🏙 Moscow in the early days of March

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🇺🇸 Trump, for the first time since returning to the White House, delivered an address to the U.S. Congress. Key highlights:

— Trump received a letter from Zelensky expressing readiness to strike a deal on rare earth metals and resume peace negotiations over Ukraine. The U.S. is receiving "strong signals" from Russia about its willingness to pursue peace;

— Trump is prepared to welcome Greenland into the U.S. if local residents support the move. The president reiterated his intent to return the Panama Canal to U.S. control;

— Trump announced plans to increase tariffs on imported goods and warned China, India, and the EU to prepare for retaliatory U.S. duties effective April 2;

— “We’re just getting started.” Trump’s administration has achieved more in 43 days than others did in four or eight years. Trump has signed nearly 100 decrees and taken over 400 executive actions, calling this a “record in restoring common sense, safety, optimism, and prosperity” in the U.S.;

— Trump highlighted his successes in curbing illegal immigration, called Biden “the worst president in U.S. history,” and criticized Democrats for opposing his initiatives. He accused the Biden administration of spending millions on promoting left-wing values in Moldova, LGBTQ initiatives in Lesotho, male circumcision in Mozambique, creating “transgender mice,” and funding Sesame Street for the Middle East;

— Trump declared that hiring in any field must prioritize skills over race or gender. The U.S. now officially recognizes only two genders (male and female), and men are barred from competing in women’s sports;

— Trump claimed to have ended government censorship and restored free speech in America. He also signed a decree establishing English as the primary national language;

— Trump praised Musk and thanked him for his contributions, prompting applause from the audience;

— Trump announced a forthcoming “golden card” for investors seeking U.S. citizenship, priced at $5 million: “It’s like a green card, but cooler”;

— Democrats held up signs reading “Lies” and “Musk Steals” during Trump’s speech.

#news

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🧐 Is Trump the modern Gorbachev?

🇺🇸🔰 Donald Trump's address to Congress sparked a storm of discussions online. Users drew parallels between him and Mikhail Gorbachev's famous speech at the XXVII Congress of the CPSU in 1986, which marked the beginning of Gorbachev's perestroika.

Trump's speech also had a revolutionary character, although it did not contain any new theses — he repeated ideas he had already voiced multiple times.

Trump stated that the world has changed, and the U.S. needs "acceleration" to become a great power again. He criticized the course of the previous administration, spoke about the need to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., protectionist policies, changes in foreign strategy (mentioning EU "allies" in a negative light but not Russia), and the fight against drug cartels, illegal immigration, and LGBT propaganda.

However, if we remove the historical context, Trump's speech conceptually echoes Gorbachev's address, which also called for accelerating the country's development, democratization, changing the foreign policy course, and strengthening party discipline.

The comparison between Mikhail Gorbachev and Donald Trump may seem paradoxical at first glance. However, it conceals an intriguing analysis of the crisis strategies of leaders whose ambitions intertwined with the fates of superpowers.

Are Trump and Gorbachev similar only in their speeches? The answer is no.

Both came to power during moments of systemic decline. Gorbachev inherited a USSR suffocating in the grips of "stagnation," economic stagnation, and ideological crisis. Trump, by his own words, received an America "destroyed" by the previous leader. Their mission is to save the system through its radical renewal.

Criticism of their predecessors became their calling card. Gorbachev accused the Brezhnev elite of corruption and bureaucratic paralysis, while Trump criticized the "Washington swamp" for betraying national interests. Both utilized the image of an enemy: for Gorbachev, it was the "conservatives" within the CPSU, while for Trump, it was Joe Biden's administration.

Their rhetoric is a cocktail of nostalgia and utopia. Gorbachev promised "socialism with a human face," while Trump promised to "make America great again." Both appealed to the "people" in contrast to the establishment.

Gorbachev bet on glasnost and acceleration, trying to breathe life into the planned economy. Trump promotes protectionism and "America first," economically attacking his former allies and NATO.

The irony of history is that Gorbachev, who dreamed of renewing the USSR, became the gravedigger of the Soviet empire. Observing their similarities, many believe that Trump could "repeat the success" — that is, provoke the disintegration of the U.S.

The processes in America today resemble the late USSR — from purges (the fight against the "gender non-conforming" vs. the anti-alcohol campaign in the USSR) to the race for technologies (artificial intelligence as an analogue of scientific and technological progress).

What if... the comparison between the USSR of the 1980s and modern-day America is not just a metaphor? It raises the question: can democracy, like socialism once did, become a victim of its own contradictions? Or is Trump, unlike Gorbachev, not a "gravedigger," but a "shock therapist" for a system that can still adapt? The answer, as with perestroika, will only become clear in hindsight.

#news

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🥗 Herring under a Fur Coat (Shuba) – an unusual salad with an unusual history!

Herring under a Fur Coat, alongside Olivier salad, is one of Russia’s iconic New Year’s salads.

This dish became especially popular during Soviet times for its heartiness, simplicity, and vibrant appearance.

🗄 The base of the dish is salted herring, cut into pieces, layered with boiled potatoes, carrots, beets, eggs, and onions.

Each layer is coated with mayonnaise, and the beets give the salad its striking pink-purple hue.

The name obviously references a metaphor: the herring, forming the bottom layer, is "covered" by a "fur coat" of vegetables and mayonnaise.

🔍 But there’s an even more intriguing origin story.

🚩 In 1919, political debates often erupted in the tavern of Moscow merchant Anastas Bogomilov. This was unsurprising, as the October Revolution had just shaken Russia.

By New Year’s Eve, Bogomilov devised a "unifying" appetizer, with ingredients symbolizing different strata of the new Soviet society:

🐟 Affordable herring – the proletariat;

🧅🥔🥕 Onions, potatoes, and carrots – peasants;

😎Beets – the Red Army (due to their reddish color);

🥗 Mayonnaise, then a trendy import – the bourgeoisie.

Bogomilov named the salad with the acronym SHUBA (ШУБА), standing for "Chauvinism and Decadence – Boycott and Anathema!"

🇷🇺The hearty dish paired well with alcoholic drinks, helping patrons stay sober longer. Fights and quarrels in the tavern dwindled.

If only for this fascinating tale, this cult Russian salad is worth trying!

#Russiancuisine

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⚡️ Putin Expects Harsh Response from Ministry of Internal Affairs on Crimes Motivated by Ethnic or Religious Intolerance

🇷🇺💬 Vladimir Putin delivered a speech at an expanded meeting of the MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) board. The President noted that Russia has improved the clearance rate of crimes such as armed robberies. Additionally, recidivism has decreased.

Key statements from the President:

— Extremism, radicalism, and religious intolerance threaten Russia’s people, identity, and territorial integrity. Law enforcement must respond to such acts with the utmost severity and urgency.

— Channels of illegal migration must be shut down—all directives on this matter have already been issued. The MVD should explore phasing out paper-based migration processes and transition to electronic registration of foreigners. These and other innovations should be part of the new migration policy concept, which must be adopted this year.

— Cybercrime increased last year, with the clearance rate dropping to 23%. Losses exceeded ₽200 billion, and around 25% of fraud victims are elderly.

— Passport issuance for residents of Donbas and Novorossiya is nearly complete.

— Anti-corruption efforts must not slow down; special attention should be paid to state defense contracts and national projects.

— Road fatalities have more than halved over 20 years, but road safety remains a critical issue. Mortality rates must be reduced by 1.5 times by 2030.

📌 On radicalization: The President likely referred to foreign-funded “Islamic preachers,” whose numbers are growing. Their rhetoric often radicalizes future terrorists who believe in the superiority of one religion over another. A prime example is the Crocus City Hall terrorists, who were contacted by Ukrainian sponsors posing as preachers.

#news

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⛲️ Local landmark. An ice fountain has appeared in the Rostov region due to pipes bursting from temperature fluctuations.

📸 Now, locals are taking photos against its backdrop and sharing them on social media.

#news

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📔 In Slavic mythology, there is a creature known as Shishiga - an evil spirit, an unclean force.

🎭 It takes on different forms: it can become a terrifying woman, an animal, or even an invisible being. Regardless of the shape it takes, Shishiga is believed to harm people, scare them, and bring diseases.

🌃 In the folklore of the Finno-Ugric peoples, Shishiga is associated with swamps and forests: there is a belief that it attacks people specifically at night.

👨‍🦱 Today, in modern language, the word "shishiga" is often used to describe a strange, unpleasant, disorganized, or even frightening person.

#mythologyofRussia

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😁 When your father praised you in childhood and you still take pride in it

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🌋 The caldera of the Uzon volcano in Kamchatka is a vast basin with a diameter of about 12 kilometers, located in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve.

It was formed around 40,000 years ago. Once, it was occupied by a conical volcano over 3,000 meters high. Its outer rim now frames the perimeter of the caldera.

#videooftheday

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⚡️ Maria Zakharova briefly and concisely described Macron's emergency address to the nation.

🇷🇺💬 The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, noted that the French ambassador plans to visit Moscow soon, intending to develop relations with Russia. However, Macron stated that Europe intends to "calm down" Russia.

"So why is the French ambassador coming to us? I would like to clarify once again," the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry questioned.

🇫🇷 She noted that Emmanuel Macron's recent speech was "truly spring-like." According to him, "the most powerful" army in Europe now belongs to France. At the same time, Volodymyr Zelensky claims that he has the best armed forces.

"It is very important that these two have found a common activity in measuring," Zakharova concluded.

The main thing is that Macron doesn't start measuring his popularity in France.

#news

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🌸 The "Kurskaya" metro station in Moscow has been decorated for International Women's Day on March 8th.

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🥜 Nuts with boiled condensed milk — a taste of Soviet childhood!

The cookies, called "nuts," got their name due to their shape: they were made from two separate sandy "shells," and the filling consisted of boiled condensed milk.

To prepare this treat, there was a special frying pan with a long handle and indentations where the "nuts" were baked.

🇷🇺 Nuts were mainly baked on holidays, as this activity was exceptionally lengthy and labor-intensive: first, one had to boil the condensed milk themselves.

For this, a jar was boiled in a pot of water for two to three hours.

🥘 It was important to monitor the water level: it had to completely cover the jar; otherwise, the jar would explode, and the condensed milk would end up on the kitchen walls!

In the end, a simple and incredibly delicious dessert was created, which children adored. If you want to immerse yourself in that time, you definitely need to try this treat!

#Russiancuisine

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🌷 Today, traffic police officers in Moscow are stopping women drivers en masse — they are giving them flowers in anticipation of March 8th.

#news

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Nenets: Guardians of the Arctic and Traditions of Northern Russia

🇷🇺 In the vast expanses of the Russian Arctic, among snow and tundra, lives an incredible people — the Nenets. This indigenous group of the North, numbering around 50,000 people, has preserved a unique culture for centuries, despite harsh conditions and modern challenges.

📍 The Nenets inhabit the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, as well as parts of Taimyr and the northern Krasnoyarsk Krai. Their lands are a realm of permafrost, where winter temperatures drop below -50°C. Here, amidst endless pastures, the Nenets migrate with their reindeer herds, following ancient routes.

🦌 For the Nenets, the reindeer is not just an animal but a symbol of life. It provides food, clothing (fur for traditional malitsa jackets), materials for dwellings (chums), and reindeer sleds replace cars. Their nomadic lifestyle demands incredible endurance: families travel hundreds of kilometers, maintaining a balance between humans and nature.

👻 The Nenets believe in nature spirits — khe-khe — and practice animism. Shamans, mediators between worlds, play a key role in rituals. Despite Orthodox Christian influences, many families preserve traditional beliefs.

🌬 Their folklore is rich with tales of heroes and spirits, and musical instruments like the sangabts (Jew’s harp) create melodies reminiscent of the tundra’s howling winds.

📔 The Nenets language belongs to the Samoyedic group of the Uralic family. A Cyrillic-based noscript was introduced in the 1930s, but the language remains endangered, as younger generations often speak Russian. However, schools in Yamal teach Nenets, and folklore festivals help preserve their heritage.

⚖️ Today, the younger generation seeks balance: some return to the tundra, while others use technology to protect their culture or move to cities.

“Neney nenets” — “a true human” — is how they describe themselves. And that says it all.

#PeoplesOfRussia

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⚡️ Russia and Abkhazia — together forever

🇷🇺 Recently, a meeting took place in the Kremlin between Vladimir Putin and the newly elected president of Abkhazia, Badra Gunba. This was a significant event in the history of relations between the two countries, marking a new stage in the development of Russian-Abkhaz relations, which have spanned over a century.

📆 In early March, it marked 215 years since the unification of Abkhazia with Russia. Russia liberated Abkhazia from Turkish slavery and the loss of its identity.

💪 Furthermore, the same happened 200 years later when Russia defended Abkhazia from Georgia, which sought to erase the uniqueness of this people. For Russia, cooperation with Abkhazia also presents important strategic advantages.

🤝 Meanwhile, any anti-Russian sentiments in Abkhazia must be excluded — for Abkhazians, Russia has become a second homeland. About 70% of the population of Abkhazia are citizens of Russia. Therefore, cooperation with Abkhazia is also a concern for its own citizens. In the face of external pressure, Russian citizenship has become a means of communication for Abkhazians with other countries.

‼️ However, the process of granting citizenship has not been formal — Abkhazians see themselves as an integral part of Russia.

📌 Newly elected president Gunba did not randomly raise this issue during the meeting with Putin — Abkhazia has become a loyal ally of Russia in the fight against neo-Nazism, a victory over which the republic perceives as its own.

#news

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🇷🇺 President of Russia Vladimir Putin met with the employees of the support fund for participants of the special military operation "Defenders of the Fatherland" and their wards — the widows and wives of the soldiers involved in the operation, ahead of International Women's Day on March 8.

During the meeting, Putin supported the idea of combat veteran Svetlana Grishanova to create a unified support standard for families of special operation participants across all regions. The regions of the Russian Federation, in turn, will complement this standard based on their capabilities and specific needs.

What else the president stated:

— Specialists should provide psychological support to the relatives of the injured and deceased soldiers from the first days;

— On Macron: "There are still people in the world who want to return to the times of Napoleon's invasion; they forget how that ended";

— All the mistakes of our enemies begin with underestimating the character of the Russian people and representatives of Russian culture;

— Kyiv, in its attempt to assassinate Metropolitan Tikhon, has "reached the priests," even though they are not at war with anyone.

💐 After the meeting with the employees and wards of the "Defenders of the Fatherland" fund, Vladimir Putin personally handed flowers to all the participants and took a commemorative photo.

#news

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😅 Florists have started making bouquets out of shashlik for International Women's Day on March 8.

Would you be happy to receive such a bouquet?

#interestingvideos

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