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HOT News
December 22, 2006
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I think, that the theme of Christmas and New Year gifts is very actual nowadays and everybody trying to get something special for his relatives, friends and co-workers. Of course, the negatives from these customer's activity is the terrible traffic in big cities, crowds in shops, but be patient - at the beginning of January will be pretty quietly... :-)
It could be pretty complicated to send to all my former clients and new friends from many countries the personal greetings with upcoming Winter Holidays.. Of course, during the next several days, for a while I have several days off, I will try to send as many as possible greetings, but I am afraid now that this task will be pretty hard for me and I have not enought time to accomplish this, as I think, important task. So that, I decided to post these greetings on-line with couple of pictures with wood carved Ded Moroz (Russian Santa Claus) and say everybody who knows me and remember my services in Moscow:
- Have a good time during upcoming Winter Holidays!
- Merry Christmas & Happy New 2007 Year!
- Everything the BEST for you, strong health, happiness in your families and… a lot of money to make all your dreams truth!!!
On the pcitures, which I took inside a huge craft market in the Kremlin of Izmailovo (Art City) and uploaded with my greetings, you can see plenty of best examples of wood carved Ded Morozes, a pretty Snegurochka (Snow-Maid) and even one very handsome Snegovik (Eng: Snow Man). By preserved tradition from Middle Ages, these masterpieces are carved with a hand in wood of lime. The average price for these gifts (if they are hand carved and painted by good artists with the fine details) can vary from $50 to $300 and depends of a size of the subject.
1. Wood Carved Ded Moroz #1
2. Wood Carved Ded Moroz #2
Enjoy!
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December 04, 2006
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During the last two weeks Muscovites are very surprised to witness such warm temperatures at the end of November - beginning of December with average temperatures during a day about 4-5 degrees above zero Centigrade. Of course, the snow, which fell in the middle of November was melted very fast and the weather in Moscow became to be like in Europe, a lot of people talking that we are living now as like in London, mostly cloudy, no sun, a lot of rains and from time to time fog, even several days ago after a small rain I have seen a rainbow nearby my house - it was really impressive to see at this time of winter season!!! The current thaw in Moscow may hit the absolute record for the first winter month.
Talking about the current weather in Moscow, I would like to show you the picture with a view on the famous cathedral in Moscow - The Cathedral of Christ the Savior , which I took recently with my clients from US, David and James - camera crew of Johnny Weir (see my recent news below), right from embankment of Moscow-River, the opposite side from the Moscow Kremlin.
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November 27, 2006
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Yesterday the 26th November, the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series for Cup of Russia in Moscow finished. During the last week I was happy to meet and provide my services again for my VIP client, Johnny Weir, three-time U.S. champion figure skater. I was very excited to meet with Johnny, his mum Patty and his coach Priscilla Hill again.
At the restaurant of hotel Ukraine, I met his new choreographer, Marina Anissina, who is Russian, but lives in France. I presented Johnny, his mum, coach and Marina my best photos which I took mostly during sightseeing tours with my clients around Moscow city and its countryside. They were all impressed with my photos and Marina told me that I presented Moscow for foreigners very professionally and she was amazed that I am an amateur photographer.
Johnny took the second place in men's figure skating competition in Moscow and looking forward to coming to the Final, which will be held in St. Petersburg in the middle of December 2006. Sorry I have no new personal photos as Johnny was very busy this time and I am still using the old picture, which was taken in 2005.
During this week I also met and provided my services for James and David from New York, who came to Moscow to make a private documentary movie for Johnny. Of course, I missed Carolanne Leone, Johnny-s choreographer in the States, who I met in March 2005, when Johnny was in the World Figure Skating Championship in Moscow. But I hope to see her again one day.
I was also able to provide a guide and transportation services for Sean Gillis from Ireland and his friend Hiro from Japan, who came to this championship, to see a Japanese skater friend who was competing and also to do some reporting for some figure skating websites.
So with all this, the last week was pretty busy and intense for me, but very very festive and exciting for everyone!
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November 14, 2006
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During the last week it had been a lot of snowfalls in Moscow and, when the temperature lowered at the end of the week to the -7..-9 C, evidently for everybody, that the winter came to Moscow already. With the fist snow, of course, the traffic situation on the roads became worse and it were happened a lot of traffic accidents with the fist snow and ice on the roads. Car owners started to change the summer tires on the winter ones with studs. Of course, using the studs on tiers not so good for road surface, and to the end of each winter a lot of roads have to be fixed as usual. But during winter season we have a lot of snowfalls and very low temperatures, very often on the roads appeared ice, so on the news during all the week the traffic police recommended to change the summer wheels on the winter ones.
On the last weekend (Sat, 12th), when I had some spare time, I decided that is the time to change the tires on my new car too.. I bought the good winter tires with studs made in Finland, model “Nokian HKPL 4” (very popular and recommended by my friends).. and spent about 500 USD (to buy 4 tires and change them on a car service)… Ye.. not cheap, but for safety it is better to pay in advance to avoid some big problems in future, and having the good wheels here is very important, because of the winters are too long here…
Drivers, be careful and polite on the roads! (this slogan related especially to the Russian drivers)
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June 02, 2006
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Today I decided to create the special theme in my Moscow Photo Gallery devoting to the tours "Discover Rural Russia".
The Moscow Region is rich in history, national traditions of the Russian people and unique historical and cultural landmarks.
New tours were recently made with my repeat client Annie Budz from Canada. We were guiding by the excellent book "Discovering the Moscow Countryside" written by Kathleen Berton Murrell, who is a former Canadian Diplomat lived and worked in Moscow for many years.
The Moscow region (Oblast) contains 47 thousand square kilometers of land, its territory larger than such European states as Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The region's population is over 7 million people. It is a region rich in history, national traditions of the Russian people and unique historical and cultural landmarks, many of them included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
If you would like to see rural life in Russian villages, beautiful churches and famous monasteries or even old Estates outside the Moscow city, I will be happy to arrange the special "personal" tours for you acording your interests and available time during your trip to Moscow, Russia.
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Moscow, Russia 
Contact Info: Arthur Lookyanov