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Russia-Thailand seminar Bilateral cooperation figured prominently at a recent business event held in Bangkok

Thursday, November 12, 2015

November 14-20, 2015

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In cold Russia, which are the coldest cities? A GUIDE TO SOME LESSER-KNOWN WINTER-WONDERLAND DESTINATIONS IN RUSSIA’S CHILLIEST SPOTS

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EXTREMISM

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Al-Qaeda’s chief Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Will they unite against Russia? The call to unite Islamic militants was voiced by alQaeda leader Ayman alZawahiri. His audio recordi n g wa s re l e a s e d o n November 1 on one of the sites linked to al-Qaeda. “The Americans, Russians, Iranians, Alawites, and Hezbollah are coordinating their war against us – are we not capable of stopping the fighting amongst ourselves so we

can direct all our efforts against them?” Zawahiri said. The question of how realistic the prospects are for these groups to unite together has no clear answer. On the one hand, the ranks of radicals in the Middle East have been shaken by internal conflicts in recent years. On the other hand, al-Qaeda is changing the format of its activities,

while maintaining its significant potential and attractiveness in the eyes of the members of other extremist groups. This could contribute to the consolidation of Islamic militants around its cells. The unification of radical groups in the Middle East is hindered by competition for the control of financial flows, which has especially intensified in recent years against the backdrop of the economic crisis. Another factor is that Islamic ,ilitants also have considerable ideological and religious differences. Speaking to RBTH,Yelena Suponina, an expert on the

Middle East from the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, described the alQaeda leader’s call as an “appeal to nowhere” considering the current set of circumstances. There is, however, a view that Zawahiri’s call is just another al-Qaeda attempt to“score points”in its competition with the extremists of the Islamic State. It could be seen as al-Qaeda’s way of reacting to the statements of ISIS members who claim that it was they that shot down the Russian airliner over the Sinai Peninsula. The concern of experts about the constant adjusting of al-Qaeda’s format was seen recently. According to Vladimir Sotnikov, a senior researcher at the Institute for Oriental Studies, the organisation has been transformed in recent years into a less centralised structure, with the autonomy of its regional branches growing. This allows these branches to more actively create situational alliances, making al-Qaeda’s regional structures a serious threat to all opponents of extremists, including Russia. Sotnikov believes that clandestine cells associated with al-Qaeda already exist in Russia.

TRAGEDY IN THE SINAI

Theories behind plane-crash As an international commission has begun the work of deciphering the black boxes from the Russian passenger plane that crashed in Egypt’s Sinai, experts are putting forward different theories to explain the causes of the disaster.

of the plane, causing its tail to hit the runway. Perhaps, proponents of this theory suggest, the damage was not fully repaired and went unnoticed by maintenance crews. Such damage can lead to the destruction of an airliner up to decades later.

Theory 1: Terrorist attack

Theory 3: Faulty engine REUTERS

The business daily Kommersant cited a source from the experts working at the site of the Airbus crash, who said that the decompression and destruction of the aircraft could be due to an explosion in the baggage compartment. They believe that a local bomb explosion could not destroy the plane by itself,

Debris from the Russian airliner at the Sinai crash site.

but a sharp drop in pressure could have lead to an explosive decompression.

Theory 2: Fatigue crack The decompression and breakup of the fuselage could have been caused by

a fatigue crack. Fifteen years ago, this plane was involved in an incident at the airport in Cairo. While landing, the pilot tried to straighten out the flight path of the aircraft and sharply raised the nose

Another explanation for an explosive decompression could be a faulty engine. If the turbine was destroyed, then its torn-off blades could have penetrated the wing and fuselage. According to experts, the blades of the turbine fly out with great speed and – moving in the same plane – cut the liner’s wing and fuselage like an angle grinder disc.

Russian stand a hit at defence exhibition Russia’s arms export monopolist took part in the Defence & Security 2015 event in Bangkok. GLEB FEDOROV RBTH

At the international Asian Defence & Security 2015 Exhibit and Conference that took place in Bangkok from November 2 and 5, Rosoboronexport held talks with delegations from more than 10 Asian-Pacific countries, discussing the prospects of developing military-technological cooperation. “The talks in Bangkok have shown that there is a demand in the Asian-Pacific countries for Rosoboronexport’s overall approach to guaranteeing our military-technological cooperation partners’ national security, including in Southeast Asian countries. We intend to continue developing this dialogue, offering our partners relevant projects and attractive terms for cooperation,”said company representative Victor Brakunov after the exhibit. At the exhibition, AsiaPacific visitors were especially drawn to Rosoboronexport’s helicopter and armoured tank technology, as well as to the anti-tank resources, anti-aircraft systems and firearms, including military production that can be used by the region’s national contingents that are part of the UN peacekeeping forces. In particular, the Russian stand at the exhibition in Thailand was visited by official representatives of Thailand, including Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army General Teeracha Nakwanich, Deputy Defence Minister General Roungrojana Chumrasromrun and Defence deputy permanent secretary Admiral Anuthai Rattarangsi. In addition, the Rosoboronexport delegation held talks with participants from other countries, such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Laos, South Korea and Singapore.

IN BRIEF Club missiles for Vietnam Russia is ready to equip the Gepard-class 3.9 frigates for Vietnam with Club-class cruise missile systems. Russia is due to deliver two Project 11661 or Gepard-class frigates to Vietnam in 2016. These frigates are equipped with Russian Uran anti-ship missiles.Vietnam is likely to ask for Club missiles.

Subs for Indonesia The Indonesian government’s plan to purchase Kilo-class diesel-powered submarines received support from a parliamentary body overseeing defence and foreign affairs.“Indonesia is a maritime country, since around 70 percent of its territory is oceanic, so sea security must be prioritised,” the report cited Indonesian parliamentarian Sukamta who said that the submarine was the most sophisticated of its kind.

DEFENCE

SOURCE: SIPRI

Biggest arms importers India has replaced Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest importer of defence equipment. Indian arms imports accounted for 15% of the global total from 2010-2014. China rounds off top three.

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Business Bangkok hosts Russia-Thailand forum

A special forum titled ‘Thailand and Russia Bilateral cooperation through the lens of Thai business’ was held in Bangkok on November 3. SOURAT RAKHIMBABAEV SPECIAL TO RBTH

Russian Ambassador to Thailand Kirill Barsky opened the forum with a speech on the present economic situation in Russia and focused on the trends in Thai-Russian bilateral trade. He spoke about the success stories of 2015, such as Thailand’s largest meat and animal feed producer, Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP Foods), which bought a Russian poultry business from Dutch firm Agro-Invest Brinky BV for US$680 million. Barksy also named Sutech Engineering Co Ltd, which is in the process of building a sugar refinery plant in the Khabarovsk Territory. The state of the art sugar refinery complex with a logistics area and vessel terminal will have an annual capacity of 500,000 metric tonnes. The Russian Ambassador noted that the Far East is a unique place for investors, as it offers land, infrastructure and tax benefits for businessmen. Charoen Pokphand Group (CPG) also plans to expand its agricultural activity in the Russian Far East.

Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of the need to speed up development of the Russian Far East. “Our main priorities in the Far East are an active social development policy, the creation of transportation and education infrastructure and of course, the expansion of economic freedom for domestic and foreign investors and better conditions for doing business,” said Putin during a plenary

The free port status initially provides administrative, customs and tax benefits to investors

business, culture and education, and gave the floor to Eugene Abov, Publisher of Russia Beyond The Headlines, and Vice President of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. Abov said this information gap could be filled by good cooperation between Russian and Thai media outlets. Pana Janviroj, President of Nation News Network, spoke of the bright prospects in the print media segment in Thailand.

Wide-ranging issues covered at seminar

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Success stories point to upbeat investment trend

From left: Sombat Thiratrakoolchai, TRCC; Kiril Barsky, Russia’s ambassador; John Magee, Phuket Gazette; Eugene Abov, RBTH; Pana Janviroj, Nation News Network.

MAIN IDEAS DISCUSSED

The Russian Far East is a unique place for investors, as it offers land, infrastructure and tax benefits. Sutech Engineering Co Ltd is building a Sugar Refinery Plant there.

Thais often claim that there is an absence of appropriate information about Russia’s economy, business, culture and education. This could be filled by cooperation between media.

TAT expects a revival from December 2015 to February 2016 as tour operators say there is a growing interest in Russia to visit Thailand during the peak season.

Russia to 1 million heads by 2020. Moreover, at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum 2015, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the CPG signed an agreement to establish a joint fund with capital of about $1 billion. The fund plans to invest in projects for the production and distribution of food products, including dairy products, meat and chicken. One of the projects will involve the cultivation of shrimp in the Russian Far East. Participants of the forum agreed that such kind of cooperation was likely to

bring very visible benefits for both countries. There were calls to increase Russian investment in Thailand.

At the Bangkok forum, Ambassador Barsky mentioned that Thais often claim that there is an absence of appropriate information about Russia’s economy,

The forum was comprised of two parts, with the first part devoted to media, while the second was dedicated to business projects. CP Group revealed its investment plan for Russia. With authorisation from Nutthakrit Sivasri, Chairman (overseas operations) CPG of companies, Sombat Thiratrakoolchai, senior vice president CP Foods spoke about plans to invest not only in the central part of Russia but also in Siberia and the Far East. He named swine, poultry, general retail, IT and Internet, e-commerce and robotics as potential areas for investment. At present, CP Foods owns 10 pig farms in Russia, and the company plans to double its livestock in

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meeting at the Eastern Economic Forum in September. Last month, Vladivostok became a free port. The free port status initially provides administrative, customs and tax benefits to investors in the free trade area, which also includes 14 municipalities in the Primorye Territory. From January, foreigners can enter the city without a visa for 8 days.

Lack of information

Revival of Russian tourism There was also an interesting presentation by Visanu Jaroensilp, the deputy governor for tourism products and business tourism in the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Jaroensilp, who was TAT’s representative in Russia for four years, said a record 1.7 million Russian tourists visited Thailand last year. This year, however, the devaluation of the ruble vis-à-vis the dollar led to a 48 per cent fall

in the number of Russian tourists visiting the Kingdom. TAT expects a revival from December 2015 to February 2016 as tour operators say there is a growing interest in Russia to visit Thailand during the peak season. Jaroensilp added that the TAT expects 2 million tourists from Russia in 2016. At the moment, TAT is working on new ways to promote Thailand for Russian tourists, including increasing the number of Russian-speaking guides and setting up booths to directly exchange roubles and baht.

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Agriculture European farmers are up in arms after losing their main export market due to political posturing

EU tastes the bitter fruit of sanctions war In recent months, producers’ frustrations have spilled over. In early September, thousands of farmers, accompanied by 1,500 tractors, blocked the major arBRYAN MACDONALD teries into Paris. They were SPECIAL TO RBTH protesting against rising Irish farmer John Ryan is taxes and increasingly strict angry. The Ukraine crisis environmental standards, has become a live issue for which, allied to plummeting European farmers, he food prices, have destroyed claims. The Russia-EU farm incomes. sanctions war has led to an About 1,500 tractors took over-supply of food and de- to the streets of Paris in pressed prices. Meanwhile, September as French farthe proposed integration of mers staged a huge protest Ukraine with the EU could against falling agricultural present new competition. prices. “Farmers don’t want Hell hath no fury like Ukraine in the EU,” says angry French farmers. Thus, Ryan. “In the first place, after the disruption, Presithey have too much cheap dent François Hollande wheat… the EU meddling caved in, promising help. there destroyed the agriculIt’s not only in France. tural sector because they Over the Spanish border, in had no foresight. Santiago De Compostela, a “If the euro drops any similar demonstration erupmore and interest rates rise, ted a week later. In between, the whole sector will crash,” Irish farmers pulled milk he warns. off supermarket shelves to EU farmers grow angry over the political decisions - sanctions against Russia included - driving them towards financial ruin.

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French farmers take their grievances — and their tractors — to the streets of Paris.

express their anger at price drops. Inspired by the reaction in Paris, hundreds of farmers descended on Brussels — from as far away as Finland — a few days later, demanding EU intervention. Soon, euro 500 million was found for “support measures” for agronomists. However, Albert Jan Maat of Copa-Cogeca, the umbrella organisation for EU farmers and agri-cooperatives, remains unhappy.“EU pro-

ducers have lost their main export market to Russia, worth euro 5.5 billion annually, and a euro 500 million aid package will not be enough to compensate for this,” he says. The reason for their anger is simple. Food prices, especially milk, but also meat and vegetables, have collapsed this year. The cause of the crisis is also clear: the sanctions war between Russia and the West. About 500 million euros

is the amount found by Brussels to support EU agriculture. Milk production has seen the most serious price collapse. After events in Ukraine in 2014, Europe and the US first attempted to punish Russia with punitive travel bans and asset freezes. Amid heightened tension in eastern Ukraine, those measures were extended to embargoes on Russian banks’ access to international markets. In conjunction

with weak resource prices, the policy worked. Russia is hurting; its economy is in deep recession. Brussels’ lawmakers probably didn’t countenance the blowback as they united, together with their US allies, in opposition to Russia’s interference in Ukraine. When Russia struck back with its own counter-sanctions on EU agricultural goods, many analysts initially reacted with bemusement. However, the Kremlin’s move has proved remarkably effective. In late August, EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan admitted that European farmers are paying the price for the EU’s foreign policy. “The only sector taking the hit arising from the foreign policy and decision by Russia has been agriculture,” he told the press. He added that it was a “very difficult situation” because Russia was“the recipient of 10 percent of the world’s dairy products”,and “Europe was their first port of call”. It goes much deeper than that for Europe. In 2013, before the geopolitical tussle, a third of EU fresh fruit and vegetable exports went to Russia.

World Bank Russia jumps in latest Ease of Doing Business Rankings An analytical publication that focuses exclusively on the complex challenges and opportunities shaping the US-Russia relationship

It’s easier now to do business

RUSSIA-DIRECT.ORG Latest Report ‘Russia’s New Strategy in the Middle East’

Russia’s military intervention in Syria has the potential to shift the long-term geostrategic outlook for the Middle East. With that in mind, this new RD report takes a closer look at why Russia got involved in Syria, elaborates on the characteristics of a more proactive Russian foreign policy in the Middle East, and weighs the potential risks and rewards of Russian involvement in Syria.

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Russia has climbed to 51st place in the World Bank’s new Ease of Doing Business rankings on the back of a number of key economic reforms. ANNA KUCHMA RBTH

In spite of Western sanctions and a decline in gross domestic product (GDP), Russia has climbed 11 positions to 51st place in the World Bank’s latest Ease of Doing Business rankings, an annual study devoted to analysing regulations and laws that directly affect businesses reported. According to the bank’s experts, the country carried out a minor revolution by making obtaining an electricity connection simpler – in this category of the ranking Russia shot up by a

staggering 114 positions. Over the past year, Russia has managed to implement several economic reforms that have contributed to the significant advancement of the country’s ranking, the World Bank said in a supporting explanation for the rankings. In particular, it highlighted the ease of registering property (8th place in the world) and enforcing contracts (5th place in the world). The Ease of Doing Business global rankings have become a kind of KPI for the Russian government, indicating Russia’s prospects for attracting investments. “The rankings are a guide for foreign investors,” one of the study’s authors, Valentina Saltane, said in an interview with the Russian business newspaper Vedo-

mosti. In May 2012, President Vladimir Putin set the goal of increasing the country’s place in the rankings to 50th in 2015 and 20th in 2018. Therefore, according to the latest ranking, the government al-

The Doing Business global rankings have become a kind of KPI for the Russian government most managed to meet its target. In 2015, new indicators were added to five out of five indicator sets, and Russia scored highly on four of them. For example, a new index based on the reliability of electricity supply and transparency of tariffs was

introduced. We measure the frequency of power outages, the duration of possible outages, and how the monitoring systems work,” said Saltane, commenting on the early changes to the calculation. According to these indicators, Russia received the maximum eight points. As a result, by increasing the pace of work on simplifying the grid connection procedure, Russia made a record leap of 114 positions. For similar reasons, Russia rose by 37 positions in the index based on the ease of obtaining building permits. The number of procedures has not declined substantially, but a new index – an index of the quality of building regulation and its implementation – was introduced.

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E-commerce AliExpress expands

Technology Startups lured by growing middle class

Russian retailers now using Chinese online platform

East Asia is the thirdlargest market for Russianorigin IT companies after the US and the Commonwealth of Independent States GLEB FEDOROV RBTH

A growing number of Russian-origin information technology (IT) companies are moving part, or all of their operations to East Asia. There seem to be a variety of reasons for this trend. Hardware producers choose Asia to cut expenses on logistics and product development. The creators of the CreoPop 3D-pen made 14 prototypes before launching production. In Singapore, it took one month to make a prototype, compared to two months in Russia. Internet-based consumer startups are eyeing the Asia-Pacific’s growing middle class. Software business-to-business companies are also moving to Asia and specifically to Singapore. Ruvento BaseRide is selling its cloud solutions for public transport and

commercial logistics to companies based in Singapore. And some of the IT companies or startups are shifting to Asia to work from a more comfortable climate. The founders of Promokodex.ru have been work i n g f ro m T h a i l a n d , Cambodia, Singapore,Vietnam and Malaysia.

Successful Russian IT companies in Asia Despite the fact that the Asian market is highly competitive, some Russian companies managed to make a mark in the continent.

iFree The company started operations in China in 2007 as a developer of Java-based games. Its main product now is mobile games both for iOS and Android. There are now more than 100 games in their portfolio, which helped iFree to become the Best content provider for China Mobile in 2012 and the strategic partner of China Telecom. Companies like Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo are preinstalling iFree games on pho-

nes sold on the local market. iFree has an office in India as well, and is working with Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia via partners.

A growing number of Russian-origin IT companies are moving their operations to Asia Some Russian companies managed to make a mark in the continent

ABBYY The company entered the Asia market around 15 years ago and has offices in Japan and Taiwan. ABBYY products (Fine Reader) are sold together with major scanner producers like Samsung and LG.The company also takes part in major projects. For example, it scans the documents for nuclear stations in China and takes part in the national census in Sri Lanka. In March 2014, the ABBYY Language Services launched a free cloud service for translators, which is used worldwide with more that 6,000 freelance translators from Asian countries.

InfoWatch The company provides solutions to protect corporate data and information and has operations in India, Malaysia and Indonesia. In India, InfoWatch is focused on finance, IT and transport companies, and provides companies with white label solutions. In Indonesia, it is a cyber-security consultant for the government.

Kaspersky Lab Kaspersky Lab is an international software security group operating in almost 200 countries. It entered Asia back in 2003 opening offices in Japan and China. In April 2015, it moved its Asian headquarters to Singapore, where it plans to intensify its cooperation on cyber-security with the Interpol office.

ALINA SUKHAREVSKAYA RBC DAILY

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Why Russian IT firms are moving to Asia

Russian Internet retailers have been allowed to sell their products on AliExpress from November 11, which is marketed as Singles’ Day in China.

AliExpress, the most popular Chinese online retailer in Russia, launched a partnership with Russian e-commerce companies and retailers on Singles’ Day, which is the Chinese equivalent of Cyber Monday. Before that, Russian retailers were allowed to use the AliExpress platform in a trial mode. Products sold by Russian retailers will be placed in AliExpress Mall section, Mark Zavadsky, head of business development in Russia at AliExpress, said.“We plan to attract a new highend audience that, for some reasons was not interested in our service so far,” Zavadsky said. AliExpress’ parent company, AliBaba hit record sales on Singles’ Day in 2014, with gross merchandise value crossing US$9.3 billion. Prospective partners of the Chinese online retailer and industry experts say collaboration with AliExpress presents an opportunity to attract new Russian customers, who were not previously interested in buying online. Dmitriy Alexeyev, head of Russian retailer Multivarka.pro, expects the partnership with AliExpress to help e-commerce companies increase sales in Russia’s regions. “AliEx-

IN NUMBERS

55%

AliExpress is the largest foreign online retailer in the Russian market, and has a 55 per cent market in the sale of imported goods in 2014.

press has highly effective logistics that can be used to deliver purchased goods to regions where delivery risks are too high for other online retailers,” Alexeyev said. However, some Russian online retailers are not ready to work with AliExpress. Mikhail Morozov, head of the Internet division in brick-and-mortar retailer Svyaznoy, says that average order at AliExpress in 2014 was around $30. “The regular clientele of AliExpress prefers cheap goods,” Morozov said. “We believe that people will buy accessories and the cheapest cell-phones, but the volume of sales in this segment is constantly declining. This is why Svyaznoy will not start selling at AliExpress for the time being.” AliExpress is by far the largest foreign online retailer in the Russian market, and had a 55 percent market in the sale of imported goods in 2014, according to Data Insight. The platform had 24 million unique visitors in September 2015, according to global market research company TNS.

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Another obstacle lies in financial transactions to facilitate bilateral trade and investments between the two countries. Fostering inter-bank cooperation is necessary and one of the largest Thai banks, the Thai Farmers’ Bank, is currently working on this matter to explore ways to strengthen inter-banking interaction and smoothen trade settlements, including the possibility of using national currencies.

INTERVIEW SOMBAT THIRATRAKOOLCHAI

Thai firms keen to invest in Russia BIO

PRESIDENT OF THAI-RUSSIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (TRCC)

NATIONALITY: THAI AGE: 62 CIVIL STATUS: MARRIED

TENTIAL FOR BILATERAL TRADE

Thiratrakoolchai received his doctoral degree from the University of Michigan, USA in 1986. In 1994, he returned to Thailand to establish the Faculty of Architecture, Chiang Mai University, and was appointed as the dean for eight years. Thiratrakoolchai joined CPF (Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited) in 2009 as vice president.

When it comes to Russia-Thailandcooperation,whatarethe main challenges? The challenges at this point are the sluggish world economic outlook and the devaluation of the ruble due to low oil and gas prices. Tourist numbers from Russia to Thailand have fallen by half. How do you think Thai investment can be increased in Russia, and in what sectors? First of all, I see a visible growth of investments in agriculture. I give you an example. In September, CPF Netherlands BV, the subsidiary company of Charoen Pokphand Group (CPG) signed an agreement to ac-

quire CJSC Poultry Parent Stock Production’s Woyskovitsy and Severnaya farms for $680 million.This would give CPG a 5 per cent market share in the Russian poultry market. Experts believe that this deal is one of the first in the new trend of mergers and acquisitions in the poultry industry in Russia. There are lots of opportunities in the Russian Far East. After Sutech Engineering Co Ltd showed the way in Khabarovsk, I believe that many other Thai companies will follow. Makro, the largest wholesaler in Thailand, is seeking to expand its seafood business to the Russian Far East. One of our Thai-

PRESS PHOTO

TALKS TO RBTH ABOUT THE PO-

Russian Chamber of Commerce (TRCC) members, PTT, which is the largest State Enterprise in Thailand in the oil and gas business, is also looking for business opportunities with Russia. The high-ranking officials of the two countries are visiting each other in 20142016, and this may draw much more cooperation and increase trade and invest-

ment in agriculture, auto parts, steel, oil and gas, fertilizer, electronics, and possibly some infra-structure projects, that is railways, and machine and equipment maintenance. Commercial aircrafts and helicopters is another potential area to grow into the future? Do you see any obstacles or

difficulties in Thai-Russian trade? Yes, I do. I see some difficulties, especially in the different mentality, culture, and languages, which makes it difficult to engage in business negotiations, trade and investment. These are not obstacles for large enterprises, but it is still a threat for SMEs of the two countries.

What about Russian investments in Thailand? Can you name some? Russian business people have invested in real estate projects in Thailand’s popular tourism areas such as Pattaya, Phuket and Samui. A number of bars and restaurants are owned by Russians in these areas. Russians operate legal service bureaus, shops, and Thai spa parlors. I would like to suggest that Russian investors consider manufacturing rubber products. Thailand is the world’s number one rubber exporter. As the rubber price is extremely low and export of Thai rubber has dramatically decreased, this may be a big opportunity for Russian investors. Read the full version rbth.com/537479

Enterprise Thai-Russian venture aims to cash in on rising demand in Asia Read, watch and listen to RBTH’s weekly analytical programme, featuring three of the most high-profile recent developments in international affairs. GLOBALLY SPEAKING

GOING EASTWARD

A Thai-Russian duo set up a sturgeon-breeding farm in Hua-Hin and now their black caviar has found its way to customers. SOURAT RAKHIMBABAEV SPECIAL TO RBTH

a s i a . r b t h . c o m /w o r l d / t r o i k a

Five years ago, Thai businessman Noppadon Khamsai and his Russian partner Alexey Tyutin saw an opportunity in Asia’s growing demand for caviar. The duo decided to build a sturgeonbreeding farm in Hua Hin, with a capacity of 2 tonnes of black caviar a year. Their aim was to sell black caviar in Thailand as well as other Asian markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Macao. This led to the founding of the Thai Sturgeon Farm Co Ltd.

It took more than a year to construct the sturgeon breeding complex, and one and a half years to get the necessary approvals. Sturgeon breeding farms operate in Russia, Israel, Uruguay, Hong Kong,Vietnam and even the United States, but not all of them are caviar-oriented. At the moment, the biggest wholesale customers are China and Japan. Over the last 50 years, Russian scientists have developed the fundamentals of bioengineering for breeding these valuable fish species. The Russian method and technology are accepted as the best in the world. The farm’s technology was developed by certified ichthyologists and engi-

PRESS PHOTO

ENGAGING THE WEST

Black caviar now made in Thailand

Inside the sturgeon-breeding farm in Hua Hin.

neers, including Dr Vasily Krasnoborodsko, who is the most well known fish-breeding specialist in Russia. The new technology not only took pressure off the natural ecosystems but even helped increase the endangered sturgeon population. Unfortunately, it is not as easy to breed sturgeon in simulated conditions as, for instance, salmon. The fact is that sturgeon species are

extremely sensitive to the water pollution level, and above all they do not spawn in captivity. They need a special pool and female fertilisation is managed with an operation. There is a risk of females dying while extracting caviar, so there is a herd replacement on average of 10 percent a year. Sturgeon breeding in aqua-farms presents an opportunity to get black caviar without killing the fish. Russia invented the method of extracting the caviar from the fish’s body with a cesarean-like surgical procedure. In Thailand, the main consumers of sturgeon and black caviar are the members of the upper middle class. The Thai Sturgeon Farm Co Ltd supplies black caviar to luxury restaurants and hotels in Thailand, and widely receives positive reviews from customers.

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Christianity A home in Bangkok

Russians to sell Gzhel pottery, amber jewellery for charity

isational meeting was held on October 13. What will Russia be selling at the YWCA Charity Bazaar? This year we will be selling nesting dolls (Russian matryoshka), Pavlovo Posad woollen shawls, hand painted berry-design Hohloma pottery, Gzhel pottery, amber jewellery, decorative items and many other Russian traditional souvenirs.

PRESS PHOTO

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn granted an audience to the Committee.

The wife of the Russian Ambassador in Thailand talks about two major charity events, which are being supported by the diplomatic corps in the country. This year, you were elected a member of the Diplomatic Participants’ Committee for the Thai Red Cross Society. Can you tell us about the preparations for the Charity Bazaar? What are the duties of the spouses of Ambassadors in this Committee? Olga Barskaya: In the coming months, two Diplomatic Charity Bazaars will be held. The Young Women’s Christians Association (YWCA) Diplomatic Bazaar will take place on November 20 to 22, 2015 in Central World Plaza and the 48th Diplomatic Red Cross

Bazaar at Royal Paragon Hall on March 5 to 6, 2016. This year, I was elected Head of Raffle for the NovemberYWCA Bazaar and Raffle Co-Director for the one to be held next March. The duties of the Head of Raffle for the upcoming bazaars include distributing raffle tickets among the staff of embassies and buyers, as well as attracting raffle prize donations in close cooperation with the YWCA and Thai Red Cross Society staff. The Diplomatic Participants’ Committee for the Thai Red Cross Society consists of six members: chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, raffle director, raffle co-director and adviser. Preparation for the

YWCA Charity Bazaar is now in full swing. A press conference was held on October 20, 2015 in Central World Plaza. This time, the Russian Embassy in Thailand, which has always been a very active participant of charity bazaars, requested two booths. They will be located in Central Court on Floor 1 of the Central World Plaza. One can identify them by numbers - booths C14 and C15. But even if you do not remember those numbers you will easily track them because our stands are extremely colourful and decorated with vibrant shawls and unique souvenirs. As for the Red Cross Charity Bazaar, which is scheduled for March 2016, the first organ-

Where will the proceeds of the Charity Bazaar go? All proceeds usually go to YWCA and Thai Red Cross Society projects. The projects include providing spectacles for school children in rural areas, repair of harelip and cleft palate and other deformities, as well as treating craniofacial patients. Donations from the Thai Red Cross Society will be also granted for new projects. Among them is the provision of raincoats for 6000 underprivileged students and construction of school libraries. Last year, the Diplomatic Participants’ Committee decided to allocate an emergency fund for earthquake victims in Nepal. This year, there will be other recipients. As for the YWCA Charity Bazaar, the beneficiaries include disabled people, the Foster Child Care Project (educational scholarships), schools in rural areas (renovation of toilets, building and playground improvement), needy children from Dindaeng Day Care and underprivileged students (lunches, scholarships), prisoners (professional development), sport centres (sports equipment) and many others. Interview by Irina Vinokurova Read the full version rbth.com/537719

A church with parishioners from various countries The St Nicolas Parish of the Russian Orthodox Church was established in Bangkok in 1999, with Oleg Cherepanin being appointed its rector. IRINA VINOKUROVA RBTH

The St Nicolas Parish of the Russian Orthodox Church holds services in Old Slavic, Russian, English and Thai, and has an interesting mix of parishioners, belonging to various nationalities. Michel de Valliere was one of the first parishioners of the St Nicolas Parish in Bangkok. He is French with Russian roots, and has been living with his Thai wife in Bangkok since 1999. His mother, Lydia, was born in Russia into the family of an Orthodox Priest. She escaped to France after the Bolshevik Revolution when the rest of her family was murdered. By the time Lidya met Michel’s father, Alexander de Valliere, she already had French citizenship. Both parents were Orthodox and when Michel was born in 1940, he was baptized at the Orthodox Church in Giberville. Raised in a Russian-speaking family, Michel has a deep love for Russian culture, but Thailand also occupies a special place in his heart. He first came to the Kingdom in 1990 to take charge of the Peugeot car assembly plant. In 1996, Michel married a Thai woman, and 3 years later they decided to move to Bangkok. And that was

a very special day for Michel when he got to know that there is an Orthodox ch u rch i n B a n g ko k ’s Sukhothai Road. Over the years, the church has become an important part of his life. “My first Easter celebration in Bangkok was in 2001. I remembered how my mother prepared koulitchis and coloured eggs,”Michel said.“I cooked them accordingly for being blessed at the St Nicolas Chapel.” This has become an annual tradition for him. Now Michel de Valliere (or Michail Alexandrovich as all Russian parishioners call him) is the deputy chairman of the Parish Council of Bangkok Orthodox St Nicolas Cathedral. Hataipat Phungpumkaew, a lecturer in Tourism and Hospitality Management at the Burapha University International College, is a Thai parishioner. “I first came to the church in 2009 as a visitor,” Hataipat says. “My Thai friend introduced me to the Russian Orthodox Church, which was in a small house, not far from the Royal Palace on Sukhothai Road. God called me to come to the church in early 2013, and this time I had a chance to attend the evening service.” In an interview with RBTH, Father Oleg, the Representative of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand, said people from all nationalities and ethnicities were welcome to become parishioners.

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Travel

A global media project, sponsored by Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russia) asia.rbth.com

Adventure If you crave an intense Russian winter experience, these chilly destinations are worth a visit say that black storms can cause dogs and empty fuel barrels on the coast to be lifted into the air. But despite this, almost eternal winter, Dikson is one of the most beautiful villages in Siberia. It is a place where you can stand on the edge of the icy Arctic, feel the power of the Kara Sea, see Belukha whales, walruses and the Northern Lights.

Verkhoyansk

Yakutsk

Burger King would like to send cheeseburgers into orbit.

ditional pair of serious gloves in winter is a risky idea, as the average temperature here is minus 40 to minus 50 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature recorded here was minus 65 degrees Celsius. Despite these extreme conditions there are about 300,000 people living in this city of diamonds, which also has pile-supported houses and wooly mammoth remains. One Yakut couple even established the record for the world’s longest kiss (22 minutes) at temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius. If you dare to travel to this part of the world in winter, wrap yourself in a scarf (or better buy a balaclava) and run from one place to another.

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Norilsk

RBTH has chosen five of Russia’s coldest travel destinations, where travellers can experience the most extreme weather Russia has to offer. ANNA GRUZDEVA SPECIAL TO RBTH

Life in northern Siberia in Russia is almost eternal winter: the crunch of snow under your feet, dark Polar nights, icy bays, with valenki (felt boots) and unty (high fur boots) being the most practical footwear.

“On my arrival at Yakutsk airport, I feel scrutinised — not because of my physical appearance but, I suppose, because people want to see how the only ‘tourist’ is dressed to face a type of cold that only people from this part of the world confront almost every day,”says Swiss photographer Steeve Iuncker about his photo sessions in Yakutsk (4,880 kilometres from Moscow). Indeed, going to Russia’s coldest city without an ad-

SPACEBURGERS?

Situated in the northern part of Krasnoyarsk territory, Norilsk (2,878 kilometres from Moscow) is known for being one of the coldest cities in Russia and most polluted cities in the world: palladium, platinum, gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, and copper are all mined here in great quantities. Despite this, Norilsk is an interesting city where it is possible to experience minus 30 degrees in winter and plus 30 degrees in summer. Norilsk was founded as a mining complex and the centre of an enormous Gulag labour camp in 1935, which was in operation for

Five of Russia’s coldest cities you haven’t heard of

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the city’s first 21 years of existence. Reportedly 400,000 people were imprisoned here throughout its history. At Norilsk’s State Museum of Exploration and Development His-

Norilsk is a closed city, so all foreigners must obtain a permit before travelling there tory of Norilsk Industrial District you can read letters written by Norillag labour camp prisoners, who detailed the horrific conditions in the camp. The museum also has holds rare ethnographic items such as the clothing of shamans, and of the indigenous Evenki and Nganasan peoples. After a frosty walk, get some reindeer meat pelmeni (dumplings) and look at the photo series about Norilsk by Elena Chernyshova,Days of Night — Nights of Day. Last year Chernyshova re-

ceived aWorld Press Photo prize for these works. Note that Norilsk is a closed city, so all foreigners must obtain a permit before travelling there. Apply for yours well in advance of your trip.

Dikson Dikson (2,729 kilometres from Moscow) is the northernmost village in Russia in Krasnoyarsk Territory, on the coast of the Kara sea. It was called the“capital of the snowy Arctic” in Soviet times, when a large Russian seaport was located here. In summer it is possible to get to Dikson by boat along theYenisei River. The climate here is harsher than in Norilsk: polar nights are black, the temperature drops below zero as early as September, the snow melts in June, or later, and ski competitions are held as late as May. Quite often so-called black snowstorms – very strong blizzards that turn into tornadoes – occur here. Locals

Verkhoyansk (4,675 kilometres from Moscow) is a small town with a population of just over 1,000 people on the Yana River. The city figures prominently in the contest for world’s coldest city. Scientists still argue which settlement represents the true“cold pole”— Verkhoyansk or Oymyakon (another northern city that also claims to be the world’s coldest). But for ordinary residents this argument is not so important. The lowest temperature recorded in Verkhoyansk was minus 69.8 degrees Celsius. Starting from the 19th centuryVerkhoyansk was a place of exile for rebels and revolutionaries, such as the Decembrists. Wacław Sieroszewski, a Russian-Polish ethnographer and expert on Siberia, spent 12 years (1880-1892) here,“the first eight as a prisoner for revolutionary activities”. But even then, in this icy land far away from his native Poland, he didn’t lose interest in life: he married a Yakut woman and started to study local ethnography.

Dudinka Going to the northern town of Dudinka (2,801 kilometres from Moscow) at the top of the Yenisei River is worth it to experience the Day of the Reindeer Herder, which is held here and in the neighbouring villages of Syndassko, Potapovo, and Popigai annually in March. Despite a minus 30 degree frost, the Nenets, the Evenki, Dolnagy, Nganasan and Entsy peoples put on their best national costumes and participate in reindeer races on the tundra. In the Mukustur workshop or in the House of Folk Arts and Crafts tourists can buy unty boots, made from reindeer skin, decorated with traditional patterns. These high-quality boots can handle the local frosts.

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Travel

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Explore If wild northen landscapes and heritage attractions appeal, consider visiting beautiful Karelia this winter

Nine options for the New Year Karelia is a gem of the Russian North and is a truly underexplored destination among international tourists. RBTH picked up a number of things you could do there.

programs and ozone therapy. There are also fitness facilities, pools and saunas. They offer special New Year’s packages ranging from 8-14 days from 20,400 rubles per person ($312).

JOE CRESCENTE

9. Steam your troubles away at a Russian banya

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PHOTOXPRESS

The Republic of Karelia is famous for its lakes, wooden churches and northern light shows and landscapes. Why not spend your New Year’s holiday riding hovercrafts, dogsledding and eating a plate of taiga beef? Easily accessible from Moscow or St Petersburg, the Republic of Karelia is a wintry paradise. With thousands of frozen lakes, abundant fresh air and well-developed tourist infrastructure, there is more than enough to keep you busy for a few days.

The architecture on Kizhi was bold and visionary for its time and is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

1. Cross Lake Onega on skis Ancient petroglyphs on Lake Onega depict Karelia’s ancestors on skis, thus by skiing here you are partaking in one of the region’s primal pastimes. This is the Republic’s largest lake and is easily accessible as the regional capital of Petroz avo d s k ( p o p u l a t i o n 261,000) is located on its western shores. With a maximum width of 90 kilometres you may want to select a short section for crossing, as the lake can be quite uneven. Of course, those in a rush can always hire a snowmobile.

2. Take a hovercraft to Kizhi Only one of Lake Onega’s 1,650 islands contains the beautiful wooden churches of Kizhi. This island, located in the lake’s geographical centre, contains roughly 80 historical wooden structures, with none more famous than those at Kizhi Pogost, a UNESCO-heritage protected site. Located 68 kilometres from Petrozavodsk, it is theoretically possible to ski here, but why not go in style by hovercraft?

3 See the Aurora Borealis In theory there are no bad

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Getting there You can reach Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia, by train from Moscow or St Petersburg, or plane from Moscow, St Petersburg, Kaliningrad, or Sochi. The planes on this route fill up quickly, so it’s best to book your flight in advance. Trip fares from Moscow start at 5,945 rubles (about $94). For cheap flights around Russia we recommend using jetradar.com

See the Aurora Borealis in Kem – the farther north you go, the better the light show Enjoy a traditional banya in Kinerma village, which has survived for nearly 500 years See more of Karelia rbth.com/96115

places to check out the Aurora Borealis, with the basic premise being the father north you go, the better the light show. In Karelia the villages and fields near the small city of Kem (410 kilometres north of Petrozavodsk) on the shores of the White Sea are good spots for taking in the superhuman glows of the Northern Lights.

4. Go on a dogsledding tour Riding Siberian huskies is one way to get around the vast forests that make up much of Karelia. One of Russia’s largest dogsledding races – covering 440 kilometres – takes place in Kalevala, a town in the northern part of the Republic. However, amateurs can get a crack at the action here, too. Tour operatorVelt – Karelskie puteshestvie (Velt) arranges dog sledding trips out of Kalevala. Nordic Travel also offers tours.

5. Conquer the slopes at Jalgora ski resort This modern ski resort is Karelia’s first. Located an

hour from Petrozavodsk it provides great views of Lake Onega from its slopes. Alpine skiing, crosscountry skiing, snowboarding and ice-skating are popular here and ski lessons and equipment rentals are available. It is hoped that these facilities will soon become a training ground for professional winter sports.

(taiga beef). Another good place for music is Café Begemot.

8. Relax at Martsialnye vody resort The Martsialnye vody health spa (55 kilometres from Petrozavodsk)offers programs designed to lower stress and reduce your waistline. Among the many services offered here are massages, weight-loss

No winter holiday in Karelia – or anywhere in Russia – is complete without a trip to the banya. In Petrozavodsk check out the sauna complex Vintazh, which includes billiards and air hockey in the price of a visit. For a more authentic village banya experience contact Velt, which operates a facility in Kalevala. One of the best tour companies for foreign visitors in northern Russia, including Karelia is Nordic Travel. Based in Petrozavodsk and in operation since 2001, the company employs English, German, French, Italian, Swedish and Finnish-speaking tour guides. You can choose from a selection of tours on the company’s website or, if you prefer, their specialists can develop tailormade routes based on your wishes.

6. Visit the traditional Karelian village of Kinerma A good spot to experience Russian rural life, this tiny village has managed to survive nearly 500 years. Stay in the village guesthouse and let the owners arrange a traditional Russian banya, a home-cooked meal including traditional pies, and visit the village museum.

7. Spend a night out in Petrozavodsk You should spend at least one night in the regional capital. The city’s clubs often feature concerts of Karelian folk music, distinguished by its use of the kantele, a traditional string instrument. Check out Kivach Café to take in a concert and rub shoulders with local artists. They are also known for their food, especially myaso po-tayozhnomu

RUSSIAN TECHNOLOGY Russian technology helps NASA in the search for life on Mars. rbth.com/49647

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Opinion

A global media project, sponsored by Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russia) asia.rbth.com

ALYONA REPKINA

MY FIRST 1,000 DAYS IN RUSSIA Pekka A. Viljakainen BUSINESSMAN

he past 1,000 days of working in Russia have been a true deep dive into the Russian landscape, business culture and mentality. And I have gained an understanding that is impossible to get from these sterilised meetings, which tend to focus on stereotypes. During this journey, I have visited 59 Russian cities, embraced numerous governors and seen all 11 time zones of this enormous country. And it is worth mentioning that all my preconceived notions about Russia were wrong. Before deciding to come to work in Russia, I had very little knowledge of it, even though my own coun-

try — Finland — shares a long border with it. I had been a tourist in Moscow and St Petersburg, but as the Finnish and Russian languages share probably only three common words, my ability to communicate

When I arrived in the country, the only Russian food I knew of was borscht and get to know people was very limited. So what are my observations so far? Russians truly love and use all the latest gadgets. The post-Soviet “PlayStation Generation” is particularly well connected. Social media is widely used, and news from all over the

world is at everyone’s fingertips. There is no “Great Firewall”,on the Russian Internet, like in China, so it is very annoying to see even serious, informed people lump Russia and China together in the same category when discussing online freedom. Despite all my doubts, the infrastructure of the cities I have visited more or less meets European and American standards.Yes, some of the roads are pretty bad, but airports, hotels, restaurants and other services are well developed. Starbucks is everywhere, and I use my credit card for almost everything. I pay my bills using the online services of Russian banks, and money transfers from my home bank can be arranged overnight. For travel I use mostly airlines like Aeroflot, which has a very mod-

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES (RBTH) IS PUBLISHED BY RUSSIAN DAILY NEWSPAPER ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA. ITS PRODUCTION DOES NOT INVOLVE THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF NATION MULTIMEDIA GROUP. RBTH IS FUNDED THROUGH A COMBINATION OF ADVERTISING AND SPONSORSHIP REVENUES, TOGETHER WITH SUBSIDIES FROM RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. RBTH’S EDITORIAL VOICE IS INDEPENDENT. ITS OBJECTIVE IS TO PRESENT, THROUGH QUALITY CONTENT, A RANGE OF PERSPECTIVES ABOUT RUSSIA AND RUSSIA’S PLACE IN THE WORLD. PUBLISHED SINCE 2007, RBTH IS COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST EDITORIAL STANDARDS AND TO SHOWCASING THE BEST OF RUSSIAN JOURNALISM AND THE BEST WRITING ABOUT RUSSIA. IN DOING SO, WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE FILLING AN IMPORTANT GAP IN INTERNATIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE. PLEASE EMAIL EDITORTH@RBTH.COM IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON OUR OWNERSHIP OR EDITORIAL STRUCTURE. RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES EVGENY ABOV PUBLISHER VSEVOLOD PULYA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OLGA VLASOVA EXECUTIVE PRODUCER GLEB FEDOROV EXECUTIVE EDITOR KUMAR KRISHNAN ASSOCIATE EDITOR (THE NATION) DARIA STRELAVINA ASSISTANT EDITOR

ern fleet of Airbus planes. I am not a specialist in air travel by any means, but as an anecdote I must say that in the past 1,000 days, I have only had my flights delayed twice, and for 15 minutes at the most. Of course the state of the Russian economy right now is not good, but this current turbulence is good for my business — promoting the culture of startups and innovation in Russia. If oil prices were high, it would be practically impossible to convince any local businesses to make difficult restructuring decisions. Naturally, I don’t wish hard times on anyone, but now, when I see the creation of new businesses and the modernisation of big companies, I can’t help but think that there are some benefits to the current situation. Also from the standpoint of an investor, the devalued currency has created many opportunities — after all, our potential to make money occurs in the “buying”stage of the investment. But I must mention the most beautiful part of life in Russia — the food. When I arrived in the country, the only Russian food I knew of was borscht. But in the first few days, I realised that Russians will spend a lot of money on two things — high-quality food and high-heeled shoes. In every city I visit, I just have to log on to TripAdvisor to see an amazing variety of restaurants and cuisine. So, dear friends in the global business community, open your eyes to Russia. Take it from me, seeing is believing. The writer is a Finnish businessman and investor. Read the full version rbth.com/534119

RUSSIAN WORLD ON THE PATH TO AWAITED CONSOLIDATION Sergey Lavrov RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

he fifth World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad, held in Moscow on November 5, was an important stage in the further consolidating the Russian world. The Russian community abroad amounts to approximately 30 million people and is the fourth largest di-

The Russian community abroad amounts to approximately 30 million people aspora population in the world. Its formation began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and occurred in waves associated with momentous events in our national history. An important milestone in recent years was the first World Congress of Compatriots in 2001. The memory of the collapse of the Soviet Union, which left more than 25 million compatriots outside the homeland, was still fresh then. To find one’s place in these new conditions, to preserve ethnic and cultural identity, to ensure the maintenance of ties with the historical homeland – these problems were of great importance for the majority of compatriots. And the country’s

ANDREY SHIMARSKIY ART DIRECTOR ANDREY ZAITSEV HEAD OF PHOTO DEPT MILLA DOMOGATSKAYA HEAD OF PRE-PRINT DEPT MARIA OSHEPKOVA LAYOUT ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA ALEXANDER GORBENKO CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD PAVEL NEGOITSA GENERAL DIRECTOR VLADISLAV FRONIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SUPPLEMENT CONTACT SALES@RBTH.COM TEL +7(495) 988 9213 FAX +7 (495) 988 9213 ADDRESS 24 PRAVDY STR, BLDG 4, FLOOR 7, MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 125 993 ANY COPYING, REDISTRIBUTION OR RETRANSMISSION OF ANY OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS PUBLICATION, OTHER THAN FOR PERSONAL USE, WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED. TO OBTAIN PERMISSION TO REPRINT OR COPY AN ARTICLE OR PHOTO, PLEASE PHONE +7 (495) 775 3114, OR EMAIL EDITORTH@RBTH.COM WITH YOUR REQUEST. RBTH IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS AND PHOTOS. © COPYRIGHT 2015, FSFI ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THIS ISSUE WAS SENT INTO PRINT ON NOVEMBER 9, 2015

leaders responded to their aspirations. Providing full support to the Russian World is the absolute priority of Russia’s foreign policy, as recorded in the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation. As PresidentVladimir Putin has confirmed on more than one occasion, we will continue to vigorously defend the rights of compatriots, using the entire arsenal of means available under international law. The Russian World is an important resource to strengthen the atmosphere of trust and understanding in the relations between Russia and our compatriots’ countries of residence. We will continue to explain to our partners that the presence of the Russian diaspora in their countries is an important factor for enhancing mutually beneficial bilateral relations. The Russian Foreign Ministry provides full support to the Fund established to protect the rights of compatriots living abroad. Since its establishment in January 2013 it has proved to be a much-needed mechanism for defending their legitimate interests and neutralising attempts to discriminate against them, particularly in the Baltic states. Read the full version rbth.com/536865

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RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Defence

A global media project, sponsored by Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russia) asia.rbth.com

Exhibition The Interpolitech event put on display the latest innovations designed for Russia’s security forces

State-of-the-art stuff for combat RBTH

The 19th Interpolitech international exhibition of state security equipment, organised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Federal Security Service and the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation, was held from 20 to 23 October. The combat capabilities of state-of-the-art arms and equipment were also demonstrated at the range in the town of Krasnoarmeisk near Moscow.

1. The Vykhlop silent ‘exhaust’: a largecalibre sniper rifle The 12.7-mmVKS anti-materiel sniper rifle, also known as theVykhlop (“exhaust”), strikes different targets at a distance up to 650 yards (600 metres). Due to its large calibre, the weapon can penetrate even heavy body armour and soft-skinned vehicles.

2. BS-103: an unmanned aircraft with vertical takeoff Meanwhile, the company Unmanned Systems showed off its vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone BS103. The drone has two flight modes: “aircraft” (horizontal) mode and hover mode

3. Engineer: a menace to terrorists Visitors to Interpolitech 2015 were also shown a number of different dualpurpose robot systems; incidentally, the robot called Engineer was shown in action right in the exhibition hall. Produced by the company Servosila, Engineer is a small, all-weather robot for use both in civil applications (for cleaning up after technological disasters) and by the military, for example, to fight against terrorism or in urban combat.

move independently, if contact with the operator is lost for some reason.

4. Field office: laptops for the military

Produced by the company Servosila, Engineer is a small, all-weather robot.

Microwave gun to target drones Russia has developed a new weapon capable of disabling enemy aircraft, drones and precision-guided weapons such as cruise missiles, the United Instruments Corporation (UIC) said in mid-June. The new development was dubbed a microwave gun, as it operates on the principle of microwave radiation. The gun was created at the Moscow Radio Engineering Institute, which is a militaryrun institution. The device is

PRESS PHOTO

TATYANA RUSAKOVA

(similar to a quadcopter). This means launching such a drone requires neither a catapult nor tossing into the air by hand. The UAV (umanned aerial vehicle) is equipped with five brushless motors. In the hover mode (vertical takeoff and landing), four engines with vertical thrust operate, while a fifth sustainer motor with a horizontal thrust also runs in horizontal flight. The drone can also be equipped with internal combustion engines, which significantly increases the time and distance of flight. As the BS-103’s developer Sergei Alexandrov told RBTH, the drone can be used by oil and gas companies for monitoring oil and gas pipelines, by border guards for protecting and monitoring areas as well as by logistics companies to deliver small loads.

RBTH has chosen a selection of the most interesting innovations from the Interpolitech international exhibition held in October in Moscow.

Scan the code to read the full version of the article Read the full version rbth.com/47953

able to operate at a range of around 10km. From such a distance, the gun can disable a drone or a cruise missile.

Engineer can be sent to remote places; it is suitable both for complex terrain and urban environment. Due to its caterpillars, it easily overcomes obstacles such as sidewalks and even ladders. The robot, which looks like a miniature tank without a turret, has an arm-like manipulator and is equipped with a laser scanner, a stereo vision system, odometry sensors and a video camera, which it can raise to a height of 4.25 feet (130cm), which increases its vision range. Due to its devices, the machine can not only send three-dimensional data to the operator, but also build digital maps of its route and

In its Interpolitech booth space, the Russian company TS demonstrated its toughened computer equipment. The laptops and tablets had water poured on them, sand strewn over them and they were beaten with hammers, but the equipment continued to work. According to the developers, the computers are designed for use in extreme conditions, such as in the Arctic, in the desert, on the deck of a ship in a storm, and so on. The equipment works at temperatures from minus 58 to 131 Fahrenheit (minus 50 to +55 degrees Celsius), in the pouring rain, and even in a sandstorm.

5. New personnel carriers for police The automobile plant Ural displayed the new Ural VV three-axle all-terrain vehicle, created specifically for Interior Ministry troops. Designed to transport personnel, the vehicle has a certain degree of protection from shrapnel, smallarms bullets and various kinds of improvised explosive devices and mines. If necessary, the crew can lock itself in and deliver fire from loopholes, as well as from two upper compartments.

M A K E I T PA R T O F Y O U R S T R AT E G Y in the Armed by Russia Special Section rbth.com/armed_by_russia

The Titan factory: From armoured trains to intercontinental missiles

Crewless T-90 tanks to be deployed in clatters

Russia assist Indonesia with maritime security

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Science

A global media project, sponsored by Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russia) asia.rbth.com

Discovery Scientists have found an ancient bacteria in Siberia, which has properties that may extend human life

Elixir of life found in Siberia

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A recently-discovered species of the bacteria Bacillus F (Frost) could extend the average human lifespan to 140 years and enhance immunity.

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A recently-discovered species of the bacteria Bacillus F (Frost) could extend the average human life span to 140 years and enhance immunity and fertility. This bacterial fountain of youth was discovered by Russian scientist Anatoly Brushkov, who voluntarily became a guinea pig in the project. For more than six years Russian scientist Anatoly Brushkov has been conducting an experiment whereby mice are injected with

A virus frozen for 30,000 years In recent years, dozens of new dangerous viruses have been discovered in Russia’s North and Siberia.One of them was frozen for 30,000 years. Mollivirus sibericum is enormous by the standards of the virus world. At 0.6 microns in length, it can be observed under a normal optical microscope, which is quite unusual for viruses. Scientists from Russia’s Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science discovered Mollivirus sibericum, and they are trying to revive the virus in collaboration with France’s

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Bacillus F, an ancient bacteria discovered in the Siberian . The experiment has been a success — the mice’s life span increased significantly, and they became more active in general. Brushkov is a professor of geology and mineralogy, and he was so intrigued by his discovery that he decided to test the bacteria on himself. According to Dr. Brushkov, Bacillus F was discovered about 3 years ago, and it survived in a dormant state for many millennia thanks to the Siberian permafrost, where he found it during an expedition in Russia’s region of Yakutia. “What surprised us almost immediately was that Bacillus F didn’t show any

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National Centre for Scientific Research. For now it is not clear how dangerous the newly-discovered viruses are for humans.

signs of aging,” said Dr. Brushkov, who is the head of the geocryology department at Moscow State University’s Geology Faculty. “My colleagues and I cultivated the bacteria and started studying them more closely. We discovered that while their cells are similar to our own, the bacteria live longer. So we started injecting mice with a solution containing Bacillus F, and their lifespan increased by up to 30 percent.” Later, when scientists also realised that Bacillus F boosts immunity, Dr. Brushkov injected himself with the same solution, not afraid of the possible side effects. “I never for a moment have regretted this decision,” he said. Even though Bushkov’s colleagues didn’t hide their scepticism towards his actions, they nicknamed the solution,“the elixir of life”. “Oddly enough, the bacteria died very soon after entering the mice – all of them at the same time – but the mice themselves were rejuvenated,”said biologist Vladimir Repin who was head of the laboratory at the start of the experiment. Some of the mice literally got a second lease on life. “Imagine an old mouse living the last of its average 600 days,’’ Dr. Repin said. “We injected it with the solution, and suddenly it started behaving like it was much younger. All the vital life signs returned to normal and the mouse lived for another year or so; their lifespan was extended by 30 per cent.” Scientists believe Bacillus F could help people

survive to the age of 140. Still, they admit that mass production of the bacteria is currently out of the question until more research on the mechanisms of this rejuvenating process is better understood. “The atypical cell wall and the peculiar chemical composition of Bacillus F’s proteins induce a stronger immune system response than when other microorganisms are injected into the body,’’ said Nadezhda Mironova, senior researcher at the Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine at the Russian Academy of Sciences. “While it’s a fact that the immune system is more active, the long-term effects of the bacteria are still unknown.’’ Researchers said that two subtances found in Bacillus F — the neurotransmitt e r, g l u t a m a t e ; a n d the organic acid, taurine — trigger the immune system response. In addition, Bacillus F has a genome that is much longer than any microorganism ever seen before, comprising 600 previously unknown genes. ”I’m sure we will be able to find among these genes the one responsible for longevity,’’ said Vladimir Melnikov, director of the Earth Cryosphere Institute at Russia’s Academy of Sciences.“The bacteria managed to survive millions of years thanks to that gene, but to offer it to pharmaceutical companies we first have a tremendous amount of work to do. That said, experiments have already resulted in mice restoring their fertility and beginning to reproduce again.”

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Space

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Spacecraft Speculation is rife that the new SpaceX ship design borrows from the Soviet Zarya cargo vessel

A Soviet-inspired Dragon? The Russian media is full of speculation that the new American commercial SpaceX ship design borrows from the Soviet Zarya cargo vessel.

ARAM TER-GHAZARYAN SPECIAL TO RBTH

Is Zarya the Dragon’s ancestor? Dragon and Zarya do have a lot in common. Both spacecraft are designed to be equipped with landing rocket engines and with carrying capacity that exceeds 3,000 kilograms. Moreover, the crew capacities of Zarya and Dragon are similar. Dragon can hold up to seven crewmembers; Zarya can hold eight. Both also have a conical re-entry capsule and are reusable. Led by the Soviet engineer Konstantin Feoktistov of the NPO Energia design bureau, the development of the Zarya spacecraft began

Dragon and Zarya have the same design and equipment, which includes landing rocket engines. Both of them have the same carrying capacity, which exceeds 3,000 kilos. The crew capacity of Dragon and Zarya is similar — seven and eight crewmembers, respectively. Both vehicles are reusable and also possess a conical re-entry capsule. Besides having a resemblence to Zarya, Dragon has some similarities with Soyuz, another Soviet-designed spacecraft — both utilise a parachute braking system.

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A curious theory recently emerged in the Russian media after the failed launch of a Falcon 9 vehicle carrying a Dragon cargo spacecraft as part of a mission to the International Space Station. Some Russian engineers claimed Dragon, developed by the US company SpaceX, possessed several features similar to a craft called Zarya, a Soviet cargo vessel designed in the late 1980’s. This is not the first time similarities between Russian and American spacecrafts have been noticed. To name just one example, the Soviet shuttle, Buran, bears heavy resemblance to NASA space shuttle. But are these really borrowed technologies, or just coincidences?

WAYS DRAGON IS LIKE ZARYA

The Dragon cargo spacecraft shares many similarities with a Soviet-era craft called Zarya.

in the 1980’s, but the project was eventually shelved. Feoktistov himself believed the spacecraft’s design was not refined enough to guarantee the required landing precision. Russian engineers have also pointed out that Dragon has a parachute braking system in addition to the engines — just like Soyuz, another spacecraft designed in the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, some Russian experts caution that since spacecraft are designed for similar purposes, parallels in the design are bound to arise. “They were created with the same tasks in mind, and the only difference is the shape of the capsule,”

said Ivan Moiseev, scientific supervisor of Russia’s Space Policy Institute, noting that the Soviet design “sticks to the traditional

To name just one example, the Soviet Buran bears heavy resemblance to the Space Shuttle form, while the Americans prefer cones. As for the rest of it, the resemblance is not unusual, especially considering that both spacecraft were supposed to land using engines, which is pretty risky from the technological point of view. Normally, other solutions are preferable.” In fact,

given the incredible complexity of spacecraft, no country has ever managed to successfully execute a complete copy even a space rocket engine. A recent matter involving the US buying a licence to manufacture Russian RD181 rocket engines illustrates this point. According to the agreement between the two countries, the Russians were supposed to assist their American partners with everything from constructing the plants to installing the engines on launch vehicles. The whole endeavour, however, proved to be a waste of time and money because the entire technological chain of engine production was optimised for

Russian industry and proved unsuitable for the US. In the end, the Americans chose to buy RD-181 engines from Russia.

Russian experts caution that since spacecraft are designed for similar purposes “We received an offer to purchase the engines after [the Americans] unsuccessfully tried to produce them,” said Vladimir Solntsev, president of rocket manufacturer RSC Energia, in an interview with RBTH. “The current contract includes restrictions on the use of RD-181 engines for

military purposes, and we will supply 60 engines worth a total of $1 billion.” The Americans rejected the idea of producing the engines themselves since they would have to completely rebuild their industry. “For instance, some components made of carbon fiber in the US are made of metal here, while some of the alloys used in the production are also different,” said Ivan Moiseev. “Even if some intelligence agency manages to steal the blueprints of a whole rocket, all it can really do is help engineers to come up with a couple of new ideas. But even that is highly doubtful — all the catalysts for any number of new ideas are openly available in textbooks on rocket science.”

V-2: The rip-off that worked According to Russian scientists, some spacecraft designs have indeed been successfully replicated by foreign countries. The most famous was the V-2, the world’s first longrange ballistic missile, developed by the German aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun during World war II. Both the US and the USSR copied its design in the late 1940’s. Experts say theV-2 was the original role model for the first round of space rockets. The V-2 missiles — both those captured in Germany after the war, and the modified versions — started the American Hermes missile program, as well as the counterpart Soviet projects, including those in the field of space exploration. Moreover, the Donfeng-1, the first Chinese ballistic missile, was a licensed copy of the Soviet R-2 missile which was in turn based on the V-2.

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RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Literature

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Books Russia’s first winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature has left his mark on the literary world

Five must-read works by Ivan Bunin White emigre writer Ivan Bunin was the first Russian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. RBTH looks at five of his most popular books.

Bunin was a revered figure among anti-communist White emigres, European critics, and many of his fellow writers, who viewed him as a true heir to the tradition of realism in Russian literature.

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Mitya’s Love (1924) This erotic story follows Mitya, a student, and the girl he is in love with, Katya, who is studying to become an actress. She is maturing and laughs at his boyishness. Mitya is tormented by his passion and

Alexievich wins 2015 Nobel Prize

jealousy and leaves Moscow for the countryside in order to understand himself better. However, all does not turn out very well there, to say the least. The philosopher Fyodor Stepun, Bunin’s friend, wrote that the author“reveals the tragedy behind every human love” in this story.

Cursed Days (1925-26) EPA/VOSTOCK-PHOTO

A wealthy nameless gentleman is traveling to Italy on a ship called Atlantis.When he arrives at Capri, he suddenly dies, and his body becomes a burden for everyone – including his family, which does not know what to do with it. The solution to the problem would definitely not have impressed the wealthy gentleman himself. The critic Abram Derman, a contemporary of Bunin, wrote that: “It has been more than ten years since the end of [Anton] Chekhov’s creativity, and in this period, if we were to exclude everything that was published after Leo N. Tolstoy’s death, there has not been an artistic work in the Russian language that is equal in power and meaning to the story The Gentleman from San Francisco.”

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The Gentleman from San Francisco (1915)

Svetlana Alexievich, who was born in the Ukrainian town of Ivano-Frankivsk, and grew up in Belarus, has spent the past 35 years exploring Soviet identity through the more challenging and less charted terrain of the interior life. Alexievich led the odds for the 2015 award, ahead of Japan’s Haruki Murakami, and the Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse.

Bunin, who did not accept Bolshevism and supported the Whites in the Civil War, emigrated from Russia to France in 1920. His diaries “Cursed Days”,which reflect this turbulent and complicated period in Russia’s history, were partially published in a Russian emigre newspaper in Paris. The work was not published in the USSR until perestroi-

ka, because it was filled with hatred towards the Bolsheviks and disillusionment with the revolution. “But surely many people knew that a revolution is only a bloody game of swapping places that always ends up with ordinary people, even if they do manage to sit, revel and rage on the governing throne for some time, ultimately ending up in a worse situation than before?”Bunin writes in Cursed Days.

The Life of Arseniev (1927-1933) In Bunin’s opinion, it was this novel, published in Paris in 1930, that led him to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature for the“humble mastery with which he develops the traditions of

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classical Russian prose.” The novel depicts the childhood and adolescence of Alexei Arseniev and his love for Lika – a love that her father is against. The girl runs away from Arseniev, but when he tries to track her down, her father does not say where she is. Just like Mitya’s Love, you should not read this book if you like your stories to end happily ever after. The novel contains many autobiographical elements, both in terms of the places and characters, not least that just like his protagonist Bunin had an unmarried relationship with a woman called Varvara.

Dark Avenues (19381946) One of the most famous stories from the Dark Avenues collection is Easter Monday, which is about a mysterious love affair and the silent nocturnal encounters between two young rich people. On the first day of Lent, Easter Monday, the young lady tells the protagonist that their affair is over, saying that she is leaving. Two years later he finds out that she is a nun in a Moscow monastery. Bunin himself considered “Dark Avenues” to be one of his best works. The stories have been adapted to the screen and stage many times, and are part of the curriculum in Russian schools. The first story from the collection was published in New York in 1938.

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Literature

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Writers Many Russian literary giants are better known by the pseudonyms they used for their works

A number of famous Russian writers were far better known by their pen names than their given names. RBTH looks at some of the most famous.

dom. And so the great writer we know as Andrey Bely (1880-1934) was born, adopting a new name in a deliberate parallel with his entry into a new artistic and personal era.

GEORGY MANAEV SPECIAL TO RBTH

Not so black and white

The great Russian symbolist poet and writer Andrey Bely was born 135 years ago on October 26, but for the first two decades of his life he had an altogether less resonant name. When the 19-year-old Boris Bugayev decided to dedicate himself fully to literature, he examined his cumbersome birth name, which is derived from the Russian for“meathead”,and decided that it didn’t fit with his symbolist poetry and personal romantic image. He turned to his friend Mikhail Solovyev, the younger brother of the philosopherVladimir Solovyev, for inspiration. Solovyev gave him the first name Andrey, who, according to legend, was the first of the 12 apostles to visit Russia, and the surname Bely, which means “white” – a color symbolising purity and wis-

As it happens, there was a Russian writer with the opposite pen name to Bely. You might be forgiven for assuming that Alexander Glickberg (1880 – 1932) chose his name of Sasha Chorny (“black”) as an ironic nod to his satirical style, but it actually dates from his childhood. He had a brother also called Alexander – which is commonly shortened to Sasha in Russian – who was blond. Sasha Chorny’s own dark hair was a neat way of differentiating the two, and the nickname stuck. Pseudonyms based on an abstract or moral quality a person possesses are called phrenonyms. The young writer Alexey Peshkov (1868 – 1936) didn’t want to use his real name, which comes from the Russian word for“pawn”,so he chose Maxim Gorky (“bitter”)

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What’s in a name? It might be the road to fame Pictured L-R: Anna Akhmatova, Maxim Gorky, Korney Chukovsky, Andrey Bely, Anton Chekhov, Daniil Kharms, Sasha Chorny. ‘Russia is mine!’: The turbulent life of Sergei Yesenin

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instead. This name was a fitting description of Gorky himself and the subjects he wrote about. Orphaned at a young age, he spent years in poverty, living as a tramp and working menial jobs, and his novels were often devoted to the hardships faced by the poor. As an interesting aside, Gorky’s father, Maxim Sr, was also known by the nickname “bitter”,thanks to his acerbic attitude. Daniil Yuvachev (1905 – 1942) eventually settled on the pen name Daniil Kharms after testing out dozens of others. Derived from the English word “charm”,it was both catchy to a Russian ear and

meaningful to Kharms, who believed that poems can be seen as magic spells – words in a particular order that evoke certain feelings in people.

don’t want your name either,” she replied. In a neat twist, Lidiya Chukovskaya, a writer and Akhmatova’s friend, who wrote about this exchange in her memoirs, had her father’s pen name as her actual surname. The illegitimate Nikolay Korneychukov (1882 – 1969) was originally given his mother’s last name, but he modified it to Korney Chukovsky, before going on to become on the most famous Russian children’s author. He acquired a passport in this name after the 1917 October Revolution and passed the surname Chukovsky on to his children.

Paternal influence One reason why Kharms decided to use a pseudonym was because his father, Ivan Yuvachev, was a respected old revolutionary turned theologian, and Kharms wanted to retain a measure of anonymity. Anna Akhmatova (1889 – 1966) also gave up her birth name of Anna Gorenko because of her father, who apparently told her not to disgrace his name when he discovered her poetry. “I

Master of pseudonyms Anton Chekhov (1860 – 1904) is remembered by his real name, although he used numerous alternatives during his life. Around 40 of Chekhov’s pen names have been discovered, but it is possible that more stories under obscure names may still turn up. Chekhov chose witty and bizarre pseudonyms, such as My Brother’s Brother, Doctor Without Patients, Nut #6, The Prosaic Poet, and Don Antonio Chekhonte. Chekhov’s most common pen name was Man Without a Spleen – a nod to his medical training that he used for 119 short stories and five articles. Perhaps the reason that none of these fantastical pseudonyms stuck, however, was the fact that Alexey Suvorin, Chekhov’s publisher, insisted that he only use them for satirical articles, publishing any serious work under his real name.

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Cuisine

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Cooking While homemade pelmeni can be wonderfully delicious, they are a laborious undertaking

Frozen pelmeni − Siberia’s gift to Russia On the subject of the classic Russian dumpling, the Soviet cooking Book says that making them simply isn’t worth the trouble.

RECIPE

Make it Ingredients: 1.5 cups of flour; 300-400 grams of meat (pork); 1 egg; 1 onion; ¼ cup of sour cream or 1-2 Tbsp of butter.

ANNA KHARZEEVA SPECIAL TO RBTH

ANNA KHARZEEVA

When I was a student, my usual dinner would be either boiled sausages with pasta on the side, or pelmeni (dumplings) — unless, of course, I was staying with Granny, in which case I’d have a five-course meal. My reasons for such an abundance of choice were my complete inability to cook and therefore the ease and convenience of these products, as well as the cost factor. Pelmeni would always be bought frozen, dropped straight into boiling water and then enjoyed with some mayonnaise on top. There, I said it. I certainly wasn’t

alone in this guilty pleasure. Freezers in supermarkets are always stacked with bags of frozen pelmeni, and it’s still a staple bachelor’s (or student) dinner. The Soviet Book of Healthy and Tasty food says that “ready-made and frozen pelmeni free the woman from the lengthy and tedious process of making

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them.” Amen to that! Having prepared pelmeni myself this time, I can say I’d much rather some machine at a factory did it for me. I know it’s not as special, but neither is hours spent in the kitchen rolling out very thick dough and trying to make sure the filling is sealed properly. “Pelmeni came to the Eu-

Whether you have storebought or home-made dumplings, dip them into boiling salted water and cook for 10 minutes. After that, remove the dumplings from the water. Put them on a plate. Cover with butter or sour cream and serve immediately. Many people prefer to eat dumplings with a hot sauce made of mustard mixed with vinegar. Another very tasty way to eat dumplings is to boil them in salted water for 2-3 minutes, then fry them in butter in a pan.

Russian ruble has lost around 40% of its value against the US dollar over the course of the last 12 months. The decrease has made many products and services cheaper for foreign visitors in Russia.

ropean part of Russia from Siberia, where they were always made in abundance to be frozen in the snow for the winter period,” Granny remembers.“When we got them, the frozen ‘Siberian pelmeni’ brand were always very popular in shops – they’d get snatched up in no time, especially by men. A man in the street with a box of pelmeni sticking out of his avoska (string bag) was a very common sight in Moscow.” She disagrees with the book about the value of store-bought dumplings, though. “Store-made pelmeni, although popular, didn’t taste great, so people would make their own, too, and brag about their pelmeni being the best. Later a recipe from former Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s wife started circulating. Every time a family made pelmeni, they would

make enough to freeze and eat for 1-3 months – or the whole winter. Later on ‘pelmennitsy’ came along (a device that allows you to make many pelmeni at a time) and it made pelmenim a k i n g m u ch e a s i e r, although many would still make them by hand,” she said. I am clearly missing the point here. The pelmeni-making-loving part of me is clearly dormant at present, despite the fact that I have a Siberian grandfather. Who knows, it might one day awake and then the freezer will get packed with frozen dough. Scan the code to read more articles by Anna Kharzeeva Or use this link rbth.com/arts/cuisine

Restaurants In 2015, you can sample masterpieces by the capital’s chefs without much damage to the budget. The average bill

Taxis Ta Average cost of transfer to the airport Av

Rent a car Re In September, the car-sharing system (short-term car rental service) (sh started to operate in Moscow. st

City tours Ci Average price of group tour Av

The Bolshoi Theater Th Alm Almost half as much than in all musical theatres of the world. mu

* Source: Federal State Statistics Service of Russia, Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated, 2GIS. Prices are calculated at the exchange rate on October 7, 2015