What's good (and bad ) about Russia?

[willedoo]

Have been reading a news article on the Crimean bridge. Progress on the rail section is on track with the first 1klm of track laid. It's 19klm long all up and is scheduled to open in December. The train schedule for 2020 is for 29 trains per day, 19 passenger and 10 freight. The road section opened about 8 months ago and has traffic of around 30,000 vehicles per day.

 

The bridge has stuffed up a good fishing spot for the locals on the mainland side. From the Taman Peninsula side on the mainland, there was a very narrow strip of land that poked out into the Sea of Azov. It had a dirt road right out to the end and people used to drive out there and fish from the banks. Once was a nice quiet good fishing spot, now a four lane highway and dual train line.

 

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[willedoo]

It's International Women's Day and President Putin has marked it by doing a lap around the arena with female mounted police officers.

 

Most people have seen the famous publicity photo of him riding a horse bare chested, but here's his true horse riding skills on display. All I can say is that the Man from Snowy River has nothing to fear. Full credit to the horse for it's tolerance.

 

 

[willedoo]

Some archive photos from the Soviet Union days. One of the submarines involved in an exercise forgot to turn of the torpedo's self guiding system and it hit a nearby sub. Lucky it was an inert practice round.

 

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[willedoo]

A noticeable change in next week's Victory Day parade will be the absence of the decades old ZIL-4104 limo used for transporting dignitaries during the ceremony. Luxury car maker Aurus has built a new cabriolet version specifically for parade use. RT’s Murad Gazdiev previewed it with a back seat ride.

 

 

 

 

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[Marty_d]

I took one look at the front end and thought "Chrysler 300C"!

 

 

[facthunter]

Do they sell many convertibles in Siberia?. A 52 Roller had more style. I try to not think of Chrysler Mafia Staff Cars and Jeeps. Rather have a Niva. Be worth more a few years later. Nev

 

 

[willedoo]

Do they sell many convertibles in Siberia?. A 52 Roller had more style. I try to not think of Chrysler Mafia Staff Cars and Jeeps. Rather have a Niva. Be worth more a few years later. Nev

Nev, the convertible is not for public sale. It's a special built model for military parades; it has no front passenger seat and a vertical hand grip for the dignitary to stand up in the front, as in the photo above with the old ZIL. I agree about the Niva, they've certainly reached collector value.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Any inside information about the Aeroflot crash landing which killed 41 people?

 

 

[Methusala]

Sadly it seems that the evacuation of passengers was slowed by some pausing to collect their carry-on. So stupid and selfish!

 

 

[willedoo]

Not at this stage, Marty. A stewardess said ten minutes into the flight they were hit by heavy hail and a lightning strike. The investigative committee is looking into whether safety procedures were properly followed. It left for Murmansk and was in the air about 30 minutes all up.The pilots alerted the airport about their decision to turn back and land and then lost radio contact with air traffic control. It made one landing attempt, did a go around and crashed on the second landing. A police source at the airport said most died of asphyxiation due to toxic substances.

 

A bit unusual for the pilot to comment so early, but he mentions the extra weight from full tanks:

 

Captain of ill-fated Superjet says ‘landing speed was normal’, fire broke out after touchdown

 

 

[willedoo]

The Aurus cabriolet mentioned above made it's debut at the annual parade today. I prefer the old Zil limo. Another newcomer at the parade was the AK-12 rifle. Steven Segal shows up at 34:48.

 

 

[willedoo]

It's been a bad couple of past weeks for Russia with fires, floods and explosions. Floods in Siberia killing quite a few people; 4 million hectares of forest burning and pumping out the equivalent of 13 million cars worth of pollution, and things blowing up. The military ammunition depot that blew up the other day caused the evacuation of thousands of people from nearby villages. The traffic ground to a halt on all roads out and some houses were burned down, probably from burning ordnance falling on them.

 

And then up near Arkhangelsk, a prototype nuclear powered missile engine blew up at the test site, killing five scientists and injuring others.

 

The ammunition depot exploding.

 

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[willedoo]

Meanwhile, it's Vladimir the bikie. At the annual bike show at Sevastopol yesterday:

 

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[Marty_d]

Why's he got a sidecar, is he frightened of falling over?

 

That last one is an interesting picture. Very beaten-up MiG-15, something that looks like an oversized wedding cake and what I assume is the world's ugliest railway bridge all at the same time.

 

 

[willedoo]

Why's he got a sidecar, is he frightened of falling over?

That last one is an interesting picture. Very beaten-up MiG-15, something that looks like an oversized wedding cake and what I assume is the world's ugliest railway bridge all at the same time.

You could be right about the sidecar, or maybe he just likes the Ural. The sidecar passenger is the head of Crimea, so it's probably a PR photo op thing to have them on the same bike. The hairy bloke is Night Wolves club leader Alexander Zaldostanov, a friend of Putin. He organizes the annual motorcycle meet.

 

I thought the MiG looked a bit odd when I first saw the photo. But I figured it out. The air brakes are deployed at the rear, the nose wheel is down and the main gear stowed, and the rounded wingtip section is missing. It's still got the three cannon barrels protruding.

 

 

[facthunter]

Looks very posed. . It's not easy to ride an outfit well and I doubt he's particularly comfortable . Leaning in one picture is a bit of a giveaway. I wouldn't be comfortable saying this in the homeland. Hardly recognised him with his top on. Nev

 

 

[red750]

I haven't read this thread from beginning to end, but harking back to post #2,

 

One that all footy players know the words to. Let the footy players sing out aloud.

If you've heard a footy team sing their theme song after winning a match, you wouldn't use that as a yardstick. Can't sing to save themselves. More like a rap or chant.

 

 

[Yenn]

A conveyor rather than a railway bridge.

 

 

[willedoo]

A conveyor rather than a railway bridge.

I think you're right there Yenn. Looks like some sort of abandoned mine site. No idea what the pagoda like structure is.

 

 

[willedoo]

Looks very posed. It's not easy to ride an outfit well and I doubt he's particularly comfortable . Leaning in one picture is a bit of a giveaway. I wouldn't be comfortable saying this in the homeland. Hardly recognised him with his top on. Nev

It does look very posed. I'd say he had a crash course before the run (no pun intended). You see it in most of his action man PR episodes. Riding horses, fishing, hunting, flying etc., he never looks overly familiar or comfortable with it. Only in the martial arts where he holds a black belt does he look experienced and confident.

 

This would be more about Crimean politics and less about showing up to support his mate's motorcycle show. But I guess that's stating the obvious.

 

 

[willedoo]

We should have some empathy with the Russians. They had one as well.

 

On the left of photo: Test pilot Antoni Abbottsaev.

 

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[facthunter]

Did HE ever shirtfront Putin? or equivalent. I doubt he was as good as phoneyski A bot. but he didn't either I think they got to Cuddle Koala marsupials..Our bloke drives fire trucks and swims in the Ocean when camera's are about. Geez I bet he's NOT a happy chappy these days. Relevence Deprivation Syndrome doesn't go down well for someone who was destined for stardom in a big way.. It was the Highlight of the election for me.(after the way he treated Gillard). and he got BEATEN by a, wait for it, BY.........a. WOMAN. What could be more appropriate? . but watch out windfarms. Devil's machines. He's coming for you Nev

 

 

[willedoo]

Yes Nev, it was the high point of the election. And no shirt fronting took place. In spite of the Western media image, Putin is very polite, well spoken and charming in real life (disarming charm). A master of it, so to speak.

 

I think when Abbott finally met him face to face, he thought 'gee, I can't shirt front this bloke, let's hug koalas instead'.

 

 

[willedoo]

I haven't read this thread from beginning to end, but harking back to post #2,

 

If you've heard a footy team sing their theme song after winning a match, you wouldn't use that as a yardstick. Can't sing to save themselves. More like a rap or chant.

Good point Peter. A lot of grunting in the mix as well.

 

 

[facthunter]

Maybe Vlad WAS a bit worried and we underestimate the fear Our Former PM could instil.. .He (Putin) stationed a Bl**dy great warship off the Coast of QLD during the G 40 conference. What a pack of Wankers, all of them.. There's a difference though. OUR heroes use Swiss banks. There's use Greek ones. Nev