russia-insider--2020-11-29--The Masters of German and Russian Philosophy Influenced Each Other for a Century

This article from our archives was first published on RI in April 2019 Literary historians frequently mention the German influence on Russian Literature of the 19th century .
Indeed , a case can be made that early Russian romantic writers borrowed heavily from German writers such as Heine , ETA Hoffman , Novalis and Goethe .
Little has been written about how Russian writers influenced German thinking and consciousness , however .
The Russian-German connection – from a political perspective – dates back to the great peasant rebellions of 1848-49 .
Richard Wagner – the extremely talented classical composer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barricades alongside the Russian anarchist Mikhail Bakunin during the Dresden uprising of 1849 .
The young Wagner had dreams of a new form of society and a new form of art .
Russian radicals were of the same mind .
But of far greater consequence were the Russian writers , in particular , Tolstoy and Turgenev .
The writings of these two Russians had a powerful influence on German intellectuals .
The former in the area of spirituality and the latter in the sphere of politics .
Turgenev ’ s novels “ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fathers and Sons ” inspired thousands of German intellectuals to dream of social change and political progress .
Turgenev would even take up residence in Baden-Baden .
To the Russian writer Goncharov , however , it was the German man who should serve as model for the “ future man ” .
In his novel Oblomov , a lazy and passive Russian aristocrat ( a superfluous man who likes nothing better than sleep ) is juxtaposed with the lively , active and practical half- German character Stoltz .
The idea being that Russians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and not waste their lives in a dream world .
More than anyone , though , it was the Russian writer Dostoevsky who would influence the philosopher Nietzsche who subsequently impacted German ( and Western ) thinking for more than a hundred years .
Calling Dostoevsky a “ Master Psychologist ” , Nietzsche read the Russian writer ’ s novels with great interest .
He was not alone .
In late 19th century Germany there was an outbreak of what was termed “ the Raskolnikov effect ” hereby disillusioned young men who identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usually a lover ) and then attempted suicide .
Raskolnikov is the protagonist of the very philosophical novel “ Crime and Punishment ” by Dostoevsky .
The hero is certain of his superiority and greatness and will prove it by murdering without pity .
To his surprise – when Nietzsche was having difficulty publishing his works – he discovered that the Russian reading public was already familiar with him and loved his writings !
( Incidentally the love of Nietzsche ’ s life was a German-Russian intellectual and feminist by the name of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Nietzsche by the writings of Dostoevsky that his final act of sanity - or perhaps first act of insanity – came directly from a scene out of “ Crime and Punishment ” .
While in Turin , Italy ( 1889 ) Nietzsche left his hotel and witnessed an old mare - barely able to move -being whipped by a driver .
Just as Raskolnikov dreamt of protecting an old mare being beaten by throwing his arms around her , Nietzsche ran to the poor suffering animal and flung his arms around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ philosopher who railed against “ pity ” as a form of slave morality that should be overcome could not follow his own teaching at this point .
It is a cruel trick of history that Nietzsche ’ s thoughts were adopted – and altered- by the Nazis who would - with Wagnerian bravado - invade Dostoevsky ’ s home country .
Nietzsche – the man – would have been appalled by this savage act by German Raskolnikovs .

This article from our archives was first published on RI in April 2019
Literary historians frequently mention the German influence on Russian Literature of the 19th century. Indeed, a case can be made that early Russian romantic writers borrowed heavily from German writers such as Heine, ETA Hoffman, Novalis and Goethe. Little has been written about how Russian writers influenced German thinking and consciousness, however.
The Russian-German connection – from a political perspective – dates back to the great peasant rebellions of 1848-49. Richard Wagner – the extremely talented classical composer and German nationalist – actually fought on the barricades alongside the Russian anarchist Mikhail Bakunin during the Dresden uprising of 1849. The young Wagner had dreams of a new form of society and a new form of art. Russian radicals were of the same mind.
But of far greater consequence were the Russian writers, in particular, Tolstoy and Turgenev. The writings of these two Russians had a powerful influence on German intellectuals. The former in the area of spirituality and the latter in the sphere of politics. Turgenev’s novels “A Hunter’s Sketches” and “Fathers and Sons” inspired thousands of German intellectuals to dream of social change and political progress. Turgenev would even take up residence in Baden-Baden. To the Russian writer Goncharov, however, it was the German man who should serve as model for the “future man”. In his novel Oblomov, a lazy and passive Russian aristocrat (a superfluous man who likes nothing better than sleep) is juxtaposed with the lively, active and practical half- German character Stoltz. The idea being that Russians should become “men of action” and not waste their lives in a dream world.
More than anyone, though, it was the Russian writer Dostoevsky who would influence the philosopher Nietzsche who subsequently impacted German (and Western) thinking for more than a hundred years.
Dostoevsky and Nietzsche
Calling Dostoevsky a “Master Psychologist”, Nietzsche read the Russian writer’s novels with great interest. He was not alone. In late 19th century Germany there was an outbreak of what was termed “the Raskolnikov effect” hereby disillusioned young men who identified with the hero committed a murder (usually a lover) and then attempted suicide.
Raskolnikov is the protagonist of the very philosophical novel “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky. The hero is certain of his superiority and greatness and will prove it by murdering without pity. To his surprise – when Nietzsche was having difficulty publishing his works – he discovered that the Russian reading public was already familiar with him and loved his writings! (Incidentally the love of Nietzsche’s life was a German-Russian intellectual and feminist by the name of Lou Andreas Salome).
So affected was Nietzsche by the writings of Dostoevsky that his final act of sanity - or perhaps first act of insanity – came directly from a scene out of “Crime and Punishment”. While in Turin, Italy (1889) Nietzsche left his hotel and witnessed an old mare - barely able to move -being whipped by a driver. Just as Raskolnikov dreamt of protecting an old mare being beaten by throwing his arms around her, Nietzsche ran to the poor suffering animal and flung his arms around the mare while crying hysterically.
The German philosopher who railed against “pity” as a form of slave morality that should be overcome could not follow his own teaching at this point. It is a cruel trick of history that Nietzsche’s thoughts were adopted – and altered- by the Nazis who would - with Wagnerian bravado - invade Dostoevsky’s home country. Nietzsche – the man – would have been appalled by this savage act by German Raskolnikovs.


russia-insider--2020-11-29--Why This Site Is the Very Opposite of Hateful - A Christian Letter to My Hometown of Lancaster, Penn

Why This Site Is the Very Opposite of Hateful - A Christian Letter to My Hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania

My websites have a large , international , and highly educated readership , and most of these faithful readers will be bemused that I am posting this statement , so let me explain .
In 2017 , after spending over two decades in Russia , I moved my family to the US , first to the Connecticut suburbs of New York , where I grew up , and in late 2018 , we moved to Lancaster , PA , in the heart of German Pennsylvania and Amish country , where my father 's German ancestors have always toiled and prayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lancaster is a truly lovely and charming place , a genuinely Christian and churchy place , and I love it dearly for its virtues which would take a whole page to list , but up near the top is the profound decency and goodness of the local people , so instilled with the profound Protestant Christian values of its founding stock .
It survives to this day , and you can feel its presence in everything about Lancaster .
With the truly momentous and historic political events unfolding , especially in ourstate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outrage against the disgraceful steal currently underway by the corrupt and frankly evil elites of our country .
I can see very clearly what is happening , because of I have been chronicling it for these past six years , raising the alarm .
It is no surprise to me at all that we have arrived at this state of affairs .
It has been unfolding with alarming inevitability for years , much of it chronicled on this site .
When I raise my voice locally , good hearted locals on both sides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my websites , and scanning the headlines and images , they worry , this man must be a RACIST !
or an ANTI-SEMITE !
So this letter is first and foremost to my fellow Lancastrians .
In fact , good people , it is precisely the opposite .
My sites expose and criticize the haters and evil that have so taken over our world .
I publish three sites in the following order of size , influence and importance : Russia Insider , which is about all things related to Russia , Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Christians the extraordinary good news about the remarkable rise of Christianity in Russia , and Truth to Power , a news aggregator about American political realities often not included in not only the mainstream media , but much of the alternative media .
This family of sites have been a true alternative media phenomenon , with 100s of millions of page views over the past six years , most importantly , very early in the game .
We were among the early pathfinders when most were still asleep .
My political views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political troubles are due to the fact that as a nation we have turned away from God .
We worship mammon .
We tolerate the slaughter of the pre-born .
We tolerate rampant sodomy , pornography , and pedophilia .
We tolerate relentless lying by our media and our politicians .
We wreak havoc around the world with endless criminal wars which we as citizens pay for , to which we send our sons to participate in murder and be slaughtered in the name of evil .
We tolerate an elite which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that it hates Christianity .
We tolerate cowardly and effeminate pastors who refuse to speak out against these moral outrages for fear of offending a few soccer moms in their flock .
We flood our country with immigrants , destroying our culture and impoverishing the neediest among us , our working class , to benefit the very wealthy .
We tolerate the indoctrination of our youth with anti-Christian and hateful ideologies in our schools and universities .
The list is a lot longer than this , but that 's a start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about : • None We criticize and expose the relentless lying in the media about just about everything , and explains who is doing the lying , and why .
We have been raising the alarm since 2014 !
, well before most Americans realized how dangerous things had become .
Well now they do , now that they can see , plain as day , that their civil liberties are being snatched away from them by a lying , bullying , evil elite .
Millions have woken up thanks to our work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these sites , are testimony to the truths laid out here .
• None We expose and criticize the relentless war machine that we Americans , to our eternal shame , vote into office year after year , to which we send out tax dollars .
We speak out for the millions around the world who have become its victims over the past 20 years , in Syria , in Iraq , in Libya , in the Ukraine , and many , many other places .
For those of us who are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the crimes the government commits on a daily basis in our name .
And not just Christians but any of us who have a shred of moral decency in us .
• None We speak out against the moral perversion pushed on us by our elites - the sodomy , the pedophilia , the general moral degeneracy and worship of sexual license which assaults us from all sides .
• None We expose the fact that much of what we have been told about our history is a stupendous lie - for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WW2 , to which Americans sent their sons off to die by the millions ?
Who really started the Russian revolution , and then crucified the Christian Russian people in the most grisly way for the next 30 years ?
Who really killed the Kennedys ?
Who really was behind 9/11 ?
Who really started the Iraq war , and why ?
Who really is behind the relentless aggression against Chistian Russia in our day ?
Who is behind our endless wars in the Middle East ?
Dear Lancastrians , those of you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have a responsibility to to ALWAYS speak the truth , and in order to speak it , you have to be able to get to the bottom of it .
God made you free men precisely for this reason .
Our country was founded on this truth .
Never , ever , ever !
, let anyone shut down that free inquiry by shouting RACIST !
at you .
What impudence !
It is the people who are shouting this who are the unwitting tools of the true haters .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to effectively shut down any criticism of the most evil elements of our society , by shouting RACIST !
You are not haters , which is what they presumably mean by that term .
Any serious Christian knows the following to be true - the favorite tool of the Devil is the lie .
He lies brazenly , knowing that humans often get taken in by it .
One of deadliest techniques of the inveterate liar , is , when you catch him in a gross crime , is shriek at you and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the actual evil person .
Do n't fall for it .
It is a liar 's favorite ploy .
God gave you freedom of inquiry , freedom of will , and freedom of speech .
None of these can exist without the other .
The minute you give in to this sneaky trick , you let them snatch away these rights from you .
Never do that !
Never give up that freedom !
Give those away without a fight , and it is only a matter of time before you are slaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on my sites is to have the intellectual freedom to criticize Jewish elites if and when it is appropriate , something I have received enormous praise for .
This is not hateful , and it certainly does n't mean that all Jews are bad people , which no serious person believes .
I have expounded on this subject at length here .
Haters of truth detest that I spoke up about this .
I have recently been attacked , now for the umpteenth time , by the SPLC , one of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I responded very forcefully here , proving once and for all what a vile pack of liars they are .
Do not let these professional con men trick you into thinking I am wrong .
We are exposing the haters , and they want at any cost to prevent people from realizing that .
My sites criticize the evils listed above , and advocate a Christian approach to affairs , and in response , the very people doing this evil turn around and call me a hater .
Surely the preoposterous brazenness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by now .
The true haters of goodness and truth are the ones doing the killing on a mass scale around the world , pushing the sodomy , the pedophilia , and most importantly the lies .
Do n't be taken in by them as so many well-meaning , liberal Lancasterians have .
Their perfidy is now on full display as they make their final , vicious grab to steal this election , and your civil rights in the process - your freedom of speech and right to vote .
We are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a revolution against precisely this kind of dishonesty and corruption which was rampant in Europe 500 years ago .
Our ancestors fought and died ( and won ) in Europe against hopeless odds for their freedom , which they bequeathed to us as a precious legacy .
They came to this country determined to create a Christian society which would never fall back into slavery and repression .
That is what makes America different from the rest of the world .
No other country has ever been founded on these ideals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to destroy what our ancestors built .
It 's time to wake up , to speak out , to organize , and to fight back !
If you 're not willing to do that , neither you nor your descendants deserve to be free .

My websites have a large, international, and highly educated readership, and most of these faithful readers will be bemused that I am posting this statement, so let me explain. In 2017, after spending over two decades in Russia, I moved my family to the US, first to the Connecticut suburbs of New York, where I grew up, and in late 2018, we moved to Lancaster, PA, in the heart of German Pennsylvania and Amish country, where my father's German ancestors have always toiled and prayed since well before the American revolution.
Lancaster is a truly lovely and charming place, a genuinely Christian and churchy place, and I love it dearly for its virtues which would take a whole page to list, but up near the top is the profound decency and goodness of the local people, so instilled with the profound Protestant Christian values of its founding stock. It survives to this day, and you can feel its presence in everything about Lancaster.
With the truly momentous and historic political events unfolding, especially in ourstate, I have raised my voice locally in outrage against the disgraceful steal currently underway by the corrupt and frankly evil elites of our country. I can see very clearly what is happening, because of I have been chronicling it for these past six years, raising the alarm. It is no surprise to me at all that we have arrived at this state of affairs. It has been unfolding with alarming inevitability for years, much of it chronicled on this site.
When I raise my voice locally, good hearted locals on both sides of this crisis sometimes find themselves on my websites, and scanning the headlines and images, they worry, this man must be a RACIST! or an ANTI-SEMITE!
So this letter is first and foremost to my fellow Lancastrians.
In fact, good people, it is precisely the opposite. My sites expose and criticize the haters and evil that have so taken over our world.
I publish three sites in the following order of size, influence and importance: Russia Insider, which is about all things related to Russia, Russian Faith, which seeks to share with American Christians the extraordinary good news about the remarkable rise of Christianity in Russia, and Truth to Power, a news aggregator about American political realities often not included in not only the mainstream media, but much of the alternative media. This family of sites have been a true alternative media phenomenon, with 100s of millions of page views over the past six years, most importantly, very early in the game. We were among the early pathfinders when most were still asleep.
My political views are uncompromisingly Christian. I believe our political troubles are due to the fact that as a nation we have turned away from God. We worship mammon. We tolerate the slaughter of the pre-born. We tolerate rampant sodomy, pornography, and pedophilia. We tolerate relentless lying by our media and our politicians. We wreak havoc around the world with endless criminal wars which we as citizens pay for, to which we send our sons to participate in murder and be slaughtered in the name of evil. We tolerate an elite which is viciously anti-Christian and makes no secret of the fact that it hates Christianity. We tolerate cowardly and effeminate pastors who refuse to speak out against these moral outrages for fear of offending a few soccer moms in their flock. We flood our country with immigrants, destroying our culture and impoverishing the neediest among us, our working class, to benefit the very wealthy. We tolerate the indoctrination of our youth with anti-Christian and hateful ideologies in our schools and universities. The list is a lot longer than this, but that's a start.
Here is what my sites are about:
We criticize and expose the relentless lying in the media about just about everything, and explains who is doing the lying, and why. We have been raising the alarm since 2014!, well before most Americans realized how dangerous things had become. Well now they do, now that they can see, plain as day, that their civil liberties are being snatched away from them by a lying, bullying, evil elite. Millions have woken up thanks to our work. Their gratitude for and support of these sites, are testimony to the truths laid out here. We expose and criticize the relentless war machine that we Americans, to our eternal shame, vote into office year after year, to which we send out tax dollars. We speak out for the millions around the world who have become its victims over the past 20 years, in Syria, in Iraq, in Libya, in the Ukraine, and many, many other places. For those of us who are still Christians, we should recoil in horror at the crimes the government commits on a daily basis in our name. And not just Christians but any of us who have a shred of moral decency in us. We speak out against the moral perversion pushed on us by our elites - the sodomy, the pedophilia, the general moral degeneracy and worship of sexual license which assaults us from all sides. We expose the fact that much of what we have been told about our history is a stupendous lie - for example, who really started WW1 and WW2, to which Americans sent their sons off to die by the millions? Who really started the Russian revolution, and then crucified the Christian Russian people in the most grisly way for the next 30 years? Who really killed the Kennedys? Who really was behind 9/11? Who really started the Iraq war, and why? Who really is behind the relentless aggression against Chistian Russia in our day? Who is behind our endless wars in the Middle East?
Dear Lancastrians, those of you who think of yourselves as Christians, you have a responsibility to God Almighty to ALWAYS speak the truth, and in order to speak it, you have to be able to get to the bottom of it. God made you free men precisely for this reason. Our country was founded on this truth. Never, ever, ever!, let anyone shut down that free inquiry by shouting RACIST! at you. What impudence! It is the people who are shouting this who are the unwitting tools of the true haters.
It is the vilest trick of the Devil himself to effectively shut down any criticism of the most evil elements of our society, by shouting RACIST! You are not haters, which is what they presumably mean by that term. Any serious Christian knows the following to be true - the favorite tool of the Devil is the lie. He lies brazenly, knowing that humans often get taken in by it. One of deadliest techniques of the inveterate liar, is, when you catch him in a gross crime, is shriek at you and anyone who will listen that you are the actual evil person. Don't fall for it. It is a liar's favorite ploy.
God gave you freedom of inquiry, freedom of will, and freedom of speech. None of these can exist without the other. The minute you give in to this sneaky trick, you let them snatch away these rights from you. Never do that! Never give up that freedom! Give those away without a fight, and it is only a matter of time before you are slaves.
One thing I have insisted on on my sites is to have the intellectual freedom to criticize Jewish elites if and when it is appropriate, something I have received enormous praise for. This is not hateful, and it certainly doesn't mean that all Jews are bad people, which no serious person believes. Many prominent Jews have also begun speaking out against the outrageous criminality of some of their elites. I have expounded on this subject at length here. Haters of truth detest that I spoke up about this. I have recently been attacked, now for the umpteenth time, by the SPLC, one of the most vile and corrupt organizations in our country. I responded very forcefully here, proving once and for all what a vile pack of liars they are. Do not let these professional con men trick you into thinking I am wrong. It is cancel culture at its very worst and pernicious. We are exposing the haters, and they want at any cost to prevent people from realizing that.
My sites criticize the evils listed above, and advocate a Christian approach to affairs, and in response, the very people doing this evil turn around and call me a hater. Surely the preoposterous brazenness of this endless lying must be obvious by now. The true haters of goodness and truth are the ones doing the killing on a mass scale around the world, pushing the sodomy, the pedophilia, and most importantly the lies.
Don't be taken in by them as so many well-meaning, liberal Lancastrians have. Their perfidy is now on full display as they make their final, vicious grab to steal this election, and your civil rights in the process - your freedom of speech and right to vote.
We Americans are the heirs of the Protestant reformation, which was a revolution against precisely this kind of dishonesty and corruption which was rampant in Europe 500 years ago. Our ancestors fought and died (and won) in Europe against hopeless odds for their freedom, which they bequeathed to us as a precious legacy. They came to this country determined to create a Christian society which would never fall back into slavery and repression.
The colonists understood very well, based on their own life experience, that a Christian, moral country can only exist if the people's right to think and speak freely is gauranteed. It was a wildly popular idea at the time, and that is why it found its way into our Constitution. That is what makes America different from the rest of the world. No other country has ever been founded on these ideals. The true haters are doing their best to destroy what our ancestors built. They hate our freedoms as much as they hate God. Indeed, it is our duty as Christians, to not shy away from struggle to do what is right in God's eyes.
It's time to wake up, to speak out, to organize, and to fight back! If you're not willing to do that, neither you nor your descendants deserve to be free.
I highly recommend watching this whole speech by Nick Fuentes at a Stop the Steal rally in Phoenix, Arizona today. He gets it right. More of us need to stand up and speak the truth like he is.


russia-insider--2020-11-30--Let's Be Honest - Stalin Was Less of a Criminal Than Churchill, Truman, and LBJ

This article from our archives was first published on RI in June 2015 This article originally appeared in The Greanville Post , of which the author is the founder and editor .
He submitted this comment to Russia Insider for republishing We have long maintained that the truth about the USSR , in general , and particularly the Stalin period , has long been the object of the most cynical , mean-spirited , and comprehensive propaganda effort ever seen in the annals of history .
For reasons of sheer class interest among the plutocrats of the West , the business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called “ capitalist democracies , ” the demonization of Stalin was a necessity , a campaign only briefly interrupted by World War Two and quickly resumed literally a few hours after its ending .
The Western elites —with the American ruling circles in the lead—correctly saw an enemy in Stalin .
They could not bribe him and they could not intimidate him .
Nor could they easily topple him , as they had done ( and still do ) countless times with weaker , “ inconvenient leaders.
” What ’ s more , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful nation and titular leader of an ideology directly opposed to their indispensable economic system .
Occasional diplomacy aside , they hated him .
He and his nation stood in the way of their plans for global hegemony .
So the the venom had to flow and did—abundantly .
And in that sordid enterprise the capitalist elites found countless allies , not to mention the usual battalions of ignorant , useful idiots .
As any propaganda student will attest , when vilifying a nation ’ s policies and social values , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the propagandist aims the Big Lie machine at its leader .
As we have seen in recent times with Gaddafi , Saddam Hussein , Bashar al-Assad , Fidel Castro , Iran and North Korea ’ s leaders , Venezuela ’ s Hugo Chavez , and finally Putin—among many others ( the empire is never lacking in “ dangerous enemies ” ) —the character assassination of a leader is an old tactic to prepare the perennially benighted home population for an attack on the targeted nation .
From this perspective it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ministry of Truth could swiftly complete the total demonization of Vladimir Putin—a figure in good standing merely 3 years ago—and not even an avowed socialist , one can only imagine what outrageous fabrications they could have concocted ( and did ) to cordon off the image of Stalin , an outspoken communist , over several decades .
This made eminent sense to the West ’ s doctrinal gatekeepers .
Given the identification of Stalin ’ s long rule with the Soviet Union at its most embattled , the blackening of Stalin ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided the Western propagandists an invaluable shorthand—an “ irrefutable symbol ” of communism ’ s putative evil—to block the very idea of genuine socialism as an option for humanity .
The preceding is obviously not to argue that Stalin was a flawless leader , or a saint who just happened to have a powerful army , or that he didn ’ t make some serious mistakes .
He did .
However , the most elementary fairness demands that we ask , which world historical figure confronted with enormously difficult choices emerges today ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close and impartial examination ?
Judging Stalin by the context in which he had to act , and even more important , the purposes he served , he was arguably no worse , morally , than most Western leaders , and by any rational measure , probably a damn sight better .
For who are these distinguished gentlemen who have led the West for over a century now ?
Churchill , the most revered member in the club , was an unapologetic racist and imperialist who in the 1920s endorsed the policy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mesopotamia ) into submission , for for failure to pay their assigned tribute .
JFK , Lyndon Johnson , and Nixon pursued an illegitimate , barbaric , genocidal war in Vietnam that remains one of the horrors of modern imperialism .
Truman dropped the bomb on the Japanese as a way to keep the Soviets “ in line , ” making America so far the only nation to have used nuclear weapons on a civilian population .
And during the postwar , the US tentacles , chiefly acting through the CIA and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repress tens of millions of people around the globe—in all latitudes and scores of nations , from the Philippines , to Indonesia to Chile , to Nicaragua , to Iran , the Congo , Korea , the entire Middle East , literally bathed in blood—always in pursuit of geostrategic advantage , and the suppression of popular democracy in order to better permit the continuation and maximization of corporate profit .
So much for the inherent perfidy of communism and angelic innocence of capitalism .
The record is by now so huge and consistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can state categorically there is not a single case in which America has used its immense diplomatic and military power to back a genuine democratic leader ( such people are immediately branded “ communists ” and dealt accordingly ) or assisted people struggling for freedom from class oppression .
It ’ s a vile and hypocritical record that continues to this day , thanks to the complete brainwash to which the American population has been subjected as a measure of pre-emptive pacification .
The whole thing is amply documented so there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refute it .
In any case , recovering the truth about Stalin and the USSR from the cesspool of hostile propaganda in which the enemies of socialism situated it , assisted by the perennially misguided and often fanatical anti-communist and especially anti-Stalinist leftists , is no task for the weakhearted .
That ’ s why we salute our colleagues at Russia Insider , and its editor , Charlie Bausman , in particular , for their decision to publish Grover Furr .
Letting this scholar speak to a larger audience is a badly needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ context of reckless warmongering on Russia ’ s and China ’ s doorstep .
The Big Lie must be defeated if a lasting peace is ever to be attained by humanity .

This article from our archives was first published on RI in June 2015
This article originally appeared in The Greanville Post, of which the author is the founder and editor. He submitted this comment to Russia Insider for republishing
We have long maintained that the truth about the USSR, in general, and particularly the Stalin period, has long been the object of the most cynical, mean-spirited, and comprehensive propaganda effort ever seen in the annals of history.
Churchill murdered 100s of 1000s of defenseless German women and children in fire bombing raids when Germany had already lost the war. He was a monster.
For reasons of sheer class interest among the plutocrats of the West, the business elites that still rule most of the so-called “capitalist democracies,” the demonization of Stalin was a necessity, a campaign only briefly interrupted by World War Two and quickly resumed literally a few hours after its ending.
The Western elites —with the American ruling circles in the lead—correctly saw an enemy in Stalin. They could not bribe him and they could not intimidate him. Nor could they easily topple him, as they had done (and still do) countless times with weaker, “inconvenient leaders.” What’s more, Stalin was at the helm of a powerful nation and titular leader of an ideology directly opposed to their indispensable economic system. Occasional diplomacy aside, they hated him. He and his nation stood in the way of their plans for global hegemony. So the the venom had to flow and did—abundantly. And in that sordid enterprise the capitalist elites found countless allies, not to mention the usual battalions of ignorant, useful idiots.
As any propaganda student will attest, when vilifying a nation’s policies and social values, it’s far easier (and effective) if the propagandist aims the Big Lie machine at its leader. As we have seen in recent times with Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Bashar al-Assad, Fidel Castro, Iran and North Korea’s leaders, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, and finally Putin—among many others (the empire is never lacking in “dangerous enemies”)—the character assassination of a leader is an old tactic to prepare the perennially benighted home population for an attack on the targeted nation.
From this perspective it’s not difficult to see that if the Ministry of Truth could swiftly complete the total demonization of Vladimir Putin—a figure in good standing merely 3 years ago—and not even an avowed socialist, one can only imagine what outrageous fabrications they could have concocted (and did) to cordon off the image of Stalin, an outspoken communist, over several decades. This made eminent sense to the West’s doctrinal gatekeepers. Given the identification of Stalin’s long rule with the Soviet Union at its most embattled, the blackening of Stalin’s name served an important purpose: it provided the Western propagandists an invaluable shorthand—an “irrefutable symbol” of communism’s putative evil—to block the very idea of genuine socialism as an option for humanity.
The preceding is obviously not to argue that Stalin was a flawless leader, or a saint who just happened to have a powerful army, or that he didn’t make some serious mistakes. He did. However, the most elementary fairness demands that we ask, which world historical figure confronted with enormously difficult choices emerges today (barring self-serving ideological propaganda) unscathed from close and impartial examination?
Judging Stalin by the context in which he had to act, and even more important, the purposes he served, he was arguably no worse, morally, than most Western leaders, and by any rational measure, probably a damn sight better. For who are these distinguished gentlemen who have led the West for over a century now?
Churchill, the most revered member in the club, was an unapologetic racist and imperialist who in the 1920s endorsed the policy of RAF bombing and gassing Iraqi villages (Mesopotamia) into submission, for for failure to pay their assigned tribute. JFK, Lyndon Johnson, and Nixon pursued an illegitimate, barbaric, genocidal war in Vietnam that remains one of the horrors of modern imperialism. Truman dropped the bomb on the Japanese as a way to keep the Soviets “in line,” making America so far the only nation to have used nuclear weapons on a civilian population. And during the postwar, the US tentacles, chiefly acting through the CIA and its clients, have managed to murder and repress tens of millions of people around the globe—in all latitudes and scores of nations, from the Philippines, to Indonesia to Chile, to Nicaragua, to Iran, the Congo, Korea, the entire Middle East, literally bathed in blood—always in pursuit of geostrategic advantage, and the suppression of popular democracy in order to better permit the continuation and maximization of corporate profit. So much for the inherent perfidy of communism and angelic innocence of capitalism.
The record is by now so huge and consistent, the hypocrisy so staggering, that we can state categorically there is not a single case in which America has used its immense diplomatic and military power to back a genuine democratic leader (such people are immediately branded “communists” and dealt accordingly) or assisted people struggling for freedom from class oppression. It’s a vile and hypocritical record that continues to this day, thanks to the complete brainwash to which the American population has been subjected as a measure of pre-emptive pacification. The whole thing is amply documented so there’s no point in even trying to refute it.
In any case, recovering the truth about Stalin and the USSR from the cesspool of hostile propaganda in which the enemies of socialism situated it, assisted by the perennially misguided and often fanatical anti-communist and especially anti-Stalinist leftists, is no task for the weakhearted.
That’s why we salute our colleagues at Russia Insider, and its editor, Charlie Bausman, in particular, for their decision to publish Grover Furr. Letting this scholar speak to a larger audience is a badly needed blow for truth —especially in the current context of reckless warmongering on Russia’s and China’s doorstep. The Big Lie must be defeated if a lasting peace is ever to be attained by humanity.


russia-insider--2020-11-30--The Unusual Story Behind Russia’s Most Famous Painting of Christ – Ivan Kramskoy’s ‘Christ in the De

The Unusual Story Behind Russia’s Most Famous Painting of Christ – Ivan Kramskoy’s ‘Christ in the Desert’

This article from our archives was first published on RI in November 2018 A few months before he was due to graduate with honours from the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg , Ivan Kramskoy ( 1837-1887 ) organized the notorious ‘ Revolt of the 14.
” He led a group of his best friends ( who also happened to be the most promising students of the graduating class of 1864 ) as they marched into the university main office and furiously presented a list of complaints and demands to the administration .
They proudly denounced the unbearable constraints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strict delineations between high and low art , it ’ s deadness and impotency .
The administration expelled them on the spot , suggesting to the police authorities that they keep a watch out over the unwieldy bunch .
Nonplused , the ex-students formed a tight-knit , intensely philosophical and energetic , independent artistic society which they called ‘ The Wanderers ” ( Передвижники ) .
Less then 10 years later , “ the Wanderers ” brigade set the beat in the thriving cultural and artistic scene of Russia in the late 1800s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most incredible Russian spiritual paintings .
More here ) At an 1872 exhibit in St. Petersburg , Ivan Kramskoy revealed his long-awaited work : “ Christ in the Dessert.
” It had taken him years work and thought to complete .
Before he had even attempted to start painting , he roamed through Germany , France , and Italy , a man on a mission .
He knew needed to see everything that had been done on the topic before .
How had others seen that particular scene of Christ ’ s life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what colours had they used , what feelings had the artists of old communicated ?
In his letters home , Ivan praised the Italian artists , but something about their Christ deeply disturbed him Kramskoy also visited the Crimean peninsula in the southwest of the Russian Empire .
It was the closest thing he could get to the climate of Palestine .
He walked the terrain from sunrise to sunset , trying to decode the feelings of someone who was left one-on-one with his reveries in a rocky , bare and mountainous desert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exhibit , sparking discussion , debates , confusion on the spot .
Arguments about it continued outside , in the newspapers and magazines .
Vsevolod Garshin , a writer of the time , took it upon himself to resolve the elusive and unresolved sense about the painting .
He wrote an anonymous letter to Kramskoy asking him to settle the debates once and for all .
In the letter , he explores also his own ecstatic understanding of the painting , reading into the painting and offering his own explanation even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there were even people who questioned the identity of the hero of the painting .
He mocks them for not seeing what to him is absolutely evident .
Kramskoy replied to Garshin ’ s plea immediately , in the form of an entire article .
It was as though he had just been waiting to be asked .
He never conclusively answered Garshin ’ s question but described with openness the doubt , fear and sense of urgency that had haunted him in his search for the right form for Christ .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ … For each person , imperfect , maybe , but still created in the image and likeness of God , there comes a moment in life , when he falls into contemplation : should he go to the right or to the left ?
Should he ‘ take a ruble ’ for the Lord God or not to yield a single step to evil ?
” “ In the morning , weary , exhausted , suffering , he sits alone among the stones , sad , cold stones ; hands convulsively and tightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down … He is thinking hard , has remained silent for a long while , so long ago that his lips are baked , his eyes do not notice objects … His reply relays an unexpected , raw pain and sense of immediacy , as though the painting process became a matter of intense importance to him .
Like so many other artists , the closer Kramskoy came to capturing the image he had imagined , the greater the vision loomed .
He felt more and more inadequate in his attempt to convey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As time went on , the search for artistic forms morphed into a search for spiritual truths .
He wrote to his friend and student Fyodor Vasilyev ( another talented artist ) .
When the exhibit was ending , Kramskoy was approached by a famous art collector .
The artist named a handsome sum for the time : 6,000 rubles .
The painting was sold on the spot .
Today , it can be seen in the most famous art gallery in Moscow , the Tretyakov gallery .
Perhaps it had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular painting , but it was part of the philosophy of the Wanderers to sell what they created .
Their dream was for art to populate and change Russian society from the inside .
Indeed , if a painting like “ Christ in the Dessert ” fails to change us , what will succeed ?

This article from our archives was first published on RI in November 2018
A few months before he was due to graduate with honours from the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, Ivan Kramskoy (1837-1887) organized the notorious ‘Revolt of the 14.”
He led a group of his best friends (who also happened to be the most promising students of the graduating class of 1864) as they marched into the university main office and furiously presented a list of complaints and demands to the administration.
They proudly denounced the unbearable constraints of academic art, it’s strict delineations between high and low art, it’s deadness and impotency.
workshop of a wanderer
The administration expelled them on the spot, suggesting to the police authorities that they keep a watch out over the unwieldy bunch.
Nonplused, the ex-students formed a tight-knit, intensely philosophical and energetic, independent artistic society which they called ‘The Wanderers” (Передвижники).
Less then 10 years later, “the Wanderers” brigade set the beat in the thriving cultural and artistic scene of Russia in the late 1800s. (They produced some of the most incredible Russian spiritual paintings. More here)
At an 1872 exhibit in St. Petersburg, Ivan Kramskoy revealed his long-awaited work: “Christ in the Dessert.”
Christ in the Desert
A TRIP INTO THE PAST
It had taken him years work and thought to complete. Before he had even attempted to start painting, he roamed through Germany, France, and Italy, a man on a mission.
He knew needed to see everything that had been done on the topic before.
How had others seen that particular scene of Christ’s life? How had others imagined it, what colours had they used, what feelings had the artists of old communicated?
Piero della Francesca (c1463)
In his letters home, Ivan praised the Italian artists, but something about their Christ deeply disturbed him
“He’s divine, but an alien to our time, it’s terrible to say … in my opinion in them he is blasphemed” “He has the look of an Italian aristocrat ….one with a dry heart, a look that could not belong to a person of all-encompassing love.”
Kramskoy also visited the Crimean peninsula in the southwest of the Russian Empire. It was the closest thing he could get to the climate of Palestine.
He walked the terrain from sunrise to sunset, trying to decode the feelings of someone who was left one-on-one with his reveries in a rocky, bare and mountainous desert.
the salt deserts of crimea
WILL THEY UNDERSTAND?
The painting caused an uproar at the exhibit, sparking discussion, debates, confusion on the spot. Arguments about it continued outside, in the newspapers and magazines.
Vsevolod Garshin, a writer of the time, took it upon himself to resolve the elusive and unresolved sense about the painting.
He wrote an anonymous letter to Kramskoy asking him to settle the debates once and for all.
Is this the morning of the 41st day, when Christ has already decided and is ready to go meet suffering and death? Or is this the moment when ‘the devil came to him’, as my opponents argue?
In the letter, he explores also his own ecstatic understanding of the painting, reading into the painting and offering his own explanation even as he asks for one.
The features that you gave to your creation, in my opinion, do not at all serve to excite pity for the “sufferer”…No, they immediately amazed me as an expression of enormous moral strength, a hatred of evil and a complete determination to fight it. He (Jesus) is absorbed with what the actions that he must undertake, he searches in his head all that he will say to the despicable and unfortunate people, whom he had left when he went to the desert to think in freedom Suffering does not concern him now: it is so small, so insignificant in comparison with what is now in his chest, that the thought of it doesn’t come to Jesus’ head.
Vsevolod Garshin
Garshin mentions that there were even people who questioned the identity of the hero of the painting. He mocks them for not seeing what to him is absolutely evident.
A certain someone even directly blurted out that your Christ is Hamlet! Now, if we are looking for literary types to compare him to, he is more like Don Quixote… But, this comparison is also bad, because your Christ–is Christ.
….
A SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE
Kramskoy replied to Garshin’s plea immediately, in the form of an entire article. It was as though he had just been waiting to be asked.
He never conclusively answered Garshin’s question but described with openness the doubt, fear and sense of urgency that had haunted him in his search for the right form for Christ.
Here are his own words:
“… For each person, imperfect, maybe, but still created in the image and likeness of God, there comes a moment in life, when he falls into contemplation: should he go to the right or to the left? Should he ‘take a ruble’ for the Lord God or not to yield a single step to evil?” “In the morning, weary, exhausted, suffering, he sits alone among the stones, sad, cold stones; hands convulsively and tightly clenched, legs injured, head bowed down … He is thinking hard, has remained silent for a long while, so long ago that his lips are baked, his eyes do not notice objects …
His reply relays an unexpected, raw pain and sense of immediacy, as though the painting process became a matter of intense importance to him.
He does not feel anything, it’s a little cold, just so that he seems to be stiff from long and motionless sitting. And around him, nowhere and nothing rocks even a bit, only on the horizon black clouds are floating from the east … And he is still thinking, thinking, terror begins to take over … How many times have I cried before this figure!?
Like so many other artists, the closer Kramskoy came to capturing the image he had imagined, the greater the vision loomed. He felt more and more inadequate in his attempt to convey even the shadow of his great ideal.
How does one proceed? As though this is possible to draw! And you ask yourself, and you ask justly: can I draw Christ? No, I can not, I could not, yet I still drew, and didn’t stop drawing until the painting was inserted it into the frame. I kept drawing until the others saw it, too – in conclusion, I committed, perhaps, a blasphemy , but I could not NOT draw … “.
Ivan Kramskoy – self portrait
As time went on, the search for artistic forms morphed into a search for spiritual truths.
“Christ in the desert” – is my first thing that I worked on seriously, drew with tears and blood …, it is the result of my deep suffering … the result of many years of searching … “.
He wrote to his friend and student Fyodor Vasilyev (another talented artist).
How afraid I was that they would drag my” Christ “to an international court and all the slobbering monkeys would poke their fingers on Him and drool their criticism … “.
….
When the exhibit was ending, Kramskoy was approached by a famous art collector. The artist named a handsome sum for the time: 6,000 rubles.
The painting was sold on the spot. Today, it can be seen in the most famous art gallery in Moscow, the Tretyakov gallery.
Perhaps it had been hard for Kramskoy to part with that particular painting, but it was part of the philosophy of the Wanderers to sell what they created.
Their dream was for art to populate and change Russian society from the inside.
Indeed, if a painting like “Christ in the Dessert” fails to change us, what will succeed?
Sources:
https://foma.ru/xristos-v-pustyine-luchshaya-kartina.html
http://garshin.lit-info.ru/garshin/pisma/letter-129.htm
https://www.culture.ru/persons/8239/ivan-kramskoi


russia-insider--2020-12-01--US Atrocities in Korean War - Chem and Bio Weapons, Mass Civilian Bombing and Execution

Koreans not only have good reason to view the US with suspicion and mistrust , it 's a miracle they do n't hate us for all eternity This article from our archives was first published on RI in March 2019 With the world 's press spending a great deal of its energy on the rather fractious relationship between the United States and North Korea , a look back in time gives us some fascinating insight regarding the geopolitical stresses that rule the region , particularly the stresses that occurred during the Korean War .
Thanks to the International Action Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( IADL ) , a Non-Governmental Organization which was founded in 1946 and acts as a consultative group to UNESCO , we have an interesting document that outlines some of America 's actions on the Korean Peninsula during the early 1950s .
In March 1952 , the IADL issued a Report on U.S .
Crimes in Korea during the Korean War .
Here is a screen capture showing the title page : In the early 1950s , the Government of the Democratic People 's Republic of Korea repeatedly asked the United Nations to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemies , the United States-led international coalition .
These requests were ignored by the United Nations and , as such , the Council of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers set up a Commission consisting of lawyers from several nations to investigate these allegations with a `` boots on the ground '' trip to Korea which took place from March 3rd to March 19th , 1952 , visiting the provinces of North and South Piengan , Hwang Hai , Kang Wan , including the towns of Pyongyang , Nampo , Kaichen , Pek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sariwon and Wonsan among others .
Here is a list of the lawyers that saw first-hand what had occurred in the DPRK : The IADL notes that , under United Nations rules , the U.S. intervention on the Korean Peninsula was unlawful and that President Truman 's orders to the American Navy and Air Force should be considered an `` aggressive act '' that went against the United Nations Charter .
Here are some of the more interesting findings of the IADL Commission : The Commission investigated the allegations that American forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both the DPRK armed forces and the nation 's civilian population .
Between the 28th of January and the 12th of March ( i.e .
during the dead of winter ) , 1952 , the Commission found the following insects which carried bacteria in many different locations : The Commission noted that many of the insect species had not been found in Korea prior to the arrival of American forces and that many of them were found in mixed groups or clusters that would not normally be found together , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the January temperature was 1 degree Celsius ( just above freezing ) to 5 degrees Celsius in February but that the prevailing average temperature was far below the freezing level , temperatures that are extremely hostile to insect life .
The insects were infected with the following bacteria which include plague , cholera and typhus : Here are some examples of what was reported by local citizens : In addition , a great quantity of fish of a species which live in regions between fresh water and salt water were found ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rotten state and were infected with cholera .
On various occasions since May 6th , 1951 , American planes used asphyxiating and other gases or chemical weapons as follows : In the first attack on Nampo City , there were 1,379 casualties of which 480 died of suffocation and 647 others were affected by gas .
According to witnesses , the commander of the U.S .
Forces in the region of Sinchon by the name of Harrison ordered the mass killing of 35,383 civilians ( 19,149 men and 16,234 women ) during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 1950 .
The civilians were pushed into a deep open grave , doused with fuel oil and set on fire .
Those who tried to escape were shot .
In another case , on October 20th , 2015 , 500 men women and children were forced into an air raid cave shelter located in the city of Sinchon .
Harrison ordered American soldiers to put explosives into the shelter and seal it with sacks of earth prior to the fuse being lit .
Here are other examples of mass murders : Prior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of North Korea , Pyongyang , had a population of 464,000 .
As a result of the war , the population had fallen to 181,000 by December 31 , 1951 .
In the period between June 27 , 1950 and the Commission 's visit , more than 30,000 incendiary and explosive devices were dropped on the city , destroying 64,000 out of 80,000 houses , 32 hospitals and dispensaries ( despite the fact that they were marked with a red cross ) , 64 churches , 99 schools and university buildings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the aerial bombardments of Pyongyang : Here is the conclusion of the Commission : The IADL Commission unanimously found that the United States was guilty of crimes against humanity during the Korean War and that there was a pattern of behaviour which constitutes genocide .
Let 's close this posting with the conclusion of the 2001 Korea International War Crimes Tribunal which examined the testimony of civilians from both North Korea and South Korea over the period from 1945 to 2001 : And Washington wonders why the North Koreans are so hostile toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington 's criticism of other nations ( i.e Syria ) and their use of chemical weapons is stunningly hypocritical .

Koreans not only have good reason to view the US with suspicion and mistrust, it's a miracle they don't hate us for all eternity
This article from our archives was first published on RI in March 2019
With the world's press spending a great deal of its energy on the rather fractious relationship between the United States and North Korea, a look back in time gives us some fascinating insight regarding the geopolitical stresses that rule the region, particularly the stresses that occurred during the Korean War.
Thanks to the International Action Center and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), a Non-Governmental Organization which was founded in 1946 and acts as a consultative group to UNESCO, we have an interesting document that outlines some of America's actions on the Korean Peninsula during the early 1950s.
In March 1952, the IADL issued a Report on U.S. Crimes in Korea during the Korean War. Here is a screen capture showing the title page:
In the early 1950s, the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea repeatedly asked the United Nations to protest violations of international law by their enemies, the United States-led international coalition.
These requests were ignored by the United Nations and, as such, the Council of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers set up a Commission consisting of lawyers from several nations to investigate these allegations with a "boots on the ground" trip to Korea which took place from March 3rd to March 19th, 1952, visiting the provinces of North and South Piengan, Hwang Hai, Kang Wan, including the towns of Pyongyang, Nampo, Kaichen, Pek Dong, Amju, Sinchon, Anak, Sariwon and Wonsan among others.
Here is a list of the lawyers that saw first-hand what had occurred in the DPRK:
The IADL notes that, under United Nations rules, the U.S. intervention on the Korean Peninsula was unlawful and that President Truman's orders to the American Navy and Air Force should be considered an "aggressive act" that went against the United Nations Charter.
Here are some of the more interesting findings of the IADL Commission:
1.) Bacteriological Warfare:
The Commission investigated the allegations that American forces in Korea were using bacteriological weapons against both the DPRK armed forces and the nation's civilian population. Between the 28th of January and the 12th of March (i.e. during the dead of winter), 1952, the Commission found the following insects which carried bacteria in many different locations:
The Commission noted that many of the insect species had not been found in Korea prior to the arrival of American forces and that many of them were found in mixed groups or clusters that would not normally be found together, for example, flies and spiders.
It also noted that the January temperature was 1 degree Celsius (just above freezing) to 5 degrees Celsius in February but that the prevailing average temperature was far below the freezing level, temperatures that are extremely hostile to insect life.
The insects were infected with the following bacteria which include plague, cholera and typhus:
Eberthella typhus
Bacillus paratyphi A and B
Shigella dysenteriae
Vibrio cholera
Pasturella pestis
Here are some examples of what was reported by local citizens:
In addition, a great quantity of fish of a species which live in regions between fresh water and salt water were found; these fish were found in a half rotten state and were infected with cholera.
2.) Chemical Weapons:
On various occasions since May 6th, 1951, American planes used asphyxiating and other gases or chemical weapons as follows:
In the first attack on Nampo City, there were 1,379 casualties of which 480 died of suffocation and 647 others were affected by gas.
3.) Mass executions of civilians:
According to witnesses, the commander of the U.S. Forces in the region of Sinchon by the name of Harrison ordered the mass killing of 35,383 civilians (19,149 men and 16,234 women) during the period between October 17th and December 7th, 1950.
The civilians were pushed into a deep open grave, doused with fuel oil and set on fire. Those who tried to escape were shot.
In another case, on October 20th, 2015, 500 men women and children were forced into an air raid cave shelter located in the city of Sinchon. Harrison ordered American soldiers to put explosives into the shelter and seal it with sacks of earth prior to the fuse being lit.
Here are other examples of mass murders:
4.) Bombing and Attacking Civilians:
Prior to the Korean War, the capital city of North Korea, Pyongyang, had a population of 464,000. As a result of the war, the population had fallen to 181,000 by December 31, 1951. In the period between June 27, 1950 and the Commission's visit, more than 30,000 incendiary and explosive devices were dropped on the city, destroying 64,000 out of 80,000 houses, 32 hospitals and dispensaries (despite the fact that they were marked with a red cross), 64 churches, 99 schools and university buildings.
Here is a description of one of the aerial bombardments of Pyongyang:
Here is the conclusion of the Commission:
The IADL Commission unanimously found that the United States was guilty of crimes against humanity during the Korean War and that there was a pattern of behaviour which constitutes genocide.
Let's close this posting with the conclusion of the 2001 Korea International War Crimes Tribunal which examined the testimony of civilians from both North Korea and South Korea over the period from 1945 to 2001:
The Members of the International War Crimes Tribunal find the accused Guilty on the basis of the evidence against them: each of the nineteen separate crimes alleged in the Initial Complaint has been established to have been committed beyond a reasonable doubt. The Members find these crimes to have occurred during three main periods in the U.S. intervention in and occupation of Korea. The best-known period is from June 25, 1950, until July 27, 1953, the Korean War, when over 4.6 million Koreans perished, according to conservative Western estimates, including 3 million civilians in the north and 500,000 civilians in the south. The evidence of U.S. war crimes presented to this Tribunal included eyewitness testimony and documentary accounts of massacres of thousands of civilians in southern Korea by U.S. military forces during the war. Abundant evidence was also presented concerning criminal and even genocidal U.S. conduct in northern Korea, including the systematic leveling of most buildings and dwellings by U.S. artillery and aerial bombardment; widespread atrocities committed by U.S. and R.O.K. forces against civilians and prisoners of war; the deliberate destruction of facilities essential to civilian life and economic production; and the use of illegal weapons and biological and chemical warfare by the U.S. against the people and the environment of northern Korea. Documentary and eyewitness evidence was also presented showing gross and systematic violence committed against women in northern and southern Korea, characterized by mass rapes, sexual assaults and murders. Less known but of crucial importance in understanding the war period is the preceding five years, from the landing of U.S. troops in Korea on September 8, 1945, to the outbreak of the war. The Members of the Tribunal examined extensive evidence of U.S. crimes against peace and crimes against humanity in this period. The Members conclude that the U.S. government acted to divide Korea against the will of the vast majority of the people, limit its sovereignty, create a police state in southern Korea using many former collaborators with Japanese rule, and provoke tension and threats between southern and northern Korea, opposing and disrupting any plans for peaceful reunification. In this period the U.S. trained, directed and supported the ROK in systematic murder, imprisonment, torture, surveillance, harassment and violations of human rights of hundreds of thousands of people, especially of those individuals or groups considered nationalists, leftists, peasants seeking land reform, union organizers and/or those sympathetic to the north. The Members find that in the period from July 1953 to the present, the U.S. has continued to maintain a powerful military force in southern Korea, backed by nuclear weapons, in violation of international law and intended to obstruct the will of the Korean people for reunification.Military occupation has been accompanied by the organized sexual exploitation of Korean women, frequently leading to violence and even murder of women by U.S. soldiers who have felt above the law. U.S.-imposed economic sanctions have impoverished and debilitated the people of northern Korea, leading to a reduction of life expectancy, widespread malnutrition and even starvation in a country that once exported food. The refusal of the U.S. government to grant visas to a delegation from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea who planned to attend this Tribunal only confirms the criminal intent of the defendants to isolate those whom they have abused to prevent them from telling their story to the world. In all these 55 years, the U.S. government has systematically manipulated, controlled, directed, misinformed and restricted press and media coverage to obtain consistent support for its military intervention, occupation and crimes against the people of Korea. It has also inculcated racist attitudes within the U.S. troops and general population that prepared them to commit and/or accept atrocities and genocidal policies against the Korean people. It has violated the Constitution of the United States, the delegation of powers over war and the military, the Bill of Rights, the UN Charter, international law and the laws of the ROK, DPRK, Peoples Republic of China, Japan and many others, in its lawless determination to exercise its will over the Korean peninsula. The Members of the Korea International War Crimes Tribunal hold the United States government and its leaders accountable for these criminal acts and condemn those found guilty in the strongest possible terms." (my bold)
And Washington wonders why the North Koreans are so hostile toward the United States!
The irony of Washington's criticism of other nations (i.e Syria) and their use of chemical weapons is stunningly hypocritical.


russia-insider--2020-12-01--40 Naval Battles - He Won Them All - The Brilliant Russian Admiral Ushakov

This article from our archives was first published on RI in March 2019 This article originally appeared on a new site about the Christian renaissance in Russia : Russian Faith .
Their introductory video is at end of this article .
You can also take a new Poll at Russian Faith to vote on the next Hero in the Series !
This article is part of the series ‘ Russian Christian Military Heroes ’ , which illustrates the close interrelationship of the church , state , and military in Russian history .
In contrast to the uniquely American idea that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state separate , Russians believe the opposite - that this is , in fact , harmful , and that society is best served by a close cooperation , poetically described as a ‘ symphony.
’ Weigh anchor , and raise the Saint Andrew ’ s Cross of the Russian Fleet , it ’ s time to sail back into history , with this latest Russian Hero ’ s tale .
Amongst his feats , this Hero can boast over 40 battles without tasting defeat ; this is Fyodor Ushakov , Admiral of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a contemporary of Admiral Lord Nelson , however unlike his British counterpart , Ushakov was never defeated in over 40 battles , oh ... and did I mention he once inflicted 2000 casualties without taking more than thirty ?
His talent was so great that the famous British Vice-Admiral was to be put under his command during the joint siege at Malta , to the ire of Nelson , who later sabotaged the alliance .
Ushakov was canonized not for his military heroism , that alone does not qualify for canonization—it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a true Christian in the horrible conditions of battle , always risking and ready to sacrifice his life for those under his command .
While we will discuss his faith , let us first establish that Saints were not magical superhumans without sin , they were normal people like you or I , who obtained Holiness and oneness with God , and to understand them , we must look at the normal aspects of their life .
Saint Fyodor Ushakov was born into a family of petite nobility , in the village @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region , around 150 km north of Moscow .
According to Pravoslavie.ru : “ His birthday , February 13th , falls between the commemoration days of two warrior-martyrs—Fyodor Stratilat , and Fyodor Tiron.
” If that is not an omen that Fyodor Ushakov was destined to be a Hero , I don ’ t know what is .
As it was in the story of many Saints , his parents were religious people of profound faith , who set the early Christian values which he would accept as he grew in the Orthodox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was baptized in the Church of the Epiphany-on-the-Isle , as if receiving from above a blessing to “ serve on water.
” Learning humility form his uncle , a monk , this young nobleman spent much time with the common folk , giving him a strength and understanding of the stark realities of the world , unlike sheltered Western aristocrats , who ( literally and legally ) , purchased their military ranks .
By age 14 he was fully capable of hunting Russian bears , and he entered the Naval College two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1765 .
He spent his early naval career learning how to survive the cold of the northern seas , and quickly distinguished himself as a worthy sailor .
He learned tricks from the older sailors you can not learn in schools , as the old Russian military maxim holds true “ The best practices are passed down by the survivors - there is no better practice than surviving the real thing.
” Ushakov learned one of the most important military rules of all - how to be flexible .
He took this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life , fluid as the waves of the sea and strong like the first of a tsunami .
He was the Champion of the Black Sea .
These beautiful pink lakes in Crimea are not far from the site of some of his greatest battles .
When Russia liberated what is now Southern Ukraine from the Ottoman-Turkish rule , he guarded the coasts of what was then “ New Russia ” .
One of his most lasting and peaceful contributions to Russian and Ukrainian history was when he oversaw the construction of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kherson the New .
Ancient Kherson was a Greek colony , the northernmost metropolis of the Eastern Roman Empire , and the site of the Baptism of Saint Vladimir of Kiev - the Baptizer of All Russia .
Kherson is derived from the Greek word for Peninsula , as in the Crimean Peninsula .
We know Old Kherson by a different name : the Hero-City of Sevastopol , the greatest city in Crimea .
Legendary for its battles , Sevastopol is Russia ’ s most precious warm water port .
Ushakov built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which remains to this day crucial to Russia ’ s national defence .
The Russian Fleet on Parade at Sevastopol , note that the flag which resembles the British Union jack is actually a Russian ensign .
Since it ’ s founding by Potemkin on Catherine the Great ’ s orders in 1778 , modern Kherson is Ukraine ’ s second most famous port after Odessa , and located at the mouth of the legendary river Dnipro ( the river where all of Russia was baptized upstream in 988 ) north of Sevastopol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build the famous docks .
It was in this Black Sea , where Ushakov became a legend , the dread of the Turkish navy who called him “ Ushak-Pasha ” .
Perhaps an insult or a title of infamy and dread , it was one that carried a modicum of respect : “ Pasha ” is the highest Turkish honorific , similar to Lord in English , Vladica in Slavonic , or Pan in Ukrainian and Polish .
Ushakov distinguished himself as a brave commander during the Russo-Turkish War in 1788 .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fleet supported the infantry of the legendary Aleksandr Suvorov , himself the undefeated victor of over 60 battles .
Second-in-Command Ushakov saw the Turks outnumbered the Russians by almost three to one .
Realizing this was a fair fight , he did what any Slav would do and charge directly at the Turkish flagship .
In all seriousness , he made a brilliant but risky decision .
He knew his troops were better trained and equipped than the Turks , but their numerical advantage could spell the end for him in a battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leverage his strength while he had it to even the odds swiftly .
Seizing the initiative , he charged the enemy flagship .
He awestruck the Turks , winning the day not only for the navy , but paving the way for Suvorov and Potemkin to drive the Turks from Ochakov fortress .
At the decisive Battle of Kurch , now Rear-Admiral Ushakov found himself yet again at a numerical disadvantage ( come to think of it , I believe during every battle he fought he was outnumbered ) , the result ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost no ships while the Turks lost five ships , hundreds of men , and had their admiral and captains captured .
At Tendra he continued this trend , but inflicted thousands of casualties on the Turks , and at Cape Kaliakra , he won the Naval War .
He was soon promoted to Vice-Admiral and given command of the Black Sea fleet .
It ’ s remarkable his life is not known in the West , and the Russian Navy is thought of as insignificant .
Ushakov had feats even Admiral Nelson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unconquerable fortress of Corfu , Greece , from Napoleon in three months , whereas Nelson spent a year besieging Malta .
The power of Orthodox culture aided him at Corfu , as Orthodox Greeks fought on land with their Russian brothers .
Orthodox Greek natives welcomed Ushakov with a triumph .
He ordered a thanksgiving service in gratitude to the Lord for saving his people .
On Easter , 1799 , he led a cross procession with the relics of St. Spyridon Trimifuntsky , a beloved saint to Greeks and Russians .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his works : “ Here , on the islands , the God-loving admiral manifested yet another of his God-given talents : that of statesman and public figure .
He not only ensured “ peace and order '' for the Greeks , but gave them one of the most democratic for that time constitutions , setting up the `` Republic of the Seven Islands , '' opening an episcopal faculty on Corfu and inviting an Orthodox bishop , which they had not had since the sixteenth century .
When the time came for Ushakov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population turned out with tears in their eyes to see him off .
They presented him with medals with the inscription : `` These peoples unanimously proclaim him to be their father . ''
Children were named in his honor , and one and all promised to never let time obliterate his merits and achievements from their memory.
” Ushakov earned his promotion to [ full ] Admiral for his heroism at Corfu .
He , was later sent to assist the famous Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson ( whom he technically outranked ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea of cooperating with a Russian equal quite negatively , and reacted shamefully .
After Napolean was finally defeated , Nelson offered the French garrison terms of surrender so amicable , it could be mistaken for a truce .
They would be ferried back by British ships , permitted to bear arms , and , most ridiculous of all , not even forbidden from “ waging war ” .
So great was Nelson ’ s spite at the thought of working with Ushakov , and moreover , he so badly wanted to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rome and receiving the praise he deserved .
Ushakov considered this treason , and in return , paraded his troops through Rome , even though the French had already left .
Ushakov behind the Saint Andrews Flag ( a white flag with a blue x ) , the standard ensign of the Russian Navy .
The Russian Navy also uses another flag which resembles the British union jack .
Though his military carrier was the thing of song and legend , he fell out of political favour , and was eventually recalled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military carrier , see here .
Finishing his service honourably , he withdrew to Sanaksary Monastery , 500 kilometres east of Moscow , never to fight again .
He struggled in prayer for the rest of his life , praying for every comrade , and even those wanderers he met by chance .
He spent his final years thusly : First in prayer , which lead to peace , which lead to mercy in the Kingdom of Heaven .
He died in 1817 , at the age of 74 , and was buried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honor , the local newspapers wrote : `` You knew him as a great naval commander , we knew him for his outstanding charity to others . ''
He wasn ’ t a Saint because he won hundreds of battles , or because he was brilliant , he was a Saint because this highborn officer was never afraid to take a bullet to the heart for the common man .
He was merciful and never forgot what it means to be a Christian “ There is no greater love than laying down your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into legend the life of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov , Patron Saint of the Russian Navy .
Which Russian Hero would you like me to write about next ?
These articles are part of the series ‘ Russian Christian Military Heroes ’ , which illustrates the close interrelationship of the church , state , and military in Russian history .
As the author , I would like YOUR feedback .
Take this Poll at Russian Faith to vote on which Russian Hero you would like me to write about next , or let me @ @ @ @ @ @ @

In this latest edition of the series, we delve into the life of an Admiral who was canonized by the Russian church. He fought 40 battles without defeat and put the British Lord Nelson to shame.
This article from our archives was first published on RI in March 2019
This article originally appeared on a new site about the Christian renaissance in Russia: Russian Faith. Their introductory video is at end of this article. You can also take a new Poll at Russian Faith to vote on the next Hero in the Series! This article is part of the series ‘Russian Christian Military Heroes’, which illustrates the close interrelationship of the church, state, and military in Russian history. In contrast to the uniquely American idea that it is best to keep church and state separate, Russians believe the opposite - that this is, in fact, harmful, and that society is best served by a close cooperation, poetically described as a ‘symphony.’ Weigh anchor, and raise the Saint Andrew’s Cross of the Russian Fleet, it’s time to sail back into history, with this latest Russian Hero’s tale. Amongst his feats, this Hero can boast over 40 battles without tasting defeat; this is Fyodor Ushakov, Admiral of the Russian Fleet. Admiral Saint Ushakov, was a contemporary of Admiral Lord Nelson, however unlike his British counterpart, Ushakov was never defeated in over 40 battles, oh...and did I mention he once inflicted 2000 casualties without taking more than thirty? Support Russia Insider - Go Ad-Free! His talent was so great that the famous British Vice-Admiral was to be put under his command during the joint siege at Malta, to the ire of Nelson, who later sabotaged the alliance. Ushakov was canonized not for his military heroism, that alone does not qualify for canonization—it was instead, how he preserved the spirit of a true Christian in the horrible conditions of battle, always risking and ready to sacrifice his life for those under his command. While we will discuss his faith, let us first establish that Saints were not magical superhumans without sin, they were normal people like you or I, who obtained Holiness and oneness with God, and to understand them, we must look at the normal aspects of their life. Saint Fyodor Ushakov was born into a family of petite nobility, in the village of Burnakovo, in the ancient Yaroslavl region, around 150 km north of Moscow. According to Pravoslavie.ru: Support Russia Insider - Go Ad-Free! “His birthday, February 13th, falls between the commemoration days of two warrior-martyrs—Fyodor Stratilat, and Fyodor Tiron.” If that is not an omen that Fyodor Ushakov was destined to be a Hero, I don’t know what is. As it was in the story of many Saints, his parents were religious people of profound faith, who set the early Christian values which he would accept as he grew in the Orthodox way. According to Pravoslavie.ru: “He was baptized in the Church of the Epiphany-on-the-Isle, as if receiving from above a blessing to “serve on water.” Learning humility form his uncle, a monk, this young nobleman spent much time with the common folk, giving him a strength and understanding of the stark realities of the world, unlike sheltered Western aristocrats, who (literally and legally), purchased their military ranks. By age 14 he was fully capable of hunting Russian bears, and he entered the Naval College two years later ,graduating as a midshipman in 1765.
He spent his early naval career learning how to survive the cold of the northern seas, and quickly distinguished himself as a worthy sailor. He learned tricks from the older sailors you can not learn in schools, as the old Russian military maxim holds true “The best practices are passed down by the survivors - there is no better practice than surviving the real thing.” Ushakov learned one of the most important military rules of all - how to be flexible. He took this flexibility with him the rest of his life, fluid as the waves of the sea and strong like the first of a tsunami. He was the Champion of the Black Sea. These beautiful pink lakes in Crimea are not far from the site of some of his greatest battles. When Russia liberated what is now Southern Ukraine from the Ottoman-Turkish rule, he guarded the coasts of what was then “New Russia”. One of his most lasting and peaceful contributions to Russian and Ukrainian history was when he oversaw the construction of two significant naval bases at Kherson the Old and Kherson the New. Ancient Kherson was a Greek colony, the northernmost metropolis of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the site of the Baptism of Saint Vladimir of Kiev - the Baptizer of All Russia. Kherson is derived from the Greek word for Peninsula, as in the Crimean Peninsula. We know Old Kherson by a different name: the Hero-City of Sevastopol, the greatest city in Crimea. Legendary for its battles, Sevastopol is Russia’s most precious warm water port. Ushakov built the first naval base in Sevastopol, which remains to this day crucial to Russia’s national defence. The Russian Fleet on Parade at Sevastopol, note that the flag which resembles the British Union jack is actually a Russian ensign. Since it’s founding by Potemkin on Catherine the Great’s orders in 1778, modern Kherson is Ukraine’s second most famous port after Odessa, and located at the mouth of the legendary river Dnipro (the river where all of Russia was baptized upstream in 988) north of Sevastopol where Crimea meets Ukraine. There Ushakov build the famous docks.


russia-insider--2020-12-02--In Small-Town Torzhok, the Memory of a Lifetime

This article from our archives was first published on RI in January 2016 When I first heard of “ Torzhok , ” I assumed it was some sort of primitive mauling weapon .
It turns out it ’ s actually a small town of 50,000 people located four hours north of Moscow , and it ’ s a wonderful place where I had the pleasure of spending the first few days of the New Year .
It is also home to the Berkuty , aka the Golden Eagles , Russia ’ s acrobatic helicopter team .
In the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically not a family holiday — in fact , most of us would probably not want our family members anywhere near us during our NYE celebrations .
In the United States , we tend to salute the New Year with our friends and a big , warm champagne jacket .
In Russia , New Year ’ s Eve is more comparable to American Christmas .
Yes , there are those who go bar-hopping and yes , there are plenty of drinks , but until midnight in Moscow , the streets were relatively quiet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loved ones .
Once the bells of the Kremlin chimed midnight however , there were fireworks until the wee hours of the morning .
The nightly salutes continued for at least the first ten days of the year , and I have a sneaking suspicion their noise was one of the main reasons we left Moscow for a few days .
We left for Torzhok on New Year ’ s Day and I looked up the coordinates on my iPhone , learning that it was a mere 200 kilometers north of Moscow .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy two and a half hour ride .
Once again , Murphy ’ s Law ( which seems to have a pretty strong grip on Russia ) took its toll on us .
The Russians aren ’ t lying when they make jokes about Russian roads — they are not great .
It was also around minus ten Fahrenheit outside , which lead to our windshield wiper fluid freezing solid .
I was impressed that my friend Zhenya , who was behind the wheel , could see anything .
Furthermore , there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply didn ’ t work .
It took us around four hours to get to Torzhok , and by that time it was so cold that my mustache froze over within seconds when outside .
Of course , we all quickly hurried to the bar in our hotel to defrost .
In Torzhok , the cold dulls people ’ s sense of urgency .
We were immediately told that because of the size of our party ( which was large — around 20 people , including children ) , we would have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , we did what any logical person would do and ordered a bunch of beers .
As the only non-Russian there , I found it interesting that I was the only one who ordered Russian beer ( with everyone else opting for either Asahi or Tuborg ) .
I would soon learn there was a reason for that , as ( see previous posts ) Russian beer is not known for its superior quality .
Interestingly enough , with a bit of inspection , we learned that both Asahi and Tuborg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respectively , are brewed at the Baltika brewery in St. Petersburg .
Essentially , we were all drinking the same stuff , though I ’ m pretty sure my hangover the next day was worse than anyone else ’ s .
My hangover was also due to a new elixir that I hadn ’ t tried yet , as I ’ d never seen it in Moscow .
“ Tverskaya Gorkaya Nastoyka ” is a spirit made from cognac , apple juice , and various herbs and roots .
In short , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tverskaya Oblast ( where Torzhok is located ) , it is perfect for the holidays and cold weather due to its warming effects .
Though cognac-based , it goes down like apple juice , and the mild spice character from the herbs and roots distract the palate from the booze .
I found that , unlike with many spirits , I didn ’ t need to mix this liquor because the flavor was so enjoyable .
Of course , the next day I regretted not chasing it with anything , but that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleased by the drink that we decided to make it our beverage of choice during our stay in Torzhok , and I ’ m fairly certain that all of us brought a few bottles back to Moscow with us .
Other than the bottles , I brought back a memory of Russia that will stay with me forever , and no , it has nothing to do with anything I drank .
On our last night in Torzhok , we were not the only large group in the restaurant/bar of our hotel .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of middle-aged and older folks who had been hitting it pretty hard all day .
I was fearful that they would be so plastered by the time we sat down for dinner that we may encounter some unpleasantness .
I would say the opposite happened .
Though rather far gone , these folks were quite pleasant and handed out candy to all of the children in the restaurant .
Most importantly , they sang .
One of the gents in the group had an accordion and was playing the same refrain over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the table took his or her turn singing .
After about 10 minutes , I remarked that this was a rather long song ( and I ’ m a Led Zeppelin fan ) .
My girlfriend laughed and told me that it wasn ’ t a song so much as a “ Chyastushka ” — a tradition where each person improvises lyrics to a short verse and sings them to the same refrain .
The goal is to come up with something humorous and/or political — a way to laugh about historical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this is an avenue for vulgar humor , which is not nearly as common in Russia as in the American canon of humor — or perhaps I ’ m just not hanging out with the right people .
I sat in awe as everyone , with great ease despite his or her intoxication , sang , drank , and laughed .
I noted that none of these folks were looking at their phones or watching TV , but were completely present , sharing a rare human moment of old tradition .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , assuming that I was in a bad mood .
I answered to the contrary , noting that my friends , family , and I have never done anything like a Chyastushka .
I almost felt like I had been excluded from something , which led to the hope that we all may find our own “ Torzhok , ” meaning that for just a little while , we can put our phones away , forget the external noise and bustle of our daily lives and get back to enjoying the company that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small glasses of Tverskaya Gorkaya while we ’ re at it .

This article from our archives was first published on RI in January 2016
When I first heard of “Torzhok,” I assumed it was some sort of primitive mauling weapon. It turns out it’s actually a small town of 50,000 people located four hours north of Moscow, and it’s a wonderful place where I had the pleasure of spending the first few days of the New Year. It is also home to the Berkuty, aka the Golden Eagles, Russia’s acrobatic helicopter team.
In the United States, New Year’s Eve is typically not a family holiday — in fact, most of us would probably not want our family members anywhere near us during our NYE celebrations. In the United States, we tend to salute the New Year with our friends and a big, warm champagne jacket. In Russia, New Year’s Eve is more comparable to American Christmas. Yes, there are those who go bar-hopping and yes, there are plenty of drinks, but until midnight in Moscow, the streets were relatively quiet because everyone was at home with their loved ones.
Once the bells of the Kremlin chimed midnight however, there were fireworks until the wee hours of the morning. The nightly salutes continued for at least the first ten days of the year, and I have a sneaking suspicion their noise was one of the main reasons we left Moscow for a few days.
We left for Torzhok on New Year’s Day and I looked up the coordinates on my iPhone, learning that it was a mere 200 kilometers north of Moscow. I figured that it would be an easy two and a half hour ride. Once again, Murphy’s Law (which seems to have a pretty strong grip on Russia) took its toll on us. The Russians aren’t lying when they make jokes about Russian roads — they are not great. It was also around minus ten Fahrenheit outside, which lead to our windshield wiper fluid freezing solid. I was impressed that my friend Zhenya, who was behind the wheel, could see anything. Furthermore, there were mile-long stretches of highway where the streetlights simply didn’t work. It took us around four hours to get to Torzhok, and by that time it was so cold that my mustache froze over within seconds when outside. Of course, we all quickly hurried to the bar in our hotel to defrost.
In Torzhok, the cold dulls people’s sense of urgency. We were immediately told that because of the size of our party (which was large — around 20 people, including children), we would have to wait about two hours for food. So, we did what any logical person would do and ordered a bunch of beers. As the only non-Russian there, I found it interesting that I was the only one who ordered Russian beer (with everyone else opting for either Asahi or Tuborg). I would soon learn there was a reason for that, as (see previous posts) Russian beer is not known for its superior quality. Interestingly enough, with a bit of inspection, we learned that both Asahi and Tuborg, despite being from Japan and Denmark, respectively, are brewed at the Baltika brewery in St. Petersburg. Essentially, we were all drinking the same stuff, though I’m pretty sure my hangover the next day was worse than anyone else’s.
My hangover was also due to a new elixir that I hadn’t tried yet, as I’d never seen it in Moscow. “Tverskaya Gorkaya Nastoyka” is a spirit made from cognac, apple juice, and various herbs and roots. In short, it’s pretty incredible. Native to Tverskaya Oblast (where Torzhok is located), it is perfect for the holidays and cold weather due to its warming effects. Though cognac-based, it goes down like apple juice, and the mild spice character from the herbs and roots distract the palate from the booze. I found that, unlike with many spirits, I didn’t need to mix this liquor because the flavor was so enjoyable. Of course, the next day I regretted not chasing it with anything, but that’s another story. Everyone was so pleased by the drink that we decided to make it our beverage of choice during our stay in Torzhok, and I’m fairly certain that all of us brought a few bottles back to Moscow with us.
Other than the bottles, I brought back a memory of Russia that will stay with me forever, and no, it has nothing to do with anything I drank.
On our last night in Torzhok, we were not the only large group in the restaurant/bar of our hotel. Several tables over, there was a group of middle-aged and older folks who had been hitting it pretty hard all day. I was fearful that they would be so plastered by the time we sat down for dinner that we may encounter some unpleasantness. I would say the opposite happened. Though rather far gone, these folks were quite pleasant and handed out candy to all of the children in the restaurant. Most importantly, they sang.
One of the gents in the group had an accordion and was playing the same refrain over and over again, while each person at the table took his or her turn singing. After about 10 minutes, I remarked that this was a rather long song (and I’m a Led Zeppelin fan). My girlfriend laughed and told me that it wasn’t a song so much as a “Chyastushka” — a tradition where each person improvises lyrics to a short verse and sings them to the same refrain. The goal is to come up with something humorous and/or political — a way to laugh about historical or personal hardships. It also seems that this is an avenue for vulgar humor, which is not nearly as common in Russia as in the American canon of humor — or perhaps I’m just not hanging out with the right people. I sat in awe as everyone, with great ease despite his or her intoxication, sang, drank, and laughed. I noted that none of these folks were looking at their phones or watching TV, but were completely present, sharing a rare human moment of old tradition.
My girlfriend asked me what the matter was, assuming that I was in a bad mood. I answered to the contrary, noting that my friends, family, and I have never done anything like a Chyastushka. I almost felt like I had been excluded from something, which led to the hope that we all may find our own “Torzhok,” meaning that for just a little while, we can put our phones away, forget the external noise and bustle of our daily lives and get back to enjoying the company that we are keeping — and a few small glasses of Tverskaya Gorkaya while we’re at it.
С Новым годом (Happy New Year)!