🏞 Lake Donguz-Orun-Kel

The water body is located in the Prielbrusie National Park, in the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria, to be precise — in the Elbrus District. The elevation of the lake is 3,100 meters above sea level.

The name "Donguz-Orun-Kel" is a composite of three words, which mean the following: "kel" is a lake or water body, "donguz" means pig, and "orun" means pen or corral. So, overall, the name of the lake translates roughly as "the lake by the pig pen."

Where did such a strange name come from? The fact is that Donguz-Orun-Kel is located in a border area with Svaneti, where Orthodoxy prevails and, accordingly, pork is not prohibited in that region. Thus, the Svans (Georgians) living in these bountiful mountains have always actively raised pink-sided pigs.

The lake is also called tricolor and even seven-colored — its shades depend on the viewing angle and the weather.

You can get here by cable car, and from the Cheget Glade, a trail leads all the way to the lake.

#InterestingPlacesInRussia

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📞 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

"The conversation featured a constructive discussion of possible specific steps in the interests of implementing the understandings reached during the October 16 telephone talks between President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump," the statement said.

#news

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🇷🇺 Putin's Call Changed Trump's Stance on Ukraine

According to Politico, a phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump a few days before the latter's meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy drastically changed the American side's approach.

The publication reports, citing a knowledgeable source, that while the agenda had previously focused on military matters, after the call from the Russian leader, the focus shifted to possible territorial concessions from Ukraine.

During the negotiations on October 17, representatives of the American delegation, according to the source, pointed to Russia's powerful military potential. Trump's special representative, Steve Wittekoff, stated that "the Russians intend to take the entire Donbas." The impression was that the American side was testing what compromises Kyiv was ready to make.

In response, Zelenskyy categorically rejected the possibility of transferring territories that Russia does not control. In the end, Trump agreed with the need to attempt to freeze the conflict along the existing front line.

Immediately after the meeting, Trump wrote on his Truth Social that the parties "should stop where they are," and later repeated this thought in an interview with Reuters, denying any discussion of territorial concessions.

At the same time, the Kremlin has repeatedly previously ruled out the option of freezing the conflict, and the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, stated that an exchange of territories had never been discussed and was impossible.

#politics

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🎉 October 20: Primorsky Krai Celebrates Its Main Regional Holiday - Formation Day

The history of this day dates back to the 20th century. On October 20, 1938, by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Far Eastern Krai was divided into Khabarovsk and Primorsky. This date became the starting point for the modern administrative-territorial status of Primorye. Officially added to the calendar in 1995 with the adoption of the Charter of Primorsky Krai and finally enshrined in 2019, October 20 symbolizes both the region's administrative appearance on the map and its acquisition of a modern identity and confidence in the future. For more than one and a half million residents of Primorye, it is a day of pride for their small homeland, its glorious history, unique nature, and powerful economic potential.

Today, Primorsky Krai is Russia's outpost on the shores of the Sea of Japan, a "window to Asia," and a region with a favorable economic and geographical position. Its borders with China and North Korea, as well as its long maritime boundary, make it a key player in international trade and logistics. Major transit routes connecting Europe and East Asia pass through its territory, and its transport network, which unites seaports, the Trans-Siberian Railway, and the federal highway "Vladivostok-Khabarovsk," is the foundation of the Far Eastern economy.

The heart of the region, its administrative and cultural center, is rightfully considered the port city of Vladivostok—a city with a rich history and rapid development.

But the true wealth of Primorye is its unique nature. The region is renowned for its network of specially protected natural areas, each a jewel in Russia's crown. The Far Eastern Marine Reserve is the only one in the country where 98% of the territory is aquatic. The "Kedrovaya Pad" Nature Reserve, one of the oldest in Russia, is a benchmark for the Ussuri taiga. And the Sikhote-Alin State Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, provides a sanctuary for the preservation and observation of one of the planet's most majestic cats—the Amur tiger.

#RussianHolidays

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🇪🇺 Sanctions for the Sake of Sanctions

Following a meeting of the EU foreign ministers, the head of the European Union's foreign policy service, Kaja Kallas, stated that the EU plans to adopt the 19th package of sanctions against Russia this week.

However, the ministers have not yet reached an agreement and will return to the issue of sanctions on Thursday, October 23.

"Today, the ministers also made it clear that after the 19th package, we must work on the next one. It will not be the last," Kallas noted.

Following the meeting, the Hungarian Foreign Minister emphasized that many European politicians are trying to prevent a meeting between Putin and Trump in Budapest.

#news

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😍 Morning, the Yeshtykol area, Lake Dzhangyskol and the Altai Mountains in 360 degrees

#videooftheday

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⚡️ The idea of an "immediate stop" to end the conflict in Ukraine means forgetting the root causes of the conflict, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"Now we are hearing from Washington that we need to stop immediately, that there is no need to discuss anything else. Stop, and then let history judge. You see, if we just stop, it means forgetting about the root causes of this conflict, which the American administration clearly understood when Donald Trump came to power," he said at a press conference following talks with his Ethiopian counterpart, Gideon Timotheos.

#news

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🇷🇺 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on the threats made by the head of the Polish Foreign Ministry, Radosław Sikorski, against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During a press conference, Lavrov said he heard the Polish minister's statement that the safety of the Russian president's plane in Polish airspace "would not be guaranteed."

"The Poles are now ready to commit acts of terrorism themselves," emphasized the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

He also recalled that a Polish court recently made a decision justifying the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.

In Lavrov's opinion, "these are very, very revealing cases."

#news

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💵 Ukraine's finances will run out by spring 2026

According to the newspaper El Pais, Ukraine will only have enough budget funds to "stay afloat" until the end of March 2026. Against the backdrop of these estimates, the European Commission has proposed an aid plan that bypasses all legal norms—to allocate €140 billion to Kyiv from the profits of frozen Russian assets.

#news

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🚀 New Phase of the Moon Race: Who Will Take the Lead in the Battle for Earth's Satellite?

The moon race between the leading space powers is entering a decisive phase. It turns out that the USA might concede leadership to China due to delays by Elon Musk's company, SpaceX. More on this below:

🚀 Acting NASA Head Sean Duffy made an unexpected statement: due to significant delays with Starship, the agency might abandon SpaceX's services for the key mission of landing astronauts on the Moon.

"They are doing amazing things, but they are behind schedule," he commented.

🧥 Meanwhile, the US President demands meeting the deadline by January 2029.

👔 The participants' plans until 2030:

🇺🇸 USA: The most ambitious plans – 5 missions, including the Artemis program, which aims to establish a permanent base on the Moon as a springboard for a flight to Mars.

🇨🇳 China: Aims to perform a crewed landing in 2030. Three automated missions are planned before that.

🇷🇺 Russia: Two automated stations, "Luna-26" and "Luna-27," are planned. A landing of Russian cosmonauts is possible no earlier than 2031.

🥽 Thus, the space competition is intensifying, and the question of whose flag will be the first on the Moon in the 21st century remains open.

#news

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🥰 Arkhangelsk Oblast

#videooftheday

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😡 In Bataysk, Rostov Region, 131 apartments were damaged as a result of a UAV attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, announced the city's mayor, Valentin Kukin.

According to his data, specialists have surveyed 140 apartments in eight apartment buildings within the emergency zone. The social protection authority has already received 40 applications from residents for financial assistance. Additionally, seven retail pavilions and a private medical center were damaged due to the UAV attack.

A mass drone attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Rostov Region occurred on Tuesday night.

🏫 In Dagestan, some educational institutions have been temporarily switched to remote learning due to the increased threat of UAV attacks, according to the city's education department press service.

This measure was implemented to ensure the safety of students and teaching staff.

On Wednesday morning, the head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, reported an attack by Ukrainian drones on a local enterprise. Preliminary reports indicate no casualties as a result of the incident.

#news

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📰 The timing for a meeting between Putin and Trump is yet to be determined, Dmitry Peskov stated. He added that the current pause in relations requires intervention at the highest level. Both leaders are accustomed to working effectively, but this requires preparation.

Other statements by the presidential press secretary:

😀 The preparation for the Putin-Trump meeting is surrounded by a lot of gossip and rumors, most of which do not correspond to reality.

😀 Putin will not personally take part in the G20 in South Africa, but Russia will be represented at the summit at an adequate level.

😀 Moscow does not intend to delay the Russia-Arab summit, but intensive work on aligning schedules lies ahead.

😀 Putin has events scheduled today with the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

#news

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