|
HOT News
December 24, 2009
|
|
Over the last couple of weeks before the upcoming winter holidays the traffic in Moscow became worse and worse. This was especially true after several heavy snowfalls and sudden changes in temperature: from +5 to -25 and then back to 0 today.
Today, I provided my clients from Hong Kong with a one day city tour showing the best sites of Moscow. During this one day tour I was able to show Jueeun and Suisse the major highlights of Moscow in addition to providing them with lots of historical background and taking many pictures. In spite of the bad traffic we were able to visit the Red Square, Lenin's tomb, GUM, Alexander Gardens, Moscow Metro, Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and see a beautiful panorama of the Kremlin from the Patriarchy Bridge. Next, we took a drivi...
read more... |
July 04, 2009
|
|
Obama will visit Moscow on July 6-8 to meet with President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin. So now if you walk through the Red Square and Kremlin areas or any tourist attractions or crafts markets Vernisazh in Izmailovo you can see the ubiquitous nesting doll with Obama on them and also the American flag! These nesting dolls called Matreshka are one of the national souvenirs of Russia and are hand made from wood and hand painted (cheap ones have photo copies on it).
The history of the Matreshka doll started at the end of the 19th century. There are several legends about it's origin. The most popular says that the idea to make the traditional handicraft shaped like a woman in the local costume were taken from Japanese bold funny figurine representing a wise man ...
read more... |
June 26, 2009
|
|
Today I was in Vladimir and Suzdal with my repeat client and great friend from NY, USA, who came to Russia again to see more sights in Moscow and to discover St. Petersburg. I work with my current client from June 25-29 and again from July 3-7, after her return from the “Venice of the North” . I am currently very busy and sorry for any delays with my replies to your messages.
We completed an amazing day of sightseeing of the two most famous town on the Golden Ring: Suzdal and Vladimir. In only one day we were able to visit the historic and scenic towns of the Golden Ring. It was a 500 km (312 miles) trip that lasted 14 hours and included sightseeing, visits to a museum of wooden Russian architecture and numerous cathedrals and monasteries, lunch in a local resta...
read more... |
June 07, 2009
|
|
Holy Trinity is one of the major religious and popular festivals in Russia. On this festive and holy occasion, I provided a tour to Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra for my British clients, Christine and Hugh. It is difficult to explain our emotions and sense of excitement during this tour because we just happened to be located exactly at the hub of the festivities during the celebration of this great holiday and religious event. But to understand the majesty of this day and the place, it is helpful to learn at least some of the background history.
The Holy Trinity of St. Sergius Lavra (the monastery subordinate only to His Holiness) was founded by one of the most revered and venerable saints in Russia, St. Sergius of the 14th century. Tatars and Mongols ruled o...
read more... |
May 09, 2009
|
|
Today on May 9th, 2009, the weather in the capital of Russia was a real treat for both citizens and visitors of Moscow during the celebration of one of the main holidays in our country, Victory Day. This is the date of the final surrender of Nazi Germany to the U.S.S.R. in 1945, marking the end of World War II. It is a day of memory and sorrow because millions of people died during this terrible war (only in the U.S.S.R. approximately 27 million people of different nationalities perished). This war became a harsh trial for our country and a great test of our national spirit, our unity, and our armed forces.
Almost every family in the U.S.S.R. lost relatives during the Great Patriotic War (as WWII is called here). We know about this war from hearing real sto...
read more... |
February 27, 2009
|
|
The Moscow Museum of Bells, headed by Konstantin Mishurovsky and under the supervision of one of the most famous bell ringers in Russia, Igor Konovalov (Patriarchal bell ringer of the Moscow Kremlin and Cathedral of Christ the Savior), moved from the Izmailovo Kremlin into the ancient Petrovsky Monastery in the city center on Petrovska Street. My wife and I, who enjoy a close friendship with Konstantin, were invited to the official reopening of this museum in its new location. There were many fascinating people, both celebrities and ordinary citizens whose lives crossed through time with history, religion and bell ringing, present at the ceremony last night. The Russian news channel Vesti conducted several interviews with Konstantin and covered the event for today...
read more... |
January 15, 2009
|
|
The devaluation of the Russian ruble during the last several months of the global economic crisis was expected. Today the rate of the US dollar surpassed the record level for the last several years and the current exchange rate is 32 rubles to the US dollar. In the middle of December 2008 I was very fortunate to meet and provide my services again for my repeat client from EuroMoney, Guy Norton. He travels frequently to Moscow to interview bankers from the major Russian banks about the current news in the financial markets. In mid-December, all the bank managers told Guy about the imminent fall of the ruble against the main currency players: the USD and the Euro. They predicted the ruble would fall against the dollar in the near future. During the final months ...
read more... |
December 22, 2008
|
|
Winter holidays are very close and the tradition that I have followed for the past few years is to send my seasons greetings to all my former, current and future clients and friends. With the current global economic crisis, the second half of the year was quite intense and stressful for many people across the world and I hope that the next year 2009 will bring us more positive news with stability, peace, prosperity and happiness in our lives!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your relatives and friends!
This week I was with several of my repeat clients who currently work in Moscow or had a short business trip here just before the holiday. My clients told me that at the end of a the year they are very tired and dreaming about returning home and mee...
read more... |
December 05, 2008
|
|
Today, on December 5th 2008, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II who led greatly the Russian Orthodox church from Soviet times died at age 79.
Alexy II was inaugurated as patriarch of Russia in the Church of the Holy Trinity Of St. Sergius Lavra (70 km. or 42 miles from Moscow) in 1990 when it was still under the Soviet regime. Then the fresh winds of perestroika ushered in under Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s brought a time of great changes and hopes for the future. During the past 18 years under the leadership of Alexy II, it is evident that there has been a revival of religion in Russia. Many churches and monasteries were reopened and restored after suppression of religion during the Soviet times. One of the most important projects completed in the years 1995-...
read more... |
August 26, 2008
|
|
In the present days many authorities and news agencies on West rose up against Russia to protect the guilty president of Georgia, Mr. Saakashivilly, who recently, on the night of August 7-8, following inhuman ideology "Georgia for Georgians", tried to make another attempt to eliminate Ossetian and Abkhazian people using forbidden weaponry and really fascist's methods to take these republics by force. Taking the side of bloody president of Georgia and using bold, not proved anti-Russian propaganda in mass media, authorities of powerful courtiers on the West gave no choice to Russia as to make the only one right decision is to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent republics.
I saw in news reports that journalists on the West started to use frequently ...
read more... |
|
|
|
Moscow, Russia 
Contact Info: Arthur Lookyanov