DEAR READERS:

It gives me special pleasure to present to you a new supplement inyour favourite newspaper The Nation.

Russia in Asia is a successor to theRussia Beyond the Headlines supple-ment that you enjoyed from 2014through 2016.

Russia in Asia will help you to learnmore about my country, its rich history,its splendid culture, its advanced science and its high-quality education.

This publication will allow you todiscover the beauty of different cornersof this vast, diverse and gorgeous land.You will know how Russians look, whatfood they eat and what clothes theywear. You will find out that my compa-triots can smile and laugh.

You will get a better understandingof what ordinary Russian people think,how they make their living, what theylike and where they spend time afterwork.

Of course, our reporters will beinforming you of the newest develop-ments in Russian-Thai relations, and ofRussia’s stance on topical regionalissues.

The supplement that we are launch-ing today will open your eyes to whatRussia is doing in Asia. Moreover, youwill be surprised to know that Russia isAsia. Not only because 60 per cent ofthe territory of my country belongs tothe Asian continent, but because Russiais getting increasingly integrated intoAsia’s economy.

We not only share transportationroutes and oil and gas pipelines, butalso share the same destiny.

Russia in Asia will be telling you stories of Russians who live and work inThailand.

We will also ask Thais who havetravelled to andstudied in Russia toprovide you withtheir first-handexperience.

You may ask mewhy the logo abovewas chosen for thenew supplement.To answer thisquestion we shouldlook back at history.Diplomatic relations betweenRussia and Siamwere establishedduring the Royalvisit of His MajestyKing Chulalongkorn(Rama V) to SaintPetersburg in 1897. To please his guest,Tsar Nicholas II offered him a goldencigarette case with the words “FromYour Friend” engraved. It was clearly agesture of true and sincere friendship.

Since then the special chemistrythat existed between the two mon-archs has been constantly inspiring tiesbetween Russia and Thailand.

This year we commemorated the120th anniversary of these ties. It isworth saying that Thailand is one of thefew countries in Southeast Asia to havesuch a long-standing relationship withRussia.

My country has always been able tounderstand Thais and to stand side byside with Thailand when it needed help.Today we are helping each other bystrengthening our cooperation on allfronts. As Ambassador I am extremelyproud to say that, having gained incred-ible momentum, our partnership is onthe rise.

2017, the jubilee year for Russia andThailand, is coming to a close. It was avery good year for our friendship. Wecelebrated the anniversary with over 30vibrant events in both Bangkok andMoscow.

A stunning three-day Russian-ThaiFestival was held in Siam Paragon inJuly. In August Sergey Lavrov, Minister ofForeign Affairs of the RussianFederation paid a visit to Bangkok.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-chahad a fruitful meeting with PresidentVladimir Putin in September. And inOctober Her Royal Highness PrincessMaha Chakri Sirindhorn visited Russia.In the first issue of Russia in Asia youwill find a digest of these activities –please check it out.

I hope, my dear readers, you willhave fun with our new baby. Stay tunedto Russia in Asia!

Kirill BarskyRRuussssiiaann AAmmbbaassssaaddoorr ttoo TThhaaiillaanndd

Top photo: The golden cigarette caseengraved with the words “From YourFriend”, which was presented by TsarNicholas II to King Chulalongkorn (RamaV) during the Thai monarch’s visit to SaintPetersburg in 1897. The two countries aremarking 120 years of bilateral relations,the seeds of which were sown during thevisit by King Rama V.

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in AsiaTHE NATION Thursday, December 7, 2017

Tracing the composer ofThailand’s Royal AnthemEVGENY BELENKIY

Today it is an established, ifnot yet widely known, factthat the music for the

National Anthem of Siam, theRoyal Anthem of Thailand(Sansoen Phra Barami) was writ-ten in 1888 by Russian composerPetr Shchurovski. This was notthe case 35 years ago when DrSugri Charoensuk of MahidolUniversity's College of Musicstarted his research into the ori-gins of the song known to everyThai.

“For me it soon became clearthat Shchurovski was indeed thecomposer of the music,” saysCharoensuk.

“His teacher at the MoscowConservatory, ProfessorRubinstein, had studied underBeethoven, and there is a lot ofBeethoven’s kind of musicalthinking in the melody of theRoyal Anthem.”

The outstanding Thai musi-cian and scholar adds, “We knewevery bit of history of this songfrom the first time it had beenplayed for His Majesty KingChulalongkorn the Great, butvery little of how the music hadbeen commissioned and written.From the very start I wanted tofind a way to verify Shchurovski'sauthorship not only by the analy-sis of the melody but by direct his-torical research in Russianarchives.”

In July 2017 it finally hap-pened. Charoensuk led an expe-dition to Moscow and Kursk, theRussian city where Shchurovskispent the later years of his life.

A quiet lifeIt was already known that

Shchurovski had been a studentof the very first batch at theMoscow Conservatory and thathe worked as a conductor at theMoscow Imperial Opera House(now the Bolshoi Theatre).

He then spent years conduct-ing orchestras and writing music

in Vienna and Berlin, andreturned to Russia in his lateryears to lead a quiet life in thecountryside together with hiswife at their estate in Kursk.

At some point during thatperiod, in 1888, he wrote themusic for the Siamese NationalAnthem.

In Moscow and Kursk,Charoensuk worked at the MusicDivision of the vast RussianNational Library, met the Rectorof the Moscow Conservatory and

gained access to the archives ofthis famous centre of musicaleducation.

The Thai scholar found theexact location of the estate wherethe Russian composer lived, inspite of the fact that all the build-ings had been destroyed in theBattle of Kursk in World War II.He also met the three Russianhistorians who had co-authoredthe only existing book onShchurovski’s life and work. Theresults exceeded all expectations.

Charoensuk not only found theoriginal edition of the SiameseNational Anthem dated 1888, healso found other note sheets ofShchurovski’s works, as well asthe personal file of studentShchurovski dated 1867, a yearafter the founding of the MoscowImperial Conservatory, withcredits awarded by his teachers:Tchaikovski and Rubinstein.

The story behind the creationof the music for the NationalAnthem of Siam also revealeditself when he compared his noteswith what Russian historians hadto offer.

Apparently, in 1887 Russiancomposer and conductor PetrShchurovski was commissionedby the Russian ImperialGovernment to compile a reliablecollection of national anthems offoreign nations for the Russianmilitary bands and orchestras, tobe played on various occasionswhen members of the RussianImperial Family and otherRussian dignitaries met withtheir counterparts from foreignstates.

The composer sent out dozensof letters addressed to foreigndiplomatic missions in Russiaand other European countries.The Siamese Embassy closest toRussia was at that time located in

Paris, France, and there went oneof Shchurovski’s missives. To thegreat surprise of the composer,the letter from the Siamese mis-sion in Paris that arrived in hismail a few weeks later said Siamdid not have a National Anthemyet, but was in the process ofobtaining one through a bid, andasked Shchurovski if he wouldlike to participate.

The Russian composer decid-ed that he would, and did. Thenote sheets he sent to the SiameseEmbassy in response made theirway to Bangkok by diplomaticcourier, and then the melody wasplayed to King Chulalongkorn.The Great King choseShchurovski’s music for theAnthem from several melodiescreated by European composers.As a token of gratitude HisMajesty sent Shchurovski a gold-en snuff tobacco box with whichthe composer never parted untilhis death.

“This year we are celebratingthe 120th anniversary of diplo-matic relations between ourcountries. But I think, it wouldnot be wrong to say that the Thai-Russian friendship has a historymuch longer than that, and thestory of the Royal Anthem is anintegral and important part of it,”says Sugri Charoensuk.

Sugri Charoensuk of Mahidol University's College of Music with theoriginal edition of the Siamese National Anthem dating back to 1888.

KSENIA ZUBACHEVARUSSIA BEYOND

PROBABLY one of the most ambitious engineer-ing projects in Russia’s history: A 19km (12-mile)road-and-rail bridge to Crimea. Simply known asthe Crimean Bridge, or the Kerch Strait Bridge, sofar it’s right on schedule and on July 17 the RussianMinistry of Transport announced the massive thor-oughfare was 75 per cent complete. It is hoped itwill open by December 2018, connecting Crimea’sKerch Peninsula to the Taman Peninsula of theKrasnodar Region.

A personal initiative of President Vladimir Putin,the bridge is a demanding and technically complexproject costing 228 billion roubles (Bt124 billion).Here’s what you need to know about the construc-tion project of the century.

1. The possibility of a bridge was discussed evenbefore Crimea became part of Russia. During the2000s, Ukrainian and Russian experts examinedthe possibility of creating a transport corridorbetween the two nations and in 2008 they agreedto build the Kerch Strait Bridge by 2014, but worknever started.

2. Work on the superstructure is going on at bothends, so eventually it will meet in the middle. Morethan 20 ships and 5,000 people are labouringaround the clock, seven days a week, in a bid to com-plete the project by the end of next year. Over 30companies are involved in the construction.

3. The bridge’s highway will have four lanes andexpects to accommodate up to 40,000 cars each day.The speed limit will be 120 km/h, toll free, and itwill take about 10 minutes to drive from end to endby car.

4. There will be two railway tracks, taking 47trains per day, travelling maximum speeds of120km/h (passenger) and 80km/h (cargo).Carriages are scheduled to chug across the stretchin 2019 – currently the rail infrastructure is 55per cent complete.

5. The bridge will not hamper shipping in theKerch Strait. It will have special 227 metres long, 35 metres high archways to allow boats to

pass underneath.6. The bridge is being built in a tectonically and

seismically active zone, so to minimise potentialrisks, the constructors are using three types of piles– bored, tubular, and prismatic – drilling them atdepths of 45, 90, and 16 metres respectively. Overallthere will be a total of 7,000 piles to support theCrimean Bridge’s 595 pillars.

7. It will be built to withstand earthquakes meas-uring more than nine on the Richter Scale. It willalso be protected from ice drifts in the Strait dur-ing winter. Other natural factors (like storms, waves,flooding, erosion of the shores) and the potentialecological impact of the project have also been takeninto account by developers.

8. Due to the history of the Kerch Strait, espe-cially during the Great Patriotic War, when it sawmany fierce clashes, archaeologists and sappersexamined the seabed before construction began.A selection of historical objects was discovered,not to mention 700 mines, which had to be dif-fused!

9. The Crimean Bridge will be the longest notonly in Russia, but also in Europe. It will bypass theVasco da Gama Bridge in Portugal (17.2 km).

10. The structure will be illuminated in the coloursof the Russian flag by special lights. The road archwill be blue, the railway arch red, while other partswhite.

(First published by Russia Beyond. www.rbth.com )

10key facts aboutEurope’s longest bridge

NOTES FROM THEAMBASSADOR

RESEARCH BY DR SUGRI CHAROENSUK SHOWS THAT THE MUSIC OF THE THAI ROYAL ANTHEM WAS WRITTEN BY RUSSIAN COMPOSER PETR SHCHUROVSKI

SNIPPETSDays of Moscow in Bangkok

The Thai capital will host the Days of Moscow, a business and cul-tural event on December 13-15.

The event will feature a number of official meetings, businesstalks and round tables that are planned by the Moscow CityGovernment and the Administration of Bangkok. A host of culturalprograms will also be held as a part of the event.

The opening ceremony will be held at the Moscow corner of theLumpini Park at 1pm on December 13, and will feature a concert ofRussian jazz legend Igor Butman’s orchestra.

A photo exhibition titled Culture of Moscow will open on theafternoon of December 14 at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre.

New Russian Orthodox Church consecratedOn October 29, 2017, Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin),

Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand conducted a lesser consecration of the newly built Russian Orthodoxchurch named after HolyFather Seraphim of Sarov onKo Pha Ngan (Surat ThaniProvince) and served the firstDivine Liturgy in it.

The chorus of theBangkok St NicholasCathedral, which sang duringthe mass, chanted the RoyalAnthem to pay respects tothe late King BhumibolAdulyadej of Thailand.

The consecration ceremo-ny concluded with a prayer toHoly Father Seraphim ofSarov and a traditional pro-cession around the church.The walls of the church weresprinkled with holy water.Finally all those attending the Divine Liturgy enjoyed a feast lunch inthe church.

The grand consecration will be held on December 10, 2017.

Russian film extravaganza in BangkokSF World Cinema (7th floor, Central World) will host the Week of

Russian Cinema on December 19-24. Each of the six films that arebeing screened will have both English and Thai subtitles.

Tickets are free and can be obtained at the box office 30 minutesbefore the show.

This year’s event features the following films: Attraction (2017),Friday (2016). Sparta (2016),The Dragon (2015), The Icebreaker(2016), The Spacewalker (2017).

❛❛WE KNEW EVERY BIT OF HISTORY OF THIS SONG FROM

THE FIRST TIME IT HAD BEEN PLAYED FOR HIS MAJESTYKING CHULALONGKORN THE GREAT, BUT VERY LITTLE OF

HOW THE MUSIC HAD BEEN COMMISSIONED AND WRITTEN. FROM THE VERY START I WANTED TO FIND A

WAY TO VERIFY SHCHUROVSKI’S AUTHORSHIP NOT ONLYBY THE ANALYSIS OF THE MELODY BUT BY DIRECT

HISTORICAL RESEARCH IN RUSSIAN ARCHIVES.”

Travelin AsiaTHE NATION Thursday, December 7, 2017

EXPLORING RUSSIA

Pongpon Chuencharoen (aka Nikita) gradu-ated with a major in International Affairs and aminor in the Russian Language from the PoliticalSciences Faculty, Thammasat University. Now, heworks as a Trip Designer for World Explorer co.ltd. He recounts his experiences:

“I have already been to Russia nine times andhave visited several cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg,Novosibirsk, Nizhniy-Novgorod, Murmansk,Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude (Buryatia),Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Crimea (Bakhchisarai,Sevastopol, (Yalta), Pri-Elbrus (Kabardino-Balkaria), Vladikavkaz (North-Ossetia),Petrozavodsk (Karelia), Abakan (Khakasia), Biysk(Altai Krai), and the Altai Republic (Chemal,Kurai, Aktash).

“Even before I started my bachelor’s programI was interested in international politics and his-tory, especially in Russia and the CIS area.Meanwhile, I met and made friends with touristsfrom several parts of Russia who were on vaca-tion in Thailand. I had a chance to practice myRussian with these people, who also invited meto their hometowns. These were invitations I couldhardly refuse.

“Even though the appearance of Russians looksice-cold, their real kindness is hidden inside. Irealized this fact when I was a guest, my hostsalways took great care of me.

“As I made new friends, I travelled to moreplaces in the country and it actually became anaddiction. This addiction helped me with my jobas well.

“Russia is not just Moscow and St. Petersburg.Beyond these two capitals, there are numerousplaces waiting to be visited. Russia, the biggestcountry in the world, is like a continent and con-tains various cultures, diverse architecture, uniquelandscapes, and natural phenomena.

“We can witness the Northern Lights in theTundra of Murmansk, walk on the frozen LakeBaikal, explore steppes surrounded by the gold-en mountains of Altai with turquoise rivers, expe-rience volcano trekking in Kamchatka, see theblended architectural styles of the Tatar-KhanPalace and the Russian Tsar’s classical palaces inCrimea.

“Furthermore, as I mentioned before, theRussians are nice, but they just keep it inside. Incase you are lost while riding the subway, thoughyou see everyone has an emotion-less face, you canask for help and someone will help you with nohesitation.

“I may say that you can visit Russia ten timesand still see new things if you travel across thelength and breadth of the country.”

Taking thewarmth offriendshipto Siberia

It was my first visit to Siberia,which used to be a mysteriousplace for me. I had never thought

that humans could live easily inSiberia due to its freezing coldweather. It seemed quite difficult toreach Siberia, especially for peoplefrom Southeast Asian countries suchas Thailand.

In August 2013, our caravansentered Vladivostok from China.While we were doing the border-crossing process at the immigrationcheckpoint, we were all unfamiliarwith the facial expressions of thestaff members, who did not extendany welcome, not even a smile. Theirbehaviour made us think that Russiawas still communist. However, aftermeeting local people along the routein Siberia, our unusual feeling van-ished. Siberian people are veryfriendly to Thais. Our caravan trav-eling throughout Siberia seemed tobe the first Thai one in history.Therefore, this made us attractive toeveryone including the governmentofficials in every city we passed.

As an Emissary of Goodwill andFriendship from Thailand appoint-ed by the Thai Ministry of ForeignAffairs, I have strengthened the rela-tionship of Thailand and Russia, andhelped people get a better under-standing of each country. I took thisopportunity to make courtesy visitsto ministers and governors, and held

meetings with representatives of thechamber of commerce and massmedia in each city.

This was the first time I deeplylearned about Russia.

We also held conferences aboutThai culture, economics andtourism. All seminar attendants

expressed their interest in comingto Thailand. As I already knew,Russians know a lot about Thai peo-ple and like Thailand very much. Itwas no surprise that the number ofRussians coming to Thailand hasgone up to two million per year.

Since I travelled in Russia foralmost two months. I found thatThai and Russian people have beengood friends since the first day of therelationship, a hundred years ago. Itruly believe that our friendship willlast forever.

La Fe: Expressing his love for Russia in watercoloursLa Fe, the world famous artist fromThailand is a regular participant ofworkshops and exhibitions in Russia.He recently returned from Moscow andshared his Russian experiences.

“Before my first visit to Russia, Ilearned about your country mostlyfrom the American media. And I shouldadmit my expectations were not sogood,” La Fe said just as our interviewbegan. “But when I actually got there, Ihad a wonderful experience, feelingvery comfortable and welcomed.People in Russia are nice and kind, and Ideveloped really good friendships withRussian artists during my visits.”

“I have already been to Russia seventimes, though it is always Moscow. Myschedule is very busy, so I travel mostlyfor workshops and exhibitions. But oneday I would love to explore more. Ofcourse, I want to go to St. Petersburg,and also Siberia. I know about theTrans-Siberian railway trip. That shouldbe fascinating.”

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES INMOSCOW?

I do like museums such as theArmoury Chamber, the Diamond Fundand the Pushkin Museum - especiallyits collection of the works of impres-

sionists. I also like to take walks inMoscow, preferring streets and placesthat are not too crowded. I am familiarwith some routes in the city alreadyand can even use public transportationby myself. Though I remember when Iwas once confused changing lines inthe Moscow metro, other passengershelped me. As I said before people are

very friendly. Another of my favouriteplaces to visit is the IsmailovskyKremlin, where you can find all kinds oftraditional handcrafts. I like matryosh-ka dolls. And I really like traditionalRussian costumes, like the sarafan. Ithink that I might work on some paint-ings of women wearing such dresses.And I like smaller towns near Moscow,

like Dmitrov. And country houses are akind of passion for me.

DO YOU LIKE RUSSIAN CUISINE? Yes, my friends always want to treat

me to something delicious. I like borschand I like Caucasian dishes. I should addthat I was surprised that many Russianscan eat and like spicy food.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE RUSSIA,BESIDES ITS BEAUTY AND HOSPITALITY?

Russia has always been a contribu-tor to world culture and source of manymodern ideas for art. We all knowTolstoy, Gorky, Tchaikovsky - great

Russian talents. Among artists isWassily Kandinsky, who is consideredto be one of the very first Western pro-ponents of abstract painting. Russia isa wonderful country and it’s a pleasureto go there each time.

“Russia has alwaysbeen a contributorto world culture anda source of manymodern ideas forart,” says artist LaFe seen here duringhis travels inMoscow.

SINCE I TRAVELLED INRUSSIA FOR ALMOST TWOMONTHS. I FOUND THATTHAI AND RUSSIAN PEOPLEHAVE BEEN GOOD FRIENDSSINCE THE FIRST DAY OF THE RELATIONSHIP, A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

VVIIKKRROOMM KKRROOMMAADDIITT WRITES ABOUT HIS VOYAGEAS AN EMISSARY OF GOODWILL

Vikrom Kromadit, an official Emissary of Goodwill and Friendship from Thailand,felt welcomed in every city he passed through during his 2013 caravan tour to thefar east of Russia.

Nikita (PongponChuencharoen), an avidphotographer and professional trip designer, has travelledextensively across Russiato witness the ever-changing landscapes and naturalphenomena of thebiggest country in the world.

2

Education

On November 9-10,Thammasat University host-ed an international acade-

mic conference titled “RussianLanguage in Asean Countries 2017:Challenges in Studying andTeaching”.

More than 100 experts from 14countries arrived in Bangkok to dis-cuss the methodology of teachingRussian as a foreign language in anon-Russian linguistic environ-ment.

At the opening ceremony DrNitinant Wisaweisuan, Vice-Rectorof Thammasat and PenpimolPremaswad, Vice Dean of the Facultyof Liberal Arts of the universityaddressed the audience with wel-coming remarks.

They drew the attention of theparticipants to the stable interest inlearning the Russian language inThailand.

Courses for studentsFor a number of years

Thammasat University has beentraining aspiring Russia specialiststhrough a bachelor’s degree pro-gram, holding optional Russian lan-guage courses for university studentsand others interested in learningRussian.

Various joint projects with

Russian universities are beingimplemented.

Russian Ambassador to ThailandKirill Barsky was invited to speak atthe conference as the guest of hon-our. He emphasised the need to sub-stantially increase the quantity ofRusologists and to upgrade theirquality as a crucial prerequisite forthe sustainable promotion of thequickly growing bilateral coopera-tion between Russia and SoutheastAsian countries as well as theexpanding Russia-Asean dialoguepartnership.

The conference had several par-allel sessions.

Participants presented reports onsuch issues as training of specialistsfor Asean countries, new methods ofteaching foreigners the Russian lan-guage, distance learning, the use ofmultimedia, language culture andmeasures of support and protectionof the Russian language abroad.

Representatives of the RussianCentre for Science and Culture inVietnam shared their experience ofdrafting Russian language textbooksto train experts on tourism and hotelservices. In addition, a round tableand master classes were held.

The organisers of the conferenceplan to publish a collection ofreports, based on the presentationsof the participants.

Thammasat hosts seminar on Russian languageMore than 100 experts discuss how to improve teaching of the language

THE NATION Thursday, December 7, 2017

Russian universities take partin Bangkok education fair

Several Russian universities were represented at a major education fairin Bangkok in September 2017.

On September 21, 2017 Bangkok’s Berkeley International School hostedthe International University Fair.

The Eastern European University Association which includes more than20 Russian higher education institutions took part in the event.

The event was focused on informing Thai high school students andtheir parents about various foreign bachelor programs and answering theirquestions.

The students were particularly interested in bachelor programs in medicine offered by Russian universities, notably the Russian Peoples’Friendship University (PFUR), the Pirogov Russian National ResearchMedical University, the Kirov State Medical Academy, the VernadskyCrimean Federal University, the Chechen State University, the RyazanState University, the St Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University andthe Kazan State Medical University.

Thai school students also had the opportunity to explore promisingoptions for their education in the Moscow Aviation Institute, thePlekhanov Russian University of Economics and the Tomsk PolytechnicUniversity.

Berkeley International School launches Russian classesRussian language courses for pupils studying in English are being held

at the Berkeley International School in Bangkok.The classes, which were launched in March 2017, are being held free of

charge for students from the ages of 4 to 16.So far, more than 20 pupils have showed interest in attending the

courses.Berkeley International School was founded in 2010 as a private

educational institution.Tutoring is fully in English in accordance with the American educational

system.Some 60 per cent of the students come from Europe and North

America and 40 per cent are Thai.All teachers of the school are native English speakers.

DDrr JJiirraappoorrnn TTrreeeewwiisseessoorrnn isAssistant to the Dean forInternational Affairs andLecturer at the Department ofHistory, Faculty of SocialSciences, SrinakharinwirotUniversity.

“I lived in Ekaterinburg,Russia, for seven years. Afterobtaining a bachelor's degree atThammasat University inThailand I got a scholarship fromthe Russian Government. I start-ed my master's degree, studyinginternational relations. Afterthat, I decided to obtain a degreeof the candidate of sciences (alsoon a Russian scholarship) in thefield of historical sciences at theUral Federal University.

I really love Russian history. Ihave read the story of theRomanovs many times. So I knowthat Yekaterinburg was the placewhere the family of deposed TsarNicholas II was sent to internalexile, and that they were impris-oned in the Ipatiev House in thiscity.

I remember the first momentwhen I came to Yekaterinburg.Everything in the city was reallyexciting! I can’t deny that I wasenjoying my time there. Life foryoung people is very attractive

and the education system inRussia has some deep-rooted tra-ditions that differ greatly fromThailand.

It means that the studies and

exams require you to have knowl-edge of the entire curriculum andare quite demanding. The systemrelies mostly on self-learning, andthis can pose a challenge for some

foreigners – but it’s ideal for mostRussians. During my first year asa student there many times I saidto myself, “You just have to getused to it.”

HOW I STUDIED IN RUSSIA– A Thai student’s experience

Life for young people is very attractive and the education system in Russia has some deep-rooted traditions thatdiffer greatly from Thailand.

How to enrol in the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet AcademyALEXANDRA GUZEVARUSSIA BEYOND

The Moscow State Academy ofChoreography, also known as the Bolshoi BalletAcademy, is one of the most prestigious Russianballet schools and as you know, Russian balletis the best in the world. The school was found-ed in 1773 by Empress Catherine the Great, aspart of the Moscow Foundling Home, whereorphans were taught a wide range of subjects tomake them able to serve the state and to live upto their civic duties, which included taking partin balls. The best teachers from Europe came toMoscow to train the orphans to dance.

The first graduates were so good that theywere invited to dance at the Bolshoi Theatre,which at that time was called the PetrovskiTheatre. In 1784, the theatre started supervis-ing the ballet school, and so the students of theAcademy gained the opportunity to perform onthe Bolshoi stage and even go on foreign tours.

WWhhoo ccaann ssttuuddyy??Any foreign student can apply at any time of

the year by sending a video with class work (makesure there are bar, centre work, adagio, allegro,pointe work and repertoire). Along with thevideo, one must fill out the application form andattach a copy of your passport with the photo.

For more details visit balletacademy.ru.HHooww lloonngg ddooeess iitt ttaakkee ttoo ssttuuddyy??If accepted, most foreign students are rec-

ommended to study in the TraineeshipProgramme (intermediate education) from 1to 10 months. After this traineeship, a studentmust pass the exams, and can then be offeredto continue studying in the Full-timeEducational Programme (also intermediateeducation). This programme is available onlyfor students who speak Russian. It lasts no lessthan three years and is possible only after theTraineeship Programme is completed. Thereis also a higher education programme for for-eign students who already have ballet diplo-mas from other schools.

SSoo sshhoouulldd II kknnooww RRuussssiiaann??All classes are held in Russian, which is part

of the obligatory Traineeship Programme.HHooww mmuucchh ddooeess iitt ccoosstt??The Traineeship Programme costs 2,000

euro per month, and the full-time EducationalProgramme costs 19,000 euro a year.

WWhhaatt aabboouutt aa RRuussssiiaann vviissaa??Here you should keep calm and prepare your

papers. The ballet school will send you an offi-cial invitation and you will be able to get a sin-gle-entry visa. Upon arriving in Russia you willhave to report to the academy, and the staff will

give you a form for the state duty fee (1,600 rou-bles, which is about Bt900), and the academy willsubmit the documents for your multiple-entryvisa.

WWhheerree ttoo lliivvee??Full-time students are provided with accom-

modation for the entire period of studies. Thereis a dormitory in the Academy's building on 2ndFrunzenskaya Street, equipped with TV, Wi-Fi,fridge, piano (!), cooking and laundry facilities.Medical care for an emergency will also be pro-vided, while transportation costs are a student'sown matter. By the way, parents or relatives arewelcome to visit dancers and talk to teachers.

AArree tthheerree mmaannyy ffoorreeiiggnn ssttuuddeennttss rriigghhtt nnooww??For the 2017-18 academic year there are about

110 foreign students on the traineeship and edu-cational programs, and about 15 studentsenrolled in higher education at the Academy.There are students from more than 20 countries,Svetlana Semenikhina, head of internationalprograms, told Russia Beyond. The average agefor foreign students is 13-18, but some areyounger, though they're likely the exceptions andlive in Moscow with their parents.

Read the complete version here:https://www.rbth.com/arts/326196-how-to-enroll-ballet-school

3in Asia

4 5THAILAND-RUSSIA RELATIONSTHE NATION Thursday, December 7, 2017

120years and GOING STRONGTHAILAND AND RUSSIA THIS YEAR MARKED THE 120TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH A FULL

CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS. HERE IS A PICTORIAL OVERVIEW OF THE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE CELEBRATIONS

in Asia

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn with Kirill Barsky, Russia’s Ambassador to Thailand, and OlgaBarskaya during the Princess’s visit to the Russian Embassy in Bangkok on November 29, 2017.

Left: HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn with Valentina Matvienko, Chairperson of the Russian Federation Council,during her visit to Russia in October 2017. The Princess spent eight days in Russia on an official visit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds talks with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit inXiamen, China, in September 2017.

A bronze bust of YuriGagarin and a photo exhibition devoted to thefirst manned space flightwere handed over to theInspirium Space Museum inSriracha by the RussianEmbassy in Thailand.

On August 9-10, 2017, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov paid a working visit to Thailand. He held talks with his counterpart Don Pramudwinai and had a meeting with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Ambassador Kirill Barsky at the presentation of a joint commemorative stamp printed by Russia Post and Thailand Post,depicting a photograph of Emperor Nicholas II and King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) of Siam taken in 1897 during the firstvisit of the King of Siam to Russia.

The Katya and the Prince of Siam ballet was performed by the Yekaterinburg Ballet and Opera Theatre at Bangkok’s 19th International Festival of Dance and Music.

Thammasat University hosted a special event titled “We’ve been friends for 120 years”.

Thailand’s Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai and Ambassador Kirill Barsky open the Russian-Thai Festival, heldfrom July 14-16, 2017, at Siam Paragon Shopping Centre (also below). The event, celebrating the 120th anniversaryof the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries, was jointly organised by the Thai ForeignAffairs Ministry and the Russian Embassy in Thailand under the theme “Sharing our past, forging our future”.

Right: OnSeptember 21, a

large-scaleexhibition

devoted to the 120th

anniversary of the

establishmentof diplomatic

relationsbetween

Russia and Thailand was

inaugurated inthe National

LegislativeAssembly of

Thailand.

AmbassadorBarsky attendsthe Russian Weekat ChulalongkornUniversity in April2017.

In July 22, 2017 Medici Kitchen & Bar hosted a friendly gathering with a presentation of black caviar as the main theme.The Kremlin Diet Party was organised by Caviar House and Thai-Russian Sturgeon Co, which has started a high-tech sturgeon-breeding farm in Hua Hin.

Olga Zhilina PhDASSOCIATE PROFESSOR,PROFESSOR OF THAMMASATUNIVERSITY

Eight years ago Olga Zhilinareceived an offer to work at theDepartment of the Russian lan-guage at Thammasat University.She took up the offer with a greatdegree of enthusiasm, assisting herThai colleagues in managing anumber of educational pro-grammes and cooperation projectswith Russia.

In 2011 Thailand was represent-ed for the first time at theInternational Association ofTeachers of Russian Language andLiterature (MAPRYAL) Congresswith a joint report written byZhilina and her colleague SrantornChutim.

Four years later, ThammasatUniversity established Thailand’sfirst Testing Centre of Russian as aForeign Language, as well as aRussian Centre together with CISstudies department.

Zhilina also played a major rolein the establishment of the Thai

Language and Culture Centre in theLinguistics University of NizhnyNovgorod in 2016.

She is the author of more than 10textbooks and 70 articles on thestudy of the Russian language andmethods of teaching it.

For the first time in the method-

ology of teaching Russian as a for-eign language in Thailand, a lin-gua-cultural approach was pro-posed, leading to the publication ofa two-part textbook titled ‘AboutThailand in Russian.’

Another book on business com-munication in Russian is being pub-

lished. Along with her Thai col-leagues Zhilina participated in thecreation of a computer-trainingprogram in the Russian languagefor students with an elementarylevel of language proficiency.

She is also working on Russiangrammar textbooks for university

students as well as textbooks forschoolchildren who will learnRussian as a third language.

Zhilina is the first Russian lan-guage teacher to be accorded thestatus of an expert professor.Previously, all native speakers wereregistered as instructors.

Ekaterina BenderskayaART DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OFTHE ROSINKA INTERNATIONALRUSSIAN BALLET ACADEMY’SPATTAYA BRANCH

The Rosinka ballet school brandwas established by EkaterinaBenderskaya’s mother Lubov inMichurinsk, Russia in 1968.Operating for almost five decades,the academy is recognised as one ofthe top 50 ballet schools in Russia.In 2015 Lubov was awarded the BestChoreography Teacher in Russiaprize.

Her two daughters Anastasya andEkaterina have followed in theirmother’s footsteps by teaching cho-reography at the Rosinka danceschool branch that they opened in St.Petersburg.

In 2011 after moving to Thailand,Ekaterina opened another branch inPattaya, bringing Rosinka to a newinternational level.

In Thailand she introduced thefamous Vaganova method, a ballettechnique and training systemdevised by Russian dancer and ped-agogue Agrippina Vaganova thatestablished a new era in ballet edu-cation in the 20th century andbecame acknowledged globally asthe foremost training syllabus ofclassical ballet.

Children from the ages of 3 to 15from Thailand, Japan, the US, Italy,Sweden, India and Russia study inRosinka’s Pattaya branch.

They have participated in manycultural programmes and officialevents, like the National Day ofRussia, a photo exhibition featuringthe work of Russian Prime MinisterDmitry Medvedev, charity events inthe Bangkok Hospital in Pattaya, theopening of Russian-Thai Festival inSiam Paragon in July 2017 and a spe-

cial Rosinka Gala-concert dedicat-ed to the 120th anniversary of theestablishment of diplomatic rela-tions between Russia and Thailand.

Rosinka students also participat-ed in the 1st ATOD Asia-PacificDance Competition 2017, winning a

number of prizes, including firstplace in the classical dance (solo) cat-egory, second place in modern cho-reography (solo), and second placein new dance (ensemble).

Ekaterina believes that art formssuch as classical ballet help build ties

of understanding and friendshiparound the world. “I am absolutelysure, that when parents enrol theirboys and girls in dance schools andstudios, they give their children yetanother opportunity to be happy,” shesays. As an acknowledgement of her

own efforts, in 2017 Ekaterinareceived a special award of meritfrom the Russian Government’sCommission on OverseasCompatriots for her personal con-tribution in sharing Russian cultur-al traditions abroad.

Living in Thailandin AsiaTHE NATION Thursday, December 7, 2017

6

Although many Russians still see Thailand as a dream holiday destination, a growing number of people fromRussia have chosen to call ‘The Land of Smiles’ home. They are active members of the vibrant expatriate life in places such as Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. Russia in Asia decided to check out the diverse lifestyles of

Russians in the Kingdom.

A home away from home

Russian Ambassador Kirill Barsky gives a certificate to Ekaterina Benderskaya and her students for Rosinka’s participation in the opening ceremony of an exhibitionof photographs of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev titled “Through the Lens of the Prime Minister” at Siam Paragon in March 2016.

A news portalfor those whoknow RussianIrina Vorobeva, Egor Denisov FOUNDERS OF THAILAND-NEWS.RU

Irina Vorobeva and her son EgorDenisov have been living in Thailandfor over five years. In 2012, they found-ed the Thailand News in Russian(http://thailand-news.ru) website, asa non-profit information project andnews portal about Thailand forRussian-speaking readers. The web-site gets more than 1.5 million visitorsa year. It is also popular with touristswho are planning a trip to theKingdom. The website aims to pro-mote Thailand among Russian speak-ers, and to form an image of Thailandas the world’s leading tourism desti-nation, as well as a scientific, cultural,technical, industrial, financial andpolitical centre of Asean.

The main audience of the website,which tops a search with the key words‘Thailand news’ in Russian on yan-dex.ru (Russia’s most popular searchengine), are people in the 25-34 agegroup (53.6 per cent). The most pop-ular articles on the site are on tourism(26 per cent of visitors), education(20.9 per cent), business (20.4 percent), movie and video (20.1 per cent)and Thai cuisine (12.6 per cent).

“Adhering to the policy of positivenews, we prefer such topics as tourism,culture, sport, traditions, educationand relationships,” Vorobeva says. “Andwhen we write about accidents, we firstof all pay attention to the activities ofthe Thai Police and medical serviceswho are doing their best for the safetyof citizens and tourists. Our news alsocovers the achievements of the Thaigovernment in the areas of tourism,economic cooperation between ourtwo countries and progress in Russia-Thailand friendship.”

She adds that the website willlaunch a new project with the partic-ipation of students who study Russianat Thammasat and Chulalongkornuniversities. “The new generation ofThai diplomats and writers who areoriented to work on Russian-Thai rela-tions will get an opportunity to pro-mote Thailand in their own way,”Vorobeva says. “This project aims todevelop public diplomacy between twocountries.”

Olga Zhilina speaking at a conference hosted by Thammasat University.Right: Olga with her students.

Ivan Sharapov PIANIST, PEDAGOGUE (PHUKET)

Ivan Sharapov only moved to Thailand in2015, but within this short span of time hasbecame an active member of the Russian andexpatriate community.

His life has always been dedicated to music. Ivan received his formal education at the

Academic Music College of the Moscow StateConservatory, then the Moscow StateConservatory itself, and finally the MoscowState University of Culture and Arts. Sharapovteaches and conducts concerts in Thailand andabroad. He recently took part in many officialevents such as the opening of the Russian-ThaiFestival in Siam Paragon, dedicated to the120th anniversary of the establishment ofRussia-Thailand relations, and a charityevening of the Diplomatic CharitableCommittee of the Red Cross.

On October 13, 2017 visitors to River CityBangkok were surprised to witness a “musical

marathon” – an event in remembrance of HisMajesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej whopassed away this day in 2016. The event wasorganised with the support of the RussianEmbassy in Thailand and Siam Music Yamaha.Sharapov performed non-stop from 10 am to7 pm. The only break he took lasted for 89 sec-onds, as he joined the entire nation in a momentof silence to pay respect to His Majesty exact-ly a year after his passing away.

That was a true nine-hour-long requiem! It was not about the virtuosity of the per-

formance. It was about sincere emotions.It depicted the Russian soul, compassion-

ate for the irreparable loss to the Thai nation.The musical marathon featured songs writ-

ten by His Majesty King Rama IX and morethan 80 works of world classical music, includ-ing the works of Rachmaninov, Chopin,Scriabin, and Liadov. Inspired by the greatmusical legacy of His Majesty, Sharapov saysthat “Love at Sundown” has become one of hisfavourite musical compositions.

Imparting fluency in the Russian language

A musical marathon to honour the late King Rama IXOn October 13, 2017visitors to River CityBangkok witnessed aspecial event inremembrance of HisMajesty the late KingBhumibol Adulyadejwho passed away thisday in 2016. IgorSharapov performednon-stop from 10amto 7pm. The onlybreak he took lastedfor 89 seconds, as hejoined the entirenation in a moment ofsilence to pay respectto His Majesty exactlya year after his passing away.

Egor and Irina Vorobeva with WanchaiChongsuthamanee, mayor of Chiang Rai.

Russia-born Victor Kriventsovhas lived and worked in Thailandsince 1994

A holder of several degrees ininternational law, marketing and e-sales, Kriventsov started his careerhere in Thailand as the head of a lawfirm. He then spent 20 years as theRoyal Cliff Hotels Group’s Directorof Sales and Marketing, along with13 years of public service as theDeputy Honorary Consul of Russiafor the Thai provinces of Chonburiand Rayong.

Seeing the worldAfter working for two decades

with the hotel group, Kriventsovundertook a trip around the world,and later became the chief execu-tive of Ilves Holding, where he’sjoined his best friend Mikhail Ilyin,the company's owner.

Kriventsov, along with Ilyin, onOctober 12, 2017, delivered a lectureon Russian food culture.

They also offered a sampling ofRussian food to Her Royal

Highness Princess Maha ChakriSirindhorn when the princess con-ducted a course for cadets of theChulachomklao Royal MilitaryAcademy. Kriventsov is a well-known member of the Russiancommunity in Thailand, decoratedwith various Thai and Russianmedals and honors.

Earlier this month he was amongjust 143 individuals selected fromacross the globe to receive an awardof merit from the RussianGovernment’s Commission onOverseas Compatriots.

The award was given to him byKirill Barksy, Russian Ambassador to

Thailand, during the RussianNational Unity Day celebration inBangkok earlier in November 2017.

Outside of Thailand, Kriventsovis a well-known travel blogger andlecturer on Thai culture andThailand-Russia relations. Twice ayear, he conducts a lecture for stu-dents of a Thai section at the OrientalStudies faculty of the St PetersburgState University in Russia.

Kriventsov’s seminars onThailand’s travel destinations areannually attended by thousands oftravel and tourism professionalsfrom across the former SovietUnion. Being a passionate worldtraveller, Kriventsov recently ful-filled a lifelong dream, by taking a300-day trip around the world.

He travelled west from Thailandand came back to the Kingdomfrom the east. A combination of histravel experience, more than 20 yearsin the tourism industry in Thailandand his educational backgroundmake Kriventsov a true expert intourism-related areas and Thailand-Russia relations.

Igor and Alexey Protasov TOURIST POLICE ASSISTANT VOLUNTEERS, ANDBUSINESSMEN

Brothers Igor and Alexey Protasov moved to Phuketwith their parents eight years ago. The family has a suc-cessful business here, but there is a public duty thebrothers value even more.

Igor and Alexey are assistant volunteers withPhuket’s Tourist Police.

Thirty-year-old Igor speaks five languages: Czech,Russian, German, English and Thai, reflecting themany places he lived in while growing up. Igor andAlexey went to 13 different schools before settling inThailand, where they joined their family constructionbusiness with Igor’s Thai wife’s family.

He is now president of the Lion’s Club of Phuket Pearlas well as CEO of the Thai Business DevelopmentCompany Group (TBD), a major real estate developerin Phuket, which is a member of the Phuket Real EstateAssociation (P-REA) and the Franco-Thai Chamber ofCommerce (FTCC).

Their father made it a point to learn the local lan-guage, wherever they lived, so in Phuket the sons tookup Thai.

The family also believes it is important to becomeinvolved in the local society, so when Igor was asked toassist and translate for the Phuket Tourist Police hejumped at the opportunity and later accepted an invi-tation to join the force.

Igor also does pro bono work translating for theprovincial court and the Tourism Authority of Thailand,and has thus had the opportunity to work directly onsome of the most publicised cases.

These included efforts to trace a diver who was lostand spent 24 hours in the deep sea, as well as a caseinvolving a woman who was arrested for feeding fishin a protected marine park.

In recognition of his manifold efforts to help both

tourists and the police, Igor was recently chosen as thisyear’s Tourist Police Distinguished Assistant Volunteerand decorated by deputy Prime Minister Gen ThanasakPatimaprakorn.

“He reached out his hand to mine and I shook it,”says Igor proudly.

In addition to his work as a Tourist Police assistantvolunteer, Igor was also elected as the president of theLions Club of Phuket Pearl. He has also opened a branchof the well-known French steakhouse La Boucherie, theonly one in Thailand.

His family business is building the giant ‘Phuket Eye’ferris wheel, which is projected to be 170 metres tall.“It will be a landmark project and a magnet for touristsfrom around the world,” Igor says. The younger broth-er, Alexey, also an assistant with the Tourist Police, is asuccessful architect.

The brothers, along with their father, started work-ing together 14 years ago. “Alexey and I have always beentogether. We started at the bottom, carrying heavythings around as simple workers, slowly climbing upthe career ladder,” Igor adds.

Living in Thailand in AsiaTHE NATION Thursday, December 7, 2017

7

Mikhail IlyinHOSPITALITY BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR AND LIFESTYLECOLUMNIST

Mikhail Ilyin moved to Thailandin 1994 to manage the country’s first-ever Russian restaurant, which is nowcalled 8 Horseshoes Tavern.

He still manages the restaurant inPattaya.

In 1995, Ilyin founded Ilves-Tour,the first Russian-owned inbound touroperator in the country.

Since then, his business has growninto a holding, which along with thetour operator and the restaurant, alsohas a weddings and event-manage-ment agency, IATA air ticketingagency, florist shop, catering busi-ness, and Thailand’s first Russian gin-gerbread production line.

Ilyin has also founded a ThaiCulinary Art School called Aroismak(aroi and smak being the Thai andRussian words for delicious). Theschool has become a popular attrac-tion for the Russian tourists visitingPattaya.

As the Master Chef, Ilyin conductslectures and food-preparation ses-sions.

A renowned expert on Russiancuisine, Ilyin writes columns on Thaiand Russian food in various Russian-language publications in Thailand.He also prepared a sampling of tra-ditional Russian food for Her RoyalHighness Princess Maha ChakriSirindhorn and her students, whenthe princess conducted a lecture onRussian history and culture to thecadets of the Chulachomklao RoyalMilitary Academy.

Carving a niche in hospitality

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn seen with Victor Kriventsov, second left, and Mikhail Ilyin, centre right, at the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.

Pryanik – Russian gingerbread with Asian roots and a Thai address

For the last decade, the 8Horseshoes Tavern, located atThappraya Road right betweencentral Pattaya and the Jomtienbeach area, and its Culinary ArtSchool have been welcomingtourists and locals with tradition-al Russian cuisine.

With workshops and tastingsessions, the restaurant and theschool have helped arouse an inter-est in Russian cuisine and culture.

When Her Royal HighnessPrincess Maha Chakri Sirindhornconducted a lecture on Russianhistory and culture for the cadetsof the Chulachomklao RoyalMilitary Academy, the 8Horseshoes Tavern was accordedthe honour of organising a foodpresentation there.

A pryanik (Russian ginger-bread) prepared in the form of abear dressed in a cadet’s dress uni-form became a symbol of the event.Keeping with tradition, a giftpryanik house with icing in theRussian Gzhel style was presentedto Princess Sirindhorn.

Pryanik’s history dates backmore than 600 years in Russia. Itsancestor, the so-called ‘honey-bread”, was already know in the 9thcentury.

The dish was initially a bakedmixture of rye flour with honey andberry juice. Later, bakers started toadd some herbs into the recipe andin the 12th and 13th centuries,when the Silk Road and new searoutes began to connect Europeand Asia, Indian and Asian spices,such as saffron, dill, basil, cumin,anise, mint, vanilla, orange, ginger,lemon, black pepper and nutmegwere added to the recipe.

That is how pryanik got itsname, a derivative of the Russianpryanost, which means spice.

Pryaniks became very popularand were made for rich and pooralike, for celebrations and as gifts.That is how another big Russiantradition came to life. Gift pryaniksthat were given as valuable pres-ents for important persons couldweigh several kilograms. The high-er the person’s position was, thebigger was his or her gift pryanik.So pryaniks prepared for RussianTsars sometimes could be one-metre long.

In 2010 Moscow bakers made itinto the Guinness World RecordsBooks with their 859 kg and 7.5-metre-long pryanik. They used1,300 eggs, 200 kg of flour, 29 kgof butter and more than seven dif-ferent spices. It took several bak-ers seven days and seven nights tomake this giant.

Pryanik in Thailand

Now the original Russian gin-gerbread with an Asian spirit isback in Asia, thanks to the 8Horseshoes Tavern, which haslaunched its Gingerbread Pattayaproject with a bakery and work-shops for making pryaniks. Thaipepper, cinnamon and ginger per-fectly blend into the originalRussian recipe.

Pryaniks are becoming morepopular in Pattaya.

People buy them for birthdays,

weddings, the New Year and otheroccasions.

You can check out the designerpryaniks on social media plat-forms: Facebook: gingerbreadpat-taya and Instagram: ginger-bread_pattaya.

Modern pryaniks are notdesigned the way they used to be600 years ago, but the originalwonderful taste has been pre-served in Russia over a long peri-od.

Now, visitors to Pattaya can alsosample this Russian delicacy.

Long-time resident feted by Russiangovernment for his role as an expat

Combining business and a role in society

BEING A PASSIONATEWORLD TRAVELLER,KRIVENTSOV RECENTLYFULFILLED A LIFELONGDREAM, BY TAKING A 300-DAY TRIP AROUND THE WORLD.

Brothers Alexey Protasov, left, and Igor with Deputy PrimeMinister General Tanasak Patimapragorn.

Above: A pryanikhouse with icingin the RussianGzhel style thatwas presented toHRH PrincessMaha ChakriSirindhorn.

Left: Pryanikbears in cadetuniform.

TOMMY O’CALLAGHANRUSSIA BEYOND

1 Russia loves football!Russia’s infatuation with the beau-

tiful game dates back to the Soviet erawhen the traditional workers’ sportwas seen as a fitting national pastime.It’s even said that former NKVD headLavrenty Beria played an active handin the running of his favourite club,Dynamo Moscow. The nation was atfever pitch when the USSR defeatedYugoslavia in the 1960 EuropeanNations’ Cup Final. Soviet goalkeep-ing legend Lev Yashin echoed manyfans’ opinions when he famously saidthe victory was “the only thing thatsuperseded the joy of seeing YuriGagarin in space!”

Football remains the most popularsport in Russia. The country’s top divi-sion enjoys an annual live attendanceof over three million with teamsincluding Zenit St Petersburg andCSKA Moscow making their mark inthe Champions League over the years.

Russia’s obsession with football willonly become more energised as nextyear’s World Cup edges ever closer.Thousands of fans will travel to thecountry in the summer so expect anelectric atmosphere and the same foot-ball mania that gripped the nation in2008, when more than 70 per cent ofMoscow’s TV viewers tuned into theEuropean Championship semi-finalbetween Russian and Spain.

2 It’s safe!If you’ve read anything in the

Western press about Russian footballculture, you might think the countryis a cauldron of violence fuelled byultras hell bent on beating up foreignfans – all under the nose of corruptpolicemen. But in truth, travelling toRussia doesn’t require much more vig-ilance than journeying to any otherEuropean country. Although the out-break of hooliganism that made inter-

national headlines in Euro 2016caught French police off guard, theRussian government has made it clearno such activity will be tolerated at theWorld Cup.

The police (with the help of CCTV)have proven that they take no prison-ers during domestic Russian footballmatches, and the same tactics will beemployed during the World Cup. Sofans can rest assured - you will be safe.

3 It’s easier than ever to visitRussia!

To make life easier for the expect-ed 1.5 million World Cup ticket hold-ers, Russia’s strict travel bureaucracyhas been greatly reduced for tourna-ment-goers in 2018. While incomingtourists to Russia normally undergolengthy and frustrating visa and reg-istration processes, those lucky enoughto have a ticket will instead receive aFan ID, affording them the privilege of

visa-free travel over the course of thetournament.

Tickets and Fan IDs can also be pur-chased online, sparing you a trip toyour nearest Russian Embassy.

Furthermore, the 2018 World CupTransportation Directorate hasrecently announced free train travelbetween host cities for all Fan ID hold-ers. The arrangement, organised byRussian Railways, may also save fansmoney on accommodation costs, asmany journeys between host cities willoffer overnight sleeper cabins to pas-sengers.

Geographically speaking, theWorld Cup in Russia will also prove themost convenient tournament forEuropean fans since Germany 2006.Russia is just a couple hours’ flightaway from the EU, with hundreds offlights available daily. Fans luckyenough to be based in the host city ofKaliningrad will be travelling to the

heart of Europe – just a one-hour flightfrom Berlin!

4 Russia loves to put on a show!Just as we saw at the Sochi

Olympics, Russia will use the tourna-ment to impress the world. The eventis expected to cost 638 billion roubles,and Putin has already promised that itwill be held at the “highest standard”.If the stadiums are anything to go by,it will be a great show.

5 It doesn’t just have to be aboutfootball…

For many fans, it’s very possible thatyour World Cup experiences on thepitch will end in disappointment –after all, only one team can win! So ifyou’re going to travel, wouldn’t it bebetter if the host country ensured youhad a great time off the pitch too?

Luckily, Russia has so much to offertourists and the host cities (all inWestern Russia for logistical purpos-

es) are packed full of sights, entertain-ment, and culture. After watching agame you’ll be able to visit theHermitage Museum in St Petersburg,Gorky Park in Moscow, the Kremlin inKazan, the Azov Fortress in Rostov, ora beach in Sochi. So if you’re team loses,you’re still guaranteed a great time.

6. The weather’s not actually thatbad, you know…

Those who’ve read any classicalRussian literature will know that thewinter here can be long, freezing, andmiserable. But fortunately, the 2018World Cup will be held in the summer.In Moscow, you can expect tempera-tures to hover around the 26 degreesCelsius mark in June and July, whileSochi enjoys frequent highs of over 30.Bring your shades!

First published by Russia Beyond.www.rbth.com

6 REASONS to visit RussiaWorld Cup 2018in AsiaTHE NATION Thursday, December 7, 2017

Why it is worth going ahead and buying your tickets for football’s greatest event

Russian cities and stadiums hosting the matchesMoscow is Russia’s iconic capital city, known for beautiful architec-

ture,incredible food and vast array of year-round cultural events.Moscowhas two of the 2018 Fifa World Cup stadiums.

LLuuzzhhnniikkii SSttaaddiiuummis Moscow’s leading sports stadium,with a rich his-tory of hosting historic sporting moments. Luzhniki will host the final ofthe 2018 Fifa World Cup.

CCaappaacciittyy:: 81,006SSppaarrttaakk SSttaaddiiuumm, with its familiar chainmail design representing

the logo of the resident team, is one of Russia’s most loved stadiums.Spartak will host a number of the Moscow-based group matches.

CCaappaacciittyy:: 43,298.Rostov-on-Don lies to the southeast of the East European plain,

alongside the Don River. It’s a key transport and cultural hub of south-ern Russia.

RRoossttoovv AArreennaa’s original design blends harmoniously into the pictur-esque landscape. The shape of the arena’s roof imitates the meander-ings of the Don River.

CCaappaacciittyy:: 45,145.Volgograd,, formerly known as Stalingrad, is a key urban centre, nes-

tled on the western bank of Russia’s great Volga River, which gives thetown its name.

VVoollggooggrraadd AArreennaa’’s design embodies the city’s history, with the lat-tice-like exterior of the stadium designed to echo a Victory Day fireworksdisplay.The stadium is built close to the Mamayev Kurgan War Memorial.

CCaappaacciittyy:: 45,568.Saint Petersburg is known for its beauty,culture and rich history.The

city’s legendary drawbridges over the grand Neva River and the famousWhite Nights in June draw tens of thousands of tourists every year.

SStt PPeetteerrssbbuurrgg SSttaaddiiuumm is one of the world’s most modern arenas.This seven-storey building is equipped with state-of-the-art luxuries suchas a retractable roof and a sliding pitch, ensuring a top-class experiencein 2018.

CCaappaacciittyy:: 68,134.Sochi is nestled between the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains,

and is a favourite holiday getaway for Russians. The city rose to globalprominence after it was awarded the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.FFiisshhttSSttaaddiiuumm was built for the Winter Olympics and hosted the opening andthe closing ceremonies.It draws inspiration from the astonishing scenerysurrounding Sochi – the arena silhouette is designed to look like a snow-capped mountain peak.

CCaappaacciittyy:: 47,700.Nizhny Novgorod is Russia’s fifth largest city, settled in 1221 at the

meeting of two rivers, the Oka and the Volga. It is one of Russia’s mosttraditional and beautiful cities, located 400 km to the east of Moscow.

NNiizzhhnnyy NNoovvggoorroodd SSttaaddiiuummis set to be a masterpiece echoing the nat-ural influences of the region, in particular water and wind, which givesthe design its light and expansive feel. The stadium is built in a pictur-esque part of the city, with excellent views of the Nizhny NovgorodKremlin and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

CCaappaacciittyy:: 45,331.Saransk is the capital of the Russian internal republic of Mordovia

and the SSaarraannsskk SSttaaddiiuumm is an explosion of colour and energy, and isinspired by the local arts and crafts in the Mordovian region. The stadi-um is located alongside the picturesque Insar River.

CCaappaacciittyy: 44,442.Kazan, one of the oldest Russian cities, celebrated thousand years

of experience in 2005. It is a city of theatres, International festivals, andbusiness partnerships.Kazan is situated at the meeting place of the Volgaand Kazanka rivers.

KKaazzaann AArreennaa was built by the same architects as London’sEmirates Stadium in preparation for the Summer World UniversityGames in 2013, when it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.It has been designed to blend seamlessly with the unique sur-rounding landscape.

CCaappaacciittyy:: 44,779Samara is a beautiful city south-eastern Russia, best known for its

long Western embankment alongside the Volga River. It is also famousas Russia’s aerospace centre. The city is the sixth-largest in Russia.

SSaammaarraa AArreennaa takes its architectural inspiration from space and thenight sky, with the stadium shape resembling a glass dome, which willbe lit at night to enhance the exquisite details in its design.

CCaappaacciittyy:: 44,807Kaliningrad is a beautiful port city on the Baltic Sea,nestled between

Poland and Lithuania. The region has been known from classical antiq-uity as one of the main sources of amber in Europe.KKaalliinniinnggrraadd SSttaaddiiuummwill be a completely unique venue and on the previously uninhabitedOktyabrsky Island, which is undergoing exciting new development for2018.

CCaappaacciittyy:: 35,212.Ekaterinburg was founded by a decree of Peter the Great. Uniquely

located on the geographical borderline of Europe and Asia, and at thefoot of the Ural Mountains, the city is the fourth-largest in Russia.

EEkkaatteerriinnbbuurrgg AArreennaa is home to FC Ural – one of the country’s oldestfootball clubs.

The stadium will retain its historical facade and architectural ele-ments, but a roof and temporary stands will be installed for the 2018festivities.

CCaappaacciittyy:: 35,696.

8

The Volvograd Arena’s design resembles ‘Victory Day’ fireworks.

Built in chainmail design, Spartak Stadium will host a number of Moscow-based group matches.

The architecture of Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don imitates the meanderings of the Don River.

Left: The SaranskStadium is located alongsidethe picturesqueInsar River.

The Nizni Novograd Stadium

Right: The KalingradStadium in the beautiful port city of Kalingrad.

The Kazan Arena Stadium in Kazan, one of Russia’s oldest cities. Ekaterinburg Arena is home to FC Ural, one of Russia’s oldest football clubs.

The Samara Arena, whose architectual design takes its inspiration from space and the night sky.

One of the most modern sports arenas, the St PetersburgStadium.

The Luzniki Stadium in Moscow will host the final ofthe 2018 World Cup.

Above: The Fischt Stadium in Sochi was built forthe opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014Winter Olympic Games.