Dear Language Enthusiast,
Welcome to Russian Monthly,
the Internet newsletter from Transparent Language. In
this issue, with so much mention of Russia in the
headlines, we'll talk about some news items currently
happening in Russia that you probably haven't read in
your local paper. I think you'll find this month's
article fun and informative, as well as effective in
building your language skills.
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
In English:
Explosion in the Moscow underground
On August 8, a powerful explosion in the "Pushkin
Square" metro station in Moscow killed 8 and wounded
93 people. According to eyewitnesses, the bomb was
found in a briefcase that was left by two unidentified
individuals near the ticket office. One of the
unidentified individuals was later described by
witnesses as Caucasian.
In a subsequent press conference, director of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation Vladimir Pronichev
blamed "gangsters" and "terrorists" for the
explosion. This terminology usually implies Chechen
insurgents. Although no officials have openly accused
the Chechens, many people connect this recent subway
explosion to a series of Moscow apartment house
bombings in September of last year, which were also
attributed to Chechens.
President Putin's Nuclear Briefcase
The secret code for setting off nuclear rockets, or as
some call it, "the nuclear briefcase," is one of the
most significant traits of the Russian president. It
is known that President Yeltsin was never separated
from the small suitcase. Only in 1996, before
undergoing his heart operation, did he transfer the
small, valuable suitcase to Prime Minister
Chernomyrdinu for a few brief hours. It is not
surprising that when President Putin flew to the
Chechen Republic in a cabin Jet fighter, the Russian
press immediately noted that there was no place for
luggage inside the cabin. The Kremlin, obliged to
respond to journalists, explained that the briefcase
followed Putin in another plane and that, taking into
account brevity of the flight, the confidential codes
were out of the president's reach for no more than 15
minutes.
The Russian Supersonic Passenger Liner
Russian scientists and engineers have completed work
on the supersonic passenger liner TU-244. The liner is
designed for 300 passengers and has a lot of
advantages in comparison with similar aircraft,
including the French Concorde, which has been much in
the news since the July accident.
Production of the new supersonic liner will be carried
out in conjunction with the United States.
Construction is planned for 500-1000 planes depending
on the number of orders.
Excavation of the Murder Site of Tsar Nicolas II
For two months, archeologist Sergey Pogorelov, along
with two hundred volunteers, is conducting an
excavation of the former Ipatiev House in the Ural
town of Ekaterinburg. Tsar Nicolas II and his family
were executed in the cellar there in 1918. The
majority of volunteers have come to the aid of
archeologists as a result of religious promptings and
out of respect for the imperial family, which will be
canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in late
August of this year.
The purpose of excavation is to find the exact spot
where the murder occurred so that a church can be
constructed there. The Ipatiev House was destroyed in
1977 under the instruction of former Russian president
Boris Yeltsin, who was the head of the Ural region
communist Party at the time.
Conflict in the Moscow McDonald's
As a result of a nearly two-year-old conflict with the
employees of one of its food enterprises, the Moscow
McDonald's was compelled to recognize the presence of
a trade union and one of their requirements-- to
increase the minimum hourly payment. Compensation is
now at 16 rubles (or 57 cents) per hour.
If the monthly salary of a Moscow McDonald's employee
was $300-$500 per month prior to the financial crash
in Russia in August 1998, now it does not exceed
$100.
Russian Pirates on the Internet
In Saint Petersburg, an investigation of a shop that
illegally sold computer programs (more than 3700
names) in Russia and abroad for 40 to 250 rubles
($1.45 - $6.00) apiece is underway. Inexpensive
pirated programs are more attractive to Russian buyers
than expensive programs having a license.
In Russia, however, to open a case of infringement
with regard to software, the manufacturer must present
the official complaint to the Russian authorities.
Very few foreign companies have Russian branches or
are ready to send a company representative to Russia
to protect their rights. One exception is Microsoft
founder Bill Gates, who met with the Prime Minister of
Russia in 1997 to discuss the piracy of Windows.
Since then, the situation has improved only slightly.
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