Space worlds of Andrey Sokolov

An outstanding German philosopher Immanuel Kant was right saying that people are getting attracted by two things: ethical canons for people and sky of stars above us. Two spaces, two micro and macro worlds. You become convinced of the rightness of these words when come across the works of a Soviet painter Andrey Sokolov. He devoted himself to the study and observance of the space in an art manner, making popular the Soviet achievements in the space program.  

One of your works depicts the moment of raising the Soviet flag above the «Mir» orbital station. Is it a real event or you have invented it? 

- It is real. Remember in the March 1991 the referendum of the future of the Soviet Union was held? Majority of people voted for preservation of the Soviet Union. In the beginning of June comonauts Artsybarsky and Krikalev were dispatched to the station. They decided to celebrate the results of the referendum. They bought an ordinary Soviet flag which was usually placed on the local authority buildings on the holidays and took it onboard. During the space walking they had set this flag on the top of the 14 meters high truss, priory sealing it in the special frame (that's because there is no air in space so the flag can't wave). 

Around one year, the flag of already non-existing country was soaring above the orbital station. With the lapse of time the flag started to get ruined due to the temperature fluctuations, radiation, space dust etc. I've asked the new crew to take the flag off and deliver it on the Earth. However cosmonaut is forbidden to make reasonless space walks, it's an extermly complicated and dangerous operation. Finally Anatoly Soloviev conducted a space walk and during that moment I was in the flight control center, I asked him ''Tolya how is the flag?'', ''only two threads left'' he replied. Flag has vanished in eternity, together with the great country that has paved the road to the stars. 

But maybe it's all for the best? It wasn't hauled down like in Kremlin, but remained in the space for good.

Euro-2012

Warning: if you are a sane Pole who corresponds to one (or several) of the listed below options, don't read that text cos it has been written not for you.

a) you don't give a fuck on politics

b) you don't conduct oneself in a manner of rusophobic geek

c) you don't put historical background in an attitude to some country

Every time when people in Poland hear the word ''Russia'' many of them promptly turn in the bulls who has seen a red rag. And it's irrelevant that it's not related with politics, they will find any pretext to politisize any event where Poland and Russia are involved. Russian team has never been a ''football grand'', it always has been a decent team with average skill, nothing special, quite far from Brazil, Germany or Italy. But for uptight Poles it's not important, even such harmful event wakes up their deep Russia complex. And they will start to come up with fairytales about dressed as fans Putin's FSB agents coming to Poland to invade it, they will emphasize on their own historical inferiority complex towards Russia and so on. Or they will say that Russians ''provoke'' them because of the march. Yes sure, however not a single Pole can answer one single question, how the hell Russians had to get to the stadium without that march? Polish ultras were attacking Russian tourists even before Euro, everyone felt not safe and march kept all Russians together and since Polish police couldn't sustain sufficient security, Russians had to stand for themselves and they did it. Without that march, I'm afraid Russians would have to infiltrate to the stadium like professional partizans and not all would manage to do that.

Polish people don't understand that for average Russian, Poland is nothing, it is simply nothing - the void, blank space nothing more. Majority of Russians don't even know the name of the Polish president and never knew the name of the previous one before his crash. Majority of Russians don't have the foggiest idea who is Donald Tusk and why he is called as ''Moscow agent''. For the Russians - Poland is a usual country out of many others. The countries are from the different leagues, and all Polish efforts to represent everything like a ''rival'' between Russia and Poland are pointless, cos that rival is in the Polish heads only. Like one my German neigbour correctly said ''it's not Ukraine should be boycotted, it is Poland should be, because they still live in medieval ages and WWII''. Once upon a time, I've seen how Dachshund was barking on a Great Dane. It was very silly picture, because Great Dane didn't even pay attention on that bark and continued to walk and enjoy the weather. The dog barks but the caravan goes on. If Poland loves to be that Dachshund, well whatever. If Poles enjoy looking like clowns it's their right. Just don't cry plz as u always do, but don't cry like little kids who were defeated by a grandpa in chess every time when u realized that you screwed up and humiliated once again because of your stupidity. 

This politization resulted clashes between Russian fans and Polish ultras. Where they were attacking people who came with their wifes and children to enjoy Euro, yes they got decent repulse but that's going to entail serious consiquences in future. I do not say that all Poles are idiots, however their media and some part of the society who loves such media have created increasingly volatile and dangerous situation, they allowed the myths be spoon-fed to the society and society didn't choke, they didn't try to spit it, they've swallowed it with pleasure. The outcome is known. Now what? Well now Russian ultras threat to show the same hospitality to Poles. To the Polish football team: for the sake of the safety of Polish citizens I suggest you not to qualify on the World Cup 2018. And no, the author of these lines is not an idiot who is going to participate in mauling innocent Polish supporters, but believe me we have enough fans as well and they are much more numerous than in Poland and they have boiled blood and they will vent beating these Poles.  But that's not the end, there is also Olympic games in Russia in 2014... You wanted it, you started it you will get it. And because of such bastards like you, your own people who has nothing to do neither with policy, nor with ultras will suffer. Instead of ''Na Moskala'' u will get another Katyn and again ''evil'' Russians will be a reason of you being loosers, again you will cry like kids that you were ''unfairly'' beaten. Enjoy.

PS Thanks to all Croatians and Serbs for warm comments to the youtube videos with clashes. I don't believe in pan-slavism, but reading you I can really say that you are real Slavic brothers. 

Mass Effect 3

Yesterday I have beaten Mass Effect 3. I'm going to start my short review from the end because ending of the game became a subject of debates promptly after the release. I deliberately didn't read any spoilers about it and wanted to see the punch line on my own. Frankly I don't understand what was all this tremendous outcry about, the ending was sufficiently logical and didn't have any signs of frustration, perhaps I don't understand some fanboy logic but seriously why the hell many people didn't like it? What's wrong with it? It was not expectable? Actually it was, because it was obvious since the beginning that the Reapers are not just some kind of regular ''Mordor'' chaps whose aim was solely annihilation and destruction. The outcries probably didn't follow the story line enough thoughtfully, and didn't notice one simple thing: if the reapers would be just some kind of orcs who simply wanted to level all planets with organic life forms they would terminate not only Protheans but Humans, Asari, Turians, Salarians, Batharians, Quarians and others as well, but they kept them alive, haven anyone of you outcriers thought why so? It was evident that they were intentionally destroying only developed civilizations to let others to evolve. So what's the problem? 

As I presume the problem is that the ending was not exactly ''happy'' and u didn't face harbinger as a final boss? You wanted so trivial outcome? Poof-poof - kill the final boss and voila happy end? Wanna puppies and sunshine only? Go and play Mario then or watch love stories from Hollywood, such games are simply not for you. And they now dream about ''changing the ending'' omg, that's ridiculous. Whether u like the ending or not but the quality of it is a moot point therefore u have no rights to demand any amendments in the ending. 

Thus I don't have any problems with the ending, it was fine. Speaking about real drawbacks of the game I want to say that Mass Effect 3 has quite poor squadmates this time, yes I remember that developers said that it's going to have less squadmates but they are going to have deeper stories. Well it's really true, however the choice was really limited. The only interesting squadmate was Javik, the rest of the team were old characters from Mass Effect 1 and 2 parts. Nothing new. Ah yes James Vega also, but he is too peculiar doesn't even worth to describe him. Remembering Mass Effect 2 where I was always having a tough choice between 7-8 characters to take on the mission, here I was taking Javik and Garrus only, because the rest squadmates were damn boring. I wonder why they didn't add some more new characters? Why not add some character from other races which have never been in Shepard's team like Batharian or Vorcha? Anyway I hope that in the next part there will be no such problem. What I liked about the teamates was that they started to interact with each other on the ship, they rather frequently change their locations on the ship entering the conversations with each other and it's quite interesting to listen their talks and observe the chemistry between the squadmates. Especially I loved how Javik was trolling James about the Prothean jokes. 

As the second part, this one provides broad spectrum of weapon types and it is pretty easy to access to any of them except for the spectre gear which costs quite expensive. The gameplay basically hasn't changed since the second part and I think it was a right decision to keep it like that cos so far it's flawless. Traveling map is the same however the is a slight changing, now we don't need to buy drones and scan the planets for resources which we previously needed for the uprgaids. Now we simply can scan some areas and find any artifacts or some extra military support to add to our anti-Reapers coalition, in other words that part of the game has been simplified. 

In general, the game is outstanding and definitely is one of the best games in the moder gaming industry. In spite it hasn't overcome the second part it still has the same stunning atmosphere, charismatic characters, catching story lines and eloquent conversations. I hope the developers will manage to come up with something fancy in the Mass Effect 4 that's going to be a difficult task because now they need to make everything from the scratch since this trilogy saga is ended. Shepard is dead, Cerberus no longer exists, the Reapers defeated, and new story line should be something really brand new, not rehashed previous saga. I also still hope that they will make some DLC with some extra squadmate, remembering Mass Effect 2, there were two DLC squadmates, so there is a little hope. And yes, dear Bioware please don't heed those whiny freaks who rant about the ending. There is nothing bad in it. And while the fourth part is under consideration, it's time to play the whole saga from the first part again! 

Interkosmos

Interkosmos was a Soviet space programme which was aiming on cooperation with all friends of the USSR allowing allowing citizens of these countries fly into space. First time in the worlds history non-Soviet or American citizens went into space. 

First non-Soviet or American citizen who has conducted a flight into space was a citizen of Czechoslovakia - Vladimir Remek. On the 2nd of March 1978 Remek together with colonel Alexey Gubarev departured into space on the aircraft Soyuz - 28, later they have boarded space station Salut-6 where Remek spent 7 days together with Gubarev and Salut crew Victor Romanenko and Georgy Grechko making observations and experiments proposed by the Soviet and Czechoslovakian scientists. 

Second man who was out of USSR or USA who went to space was a Polish cosmonaut was Miroslaw Hermaszewski, the duratation of his staying was 7 days 22 hours on the station Salut-6 (from the 27th of June till 5th of July 1978). 

Sigmund Jahn - the third cosmonaut who on the 26th of August 1978 went into space in the frameworks of the interkosmos programme. His flight teammate was a Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Bykhovsky, the flight was made on Soyuz-31, total flight duratation 7 days 20 hours. 

On the 10th of April 1979 Bulgarian cosmonaut Grigori Ivanov together with the Soviet cosmonaut Nikolay Rukavishnikov was sent into space on Soyuz - 33. Unfortunately Soyuz didn't manage to board Salut - 6 station due to the technical difficulties, it was decided to return. Total duratation of flight was 1 day 23 hours. 

Bertalan Farkas - Hungarian cosomonaut who was choosen by the interkosmos programme. Made his flight on the 26th of May 1980 total duratation of flight 7 days 20 hours. 

First Asian and Vietnamese cosmonaut Pham Tuan. Was launched in July 1980 on Soyuz -37

Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez was the first Latin American cosmonaut and first Cuban one. Together with Yury Romanenko was launched into space on the 18th of September 1980. Mendez and Romanenko made important researches and discoveries in the field ''syndrome of the space adaptation''. 

Jugdermidiin Gurragchaa - first Mongolian and second Asian comonaut who was launched on the 22th of March 1981 where they along with Vladimir Dzhanibekov succesfully boarded Salut-6 and spent 7 days on the station. 

Dumitru Prunariu first Romanian cosmonaut who along with Leonid Popov was launched into space in may 1981 on Soyuz - 40 spacecraft. Total duratation of the mission was 8 days. He and Popov made important experiments in the space laboratory in the areas of astrophysics, space medicine, biology and radiation in space.

Muhammed Faris was the first Syrian cosmonaut who conducted the flight into space. In July he was launched on Soyuz TM - 3 aircraft and boarded Mir station. He spent 7 days and 23 hours in space. 

On the 29th of August 1988, first Afghan citizen Abdul Ahad Mohmand spent 9 days in space aboard the Mir space station. He made observations of Afghanistan during this mission. Transported to the Mir orbital station a Soviet-Afghan crew comprising the cosmonauts V.A. Lyakhov, V.V. Polyakov and A A Momand (Afghanistan) to conduct joint research and experiments with the cosmonauts V.G. Titov and M K Manarov. 

Interkosmos also had Indian and French cosmonauts who also became first cosmonauts in their countries. But I devoted that entry only to the Soviet ''colonies''. All mentioned above cosmonauts were forcefully awarded Hero of the Soviet Union, all of them in a name of democracy were rejecting that award, but soldering iron tortures + constant threats to execute their families made them to accept it. 

As we can clearly see, the Soviet Union was not just ransacking and plundering his so-called ''colonies'' but ws also torturing their citizens with space flights. This is really brutal and demands public condemnation of such flagrant violations of the human rights. 

СССР-2061

Будущее должно быть таким, чтобы до него хотелось дожить и увидеть все своими глазами.

Куда же мы пойдем?

Прошли выборы, выбрали Путина еще пару лет стабильность обеспечено, а хомяки, судя по всему, окончательно стухли и разбежались по своим норам. Однако это отнюдь не значит, что опасность миновала, попытки переворотов еще будут и даже если весной ничего не случится к августу, когда они точно попытаются долбануть основательно. Беда в том, что как ни крути а мы идем не тем курсом. Путин при всех его относительных заслугах и отстаивания интересов России стремится обеспечить России место в уже имеющемся мировом доме. Однако дом этот давно потрескался и рушится, все финансовая система, которую насоздавали Американцы с Западной Европой оказалась несостоятельной и нерабочей. Нерабочая она по очевидной причине, вся их система заключается в периферийном капитализме и ядре (т.н. золотой миллиард). Ядро живет за счет периферийного капитализма. Однако сейчас периферийные страны пытаются из этого вырваться. В частности Китай рвется вперед и не собирается играть по этим правилам. Поэтому, какой смысл пытаться обеспечить себе место в доме, который скоро рухнет? Правильно абсолютно никакого.

Времени у нас крайне мало и без альтернативной модели развития дело швах. Положение ухудшило то, что мы, по сути, просрали КПРФ. Ну, если точнее КПРФ просрали сами себя не понятно, зачем-то снюхавшись с оранжистами. Что характерно похожее было на Украине когда на Майдане к оранжоидам примкнули Симоненко (лидер коммунистической партии Украины) и Мороз (лидер социалистической партии Украины) то есть Симоненко и Мороз это аналоги наших Зюганова и Миронова. У нас все произошло точно так же один в один, за тем лишь исключением, что у нас благодаря усилиям многих людей (в т.ч. и людей с Украины) это провалилось. Меня лично просто поражает, с какой легкостью коммунисты и Украины, и России вот так легко повелись как лохи на эту оранжевую обманку. Ну, ведь очевидно же что толку от консолидации с либералами никакого. Они что действительно думают, что если они общими усилиями скинут режим, то они потом смогут отпихнуть либералов? Ну и как? На Украине Симоненко с Морозом смогли это сделать? Нет, не смогли, к власти пришел плешивый мудак Ющенко однако опять таки повезло и в итоге они все же проиграли следующие выборы и закрепиться так и не смогли. Все могло быть гораздо хуже.

Вообщем КПРФ и Зю себя окончательно похоронили, предав всю идею. Дальше двигаться придется без них. Может КПРФ, конечно все же сможет реструктуризироваться но вот политическая карьера Зюганова по сути закончилась, и сейчас он будет досиживать в думе последние года..

Так куда нам идти? Что нам делать? 

Недавно сидел в кафешке с друзьями, если точнее это итальянская пиццерия. Сидим мы за столом, подходит официантка.

- что желаете?

- русскую национальную идею мы желаем - шутливо отвечает один из моих друзей

- в итальянском ресторане русскую национальную идею? - совершенно не смутившись отвечает официантка

- да нам хотя бы итальянскую, чтобы хоть направление задать, а там уж разберемся, как для нас будет лучше - говорю я

Мы, конечно, шутили, однако в каждой шутке есть доля правды. К чему я это вспомнил? Да к тому, что национальную идею и курс страны не надо выдрачивать из ничего. Нужно брать свой опыт, анализировать его, улучшать и идти с ним вперед. Была ли у нас национальная идея? Конечно, была, например вот Иван III, когда пришел к власти сказал знаменитую фразу ''Москва - Третий Рим''. Ну, вот мы и пошли тогда вперед и стали строить свою империю, будучи наследниками Византии. Мы стали народом с миссией. Однако правление династии Романовых во многом притормозил наше мессианство, и в стране все время были подозрения, что Романовы несколько отклонились от реального смысла нашего существования, наша империя стала качаться из стороны в сторону, глядя то на Запад, то на свое реальное предназначение. Неслучайно в XIX среди русских умов было активное противостояние между западниками и славянофилами.

Поразительным образом большевики, взяв за основу Маркса, умудрились вернуть это ощущение. Мы создали свою альтернативу и вновь обрели миссию, и мы шли по ней, мы верили в нее и гордились ей. Так что же предлагается сейчас? Предлагается взять наш опыт, из всех стран опыт альтернативы есть только у нас. И мы уже сейчас можем, взяв за основу советский опыт, построить новый курс развития, курс альтернативный загнивающему пост-модерну. Наш народ, который после развала СССР спал, причем периодически он проявлял лунатизм. Этот лунатик вставал и имитировал буржуазный образ жизни, но выглядело это всегда карикатурно ведь не наше это. Сейчас народ уже реально просыпается, в частности подросла новая молодежь, которая поняла, что у них украли национальную идею и амбиции в обмен на джинсы и кока-колу. То, что народ просыпается не удивительно, он всегда просыпается, потому как поскреби любого русского и найдешь там державника, который мечтает идти к высоким идеям. Эта державность и мессианство внутри него, вся эта западная имитация лишь обертка в которую некоторые русские заворачиваются и дрыхнут, но стоит им проснуться, как оболочка рвется. И вот она начинает рваться уже сейчас.

Конечно, нам предстоит огромная работа, и времени как я уже сказал выше у нас нет. С юго-востока растет громадная лавина - Китай, с юга при активной поддержке США начинает подниматься радикальная арабская дуга, ну а с Запада у нас НАТО. То самое НАТО которое любит весь мир, причем так любит что постоянно кого то бомбит. Видимо чем больше бомбит, тем больше любит. Таким образом, мы между этих трех плит. Если мы в ближайшее время не разберемся со своим проектом и альтернативной идеей, не консолидируем вокруг себя пост-советские страны и не предложим миру альтернативную модель развития, эти плиты сойдутся между собой и раздавать нас как скорлупу. Я не говорю что мы в кольце врагов нет, нам там далеко не все враги, но эти плиты сойдутся в противостоянии между собой и если мы к этому не будем готовы нас в этой мясорубке просто раздавят. В старом и разрушающемся глобальном буржуазном доме для нас квартирки нет. Нам срочно нужно строить свой дом. Мы это делать умеем. И все кто изъявят желание иметь квартирки по соседству с нами в этом новом доме, который мы построим, конечно же приветствуются.

Многие думают, что холодная война окончена, однако она не окончена, что произошло после распада СССР? Начали старательно пытаться расчленить Россию. Проецируя ситуацию на пример боксерского поединка, мы получили нокдаун, и вот лежим мы на ринге, а судья считает до десяти. У нас есть возможность встать и продолжать, однако мы валялись на ринге и думали, что все кончилось, а судья между тем продолжал отчет мы не понимали что когда судья досчитает до десяти, вот тогда мы действительно проиграем, а пока он не досчитал бой идет. Сейчас народ это понял, и вот боксер начинает привставать. Первый этап выигран хоть и с потерями (КПРФ), но все же это победа. Дальше будет труднее, но вставать надо, главное без соплежуйства и нытья. Тем более времени до того как судья досчитает до 10 осталось совсем немного.

Soviet Industrialization

Today we are talking about the Soviet industrialization, whether it was effective? Whether it was necessary? Whether such quick industrialization caused seriour troblems to the peasantry? Well let's see:

Since 1905 until 1918 Russia had 3 revolutions in a row, was one of the major participant in WW I and then it had the most cruel civil war. In 20s USSR had 3% (three) of the working class, for comparison Germany in 1907 had 20%. The number of the Russian universities was shamely low - 63 (sixty three). Sixty three universities for 180 million country. The number of students in 1914 was 71 000.

The list of the Russian universities in 1914 and the number of students assigned:

Multi-disciplinary universities 10 (35 695 students)
Jurisprudence - 4 (1036 students)
Oriental - 3 (270 students)
Medicine - 2 (2592 students)
Pedagogics - 4 (894 students)
Military and Naval - 8 (894 students)
Theological - 6 (1185 students)
Engineering and industrial - 15 (23329 students)
Agricultural- 6 (3307 students)
Veterinary - 4 (1729 students)
Art - 1 (260 students)

Technological advancement under the Tsarist era (mainly in the second half of the 19th century) was extremly low comparing to the West, it started to gradually descent on the eve of the Crimean War and continued after, i.e the. Russian retardation regarding industrial power from the Western countries was almost 100 years. The developing of the Russian Empire was very poor, since 1897 to 1917 the number of workers increased from 2.1 million to 3.7 million. Thus, taking the proportions of growing of the Russian and German populaton it's easy to count that Russia would need to at least 500 years in order to hit the German figures if it continued to ''grow'' with the same speed. Followers of the baloney ''Russia which we have lost in 1917'' never can answer the question of how we supposed to win Nazi Germany wich such greatest ''achievements''? With wooden tanks and paper aircrafts?

So now imagine, you have a country, 97% of its population are peasants with hoes wearing bast shoes, out of them more than 80% are illiterate, they can't even read and write. You need to eliminate 100 years gap in 10 years and face the best army in the world after. Yes German army was the best army in those times, with best tanks, with best planes and the most expirienced troops. This best army had behind them almost all Europe, the Soviet population was 2 times lower than Europe and 30% of the Soviet population was occupied in first 3-4 months of the war.

And of course nobody says that Stalin's industrialization was perfect or something, it was very speeded up and hastle. However there was no other choice, Russian monarchy did nothing when the Western countries were industrializing, as a result tens of years of retardation. Well I probably go a bit far saying that they did nothing, yes, they did something of course. But comparing to what the West did through the same time frameworks, it's a drop in the ocean and in general Tsarist government since the Crimean War was essentially inept and less respnosible.

The history showed that without this hyper fast industrialization, USSR would loose to Germany, so Stalin had 2 choices, either to make in 10 years what normally countries should do in 80-150 years in other words eliminate 100 years gap in 10 years, or simply loose ending up with a dismal failure. In the best case of this failure, current Russia would be somewhere behind the Ural mountains and I'd probably not even talk to you right now here.

You think Stalin knew that there will be a war?

No of course he didn't, USSR didn't have any intelligence and these times were not in turmoil and full of tensions. Stalin never had reports on his table from NKVD agents, the whole party apparatus since the beginning and up to the 1941 was in a lethargic dream. And in fact not a single country knew it, the world was profoundly imbued with love and benevolence.

In 1941 when the Soviet industry was evacuated behind the Ural, it quickly started to work. How do you think why? In the fancies of idiots of course they start to work if you simply toss the machinery and engineering tools into the snow out of the train cars, and voila you have the industry. But normal people know that in order to make them work you need to build foundation, substructure, communication facilities, electricity supply, water pumps and many other things. Can you build it fast? No you can't, but how the industry started to work so quickly after evacuation? Any guesses? Right, because everything was prepaired in advance.

Now the million question: why the heck stupid bolsheviks prepaired it there? For fun? According to the common sense they did prepair, because they clearly knew that the war is inevitable. Idiots will continue to highlight their rank of idiots and claim that it is a pure coincidence.

Liberal auditorium doesn't want to to face the fact that the fittest survives, the weakest quickly ceases to exist, and this rule particulary was in force during the 20s 30s and 40s.

So in the frames of those times such industrialization does not sound like reckless. It was normal for that period, and he who thinks that if Stalin would took a power in Russia now, would use the same approaches as in 30s is either mentally sick and need an urgent brain examination, or simply lies on purpose pursuing some propagandistic aims.