Russia Experience

This word “Defective”#2: Laws and lawbreakers

Bernard H. Wood — Fri, 01 May 2020 13:20:57 +0000

Last week we took a cursory glance at the subject of disability within modern Russia. It soon became apparent that people dealing with such issues have more than the nature of their infirmity to deal with. The uninformed, uncaring (or simply ‘unequipped’) reaction of outsiders – both of bystan...

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This word “Defective”#1

Bernard H. Wood — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 12:55:30 +0000

“Some people avoid them, ignore them, or pretend they don’t exist. Ìt makes them feel uncomfortable and they have an ‘animal instinct’ to avoid people with such problems.” I am having a sobering conversation with ‘A’ about the plight of people living with disabilities in Russia. She should know, for...

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Russia sells Alaska #3: Goodbye America

Bernard H. Wood — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 13:41:50 +0000

In this final look at Russia’s short-lived presence in Alaska, we’ll examine the deciding factors that ultimately turned a land of opportunity into a money-leaking liability. The downturn started in earnest with the departure of Alexander Baranov (1818) and things only got worse from there. Let’s ex...

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Russia sells Alaska #2: Suspect characters

Bernard H. Wood — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 11:09:25 +0000

Last week, we took a look at the seemingly bizarre occurrence of Russia selling Alaska to America. As the saying goes: “If it wasn’t real, you couldn’t invent it.” Let’s examine this pivotal moment in history further. Enter Baranov One of the key players in the story is Alexander Baranov, a distingu...

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Russia sells Alaska #1

Bernard H. Wood — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 12:57:17 +0000

On first hearing, it came across as a “beginners” attempt at an April Fools Day joke, something so obviously false that no one could take it seriously: that “Russia sold Alaska to America.” In spite of the immediately absurd nature of this statement, reality proves more bizarre than fiction once aga...

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COVID-19 and the Russia Experience

odette — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 13:27:27 +0000

For the time being, we’ve regrettably had to put up the shutters. The Russia Experience is currently not open for business until June 1st 2020. We sincerely hope that in the not too distant future we will, once again, be able to offer trips on the world’s greatest railway journey, when we’ll be deli...

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What you didn’t know about baby pandas

Sam — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 08:00:48 +0000

Seeing giant pandas is one of the many reasons people visit mainland China. These magnificent creatures are as iconic as the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army. Despite habitat destruction, China remains the best place to see this wildlife wonder of the world. There are less than 2,000 giant pandas ...

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Minefields of the soul #3: Contemporary relics

Bernard H. Wood — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 12:38:27 +0000

We ended last week’s episode with Russia’s TV-psychic boom of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. AM is guiding me on this bizarre exploration. Who would have thought that Western-style TV showmanship, stoic Russian Orthodoxy and Slavic Paganism would produce such a bizarre chimera? Yet it did, and th...

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Mongolian travel experiences that will change your life

Sam — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 14:36:20 +0000

Whatever time of the year you choose to visit, Mongolia is a land of opportunity. It’s a country where you can truly go off the beaten path and be heavily rewarded for it. In Mongolia, you can immerse yourself in unspoilt nature, experience culture at its most authentic and unleash your inner advent...

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Minefields of the soul #2: Celebrities of sorts

Bernard H. Wood — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 15:51:16 +0000

Last week we took a cursory glance at Russia’s magic-related small ads, with the help of AM – someone who knows about these things. Now it’s time to delve a little deeper. AM has a marked scepticism concerning the motivation and integrity of those fellow Russians proffering magical fixes for l...

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