11 December 2016. Our Great Russian Motherland… The Winter Palace in Piter… Yes… That’s a RECENT Pic

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Yep… it’s winter before winter in Russia again! It’s ten more days before the official faceoff, but Ol’ Baba Winter is goin’ on strong in the Rodina, as this picture from Piter shows. That’s the Winter Palace… today, the restored palace forms part of the complex of buildings housing the State Hermitage Museum (the official website of the museum complex is here). By the way, nothing in Washington comes even close to the Ermitazh in scope or grandeur… so, all American claims of “exceptionalism”, “indispensability”, and “unique goodness” are nothing but vacuous bullshit. The Ermitazh is the real deal (it was around BEFORE the USA even existed… fancy that)…

BMD

29 November 2016. It Was Just Another Ordinary Day in the Rodina… Why Is It “Winter” Before Winter?

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It’s not winter, but it’s “winter”. Yes, there’s been warming in Russia, too, but it’s still COLD there in most parts. It still snows early and hard, and the thaw still comes late and slow. The more things change…

BMD

26 November 2016. Echoes of the Past: Pre-New Year’s Shop Window Display, 1955

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Kids will be kids… Sov kids at a pre-New Year holiday shop window display. Kids haven’t changed, have they?

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26 November 2016. It Was Just Another Ordinary Day in the Rodina… It’s the “Winter” Before Winter

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You’ve heard of the famous Russian winter. Did you know that “Russian Winter” begins BEFORE “official winter?” Yup… it often starts to snow in late October! Here’s a view of the Russian countryside taken this week.

BMD