Yandex is the Russian search that most Russians use.  In the land of Czars Google is not king.

Yandex stand for Yet Another Indexer. It is Moscow based, has millions of users and bloggers love it in Russia for reasons listed below.

Why is Yandex so popular in Russia?

Yandex is popular because it understand the Russian language.  It has a superior understanding of Russian cases and idioms and natural language.  It is linguistically advanced. In its algorithm it can tell the difference between good Russian writing and poor Russian writing.

Therefore, in Yandex has a better user experience.  I know this sounds hard to believe because of Google and Microsoft’s massive resources. But the best chess program in the world is not made by a large American company but a single Czech programmer, and it is called Rybka.  So not every is always about money and monopoly for quality.  In the Russian language Yandex is the best.

Yandex also has a minimilst design and runs fast.

Yandex has a purist design

I have tested it myself and I like its results.

It has a strong local search, which is very good for every city in Russia. Further, it has strong anti-spam features, some say better than the big G.

I wanted to invest in Yandex, I wrote the company and their reply was  they are just a small private company quietly printing Russian rubles.

Here is an excerpt from their reply.  It was from Ekaterina Zhukova in Investor relations.

Thank you very much for your interest in Yandex and sorry to disappoint you Mark but Yandex is a private company currently and we do not offer our shares on any public market.

Please note that if you want to track the company developments and achievements, please go to http://company.yandex.com/

Therefore, I will have to look for other places to invest or wait for the Yandex IPO.  The reply was very personal and professional. I like that in a company.

Yandex like companies in other lands

There are a few other places where Google does not rule. The Czech republic has seznam.cz China has Baidu. Google is mostly and English language search engine, which is ironic as its founder Sergey Brin is Russian.

Russian nationalism and Yandex

The Russians are very nationalistic.  They love mother Russia.  If they have a choice they will use something from Russia rather than their old nemesis.  I mean if the French launched a search in the USA would American go running to use it or an American search? This is why Russians prefer yandex.ru.

However, when all is said and done the reason Yandex is so popular is because it works for the Russian language.  Believe me I study Russian a bit and know Polish.  Slavic languages are very different than English. Even with the Polish Google I get funny results sometimes resulting from it not fully understanding noun cases for example.  The endings are really crazy in the Russian languages.  And this is exactly what Yandex understands. It can change the meaning of a Russian phrases totally.

I would be curious if Yandex will ever become a international search or stay more a country specific. I am also going to continue to watch on the Yandex IPO side. Either way try it out, it is made for Russian but Yandex is not bad in English either for fun.

I surf the Russian Interent a lot. I even have a Russian e-mail and a few accounts.  I need to learn Russian better as I often get lost.  But if you as an English speaker want to learn how to view a Russian website in English it is easy.

• First find the Russian website you want to view.
• Copy the url to Google translate tools.
• Translate to English.

Once on this site any pages you go to will be in Russian.  From time to time you might not have the whole site translated as some of the text might be in an image. However, if does the job.   If you are a real Russophile then you might want to learn the Russian alphabet. From there a lot of the techy words are the same in English as in Russian and you can start to navigate with greater ease.  This is the best way to view a Russian website in English.

Englishrussia's view of Russia is not so beautiful as this

What is EnglishRussia?

The website EnglishRussia or rather is a blog that gets about 200,000 visitors a day.   From the name and the visits you would think that it would be in depth reporting about Russia for the English speaking world.

This is the opposite of what this blog is about.  It is basically not about European Russia or the Russian language. Nor is it about how to learn Russian.

EnglishRussia.com is simply a site with a lot of photos about Russia, but they take a negative view as manifest my their photos and videos.

Why this Russian site is lame

Nothing succeeds like success ( or in that blog’s case controversy), therefore, you might say,  english–russia can not be all that bad. And it is true there is some value to this site, maybe some unusual photos and it shows another side or Russia. However, I am Slavic and live in Europe and if someone showed my country in a negative way just to get traffic on their blog I would not like it.

However, it is a slow loading site with extra large photos of Russia and nothing is in depth.  The photos are just negative eye candy about Russia. The only reason it get traffic is they have many people from other blogs somehow pointing to their English/Russia blog. I think negative images stir emotional response.  But I think really what makes EnglishRussia so lame is it just picks up things from Russian websites.  “There is nothing new on it. There’s nothing original,”  said Mikhail Chekanov of the large search portal rambler.ru It is boring.

My views only echos Mikhail Chekanov about this blog.

Better English blogs about European Russia Moscow etc.

To be honest I guess  the main reason my personal opinion about English-Russia is not high, is not because it boring or slow loading, but this blog portrays the Russian people in a negative light.

The site only shows to the English speaking world the worst side of Russia.  I do not know  if it is the person’s personal opinion or they just want to make money by showing something controversial. The owner my be a success in life, but I think it is not a balanced or fair representation. I some times am critical of Russian politics and Putin, but not the Russians.  So if you want to learn about Russia there are more positive blogs out there. The Russians are great people.  The nation of Russia is a powerful intellectually and what they have to offer the world.  I do not like when any person or website puts down a nation or group of people, European or Asia or where ever.

EnglishRussia blog could show more traditional and postive aspects of Russian culture.

I think the best thing to do about such sites is basically ignore them and find more interesting blogs that will lift up your spirit.

That is my opinion about englishrussia.com.

Kvass is a medieval drink which means ‘leaven’.  It is basically non-alcoholic drink fermented from rye and mixed with herbs or fruits like mint and strawberry.  If you have never tasted it your missing something.  It is popular in Ukraine and Russia and goes back 5000 years plus. It is also known as a monk’s drink. In Ukraine and Russian in the 17th and 18th and 19th century it was the most popular drink in town.  I put up a quick recipes here Kvas recipe.  It taste great cold in the summer. Below is me next to a Ukrainian Kvass truck when I was in Crimea.  I drank Kvas morning, noon and night.

Kvass truck

A funny Kvass story

Last summer I was sitting in a field behind my flat in Kraków with my Kaisa. I was eating salami and drinking Kvass and reading a book.  At that point two Polish police officers proceeded to write me out a ticket for drinking in a public place.  Of course I tried to explain to them it was Kvas and for some reason they did not know what I was talking about.  Kasia explained to me that Kvass is really a Ukrainian Russian drink and not popular in Poland.  When I gave them a whiff of the Kvass  bottle, they said aha and made some comment about me being an American health food guy and walked off.

Second Kvas story

I had secured a great supplier of Kvass at one of the local shops and was walking down the street with my stash.  I had so many bottles of kvass that one of the bottles broke though the cheap plastic bag I was carrying them in. My kvass broke open and sprayed a girl walking by all dressed up for her Saturday night date.  It was almost as if my kvass followed her as she tried to get out of the way.  The end result is she was covered with my kvass.  I tried to apologized but she said ‘great, now my boyfriend will think I was drinking’  – I said ‘its kvass!’ .

I did not grow up in Russia or even Eastern Europe where I now live, but rather, preppy, snowy New England. Like many teens, I felt like I lived in a world that was more pain than happiness.   I felt like I lived in an ‘alien world, a world that was as deaf to my music as it was to my sorrows.’  I felt I would never find my one and only princess. I questioned why did God put us on this earth and why we suffer so much.   I believed, and to some extent still do believe that this life is a test. We are here for toil, suffering and lament to purify our souls and make us more beautiful inside.  Like many people, who do not openly admit this I felt deep and real pains of loneliness.

Enter Russian literature

I was going to an all boys English boarding school in Avon, CT.   And to my luck there were a couple of courses in Russian history including Russian literature.  In Russian literature I found a world of people who felt just like I did.  They saw the world as gray dark world, cold tragic. Not tragic in the modern literature sense or dark like vampire dark, that is too much cream not enough milk.  Rather Russian stories we filled with people who were alone and searching for God. Now this was something I could relate to.

Sergei Lukyanenko is a Russian fantasy and sci fi writer who is not well known outside Russia, Poland and Ukraine but is gaining in popularity because of the movies, Day watch, Night watch and soon to be out Twilight watch. The guy is a prolific writer and in my opinion writes great stories, although a little complex and hard to follow at times.  I have always like the themes of the unseen battle between light and darkness.  I think I will read his book twilight watch but the issue again is do I read it in English or Polish. I know I should read it in Polish as I  could always improve my Polish but its a lot of work.  I think I will finish the Narnia series in Polish then move to Andrzej Sapkowski in Polish then at last to Sergei Lukyanenko again in Polish. It will be closer to Russian and will make me a better person.

Update: I went to Empik last night and bought Sergei Lukyanenko’s Twilight watch in English. I was weak. But I will read Andrzej Sapkowski in Polish.

The Russian nation is more of an idea than a people.  Yes there are ethic Russians, even the majority,  but Russia today and argueably since the beginning of the Mongel yoke in the 12th century has always been a multi ethnic empire with over 100 recognized ethic groups.  The idea of Russia is, imperialism and cultural superiority.  Russia and the Russian soul has something the west does not have.

Geography of Russia

Russia is the largest country in the world. Covering 17.1 million square kilometer. The topography is very wild ranging from deserts to tundra to mountains to deep endless untouched forests.  However, one noted characteristic is Russia has always had trouble with a warm water ports, hence, the Crimea problem and the Kaliningrad enclave.

Russian Population

The Population of Russia is 145 million with 80 % in Europe.  Moscow is the biggest city in Europe with 11 million people and St. Petersburg has 5 million people.

The population of Russia is in rapid decline and the government has tried to start programs to counter this, particularly regarding ethnic Russians. The average family in Russia has 1 child.  Pensioners are almost 1/4 of the population.

The future of Russia

Russia will not disappear.  But I think until it drops the idea 19th century imperialsm it will not live up to its potential.  If could be the Richest country in the world if it promoted free movement of labor and capital.

I am writing this a little because I feel guilty because sometimes I write posts that seem hard against Russia or the Russians. However, this is not the case. I am actually really into Russia and Russian history and culture. Rather what I disprove of is Russia’s lack of democracy and blind acceptance of  Putin’s Czardom. This was not directed at Russia, but rather Putin’s imperialism. So I will say something positive about Russia.
Russia, the land of chess champions and super models and sometimes both in one. Russia. The beautiful Russian soul few in the west understand. Russians even after 70 years of communism have not lost their depth and spiritual affinity and deep love of nature.
Moscow is one of the most amazing cities on earth. I am amazed why people flock to Paris or NYC or London when Moscow is larger, wealthier and more full of life. It is also less touristy. Russia has perhaps the most beautiful landscapes from Siberia to the the northern lakes,like no where else in the world. The women of course are perhaps the most attractive, the men are highly educated and very creative, for example did you know the founder of Google is Russian? The Russian writers are perhaps second to none. And dancers? Well maybe ballet and dance are everywhere in Russia. Athletes are top. Perhaps the future of the world will not be China, Europe or America but Russia. Russia is taking its oil wealth and developing new technologies and cities and infrastructure. The rocket scientists of the past were all Russian and with the new found wealth I am curious what frontiers the Russian will forge into in the next 25 years.

The purpose of this post is to explain in clear, crisp terms what is happening in Russia.

The economy in Russia

Putin did a good job in making Russians feel good about being Russian after the 1990s.  He brought pride in being Russian back.  However, being a Czar true democracy did not exist, therefore, capitalism in Russia had a hard time to develop in a diversified way, as to stay in power Putin used his influence to reward economic oligarchs.

Therefore, the Russians became the arabs of Europe, that is, an economy built on oil and gas.  People became rich, some people.

Russia in Crisis

Infustructure and long term investment projects in Russia were based on oil being over 100 dollars.  At 50 dollars the Russian economy has stoped and is moving backward.

Russian Ukrainian dispute

In times of falling prices Putin wants to raise prices and flex his monopolistic power, to off set losses and retain popularity, which might ride on the Russian economy.  Further, like in Georgia Russia is flexing itself as Russia wants the satallites of the old Union back in its fold, Russia is an empire of course.

Ukraine is saying no.  Europe should help Ukraine, but its watching as it wants smooth business and does not want to upset daddy Russia giving Europe gas.

Russia has tried to make Ukraine look like the bad guy.  But Russia turned off the gas and said Ukraine did it .  But truth is Russia did turn the gas off as a ploy, to get Germany to build the Baltic pipeline to cut Poland and Ukraine out.

Germany of course is meeting with the Russians as they want to make business and do not care about Ukraine.

But if oil is going to stay low, Czarist policies may backfire as Adam Smith’s invisible hand will punish Russia for its highly concentrated economy with no real free movement of labor and capital.

Two things might happen in Russia

• Either oil will come back or Europe will be weak and give in and all is well for Putin
• Or Ukraine will go West and Putin will lose power with oil being too cheap to buy people with. But that is the less likely scenario.

Of course I hope for the latter.

Wake up!

• Russia is a Empire. It always has been and they are not going to change soon.  I am an American in Poland and see that Russia has been an Empire for at least 500 years and why would they change.
• Putin is a Czar. Does anyone really think Russia is a democracy? Come on.  Why does Gary Kasparov get arrested all the time.  If Russia really had a free market the people of Russia would be better off.
• Ukraine wants to be NATO and EU. However Europe and the US are afraid of Russia so tip toe around the issue.

The Ukrainian Russian gas dispute reality

In a time of falling prices Russia wants next year gas to Ukraine to be 300 percent more in one year.  Is this fair?  Russia makes many lies against Ukraine and is trying to keep it from joining the west.  If the Russian government had its way it would annex Ukrainian territory and bring back the old Union.   Do not be so naive.  It is mid January and the Russian government cut off gas to the Ukrainian pipelines.  The Russian government will always be this way, unless Ukraine can join NATO and EU.  Why do you think Russia invaded Georgia? To keep its Empire from falling. The Russians are great, the Russian government is cruel.