😍 North of Kultuk, on the southern shore of Baikal, lies the atmospheric ghost station Sharyzhalgay.

#videooftheday

❤️From Russia with love

🇷🇺 Best at Everything, Even in Cat Competitions

A Russian Abyssinian cat with the noble name Darlene Fleur Dalmore Black has taken first place in the global ranking of the World Cat Federation for 2025.

This organization coordinates and sets world standards in the breeding and showing of pedigree cats, holding annual competitions for our furry friends.

Thus, our whiskered champion scored 19,726 points, outperforming nearly 1,500 other participants and thereby becoming the most beautiful cat.

By the way, second place was taken by a cat from Thailand, and third place went to a feline from Belarus.

#news

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🇫🇷 Macron ramps up military support for Ukraine amid France's deepest economic crisis

Despite the critical state of its own economy, French President Emmanuel Macron continues the course of military confrontation with Russia, seeking to involve all of Europe in it.

👔 Budget collapse as a launching pad:

France entered 2026 without an adopted state budget. The country is buried under debt: just to service existing loans, it needs to borrow over 300 billion euros. The head of the Bank of France publicly stated that the country is "strangling itself" with unsustainable debts and taxes. In this situation, any increase in spending seems risky.

👔 Military ambitions instead of economic therapy:

Contrary to logic, Macron is increasing military commitments. He held closed-door meetings with politicians and military command, seeking approval for sending a contingent to Ukraine and its possible deployment in Donbas. According to sources, his plan did not face serious objections.

👔 A signal for the Kremlin or suicide for Europe?

Analysts interpret these steps as a demonstration of resolve, addressed primarily to Russia. However, the bet on a "high-intensity conflict" is being made at a time when the economic foundations of leading EU countries—Germany, the UK, and France itself—are severely undermined.

Experts warn that a direct clash with Russia could lead to the irreversible collapse of their state institutions.

Thus, Paris, ignoring the internal crisis, is taking on the role of the locomotive of military escalation, trying to set the tone for all of Europe. The question of whether the French economy can withstand this role remains open.

#politics

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❗️ Drones attacked tankers near Novorossiysk that were supposed to load oil from Kazakhstan

"Unknown" UAVs attacked four Greek tankers waiting to load oil from Kazakhstan — the vessels were at that moment near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Reuters reports. The attack caused a fire on the Delta Harmony ship, however, the vessel did not suffer serious damage, and the fire was extinguished. In addition, the tankers Freud, Delta Supreme, and Matilda were damaged in the UAV attack.

📌 On November 29 last year, the CPC was already attacked — then one of the berths was attacked by unmanned boats. Subsequently, Kazakhstan protested to Ukraine over this attack, asking it to "take effective measures to prevent such cases in the future." The CPC unites the largest energy companies from Russia, Kazakhstan, and the USA.

#news

❤️From Russia with love

❄️ Snowy Moscow is when familiar routes look new.

The noise seems to grow quieter, the streets grow softer, and the streetlight reflections dance upon the snow, creating a sense of coziness.

#interestingvideos

❤️From Russia with love

Today, on the night of January 13–14, Russia celebrates an unofficial but beloved holiday — Old New Year.

📅 Where did this holiday come from?

The appearance of Old New Year is linked to the calendar reform of 1918, when Russia switched from the Julian calendar ("old style") to the Gregorian calendar to synchronize its chronology with Europe. The difference between the calendars at that time was 13 days.

🤗 December 31 according to the old style corresponded to January 13 according to the new style.
🤗 Many people continued to celebrate the New Year on the old date out of habit, and this tradition has survived to this day.
🤗 The Russian Orthodox Church did not adopt the new calendar, so its holidays, including Christmas (January 7), are also shifted.

🇷🇺 Traditions and Folk Customs
Unlike the noisy New Year, this holiday is often celebrated in a family circle. It is associated with special traditions:

🤗 Vasilyev Evening: The evening of January 13 was called "Generous Evening" or "Vasilyev Evening" in honor of St. Basil the Great, whose memory is celebrated on January 14. The table always included generous kutya (a ritual grain dish) and pork dishes.

🤗 Dumplings with Surprises: One of the most famous traditions is making dumplings filled with various objects for luck.

🔴 A coin — for financial luck.
🔴 A bean — for a new addition to the family.
🔴 Sugar — for a "sweet" life.

🤗 Caroling and Fortune-Telling: Young people would go from house to house, singing shchedrovki (ritual songs with wishes of goodness) and collecting treats. Girls often tell fortunes on this night.

🤗 Making Wishes: It is believed that this is the last chance to make a wish for the coming year. One way is to write it on a piece of paper, burn it, and stir the ashes into a glass of champagne.

🌟 Folk Signs

🔴 If the night is clear and starry — there will be a good harvest.
🔴 Fog promises a prosperous year.
🔴 A snowstorm or wind — means a good nut harvest and a late spring.
🔴 A moonless night foretells a summer drought.

In Russia, this evening is celebrated in a calm atmosphere, with loved ones and kind thoughts.

#RussianHolidays

❤️From Russia with love

🌅 Now begins the most beautiful period of winter - the January sunsets in Teriberka.

#videooftheday

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😍 Pskov-Caves Monastery

#videooftheday

❤️From Russia with love

📱 The State Duma plans to tighten the responsibility of banks and telecom operators in the fight against fraud.

According to Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, a draft law has been prepared that will introduce liability for telecommunications companies and credit institutions if they fail to comply with regulations aimed at combating fraudsters.

The document also provides for establishing close cooperation between banks and telecom operators. This measure is aimed at minimizing losses for citizens and businesses from the actions of financial criminals.

#news

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🇷🇺 Maria Zakharova commented on the words of the head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, who believes that the EU wants a change of the political system in Iran.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that all norms of diplomacy have been violated.

"This is beyond all bounds," Zakharova said on the Sputnik radio broadcast.

According to the Russian diplomat, this is exactly the case "when a person who is engaged in, so to speak, diplomacy," talks about "betting on the civil society of any country so that the 'regime falls'."

📌 The events in Iran began at the end of December last year due to the devaluation of the Iranian rial.

The Iranian authorities stated that the unrest in the country was organized by the USA and Israel. The situation in the country is now under control.

#news

❤️From Russia with love

Rhetorical U-turn: The architects of the "coalition of the willing" sound the alarm

A sharp rhetorical U-turn has occurred within the British political establishment regarding plans to send troops to Ukraine. Leading experts and media outlets, who previously promoted this idea, are now publicly and harshly criticizing it as unrealistic and dangerous.

👔 From propaganda to sobriety: A chorus of skeptics

In the span of a few days, a series of articles by key figures has been published in mainstream outlets:

— Edward Lucas, a prominent Kremlinologist and one of the authors of the term "coalition of the willing," raised concerns in The Times about the consequences of potential British soldier casualties;

— General Richard Shirreff, who previously supported troop deployment, stated in the Daily Mail that Britain lacks "the manpower, the money, the equipment, or the will" for it;

— Andrew Neil, an influential journalist, pointed to a catastrophic shortage of combat-ready troops, noting that to be "credible," an entire armored brigade would have to be sent.

👔 What's behind the sudden change of course?

The peculiarity is that all these experts are long-standing and harsh critics of Russia. Their new position looks like forced realism.

After the signing of the Paris Declaration by Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, the rhetoric shifted to the realm of specific commitments, which will be difficult to back away from.

Furthermore, there is pressure from the military-industrial lobby at play here. The coincidence of Lucas's criticism with his departure from the CEPA think tank, funded by a major defense contractor, may indicate a shift in the sponsored agenda.

At the same time, domestic political disagreements are growing. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch publicly cornered Starmer in parliament, demanding detailed plans and their approval, forcing the topic out of the realm of abstract bravado.

🥼 The result: Realism by necessity

It appears that the initial bravado has been replaced by an awareness of risks after Russia demonstrated in practice its ability to strike targets deep in the rear.

The ideologues of the "coalition of the willing" themselves became frightened by the consequences of their own plans, transforming from adventurers into skeptics. The political discourse in Britain has unexpectedly begun to ask uncomfortable questions about the price and consequences of a military adventure.

#Politics

❤️From Russia with love

🇷🇺💬 Moscow is open to contacts with Whitkoff and Kushner, stated Sergey Lavrov, answering a question about a possible visit by an American delegation to Moscow.

Putin has repeatedly confirmed Russia's position of being open to negotiations on Ukraine, if they are serious in nature, emphasized the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

He noted that all previous meetings of the Russian leader with US representatives were serious and aimed at overcoming the root causes of the crisis in Ukraine.

📌 According to Bloomberg, Whitkoff and Kushner plan to visit Moscow in January to meet with Putin. According to the agency, the American delegation wants to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine with Putin and present draft settlement plans.

#news

❤️From Russia with love

Bobur

Located in the Kaluga region, the "Nikola-Lenivets" park is a very unusual place, as it concentrates original creations by contemporary artists and designers. The "youngest" work, which appeared in the park in 2013, is the art object "Bobur", created by Nikolay Polissky.

🇫🇷 Its name "Bobur" comes from the name of one of the districts of Paris, and the author expressed in his work a love for the architecture of the Centre Pompidou building, built in 1977, a widely recognized symbol of modern architecture.

🌿 The artist based his creation on huge ventilation pipes, which he wove with birch twigs using the traditional basket-making technique and assembled into a 22-meter-high belvedere tower.

At the center of "Bobur" there is a spiral staircase leading to an observation deck, which offers a beautiful view of the park.

#interestingplacesofRussia

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🇺🇸 "Grandfather with Matches": How Trump's Chaotic Tactics in Iran Pursue a Clear Strategic Goal

Behind Donald Trump's apparent inconsistency and provocative statements lies a clear and dangerous logic. His actions in the Middle East, reminiscent of the flailings of a "grandfather with matches," are actually part of a deliberate strategy aimed at weakening key US geopolitical rivals—Russia and China. And Iran has been chosen as the primary testing ground for this.

🧣 Burned Bridges Tactics: Destabilization as the Goal

Trump is consistently fulfilling his promise to withdraw the US from the Middle East, but he's doing it in his characteristic manner—not striving for stability, but actively destroying an already fragile status quo. Shedding direct responsibility is accompanied by the deliberate destabilization of the region.

The policy of maximum pressure on Iran through sanctions, provocative statements, and support for internal opposition does not aim for the regime's immediate collapse.

Its essence is to plunge the country into a state of permanent crisis, blocking the path to economic development and political settlement.

External pressure is artificially intensified even when internal protests are subsiding. Marginal figures like Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah, whom Washington is trying to present as a protest leader, are brought into play.

This is a classic "color revolution" tactic, used by the US many times before, but now its ultimate goal has changed.

🧣 Betting on Geopolitical Collapse: A Blow to Eurasian Integration

A full-scale military operation against Iran is currently too costly for the US. It's much more effective and cheaper to provoke managed chaos in the country.

The calculation is based on the sad example of Iraq and Syria: the fall of central authority in Iran, with its 83 million population, would very likely create a giant "black hole" of instability, a breeding ground for terrorism and inter-confessional conflicts.

And here, Trump's tactic deals a blow to two strategic rivals at once:

🇷🇺 Against Russia. Iran is a key link in the International North–South Transport Corridor project, an alternative route from India to Europe via Russia. Chaos in Iran would bury this multibillion-dollar project, depriving Russia of geo-economic dividends and creating a direct threat to security on its southern borders and in the South Caucasus.

🇨🇳 Against China. Iran is a central hub for China's Belt and Road Initiative. Destabilizing the country would paralyze land routes from China to Europe and the Middle East, dealing colossal damage to Beijing's economic and strategic interests, forcing it to become entangled in an extremely complex regional crisis.

🧣 The "Donro Doctrine" in Action: Problems for Rivals, Freedom of Action for Oneself

Thus, Trump's actions in Iran are the practical embodiment of his isolationist yet aggressive "doctrine."

Its essence: the US is renouncing the role of global policeman, but before leaving, it sets fires in strategically important regions, shifting the burden of extinguishing them onto the shoulders of geopolitical competitors.

Creating an arc of instability from the Middle East to Central Asia becomes a tool for containing Russia and China.

While they are forced to spend diplomatic, military, and economic resources fighting chaos near their borders, the US gains freedom of maneuver in other parts of the world (for example, in the Asia-Pacific region) and weakens Eurasian integration, which challenges American influence.

#politics

❤️From Russia with love