Сегодня очень хороший день...Что еще скажешь, когда на улице пахнет свежестью и весной, по кромкам проезжей части бегут ручейки талой воды, а серые городские птички вдруг начинают петь...Даже сидя в офисе напротив зашторенного окна, невольно ощущаешь грядущее обновление.

Ну что же, самое время что-то начать. Новое и еще не пройденное.

A survey conducted by the All-Russia Center for the Study of Public Opinion on Social and Economic Questions (VTsIOM) showed that one-third of respondents (33%) believe that Russia should provide South Ossetia with diplomatic support, while avoiding the use of force.

A little over one-quarter (27%) of those polled supported the use of military force against Georgia.

About 30% believe Russia should assist the rebel republic by entering the negotiating process, but at the same time allow Russian volunteers to participate in repulsing any "Georgian aggression" against the republic.

Only 3% of respondents said no assistance should be given to South Ossetia.

The parliament of self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia has voted to ask Russia to recognise the province as an independent state. The same is likely to happen with South Ossetia's authorities. 
And Russia is unlikely to reject their "bids". 

What can an average Russian think about China? Most likely and unfortunately: huge, dirty and overcrowded Asian country located somewhere in the Far East.

The Chinese are believed to drive bicycles, wear strange similar clothes, eat dry rice and permanently suffer from earthquakes and other disasters.

I had a wonderful opportunity to feel real China during my latest trip to that country.

Below are some stereotypes as regards China and its people, local lifestyle, with my brief comments.

1. The Chinese are all very poor.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that central avenues of Beijing, its suburbs and streets of some neighboring towns are full of brand-new cars built in China under German, French, Japanese and Korean licenses. In contrast to Moscow, the majority of people whom I saw in the streets of the Chinese capital, seem to have a middle-class-size income, they do not look like paupers or “nouveau riche”-s. Of course the situation in rural areas is different, but the prices for household goods and food are low in China, and the locals can afford living comfortably – at least according to local standards.

2. China is a dirty and retrograde country.

The streets of Beijing and other cities are cleaned and washed daily, they are cleaner than in Moscow, London or New-York for example. And it’s not due to the Olympics only, it’s the manifestation of culture.

Beijing and regional centers (Shanghai, Guangzhou and others) have installed the most up-to-date transportation infrastructure – metro, highways, road junctions - and renovated major residential buildings, office towers. Now, Beijing must have more skyscrapers than Moscow.

3. The Chinese do not speak any foreign languages.

Yes, this problem still exists: it’s difficult for a foreigner to talk to local people, primarily because they often don’t understand any other languages expect for Chinese. But in cafes, restaurants, and throughout major cities there are signs in English. And the locals are always ready to help – at least you’ll not be left without assistance if you want to get some food or medicines.

So, if you are looking forward to experiencing China of old days, you should not go there, that’s my main impression. It’s much more modern and open to the world than I could have expected.

I did not know that Russia’s national football team can perform such an outstanding game until it beat Netherlands in quarter-finals.

I did not know that a Russian player can become a national hero only after a single game until Andrei Arshavin became on Saturday night.

I did not know that there is so much patriotism among the Russians until I saw thousands of happy people (not heavily drunken!) in the overcrowded streets waving flags and singing the national anthem after the Euro 2008 quarter-finals victory.

I’ve never been so proud.

One may say: what about Soviet Union’s glorious victories? Don’t you remember, do you?

Frankly speaking, I don’t. Most likely I was too young when the USSR broke apart, or because after it, within the next 17 years, the Russians used to perform poor football (and ice hockey, and everything – except tennis and gymnastics).  

The game against the Dutchmen on Saturday filled me with the hope taking my breath away – what if Spain surrenders...?

But it would be a difficult game…Spain knows they are up against a different Russia this time, not least because playmaker Andrei Arshavin is back in Guus Hiddink’s team.

Hiddink has slight worries, with midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, forward Ivan Sayenko and Alexander Anyukov all carrying minor injuries from the quarter-finals.

While they may be fit for Thursday’s semifinal match in Vienna, Hiddink will have to pick a team without central defender Denis Kolodin and attacking midfielder Dmitry Torbinski, who are both suspended after picking up their second yellow cards of the tournament against the Netherlands.

Let’s wait and see what will happen. As local fans cry out: Rossiya, vpered! Which means: Go, Russia, go!   

My family keeps memories of the WWII due to my grandfathers who both fought against the Nazi invasion starting from 1941 till 1945, and everything regarding the Great Patriotic War (as the period of the WWII in which the Soviet Union was involved, 1941-1945, is traditionally designated by the Russians) still touches my heart.

On the father’s side, in 1941 my grandfather was a captain of the torpedo boat of the Northern Navy based in Murmansk. During the first day of the German military operation against the Soviets in the Barents Sea, his tiny boat with only two machine guns and torpedo tubes onboard survived attacks of 21 military aircraft and destroyed seven of them. The warship managed to return to its base notwithstanding 48 shell holes.

My grandfather and his crew were awarded for courage.

After the war, as a result of the long and dangerous career he was appointed as rear admiral of the Northern Navy.

Another grandfather, on the mother’s side, was drafted immediately after his prom night at school on 22 June, 1941. He became a signalman in the infantry, took part in the dramatic Kursk campaign in 1943, suffered two injuries and finished the war after the liberation of Prague.

He became a well-known diplomat and in accordance with Stalin’s order was sent to China where he worked for over a dozen years.

The Soviet Union lost about 27 million people (official figure) in that war, and we cannot forget that terrible sacrifice. Not only the Russians, but all the people from former Soviet republics.

The generation of my parents was brought up with the help of pathetic movies, numerous books and songs about the Great Patriotic War, the same but to a lesser extent happened to my equals in age.

It was a perfect tool to keep the country consolidated while confronted with the enemies of the Cold War era, the U.S. and the West - I mean to make the public remember all the terrifying details and consequences of the WWII.

Heroism of the Soviet people in 1941-45 became a core part of the state ideology.

Today, when Russia has practically restored its influence in the world – firstly, thanks to sky-rocketing oil prices – the Great Patriotic War is being made by the government the icon for total worship.

In this respect, good news is that we are recollecting glorious moments of the history of our country, our people, our families in the end.

But bad news is that we cannot build a new modern and effective state using the outdated slogans and ideology.

We should move further and further – for the sake of the people living today in this country. We should invent new technologies, improve the life of the people, upgrade our industries for the sake of ourselves and not because of the non-existent aggression threat.  

The world is changing, and we should change along with it. Our heroic forefathers should be proud of us.

When I learned about the scheduled trip of Vladimir Putin to Libya, suddenly reminiscences of the sparkling childhood came to my mind: together with my parents, I lived in the diplomatic area of Tripoli, Libya’s capital, in the early 1980s. Totally I spent there three years full of unusual for a Soviet kid impressions.  

My farther was working in the embassy as an interpreter, and my mom was sort of an accountant there. In the morning they used to leave our apartment for heavily air conditioned offices located not far from the picturesque sea-front, and I, too sleepy in early hours (the terrific heat made us get up at 6.00 or even 5.00 a.m.!), was making my way to the yard, where we were playing soccer with youngsters from all the Socialist states represented in Libya. There were several Poles, Czechs, two or three Hungarians and a dozen of Soviets (or Russians as we have always been called).  

So, when I hear anything about Libya, I find my heart (and head) full of nearly forgotten but immediately recollected emotions and impressions.

The same happened to me when the Russian President’s office unveiled the news on the Putin's coming visit to Tripoli, during which he and a gigantic team of tycoons and bureaucrats were to discuss the $4.6 billion debt of Libya to Soviet Union. Soviet Union? Yes, Soviet Union, because when the UN sanctions were brought in power, Russia cut off all the ties to Muammar Qaddafi who remained alone with the Western states looking for ways to, firstly, slow down the expansion of the terrorist threat and, secondly, to get wider access to the oil-rich Libyan land.

Commentators have pointed out that unlike Arab sheikhs from the Persian Gulf countries who regard a magnificent palace as one of the marks of prestige, the Bedouin Qaddafi hates and rejects luxury. He is believed to live and work in a special tent installed inside an official residency. 
However, a few of them know about the mammoth complex of secure and comfortable buildings that can give rest to the leader of the Green Revolution whenever he likes.  

The trip’s results seem at first glance, as far as I know from the talks with the insiders in the government, not very successful for the Russian side: negotiations on the purchase of Russian-made armament would proceed, no immediate purchase was sealed. But one should pay more attention to several promising contracts signed by Libya with Russian companies.

One of them (and in my opinion crucial) is a railway contract to build a 500-kilometer railroad between Sirt and Benghazi estimated at 2.2 billion euros. According to Russia’s Finance Ministry the contract will finance 70% of Libya’s purchases of plant and equipment in Russia. And this is the greatest success of the domestic civil machine building industry, which unlike the defense sector, in despair has been looking for any foreign contracts since the late 1980s.

Another important thing is that the two countries, former allies, agreed to continue strengthening friendship and developing cooperation. This means: Russia is catching up with the U.S. and other Western countries in Northern Africa getting back its political, cultural and economic influence.

…Sometimes, when in the evening I’m sitting relaxed in the office chair having turned off my computer, I close my eyes and see the beautiful African sunset and myself standing amazed on the top of the building in Tripoli...
 

George W. Bush has accepted Vladimir Putin’s invitation to meet next week in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, right after the NATO summit in Bucharest.

The two parties would discuss a dispute between the United States and Russia over a proposed new U.S. missile defense system to be based in Central Europe.

Presumably, in Romania the U.S. and its allies will not give green light to Ukraine and Georgia which are looking forward to joining NATO ASAP.

Russia in exchange is expected to approve the creation of the U.S. missile shield close to Russian borders.

For Russia and personally Putin, as well as for the U.S. and Bush that will be a great deal. And, I think, if the dispute is ended, the Republicans and McCain can get a good competitive chance. At least, they can say: guys, we have talked the Russians into a compromise, you should not be afraid of Iran anymore.

And that will be for the sake of both Russia and the U.S...Notwithstanding of the position of the winner of the U.S. presidential race. If McCain beats Obama or Hillary, Russia will have to face a tough period of time...