issue 1 // winter 2014

ABOUT //

Шум Magazine (named after the Russian word for 'noise') is the brainchild of editor Jenny

Skipper, and is created with the help of students and staff members from the Department of

Russian and Slavonic Studies at The University of Nottingham, both at home and abroad, all of

whom bring their own languages and experiences to the table. Set up to provide students in the

department with more extra-curricular opportunities and to provide an opportunity for students

to develop their linguistic and cultural knowledge, we are a multi-lingual, bi-annual publication,

with articles published in English, Russian, Serbo-Croatian and Slovene.

The team consists of Jenny Skipper (Head Editor / Fashion and Beauty Editor), Bryony Lingard

(Design Editor), Alex Brailey (News and Current Affairs Editor), Nóra Hadi (Travel and Biography

Editor), Imogen Usherwood (Culture Editor) and David Averre (Sports Editor).

The publication of Шум Magazine would not be possible without the continued support of The

University of Nottingham, The Department of Russian Slavonic Studies, in particular the

assistance of David Denton, Elizaveta Lacy, and David Norris.

CONTENTS An Introductory Article // Dr. Rolf Hellebust

news and current affairs

News Round-Up // Alex Brailey & Jenny Skipper

Economic Review // Alex Brailey

Political Review // Jack Daniel Mills

Putin, Power & The Media - PR or Propaganda? // Dr. David Denton

TRAVEL & Biography

Life in Russia as a 3rd Year // Molly Crozier

Experience of Russia // Georgie Suttie

Travel in Slovenia // Jack Doughtry

The Beauty of Anticafés // Nora Hadi

5 Top Tips Before a Russian Rail Journey // Dean Cordwell

culture

Aleksandar Gatalica // Imogen Usherwood

Elena Review // Laura English

Yugoslav Cuisine // Lana Vuletić

FASHION & BEAUTY

Who's Who of Russian Fashion // Jenny Skipper

Moscow Fashion Week Summary // Jenny Skipper

Focus on the Kokoshnik // Jenny Skipper

SPORTS

Russian F1 Grand Prix // David Averre

Novak Djokivic // Chris Allen (English translation David Averre)

Russian MMA // Adam Sharland & David Averre

10 bizarre Slavonic

NOISES

you probably won't believe

In tribute to the premiere issue of Шум

(and in respectful homage to the ‘listicle’

school of lazy Internet journalism).

1

beep-beep-beep! On 4 October 1957 the USSR launched the first artificial earth satellite: Cпутник (Sputnik). An aluminium-magnesium-titanium sphere of about half a metre in diameter, festooned with spiky antennae – imagine a disco ball with lightning rods. The signals emitted from its 1-watt radio transmitter provided Soviet scientists with data about the temperature, pressure, and electron density of the Earth’s ionosphere. And ham radio operators worldwide tuned in to catch the distinctive ‘beep’ of Sputnik – the electronic overture to the Space Race.

2

Pushkin’s ‘широкошумные дубровы’. You won’t find широкошумный in any dictionary. It’s a neologism, an окказионализм – i.e., invented by Russia’s #1 versifier, just for the purpose of his lyric ‘Поэт’ (1827). ‘Broad-murmuring’? ‘Wide-rustling’? In any case, this is a noise in three generous dimensions, filling the oak forest to which the Romantic title character flees in search of inspiration (as one does). And did you notice the alliteration? (‘Ш-ш-ш-ш-ш’, say the leaves in the breeze.)

Slap Šum. Where the rushing Radovna River plummets 26 metres as it passes through the Vintgar Gorge, in the Hom and Bort Hills northwest of Bled, Slovenia. ‘Slap’ means waterfall; ‘šum’ means noise; ‘vintgar’ means gorge. Straightforward people, those Slovenes! (To be precise, the word ‘vintgar’, which may have a German derivation, originally denoted only this particular ravine. But such was the touristic fame of the location that the usage spread...)

3

4

UVB-76. Also known to conspiracy buffs as ‘The Buzzer’. A name given by radio listeners to a mysterious shortwave station broadcasting on 4625 kHz. The signal is a monotonous buzz – two dozen of them per minute, interrupted only by the very occasional cryptic message ...in Russian. (E.g., ‘Я УБ–76, я УВБ–76. 180 08 БРОМАЛ 74 27 99 14. Борис, Роман, Ольга, Михаил, Анна, Леонид. 7 4 2 7 9 9 1 4.’) First reported in the late 1970s or early 80s, The station originally identified itself as УВБ-76, though in September 2010 it appears to have moved to a different location, and now goes by the call sign МДЖБ. Its actual purpose has not been confirmed. One of the most recent of the rare, baffling voice messages: ‘Т-Е-Р-Р-А-К-О-Т-Т-А. Михаил Дмитрий Женя Борис. Михаил Дмитрий Женя Борис. 81 26 Т-Е-Р-Р-А-К-О-Т-Т-А.’ This was recorded on 18 March 2014, less than 24 hours after Crimea voted to join the Russian Federation.

Шум. A village in the Nizhneudinskii район of the Irkutsk область. 222 inhabitants (according to the All-Russia census of 2010). I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this figure, having not been there myself; nor do I know why it’s called Шум. And, in the immortal words of Forrest Gump, ‘That’s all I have to say about that.’

5

Osip Mandelstam’s Шум времени. A brilliant Post-Symbolist poet, the Warsaw-born Mandelstam is also known for several prose works, including his 1925 volume of autobiographical sketches, published under the title The Noise of Time. This writing has helped cement the poet’s reputation as a key figure of European Modernism – of an era when time itself became something new, a fourth dimension, somehow different in a revolutionary way from the mundane temporality of the 19

th

century.

7

6

Chopin’s Étude op. 10, no. 12 in C minor, known as the Revolutionary Étude or the Étude on the Bombardment of Warsaw. Well, actually just the ending. Or, to be precise, the final magnificent, crashing chord that isn’t there. One of the composer’s most famous piano works, the Étude was supposedly inspired by the November Uprising of 1831, which was brutally suppressed by Poland’s imperial Russian masters. Full of sound, fury, and digit-wrenching technical demands, the piece somehow makes its way from the all-is-lost determination of the opening key of C minor to a surprising C major in the last bars. Yet the wild optimism of this key change is itself undermined by a concluding chord progression that sounds utterly... unfinished.

8

he phoneme r /. Written ⟨ř⟩. A raised alveolar non-sonorant trill. Yes, that raised alveolar non-sonorant trill. The one that BREAKS THE TONGUES of beginning students of the Czech language. My teacher would raise his eyebrows and say ‘How can anyone have trouble with this sound? It’s the most natural sound. When you are a little child, playing with your toy car, what other sound would you possibly make?’ Anyhow, if you’re a student of Russian, it’s like this: you make the rolled ‘р’ sound, and the buzzing ‘ж’ sound. And you make them AT THE SAME TIME. (*Sigh*) Sorry folks... ‘ř’ isn’t really a noise; it’s actually quite mellifluous. I guess I just need more time to work through the trauma... (To make myself feel better, I’m going to go and relax with a nice Czech tongue-twister – one that doesn’t including any toy-car sounds. How about ‘Strč prst skrz krk’? Piece of cake.)

Slavonic noise music. Frédéric Chopin doesn’t count for this one. I’m thinking more contemporary

sounds: the late-80s lo-fi cassette-tape interventions of Belgrade’s own P.P. Nikt; or the ambient

doodlings of Шумы России (YouTube NSFW alert: vague rituals performed in loincloths). Or perhaps,

to get closer to the avant-garde roots of the noise aesthetic, we could give a listen to Milan Knížák’s

Broken Music Composition. Knížák is a Czech artist who emerged from the Fluxus movement of the

1960s (Yoko Ono et al.), and took part in (and was arrested for) some of the earliest art ‘happenings’

in Eastern Europe. Broken Music came out in 1979, as part of Knížák’s ‘Destroyed Music’ series, which

made both sculpture and music out of creatively desecrated vinyl. The artist: ‘In 1965 I started to

destroy records: scratch them, punch holes in them, break them. By playing them over and over again

(which destroyed the needle and often the record player too) an entirely new music was created –

unexpected, nerve-racking and aggressive.’

9

10

The Tunguska event occurred on 30 June, 1908 in central Siberia, in what is now the Красноярский край

(Krasnoyarsk Krai). A massive explosion flattened some 80 million trees over an area of over 2,000 square

kilometres – although no blast crater was ever found. This, the largest impact event in recorded history,

may have also produced the loudest noise in history. (Enough to make you spill your кумыс -fermented

horse's milk!- in any case.) Some have theorised that the Tunguska event was the doing of a stray piece

of antimatter, or a smallish black hole, or even an alien spacecraft with wonky sat-nav. However, most

scientists now believe that the culprit was an asteroid or comet. It couldn’t happen again, right?

- Rolf Hellebust

News

&

Current affairs

News Round-up Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has claimed in a new book that Vladimir Putin sees himself as “second only to God”. He goes on to warn the current president that “self-confidence” was the illness that ruined him towards the end of his leadership of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Russian Defense Minister (DM) Sergey Shoigu has requested to the Kremlin that all elected and appointed Russian governors undergo basic military training in case of war. This was followed by the announcement of plans for a new national defense facility (The National Defense Control Center) that take control over the country in times of war. Should the West be worried?

A new document published on the official

Russian government website states that

from 10th

December this year all visitors to

Russia travelling on a visa are to be

fingerprinted upon arrival. The policy aims

to increase the effectiveness of law making

and enforcement as well as reducing

threats from illegal immigration and

terrorism.

Russia OPEC’s decision to refrain from

cutting the supply of oil has

resulted in oil prices reaching a

five-year low, with the prices

sinking below the $70 for a barrel

for the first time since 2009 (as of

Monday 1st

December).

Consequently as of the same date

the rouble has fallen more than

6% against the dollar to a new

record low. For more analysis

with regard to the diminishing

power of the rouble and Russia’s

dependence on oil turn to “A

Spotlight on Stagnation.”

MOSCOW: Europe’s biggest shopping centre opens in Moscow amidst

rouble crisis. After almost two years of construction, Europe’s largest

shopping mall recently opened its doors in northwest Moscow. Aviapark: the

size of 36 football fields, and boasting 500 stores, 80 restaurants, a floor-to-

ceiling aquarium and a 17-screen cinema, nevertheless faces fears for its

future on account of Russia’s economic woes. With the rouble having lost a

third of its value since the start of the year, Russians have seen their

purchasing power plummet. Inflation of more than 8% has seen Apple, for

one, raise their rouble prices by as much as 25%; and with reports suggesting

many visitors were browsing more than buying, it looks like Aviapark could

suffer accordingly.

MOSCOW: Doctors, nurses and patients take to the streets in rage

over job cuts and closures. In a move said to be needed to overhaul

Moscow’s outdated Soviet-era health system, plans have been

unveiled to close at least 28 of the city’s hospitals and fire up to

10,000 medical staff; and thousands of doctors, nurses and patients

are taking to the streets in protest. Their march marks Russia’s first

mass social protest in nearly a decade. The last time similar

discontent was seen, over the proposed scrapping of benefits for

pensioners and the disabled, Putin became so alarmed by the

situation that he eventually doubled pensions instead. It seems this

conflict could prove equally challenging. Despite having already

been offered additional redundancy payments of 500,000 roubles

(approx. £5900) apiece, medics are unmoved by officials’

negotiations, with many vowing they will not rest until the reforms

are halted and those responsible for them dismissed.

YAMALO-NENETS, URALS: Arctic police to

be issued with ‘reindeer transport’ to

capture criminals in snow. Russia’s

ministry of the interior is considering a

request from the police force of Yamalo-

Nenents in the Far North to be issued with

herds of reindeer to track down criminals

hiding in corners of the snowy tundra.

Perpetrators of domestic abuse,

hooliganism and thieves often flee to the

wilderness of the Urals- where

temperatures can drop to minus 50C- to

escape the law, and, since snowmobiles

are frequently broken or obstructed by the

challenging terrain, it seems this most

basic of Arctic essentials is still the best

way forward for local authorities.

CHUKOTKA PENINSULA, FAR EAST: Dozens missing after South

Korean ship sinks off Kamchatka coast. Over 50 people are missing

after a South Korean fishing ship sank in the Bering Sea, off the

coast of the Chukotka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East. Authorities

rescued seven crew members, including a Russian inspector, and

recovered the body of a South Korean fisherman said to have died

from hypothermia, but the whereabouts of most of the crew

remains unknown. The search for the South Korean, Filipino and

Indonesian men has been complicated by the adverse weather

conditions that contributed to the sinking originally. The ship was

said to have been overwhelmed after storms caused seawater to

flood its storage areas.

- Alex Brailey and Jenny Skipper

a Spotlight

on stagnationv a rundown of economic

turmoil in russia

After a decade of a rapid economic expansion

comparable only to the likes China, the cracks are

beginning to show as the Iron Curtain drapes perilously

close to collapse.

Before considering the apparent downward trajectory of

Russia’s current economic path it is necessary to afford a

look at how well they have fared since the millennium.

Indeed Russia is (or perhaps now was) along with Brazil,

India and China, one of the BRIC nations, a term coined

by English economist Jim O’Neil to describe a group of

nations at a similar stage of advanced economic

development, a group seen by many as the potential

future powerhouses and drivers of the global economy.

Russia’s economic development was exceptional in its

own right with pre-global recession growth rates

averaging at around 7% with a pre-crash high of 9.2% in

2008. Even after recession hit, in which Russia was hit

amongst the hardest, recovery was impressive with a

rebound growth of 4.9% in the second half of both 2010

and 2011. Even today Russia is ranked as the ninth

largest economy in terms of nominal GDP* and as of

2011 Moscow was ranked by international news outlet

Reuters as the billionaire capital of the world.

Today, however, the Russian economy is near stagnation

with third quarter economic growth recorded at a mere

0.7%, and the World Bank forecast offers little hope of a

respite. While Europe and the West continue along the

road to recovery, Russia not aided by the dubious

agendas of leader Vladimir Putin are facing a whole new

crisis of their own. Central to Russian plight is the

extraordinary freefell of the rouble, which has

depreciated 23% against the dollar in recent months to

an unparalleled low. In other words the rouble is losing

its power.

A consequence of depreciation is an increase in price

inflation as it becomes more and more expensive for

consumers to import goods from foreign markets as the

currency becomes worthless. However to make matters

worse, consumer price index inflation in Russia is

already remarkably high at around 8%, to put this into

perspective consumer prices in the UK have not risen

beyond 3% since April 2012.

Unfortunately high inflation is merely a splash in the sea of

problems that Russia faces. Normally when a country's

currency depreciates economic theory suggests that

domestic demand will increase as it becomes

comparatively cheaper to buy goods from the domestic

market. Take for example if the pound were to depreciate

in value relative to the dollar it would become more

expensive for a British consumer to purchase an imported

American manufactured General Motors 4X4 car and so

they would look for a domestic alternative such as a British

made Land Rover. However this hasn’t been the case in

Russia as a lack of domestic alternatives due to poor

infrastructure, particularly in the agricultural sector, have

meant consumers have faced little choice but to continue

importing. The turbulent transition from the Iron Curtain's

closed communist society to a market-based economy

brought with it a large decline in Russia’s manufacturing

and agricultural sector as its inefficiencies became

exposed. Russian production of beef, pork and poultry for

example fell by 260% during the 10 years following

dissolution of the Soviet Union. Ultimately while

consumers are forced to continue importing, which

requires foreign currency such as the dollar, pressure on

the rouble will further continue hitting Russia even harder.

It is not only Russia’s dependence on trade with the West

adding to economic woes as continued dependence on

primary commodities in spite of dwindling prices adds

further to frustration. Crude oil prices have fallen from an

average of $110 a barrel to closer to $80 a barrel in only a

matter of months whilst American government agencies

predict prices to remain around this level for the

foreseeable future. Significantly, during the first half of

2014 sales of oil and natural gas accounted for 68% of

Russia’s exports and hence falling prices inevitably lead to

a fall in revenues, for both exporters and the Kremlin. Of

course revenue for the Kremlin from taxpayer’s could be

vital in restructuring Russia’s domestic industries to

protect against future fluctuations in commodity prices,

however falling revenues amongst the already highly

contentious corruption claims surrounding current tax

revenues point to a bleak future for domestic industry.

article continues overleaf »»»

A further issue Russia face is that of Capital flight, a problem more familiar throughout history to the developing

economies of Africa and the America’s. Capital flight occurs when assets, or more specifically money, flow rapidly out

of a country as foreign investors look to pull their investments or as residents flee for a brighter economic future

elsewhere, thus resulting in large outflows of capital. Russia recently recorded a capital outflow for the 17th

consecutive quarter as investors, concerned with worsening political landscape of the East, continue to pull the plug

on their ties with Russia. It’s not just the flight of money concerning Russia; population has been falling persistently,

even since the breakup of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. In 2013 more than 186,000 left Russia, more than five times

the amount who left only two years previously, a stark contrast to the consistently increasing populations of the

other BRIC nations where thousands of young educated professionals are desperately scrambling for employment.

Whilst the causes and effects of Russia’s current economic turmoil continue to be debated attention needs to be

turned to ways to stunt the depression in Russia’s fortunes. Disgruntled Russians are looking for answers as the

Kremlin looks for ideas. Investment is needed in infrastructure, and the young and educated need to be retained and

Russia desperately needs to regain the power of the rouble.

*(Economic growth measured in Gross Domestic Product GDP is the primary tool of analysing a countries general

economic performance. Nominal GDP is a GDP figure that has not been adjusted for inflation. Real GDP however is

adjusted for inflation and as such is often a much lower value, painting a much more comparable picture of growth

across history.)

- Alex Brailey

the crimean crisis An Overview of events

February of 2014. Ukraine is reeling from the aftermath of a political crisis, and a second wave of chaos is about

to strike the nation and its territories. Suddenly, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea faces an uprising of Pro-

Russian rebels and an alleged covert invasion of Russian military personnel.

Early reports claimed that troops in unmarked Russian uniform were involved in the initial attack on areas of the

Crimean Peninsula, though the Kremlin vehemently denied any involvement. Quickly, following initial reports of

violence in the republican city of Sevastopol, the Crimean parliament –allegedly under armed supervision–

announced the dissolution of government on February 27th

. Local news outlets soon reported that hundreds of

Russian troops were beginning to filter into the area from bordering regions. A fact once again denied by the

Kremlin, who stated that military presence in the area was merely part of a training exercise. This facade,

however, was not maintained for long and on March 1st

2014, less than one month after the initial uprising,

Russian President Vladimir Putin requested that the Federation Government of Crimea allow Russian troop

deployment in the region.

Permission was granted by the ruling authority that were now, according to UN sources, entirely under the

thumb of the Russian Federation. Chaos was then exacerbated by the Crimean Supreme Council’s formal request

to accede as part of the Russian Federation on March 6th

. With a referendum set for March 16th,

, there was very

little time for President Turchynov of Ukraine to create an emergency response plan. The result of the

referendum was as predictable. With 95.5% of Crimeans apparently voting ‘yes’, the Autonomous Republic of

Crimea was officially annexed by the Russian Federation. It remains to be seen whether Russia’s annexation of

Crimea was a legitimate democratic process, or simply an internal coup-d’etat, reflective of the present-day

Russian Federation’s corrupt Soviet-era expansion tactics that gave birth to the Iron Curtain.

Over time several ruling forces have occupied Crimea, none for any extensive period. This historically multi-

ethnic identity rules out the possibility of any one nation claiming the peninsula as its own. Historically speaking,

at no point was it ruled by the land we now identify as Ukraine. Instead, the land was seized by Russia in 1783

after the defeat of the Mongol Khanate by Catherine the Great, remaining in Russian hands until the collapse of

the monarchy in 1917. At this point it passed into the hands of the USSR until 1954, when President Georgy

Malenkov transferred the territory into the hands of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Throughout the Soviet era, the Crimean Peninsula was under Moscow’s thumb. After the collapse of the Soviet

Union in 1991, however, the land was transferred entirely to Ukraine, becoming known as the Autonomous

Republic of Crimea. Whilst the land was controlled by Ukraine, its population was predominantly Russian: most

certainly a ticking time bomb. A time bomb that appeared to detonate almost immediately, following the

settling of the Ukrainian political crisis earlier this year.

Victor Yanukovych, the now ex-president of Ukraine, wanted to achieve closer relations with Europe and as such

brokered a monetary support deal between Ukraine and the EU. In favour of a much needed economic boost,

the people of Ukraine rallied behind their president who, for the best part of his time in office, was undoubtedly

unpopular. Regardless, Yanukovych defied the will of the people by backing out of the EU deal and signing a

multi-billion dollar deal with Putin, eventually favouring Russia over Europe.

It was this increasing reliance on the Russian Federation, and the painful memories of Soviet-era famine under

Russia’s watch, which sparked violent protests and all-out civil revolution in Ukraine, resulting in the

replacement of Yanukovych with Oleksandr Turchynov. In response to this crisis and the ousting of Yanukovych,

Pro-Russian forces, allegedly under the influence of Putin’s government, launched a covert invasion of the

Crimea; shortly followed by the not-so covert entrance of Russian troops. This is a prime example of the Russian

government’s exploitation of the power vacuum in the Crimea created by both the Ukrainian political crisis and

the presence of a large native Russian population.

The echoes of Soviet policy in the Russian Federation’s annexation of Crimea are arguably the main cause of the

widespread international condemnation we’ve seen unfolding in recent months, rather than the simultaneous

humanitarian crisis. The responses of America, Britain and the EU to the Crimean Crisis has been unified. In the

conflict’s early stages, President Obama openly stated that any military intervention taken by Russia in the

Crimea would “come at a cost”. This was reaffirmed in March, one month after the crisis began, when he

declared international trade and travel sanctions on eleven leading political figures in both Russia and Crimea,

who were believed to be complicit. These sanctions were mirrored by Great Britain, followed by the EU, who

condemned all military action in the area and declared full support for the measures already in place.

While the response of the international community has been uniform, Western leaders have received criticism

from many left wing opponents, arguing that Obama in particular cares little for humanitarian crises, and seeks

rather to reaffirm America’s dominance over Russia. There is perhaps an element of truth in this argument, as

since July, there has been very little concrete response from Western governments to the crisis, and very little

attempt to rectify the situation in the Crimean Peninsula. This apparent lack of desire for change comes

alongside reports that, as recently as August, Russian troops were forcibly removing the native Crimean Tartars

from the region, resulting in at least eighteen documented missing Tartar leaders, reportedly kidnapped by Pro-

Russian forces.

Contrastingly, the international community now believes that the situation in Crimea has adequately de-

escalated, based on the fact that there is very little armed conflict at this time. This blatant resignation is not

acceptable. The apparent acceptance of the Russian annexation of Crimea, and the international stalemate of

sanctions against its leaders represents an international failure to handle a humanitarian crisis.

Russia’s annexation of Crimea, based on various reports of armed and political manipulation, is by no stretch of

the imagination legitimate. It mirrors the tactics used by the Soviet Union in the 1950s to control impoverished

lands like Hungary, yet the dominance of Russia over European Oil and natural gas supplies means that it is

unlikely Western governments will become more involved in the situation. Russia has cemented its place as a

modern world superpower, yet more detrimentally it has been allowed to cement its dominance over the

Crimean Peninsula for the foreseeable future.

- Jack Daniel Mills

(photo credit BBC)

PUTIN Power & THE

MEDIA PR OR PROPAGANDA?

ПУТИН, ВЛАСТЬ И СМИ – ПИАР ИЛИ ПРОПАГАНДА? // A brief look

at Putin’s rise to prominence and cult status in the Russian media.

Following the imposition of western sanctions, Russia stands on the

brink of economic recession - with oil prices and revenue falling and

the rouble in freefall reaching unprecedented levels against the US

dollar. The country faces the opprobrium of the international

community in the wake of its policy toward Ukraine and the alleged

shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17. Yet in Russia the

popularity of President Vladimir Putin stands at a six-year high. He is

for many the very incarnation of the nation, a nation which in the eyes

of many simply cannot exist without him

How can it be that this shadowy ex-KGB operative has gained such a

grip on the hearts and minds of the Russian people and of ordinary

citizens of the Donbas and southern Ukraine? How has this new post-

Soviet cult of personality come about?

There is no doubt that the Russian media today is

directly or indirectly under ever-stricter State control.

The freedoms that emerged in the wake of the

collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the

subsequent chaotic years of Boris Yeltsin’s period in

office have evaporated. Putin, a graduate of the

Leningrad Law Faculty rising to the rank of Lieutenant

Colonel in the KGB and stationed in Dresden, East

Germany between 1985 and1990, has become

increasingly despised and feared in the West, as

witnessed at the recent G20 meeting in Australia,

while his popularity at home has soared.

Initially inept in front of the cameras, Putin has become a PR icon,

straddling the Russian media scene. In Russia itself he is regarded

as saviour of the nation, restoring pride, power and dignity to a

once mighty nation following the humiliations on the 1990s. Yet

abroad, in the wake of internal security crackdowns, restriction of

press freedoms support for pro-separatist rebels in eastern

Ukraine and changes in media and information policy and

practice in Russia, Putin is viewed with suspicion. Two leading

international journalist organisations, the Committee to Protect

Journalists and Reporters without Borders, have expressed their

concerns about the degree of media freedom and state control in

Russia. In 2001, the former included President Putin in its annual

list of the Ten Worst Enemies of the Press and has described

Russia as “the third most dangerous place to be a journalist”.

Reporters without Borders has included Vladimir Putin among

“the leading predators of press freedom”.

When Putin came to power in 2000 he was an unknown figure - far from media savvy. It is often said that TV

made President Putin and secured his election, but it almost destroyed him. Barely months into his presidency,

Putin failed to comprehend the power of the media following the calamitous events surrounding the sinking of

the nuclear submarine Kursk, the flagship of the Russian Navy on August 12, 2000. Refusing western assistance

and blaming NATO for the demise of Russia’s most sophisticated piece of military hardware, Putin refused to

break off his holiday and was televised enjoying his sojourn at his Black sea villa. Putin came under severe attack

for failing to return from holiday at the nation’s hour of need. He faced the anger and scorn of the nation. The

reputation of the Russian military, national prestige and the reputation of the president himself were severely

damaged. Under pressure, the Putin regime had seemingly reverted to Soviet type, accusing the media of “lying,

lying, lying” and of attempting to discredit the entire Russian military. One grieving relative was forcibly sedated

with a hypodermic in the full glare of TV.

The Russian Government’s adoption on September 9, 2000 of

The Doctrine on Information Security of the Russian Federation

caused concern that the Putin administration might use this

doctrine as a weapon against press institutions opposing his

policies. And so it did. A day earlier during an interview on the

Larry King show Putin curtly and sarcastically responded to

questions as to what had happened to the Kursk with two words:

“она утонула” – “it sank”.

она

утонула Two years later when Chechen terrorists seized the Dubravka Theatre in Moscow, Putin ordered the storming of

the building by Russian Special Forces (spetsnaz) using secret stun gas to paralyse terrorists and hostages alike.

The failure to release details of the formula of the gas (for security reasons) and the inept handling of the affair

by military and government authorities coupled with the failure of medical support services left the Putin regime

prey to vicious criticism as graphically illustrated by Anna Politkovskaya’s book Putin’s Russia. The whole

nightmare was played out live on Russia TV; frantic telephone calls and terrorist demands aired on TV together

scenes of gas-induced death and incompetent pandemonium evident for all to see. It would not happen again.

The events of September 11, 2001 in the United States

allowed Putin to wage his own brutal war on the Chechen

people – a vicious military campaign tacitly condoned by

the West in return for Russia’s support of the Bush

administration’s War on Terror. The horror of Russian

atrocities, torture of civilians, the demonization of the

Chechen people, the indiscriminate use of vacuum bombs,

the rape of young girls – all these pictures of war were to go

largely unreported as the Kremlin imposed an information

blockade on Chechnya. Propaganda and strict control of the

media were rearing their heads.

Through strategic appointments of former associates within the intelligence services (siloviki) to key media

positions and provincial governorships throughout the Russian Federation, through the closure of hostile or

independent media outlets, the arrest or worse - the alleged murder of individual journalists - Putin began directly

and indirectly to seize de facto control of the Russian media. When the independent channel NTV, (НТВ -

Независимое телевидение) broadcast its satirical programme Kukly fiercely condemning and at the same time

mocking the Russian President’s predilection for portraying an action man image donning various military guises

and engaging in ever more ridiculous masculine outdoor pursuits, Putin reacted by effectively closing the station.

On May 11, 2000 masked and armed tax police, backed by officers from the general prosecutor's office and the

FSB, stormed the Moscow headquarters of the independent television station NTV and the powerful media group

Media-Most. Critics considered the move to be politically motivated.

Russia was becoming a dangerous place for journalists. The

Committee for the Protection of Journalists has deemed

Russian the third most dangerous place in the world to be a

journalist. In 2004 when Chechen separatists infamously

seized School No 1 in Beslan taking hundreds of children

hostage, media coverage was managed by the Kremlin. The

Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya was infamously

poisoned and almost died on a flight from Moscow to Rostov

when her tea was spiked by an FSB operative. Politkovskaya

was ultimately murdered “by unknown assailants of Chechen

appearance” in the stairwell of her Moscow flat. Her murder

took place on October 6, 2007 – Putin’s birthday.

Politkovskaya is but one of at least fifty journalists to have

been murdered, not in war zones, but on the streets of the

Russian Federation. For some, the murder of Politkovskaya

marked the end of investigative journalism in Russia.

A cult of personality (культ личности) not hugely dissimilar to that of Soviet days - but more subtle in tone,

more varied and sophisticated , more PR (пиар) than propaganda (пропаганда) - has grown around an

increasingly confident and media savvy President Putin. But this renaissance of the traditions of the Soviet

regime should perhaps come as no surprise as up to 70% of journalists are graduates of Soviet universities or

former staff of the Communist media. Putin introduced the system of “managed democracy” – democracy

managed and controlled by the President and his allies in the media. As the nation’s wealth increased on the

back of oil, gas and natural resources, Russia became more confident in itself as a nation, spending increasing

amounts on the military. Putin and the Russian Federation began to flex its muscles on the world stage – as

attested by support for pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk. With the State directly or indirectly (through third-

party industrial concerns such as the giant gas and oil conglomerate Gazprom) holding control over the bulk of

media outlets, the Kremlin has honed its PR acumen. There are two clear, distinctive patterns and imagery that

have in the Kremlin’s media portrayal of Putin.

First, Putin, man of State, burdened by responsibility, distant

– often framed by long photo shots and pictured alone against

some iconic image of Russia authority or as the equal of

western politicians. The second image is that of Putin, man of

the People, informal or personal - surrounded by the adoring

masses or engaged in manly pursuits – hunting, fishing, riding,

flying a fighter jet, fighting a bear etc. And such a portrayal of

this icon of masculinity has made Putin something of a sex

symbol adored by women and a strongman role model for

men. There is even a Putin fan club and pop song with the

chorus line “I want a man like Putin”.

Putin dominates the Russian and international political landscape. In many ways Putin and the Russian State have become inseparable - inextricably linked. Putin has become the very embodiment of the Russian people, much in the way Soviet leaders had done barely a generation before him. Evidence abounds that the cult of personality has returned, albeit in a more sophisticated form. By December, 2011 one in four Russians believed a Soviet-style cult of personality centred on then Prime Minister Putin had come to dominate the Russian political landscape. That figure was one in ten Russian in 2004. Today Putin is more popular than ever.

- Dr. David Denton

travel

&

Biography

Летом, я жила и училась в Ростове на Дону в течение трёх месяцев, в школе языков Мир Без

Границ, с другими студентами из факультета славянских языков. Ростов - не очень известный город

и, согласно русским, это крошечный (не правда: более миллиона жителей и это массивный). У

Ростова есть репутация общительности, и правда, что жители очень хотели говорить с группой

английских студентов, которая там училась. У них были два главных вопроса: "С какой стати

изучаете русский?" и "С какой стати вы в Ростове?" (Дополнительно, "Вы безумный?!") Эти не

обязательно вопросы с простыми ответыми. Одним вечером, мы ждали на остановке автобуса,

ждали и говорили, когда 14-летняя девочка подбежала к нам, чтобы сказать, что Англия её

любимая страна в мире, и она ЛЮБИТ королеву Англии. Мы были первые англичане, с которыми

она встретилась в жизни, и она едва смогла сдержать волнение.

Летом in russia

У меня было несколько странных переживаний в России, включая - первым вечером, когда мы с

соседками по квартире кушали сырую рыбу своими руками и пили виски, квас (я не понимаю зачем

существует квас - это слишком ужасно), чтобы быть для питья, бабушка, которая приказывала мне

раздеваться в кабинете в бассейне, и многие молодые женщины, которые просили меня, нахожусь

ли я в России, чтобы найти мужа (нет, спасибо). Но конечно, у меня было более замечательные

переживания, особенно восхитительные сотрудники в МБГ, Циферблат (это "анти-кафе", где платит

за время, не за чай и печенье), выходные на Черном море, три месяца красивых солнца (к

удивлению друзей в Англии, который спросил, был ли у меня хороший пару снегоступы перед

моим от ездом). Конечно, было тоже содержа тельное переживание (и не только с языком). Просто

наблюдая русскую культуру на собственном опыте увлекательно, и тоже говорила с друзьями и

преподавателями о жизни в России. Мне было надо думать о жизни в Англии, и как мне повезло

жить в стране, которая не является, такой сексистской, как Россия, и многое другое в курсе моего

собственного привилегии. Было тоже интенсивно отрезвляющий опыт посещения лагеря для

украинских беженцев и возможность говорить с людьми, которые жили там о своем опыте и

впечатление, которое они оставили позади.

Наверное, лучший опыт, для меня, было осознание того, что я действительно говорю по-русски.

Честно говоря, я не думала, что я могла до этого лета. Но каждый день я сама удивилась, от моего

первого утра, когда я потратила полчаса с Никкола, который руковадит МБГ, без необходимости

переключаться на английский язык, в то время, когда я должна была пойти в туристический агент,

чтобы изменить мой рейс домой, в разговоривала с пограничником в аэропорту Домодедово по

пути домой через Москву. И это только еще лучше, как летом пошел дальше. Теперь я могу

поддерживать беседу, заказать напиток, шутить, изучать грамматику, играть в игры, выступить с

речью, заводить друзей, все на языке, который я никогда не верила, что я могу говорить. Хотя, я до

сих пор не могу разговаривать по телефону.

Еще более неожиданно, я любила Россию и русский язык. Я определенно не думала, что я буду. Я

все ещё не совсем уверена, что заставило меня выбрать изучение русского языка в университете,

но я знаю, почему я продолжаю. Я люблю это. Я люблю как звучит, его эффективность, это ритм. Я

люблю "боже мой", "да нет наверное", "блин", все маленькие, слегка бессмысленные звуки,

которые заполняют пробелы в разговоре. Я подтвердила свою любовь к литературе, фактически

пытаясь читать в оригинале и, посетив родной город Чехова. Я встретила замечательных,

прекрасных людей, которых я не могу ждать, чтобы увидеть, когда я вернусь следующим летом (я

ловко вернулась от русской зимы). Россия стоит усилия я положила в изучении языка. Я никогда не

думала, что буду грустно уезжать, и все же я боролась, чтобы не заплакать в такси в аэропорт в

сентябре.

- Molly Crozier

В течение моего года за границей, я была в

Ростове-на-Дону почти четыре месяца. Ростов не

известный город для европейских людей, но он

очень перспектиыный. Я думаю, что нам надо

распространять информацию о том, что это не

только Москва и Санкт-Петербург, которые

привлекательные для туристов.

Есть много ремонта в настоящее время в Ростове

потому, что строится много домов, баров и

ресторанов в центре. Университет в Ростове растет

постоянно, и молодежь стекается в город, чтобы

баловаться разнообразной культурой южной

столицы России. Чемпионат мира по футболу в

2018 году будет в Ростове, и сейчас строят

массивный стадион в центре города.

Международный аэропорт строится тоже и скоро

вы сможете забронировать билеты прямо из

Лондона в Ростов.

Прожив в России и пережив ее красивое лето, ее

пляжи, ее увлекательную историю и, больше всего,

привязанность людей там, меня удивляет то, что

Ростов не более попульярный, как туристическое

направление.

Визовые правила в России - очень строгие, и общее

восприятие русского народа в том, что они

холодные и недружелюбные. Многие англичане

думают, что Россия страна всегда холодная и

страшная, которую они наткнулись только на урок

истории, где они видели исключительно

негативные изображения Сталина и коммунизма.

По-моему, Ростов-на-Дону восхитительный город,

который всегда полен жизни и имеет много, чего

предложить посетителям. Однако, в настоящее

время, кажется, что Москва и Санкт-Петербург

единственные города, которые туристы из границы

хотят посетить. Я думаю, что это должно

измениться, но к сожалению, текущая

политическая ситуация в России значит, что это

маловероятно.

Я хочу рассказать о своих замечательных

впечатлении в России и помочь изменить эту идею

России, которую иностранцы не хотят посетить.

Дайте России шанс! Это замечательная страна, я

вам обещаю.

- Georgie Suttie

Дайте России шанс

Почему Ростов должен быть более

попульярным, как туристическое направление

DOBER

DAN! Slovenia is an often forgotten country in south

Europe. Bordering Italy, Austria, Hungary and

Croatia, the vast majority of people wouldn’t be

able to place it on a map or name its “beloved”

capital city, Ljubljana. First, a little history: the land

that Slovenija currently occupies has been in many

hands over the past hundred or so years, notably as

part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and

Yugoslavia. In 1991, Slovenia seceded from the

republic, and though there was a brief war, less

than 75 lives were lost. Since then, Slovenia has

developed a lot as a country, becoming a member

of the EU in 2004 and converting from the tolar to

the Euro in 2007.

For me, the first time I went to Slovenia was in

December 2004. Having moved and downsized

from Derbyshire to Lincolnshire the year before, my

parents decided to buy a holiday home near the

town of Krško in East Slovenia. Since then I’ve been

nearly twice a year with my family and various

friends and have visited much, but by no means all,

of the tiny country. I’ve swum in the Krka, kayaked

the Kolpa and white-water rafted the Soča, a river

notable for being where Prince Caspian was filmed

and also being the name of my dog. I’ve explored

the caves at Postojna, skied at Rogla and played on

the lake bed of Slovenia’s largest lake, Cerknica,

which vanishes for half the year, fish and all. One of

the Slovene charms is that it’s still kept its identity.

In this day and age, it’s very easy for tourist

destination to become anglocentric, but this hasn’t

affected Slovenia much. Whilst there exists very

touristy areas like Lake Bled, Kranjska Gora and the

Soča area, they still remain quintessentially

Slovene.

Even Ljubljana, a place name with far too many j’s for

the typical monolingual Englishman, is still fairly

quaint, and somewhere where my parents felt

comfortable walking around at midnight with me and

my siblings aged 11, 10 and 8.

It’s also very student friendly as far as a budget is

concerned. Although it’s been part of the Eurozone

for nearly 8 years now, European prices haven’t

quite caught up, which is good for those on a limited

budget. When going to a restaurant a 20 inch pizza

can cost as little as €7.50, even in the capital, and in

most restaurants a pint of Laško, the most popular

Slovene beer, is cheaper than a 250ml bottle of Coke.

A taxi to the main water sports town costs €25

despite it being a nearly two-hour trip, and the

hostel there is only €10 a night, with a discount on all

the activities and clubs there as well.

All in all, Slovenia is a wonderful place that I can’t

recommend enough. There’s so much more that I

didn’t mention, but you can make your own

adventures and fill it in for yourself. And then maybe

you’ll be able to write a follow up article, about your

soon-to-be favourite country.

- Jack Doughty

ANTI CAFéS THE

BEAUTY OF

Having visited Rostov for the first time in the summer,

and attending the language school Мир Без Границ with

the 3rd years – who were needless to say much more

accustomed to life in Rostov than us – we heard the word

«anticafé» being thrown around a few times. Being the

keen and curious tourists that we are, we decided to

accept their offer to be taken to a local one just down the

main avenue, to experience the atmosphere of a

traditional anticafé. However, the question on our minds:

what exactly is an anticafé??

So we followed the 3rd years, strolling along, and waiting

for some magical building to appear with the word

«ANTICAFÉ» on it in big conspicuous letters – if this place

is so often talked about and frequented, it should be

rather conspicuous, right? Wrong. But wonderfully so.

We were soon enough led into what seemed like a small

ordinary room, and then up a steep flight of stairs. When

we got to the top of those stairs, we were met by a

charming Russian gentleman who took our names and

coats and gave us what looked like mini stopwatches,

ushering us further into the room.

It was then that it dawned on us exactly how an anticafé functioned: you go in and you pay not for what you eat

and drink, but for how much time you spend inside. During this time, you are free to eat and drink whatever is on

offer, relax, socialise, and make use of the free-wifi (a Godsend considering the wifi in our hostel was, let's say, less

than reliable!). We took our seats at one of the many small tables on which sat various nostalgic objects – an old-

fashioned typewriter, a set of 1920s books, a stack of vinyl records, and everywhere pots of flowers and art. Looking

around, there were newspaper banners hanging from the ceiling, cabinets filled with old books and newspapers,

and families of paper cranes hanging from the lampshades. This was my kind of place. After taking in the

decorations and the atmosphere, we decided to make the most of our time here and help ourselves to drinks and

snacks. The selections of teas available was overwhelming. To think, we'd have to be here for many hours to try

them all! Not to mention the coffee, soft drinks and hot chocolate that was on offer. Eventually, after making our

tough decisions on what tea to have, we were overjoyed to find freshly baked cakes and various savoury snackes to

pick and choose from – after all, they were technically free. We then made our way back to our little tables, and

spent the next couple of hours relaxing, conversing with each other and with a some friendly and rather sociable

Russians, sipping away at mug after mug of tea, and taking advantage of the free wifi as the sunlight streamed

through the drape curtains. As we were leaving, over 2 hours and countless mugs of tea later, we were shocked and

thrilled to find out we only had to pay 250 roubles – the equivalent of around £3.50! It was, needless to say, an

afternoon well spent. // If it were up to me, there would be anticafés all over the world by now. However I think

one of the reasons that makes them so special is how rare they are to come across (they did originate in Russia),

and how few people know of them, since they are quite a recent invention. But all in all, if you do come across a

gem of an anticafé in Russia, don't hesitate to go in, be welcomed by charming Russian, and spend an afternoon

relaxing with a mug (or ten) of tea, wifi, and of course, good company!

- Nora Hadi

5 things you should know

before taking your first

Russian train journey

This summer it was my first time visiting Russia. For little old me, having never travelled further east than Italy, it seemed

an alien place. However, I had heard stories from people who had been before of the great times they had had on

Russian trains, whether that was a train from Moscow to Petersburg or the great Trans-Siberian. I decided I wanted to see

what all the fuss was about. I managed to find a few people crazy enough to, after only having studied Russian for less

than a year, join me on the train. None of us died, none of us were attacked, none of us were robed – just about – but all

of us had a great time! However, these are five things that I wish I had known before getting on my first Russian train.

1 Book in advance - we had heard that the best way to travel by train in Russia was to book on the day from the

station. It made sense, you didn’t have the language issues of booking over the phone, and you avoided the

plethora of extra charges encountered through booing online, like the booking fee, foreign card transactions,

and poor exchange rate charges from your bank. Don’t follow what we did! We ended up waiting then having to

all book seats online the day before we flew to Moscow as all the spaces were nearly booked. We ended up

spread between carriages and on some of the worst beds. Book safely in advance, you pay more, but you get

what you want.

Now, what do you want? Well, you want to book in плацкарт (platscart). It is the cheapest and most sociable

carriage, you will spend the entire journey surrounded by, and immersed in Russian. You also don’t want to

book at the far the right end of the carriage, this puts you next to the toilets. On a 24hour train journey, a small

stench does begin to develop, you don’t want to be near that. You also don’t want the side beds, it separates

you from a group and everyone spends all night walking a foot in front of your head. If you’re a light sleeper and

nervous around strange people, don’t take this bed. Also, top bunks only give you two foot of space between

your bed and the ceiling: don’t sit up in a hurry! So, book in advance, get a bed around a table, preferably the

bottom bunk, and far from the toilets.

2 Bring food - if you’re a taking a journey anywhere near as long as ours (a 21 hour stint from north to south)

then you will need food. When deciding what food to bring, choose stuff that will not make crumbs, you

don’t want these in your bed and, worst of all, you don’t want to put them in the bed of that nice Russian

you’ve just started talking to. Russians like to share food on their train journeys and you should bring stuff

to share. Think foreign! Describing food and where you come from is a really easy way to start a

conversation, and who doesn’t like to try new food for free? During our journey we were given strange

Russian fruits, nuts, ice cream, and sweets local to Moscow. If you are stuck for ideas, bring shortbread or

something with the Queen’s head on, always goes down a treat.

3 Bring your own tea/ coffee - Russian trains have free hot water. Yes, free hot water! I think I may have drunk

my own body weight in tea during those twenty hours. I mean, that is once I found out how to get a mug. Of

course, I had forgotten the word стакан (mug), so this involved a lot of miming at the very patient Russians.

Eventually I did manage to get one. For anyone who wishes to avoid my difficulties, they are given out from

the conductor’s cabin, just ask for a стакан and write your bed number and name down, then its 20 hours of

unlimited, free hot water!

article continues overleaf »»»

4 The pauses - Russian trains stop at the stations for a period of time. This is a chance for passengers to stretch

their legs and do a bit of shopping. If you have never been to Russia, one thing you will quickly realise is the

number of people selling food on the street is incredible! The stations are no different. You can get nuts, fruit,

pies, pastries, and a variety of foods - one person insisted we buy fish soaked in beer, another said it would be

the worst decision of our lives, all of us followed the latter, but if you are braver go for it! All of the foods are

designed for Russians and priced as such, however they will notice you are foreign and charge you more. Go up

behind a Russian and insist you pay closer to what they paid, it usually gets you a bit of a discount from the

foreigner rate.

The most important thing is to listen to the overhead speaker. Each time the train stops the stoppage time is

different and no one shouts to warn you before the train leaves. If you miss the time, ask a Russian. You do not

want to be the only person left on a platform in the middle of Russia, not a good way to start your trip. This

brings us on to our final point, talking to people.

5 Make friends - Russians are incredibly friendly and accommodating people, you just need to talk to them

and be polite. Just chat to everyone you see! I ended up chatting to four lovely pensioners travelling south

from Moscow to meet friends and family, as well as playing peek-a-boo with a little boy, and playing lots of

cards. You don’t know what will happen until you start speaking, just go for it! If you need any better

incentive, one of those Russians saved me a few hundred roubles.

We had all packed to get off the train and the conductor shoved a piece of paper in my face. Apparently I

was supposed to pay an extra charge due to being a foreign student, or some other nonsense. I played

dumb pretending I couldn’t read the note and tried to get the conductor to decide it wasn’t worth it and

just give up. She didn’t. Eventually a Russian lady I had been chatting to took the piece of paper from me,

let’s just say that a few choice words were shared and the conductor decided it was better to just leave.

So I hope you are now ready for your first Russian train journey. I can’t promise it will contain free ice-

cream; cute Russian children who want to play peek-a-boo; and corrupt train conductors, but I can promise

you will have a great time and receive a window into another culture.

- Dean Cordwell

CULTURE

Aleksandar

Gatalica

Dvanaestog novembra ove godine posetio je naš fakultet slavističkih jezika srpski pisac Aleksandar Gatalica iz

Beograda. Gatalica je već objavio pet romana i nekoliko zbirki pripovedaka. On je došao u Notingem da promoviše

novi engleski prevod svog poslednjeg romana "Veliki rat".

Ovaj istinski epski roman priča o Prvom svetskom ratu iz perspektive mnoštva junaka. Knjiga ima pet delova koji

predstavljaju pet godina rata. Pripovest razvija i prati živote preko sedamdeset likova tokom ovih sudbonosnih

godina XX veka. Gatalica pokazuje da su svi njegovi junaci, od vojskovođa do običnog čoveka, jednaki. Niko nije

velik u vreme rata. "Veliki rat" je napisan bogatim jezikom u maniru najbolje klasične istorijske književnosti, a

istovremeno uključuje nadrealne i fantastične elemente. Pre dve godine, posle objavljivanja knjige na srpskom,

"Veliki rat" je postao najpopularnija knjiga godine u Srbiji i dobitnik NIN-ove nagrade za najbolji roman godine. Od

dve hiljade dvanaeste godine do dve hiljade četrnaeste godine je Gatalicin srpski izdavač Mono i Manjana objavio

dvadeset četiri izdanja romana. Zaista je izvanredno da je stekao popularnost u Srbiji tako brzo. Gatalica se nada

da će njegov roman imati više uspeha u inostranstvu kada budu objavljeni prevodi romana i na engleskom i na

francuskom.

Ovog semestra studenti koji uče srpski jezik na univerzitetu preveli su sa srpskog na engleski sedam pripovedaka

iz Gatalicine zbirke "Vek". Studenti su se suočili sa mnogo problema kada su prevodili. Na primer, pravopis za

pisanje imena i mesta i likova je različit na srpskom i na engleskom. Bilo je teško da se raspoznaju čak i engleska

imena u pripovetkama zbog neuobičajenog pravopisa. Svi studenti su morali da razumeju dobro pripovetke da bi

stvorili tačan prevod. "Pripovetka koju smo preveli na engleski je čudna, ali smo se zaljubile u nju tokom proseca

prevodjenja," - rekla je Natalija Rnić, studentkinja druge godine srpskog jezika i engleske književnosti.

Posle podne dvanaestog novembra Gatalica je proveo vreme i sa prevodiocima svojih pripovedaka. Za početak je

držao na srpskom predavanje o procesu pisanja. Naglasio je važnost izbora imena likova, tema, reči, književnog

stila i tako dalje. Sve što piše autor je važno i stvara snagu pisanja. Zatim je objasnio kako je planirao svoj roman

"Veliki rat". Zanimljivo je da Gatalica nikada ne zapisuje svoje ideje na papiru tokom faze planiranja. "Treba da

razmotrim i rešim sve probleme u svojoj glavi pre nego što počnem da pišem." - rekao je Gatalica. "Kada počnem

da pišem, ja se ne zaustavim dok ne bude završeno."

I to je bila dobra prilika da studenti razgovaraju o prevodima pripovedaka. Prvi put je Gatalica imao priliku da čita

engleske prevode svojih pripovedaka. Studenti su sigurno bili nervozni kada je autor čitao prevode i video kako su

promenili pripovetke! Studenti su ga pitali šta misli o prevodima i kako ih ocenjuje. Odgovorio je da mu se čini da

su pripovetke "nove i poznate istovremeno". Rekao je i da jedan od engleskih prevoda zvuči bolje nego srpski

original, što je divan kompliment studentima! Gatalica je objašnjavao i ulogu i važnost dobrih prevoda, što je bilo

zanimljivo studentima jezika. Po Gatalicinom mišljenju, prevodilac mora da bude tačan, ali je veoma važno da se

prevod čita dobro. Bolje je da se promeni original da bi se stvorio dobar konačan prevod.

Uveče dvanaestog novembra je bilo književno veče, koje je bilo otvoreno za javnost. Veče je počelo čitanjima iz

Gatalicinog romana "Veliki rat" i na srpskom i na engleskom. Potom su studenti čitali nekoliko engleskih prevoda

pripovedaka. Onda je bila diskusija i Gatalica je odgovarao na dodatna pitanja. Prevod je bio opet jedna od tema

razgovora zato što Gatalica, kao prevodilac sa antičkog grčkog na srpski, razume mnoge probleme tog procesa.

Takođe je naglasio da su njegovi doživljaji kao prevodioca i znanje antičkih grčkih tragedija uticali na njegov

književni rad. Druga tema diskusije je bila ideja da pisci u Srbiji imaju ozbiljniju odgovornost u društvu. Pisci u

Velikoj Britaniji nemaju ulogu kao kritičari društva u današnje vreme, a u Srbiji pisci još uvek moraju da

komentarišu poli čke i kulturne probleme. Gatalica je rekao da je ova ideja "mit". Pisci ne mogu da reše sve

probleme u društvu. alio se da mada njegovo prezime znači "fortune teller" na srpskom, on ne može da zna

budućnost.

Veče se završilo, naravno, srpskom hranom i vinom. Svi su se složili da je dan bio uspešan! "Književno veče sa

Gatalicom je bilo veoma zanimljivo!" - rekla je Ejmi Bajron, studenkinja ruskog i srpskog jezika na finalnoj godini.

"Posebno mogućnost da se upoznamo sa njim tokom dana i da razgovarimo o našim prevodima. Za mene je bilo

najzanimljivije da čujem kako radi um pisca."

Izdavačka kuća Istros Books je objavila Gatalicin roman "Veliki rat" na engleskom u Velikoj Britaniji u novembru

dve hiljade četrnaeste godine. Pripovetke iz zbirke "Vek" koje su preveli na engleski studenti Notingema uskoro će

se naći na sajtu Gatalice: www.gatalica.com.

- Imodžen Aševud (Imogen Usherwood)

(photo credits Borislav Borisov)

Рецензия на фильм

«Елена» Известный русский режиссёр и актёр, Андрей

Звягинцев, возвращал себе видное положение с

выпуском в 2011 году фильма «Елена». Фильм

вызывает разные мысли и эмоции. Первый показ

этого фильма произошёл на каннском

кинофестивале, где выиграл приз. На мой взгляд,

такая награда не удивительна потому что «Елена»

показывает понимание современного общества

Москвы, а в то же время фильм расследует уместные

и универсальные основные мысли, которые каждый

может понимать.

Фабула фильма следит за жизнью Елены,

домохозяйки, которая живёт с мужем Владимиром.

С самого начала, всем очевидно, что эти супруги -

состоятельные, вернее сказать Владимир богатый,

так как пара живёт в роскошной квартире в

шикарном районе Москвы. Кажется, что главное

яблоко раздора между супругами состоит в том, что

ни мужу ни жене не нравятся дети из бывших

браков, что вызывает ссоры между ними. Елена

думает, что Владимир балует дочерей, а плохо

относится к Сергею, сыну Елены. Внезапно, когда

Владимир умирает от инфаркта, дело его наследства

выходит на первый план.

Этот фильм расследует ряд тем, которые и

современные и универсальные, например одной из

главных тем является роль женщин в обществе. Во-

первых, Елена и тоже Таня, жена Сергея, без

сомнения подобострастные мужчинам, всё время

удовлетворяя каждую потребность мужей. Однако, я

думаю, что режиссёр переворачивает слегка этот

стереотип во время фильма так как, Елена –

кормилица семьи Сергея, т.е. она дает деньги, чтобы

содержать семью. Но я не могу не думать, что Сергей

зксплуатирует свою мать, ведь он может сам

работать, но он просто ленивый. Поэтому, всё

полагается на Елену. Следовательно, можно сказать,

что Елена и женщини в общем слуги и подчинены

мужчинам.

Возникает вопрос о социальном классе и деньгах из-

за морганатического брака между Еленой и

Владимиром. У меня появилось впечатление, что

этот брак изображает современное общество

Москвы, существуют богатые жители рядом с теми,

кто делает каждое усилие, чтобы стать богатым.

Елена и Владимир восходят из разных классов. Хотя

все персонажи в фильме из разных классов, каждый

думает о деньгах – и эта страсть исследуется во

время фильма.

Я сказала бы, что артисты – чудесные, особенно

актриса, которая играет Елену. Она меня держала в

неведении. Мы просто не знает как она будет

реагоровать или действовать в течение фильма. Она

несомненно непредсказуемая. Однако,

единственная вещь, которая меня раздражала в

фильме – мужыка или звуковая дорожка. Я не могла

не думать, что саундтрек монотонный и ужасно

занудный, потому что он постоянно повторялся во

время фильма. С другой стороны некоторые думали

бы, что такой эффект изображает и напоминает

тяжёлое сердце. Елена разрывается и должна решать

между безответственным сыном и мужем. Музыку к

концу фильма я терпеть просто не могла.

В целом, я рекомендовала бы фильм «Елена». Я

восхищалась неожиданными поворотами фабулы и

отличной игрой артистов. Я очень рекомендую этот

фильм - нельзя его пропустить!

- Лаура Инглиш

(Laura English)

yugoslav cuisine

Božić na balkanski način

Porodica je na okupu, na stolu su kristalne čaše, porculan i pribor za posebne prilike, a iz kuhinje se šire čarobni

mirisi. Na prvi pogled Božić na Balkanu se ne razlikuje mnogo od Božića u Velikoj Britaniji. U jednu ruku tako i

jeste. Božićna trpeza na Balkanu je bogata i izdašna, međutim božićni se specijaliteti umnogome razlikuju od

ovdašnje pečene purice i tradicionalnih priloga.

Balkanci prednost daju crvenom mesu, vjerovatno zbog toga što se i katolici i pravoslavci pridržavaju posta pred

sami Božić. Naime, na Badnji dan se pripremaju posna jela koja, s izuzetkom ribe, ne smiju sadržavati namirnice

nikakvog drugog životinjskog porijekla. Vrsta pečenja ovisi prvenstveno o regiji. Tako se, na primjer, na sjeveru

(Srbija, Zagorje) sprema svinjsko pečenje, najčešće odojak, dok je na jugu popularnija janjetina, a negdje i

teletina. Uz pečenje neizostavna je i sarma. Sarma je tradicionalni balkanski specijalitet od kiselog kupusa i

mljevenog mesa, obično uz dodatak suhog mesa, jelo koje balkanskim domovima daje posebnu božićnu aromu.

Česnica je tradicionalna ceremonijalna pogača koja se služi na božićnoj trpezi. U česnicu se obično umijesi

novčić. Prilikom svečanog božićnog ručka običaj je česnicu okrenuti tri puta slijeva nadesno, te je razlomiti među

članovima porodice. Kaže se da će onaj koji nađe novčić u svome dijelu biti izuzetno sretne ruke u nastupajućoj

godini. Varijacije česnice postoje u svim dijelovima bivše Jugoslavije, kao primjerice u Dalmaciji gdje se služi sa

zabodenom svijećom u sredini trpeze, dok se u Vojvodini česnica nerijetko priprema kao slatki hljeb sa medom,

orasima ili suhim voćem.

Uz pečenje se, osim pečenog krompira, služe prilozi poput prebranca, podvarka i ruske salate. Prebranac je

zapečeni grah, popularan posebno u Srbiji. Podvarak je jelo od sitno sjeckanog kiselog kupusa i luka, koje se, kao

i podvarak, priprema u pećnici. Ruska salata je mješavina sitno sjeckanog povrća, mesa, kiselih krastavaca i

majoneze.

Za desert se, uz orašaste plodove i suho voće, služi mnoštvo sitnih i suhih kolača – kiflice, oblatne, kroštule,

medenjaci, šape, makovnjača, smokvenjak, a sve uz vino i domaća žestoka pića i likere. U Dalmaciji se takođe

služi i tradicionalna rožata – crème caramel na dalmatinski način.

U ovom broju vam darujemo dva recepta tradicionalnih božićnih specijaliteta sa Balkana koje bez mnogo muke i

sami možete pripremiti tokom nadolazećih praznika. Prijatno!

Ruska salata

Two tins of peas or petits pois 200 g cheddar cheese, cubed 300 g cooked ham, cubed One roast or boiled chicken breast, chopped Large jar of dill pickled gherkins, drained and chopped 4 large carrots and two medium potatoes, boiled and chopped 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped Large jar of mayonnaise One teaspoon of mustard Two tablespoons of tomato ketchup Two tablespoons of crème fraiche Seasoning

Mix all ingredients well, season to taste and serve chilled.

Sarma

One whole fermented cabbage (available from East European shops)

1 kg good quality beef mince (but not lean)

3-4 onions, finely chopped

One large bunch of fresh parsley

One whole garlic

Smoked paprika

Tomato puree

One whole butter

One small cup of white rice

Oil

Seasoning

Separate the cabbage into leaves, removing any tough parts and making sure they are pliable.

Sweat the chopped onions on medium heat and once they are glassy and transparent add them to your mince. Add

the chopped garlic, parsley, rice, paprika, tomato puree and season to taste. Mix well. Use this mixture to stuff the

cabbage leaves packing them tightly into a large pot. Add some lukewarm water over your sarma and simmer

gently for two hours adding more water if required. Add the butter and continue simmering for 2-3 hours.

Sarma is usually made with the addition of cured meat (smoked ribs, bacon or sausages), which gives it its rich

taste. As such meat is difficult to source however, this recipe contains butter to make sarma richer. You could also

substitute beef mince for any other type of meat, for example minced pork or even a mixture of the two.

- Lana Vuletić

Fashion

&

Beauty

The Who's Who of russian fashion

// the designers // Ulyana Sergeekno: A longtime couture connoisseur and wife to insurance oligarch

Danil Khachaturov, Ulyana’s unique brand of fairytale-infused fashion hit the big

time when, unsurprisingly for a glamazon whose go-tos include fur-festooned

capes and princess-pouffy petticoat skirts (all paired with sky-high stilettos,

natch), she began to be snapped outside Paris shows and lauded for her street

style. Eventually, having grown tired of her collaborations with favourite designers

going uncredited, her eponymous haute-couture label launched in 2011.

Renowned for synthesising sophisticated Dolce-Vita styling with a Soviet strain,

Sergeenko’s work takes iconic fashion moments and rebrands them in a Russian

frame… think Scarlett O’Hara’s green gown bedecked with buttons depicting

traditional nursery rhyme characters. Naming her babushka as her biggest style

inspiration, Ulyana may show in Paris but hasn’t slighted her St-Petersburg roots;

the collection is designed, produced and crafted entirely in Russia.

Vika Gazinskaya: Noted for her combining of childlike hand-drawn prints and demi-couture structural cuts, former fashion editor Gazinskaya is a well-established figure on the Russian fashion scene (her label having launched in 2006); but has recently gone very global. Now stocked at such renowned retailers as Net-A-Porter and Moda Operandi, and around the world from Tokyo to Toronto, there’s no denying Vika’s star is on the rise… not bad for a Moscow girl who set about her styling career fashioning clothes for her Barbies in the family kommunalka (communal apartment).

David Koma: You might know him as the creator of that (admittedly slightly out there!) ‘dustbin-lid’ dress sported by Cheryl Cole on X-Factor some years ago, but this Central St Martins-educated designer, raised in St Petersburg, is undoubtedly going places in the fashion world. His signature metal-embellished, ultra-sculptural designs have been showing at London since 2009, and worn by A-List starlets such as Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez. With his recent appointment as artistic director of Thierry Mugler, expect to see more and more Koma creations soon on a catwalk near you.

// the Editors // Miroslava Duma: Clocking in at just over five foot tall, this pint-sized fashionista provides style inspiration for petite ladies all over the world, pulling off such tricky trends as head-to-toe lustrous leather or flamboyant floral prints with an aplomb the most statuesque of supermodels would envy. A former editor at Harper’s Bazaar Russia, Duma has now founded Buro 24/7, a fashion news website currently running Russian, Ukrainian, Croat, Kazakhstani, Azerbaijani and Middle Eastern editions… with plans to expand to the UK soon.

Aliona Doletskaya: One smart cookie even as editors go, having done doctoral work at Oxford, Doletskaya can be credited with spearheading Vogue Russia in the most exacting of economic circumstances. She became this style bible’s first editor-in-chief in the midst of a 1998 financial crisis, at a time when such a bastion of luxury and extravagance was totally unprecedented; eventually raking in so much revenue that it was rumoured she would be replacing Anna Wintour at American Vogue after the appointment of current head Viktoria Davydova. Currently, Doletskaya is applying her considerable sartorial prowess to editorships at the Russian and German editions of Andy Warhol’s famed publication Interview.

// the supermodels // Elena Perminova: Sometime model and wife to media magnate (and owner of The Independent and The Evening Standard) Alexander Lebedev, Perminova has, along with the likes of Sergeenko and Duma, become a prime target for street-style snappers worldwide with her enviable ensembles… think hot-off-the-catwalk Louis Vuitton, colourful Katrantzou prints and luscious Helen Yarmak coats in cool neon hues. Hailing from Siberia, Elena’s remarkable rags-to-riches story is worthy of any designer-devotee Cinderella; she originally met her billionaire husband while in prison for dealing drugs in a Novosibirsk nightclub, aged just 16.

Natalia Vodianova: Natalia’s modelling credentials speak for themselves. Having walked in over 175 runway shows in Europe and the US, graced the cover of every major magazine you could name (including a grand total of 67 international Vogue covers), and starred in campaigns for such iconic brands as Chanel, Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuitton and Yves St Laurent, she is undoubtedly the most super of Russian supermodels (and there have been many!) ever to favour the fashion world. A mother-of-four, close friend of Sergeenko and West Sussex local, this Volgan Venus has recently branched out into philanthropy, founding the Naked Heart Foundation, an organisation aiming to provide play facilities for children in urban Russia. Nearly 30 play parks have been constructed all over Russia- the first in Vodianova’s native Nizhny Novgorod.

- Jenny Skipper

(photo credits: millineryatelier.com, laughcryrepeat.com,

alionadol@instagram, Vogue Russia, Guerlain, easyfashion.blogspot.co.uk,

thefashionscoutsept09.blogspot.co.uk)

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia 28-31 Октября 2014

Дженнифер Скиппер суммирует кульминационные моменты недели моды (Fashion Week)

Москвы. Давай посмотреть все самые лучшие коллекции для весны 2015 года!

Алена Ахмадиллина дизайнер прославленный

благодаря мотиву сказок, который доминирует над

всеми своими показами; и эта коллекция не

исключение. Мы увидели подиум весь в пышной

траве и деревья; и модели как экзотические птицы

или цвети, которые пускаются из земли, в красивых

цветах и тропических принтах. Есть характерные

намёки стили ар-деко с геометрическими и

калейaдоскопическими рисунками платьев. Однако

сейчас мы его смотрим с поворотом хиппи, с

бахромой кожи на сумках, ремнях и подолах…

совершенный намёк на моду семидесятых годов

следующего сезона и на месте показа.

Рия Кебурия - На показе этого грузинского дизайнера

сосредотачивается на одежде как пижаму. Это свободная,

беззаботная, которая напоминает и одежду ребёнку, и

традиционную японскую моду. Одежда спокойная

демонстрировала элементарное чувство коллекции; центр

на свободе и гибкости детства. Кебурия подчёркивала это

с рисунками поездов и самолётов, палитрой пастельной и

игрушками везде на подиуме. Время от времени, модели

садились играть с мишками и яркими грузовики

грузовиками, иногда одна, иногда вместе. Самый

интересный аспект: не только женщины, но и мужские

модели гуляли на показе. Поразительно, мужинский

человек с татуировкой на руке был одетым одним из

самых хорошеньких платьев, бирюзовое с белой

цветочной вышивкой… характерный намёк на самую

большую свободу детства; путаница между мужской и

женской ролей; свобода быть тем, кто вы есть, без

ожиданий общества.

Cap America - Ольга Шурыгина, перспективная основательница марки,

вероятно самый молодой дизайнер на Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Russia, и это отображается по причине юношеской экспансивности

своей коллекции. Почти подчёркивать творческие эксперименты и

новые опыты, которыми должна наслаждаться Шурыгина, у коллекции

была "Лабораторная" тема. Приглашения, которые получили

редакторы до показа были в форме пробирок, полные цветистых

жидкостей, и одежда была занимательное соединение разных тоны,

рисуноки и форм. Мы увидели почти-комбинезоны и платья-рубашки

как вещи, в которые были бы одетые ученые; но с новой палитрой

весёлой. Яркие цвета как небесно-голубой; жёлтый; фуксия оживляли

пространства ткани белого… как самый шикарный индикатор PH мира!

Walk of Shame - Марка только трёх года, Walk of Shame

стремительно становится одним из самых замечательных

успехов Москвы. Юношеская и беззаботная марка до

основания, дизайнер Андрей Артемов решил проводить

свой показ несколько недель до Mercedes-Benz Fashion

Week, решительный выделяться из толпы самой

популярной маркой момента. В соответствии с своим

имиджем беспечном, показ находился на

импровизированный подиум в парке в Москве, и

прохладное самосознание Walk of Shame красиво

отображалась с платьями блёсток, короткими верхами и

сказочными резниками для волос сверкания. Волосы

моделей были небранные и спокойные; были одетые с

глиттерой с ног до головы; несомненно оправдывали имя

этой марки ночных клубов образом самым сказочным,

готовы танцевать до рассвета.

Украинский дизайнер Яся Миночкина дополнительный

молодой талант; она основала свою марку только два года

назад, и уже получает всемирное признание. Её одежда

выходила в итальянском выпуском Vogue, и популярный

сайт моды Luisa Via Roma её одежду продаёт. Можно

понимать почему с учётом простоты и пригодного стиля

коллекции. Миночкина концентрируется на комфорте,

качестве и повседневном элегантности, с ясными цветами

и простыми силуэтами своих свитеров, несложных платьев

и пальто-коконы. Необходимые вещи получили

роскошное преобразование с мерцающими тканями и

техническими сетями. Девушки Миночкины могут

обходить между офисом и баром, собраниями и

свиданиями… и выглядеть лучше, чем любая другая

девушка города в процессе!

Pirosmani Евгении Малыгины - Евгения Малыгина всегда

собиралась выделяться из толпы Москвы, учитывая свою

философию дизайна, 'Антиподиум'- свобода от поверхностных

мод, и вместо центр на отличном покрое и ассиметричных

готических формы. Эта коллекция верная корням марки, но

увидели мы её с поворотом стиля грюндж, с в основном чёрной

палитрой которой подчёркивала конструкцию и роскошные ткани

одежды; например красивые бархатные пальто и яркий красный

брючный костюм- несложный но впечатляющий главный вещь для

этого популярного показа.

- Jenny Skipper

(photo credits: Buro 24/7, fashionweekkiev.ua ,

http://mercedesbenzfashionweek.ru/en/gallery/391)

focus

ON THE KOKOSHNIK You might think you’ve never heard of the kokoshnik. But just look

to any sepia-tinted snapshot of long-ago tsarinas or old-world

etching of pretty peasant girls primped in their Sunday best, and

you will soon see that it’s an integral- and utterly fabulous- part of

Russia’s classical costume and heritage. Reportedly gaining its name

from the Old Slavic word for ‘cockerel’, ‘kokosh’, these grandiose

headdresses take the form of a half-moon halo, constructed from

thick cloth or wire with varying degrees of ornamentation on top.

This embellishment might comprise pearls, precious stones,

goldwork, plant and flower appliqués or beadwork. The forehead

area is generally decorated with pearl netting; and the crown-like

kokoshnik then ties at the back of the head with long, thick ribbons.

When I first laid eyes on kokoshniki, shining through faded figures of Russia’s long-lost queens, princesses,

duchesses, I wrongly assumed they were the preserve of this olden aristocracy. Nothing could be further from the

truth. Kokoshniki have been worn by ordinary Russian women on special occasions since at least the 10th-12th

century, their forebears having been found in tombs from this era in the ancient city of Veliky Novgorod. It seems

their original purpose in society was to prevent married women from showing their hair in public, which would

supposedly bring misfortune to their households. In fact, banned from the upper echelons of society by Peter the

Great’s (Tsar 1721-1725) modernising measures, kokoshniki were only embraced by arguably their most expected

natural adherents- the aristocracy- following Catherine the Great’s revival of traditional Russian fashions. From

there on, the kokoshnik was King, rehabilitated to the royal court in 1834, and so popular in some peasant

communities that young brides would reportedly wear one constantly from the time of their marriage until the

birth of their first child.

Of course, along with most other ancestral symbols of Russia, the kokoshnik was swept away by the revolution

that bred the Soviet Union. However, this was just when it was finally discovered by foreigners- and sparked one

of the biggest fashion frenzies of the Roaring Twenties. As Russia’s erstwhile élite became refugees all over

Europe and Ballets Russes tours fascinated the Western World, the kokoshniki worn by displaced duchesses and

artistes such as Anna Pavlova captivated high society. Silver screen starlets such as Mary Pickford and Hope

Hampton sported the headdresses in Hollywood; the houses of Jeanne Lanvin and Auguste Bonaz produced

kokoshnik-esque millinery collections in Paris. Blue-blooded brides all over England such as Edwina Ashley (Lady

Mountbatten) and Mary Latta (Comtesse de Cramayel) wore them on their wedding days, no doubt moved by the

same bygone majesty that has inspired many modern designers to revive this most traditional of Russian toppers

almost a hundred years after it first hit the big time.

The late Alexander McQueen, for one, a man renowned for his theatrical and spectacular work, featured larger-

than-life kokoshniki (with opulent jewelled fringing stretching past models’ chins) in his A/W 2000 show for

Givenchy. Even more recently, Karl Lagerfeld- in homage to Coco’s rumoured love affairs with Stravinsky & Grand

Duke Dimitri Pavlovich (cousin to Nicholas II) and costume-design collaborations with the Ballets Russes- unveiled

a Slavic-styled ‘Paris-Moscou’ collection for Chanel’s annual Metiers d’Art show of 2008. Startlingly elaborate

kokoshniki, dripping in pearls and strands of glistening gold, were crafted especially for the house by their master

ateliers. And yet, from simple Siberian crescents, to triangular Kostroman ‘kika’, to the towering cylinders typical

of Novgorod; the heirloom kokoshniki that once gathered dust at the back of family cupboards are now worn with

pride everywhere from the Moscow metropolis to the villages around Vladivostok… True proof, as if it was

needed, that this humble headdress is equally at home on the heads of the devochkas of the districts as those of

the world’s stateliest supermodels; and, with that, can truly be considered a crucial component of folk culture on

both a national and a global scale.

- Jenny Skipper

Sports

Given her current political stature and economic issues as a result of the crisis in Ukraine and Crimea, Russia’s

hosting of an F1 race has left a bad taste in the mouths of many an F1 pundit and fan alike. However, despite

all of the controversy and debate over the political issues encircling the race, it can be argued that the most

distasteful aspect about the situation is this: Why aren’t we focusing on the race itself?

For the first time in modern motor racing history, the glitz and glamour of the world’s most elite level of motorsport, Formula One, touched down on Russian soil this October at the Автодром Сочи (Sochi Autodrom). A fitting venue for the exclusive aura of wealth, pomp and circumstance that is synonymous with F1, the 5.848km Автодром Сочи is a winding snake of tarmac which encircles the Sochi Olympic Park, the venue for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Add in the unique geography of Soc

Sochi itself; the sprawling Caucasus Mountains on one side, the glittering Black Sea on the other; and you’ve got a dazzling location for a dazzling sporting event. It would be hard to believe that anything could possibly eclipse such an incredible affair, if it wasn’t for the eye watering amount of controversy surrounding the inaugural Russian Grand Prix. In light of the recent conflict in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea; events which the EU and US deemed severe

severe enough to warrant the introduction of economic sanctions against Russia; many questioned the validity of allowing Russia to hold such a prestigious and internationally recognised event.

Much like the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix, which was omitted from the F1 calendar due to political and civil unrest, the scrutiny generated as a result of Russia’s troubling political situation led the World Superbike Championship to cancel their scheduled race in Moscow in September, showcasing the severity of the issues and putting further pressure on Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting to follow suit. However, when asked about the mounting pressure and the difficulty in dealing with follow

political issues outside of the sport, Ecclestone reaffirmed that the race would go ahead as planned. In an interview with Sky Sports News, F1’s most prominent powerbroker was simple and clear: “We have an agreement. We’ll be there.” Going hand in hand with the political controversy, the economic factors concerning the Russian Grand Prix have also contributed greatly to the debate surrounding the event. While this should be much less of surprise; dealing with economic issues is always to be

expected in a sport where the paddock’s top drivers are earning upwards of €20million a year; the £30bn price tag attached to the construction of the Автодром Сочи is a mind-boggling sum of money, especially considering the EU-US economic sanctions placed on Russia. When added to the £120million President Vladimir Putin is reported to have paid to secure a 5-7 year contract ensuring Russia’s participation in the F1 calendar, the figures have attracted discussion.attached

“We have

an agreement.

We’ll be there.”

LEFT

Lewis Hamilton celebrates his race win, as Vladimir Putin

looks on (Photo credit – The Times)

RIGHT Автодром Сочи – The Sochi Autodrom

(Photo credit – formula1.com)

The 2014 Russian Grand Prix

Putin’s apparent willingness to secure the presence of F1 in his country via the contents of her purse has piqued the attention of the F1 media and has invited inquiries as to whether the Russian president is using his country’s funds to bypass political tensions. At this point, it seems as though the F1 media and fans alike have asked every question there is to ask about the validity of the Russian Grand Prix, the political troubles and the economic issues, yet the Grand Prix went ahead regardless. Now that all of those questions have been asked, why is nobody asking about the reason we all tune in to F1 in the first place? The reason we care about the drivers, the teams and why we follow their journey towards the championship throughout the entire year? We do it because we care about racing. Team Red Bull’s boss, Christian Horner, gave a refreshing take on the situation, declaring that the teams take part in the championship to compete and to race, and that boycotting an event would be against the fabric of all the crews in the paddock. “Look, there’s a calendar that comes out in October and November. We all have a choice whether we enter the World Championship or not. All the people sitting here are racers and they’re here because they are passionate about the sport and they want to compete." It may be unsurprising to hear that the desire to compete and to race is the most important thing according to a boss whose team won four consecutive world championships from 2010-2013, but it is nonetheless the right viewpoint to have. Perhaps even more encouraging is the approach of the first ever Russian F1 driver, Даниил Квят (Daniil Kvyat). The fresh faced rookie made a splash when he arrived in the paddock at the start of the year driving for Red Bull’s sister team, Toro Rosso, at a mere

20 years of age. Any new addition to the exclusive club of F1 drivers courts plenty of media attention, and with Kvyat having the opportunity to drive at his home Grand Prix this early in his career, he was a magnet for the cameras and microphones. Yet despite the political scenario, Kvyat refused to give any political viewpoints or opinions, instead merely stating his desire to race, his goals to increase awareness and change the perception of F1 among his countrymen. In an interview with CNN, when asked about the significance of F1 to him and his thoughts on driving in his home Grand Prix, he simply replied, “I live for this”. With Kvyat’s apparent skill level and confidence, as well as the knowledge that he has signed a contract to drive for the four-time championship winners Red Bull next year, it is extremely promising to discover that he is focused purely on his racing and setting a fine example as a sporting figure for the Russian F1 fans, and heart-warming to learn of his apparent lack of interest in, or at least unwillingness to give any attention to the damaging political controversy. Kvyat is adamant that the racing comes first for him – as it should for all of us, fans and media alike. Fortunately, once the controversy was sidelined for the race itself, we were treated to a compelling affair. After Nico Rosberg managed to squeeze his Mercedes past team mate Lewis Hamilton on the first lap, he braked too late, causing his tyres to lock up and send him back down the order. Hamilton went on to take the victory, while Rosberg fought his way back through the field to clinch 2

nd. Behind the two front

runners there were several interesting battles between the Ferrari, McLaren and Williams cars, with Valtteri Bottas of Williams claiming the last step on the podium. The drive of the day

arguably belonged to Jenson Button, who managed to urge a struggling McLaren car into 4

th

position. With the one-two victory, Team Mercedes won the 2014 F1 Constructor’s Championship, displaying their dominance and leaving their two drivers, Hamilton and Rosberg, to contest the Driver’s Championship. After the race, it seemed as though Briton Lewis Hamilton ignored Vladimir Putin’s attempted handshake, which of course sparked feverish speculation, but his vision was merely obscured by his helmet; when receiving his winner’s trophy on the podium, he graciously shook the President’s hand and accepted his prize without any incident, thankfully allowing the race weekend to come to an amiable conclusion and allowing our final thoughts to be directed towards the enjoyable race and Hamilton’s victory. Over the course of this past year, it has been said that F1 has moved out of the golden age of the sport, into an era plagued by ever more restrictive rules and regulations, increased monetary imbalances amongst teams, and an undeniable power monopoly held by the aforementioned Bernie Ecclestone and his compatriots. Yet, if the attention and scrutiny of the media is placed upon external issues such as political and economic troubles, as was the case at this Grand Prix, it will only serve to compound the problems faced by the sport. If the spirit of competition, edge of the sea racing, and the incredible levels of skill, determination and desire showcased by the drivers and their teams are to be preserved as the most important elements in the sport of Formula One, it’s about time we stopped caring so much about what is going on off the track, and take a good look at what’s happening on it.

- David Averre

arguea

Новак Джокович отец, филантроп, пародист и чемпион по теннису

Кажется, что у Новака Джоковича целая бездна талантов. Без труда он справляется с трудностями отцовства,

благотворительной деятельностью, и к тому же, режимом тренировок лучшего теннисиста в мире. Несмотря

на это, у него достаточно времени и энергии, чтобы придумывать различные пародии на теннисистов

международного класса и развлекать ими зрителей своих же игр. Как Джокович стал одним из самых щедрых,

интересных и успешных теннисистов в истории?

Джокович родился в 1987 году в Белграде, который тогда являлся частью Социалистической Федеративной

Республики Югославии. В возрасте четырёх лет, он неосознанно принял самое важное решение в своей

жизни: он начал играть в теннис, несмотря на тяжёлую обстановку в стране. В то время война в бывшей

Югославии, которая привела к бомбардировке Белграда, подвергла семью Джоковича опасности: в течение

трёх месяцев, они проводили практически каждую ночь в подвале. Джокович считает, что тяготы войны

придали ему больше решимости в достижении поставленных целей в мире тенниса. Родители Джоковича

управляли рестораном быстрого питания на горе Копаоник, где уже через два года после начала его занятий

теннисом, летом 1993, шестилетний мальчик привлёк внимание югославской теннисистки Елены Генчич.

Молодой Джокович добивался успехов в теннисе

настолько быстро, что после шести лет тренировок,

Генчич решила, что они должны поехать за границу, в

поиске конкуренции более высокого уровня. В 1999

году 12-летний теннисист поступил в теннисную

академию Николы Пилич в Мюнхене, Германия, где он

провёл четыре года. Здесь он показал свою

способность к иностранным языкам, а именно –

немецкому. В настоящее время он говорит на

нескольких языках: сербском, английском, немецком

и итальянском. Но большого успеха Джокович добился

в возрасте 14 лет, когда он начал свою

международную карьеру, выиграв чемпионаты

Европы в одиночных, парных и командных

соревнованиях.

Как оказалось, это было только начало карьеры молодого спортсмена. В возрасте 16 лет, после победы в пяти

турнирах Международной Федерации тенниса, Джокович стал одним из лучших теннисистов среди юниоров.

В 2010 году благодаря его мастерству сборная команда Сербии выиграла Кубок Дэвиса впервые. В 2011 году

он выиграл 43 матча подряд, став единственным теннисистом в мире, который поставил такой рекорд. Среди

его побед 2011 года выигрыш на Уимблдоне и титул лучшего теннисиста мира. В 2012 году он победил на

Открытом Чемпионате Австралии, и дошёл до полуфинала Уимблдона, но уступил Роджеру Федереру, что

помешало ему стать чемпионом Уимблдона повторно. Однако в этом году он вернул себе титул Уимблдона,

одержав победу над уверенным в себе швейцарским теннисистом.

В течение этого времени, международный чемпион по теннису также создал свой собственный

благотворительный фонд и обзавёлся семьёй.

« Новак Джокович Фонд » был основан в 2007 году с целью предоставить финансовую помощь детям с

проблемами со здоровьем и детям, которые потеряли родителей во время войны. Кроме того, фонд

финансирует содержание сербских монастырей и церквей, которые считаются национальными памятниками

культуры. Сербская Православная Церковь вручила Джоковичу свою высшую награду: Орден Святого Саввы 1-

го класса за « его проявленную любовь к Церкви и сербскому народу ». Джокович также порадовал сербских

болельщиков, когда в 2014 году, через несколько дней после победы на Уимблдоне, он женился на Елене

Ристич, и когда Елена родила их первого ребёнка, сына Стефана.

Похоже на то, что « Djoker » (кличка, которую он получил из-за своих смешных пародий на других

теннисистов) навсегда останется легендой Сербии и международного тенниса. Сейчас остаётся загадкой,

справится ли Джокович с ролью отца, любимца публики и лучшего теннисиста мира одновременно. На

данный момент его главной задачей является победа на Открытом Чемпионате Австралии после зимнего

перерыва, на котором ему придётся играть против Роджера Федерера, который одержал победу над

Джоковичем в его последнем турнире.

Многие считают, что он потеряет форму теперь, когда у него есть сын. Но в связи с тем, что Джокович одержал

победу в семи турнирах Большого шлема, а на прошлой неделе завоевал свой первый титул « Masters » в

Париже, несмотря на то, что стал отцом, кажется, что на самом деле нет ничего невозможного для этого

сербского спортсмена.

- Chris Allen

(photo credits: celiacentral.org, bleacherreport.com)

It seems as though Novak Djokovic has a whole host of talents.

He can easily cope with the difficulties of fatherhood and holding regular charity events, not to mention the

training regime of the best tennis player in the world. Despite these activities, he has the time and the energy to

invent myriad parodies and impersonations of other world class players to entertain spectators during their

games. So, how has Djokovic become one of the most generous, interesting and successful players in history?

Djokovic was born in 1987 in the city of Belgrade, which was then part of the Socialist Federal Republic of

Yugoslavia. At the age of four he, unbeknownst to him at the time, took the most important decision on his life:

he began to play tennis, despite the extremely challenging environment in his country. During the war in the

former Yugoslavia, which led to the bombing of Belgrade, Djokovic’s family were exposed to a great deal of

danger: for three months, they spent almost every night in the basement, sheltering from the blasts. However,

Djokovic believes that the hardships of war simply gave him all the more determination to achieve his goals in

the tennis world.

Djokovic’s parents ran a fast food restaurant on Mount Kopaonik where at the age of six; a mere two years after

he started to play tennis; Djokovic caught the eye of Yugoslav player Jelena Gencic. Djokovic achieved such

success so quickly after only six years of training, that Gencic decided it was necessary for them to go abroad in

search of a higher level of competition. In 1999, the twelve year old prodigy joined the Nikola Pilic Tennis

Academy in Munich, Germany, where he trained for another four years. It was here that Djokovic showcased

another of his incredible talents: his aptitude for foreign languages, namely German. He is currently fluent in

several languages: his native Serbian, English, German and Italian, but it was at the age of 14 when Djokovic

achieved one of his biggest successes; he began his international career with victory at the European

championships in singles, doubles and team competitions.

As it turned out, this was only the beginning of the young athlete’s career; after winning five tournaments of the

International Tennis Federation aged 16, Djokovic was recognised as one of the world’s best junior players. He

carried this recognition with him into his senior career, when in 2010, thanks to his mastery on court, the Serbian

team won the Davis Cup; the most widely recognised team tournament in the tennis world; for the first time.

Then, in 2011, Djokovic won 43 games in a row, breaking records and receiving the “Player of the Year” accolade.

He became the only tennis player in history to have manufactured such an incredible streak of victories, among

which stands his first ever Wimbledon title.

article continues overleaf »»»

Translation novak djokovic // Father, philanthropist, impersonator and tennis champion

Since 2011, or “the year of Djokovic”, he has never looked back. In 2012 he won the Australian Open and

reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon, only to have his hopes dashed in the final by Roger Federer. This year,

however, Djokovic regained his Wimbledon title, defeating the Swiss maestro in one of the games of the year.

Yet somehow, over the course of these exceptional few years, the international tennis champion also managed

to create his own charitable foundation and start a family.

The "Novak Djokovic Foundation" was founded in 2007 to provide financial assistance to children who lost their

parents as a result of the war and are suffering from health problems. Furthermore, the Fund finances the

content and the maintenance of Serbian monasteries and churches, which are considered national cultural

monuments. The Serbian Orthodox Church has since handed Djokovic its highest award, the Order of St. Sava

(1st Class) for "the manifestation of his love for the Church and the Serbian people." Djokovic delighted his

Serbian fans further when in 2014, a few days after his second victory at Wimbledon, he married his long-time

girlfriend Helena Ristic, whom in October gave birth to their first son, Stefan.

It appears that the “Djoker” (a nickname earned as a result of the amusing impersonations of his fellow

competitors) will forever remain a legend of both Serbian and international tennis. For now, it remains to be

seen whether Djokovic will be able to handle the responsibilities of being a father, a fan favourite and World

Number 1 tennis player at the same time, but his next objective is to win the Australian Open after the winter

break.

Many believe that he will begin to lose his form, now that he has a son to look after. However, given that

Djokovic has won seven Grand Slam titles and as recently as 2nd

November retained his title at the Paris Masters

despite the fact that he had just become a father, it seems that nothing is impossible for this miraculous Serbian

athlete.

Translation: David Averre

The fastest growing sport in the world, MMA has been dominated primarily by American and Brazilian

competitors since the inception of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, the most elite tier of MMA

which has elevated the sport into the public consciousness.

While fighters from Brazil and the US displayed their abilities in the UFC, Russian and Eastern European

fighters remained isolated from the promotion as their managers opted to keep the Russian talent within Asia.

This prevented the athletes from performing on the big stage; until recently, Фёдор Емельяненко (Fyodor

Emelianenko) was the only Russian mixed martial artist to achieve recognition throughout the MMA world.

Fortunately, this trend has begun to fade and a wave of Russian athletes has taken the top MMA promotions

by storm, showcasing their ability to perform at the highest levels in direct competition with athletes from the

MMA superpowers of Brazil and America.

The UFC has seen an invasion of Russian talent in almost every weight division, and this incursion has been

spearheaded primarily by three men from Республика Дагестан (Dagestan), the first of which is Рустам

Хабилов (Rustam Khabilov).

Хабилов attracted the attention of the MMA community after only one fight in the UFC. It is difficult for

someone to achieve such fame so quickly in a division with as much talent and depth as the lightweight 155lbs

class, but a sensational victory over prospect Vinc Pichel ensured that Хабилов did not go unnoticed, clinching

the victory via knockout with a signature SAMBO suplex. The only thing which attracted more attention than

his emphatic KO victory was Хабилов’s excellent quote post-fight: “It’s my job to throw him, how he lands is

his business”. With only one setback; a closely contested loss against a former champion; Хабилов has had

continued success in the UFC and is considered to be one of the top ten lightweights in the world.

The second fighter making inroads into the UFC is Али Багаутинов (Ali Bagautinov). Багаутинов became the

first Russian to rise all the way to the top of a UFC division and contend for a world title after outclassing

everybody he faced, one of his most notable performances being a dominant victory over long-time contender

and knockout artist John Lineker.

After this fight; a contest in which Багаутинов appeared so confident he was comfortable enough to showboat

to the crowd while fending off attacks from Lineker; he was granted a shot at the world championship. While

he was unable to best the undisputed champion Demeterious Johnson in his challenge for the title,

Багаутинов remains at the top of the division and is undeniably one of the best flyweight fighters in the UFC.

The third Russian fighter and the most likely to be holding world championship gold in the near future is Хабиб

Нурмагомедов (Khabib Nurmagomedov). Also known as “The Eagle”, Нурмагомедов has been wrestling

bears since he was 9 years of age and became an elite SAMBO champion in his native land.

Martial Arts Russia is a nation steeped in martial arts culture. While it may not be as well-known as the fighting styles

originating from other Asian nations such as Japan and Thailand, the discipline of Самозащита Без Oружия

(self defence without weapons, or SAMBO) is an extremely versatile martial art which incorporates a range

of grappling and striking techniques. As a result, one would expect that Russian martial artists would excel in

the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, but that has not been the case - until now.

After turning his attention to

MMA, Нурмагомедов

continued to excel, racking up

an impressive record of 16

wins with no defeats before

entering the UFC. Due to the

unpredictable and volatile

nature of MMA, meaning that

a fight can be won or lost in a

split second by just one punch

or a tiny lapse in

concentration, it is extremely

rare to see any fighter

manage to maintain such an

exceptional streak of victories. Yet somehow, Нурмагомедов has been able to continue his winning ways at

the highest level of the sport in the UFC, now boasting a mind-boggling record of 22-0.

Dismantling the highly touted Brazilian Rafael Dos Anjos in his last outing, Нурмагомедов has launched

himself into the #2 spot in the UFC lightweight division. Although the champion Anthony Pettis is currently

booked to fight number one contender Gilbert Melendez December 6th, it is almost certain that the victor’s

next date in the UFC Octagon will be with Нурмагомедов, and in his current form, the Dagestani athlete is

looking perfectly placed to snag the world championship belt.

With the arrival of these three highly skilled fighters, not to mention several more in the UFC and in other

renowned organisations such as Bellator and the World Series Of Fighting, the prospect of a Russian Mixed

Martial Arts world champion has never looked stronger. The influx of these fighters has forced the once

unparalleled Brazilian and American competitors to step up their game in order to cope with the SAMBO

mastery of these Russian athletes. Whether they are able to adequately adapt to beat back the Russian

invasion remains to be seen, but right now it looks as though the Russians are here to stay.

- Adam Sharland and David Averre

(photo credit: mixfight.ru, Zuffa LLC,

UFC/Getty Images, combate.com)

Хабиб Нурмагомедов sporting his папахa

(an article of clothing worn by throughout

the Caucasus, particularly by Dagestani

clans) while weighing in at UFC 148.

Рустам Хабилов showcasing a picture perfect Suplex throw, a signature

technique of the SAMBO discipline, on unfortunate opponent Vince Pichel.

Али Багаутинов delights the crowd by

showboating mid-fight, appearing

seemingly unfazed by John Lineker’s

attempts to tear his leg off.