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HOT News
November 27, 2006
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Yesterday the 26th November, the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series for Cup of Russia in Moscow finished. During the last week I was happy to meet and provide my services again for my VIP client, Johnny Weir, three-time U.S. champion figure skater. I was very excited to meet with Johnny, his mum Patty and his coach Priscilla Hill again.
At the restaurant of hotel Ukraine, I met his new choreographer, Marina Anissina, who is Russian, but lives in France. I presented Johnny, his mum, coach and Marina my best photos which I took mostly during sightseeing tours with my clients around Moscow city and its countryside. They were all impressed with my photos and Marina told me that I presented Moscow for foreigners very professionally and she was amazed that I am an amateur photographer.
Johnny took the second place in men's figure skating competition in Moscow and looking forward to coming to the Final, which will be held in St. Petersburg in the middle of December 2006. Sorry I have no new personal photos as Johnny was very busy this time and I am still using the old picture, which was taken in 2005.
During this week I also met and provided my services for James and David from New York, who came to Moscow to make a private documentary movie for Johnny. Of course, I missed Carolanne Leone, Johnny-s choreographer in the States, who I met in March 2005, when Johnny was in the World Figure Skating Championship in Moscow. But I hope to see her again one day.
I was also able to provide a guide and transportation services for Sean Gillis from Ireland and his friend Hiro from Japan, who came to this championship, to see a Japanese skater friend who was competing and also to do some reporting for some figure skating websites.
So with all this, the last week was pretty busy and intense for me, but very very festive and exciting for everyone!
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November 14, 2006
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During the last week it had been a lot of snowfalls in Moscow and, when the temperature lowered at the end of the week to the -7..-9 C, evidently for everybody, that the winter came to Moscow already. With the fist snow, of course, the traffic situation on the roads became worse and it were happened a lot of traffic accidents with the fist snow and ice on the roads. Car owners started to change the summer tires on the winter ones with studs. Of course, using the studs on tiers not so good for road surface, and to the end of each winter a lot of roads have to be fixed as usual. But during winter season we have a lot of snowfalls and very low temperatures, very often on the roads appeared ice, so on the news during all the week the traffic police recommended to change the summer wheels on the winter ones.
On the last weekend (Sat, 12th), when I had some spare time, I decided that is the time to change the tires on my new car too.. I bought the good winter tires with studs made in Finland, model “Nokian HKPL 4” (very popular and recommended by my friends).. and spent about 500 USD (to buy 4 tires and change them on a car service)… Ye.. not cheap, but for safety it is better to pay in advance to avoid some big problems in future, and having the good wheels here is very important, because of the winters are too long here…
Drivers, be careful and polite on the roads! (this slogan related especially to the Russian drivers)
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June 02, 2006
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Today I decided to create the special theme in my Moscow Photo Gallery devoting to the tours "Discover Rural Russia".
The Moscow Region is rich in history, national traditions of the Russian people and unique historical and cultural landmarks.
New tours were recently made with my repeat client Annie Budz from Canada. We were guiding by the excellent book "Discovering the Moscow Countryside" written by Kathleen Berton Murrell, who is a former Canadian Diplomat lived and worked in Moscow for many years.
The Moscow region (Oblast) contains 47 thousand square kilometers of land, its territory larger than such European states as Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The region's population is over 7 million people. It is a region rich in history, national traditions of the Russian people and unique historical and cultural landmarks, many of them included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
If you would like to see rural life in Russian villages, beautiful churches and famous monasteries or even old Estates outside the Moscow city, I will be happy to arrange the special "personal" tours for you acording your interests and available time during your trip to Moscow, Russia.
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May 26, 2006
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Today I saw off my client from Canada who likes architecture, especially Russian orthodox churches. She came second time to Moscow and we spent together a great time to discover Moscow Countryside. Each day we choose different direction from the Moscow city and, honestly, I have a feeling right now, that I have seen as many interesting sites, places during last two weeks as I saw during all my life before...
This picture I took during shooting a very beautiful church in Ubory, which is located on west about 30 km from Moscow city in Odintsovo district…. BUT my next pictures with beautiful Russian orthodox churches which is not so popular and easy to get as like, for example, St. Basil on the Red square, but no less attractive and marvelous … will be a bit later… I hope soon...
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May 09, 2006
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On the 9th of May, 2006, we celebrate the 61st anniversary of World War II. The fighting of WWII in Europe ended on May 2nd, 1945. The surrender of German troops was signed on May 4th and 5th but officially the war ended at midnight on May 8th 1945. To remember this important event, it was created a national holiday called the Victory Day which is celebrated on May 9th in Russia and other countries. We paid for this Victory an enormous cost - 27 million human lives. This is a poem for you to help you to understand why we became winners, the poem in which Russian soldier is asking his beloved to wait for him in spite of all the hardships:
The Poem "Wait For Me" by Konstantin Simonov
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Moscow, Russia 
Contact Info: Arthur Lookyanov