in AsiaTHE NATION Thursday, February 22, 2018

The Russian Pacific Fleet stood at the cradle of Russia’s friendship with Siam

The Russian Pacific Fleet played a unique and signifi-

cant role in the establish-ment of the friendly ties that

Russia and Thailand have been enjoying for the last 120

years.

EVGENY BELENKIY

SNIPPETS51st Diplomatic Red Cross Bazaar In celebration of the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the Thai Red Cross Society, the 51st Diplomatic Red Cross Bazaar will be held at Siam Paragon on February 24-25, 2018. Visit the Russian booth (D01) in the Royal Paragon Hall and enjoy shopping for traditional Russian souvenirs, such as matryoshka wooden nesting dolls, shawls from Pavlov Posad, colourful lacquer jewellery boxes and musical toys. You can also taste pirozhki, delicious Russian pies. All sales proceeds will go to the Thai Red Cross Society.

Ural art on display in Bangkok In March 2018, River City Bangkok will host a unique exhibition that features the work of craftsmen and artists from the Urals. Some of the artwork at the exhibition will be from the personal collection of Yekaterinburg Mayor Yevgeny Roizman, who is the founder of two famous private museums in the city – the Nevyansk Icon Museum and the Museum of M. Brusilovsky. The exhibition at River City Bangkok will showcase the art of Yekaterinburg, which is located at a unique juncture where Asia meets Europe. Russian icons, paintings, folk art and other original items will be on display.

Is Russia European or Asian?OLEG YEGOROVRUSSIA BEYOND

Notes from the Russian AmbassadorDear Readers of The Nation newspaper,

I am glad and proud to present to you the second issue of Russia in Asia, which I hope you enjoyed reading in December of last year. 2018 is a very special year for Russia, and not only for Russia, as we will witness the greatest sports event – the FIFA World Cup 2018. Held in Russia in June and July it will not only be a ‘magnet’ for football fans from all parts of the world but will also give a chance for the guests of Russia to explore the beauty of our cities, Russia’s cultural and historical heritage and of course, experience the traditional hospitality of my country. A few words about FIFA 2018: It will be the first FIFA World Cup hosted by Russia. For the first time in history, the games will be played in the 12 best stadiums in 11 cities spanning from Kaliningrad in the west to Yekaterinburg in the east, and from the Winter Olympics 2014 capital Sochi in the south to St. Petersburg in the north. The opening game and the final will be played in Moscow at the renovated Luzhniki Stadium, which can accommodate 89,000 spectators. We are expecting more than one million foreign football fans to visit Russia and be a part of this

immense sporting occasion. In 2017 almost four million foreigners visited Russia (15% more than in 2016). The number of Thai people as well as citizens of

other Southeast Asian countries travelling to my country is also rising year after year. Of course their number is way lower than the statistics of Russians choosing Asean countries as a travel and leisure destination – in 2017 over 1.346 million of my compatriots visited Thailand (23.5% more than in 2016). You may be surprised to know that not only Moscow and St. Petersburg attract foreigners, but also Murmansk – the city close to the polar circle, Lake Baikal – one of the cleanest and the most beautiful lakes in the world and Kam-chatka, with its valley of geysers and volcanoes, are becoming more and more popular. Promotion of tourism is one of the key priorities of the Russian Embassy in Bangkok, as it is helping to strengthen people-to-people contacts. Bearing this in mind on February 2, 2018 together with the National Tourism Office ‘Visit Russia Asia,’ headquartered in Hanoi and with a strong support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, we launched the Russia-Thailand Travel Club – a new project to bring our people closer to each other. This is a unique playground with the key aim to render mutual support and to strengthen cooperation between the members of the club and our countries in the sphere of tourism. The club will consolidate tour agencies, companies working in the sphere of tourism, airlines, NGOs promoting cultural cooperation and media covering the travel industry. It will promote Russia as a travel destination and help sell products to all tourist and media companies interested in promoting Russia as a travel destination for Thai citizens in the domestic market. The club will help local companies to provide Thais with products of higher quality and to explore new corners of my country. We welcome all those interested in our new endeavour to join us. Though I still have a lot to say I need to wrap up in order to leave some space to our distinguished authors. I wish you enjoy reading this issue of the Russia in Asia. Looking forward to see you again soon.

H.E. Mr. Kirill BarskyRussian Ambassador to Thailand

Top photo: The golden cigarette case engraved with the words “From Your Friend”, which was presented by Tsar Nicholas II to King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) during the Thai monarch’s visit to Saint Petersburg in 1897.

It’s a tricky question, with 77 per cent of the country located in Asia while the vast majori-

ty of the population lives in the European portion. Russians them-selves argue about where they belong; some claim they have a very special identity, which is non-European, non-Asian – but rather a specific mix. Russia certainly doesn’t lack monuments marking the border between Europe and Asia. There are around 50 of them and some can be misleading. For ex-ample, a famous “Europe – Asia” obelisk in Orenburg (1,400 km east of Moscow) was built on the idea that the Ural River (which Orenburg straddles) separates the two parts of the world. This train of thought is now considered

The Russian Navy’s interaction with Siam had started long before 1897, the year when

His Majesty King Chulalongkorn the Great visited Russia and agreed with Russian Emperor Nicholas II on the exchange of diplomatic missions. That historic meeting in Tsarskoe Selo near St. Petersburg was prepared by 40 years of regular contacts, most of which involved Russian Navy ships. It all started in 1863 when the Clipper Gaidam-ak and Cruiser Novik of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Squadron dropped anchors in the Gulf of Siam near Bangkok on the way to St. Petersburg after a two-year service shift in the Russian Far East. In the 1860s the Russian Empire, notwithstanding the loss to the coalition headed by England and France in the Crimean War of 1853-56, was an established continental power in Eurasia with one of the biggest armies in Europe and a considerably strong navy capable of projecting power in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the White and the Barents

Seas. While the ground forces Russia maintained in those times were in constant readiness to be deployed anywhere in Europe and many areas in Asia, the Russian Navy’s main task before 1860s was to protect the western and south-ern frontiers of the vast empire. Russian Navy ships as well as armed vessels of the Russian-Amer-ican Company Under Imperial Patronage that governed Russian Alaska out of its San Francisco headquarters (the company ships

were also commanded by Russian Navy officers), routinely ventured far into the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, mostly on survey and cartography missions. The exploratory status of Russian Navy expeditions in the Pacific had already begun chang-ing by the time two Russian ships made that first call to Bangkok: the urgent need to develop and protect the Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia had started shap-ing Russia into a new Pacific

power that needed friends and allies along the strenuous route her ships had to take around half the world from the Baltic Sea to the Zolotoy Rog (Golden Horn) Bay where the Russian Navy was building its very own new city and naval fortress of Vladivostok. Most of the Asian shoreline along that route in both the Indi-an and Pacific oceans belonged to Russia’s main adversary in Asia, Great Britain, or was on the way to becoming the coastline of new

French colonies. Calls at ports along the way were necessary, especially with steam engines getting to play a greater role in ship propulsion, while most of the ports in Asia where Russian ships could get coal and fresh water belonged to either Britain or France. The Kingdom of Siam was an independent sovereign state, one of the very few left in Asia that was coming under a serious threat from

wrong. Traditionally, most scientists now suppose that the eastern side of the Ural Mountains roughly set the border between Europe and Asia in Russia. Anyway, it’s easy to define the correlation between Russia’s European and Asian ter-ritories: About 23 to 77 per cent respectively. What’s much harder to find out is whether Russia in general considers itself European or Asian.

Europe’s domination? Although the biggest country in the world predominantly lies beyond the Ural Mountains its population is concentrated in Europe to a great extent. Around

75 per cent of Russians live in the European part of the country with vast spaces of Siberia and the Far East still generally under-popu-lated due to the harsh climate. As Vladimir Kolosov, president of the International Geographical Union, told Russia Beyond, “the population in Russia there [in its Asian part] stands at two people per square kilometre.” The two biggest cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg) also are in Europe, as well as all federal authorities so many claim the European part is more important. On the other hand, it’s Asia where the most natural resources are concentrat-ed, so it’s not wise to underestimate its importance.

Culture quarrels The main question concerning Russia’s identity in relation to the outside world could be formulated as “Is Russia a European country or not?” The issue sparked serious debate in the 19th century when the two most influential groups among Russian intellectuals were the Slav-ophiles and the Westernizers. Back then, the Slavophiles believed that Russia should have relied on its unique heritage (tra-ditions, Orthodox Christianity, rural life) while the Westernizers supported the idea of European-style modernization and individualism.

‘Yes, we are Asians’ Those opposing the idea that

Russia belongs to the Western world usually emphasize that Russians throughout history have been living “at the crossroads” of civilizations and have therefore embraced cultural values from both Europe and Asia. Moreover, the troubled histo-ry of Russia’s controversial relations with European countries and the West in general adds fuel to the fire, making many patriotic think-ers claim: “We’re not European for Europe will never embrace us.” Alexander Blok, a famous Russian poet of the early 20th century in 1918 wrote an angry poem called Scythians dedicated to Europeans and denying Russia as Europe.

This is an abridged version of an article, first published by Russia Beyond (https://www.rbth.com/arts/327309-is-russia-europe-or-asia)

Continued on page 2

Defender of the Fatherland Day is a popular Russian holiday celebrated on February 23. The day focus-es on the achievements of military forces and veterans. But traditionally all Russian men – even those who have never served in the military forces – are also congratulated and receive presents from their wives, sisters, daughters and female co-workers on this day.

The Hall of Military Glory at the Battle of Stalingrad Memorial Museum in Volgograd. 2018 marks the 75th anniversary of victory in the Battle of Stalingrad.

Continued on page 2

The Admiral Panteleyev destroyer

THE NATION THE NATIONThursday, February 22, 2018 Thursday, February 22, 2018in Asia in Asia2 3

‘Helping people in need…’

Cooperation Women’s Day

her new neighbours, the very same Britain and France whose colonies surrounding the Kingdom from every side were step by step moving their borders closer and closer to Siam’s core territories. Siam was about to feel the need of friends and allies among world powers; friends strong enough and willing to challenge the might of her colonial neighbours. The choice of Russia as a prospective ally was logical for Siam, as well as the choice of Siam was for Russia, even though the two peoples knew next to nothing about each other at the time. His Majesty King Mongkut (Rama IV) warmly received the commander of the Gaidamak Lt. Captain (Lt. Commander in modern Western terms) Alexey Peshchurov and his officers during their short stay in Siam. Peshchurov wrote in his report to the Russian Imperial Government that the Siamese Mon-arch had asked multiple questions and shown keen interest in Russia’s political system, history and culture. The fact that both countries were ruled by absolute monarchs revered by their subjects as fathers of their respective peoples became an im-portant similarity that proposed the mode of the relationship: direct exchange of messages between the Monarchs. Captain Peshchurov left Siam with an envelope addressed to the Russian Emperor Alexander II. The envelope contained royal visiting cards of King Mongkut. Actual confrontations with France and uneasy relations with Britain were still decades ahead but the great Monarch had foreseen them clearly and impressed the importance of building a relationship with Russia upon his son and Heir, future King Chulalongkorn. The following 20 years saw a slow and even-paced exchange of royal letters between the courts of Bangkok and St. Petersburg, but dozens of calls by Russian ships and visits by Russian Navy officers on their way to Vladivostok and back,

as well as a visit in 1875 by famous Russian explorer Nicholas Miklou-ho-Maclay who always reported on his travels directly to the Russian Emperor, spoke of a steadily growing bilateral relationship. In 1882 the officers of the Rus-sian Navy’s Pacific Squadron serving under Admiral Avraam Aslanbegov, the Commander-in Chief of the Russian Pacific Command, took part in the celebrations of the 100-year jubilee of the Chakri Dynasty of Siam. Vice-Admiral Vsevolod Rudnev, the famous commander of Cruiser Var-yag in the Battle of Chemulpo Bay in 1904, in 1882 was a Lieutenant under Aslanbegov’s command. He wrote in his memoire, that, after the celebration, in which Rus-sian sailors and a Russian Navy brass band had taken part, King Chula-longkorn showed Admiral Aslanbe-gov a wall in one of the royal palac-es on which coats of arms of various countries of the world were displayed, with highest decorations of those countries, awarded to the king as symbols of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Russian coat of arms had no decorations. “Gentlemen, I would have glad-ly awarded Orders of The White Elephant to all of you if my country

had diplomatic relations with the Russian Empire,” said the Monarch as quoted by Rudnev. The Russian Admiral wrote that fifteen years later in 1897, when the first Russian diplomatic mission opened in Siam and an Order of St. Andrew, the highest decoration of Russia, was placed on the Russian coat of arms in the Royal Palace, a set of Orders of White Elephant was sent to St. Petersburg with the list of Aslanbe-gov’s officers awarded Siamese decorations. Rudnev also wrote that, to his great surprise, he found in 1882 Siam several Russian officers and engineers serving on Siamese steam-powered ships. They had been hired on long-term contracts by the Royal Siamese Government, the Siamese Navy and merchant shipping companies. Exchange of letters and telegraph cable messages between the Siamese and the Russian Monarchs became much more active during the reign of Russian Emperor Alexander III who ascended to the throne in 1881. An experienced military general and veteran of the Russo-Turkish war of 1877–78 who had commanded the Russian Danube task force that had liberated most of the Balkans from the grip of the Ottoman Empire, the

new Russian Monarch became known in history as ‘The Peacemaker Em-peror.’ During his reign Russia never took part in any armed conflicts and constantly conducted diplomat-ic efforts aimed at peaceful resolution of any issues between nations. It was on the Russian Emperor’s orders that Admiral Aslanbegov officially visited Siam during the celebrations of the 100-year anni-versary of the Chakri Dynasty, before paying another official visit on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, to the United States of America. When in 1890 the Emperor decided to send his son, Crown Prince Nicholas, the heir to the Russian throne, on a diplomatic and cultur-al mission around the Asian continent, he contacted King Chulalongkorn of Siam first by a letter delivered by a navy ship, and then by cable. The letter remained confidential while the text of the cable in which the Russian Emperor formally addressed the Siamese King as an equal sover-eign and entrusted the safety of his son and heir to His Siamese Majes-ty was published by every major newspaper in the world. Emperor Alexander III, having already nor-malized Russia’s relations with Great Britain, was at that time building an

alliance with France. As his son Nicholas after him, Alexander III employed the deep respect he com-manded with his French counterparts to do his part in the protection of Siamese sovereignty. Crown Prince Nicholas arrived in Bangkok in March 1891 on board one of the fastest and mightiest ships of the Russian Navy of that time, the Armored Cruiser Pamiat Azova. The visit became the first face-to-face meeting of a Siamese King and a member of the Russian Imperial family. From that day on, friendship between King Chulalongkorn and Crown Prince Nicholas Romanov, who three years later ascended the Russian throne as Emperor Nicho-las II, became the main driving force in the further development of the relationship between the two na-tions. The two Monarchs met in person only twice: first in Bangkok in 1891 and again in St. Petersburg in 1897, but they maintained regular corre-spondence for nearly twenty years, and the royal letters were mostly delivered by Russian Navy ships. In 1911 the Cruiser Avrora brought to Siam a Russian delegation head-ed by Grand Duke Boris, an uncle of Nicholas II, to take part in the festivities on the occasion of the Coronation of His Majesty King Vajiravudh, Rama VI. From 1898 till 1917 the Russian Navy also handled most of the dip-lomatic pouches coming in and going out of the Russian Imperial Mission in Siam. Commanding officers of the Russian Pacific Fleet were regularly received by members of the Siamese Royal Family, and many were award-ed Siamese decorations. The last known official call to the port of Bangkok by a Russian Imperial Navy ship happened in 1914, during the First World War when Cruiser Askold operating as part of the Franco-Brito-Russian naval force in the Pacific was on the way to the Mediterranean on the orders of the Allied Command. There may have been another visit, by the gunboat Manchur in late 1916. Dur-

ing the war the gunboat, formerly used to service Russian diplomatic pouches in the Pacific became the flagship of the Siberian Flotilla op-erating out of Vladivostok, and made a few diplomatic voyages along the Pacific coastline. No clear record has been found yet of the ship visiting Bangkok either in 1916 or in 1922 but she may well have been here both times, first on a diplomatic mission and later in her new incarnation as a Japanese merchant vessel renamed Kimigayo-Maru 2 after having been sold to a Japanese company in Ma-nila by a White Russian crew that had escaped from Vladivostok fol-lowing the Soviet takeover. From the 1920s to the 1990s Russian Merchant vessels were regularly seen in the port of Bangkok and in other Thai ports, but there were no official visits by Russia’s navy ships. Finally, in November 1997 a Russian Pacific Fleet diesel submarine accompanied by a supply ship came for a two-week call to the port of Sattahip. A Deputy Com-mander of the Russian Pacific Fleet was on board, there was a series of meetings between the Russian Ad-miral and his Thai counterparts, mutual visits by officers of the Rus-sian submarine and HTMS Chakri Naruebet, daily tours of the subma-rine for officers of the Thai Navy, even tours for the general public, so the first official visit to Thailand of a Russian Navy ship in over 70 years became a real celebration of Thai-Rus-sian friendship. Many visits by Russian Pacific Fleet ships have since followed, in-cluding two in the last three years by Missile Cruiser Varyag, the Flag-ship of the Pacific Fleet named after the heroic cruiser of the Chemulpo Bay fame. Russian Navy ship visits to Thai ports have once again become regular events, in revival of a good tradition of friendly calls born over 150 years ago.

Evgeny Belenkiy is a Russian historian and journalist. He is cur-rently RIA Novosti’s Chief Correspond-ent for Southeast Asia.

Continued from page 1

Russian-made face detection technology triumphs at contest organized by U.S. intelligence

NtechLab,a Russian-based company working with face detection technology, won 2 out of 3 nominations in a contest organized by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), a body with-in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The program, which stunned the jury, employs an algorithm that makes it possible to find a single person in a base of 1 billion people using just one photograph – a process that takes only half a second. Unsurpris-ingly, NtechLab, which had developed the program, was victorious in the Identification Speed and Verification Accuracy category. NtechLab was founded in 2015 by Russians Artem Kukharenko, a Moscow State University graduate, and Alexander Kabakov, a busi-nessman. Their face detection technology has already joined the ar-senal of the Russian special services: they implemented the FindFace algorithm in the summer of 2017.

First published by Russia Beyond (https://www.rbth.com/ science-and-tech/326655-russian-made-face-detection-technology)

RUSSIA BEYOND

‘Collected speeches of Vladimir Putin’ book launch held at Thammasat University

Bishop Anthony of Zvenigorod visits Thailand

BishopAntonyofZvenigorod, Head of Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate for foreign institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church visited Thailand in December 2017. Bishop Antony started off his visit with a meeting with Kitsayapong Siri, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture of Thailand. The bishop then went on a tour across the Kingdom. On December 10 the bishop performed the great consecration of the new Russian Orthodox Church in honour of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov in Phangan Island and on December 12 consecrated the wayside cross in Pattaya, which was built to mark 15 years of the

establishment of the Russian Or-thodox Church in Thailand. For the first time in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church’s presence in Thailand a hierarch of the Moscow Patriarchate visited all orthodox churches in Thailand. The visit of Bishop Antony to

Thailand and the ceremonies and meetings he took part in en-abled Thais to learn more about the Orthodox Church and its activities in Thailand. The work of the Church has already earned the esteem of Thai authorities and the public and contributed to the strengthening of mutual understanding between the people of the two countries. The Russian Embassy in Bangkok extended its full cooperation in preparing the visit of the bishop. Kirill Barsky, Ambassador of Russia to Thailand hosted a dinner in honour of Bishop Antony and accompanied him during the trip to Samui and Phangan Islands.

OnFebruary6,2018, within the framework of the International Singapore Airshow, Russian Helicopters and Thai company Datagate Co., Ltd. signed a memorandum of intent on cooperation in the setting up of a maintenance service cen-tre for Russian-made helicopters in Thai-land. The document was signed by Igor Chechikov, Deputy Director General for Aftersales Support Services of Russian Helicopters, and Issare Benjarattanaporn, Managing Director of Datagate Co., Ltd. The memorandum provides for a procedure of assistance in the setting up

of a centre for servicing Russian-made helicopters in Thailand, in order to ensure full operational capability of the helicopters to perform all necessary works in Thailand. The centre is expected to provide all kinds of maintenance and repair, troubleshoot-ing works, as well as replacement of com-ponents. Looking to ensure the full service life of the helicopters, the Russian and Thai companies also identified a procedure to supply original equipment manufacturer (OEM) spare parts and the repair of heli-copter components.

Russian Helicopters to cooperate with Thai Datagate Co., Ltd.

OnDecember12,2017 Thammasat Universi-ty held the launch of a book, which is a Thai trans-lation of a collection of speeches and articles by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The event was dedicated to the commemoration of the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Thailand.

A growing number of foreign businessmen working in Russia are seeing positive

changes in the country’s business environment. According to a recent survey by the Russian Union of Industrialists and En-trepreneurs (RSPP) and Fleish-manHillard Vanguard (Orta Communications Group), 33 per cent of foreign investors now give positive assessments of Rus-sia’s entrepreneurial climate – a 10 per cent increase compared to 2016. At the same time, the num-

ber of those who criticize the current state of doing business in Russia and give negative feedback has almost halved: From 53 per cent in 2016 to 22 per cent. “The assessment of Russia’s business climate by foreign inves-tors has reached the 2013, pre-cri-sis level,” says Elena Fadeeva, general director of Fleishman-Hillard Vanguard and president of Orta Communications Group.Among the key problems that investors named as hampering business activity in the country are a lack of qualified personnel

(67 per cent), corruption in the state apparatus (56 per cent), and administrative barriers (48 per cent). Political uncertainty – con-sidered the most mentioned negative point after the 2014 crisis – is no longer mentioned as a main factor: Only 14 per cent of respondents listed it among the main obstacles for business in 2017.

First published by Russia Beyond (https://www.rbth.com/business/327504-investors-rus-sia-business-climate)

Poll: Foreign investors more positive about Russia’s business climateRUSSIA BEYOND

The Admiral Panteleyev destroyer visited Thai waters to take part in the International Fleet Review to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Asean in November 2017.

5 Russian women who built a great legacy

On November 8, 2017 in the Chitralada Palace Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn awarded Olga Barskaya, spouse of the Ambassador of Russia to Thailand, the Red Cross Medal of Appreciation, Second Class, “for her constant dedication, through physical and mental exertions, in promoting the activities of the Thai Red Cross Society.” The awarding of members of the Red Cross Diplomatic Committee (in which Mrs Barskaya has been partici-pating for the last three years) took place during the audience of HRH Princess Sirindhorn with the diplomatic corps and the ceremony of hand over to Her Royal Highness as Executive Vice-President of the Thai Red Cross Society (its President is Her Majesty Queen Sirikit) of the proceeds from the Charity Bazaar and other activities in 2017.

Russia in Asia was granted an exclusive interview with Olga Barskaya...

First of all, please accept our heartiest congratulations on being bestowed with this prestigious award. Can you tell us how long you have been involved with the Thai Red Cross Society?

Thank you very much. It was a great honour for me to receive the Red Cross Medal of Appreciation, Second Class, from the hands of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Executive Vice-President of the Thai Red Cross Society. I have been working on the Diplomatic Participants Committee (Thai Red Cross Society) from the very moment I came to Bangkok together with my husband in 2014, it means more than three years already. This year I am privileged to serve as Chairperson of the DPC.

When it comes to your involve-ment with the Thai Red Cross what have you enjoyed the most?

First and foremost I enjoy helping people in need. Together with spouses of other ambassadors, members of the DPC, we are doing

our best to raise as much funds for charity as we can. Now we, together with the Thai Red Cross Society and the team of the Siam Paragon, are preparing the 51st Diplomatic Red

support the projects patronized by the Thai Red Cross Society. We invite everyone to come to the Bazaar and buy products dis-played at the booths of more than 50

Cross Bazaar to be held in Siam Paragon Shopping Mall on February 24 – 25, 2018. All revenues collected from selling products during the Bazaar will be used to help children from underprivileged families, to create a better environment for them, to

embassies. Most of them will be quite unique and not easy to find in Bangkok’s shops. By doing so you will not only learn more about other nations and cultures but will help someone who is in serious need. Another thing that I like is an opportunity to meet new interesting people who really care, to see smiles on children’s faces.

What are the biggest challeng-es that the Thai Red Cross faces?

The only challenge that the Thai Red Cross faces is that there are too many people who still need help. It is difficult to help all of them, to make everyone happy. But I can assure you that Thailand is full of kind, sympa-

thetic and generous hearts who are making the life of these people better.

How important is it for spouses and family members of top-level diplomats to be involved in social service and community activities abroad?

It is my firm belief that it is very important. Ambassadors represent and promote the interests of their home countries abroad. The major mission of my husband for example is strengthening Russian-Thai cooperation in all spheres starting from political and economic ties to people -to-people contacts and cultural exchanges. Of course I am not engaged in politics but I am trying to help him to promote

Russia here in Thailand by organizing social and charity activities, cultural performances, to make our country better known among the locals. And I think it works. We may see it from the growing number of Thais travelling to Russia each year to explore its authentic culture, arts, historic attractions, architecture, to see its unique nature and enjoy our

traditional hospitality.

Valentina Tereshkova

On June 16, 1963, Valentina Tereshk-ova became the first woman to fly into outer space when she piloted the Vostok-6. She set the trail for women cosmonauts (or astronauts) during their 3-day mission by performing various tests on herself to as-certain the reaction of the female body to a flight into the final human frontier. She later received a Ph.D. in engineer-ing and became a professor and the author of more than 50 scientific papers.In 2000, the International Women of the Year Association named the cosmonaut, who was born near Yaroslavl, as the “great-est woman achiever of the 20th centu-ry.” Tereshkova, who is almost 81, said she was even ready to go on a Mars mission if an opportunity came up.

Catherine the Great

The most-well known Russian female ruler of all time, Catherine the Great was at the helm of the Russian Empire from 1762 to 1796, a time that is called the “Golden Age.” In those 34 years, Russia became one of the foremost powers in Europe. Her strong leadership has been cred-ited as being essential for Russia winning the Russo-Turkish wars andspreading the Russian Empire right up to the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Russia also took the initial steps in becoming a Pacific power and made in-roads up to the Kuril Islands and beyond.

The empress had a great legacy that went well beyond the expansion of Russian territory. The Hermitage, Russia’s finest museum, was the brainchild of Catherine the Great, who passed on her priceless art collection. She was also a patron of litera-ture and education and was called the “Star of the North,” by Voltaire.

Anna Akhmatova

Born Anna Gorenko, the Russian mod-ernist poet left an indelible mark in a domain that was dominated by men in the country. She destroyed stereotypes surrounding women and poets with her poetry that stood out for being emotionally restrained. The world may never have known about the sheer intensity of the Stalinist purges of the 1930s if it weren’t for Akhmatova’s ‘Requiem.’ The book with its graceful lan-guage and its usage of Biblical themes was her best-known work, but available in the USSR only in the late-1980s. Since she was not in favour with the Soviet authorities (her first husband was executed by the secret police and both her son and her third husband were sent to Gulags), she had to constantly hide work and memorize everything that she wrote, to recite only in private readings with her trusted inner circle. Akhmatova also mentored Nobel Lau-reate Joseph Brodksy. She died in 1967, after a painful life in which she saw the horrors of the Stalinist purges as well as the Siege of Leningrad. Thousands attended her memorial services that were held in Moscow and St Petersburg (then Leningrad). Her courage to stay on in the USSR and document the injustices of that time has no parallels.

Sofia Kovalevskaya Russia’s first female mathematician made several contributions to the field and was the first woman to be a full professor in Northern Europe, when in 1891 she was appointed Professor Ordinarius at Stockholm University. Born in Moscow in 1850, Kovalevskaya was interested in mathematics from an early age, studying differential and integral analysis from her father’s calculus lecture notes. Although her family hired a special tutor for her and she managed to show her prowess in the subject, she couldn’t enrol in university. She entered into a false marriage and studied in Germany, where she obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Göttingen by presenting three papers on elliptic integrals despite not being allowed to attend lectures and take examinations. Fighting off the chauvin-istic attitudes of 19th century Europe, Kova-levskaya has many achieve-ments to her credit. In 1884, she joined the editorial board of the mathematical journal Acta Mathematica, and four years later, became the first woman to be elected a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, although she was never given a professorship in her own country. Kovalevskaya was also a well-known writer, best known for ‘The Nihilist Wom-an’ and advocated women’s rights.

Vera Mukhina Riga-born Vera Mukhina was one of the world’s greatest sculptors and a leading proponent of Socialist realism. Her best-known work is ‘Worker and Kolkhoz Wom-an,’ which is known as the “ideal” and

“symbol” of the Soviet epoch. The iconic sculpture, made from stainless steel, shows a group of two figures with a sickle and a hammer raised over their heads. The Mosfilm studio logo is of the sculpture, which is a 24-metre-high, 75-tonne monument made of stainless steel plate on a wooden frame. The plates are connected by an innovative method of spot welding. Mukhina’s other famous works include the bronze ‘Peasant Woman,’ which is at the Tretyakov Gallery and the Maxim Gorky monument in Nizhny Novogorod (which at one time was called Gorky). The Freedom Monument in Riga was saved from demo-lition and being replaced with a Stalin statue, thanks to Mukhina’s efforts and her high standing in Soviet society.

First published by Russia Beyond (https://www.rbth.com/arts/2014/ 03/08/5_russian_women_who_built_a_great_legacy_33609 )

Several Russian program students and univer-sity professors attended the presentation by Dr. Victor Sumsky, Director of the Asean Centre at the Moscow State University of International Relations (MGIMO). Sumsky, who is a renowned Russian political scientist, initiated the publication. A large number of students, who were on their winter break, returned to the university for the book launch. Several of them waited patiently to get a copy autographed by Sumsky. All the copies delivered to Bangkok were dis-tributed free among those who expressed interest in learning more about the political views of the Russian President.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visiting the 49th Diplomatic Red Cross Bazaar.

First and foremost I enjoy helping people in need. Together with spouses of other ambassadors, members of the DPC, we are doing our best to raise as much funds for charity as we can.”

Just about every woman in Russia is made to feel special as the country marks International Women’s Day on March 8. History has shown Russian women to be a strong, dynamic and enterprising lot, and many of them fought the circumstances in a male-dominated society to leave an indelible mark. Here are five Russian women who changed the world.

Women’s Day (March 8)

has traditionally been one of the most important holidays in Russia. Female family members, co-workers,

partners and friends expect greetings and some small presents.

Most wives and girlfriends pay special attention to what they get on March 8 from their husbands and

boyfriends. So it’s not the easiest of days for men, but nonetheless it is a beautiful spring day full of

flowers, TV programs, publications and special events dedicated to women and their

professional and personal achieve-ments.

AJAY KAMALAKARANRUSSIA BEYOND

in Asia4 Living in Thailand 5

St. Nicholas Cathedral, BangkokSt. Nicholas Parish of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) was established by the Holy Synod of Russian Orthodox Church on December 29, 1999. At the time of its establishment Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin), a priest from the Yaroslavl Diocese of Moscow Patriarchate, was appointed the rector of the newly created parish. The parish has at its disposal a church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and Archbishop of Mira in Lycia, built in 2014.

On November 29, 2017, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand accompanied by the commanders and cadets of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, visited the Bangkok St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral. A Great Vespers service was specially held on the occasion of the visit.

This Orthodox church – the biggest in Thailand – was built and consecrated in 2014. All the works were financed from the donations of parishioners and other benefactors.

This miracle-working icon of St. Nicholas became famous after many evident miracles. Many who prayed to the saint in front of his icon, had their wishes fulfilled. Some recovered from ailments and serious illnesses. Others claim to have attained a peaceful family life and help during tough financial times.

Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and Archbishop of Mira in Lycia28, Soi Wachiratham Sathit 36, Sukhumvit Soi 101/1, Bangkok, Thailand

The painting of murals on the inner walls and the ceiling of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Bangkok, which was launched in late 2016, is now completed.

Services are conducted in Church Slavic, English and Thai. Occasion-al religious rites are performed at any time at the request of believers. Confession is usually conducted before Divine Liturgy or on request at any time. During non-service hours the chapel is open from 7.00 AM to 8.00 PM.

From December 5 to 15, 2017, Bishop Antony of Zvenigorod, Head of Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate for foreign institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church, visited Thailand.

Celebrations marking the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand.

THE NATION Thursday, February 22, 2018

Services at the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and Archbishop of Mira in Lycia, are conducted every day at 8.00 AM and 7.00 PM, on Sundays: at 8.00 AM – morning prayers, and 9.00 AM – Divine Liturgy, evening service – 7.00 PM.

THE NATION THE NATIONThursday, February 22, 2018 Thursday, February 22, 2018in Asia in Asia6 7

What does Mr. Putin eat?

Aquick glance at the topless photos of the Russian leader and it must be said, at the age

of 65 he’s pretty fit. But how does he stay so trim? His diet probably has something to do with it. The Russian public is always curious about what President Vladimir Putin eats.

A presidential breakfast

For breakfast, the president eats porridge, tvorog (cottage cheese) with honey, and also drinks raw quail eggs. This is according to journalists from the NTV channel, who had breakfast with Vladimir Putin in 2012. They also reported that Putin likes to drink a cocktail of beetroot and horseradish juice. A few years later, the Russian leader told reporters he likes rice and buckwheat, but not oatmeal. “I don’t have much time for food,” he said. “I like vegetables: Tomatoes, cucumbers, salad. In the morning - porridge, cottage cheese, honey. If there’s a choice between meat and fish - I prefer fish, I also like lamb,” he said, before adding that he’s not much of a sweets man - al-though he does enjoy ice cream from time to time.

Lunch on the go

Putin travels a lot around the country and beyond. What he eats on the move is another story. “When I go somewhere, I’m pleased to try the local cuisine. I’m accustomed to green tea... I usually don’t have dinner, I don’t have time. In the afternoon I try to eat fruit, to drink kefir when it’s available - and when it’s not, I prefer not to eat an-ything at all,” he says. Several years ago, St. Petersburg restaurant Podvorye had a special menu titled “The Lunch of Vladimir Putin” - which offered the president’s favourite dishes. He’s been there many times and usually orders an assortment of meats called a ‘frying pan,’ which includes beef langets, sausage, esca-lope, and homemade cutlets. He’s also rather partial to a hot-smoked sturgeon with lemon and butter. Every time the Russian President eats with journalists, his choice of dish is the talk of the town. For ex-ample, in 2003, at a Kaliningrad cafe going by the name ‘By The Road’ he ordered ukha (fish soup), a pie with red caviar, smoked eel, and pancakes with strawberries. And in 2008, during a trip to Tatarstan, he opted for a salad, chicken soup with noodles,

beef with rice, and a pie... presidential business is hungry business.

What does Putin drink?

In 2010, Kremlin chef Anatoly Galkin said Putin prefers wine or beer. The cook shared a recipe for a special cocktail, drunk by guests at official receptions: Plenty of ice, a drop of lemon juice, mint, and 50 grams of champagne. Galkin says. Some media outlets also claim the president enjoys Spanish red

wines. Apparently, he also likes to knock back a shot of vodka after a meal, or a measure of cognac from Dagestan.

Taste of childhood

Putin once shared memories about his mother who “baked pies with cabbage, meat, or rice - and va-trushki (pies with cottage cheese).” Per-haps this explains his penchant for pies. In the book Putin’s Family by

Alexander Putin - published in 2002 - the author writes about Spiridon Putin, the Russian president’s grand-father. He worked as a cook in a St. Petersburg restaurant near the Naval Ministry. “In 1918 Spiridon was invited to work in Moscow in the government canteen, where he cooked for Lenin and the Soviet elite. There are rumours that later he became the personal cook of Stalin in the government residence in Valdai,” the book reads. Spiridon Putin died when his grandson Vladimir was 12. But luck-ily for the future president, he managed to sample his grandfather’s fish soup and lamb with Caucasian herbs while he was still alive.

First published by Russia Beyondhttps://www.rbth.com/russian-kitch-en/326728-what-does-russian-presi-dent-putin-eat

Pelmeni, blini on UNESCO’s cultural heritage list?

Travel Cuisine

On January 23, 2018, Oleg Safonov, Head of the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism (Rostour-ism) took part in the 8th Asean-Russian Fed-

eration Tourism Consultation in Chiang Mai. The sides discussed the outcomes of the project titled ‘Russian Language Course for Asean Tour Oper-ators.’ Its concept was tabled by Russia during the previous round of consultations. The project, with the participation of all ten nations, was the third phase of the Advanced Russian Language Training for Asean Tour Operators and was conducted in August–October 2017 in the Russian State University of Tourism and Services Studies. During the meeting, representatives of Asean member states spoke of strong growth in tourist inflow from Russia to Asean countries and noted that the number of tourists from the grouping travelling to Russia is also rising. The 9th Asean-Russian Federation Tourism Con-sultation will be held on January 15, 2019 in Ha Long, Vietnam. On January 24, 2018 the second meeting of the Russian-Thai Working Group on tourism was held on the sidelines of the Asean events. The main topic of discussion was measures to ensure the safety of Russian tourists at Thai resorts. Safonov and Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand signed a Joint Action Program for 2018–20 between the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand on cooperation in tourism.

RUSSIA BEYOND

Not bad for a hotel that only opened three years ago, right? The Mriya Resort & Spa, a five-star hotel complex in Crimea, was named the best leisure resort of the year by the World Travel Awards on Dec. 10. Russia’s cultural capital was also praised at the ceremony: St. Petersburg won both the ‘World’s Leading City Destination 2017’ and ‘World’s Leading Cultural City Destination 2017’ accolades, while national airline Aeroflot took

home the ‘World’s Leading Airline Brand 2017.’ It was a good night for Russia. Mriya Resort & Spa has previously won a number of European awards, but never an in-ternational award until now. In 2017 it surpassed Dubai’s Atlantis The Palm, Dominica’s Casa de Campo, Italy’s Forte Village Resort, and Egypt’s Hyatt Regency Sharm El Sheikh Resort. Opened in 2014, the Mriya Resort & Spa continues to impress with its unique design. Famous British architect Sir Norman Foster - responsible for London’s Wembley Stadium and Millennium Bridge, and New York’s Hearst

Tower - envisaged the project. It’s territory encompasses 27 hectares and includes several restaurants, villas, a medical and fitness centre, and of course a beach. Its construction cost its owner Sberbank (Russia’s state bank) around $300 million. Ac-cording to the resort’s director Grant Babasyan, more than 100,000 guests stayed there in the last three years.

First published by Russia Beyond (https://www.rbth.com/lifestyle/327001-crimea-hotel-inter-national-award)

Crimean hotel wins ‘World’s Leading Leisure Resort’ award

A rich cultural journey along Russia’s most beautiful waterway

Head of Rostourism takes part in Asean-Russia

consultation

On February 2, 2018 the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok hosted a grand opening ceremony to mark the launch of the Russia-Thailand Travel

Club. The ceremony was jointly organised by the National Tourism Office - Visit Russia Asia and the Russian Embassy in Thailand. Pongpanu Svetarundra, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand and Kirill Barsky, Ambassador of Russia to Thailand deliv-ered their welcoming remarks to representatives of more than 40 Thai travel agencies and members of the press. Pol. Gen. Pichit Kuandachakupt, Chairman of the Committee on Religion, Arts, Culture and Tourism of the National Legislative Assembly of Thailand and Busadee Santipitaks, Director-General of the Depart-ment of Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand were among the guests of honour. The Russia-Thailand Travel Club will be working with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, Russian Embassy in Bangkok and Visit Russia Asia. This is a unique organisation with the key aim to render mutual support and to strengthen coop-eration between the two countries in tourism. The club will bring together tour agencies, compa-nies working in tourism, airlines, NGOs promoting cultural cooperation and media outlets covering travel. It will promote Russia as a travel destination and help tour companies sell products of higher quality to Thais and to explore less-visited corners of the coun-try. The club will also be useful for those tour operators who are looking to attract more Russian tourists to Thai resorts. The Draft Code of Conduct of the Club was discussed by the meeting’s participants. Those looking for more information on the club can contact the Russian Embassy in Bangkok (rusem-bbangkok@gmail.com) or Visit Russia Asia in Hanoi (e.tarasova@rostourism.asia).

Russia-Thailand Travel Club launched in Bangkok

A re you looking to go on a cruise? Not sure whether to do an ocean or river cruise? If you are keen

to go on a trip that offers rich cultural experiences during which you will learn about the unique culture of each desti-nation, while setting foot on little-known parts of a country, a river cruise is an excellent choice. It will give you more experiences than any ocean cruise, even the most luxurious ones. This is the very reason that river cruises have been growing in popularity exponentially over the last few years, with an increas-ing number of visitors.

Remarkable views Ocean cruises are often massive, and you can enjoy views of coastal towns and cities, and visit destinations where the cruise ship docks. Facilities and entertainment services on board are often very convenient, allowing visitors to feel like the ship alone is a destination to explore and experience. Meanwhile, river cruises are often on smaller ships, giving visitors an unobstructed view of the riverbanks with their ever-changing scenery. More importantly, visitors can easily dock ashore and explore a desti-nation on their own. Being smaller, all cabins on a river cruise have windows, allowing visitors to enjoy the beautiful scenery even when they rest in their cabins. Big ocean cruise ships on the other hand often have to anchor offshore, and visitors have to transfer to a small-er boat to reach the shore.

Access to local culture A river cruise will give you more opportunities to explore a country, its nature, people, culture, cuisine and lifestyle. A river cruise allows visitors to access and interact with local people and their culture, and ultimately expand

their worldview thanks to the knowledge and deep understanding of the local people and their lives. During your journey you will have a chance to get acquainted with Russia, its history and modern life, discover Russian culture in all its diversity and enjoy picturesque and breath-taking landscapes, and of course, meet Russian people who are known for their hospi-tality and good nature.

A different service and journey River cruises are considered medi-um-sized portable hotels, equipped to meet the needs of their guests, whereas ocean cruises are like large resorts. On a number of river cruises in Europe and Southeast Asia, visitors can experience several countries in one tour. You will

only need to check in and check out once without having to worry about packing every night. The menu chang-es to showcase the specialties of the different destinations on the cruise. The atmosphere on board is always friend-ly and relaxed, and you never feel the pressure of time. Seasickness is a rare problem. River cruises can take you to your destination in a way that no ocean or onshore tours can achieve.

Get comfortable with an all-inclusive package An all-inclusive river cruise will

ensure that you don’t have to worry about exceeding your budget because of unforeseen expenses. You can con-sider and select from a variety of pack-ages when choosing a river cruise. With an all-inclusive package, the

price that you pay includes meals, ac-commodation, on board and shore activities. On most river cruises, you can enjoy free internet, so contacting your family and friends at home will not be limited or costly. Thus, a river cruise is truly worth your time and money.

Many local cultural activities take place on board You do not have to go too far to experience and participate in local cultural activities, which take place right on board: themed meals according to different regions, programs introducing the history of different destinations and recreational activities imbued with local culture. A river cruise will always make you feel refreshed and adventurous, as you will be immersed in the culture of your destination. For example, on a Volga Cruise exploring some of the most his-torical parts of Russia, you can learn more about the Russian Empire, or attend a Russian party – where the food and the clothing fit the theme, visit a Russian farm in the countryside, enjoy a Russian tea ceremony including a famous Samovar teapot, daydream while listening to a Russian folk song, or join a Russian folk dance.

No noise, and no waiting time On a river cruise, you will never feel tired because of the crowd. A river cruise will allow you to relax and enjoy yourself,

thanks to how organized it is and the cleverly designed itinerary. River cruise ships normally have a maximum capac-ity of 200 guests, so you can have your own quiet haven and enjoy the caring service of the staff on board, making it different from noisy and crowded lux-ury cruises with a capacity of over 3,000 guests. You will never have to wait for the food service, or queue up to get ashore whenever the ship docks.

No worries A river cruise is a great choice, because you will never have to worry. You only need to decide on a program and the type of cabin for yourself, and everything else is planned for you. De-pending on the chosen route you will be able to visit both of the fascinating and diverse capitals - Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and enjoy the cosy atmos-phere. You will also be able to visit the small but historically important cities along the itinerary. You do not need to plan your itinerary, or choose the res-taurants to visit, because everything is included in the all-inclusive package. You do not need to rush to comply with a tight schedule, transferring be-tween buses and trains and visit all the planned destinations to get your mon-ey’s worth, regardless of your health or preference like on regular tours. On a river cruise, if the beauty of one desti-nation compels you, you can take a long time to discover the area. On the other hand, if the destination does not attract you, or if your health does not permit, you can go back to your

cabin, enjoy a cup of tea and a good book. This does not affect anyone else, because the cruise is your companion every step of the way.

Unshakable feeling of comfort and safety Travel on Russian rivers, canals and lakes remains one of the most popular modes of holidaying for Russian and foreign tourists. One cannot find such clean air, invigorating freshness and tender warmth anywhere else. Every day a ship makes a stop in a new city, and, perhaps, there is no oth-er such opportunity to open oneself to the beauty of Russia and touch its history and culture in a matter of a few days. The most popular route is: Moscow – Uglich – Yaroslavl – Goritsy – Kizhi – Mandrogi – St. Petersburg (12 days). A river cruise will give you the most profound experiences. It’s a way to explore Russia in a different way.

To get information and clear your doubts about cruises in Russia, you can contact a regional sales office in Asia. Email: info@volgacruise.com

OrVisit Russia Office in Southeast Asia:E-mail: tabichha@imca.asia | e.tarasova@rostourism.asia Tel.: +84 4 8585 85 88Add: 49 Hai Ba Trung Street, Hanoi, Vietnam

When I go somewhere, I’m pleased to try the local cuisine. I’m accustomed to green tea... I usually don’t have dinner, I don’t have time. In the afternoon I try to eat fruit, to drink kefir when it’s available - and when it’s not, I prefer not to eat anything at all. ”

Ocean cruises are often massive,and you can enjoy views ofcoastal towns and cities, andvisit destinations where thecruise ship docks. Facilities andentertainment services on board are often very convenient,allowing visitors to feel like theship alone is a destination toexplore and experience.”

MARIA BUNINARUSSIA BEYOND

Chef Mikhail Ilyin, a Pattaya-based businessman who runs the 8 Horseshoes Tavern Restaurant in the Thai resort city, shared a recipe of one of the dishes that President Vladimir Putin tasted during a visit to southern Russia. The President just happened to drop by for lunch at a small café in Dagomys, a seaside neighbourhood that is about 12 kilometres away from the city centre of Sochi. Students from a culinary school in Sochi, who were interning at the restaurant at that time, decide to make a special lamb kebab called ‘Shashlik for Putin.’

Ingredients:

1 kg of baby lamb meat 1 kg of chopped red onions 1 litre of water 1 litre of kefir (Alternatively Greek yoghurt can be used, but many shops in the Kingdom now stock Russian kefir) Salt and black pepper

Instructions:

1. Cut the meat into medium size pieces (5 x 5 cm). 2. Mix the meat with the chopped onions. 3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. 4. Add the contents to a bowl containing one litre of water and one

litre of kefir. 5. Refrigerate overnight. 6. Before skewering, wash the meat and keep it in cold water for an hour 7. Grill the meat over hot coals for 30 minutes.

That's all! Bon Appetit!

If you follow Chef Mikhail’s recipe to the letter, you’ll get a typical Central Asian taste. For a more Asian flavour, add a couple of pinches of yellow curry powder and cumin while marinating

the meat. For a more Mediterranean flavour, some rosemary and herbs de Provence should be added to the mix.

‘Shashlik for Putin’

Vladimir Putin, still looking fit in his 60s. It must be something to do with the food…

Exclusive products of Thai-Russian company Caviar House of Bangkok, which is renowned for its premium quality, tasty and diverse range of offerings, will be available in 40 selected luxury hotels and 20 high-end restaurants in Phuket from March 2018. Caviar House, in partnership with the RUS THAI Business Group Co., Ltd. Phuket, will also offer valuable business solutions and special programs for local affiliates. There are 6 main kinds of black caviar:

Beluga caviar has large eggs (up to 3.5 mm) and can have platinum, dark grey, silver or black colour. It does not have a specific smell but tends to have a light nutty aftertaste and very delicate flavour.

Kaluga caviar has large eggs (up to 3 mm) and can be dark grey or silver, tan or black. The taste is similar to beluga caviar but less pronounced.

Sturgeon (Oscietra) caviar has medium size eggs (up to 2.5 mm) and a grey, slightly yellowish or brown, dark bronze or black colour. The taste is a little sharp-er than beluga with hints of the sea and iodine. It sometimes has a wonderful nutty flavour.

Sturgeon (Sevruga) caviar has small eggs and platinum, dark grey or black colour. It often has quite a lot of fat. The taste is light but intrusive.

Sterlet caviar has eggs in between the Oscietra’s and Sevruga’s in size. Its colour varies from dark grey to black. Its taste is delicate.

Caviar of sturgeon hybrids has varying taste and appearance.

Luxury hotels in Phuket to offer products from Caviar House of Bangkok A senior Russian politician has proposed

that the country’s traditional favour-ite blini (pancakes) and pelmeni (meat

dumplings) be added to UNESCO’s cultural heritage list. “All the Slavs, the whole country loves pel-meni,” Alexander Kurdyumov - the first deputy chairman of the State Duma (lower house of parliament) Committee on Regulations and Organization of Work told the Govorit Moskva radio station in January 2018. “For-eigners eat them in Russia with zest — with sour cream, honey, butter, jam, anything. Pelmeni is our wonderful Russian product, which we all are making at home. This is our tradition.”

Blini

Few Russian dishes are as widely known worldwide as Blini. They were spread among all the Eastern Slavs, for whom the dish had a ritual meaning in pre-Christian times.Russians have

various recipes to make blini: using sour dough and without yeast; rich and without eggs; from wheat, rye and buckwheat flour. Like their Western cousins — crêpes, British pancakes and Bul-garian palachinki — Russian pancakes have innumerable fillings, both sweet and savoury. However, there is one thing their fillings always contain, and that is melt-ed butter and sour cream (used as a sauce in most dishes in Russian cuisine, including soups). Finely crumbled hardboiled eggs are also preferable, but you can manage without them. Beyond this, the composition of the filling depends on the imagination of the cook — but fish dishes are essential. First place goes to caviar, followed by herring in spicy brine, sturgeon, salmon, sterlet and, finally, sardines and sprats.

Pelmeni

No one knows how pelmeni — half-moon shaped dumplings containing chunks of ground

meat — came about, but there are sev-eral theories. One is that they were discovered in the Urals by Russian pioneers, who called them pelnyan, the local Komi

word for ear, which the food resembles. Others maintain pelmeni originated

in Siberia, where the raw dough and meat could be preserved outside for months in the

freezing winter. Yet another theory says they’re Chinese, citing the use of non-native spices in the recipe, such as pepper.

Pelmeni can be stored frozen for a long time and they are prepared immediately before eating by boiling in salted water until they float, and then two to five minutes more. Regional differences exist in the boiling of pelmeni. In the Urals, they are always boiled in water, while in Siberia they are boiled in salted water or sometimes meat or chicken broth. The cooked pelmeni are served on their own or topped with melted butter or smetana (sour cream).

UNESCO culinary delights

Earlier this year, French President Em-manuel Macron had suggested that the UN’s cultural wing classify baguettes as cultural treasures. UNESCO has a list of 38 elements, which are part of its Intangible Cultural Heritage for safeguarding. Instituted in 2009, this list has an eclectic mix of different cultural elements including dance, music, food and crafting. Food elements include Turkish coffee, traditional Mexican food and the Mediterra-nean diet.

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THE NATION Thursday, February 22, 2018 in Asia8

On January 31, 2018, the Rajamangala National Stadium of Thailand host-

ed a special friendly football match between teams of the Russian Em-bassy in Bangkok and the Sports Authority of Thailand. The friendly was the first in a series of matches to be held in Bangkok to promote the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The Russian Embassy team won a hard-fought match, edging out the Thai team 3-2. After the match an informal get-together was held, during which the players and fans tasted Russian and

Thai dishes, and showed off their singing skills in their respective languages. The Russian dishes were prepared by chefs of the Ukraine Restaurant in Pattaya and the Russian Embassy in Bangkok. The Russian Orthodox Church Mission in Thailand also par-ticipated in the sporting and cultural festivities.

On December 1, 2017 over 1,000 guests, in-cluding the head coaches of the teams par-ticipating in the World Cup, attended the

final draw ceremony at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow. The results of the final draw will determine the line-up of each group and the match schedule. Vladimir Putin also spoke to the global football personalities invited to the event. “Our country is looking forward to the World Cup and intends to hold it at a high level so that the leading football players can fully display their skills and show us everything that real football is all about.

What is a FAN ID and how to get yours?

As required by Russian legis-lation, to watch a FIFA World Cup match in person, you will need a personalized visitor card, other-wise known as a FAN ID, in addition to your ticket. This name card is issued for each visitor and is obligatory for all ticket owners, including Russian residents and children. You only have to get your FAN ID once, and it can be used for all the FIFA World Cup matches along with your tickets.

Visa-free entry to Russia

A FAN ID gives foreign citizens, when arriving in Russia for the World Cup matches, the opportu-nity for multiple entry into the country without obtaining visas. You only need to apply and receive your FAN ID once. And here is more good news: the FAN ID entitles a holder to travel for free between the tournament’s host cities.

How to obtain a FAN ID?Step One: Buy your ticket for any 2018 World Cup game

Tickets for the 2018 World Cup games are available exclusive-ly on the FIFA website. You are required to have a game ticket or a document that entitles you to receive a ticket, in order to apply for your FAN ID.

Step Two: Register

Submit your FAN ID applica-tion online on this website https://www.fan-id.ru/registration.html or if you’re in Russia deliver it personally to a FAN ID centre. Registration will only take a few minutes if you have your person-al information and photo ready.If you apply for a FAN ID online, you’ll need to provide the follow-ing information: name and last name, a middle name if you have one, date of birth, gender, passport information or ID information for stateless persons (keep in mind that the document, which you use to register for the FAN ID, may

be different from the document, which you used to buy game tick-ets), mobile phone number, e-mail address and postal address for the delivery of the FAN ID. You will also need to submit a colour photo portrait along with the application. The picture should be taken no more than six months prior to the application date. The picture file should be in .jpg or .jpeg format, no more than 1Mb in size, and have dimensions of no more than 420x525 pixels. The photo background should be plain, your eyes in the photo should be open, and the face has to be illu-minated in a uniform manner. To submit your application, you will also need the ticket num-ber, or order number if you’re buying a set of tickets. This num-ber can be used several times, depending on the number of tickets purchased. After submitting the application, you will receive a text message on your mobile and an email confirming the receipt of your application. The application for a FAN ID will be processed within 72 hours.

After that, you will receive a new notification on your application status.

Step Three: Receive your FAN ID

You can pick up your FAN ID at a FAN ID centre if you’re in Russia. But check your application status first! Foreign citizens and stateless persons can receive their FAN ID by mail or in person in one of the visa partner centres of the project and the offices of Ros-sotrudnichestvo.

FAN ID issuing centres:

Moscow - Khamovnichesky Val, 24. St. Petersburg - Liteiny Ave-nue., 26, Preobrazhensky Dvor. Sochi - st. New dawn, 7. More-Mall shopping centre. Kazan - st. Bauman, 44/8, Rodina mall. Kaliningrad - st. Teatralnaya, 35, Morskoy business centre. Nizhny Novgorod - st. Sovnarko-movskaya, 28. Rostov-on-Don - st. Nizh-

nebulvarnaya, 6, Five Seas (Pyat Morey) business centre Samara - Moscow Highway 17.

What is Free Travel?

Each 2018 FIFA World Cup spec-tator has the chance to make use of free transport between tourna-ment host cities. Free travel via additional trains traveling between host cities during the sporting events will be provided to specta-tors holding match tickets or documents granting access to the match, along with a FAN ID.

How to obtain tickets

The free ticket issuance process for additional trains requires the following: 1. Register at the official web-site: tickets.transport2018.com. 2. Enter game ticket data: the ticket or application number, FAN ID number, date and time of the match and host city. 3. Choose additional train route and train seat, which will be offered automatically by the web-

site based on the ticket info input.

How to register?

In order to register, you need to input the following: 1. FAN ID number. 2. Personal data: last name, first name, patronymic (if appli-cable), date of birth, gender, citi-zenship, type of ID document and its number. 3. E-mail. 4. Contact phone number. Following registration and choosing the route of the addi-tional train, along with the seat, the spectator receives a message with the boarding coupon via email provided during registration. The message contains confirmation of the right of free transportation with relevant information (location and time of departure/arrival of the additional train, train number and seat, along with the list of documents required to present during boarding). For more information about at-tending the World Cup 2018 in Russia, visit: welcome2018.com/en/fan_guide/

All you need to know for your trip to the FIFA World Cup RussiaTM

The Official Final Draw of the 2018

FIFA World Cup Russia

Bangkok hosts special Russian-Thai

football friendly

President Vladimir Putin at the 2018 World Cup Final Draw ceremony held at the State Kremlin Palace, Moscow on December 1, 2017.

And, of course, we believe that those who come to Russia to support their teams will leave with unforgettable memories. They will not only see the world’s leading footballers play up close, but will also get ac-quainted with Russian culture, our history and Russia’s unique nature, and experience our tra-ditional hospitality and openness,” President Putin said. The 2018 Football World Cup will be held from June 14 to July 15. The opening match and the final will be held in Moscow.

World Cup 2018

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