Agra, the Marienplatz in Munich, the Great Wall in Huairou, the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, and... truth be told, and don't you dare make some snide remark in regards to this, I should like to visit some of the filming locations from The Lord of the Rings in Auckland.

I can see Natalie's face now as I provide her with a meticulous, itemized itinerary for such a cross-cultural trip. She'd most likely roll her eyes and remind me that such things cost 'money' which she 'doesn't have'. I've no patience for such excuses. Please, Lena, is it? Please petition Natalie to reconsider her priorities to accommodate my entirely reasonable requests for broadening my horizons.

Thank you for this thought provoking question, I will be sure to peruse a travel guide or two and satiate myself on daydreaming, for now.

A supporter from far-off, you say? Perhaps one day we won't be so far after all and I could fascinate you with tales of the many cases I, no doubt, will have won by that point.

Yours in wanderlust,

Alexander

[spaceorphan18]

Book lady gets a book question - is there anything recently released or coming out soon that you’re looking forward to?

Okay, yes, book lady would like to talk about books! Believe it or not, I do actually read more than X-Men and Agatha Christie, lol.

Omg, my TBR is so long... Here's what's at the top of the list (in no order):

The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan : It's a dream assignment. Former Senator Dorothy Gibson, aka that woman, is the most talked-about person in the country right now, though largely for the wrong reasons. As an independent candidate for President of the United States, Dorothy split the vote and is being blamed for the shocking result. After her very public defeat, she's retreated to her home in rural Maine, inviting her ghostwriter to join her.

The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks: It is the end of the 19th Century and the world is awash with marvels. But there is nothing so marvellous as the Wastelands: a terrain of terrible miracles that lies between Beijing and Moscow. Nothing touches this abandoned wilderness except the Great Trans-Siberian Express: an impenetrable train built to carry cargo across continents, but which now transports anyone who dares to cross the shadowy Wastelands.

The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji : Students from a university mystery club decide to visit an island which was the site of a grisly multiple murder the year before. Predictably, they get picked off one by one by an unseen murderer. Is there a madman on the loose? What connection is there to the earlier murders? The answer is a bombshell revelation which few readers will see coming.

Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes: Who hasn't wondered for a split second what the world would be like the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you've probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death.

Everyone On This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson : When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time: I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn’t pan out.

Less by Andrew Shawn Greer : PROBLEM: You are a failed novelist about to turn fifty. A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: your boyfriend of the past nine years now engaged to someone else. You can’t say yes--it would all be too awkward--and you can’t say no--it would look like defeat. On your desk are a series of half-baked literary invitations you’ve received from around the world. QUESTION: How do you arrange to skip town? ANSWER: You accept them all.

The Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin : Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.

Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson : It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.

Sandman by Neil Gaiman : In PRELUDES & NOCTURNES, an occultist attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his 70 year imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On his arduous journey, Morpheus encounters Lucifer, John Constantine, and an all-powerful madman.

In a Great Green Room by Amy Gary : The extraordinary life of the woman behind the beloved children’s classics Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny comes alive in this fascinating biography of Margaret Wise Brown. Margaret’s books have sold millions of copies all over the world, but few people know that she was at the center of a children’s book publishing revolution. Her whimsy and imagination fueled a steady stream of stories, book ideas, songs, and poems and she was renowned for her prolific writing and business savvy, as well as her stunning beauty and endless thirst for adventure.

How to be Perfect by Michael Shur : Most people think of themselves as “good,” but it’s not always easy to determine what’s “good” or “bad”—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and pitfalls and booby traps and bad advice. Fortunately, many smart philosophers have been pondering this conundrum for millennia and they have guidance for us. With bright wit and deep insight, How to Be Perfect explains concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more so we can sound cool at parties and become better people.

Okay, that's a ton of books, but I have about fifty-ish that I own and haven't read yet. Because I have a problem...

Also -- the sequel to House on the Cerulean Sea and of course Gail Simone's run on Uncanny X-Men.