Komsomolsk-on-Amur

My trip to Komsomolsk-on-Amur was pleasant in every way. And it was good to learn that it really does take eight hours to fly from one side of Russia to the other.

Visions of Arkhangelsk

Tourism here used to be of the involuntary variety. Now it’s merely recommended.

We hate to do this to you, Aeroflot. We really do. But we have to add this to our string of recent Aeroflot bashings. You know the Aeroflot-Nord (an Aeroflot subsidiary) Boeing 737 that took a nosedive near the Ural mountains in Perm last autumn, killing all 88 people onboard? Well, not only have the reasons for the crash been determined as “poor training,” lack of preparedness, and the subsequent “disorientation” of the crew, but the crew commander’s blood just tested positive for alcohol in a forensic study. The revelation casts the previous drunken-pilot story in an entirely different light.

DHL, one of the top companies shipping to Russia from the US and Europe, banned non-letter shipment to this country, sighting recent changes in customs regulations and clearance delays.

California Governor rode the Moscow metro today. We have to say, Mr. Schwarzenegger is becoming one of the most popular politicians in Russia -- the blogosphere here is filled with “Arnie for Moscow Mayor” slogans and suggestions of metro stops worth visiting.