Tuesday November 17, 2009
A significant event in modern history, the Velvet Revolution of 1989 was marked with 20th anniversary celebrations today in Prague. Responsible for the overthrow of the Communist government in the country that was then known as Czechoslovakia, it opened a new chapter for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Today, visitors to Prague don't have to go far seek out reminders of recent history. While anniversary celebrations come rarely, those interested in the events of the last century need simply explore Prague for a more complete view this period in time. For example, Prague's Cafe Slavia was a famous haunt of Vaclav Havel, who became president following the Velvet Revolution. The Monument to Jan Palach and Jan Zajic commemorates two students who set themselves on fire in protest of the Soviet occupation of Prague in the 1960s. And Prague's Communism Museum educates its visitors about events that occurred from 1948-1989.
Photo Caption: Candles are lit in commemoration of an attack on student demonstrators prior to the Velvet Revolution. Photo Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Tuesday November 17, 2009
The Polish Foreign Minister is calling for the Palace of Science and Culture, located in Warsaw, to be demolished, citing its energy inefficiency (Call for Demolition of Polish Palace). The Palace is one of Warsaw's major landmarks and a familiar site along Warsaw's main thoroughfare. It is also one of the buildings associated with Stalin's Seven Sisters in Moscow. However, its historical associations are not necessarily good, considering the building was a gift from Stalin and a symbol of Soviet influence.
Monday November 16, 2009
Ded Moroz, the Russian Santa, doesn't have elves to help him deliver gifts to children for the holidays. Instead, he enlists his granddaughter, Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden, to help him during his busy season. In Russian culture, Snegurochka is both the granddaughter of Ded Moroz and a character out of a Russian fairy tale. She, and other females associated with winter legend, often appear on holiday cards as well as on Russian handcrafted boxes and dolls. It's also possible to see women dressed as Snegurochka, just as men dress as Ded Moroz, when New Year's Eve approaches.
Read more about Snegurochka from Russian fairy tales and other characters out of Russian tales of winter:
Russian fairy tales about Snegurochka and Father Frost elsewhere on the web:
More Russian Culture Monday
Ded Moroz with Snegurochka photo credit: iStockphoto/wildcat78
Friday November 13, 2009
Those who have travelled across Russia know how easy it is to cross time zones. Moscow and St. Petersburg follow Moscow time, but travel from the western region of Russia to its eastern destinations requires adjustments to watches and sleep schedules. For example, if you fly from Moscow to Novosibirsk or Tomsk, you'll be three hours ahead upon arrival; arrival in Krasnoyarsk will add an additional hour. Russia has more time zones (11) than any other country in the world. President Dmitri Medvedev has proposed reducing the number of time zones in Russia to facilitate both governance and business, but a change in time zones will also affect travel.
The number of time zones Russia can boast represents its size and territorial diversity. Russia has always prided itself on its geographical expansiveness, and Medvedev's proposal to reduce the number of time zones seems like a departure from the grandstanding Russia has often been known for. However, Russia could compromise on the issue, increasing its national efficiency while still maintaining a greater number of time zones than the U.S., which has only 6. This would serve to remind everyone that, while the two countries have historically competed on various world arenas for recognition and stature, Russia is still undisputedly bigger.
BBC article about the proposed restructuring of time zones in Russia: Changing Times in Russia.
