russiainsider--2020-01-28--Beautiful Russian Journo's Great Mini-Documentary on Russian Gold Industry (Russian TV News)

In the first half of 2019 alone , production grew by a whopping 10 % .
Russian gold manufacturing is booming .
Recently , the Ministry of Finance has published data on the production of precious metals in Russia .
The production of refining gold is a record high .
Refining is the process of obtaining chemically pure gold .
In the first half of 2019 alone , it grew by more than 10 % and exceeded 110 metric tons .
On today 's show : All is not gold that glitters .
How do Russian scientists get precious metal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act not only as a source of precious metals but also as a source of iron.
” Transparent gold for a new generation of optoelectronics .
“ These films conduct current like bulk gold .
But , at the same time , they are absolutely transparent.
” What properties of artificial gold are superior to those of natural gold “ In terms of the electrical properties , these films are in no way inferior to bulk gold and , in some sense , they 're even superior.
” : “ Scientists strictly follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... No , not cut once but extract .
Gold from ore. ” Research Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources of the Russian Academy of Sciences .
Very soon , this ground ore will become gold .
: `` We send the dried concentrate to the geoanalysis laboratory .
This concentrate is analyzed for the gold content . ''
Doctor of Science Victoria Getman does n't perceive the phrase `` be worth its weight in gold '' as a figure of speech .
To get only 3-5 grams ( 0.09-0.16 troy ounces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to process a whole metric ton of ore. '' Gold is extracted from refractory sulfide gold-bearing raw materials .
These ores are characterized by small inclusions of gold , up to micron sizes . ''
Gold is included in the structure of sulfide minerals .
Therefore , its extraction is an especially complicated process .
To increase the efficiency of gold recovery , scientists have developed unique reagents — thermomorphic polymers which have become a good alternative to import supplies .
“ These clay minerals and carbonaceous matter are natural sorbents of gold.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is flotation .
“ After grinding , we pour the pulp into the flotation chamber .
That is , this is the initial mixture of ore with water.
” Useful minerals have hydrophobic properties .
They adhere to air bubbles that are in the flotation pulp , float to the surface and pass into the concentrate .
“ We add a reagent to increase the flotation activity of minerals .
After the minerals reacted with the reagent , we can start the process of extracting the concentrate .
To do this , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remover .
Bubbles formed which particles of gold or a gold-bearing mineral attached to.
” The main method for processing gold-bearing concentrates is the leaching process .
This is a selective dissolution of a valuable component , which is transferred from the solid phase to liquid .
“ The stand consists of an upper tank which contains gold-bearing material and a lower tank which contains solvent .
Using a metering pump , gold-bearing material is irrigated .
The solvent transfers it to the liquid phase.
” Gold-containing materials are obtained from the so-called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ materials are smelted into ingots .
Some of them are supplied to the jewelry industry .
Others will be sent to bank vaults .
Gold is a symbol of wealth and power .
At all times , it was the engine of the world economy and often became the cause of the most bloody wars .
Today , gold mines are a thing of the past .
This precious metal can be obtained in the most unexpected ways .
Did you know that gold can be extracted from industrial waste ?
These piles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by-product of the production of sulfuric acid and pyrite concentrate .
Around the world , a threatening amount , millions of tons , has been accumulated over decades .
Pyrite is an iron sulfide .
When it is burned , sulfur dioxide is released , which is used to produce acid .
Pyrite cinder is formed as a by-product .
Andrey Smorokov , a graduate student in the nuclear fuel cycle department of Tomsk Polytechnic University joined the group of initiators of the creation of a pyrite cinder laboratory when he was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out how to extract gold and other valuable metals from this waste .
But a whole metric ton of pyrite cinder yields only 6 grams of gold ( 0.19 troy oz ) .
But there are other valuable elements scientists are interested in .
: `` Pyrite cinders can act not only as a source of precious metals but also as a source of iron .
That is , it can be used in metallurgical production , but it is necessary to carry out preliminary cleaning . ''
The extraction of valuable components @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsequent conversion to acid solutions which then undergo the hydrometallurgical process .
- This is the source material for the operation of this installation , right ?
- Yes , this is the feedstock mixed with the reagent that is fed to this unit .
- Can we start the process now ?
- Oh , sure .
Here we have a dosing hopper .
We feed our mixture in here .
From here , we feed cinder first and then we feed ammonium chloride from the second hopper .
-Within three to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 662°F ) , pyrite cinder and ammonium chloride are mixed and ground .
Orange is an indicator of a large amount of iron .
The next stage of processing is hydrometallurgical separation , the separation of each of the components using chemical reagents .
- The product obtained after grinding is dissolved in water in this mixing device .
The result is such a solution .
- There are ferric chlorides , cuprous chlorides , and all other valuable components .
Then we filter this .
We separate the reacted part , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unreacted part , mainly silicates and gypsum .
The purified and filtered solution is sent to the separation of precious impurities .
- We get this solution .
- It 's cleaned of iron , right ?
- Yes , but it still contains copper , zinc , gold , silver , and other non-ferrous metals .
The resulting iron precipitate is filtered off , calcined , and then sent to metallurgical production .
The method created in Tomsk is unique .
It has no parallel in the world .
Possibly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first country to build a pyrite cinder processing plant with a capacity of up to 500 thousand metric tons per year .
- Can you say that the development of science is a priority for Tomsk ?
- We 're the only Russian city whose charter states the importance of the university for the city .
You can create a university or its departments .
But it takes decades to create a science school .
- Can you name something created in Tomsk that has some feasible results ?
- For example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are doing now ?
Accelerated polymer degradation .
Or a decrease in the half-life of uranium .
Our scientists , together with Gazprom Neft , are studying the Paleozoic problems .
Today , we have all the large companies — Rosatom , Rosneft , Gazprom , Gazprom Neft , Inter RAO .
- That is , companies come for scientific personnel .
Personnel is the basis .
- The Soviet slogan goes `` Personnel is everything '' and it 's true .
Many Danish , Dutch , American , Japanese companies want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unique specialists .
If a young man starts working for Roscosmos in the fourth year , he 's never going to quit because it 's an interesting job .
If he works at Rosatom , he will also never leave for Denmark or Sweden , for example , because the decision of the future is complex for scientists .
Transparent and flexible electronics of the future .
This unique invention of Russian scientists will help in creating more advanced neurointerfaces between the brain and the computer .
This is quasi-two-dimensional gold .
: @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are very tightly connected in one plane , but the bond between its layers is weak .
If we take several lattices of the material , they are very weakly connected with each other and can be separated .
But the atoms in one plane are difficult to separate . ''
The first two-dimensional material that became known to mankind is graphene .
Andrey Geim and Konstantin Novoselov , MIPT graduates , received the Nobel Prize for their research of graphene .
But two-dimensional gold still could not be obtained .
During sputtering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assembled into particles resembling droplets , which gradually come together forming a metal grid .
Only after the grid is full , a solid surface appears .
: “ You ca n't get one layer of gold .
It is necessary to obtain a layer of single atoms on the surface of some material .
We were able to obtain two-dimensional metal films by sputtering metals in high vacuum.
” For the first time , two-dimensional gold was obtained here , in a clean zone of the MIPT core facility .
`` First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a layer of silicon oxide .
Then , molybdenum disulfide was sprayed on top of them by chemical vapor plating .
This is important because it contains sulfur and gold is able to form stable compounds with sulfur . ''
Her colleagues say that Lena spends literally days and nights in this laboratory .
She is an expert in the optoelectronics of two-dimensional materials .
It seems she 's found the perfect material for the most precise optics .
: “ Gold was deposited on a molybdenum disulfide layer by electron beam evaporation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of only 3-4 nanometers had the same properties as bulk gold , that is , they were solid , unlike gold deposited on other substrates.
” These thin films of quasi-two-dimensional gold are characterized by high transparency and good electrical conductivity , in contrast to thin films of gold deposited on a silicon oxide substrate , where it is first deposited in splatters and then a solid film is formed at a thickness of at least 20 nanometers .
: “ This is a crucible with a gold target inside .
A high-energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high temperature , the gold evaporates and deposits on the surface which is held above.
” This technology opens up new opportunities in the field of electronics .
Very soon , a new class of optical materials and even contact lenses with an integrated display may appear .
Analysts say there 's only a 20-year reserve of gold in the bowels of the Earth .
But Russian scientists are n't worried about the fact .
They 've already synthesized its analogs and now can extract gold from coal and even sulfuric acid .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ science .

In the first half of 2019 alone, production grew by a whopping 10%. Russian gold manufacturing is booming.
Transcript:
Recently, the Ministry of Finance has published data on the production of precious metals in Russia. The production of refining gold is a record high. Refining is the process of obtaining chemically pure gold. In the first half of 2019 alone, it grew by more than 10% and exceeded 110 metric tons.
On today's show: All is not gold that glitters. How do Russian scientists get precious metal from waste?
“Pyrite cinders can act not only as a source of precious metals but also as a source of iron.”
Transparent gold for a new generation of optoelectronics.
“These films conduct current like bulk gold. But, at the same time, they are absolutely transparent.”
What properties of artificial gold are superior to those of natural gold
“ In terms of the electrical properties, these films are in no way inferior to bulk gold and, in some sense, they're even superior.”
Science
Natalya Popova, anchor : “Scientists strictly follow the golden rule — measure thrice and... No, not cut once but extract. Gold from ore.”
Research Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Very soon, this ground ore will become gold.
Victoria Getman, Senior Researcher : "We send the dried concentrate to the geoanalysis laboratory. This concentrate is analyzed for the gold content."
Doctor of Science Victoria Getman doesn't perceive the phrase "be worth its weight in gold" as a figure of speech. To get only 3-5 grams (0.09-0.16 troy ounces) of valuable metal, you have to process a whole metric ton of ore.
Tamara Matveeva, Complex Extraction Department: "Gold is extracted from refractory sulfide gold-bearing raw materials. These ores are characterized by small inclusions of gold, up to micron sizes."
Gold is included in the structure of sulfide minerals. Therefore, its extraction is an especially complicated process. To increase the efficiency of gold recovery, scientists have developed unique reagents — thermomorphic polymers which have become a good alternative to import supplies.
“These clay minerals and carbonaceous matter are natural sorbents of gold.”
The main method for gold extraction is flotation.
“After grinding, we pour the pulp into the flotation chamber. That is, this is the initial mixture of ore with water.”
Useful minerals have hydrophobic properties. They adhere to air bubbles that are in the flotation pulp, float to the surface and pass into the concentrate.
“We add a reagent to increase the flotation activity of minerals. After the minerals reacted with the reagent, we can start the process of extracting the concentrate. To do this, we turn on the air intake and foam remover. Bubbles formed which particles of gold or a gold-bearing mineral attached to.”
The main method for processing gold-bearing concentrates is the leaching process. This is a selective dissolution of a valuable component, which is transferred from the solid phase to liquid.
“The stand consists of an upper tank which contains gold-bearing material and a lower tank which contains solvent. Using a metering pump, gold-bearing material is irrigated. The solvent transfers it to the liquid phase.”
Gold-containing materials are obtained from the so-called product solution using sorption methods. These materials are smelted into ingots. Some of them are supplied to the jewelry industry. Others will be sent to bank vaults.
Science
Gold is a symbol of wealth and power. At all times, it was the engine of the world economy and often became the cause of the most bloody wars. Today, gold mines are a thing of the past. This precious metal can be obtained in the most unexpected ways. Did you know that gold can be extracted from industrial waste?
These piles are pyrite cinders. It is a by-product of the production of sulfuric acid and pyrite concentrate. Around the world, a threatening amount, millions of tons, has been accumulated over decades. Pyrite is an iron sulfide. When it is burned, sulfur dioxide is released, which is used to produce acid. Pyrite cinder is formed as a by-product.
Andrey Smorokov, a graduate student in the nuclear fuel cycle department of Tomsk Polytechnic University joined the group of initiators of the creation of a pyrite cinder laboratory when he was a student. He and his colleagues found out how to extract gold and other valuable metals from this waste. But a whole metric ton of pyrite cinder yields only 6 grams of gold (0.19 troy oz). But there are other valuable elements scientists are interested in.
Andrey Smorokov : "Pyrite cinders can act not only as a source of precious metals but also as a source of iron. That is, it can be used in metallurgical production, but it is necessary to carry out preliminary cleaning."
The extraction of valuable components is carried out using solid-phase sintering with subsequent conversion to acid solutions which then undergo the hydrometallurgical process.
- This is the source material for the operation of this installation, right?
Andrey Smorokov :
- Yes, this is the feedstock mixed with the reagent that is fed to this unit.
- Can we start the process now?
- Oh, sure. Here we have a dosing hopper. We feed our mixture in here. From here, we feed cinder first and then we feed ammonium chloride from the second hopper.
- Start.
-Within three to four hours at a temperature of 350°C (662°F), pyrite cinder and ammonium chloride are mixed and ground. Orange is an indicator of a large amount of iron. The next stage of processing is hydrometallurgical separation, the separation of each of the components using chemical reagents.
Andrey Smorokov :
- The product obtained after grinding is dissolved in water in this mixing device. The result is such a solution.
- What's in it?
- There are ferric chlorides, cuprous chlorides, and all other valuable components. Then we filter this. We separate the reacted part, which is soluble in water, and the unreacted part, mainly silicates and gypsum.
The purified and filtered solution is sent to the separation of precious impurities.
Andrey Smorokov :
- We get this solution.
- It's cleaned of iron, right?
- Yes, but it still contains copper, zinc, gold, silver, and other non-ferrous metals. The resulting iron precipitate is filtered off, calcined, and then sent to metallurgical production.
The method created in Tomsk is unique. It has no parallel in the world. Possibly, it'll be Russia that will be the first country to build a pyrite cinder processing plant with a capacity of up to 500 thousand metric tons per year.
- Can you say that the development of science is a priority for Tomsk?
Sergey Zhvachkin, Governor :
- We're the only Russian city whose charter states the importance of the university for the city. You can create a university or its departments. But it takes decades to create a science school.
- Can you name something created in Tomsk that has some feasible results?
- For example, Sibur. Do you know what they are doing now? Accelerated polymer degradation. Or a decrease in the half-life of uranium. Our scientists, together with Gazprom Neft, are studying the Paleozoic problems. Today, we have all the large companies — Rosatom, Rosneft, Gazprom, Gazprom Neft, Inter RAO.
- That is, companies come for scientific personnel. Personnel is the basis.
- The Soviet slogan goes "Personnel is everything" and it's true. Many Danish, Dutch, American, Japanese companies want to get our specialists. We graduate unique specialists. If a young man starts working for Roscosmos in the fourth year, he's never going to quit because it's an interesting job. If he works at Rosatom, he will also never leave for Denmark or Sweden, for example, because the decision of the future is complex for scientists.
Science
Transparent and flexible electronics of the future. This unique invention of Russian scientists will help in creating more advanced neurointerfaces between the brain and the computer. This is quasi-two-dimensional gold.
Alexey Arsenin, Laboratory of Nanooptics and Plasmonics : "This is a material whose atoms are very tightly connected in one plane, but the bond between its layers is weak. If we take several lattices of the material, they are very weakly connected with each other and can be separated. But the atoms in one plane are difficult to separate."
The first two-dimensional material that became known to mankind is graphene. Andrey Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, MIPT graduates, received the Nobel Prize for their research of graphene. But two-dimensional gold still could not be obtained. During sputtering, the atoms of most metals are assembled into particles resembling droplets, which gradually come together forming a metal grid. Only after the grid is full, a solid surface appears.
Alexey Arsenin : “You can't get one layer of gold. It is necessary to obtain a layer of single atoms on the surface of some material. We were able to obtain two-dimensional metal films by sputtering metals in high vacuum.”
For the first time, two-dimensional gold was obtained here, in a clean zone of the MIPT core facility.
Elena Titova, Laboratory of Optoelectronics Employee: "First, we took substrates of silicon and a layer of silicon oxide. Then, molybdenum disulfide was sprayed on top of them by chemical vapor plating. This is important because it contains sulfur and gold is able to form stable compounds with sulfur."
Her colleagues say that Lena spends literally days and nights in this laboratory. She is an expert in the optoelectronics of two-dimensional materials. It seems she's found the perfect material for the most precise optics.
Elena Titova : “Gold was deposited on a molybdenum disulfide layer by electron beam evaporation. The resulting films with a thickness of only 3-4 nanometers had the same properties as bulk gold, that is, they were solid, unlike gold deposited on other substrates.”
These thin films of quasi-two-dimensional gold are characterized by high transparency and good electrical conductivity, in contrast to thin films of gold deposited on a silicon oxide substrate, where it is first deposited in splatters and then a solid film is formed at a thickness of at least 20 nanometers.
Elena Titova : “This is a crucible with a gold target inside. A high-energy stream of electrons hits here. At high temperature, the gold evaporates and deposits on the surface which is held above.”
This technology opens up new opportunities in the field of electronics. Very soon, a new class of optical materials and even contact lenses with an integrated display may appear.
Analysts say there's only a 20-year reserve of gold in the bowels of the Earth. But Russian scientists aren't worried about the fact. They've already synthesized its analogs and now can extract gold from coal and even sulfuric acid. It sounds like alchemy but it's science.


russiainsider--2020-01-28--World's Largest, 40,000! Capacity, Orthodox Cathedral Planned Where Russia's Last Emperor was Murder

World's Largest, 40,000! Capacity, Orthodox Cathedral Planned Where Russia's Last Emperor was Murdered

40,000 Christians should fit inside this cathedral .
They plan to build it in the area near where the family of Tsar Nicholas II was killed , and it may become one of the biggest pilgrimage destinations in all of Russia .
It would measure 118,000 sq ft and have two floors with churches on each floor , totalling roughly 200,000 sq .
ft .
The largest Orthodox church in the world will be built in the territory of the female monastery dedicated to the `` Bread Dispenser '' icon of the Mother of God .
This cathedral should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its walls .
The starets of the monastery , Igumen Sergiy ( Romanov ) , announced the project .
He is an almost legendary and rather mysterious character , with links to many Russian public figures : the Duma deputy Natalja Poklonskaja ( ex-Crimean prosecutor ) , the hockey champion Pavel Datsjuk , the singer Aleksandr Novikov , and others , including several entrepreneurs and oligarchs , all ready to finance the grandiose project .
Its construction was commissioned by Fr .
Ilja Nozdin , spiritual father of the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiritual sons of the starets Sergij Romanov .
The church already attracts many Chinese .
It is an Orthodox outpost on the outskirts of Asia .
It will rise in the area where the family of Tsar Nicholas II was killed .
It could become the largest pilgrimage destination in all of Russia .
Zhanna Rjabtseva revealed some details of the building plan .
Ryabtseva is president of the regional parliament in Sverdlovsk , the Ekaterinburg area , and also a parishioner of Father Sergiy .
He states that the idea of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Igumen , father Ilja ( Nozdrin ) , spiritual father of Kirill , the Patriarch of Moscow .
The church will be dedicated to Sofia ( Divine Wisdom ) and is planned to reach 77 meters in height ( 252 feet tall ) , with a dome 22 meters ( 72 feet ) high and 33 meters ( 108 feet ) in diameter .
The entire complex will be arranged in three large naves and will contain two churches , a lower one of 11 thousand square meters ( 118,000 square feet ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upper church of 6.5 thousand square meters ( 70,000 square feet ) for over 18 thousand faithful Christians .
According to Rjabtseva , the construction of the overall base will begin this year , and the foundations will be extended over 100x100 meters .
The completion date , according to his words `` are in the hands of God , but it will be a great popular event '' .
When asked who the financiers of the project are , the only answer was that `` they will be some of Father Sergiy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rjabtseva , many Chinese will be interested in the construction , fascinated by the events that led the members of the imperial family to conclude their earthly journey on the Urals , and “ will ask to receive baptism in this place .
.
.
currently , Chinese converts go to other locations , such as the Diveevo monastery ( founded by St. Seraphim of Sarov ) or to the Holy Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius , to reach the sources of the great Russian spirituality .
In this new church , thousand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take place on a regular basis . ''
In this way , the church of St. Sophia would become the main Orthodox outpost on the outskirts of Asia .
An entrepreneur was interviewed under anonymity , and he explained that the fundraising had already been underway for the past couple of years .
He said it took only a year and a half to determine where the church would be built , and on which land — three and a half hectares ( 8.6 acres ) of countryside owned by the Krekov family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to the diocese of Ekaterinburg , for a sum that remained reserved , presumably close to 5 million euros ( 5.5 million US Dollars ) .
So far , the Krekovs have rejected all requests for interviews , declaring only that `` our silence was one of the conditions of the agreement '' .
The diocese has not commented on the project yet , but has promised to convene journalists on the matter shortly .
In the circles of the Muscovite Patriarchate there is no precise information on this future super-cathedral , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been discussing various devotional and architectural initiatives to honor the memory of the Tsar-martyr and his family in the Ekaterinburg area .
On the site of the assassination of Nicholas II , the `` Ipat'ev house '' , the large church `` on Blood '' has already been built , of over 3 thousand square meters ( 32,000 square feet ) for a capacity of about 2 thousand Christians .
The other major cathedrals of Russia are the Patriarchal cathedral of the Holy Savior in Moscow , planned for 10 thousand faithful , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Petersburg for over 11 thousand .
This great new church in the Urals could become the largest pilgrimage destination in all of Russia .

40,000 Christians should fit inside this cathedral. They plan to build it in the area near where the family of Tsar Nicholas II was killed, and it may become one of the biggest pilgrimage destinations in all of Russia. It would measure 118,000 sq ft and have two floors with churches on each floor, totalling roughly 200,000 sq. ft.
The largest Orthodox church in the world will be built in the territory of the female monastery dedicated to the "Bread Dispenser" icon of the Mother of God. This cathedral should be capable of gathering nearly 40,000 faithful within its walls.
The starets of the monastery, Igumen Sergiy (Romanov), announced the project. He is an almost legendary and rather mysterious character, with links to many Russian public figures: the Duma deputy Natalja Poklonskaja (ex-Crimean prosecutor), the hockey champion Pavel Datsjuk, the singer Aleksandr Novikov, and others, including several entrepreneurs and oligarchs, all ready to finance the grandiose project.
Its construction was commissioned by Fr. Ilja Nozdin, spiritual father of the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. It will be financed by some spiritual sons of the starets Sergij Romanov. The church already attracts many Chinese. It is an Orthodox outpost on the outskirts of Asia. It will rise in the area where the family of Tsar Nicholas II was killed. It could become the largest pilgrimage destination in all of Russia.
Zhanna Rjabtseva revealed some details of the building plan. Ryabtseva is president of the regional parliament in Sverdlovsk, the Ekaterinburg area, and also a parishioner of Father Sergiy. He states that the idea of this super-church was approved directly by another famous Igumen, father Ilja (Nozdrin), spiritual father of Kirill, the Patriarch of Moscow. The church will be dedicated to Sofia (Divine Wisdom) and is planned to reach 77 meters in height (252 feet tall), with a dome 22 meters (72 feet) high and 33 meters (108 feet) in diameter.
The entire complex will be arranged in three large naves and will contain two churches, a lower one of 11 thousand square meters (118,000 square feet) for 20 thousand people, and an upper church of 6.5 thousand square meters (70,000 square feet) for over 18 thousand faithful Christians.
According to Rjabtseva, the construction of the overall base will begin this year, and the foundations will be extended over 100x100 meters. The completion date, according to his words "are in the hands of God, but it will be a great popular event". When asked who the financiers of the project are, the only answer was that "they will be some of Father Sergiy's spiritual children."
According to Rjabtseva, many Chinese will be interested in the construction, fascinated by the events that led the members of the imperial family to conclude their earthly journey on the Urals, and “will ask to receive baptism in this place . . . currently, Chinese converts go to other locations, such as the Diveevo monastery (founded by St. Seraphim of Sarov) or to the Holy Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius, to reach the sources of the great Russian spirituality. In this new church, thousand of baptisms of Chinese are expected to take place on a regular basis." In this way, the church of St. Sophia would become the main Orthodox outpost on the outskirts of Asia.
Igumen Sergiy (Romanov)
An entrepreneur was interviewed under anonymity, and he explained that the fundraising had already been underway for the past couple of years. He said it took only a year and a half to determine where the church would be built, and on which land — three and a half hectares (8.6 acres) of countryside owned by the Krekov family. President Rjabtseva convinced them to sell it to the diocese of Ekaterinburg, for a sum that remained reserved, presumably close to 5 million euros (5.5 million US Dollars). So far, the Krekovs have rejected all requests for interviews, declaring only that "our silence was one of the conditions of the agreement".
The diocese has not commented on the project yet, but has promised to convene journalists on the matter shortly. In the circles of the Muscovite Patriarchate there is no precise information on this future super-cathedral, but for some time now they have been discussing various devotional and architectural initiatives to honor the memory of the Tsar-martyr and his family in the Ekaterinburg area.
On the site of the assassination of Nicholas II, the "Ipat'ev house", the large church "on Blood" has already been built, of over 3 thousand square meters (32,000 square feet) for a capacity of about 2 thousand Christians. The other major cathedrals of Russia are the Patriarchal cathedral of the Holy Savior in Moscow, planned for 10 thousand faithful, and the St. Isaac cathedral in St. Petersburg for over 11 thousand. This great new church in the Urals could become the largest pilgrimage destination in all of Russia.


russiainsider--2020-01-28--Ukraine’s Population Has Dropped From 52 Million Under the Soviets to 37 Million Today

New census finds that there are 37.3M people in the Ukraine , down by almost 30 % relative to their Soviet era peak of 52M .
This means that at least semi-officially , the Ukraine now has a lower population than Poland for the first time in recorded history .
In reality , even this is probably a significant overestimate : • Official pop ( Dec 2019 ) : 41.9M – official LDNR pop : ( 2.29M ) + ( 1.46 ) ≈ 3.8M = 38.1M in Ukraine ( de facto ) • Difference between the two figures , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 0.8M So either pretty much the entire LDNR migrated to Ukraine , or there ’ s just ~1-1.5M Ukrainian Gastarbeiters .
Neither are very plausible .
Life in the LDNR isn ’ t great , but it beats homelessness elsewhere .
And it is estimated that there is at least one million Ukrainians in Poland alone – something that can be anecdotally confirmed by a few Uber trips in Warszawa .
There ’ s a reason I put apostrophes around Census .
It is nothing of the sort : Actual censuses in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2001 , with the next one tentatively planned for this year ( assuming it isn ’ t canceled again ) .
This is just an estimate based on the number of cell phones , taxpayer records , and the pensions/social registry .
Without delving into methodology : People can have multiple SIM cards ; you don ’ t get auto-deleted from taxpayer and pensions registries when you leave ( especially if it ’ s for seasonal Gastarbeiter work like most Ukrainian emigration is ) .
So I maintain my position that the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one time would be ~33.5M plus minus a couple of million .
The quasi-census also helpfully provides regional numbers , which can be compared to official statistics ( as of November 2019 ) : This allows us to introduce more nuance to discussions about Ukrainian demographics beyond simplistic takes such as the greater fertility rates of the Far West and the “ dying out ” of the east .
Because those are long-term considerations .
In the immediate present , Ukrainian demographics is dominated by differential migration rates .
( 1 ) The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primarily the western ones – are emptying out at a rate that far exceeds their fertility advantage .
Although it is true that all pretty much all Ukrainian regions now contribute Gastarbeiters to Visegrad , whereas once it was overwhelmingly westerners , the latter are still doing much more of it as a share of their population .
20-25 % of the populations of those regions are missing , and as I argued above , that is probably an underestimate .
( 2 ) The Novorossiya regions with the millionik industrial cities – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zaporozhye – are declining to a much lesser extent , with strong immigration from within Ukraine largely balancing out the Gastarbeiters they spew out into Visegrad and Russia .
So as far as future Ukraine-Russia relations go , the important question now becomes whether the Ukrainian immigrants to these cities impose their own culture on these regions , which are more Russophile than the Ukrainian average ( esp .
Kharkov and Odessa ) ; or whether they assimilate to the existing values of the old residents .
Historically , it ’ s usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cicerone points out , even as the Ukraine empties out , Kiev might have paradoxically become one of the fastest growing cities in Europe , with an estimated population of 3.7M vs. the official 3.0M : “ This is more realistic as well , as by official figures , the TFR in Kiev is much higher than the national average , which doesn ’ t really make sense.
” ( 4 ) Surprisingly , both Donetsk oblast and – especially – Lugansk oblasts have many more people than official statistics suggest ( after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some of that reflects genuine LDNR emigration – primarily for economic reasons , since wages in the LDNR are now low relative to the Ukraine , whereas Donetsk ’ s were once second only to Kiev ’ s ; but in a few cases for ideological reasons , too .
However , I suspect a significant or majority part of this “ migration ” is fictive , driven by a combination of the need to maintain documentation within the Ukraine for banal bureaucratic reasons .
At any rate , the huge discrepancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afoot .

Pro-western independence hasn’t been exactly great for Ukraine so far
New census finds that there are 37.3M people in the Ukraine, down by almost 30% relative to their Soviet era peak of 52M. This means that at least semi-officially, the Ukraine now has a lower population than Poland for the first time in recorded history.
In reality, even this is probably a significant overestimate:
This new census: 37.3M
Difference between the two figures, both of which exclude Crimea and the LDNR: 0.8M
So either pretty much the entire LDNR migrated to Ukraine, or there’s just ~1-1.5M Ukrainian Gastarbeiters. Neither are very plausible. Life in the LDNR isn’t great, but it beats homelessness elsewhere. And it is estimated that there is at least one million Ukrainians in Poland alone – something that can be anecdotally confirmed by a few Uber trips in Warszawa.
There’s a reason I put apostrophes around Census. It is nothing of the sort: Actual censuses in the Ukraine have been postponed ever since 2001, with the next one tentatively planned for this year (assuming it isn’t canceled again). This is just an estimate based on the number of cell phones, taxpayer records, and the pensions/social registry. Without delving into methodology: People can have multiple SIM cards; you don’t get auto-deleted from taxpayer and pensions registries when you leave (especially if it’s for seasonal Gastarbeiter work like most Ukrainian emigration is).
So I maintain my position that the number of people in the Ukraine at any one time would be ~33.5M plus minus a couple of million.
***
The quasi-census also helpfully provides regional numbers, which can be compared to official statistics (as of November 2019):
Official E-Census % Dif Lugansk (-LNR)* 677,181 1,127,500 166% Kiev oblast 1,779,704 2,286,400 128% KIEV 2,966,278 3,703,100 125% Donetsk (-DNR)* 1,844,399 1,981,200 107% Kharkov 2,659,937 2,795,000 105% Dnepropetrovsk 3,179,008 3,230,000 102% Odessa 2,377,037 2,347,900 99% Zaporozhye 1,688,829 1,656,700 98% Poltava 1,388,184 1,337,000 96% Nikolaev 1,120,789 1,053,000 94% Chernihiv 992,468 912,600 92% Cherkasy 1,193,275 1,088,100 91% Lvov 2,513,007 2,290,100 91% UKRAINE 41,922,670 37,289,400 89% Kherson 1,028,830 913,700 89% Kirovohrad 934,021 826,800 89% Zhytomyr 1,209,272 1,062,600 88% Volyn 1,031,821 903,600 88% Sumy 1,069,138 932,500 87% Vinnytsia 1,546,620 1,331,400 86% Ivano-Frankivsk 1,368,440 1,125,700 82% Rivne 1,153,514 943,600 82% Khmelnytsky 1,255,522 1,024,700 82% Chernivtsi 901,910 727,600 81% Transcarpathian 1,254,267 924,700 74% Ternopilska 1,039,219 736,600 71%
* Adjusting official figures.
Donetsk: 4,134,399 – 2,290,000 = 1,844,399.
Lugansk: 2,137,181 – 1,460,000 = 677,181.
This allows us to introduce more nuance to discussions about Ukrainian demographics beyond simplistic takes such as the greater fertility rates of the Far West and the “dying out” of the east.
Because those are long-term considerations. In the immediate present, Ukrainian demographics is dominated by differential migration rates.
(1) The poorer rural areas – and these are primarily the western ones – are emptying out at a rate that far exceeds their fertility advantage. Although it is true that all pretty much all Ukrainian regions now contribute Gastarbeiters to Visegrad, whereas once it was overwhelmingly westerners, the latter are still doing much more of it as a share of their population. 20-25% of the populations of those regions are missing, and as I argued above, that is probably an underestimate.
(2) The Novorossiya regions with the millionik industrial cities – Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Odessa, even Zaporozhye – are declining to a much lesser extent, with strong immigration from within Ukraine largely balancing out the Gastarbeiters they spew out into Visegrad and Russia. So as far as future Ukraine-Russia relations go, the important question now becomes whether the Ukrainian immigrants to these cities impose their own culture on these regions, which are more Russophile than the Ukrainian average (esp. Kharkov and Odessa); or whether they assimilate to the existing values of the old residents. Historically, it’s usually the latter.
(3) As Cicerone points out, even as the Ukraine empties out, Kiev might have paradoxically become one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, with an estimated population of 3.7M vs. the official 3.0M: “This is more realistic as well, as by official figures, the TFR in Kiev is much higher than the national average, which doesn’t really make sense.”
(4) Surprisingly, both Donetsk oblast and – especially – Lugansk oblasts have many more people than official statistics suggest (after subtracting official LDNR stats). Presumably, some of that reflects genuine LDNR emigration – primarily for economic reasons, since wages in the LDNR are now low relative to the Ukraine, whereas Donetsk’s were once second only to Kiev’s; but in a few cases for ideological reasons, too. However, I suspect a significant or majority part of this “migration” is fictive, driven by a combination of the need to maintain documentation within the Ukraine for banal bureaucratic reasons. At any rate, the huge discrepancy between Donetsk and Lugansk suggests something fishy afoot.


russiainsider--2020-01-29--Trump Refuses to Rein in Antifa Even When they Terrorize His Base, to Please His Zionist Paymasters

With the 50-60,000 strong Democratic Socialists of America recently electing to provide material support and manpower to the once tiny cells of anarchist terrorists , this red terror is only getting worse .
This haunting image of an elderly man being pummeled and robbed by anarchists while leaving a Donald Trump rally in Minneapolis ought to be on the front page of every conservative outlet .
It is n't .
Instead , the homepages of Breitbart and Drudge are occupied with Zionist war propaganda , Hillary Clinton drama and Pocohantas jokes .
That 's because this disgusting scene is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is to the army of psychopaths who have taken over the streets of our major cities since 2016 .
They fear a congruent response from the public , similar to what was seen at Berkeley and Charlottesville , that could up-end the status quo far more than masked criminals effectively making Trump 's supporters afraid to go outside .
The main strawman right-wing ( and left-wing ) critics of popular defense groups attack is that some anti-communist organizations have National Socialist or Fascist leanings , and thus they are `` impossible '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the ADL and the unfree press construct comic book Manichean narratives about it .
Yet outside of the largely purged Ann Coulter , not one right-wing figure will come to the full-throated defense of non-racial groups defending their communities from communist brutality with traditional flag-waving conservative ideologies like Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys .
As we speak , Proud Boy Tusitala `` Tiny '' Toese and Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson are fighting trumped up and selectively applied felony charges related to an incident at `` Cider Riot , '' where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulators now admit is owned by a Jewish anarchist soccer hooligan who used the venue to host meetings with armed leftist paramilitary groups .
In places like Minnesota and Oregon , Trump can claim that the federal government technically does not have jurisdiction over Antifa embracing mayors like Ted Wheeler using their local police forces as support cavalry for groups like `` Rose City Antifa . ''
But if Trump appointee Thomas Cullen can use his power as a federal prosecutor to go after men like Daniel McMahon ( `` Jack Corbin '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's commie vigilantes , why is n't the White House ordering a crackdown on groups terrorizing its own supporters and voters ?
The problem of anarchist and communist violence is only getting worse .
Thanks to the corruption of local police departments , controlled media and government , journalists who are not extreme-leftists themselves like Andy Ngo and Tim Pool are afraid to objectively cover these events .
The massive wave of political censorship on Youtube and Twitter has made it difficult for independent journalists to share data , images and videos that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as seen in the case of Dr Eoin Lenihan .
When some truth does shine through the cracks at Fox News , the conservative ideology of profits being above white people leads to a distorted lens where damage to property , police overtime costs and the broken windows of corporate restaurants are emphasized while bleeding heads and terrified elders are papered over .
As for the left-wing paramilitary groups , they are growing in number and are emboldened not only by Trump 's flagrant inaction , but by his FBI 's campaign of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who decided to make a stand and protect ordinary citizens engaging in their First Amendment rights .
With the 50-60,000 strong Democratic Socialists of America recently electing to provide material support and manpower to the once tiny cells of anarchist terrorists , this red terror is only getting worse .
The blackshirts and Proud Boys who once provided security to normal Americans have all been sued or imprisoned .
Never have normal , socially conservative Americans been more censored and afraid to speak their minds than today , under Trump .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pundits at Prager , Blaze , TPUSA that he has betrayed his original populist movement for have no interest in anything other than their immediate financial well-being and Israel .
Going into 2020 , Trump 's only major achievement has been to Make Antifa Great Again .

With the 50-60,000 strong Democratic Socialists of America recently electing to provide material support and manpower to the once tiny cells of anarchist terrorists, this red terror is only getting worse.
This haunting image of an elderly man being pummeled and robbed by anarchists while leaving a Donald Trump rally in Minneapolis ought to be on the front page of every conservative outlet. It isn't. Instead, the homepages of Breitbart and Drudge are occupied with Zionist war propaganda, Hillary Clinton drama and Pocohantas jokes.
That's because this disgusting scene is more embarrassing to conservatives and president Trump than it is to the army of psychopaths who have taken over the streets of our major cities since 2016. They fear a congruent response from the public, similar to what was seen at Berkeley and Charlottesville, that could up-end the status quo far more than masked criminals effectively making Trump's supporters afraid to go outside.
The main strawman right-wing (and left-wing) critics of popular defense groups attack is that some anti-communist organizations have National Socialist or Fascist leanings, and thus they are "impossible" or "bad optics" to defend when the ADL and the unfree press construct comic book Manichean narratives about it.
Yet outside of the largely purged Ann Coulter, not one right-wing figure will come to the full-throated defense of non-racial groups defending their communities from communist brutality with traditional flag-waving conservative ideologies like Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys. As we speak, Proud Boy Tusitala "Tiny" Toese and Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson are fighting trumped up and selectively applied felony charges related to an incident at "Cider Riot," where they defended themselves in a bar state regulators now admit is owned by a Jewish anarchist soccer hooligan who used the venue to host meetings with armed leftist paramilitary groups.
In places like Minnesota and Oregon, Trump can claim that the federal government technically does not have jurisdiction over Antifa embracing mayors like Ted Wheeler using their local police forces as support cavalry for groups like "Rose City Antifa." But if Trump appointee Thomas Cullen can use his power as a federal prosecutor to go after men like Daniel McMahon ("Jack Corbin") in retaliation for unmasking deep state's commie vigilantes, why isn't the White House ordering a crackdown on groups terrorizing its own supporters and voters?
The problem of anarchist and communist violence is only getting worse. Thanks to the corruption of local police departments, controlled media and government, journalists who are not extreme-leftists themselves like Andy Ngo and Tim Pool are afraid to objectively cover these events.
The massive wave of political censorship on Youtube and Twitter has made it difficult for independent journalists to share data, images and videos that might challenge the lies in print, as seen in the case of Dr Eoin Lenihan. When some truth does shine through the cracks at Fox News, the conservative ideology of profits being above white people leads to a distorted lens where damage to property, police overtime costs and the broken windows of corporate restaurants are emphasized while bleeding heads and terrified elders are papered over.
As for the left-wing paramilitary groups, they are growing in number and are emboldened not only by Trump's flagrant inaction, but by his FBI's campaign of violent suppression and solitary confinement torture against those who decided to make a stand and protect ordinary citizens engaging in their First Amendment rights.
With the 50-60,000 strong Democratic Socialists of America recently electing to provide material support and manpower to the once tiny cells of anarchist terrorists, this red terror is only getting worse. The blackshirts and Proud Boys who once provided security to normal Americans have all been sued or imprisoned.
Never have normal, socially conservative Americans been more censored and afraid to speak their minds than today, under Trump. Trump's pathetic gaggle of gay and Jewish pundits at Prager, Blaze, TPUSA that he has betrayed his original populist movement for have no interest in anything other than their immediate financial well-being and Israel.
Going into 2020, Trump's only major achievement has been to Make Antifa Great Again.


russiainsider--2020-01-29--Alt-Media Legend 'Consortium News' Takes Legal Step to Sue Canada's Top Broadcaster for Libel for 'R

Alt-Media Legend 'Consortium News' Takes Legal Step to Sue Canada's Top Broadcaster for Libel for 'Russian Agent' Smear

WASHINGTON ( Sputnik ) – Consortium News ( CN ) has sent libel notices to Canada 's Communications Security Establishment ( CSE ) and the Global News broadcaster for their assertions that the independent publication was complicit in alleged Russian “ online and cyber influence campaigns , ” the outlet said in a news release .
The original Global News article published on December 10 , which cited internal CSE documents marked CEO ( Canadian Eyes Only ) , alleged that CN partook in a Russian disinformation campaign to discredit top Canadian officials , including then-Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The article referred to a CN publication titled , “ A Nazi Skeleton in the Family Closet , ” which exposed Freeland ’ s maternal grandfather , Michael ( Mykhailo ) Chomiak , as the editor of a Nazi-sponsored Ukrainian-language newspaper called Krakivski Visti who also settled in a confiscated Jewish apartment in Krakow .
Freeland for years had avoided publicly discussing her family history , stating that her grandparents ’ love for Canada was inspired by their escape from Soviet-occupied Ukraine as refugees and described her grandfather as simply a lawyer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Freeland appears to have known about her Nazi past for decades .
In March 2017 , Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reported that Freeland edited the work of her uncle by marriage John-Paul Himka , a retired history professor at the University of Alberta , who in 1996 uncovered Chomiak ’ s former role at the Krakivski Visti publication .
When pressed about her family history , Freeland neither denied nor acknowledged the revelation , only chalking up the findings to an alleged Russian disinformation effort .
`` I do n't think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have publicly said , and even [ German Chancellor ] Angela Merkel has publicly said , that there were efforts on the Russian side to destabilize Western democracies , and I think it should n't come as a surprise if these same efforts were used against Canada , '' Freeland said during a press conference at the time .
The current deputy prime minister ’ s dismissal of the subject was subject to widespread scrutiny from the Canadian media at the time .
The controversy was seen by some as the real reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Ottawa , including press secretary Kirill Kalinin , who Ottawa alleged to be behind a disinformation campaign .
Consortium News ( CN ) was founded by renowned American investigative journalist Robert Parry , who played a pivotal role in the Associated Press ’ coverage of the Iran–Contra affair .
The outlet employs a number of esteemed journalists and even former members of the US intelligence community .
According to Lauria , the publication is funded exclusively by the readers , without any monetary assistance on the part of any government .

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Consortium News (CN) has sent libel notices to Canada's Communications Security Establishment (CSE) and the Global News broadcaster for their assertions that the independent publication was complicit in alleged Russian “online and cyber influence campaigns,” the outlet said in a news release.
“Consortium News has sent libel notices to the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), Canada’s version of the U.S. National Security Agency, and to a major Canadian television network, Global News, for a report that said Consortium News was ‘part of a cyber-influence campaign directed by Russia,’” a statement on Tuesday by CN Editor-in-Chief Joe Lauria read.
The original Global News article published on December 10, which cited internal CSE documents marked CEO (Canadian Eyes Only), alleged that CN partook in a Russian disinformation campaign to discredit top Canadian officials, including then-Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan.
The article referred to a CN publication titled, “A Nazi Skeleton in the Family Closet,” which exposed Freeland’s maternal grandfather, Michael (Mykhailo) Chomiak, as the editor of a Nazi-sponsored Ukrainian-language newspaper called Krakivski Visti who also settled in a confiscated Jewish apartment in Krakow.
Freeland for years had avoided publicly discussing her family history, stating that her grandparents’ love for Canada was inspired by their escape from Soviet-occupied Ukraine as refugees and described her grandfather as simply a lawyer and journalist, CN stated.
However, Freeland appears to have known about her Nazi past for decades. In March 2017, Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reported that Freeland edited the work of her uncle by marriage John-Paul Himka, a retired history professor at the University of Alberta, who in 1996 uncovered Chomiak’s former role at the Krakivski Visti publication.
When pressed about her family history, Freeland neither denied nor acknowledged the revelation, only chalking up the findings to an alleged Russian disinformation effort.
"I don't think it's a secret. American officials have publicly said, and even [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel has publicly said, that there were efforts on the Russian side to destabilize Western democracies, and I think it shouldn't come as a surprise if these same efforts were used against Canada," Freeland said during a press conference at the time.
The current deputy prime minister’s dismissal of the subject was subject to widespread scrutiny from the Canadian media at the time.
The controversy was seen by some as the real reason for the expulsion of four Russian diplomats from Ottawa, including press secretary Kirill Kalinin, who Ottawa alleged to be behind a disinformation campaign.
“Trying to silence an official spokesman of the embassy doesn’t mean you are right ... Expelling someone for voicing an alternative opinion or giving a different analysis of a situation is very un-Canadian,” Kalinin countered in an interview.
Consortium News (CN) was founded by renowned American investigative journalist Robert Parry, who played a pivotal role in the Associated Press’ coverage of the Iran–Contra affair. The outlet employs a number of esteemed journalists and even former members of the US intelligence community. According to Lauria, the publication is funded exclusively by the readers, without any monetary assistance on the part of any government.


russiainsider--2020-01-29--Why Russia/China/Eurasia Are a 'Threat' to the US - Battle of the Ages Part 2

This is part 2 of an article we ran last week : The US Is in a 'Battle for the Ages ' Against Russia/China to Stop Eurasian Integration - It 's Going to Get Much Worse Under the cascading roar of the 24/7 news cycle cum Twitter eruptions , it ’ s easy for most of the West , especially the US , to forget the basics about the interaction of Eurasia with its western peninsula , Europe .
Asia and Europe have been trading goods and ideas since at least 3,500 BC .
Historically , the flux may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the irruption of 5th-century nomad horsemen in the Eurasian plains .
But it was essentially steady up to the end of the 15th century .
We can essentially describe it as a millennium-old axis – from Greece to Persia , from the Roman empire to China .
A land route with myriad ramifications , through Central Asia , Afghanistan , Iran and Turkey , linking India and China to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea , ended up coalescing into what we came to know as the Ancient Silk Roads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routes and sea trade routes were in direct competition .
And the Iranian plateau always played a key role in this process .
The Iranian plateau historically includes Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia linking it to Xinjiang to the east , and to the west all the way to Anatolia .
The Persian empire was all about land trade – the key node between India and China and the Eastern Mediterranean .
The Persians engaged the Phoenicians in the Syrian coastline as their partners to manage sea trade in the Mediterranean .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a node between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean .
Because of the partnership with the Phoenicians , the Persians would inevitably be antagonized by the Greeks – a sea trading power .
When the Chinese , promoting the New Silk Roads , emphasize “ people to people exchange ” as one of its main traits , they mean the millenary Euro-Asia dialogue .
History may even have aborted two massive , direct encounters .
The first was after Alexander The Great defeated Darius III of Persia .
But then Alexander ’ s Seleucid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Central Asia : the Parthians – who ended up taking over Persia and Mesopotamia and made the Euphrates the limes between them and the Seleucids .
The second encounter was when emperor Trajan , in 116 AD , after defeating the Parthians , reached the Persian Gulf .
But Hadrian backed off – so history did not register what would have been a direct encounter between Rome , via Persia , with India and China , or the Mediterranean meeting with the Pacific .
The last western stretch of the Ancient Silk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maritime Silk Road .
From the Black Sea to the Nile delta , we had a string of pearls in the form of Italian city/emporia , a mix of end journey for caravans and naval bases , which then moved Asian products to Italian ports .
Commercial centers between Constantinople and Crimea configured another Silk Road branch through Russia all the way to Novgorod , which was very close culturally to the Byzantine world .
From Novgorod , merchants from Hamburg and other cities of the Hanseatic League distributed Asian products to markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the way to England – in parallel to the southern routes followed by the maritime Italian republics .
Between the Mediterranean and China , the Ancient Silk Roads were of course mostly overland .
But there were a few maritime routes as well .
The major civilization poles involved were peasant and artisanal , not maritime .
Up to the 15th century , no one was really thinking about turbulent , interminable oceanic navigation .
The main players were China and India in Asia , and Italy and Germany in Europe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ imported by the Italians .
That explains , in a nutshell , the structural marriage of the Holy Roman Empire .
At the geographic heart of the Ancient Silk Roads , we had deserts and the vast steppes , trespassed by sparse tribes of shepherds and nomad hunters .
All across those vast lands north of the Himalayas , the Silk Road network served mostly the four main players .
One can imagine how the emergence of a huge political power uniting all those nomads would be in fact the main beneficiary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually happened .
Things started to change when the nomad shepherds of Central-South Asia started to have their tribes regimented as horseback archers by politico-military leaders such as Genghis Khan .
Welcome to the Mongol globalization .
That was actually the fourth globalization in history , after the Syrian , the Persian and the Arab .
Under the Mongolian Ilkhanate , the Iranian plateau – once again playing a major role – linked China to the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia in the Mediterranean .
The Mongols didn ’ t go for a Silk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during Kublai Khan – and Marco Polo ’ s travels – the Silk Road was free and open .
The Mongols only wanted caravans to pay a toll .
With the Turks , it was a completely different story .
They consolidated Turkestan , from Central Asia to northwest China .
The only reason Tamerlan did not annex India is that he died beforehand .
But even the Turks did not want to shut down the Silk Road .
They wanted to control it .
Venice lost its last direct Silk Road access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trebizond , which was still clinging to the Byzantine empire .
With the Silk Road closed to the Europeans , the Turks – with an empire ranging from Central-South Asia to the Mediterranean – were convinced they now controlled trade between Europe and Asia .
Not so fast .
Because that was when European kingdoms facing the Atlantic came up with the ultimate Plan B : a new maritime road to India .
And the rest – North Atlantic hegemony – is history .
The Enlightenment could not possibly box Asia inside its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand Asia , proclaimed it was some sort of proteiform historical detritus and turned its undivided attention to “ virgin , ” or “ promised ” lands elsewhere on the planet .
We all know how England , from the 18th century onwards , took control of the entire trans-oceanic routes and turned North Atlantic supremacy into a lone superpower game – till the mantle was usurped by the US .
Yet all the time there has been counter-pressure from the Eurasian Heartland powers .
That ’ s the stuff of international relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the young 21st century into what could be simplified as The Revenge of the Heartland against Sea Power .
But still , that does not tell the whole story .
Rationalist hegemony in Europe progressively led to an incapacity to understand diversity – or The Other , as in Asia .
Real Euro-Asia dialogue – the de facto true engine of history – had been dwindling for most of the past two centuries .
Europe owes its DNA not only to much-hailed Athens and Rome – but to Byzantium as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ East but also the European East , heir to Byzantium , became incomprehensible , quasi incommunicado with Western Europe , or submerged by pathetic clichés .
The Belt and Road Initiative ( BRI ) , as in the Chinese-led New Silk Roads , are a historical game-changer in infinite ways .
Slowly and surely , we are evolving towards the configuration of an economically interlinked group of top Eurasian land powers , from Shanghai to the Ruhr valley , profiting in a coordinated manner from the huge technological know-how of Germany and China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Raging 2020s may signify the historical juncture when this bloc surpasses the current , hegemonic Atlanticist bloc .
Now compare it with the prime US strategic objective at all times , for decades : to establish , via myriad forms of divide and rule , that relations between Germany , Russia and China must be the worst possible .
No wonder strategic fear was glaringly visible at the NATO summit in London last month , which called for ratcheting up pressure on Russia-China .
Call it the late Zbigniew “ Grand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recurrent nightmare .
Germany soon will have a larger than life decision to make .
It ’ s like this was a renewal – in way more dramatic terms – of the Atlanticist vs Ostpolitik debate .
German business knows that the only way for a sovereign Germany to consolidate its role as a global export powerhouse is to become a close business partner of Eurasia .
In parallel , Moscow and Beijing have come to the conclusion that the US trans-oceanic strategic ring can only be broken through the actions of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union ( EAEU ) , Shanghai Cooperation Organization ( SCO ) , BRICS+ and the BRICS ’ New Development Bank ( NDB ) , the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank ( AIIB ) .
The Ancient Silk Road was not a single camel caravan route but an inter-communicating maze .
Since the mid-1990s I ’ ve had the privilege to travel almost every important stretch – and then , one day , you see the complete puzzle .
The New Silk Roads , if they fulfill their potential , pledge to do the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – or controlled – by a global naval superpower .
But overland trade can only prosper in peace .
Thus the New Silk Roads potential as The Great Pacifier in Southwest Asia – what the Western-centric view calls the Middle East .
The Middle East ( remember Palmyra ) was always a key hub of the Ancient Silk Roads , the great overland axis of Euro-Asia trade going all the way to the Mediterranean .
For centuries , a quartet of regional powers – Egypt , Syria , Mesopotamia ( now Iraq ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been fighting for hegemony over the whole area from the Nile delta to the Persian Gulf .
More recently , it has been a case of external hegemony : Ottoman Turk , British and American .
So delicate , so fragile , so immensely rich in culture , no other region in the world has been , continually , since the dawn of history , an absolutely key zone .
Of course , the Middle East was also a crisis zone even before oil was found ( the Babylonians , by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Middle East is a key stop in the 21st century , trans-oceanic supply chain routes – thus its geopolitical importance for the current superpower , among other geoeconomic , energy-related reasons .
But its best and brightest know the Middle East does not need to remain a center of war , or intimations of war , which , incidentally , affect three of those historical , regional powers of the quartet ( Syria , Iraq and Iran ) .
What the New Silk Roads are proposing is wide-ranging , economic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Central Asia , to Iran , Iraq and Syria all the way to the Eastern Mediterranean .
Just like the Ancient Silk Roads .
No wonder vested War Party interests are so uncomfortable with this real peace “ threat .
”

This is part 2 of an article we ran last week: The US Is in a 'Battle for the Ages' Against Russia/China to Stop Eurasian Integration - It's Going to Get Much Worse
Under the cascading roar of the 24/7 news cycle cum Twitter eruptions, it’s easy for most of the West, especially the US, to forget the basics about the interaction of Eurasia with its western peninsula, Europe.
Asia and Europe have been trading goods and ideas since at least 3,500 BC. Historically, the flux may have suffered some occasional bumps – for instance, with the irruption of 5th-century nomad horsemen in the Eurasian plains. But it was essentially steady up to the end of the 15th century. We can essentially describe it as a millennium-old axis – from Greece to Persia, from the Roman empire to China.
A land route with myriad ramifications, through Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey, linking India and China to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea, ended up coalescing into what we came to know as the Ancient Silk Roads.
By the 7th century, land routes and sea trade routes were in direct competition. And the Iranian plateau always played a key role in this process.
The Iranian plateau historically includes Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia linking it to Xinjiang to the east, and to the west all the way to Anatolia. The Persian empire was all about land trade – the key node between India and China and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Persians engaged the Phoenicians in the Syrian coastline as their partners to manage sea trade in the Mediterranean. Enterprising people in Tyre established Carthage as a node between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean. Because of the partnership with the Phoenicians, the Persians would inevitably be antagonized by the Greeks – a sea trading power.
When the Chinese, promoting the New Silk Roads, emphasize “people to people exchange” as one of its main traits, they mean the millenary Euro-Asia dialogue. History may even have aborted two massive, direct encounters.
The first was after Alexander The Great defeated Darius III of Persia. But then Alexander’s Seleucid successors had to fight the rising power in Central Asia: the Parthians – who ended up taking over Persia and Mesopotamia and made the Euphrates the limes between them and the Seleucids.
The second encounter was when emperor Trajan, in 116 AD, after defeating the Parthians, reached the Persian Gulf. But Hadrian backed off – so history did not register what would have been a direct encounter between Rome, via Persia, with India and China, or the Mediterranean meeting with the Pacific.
Mongol globalization
The last western stretch of the Ancient Silk Roads was, in fact, a Maritime Silk Road. From the Black Sea to the Nile delta, we had a string of pearls in the form of Italian city/emporia, a mix of end journey for caravans and naval bases, which then moved Asian products to Italian ports.
Commercial centers between Constantinople and Crimea configured another Silk Road branch through Russia all the way to Novgorod, which was very close culturally to the Byzantine world. From Novgorod, merchants from Hamburg and other cities of the Hanseatic League distributed Asian products to markets in the Baltics, northern Europe and all the way to England – in parallel to the southern routes followed by the maritime Italian republics.
Between the Mediterranean and China, the Ancient Silk Roads were of course mostly overland. But there were a few maritime routes as well. The major civilization poles involved were peasant and artisanal, not maritime. Up to the 15th century, no one was really thinking about turbulent, interminable oceanic navigation.
The main players were China and India in Asia, and Italy and Germany in Europe. Germany was the prime consumer of goods imported by the Italians. That explains, in a nutshell, the structural marriage of the Holy Roman Empire.
At the geographic heart of the Ancient Silk Roads, we had deserts and the vast steppes, trespassed by sparse tribes of shepherds and nomad hunters. All across those vast lands north of the Himalayas, the Silk Road network served mostly the four main players. One can imagine how the emergence of a huge political power uniting all those nomads would be in fact the main beneficiary of Silk Road trade.
Well, that actually happened. Things started to change when the nomad shepherds of Central-South Asia started to have their tribes regimented as horseback archers by politico-military leaders such as Genghis Khan.
Welcome to the Mongol globalization. That was actually the fourth globalization in history, after the Syrian, the Persian and the Arab. Under the Mongolian Ilkhanate, the Iranian plateau – once again playing a major role – linked China to the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia in the Mediterranean.
The Mongols didn’t go for a Silk Road monopoly. On the contrary: during Kublai Khan – and Marco Polo’s travels – the Silk Road was free and open. The Mongols only wanted caravans to pay a toll.
With the Turks, it was a completely different story. They consolidated Turkestan, from Central Asia to northwest China. The only reason Tamerlan did not annex India is that he died beforehand. But even the Turks did not want to shut down the Silk Road. They wanted to control it.
Venice lost its last direct Silk Road access in 1461, with the fall of Trebizond, which was still clinging to the Byzantine empire. With the Silk Road closed to the Europeans, the Turks – with an empire ranging from Central-South Asia to the Mediterranean – were convinced they now controlled trade between Europe and Asia.
Not so fast. Because that was when European kingdoms facing the Atlantic came up with the ultimate Plan B: a new maritime road to India.
And the rest – North Atlantic hegemony – is history.
Enlightened arrogance
The Enlightenment could not possibly box Asia inside its own rigid geometries. Europe ceased to understand Asia, proclaimed it was some sort of proteiform historical detritus and turned its undivided attention to “virgin,” or “promised” lands elsewhere on the planet.
We all know how England, from the 18th century onwards, took control of the entire trans-oceanic routes and turned North Atlantic supremacy into a lone superpower game – till the mantle was usurped by the US.
Yet all the time there has been counter-pressure from the Eurasian Heartland powers. That’s the stuff of international relations for the past two centuries – peaking in the young 21st century into what could be simplified as The Revenge of the Heartland against Sea Power. But still, that does not tell the whole story.
Rationalist hegemony in Europe progressively led to an incapacity to understand diversity – or The Other, as in Asia. Real Euro-Asia dialogue – the de facto true engine of history – had been dwindling for most of the past two centuries.
Europe owes its DNA not only to much-hailed Athens and Rome – but to Byzantium as well. But for too long not only the East but also the European East, heir to Byzantium, became incomprehensible, quasi incommunicado with Western Europe, or submerged by pathetic clichés.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as in the Chinese-led New Silk Roads, are a historical game-changer in infinite ways. Slowly and surely, we are evolving towards the configuration of an economically interlinked group of top Eurasian land powers, from Shanghai to the Ruhr valley, profiting in a coordinated manner from the huge technological know-how of Germany and China and the enormous energy resources of Russia.
The Raging 2020s may signify the historical juncture when this bloc surpasses the current, hegemonic Atlanticist bloc.
Now compare it with the prime US strategic objective at all times, for decades: to establish, via myriad forms of divide and rule, that relations between Germany, Russia and China must be the worst possible.
No wonder strategic fear was glaringly visible at the NATO summit in London last month, which called for ratcheting up pressure on Russia-China. Call it the late Zbigniew “Grand Chessboard” Brzezinski’s ultimate, recurrent nightmare.
Germany soon will have a larger than life decision to make. It’s like this was a renewal – in way more dramatic terms – of the Atlanticist vs Ostpolitik debate. German business knows that the only way for a sovereign Germany to consolidate its role as a global export powerhouse is to become a close business partner of Eurasia.
In parallel, Moscow and Beijing have come to the conclusion that the US trans-oceanic strategic ring can only be broken through the actions of a concerted block: BRI, Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS+ and the BRICS’ New Development Bank (NDB), the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
Middle East pacifier
The Ancient Silk Road was not a single camel caravan route but an inter-communicating maze. Since the mid-1990s I’ve had the privilege to travel almost every important stretch – and then, one day, you see the complete puzzle. The New Silk Roads, if they fulfill their potential, pledge to do the same.
Maritime trade may be eventually imposed – or controlled – by a global naval superpower. But overland trade can only prosper in peace. Thus the New Silk Roads potential as The Great Pacifier in Southwest Asia – what the Western-centric view calls the Middle East.
The Middle East (remember Palmyra) was always a key hub of the Ancient Silk Roads, the great overland axis of Euro-Asia trade going all the way to the Mediterranean.
For centuries, a quartet of regional powers – Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and Persia (now Iran) – have been fighting for hegemony over the whole area from the Nile delta to the Persian Gulf. More recently, it has been a case of external hegemony: Ottoman Turk, British and American.
So delicate, so fragile, so immensely rich in culture, no other region in the world has been, continually, since the dawn of history, an absolutely key zone. Of course, the Middle East was also a crisis zone even before oil was found (the Babylonians, by the way, already knew about it).
The Middle East is a key stop in the 21st century, trans-oceanic supply chain routes – thus its geopolitical importance for the current superpower, among other geoeconomic, energy-related reasons. But its best and brightest know the Middle East does not need to remain a center of war, or intimations of war, which, incidentally, affect three of those historical, regional powers of the quartet (Syria, Iraq and Iran).
What the New Silk Roads are proposing is wide-ranging, economic, interlinked integration from East Asia, through Central Asia, to Iran, Iraq and Syria all the way to the Eastern Mediterranean. Just like the Ancient Silk Roads. No wonder vested War Party interests are so uncomfortable with this real peace “threat.”