Top Ten Traditions No Winter Holiday Season In Russia Goes Without
Winter holidays are something Russians hold dear. It is the season when people really kick back and relax. Unlike here in North America, the holiday season in Russia stretches over good ten days: it is the dead season for business, and it becomes almost sacrilegious to work over holidays.
Now, let’s make it clear what holidays we are talking about – the majority of people in Russia identify as Orthodox Christian, so we also celebrate Christmas, just not on December 25th, but on January 7th. So, we celebrate Christmas after the New Year’s. But, the fact that the New Year's is celebrated ahead of Christmas, it is probably the staple holiday for most Russians. So, all the cooking and presents come around on December 31 with big parties that can go on for days. You know what I mean, if you ever partied with Russians on New Year's 
By Christmas time, most people are emotionally, physically and financially exhausted, so our Christmas is a much lesser celebration than the New Year’s is. In any case, winter holidays are so revered in Russia that there is now a set of traditions that no winter holiday season in Russia ever goes without. And, here is my take on the top 10!
Photo by Flickr user Absinthfairy
1. Elka, or Christmas tree – always in the center of any New Year’s celebration in Russia. The difference – people in Russia do not have the patience to put up their Christmas Trees a month before holidays the way it is done here. In fact, it is not uncommon to see someone drag a Christmas Tree into their apartment hours before the clock ticks midnight. But, once the Christmas Tree is hastily put together for the New Year’s Eve, it can stay there for ages. I remember in my family we were always so upset about the holidays being over that we refused to put away our Christmas Tree until February. Oh, and most Russians prefer to get real Christmas trees, the ones that have that fantastic pine smell. And, while I love, love, love real Christmas Trees, our family decided against getting the real ones, because we just could not get over the idea of wasting a whole tree every year. It is also not a common thing to put up Christmas lights around your house or balcony in Russia. Just not one of the traditions yet, but I am sure it will be picked up soon.
2. Last-minute gift shopping – here, we are no different. Russians like to take their time and many leave it until one day before the New Year’s to do their gift shopping. But, unlike in North America, where the last-minute Christmas shopping is usually associated with men, in Russia it is gender independent. People just do not stress much about the gifts, and the culture of consumerism that dominates North American Christmas is definitely not as out-of-proportion as it is here.
3. The dinner – yum! What is interesting about the New Year’s feast in Russia is that if someone did a random sampling of food from 100 different households across Russia on December 31 and compared it, chances are the food would be 90% similar. The staple items that absolutely have to be on the table are - seledka pod shuboi, Olivie salad, champagne, Napoleon cake and mandarin oranges.
Now, I am going to share my Mom’s recipes for two of the delicious foods I mentioned - seledka pod shuboi and Olivie salad. You have to try them. They are yummy!
seledka pod shuboi - Photo by Flickr user minas_h
seledka pod shuboi
This takes a bit of work, but it is yummy. Purchase seledka (salted herring ~ 300 grams; it is usually sold in many Russian or Polish food stores), remove all the bones and cut into small 1-cm pieces. Boil potatoes (4), beets (3) and eggs (4) separately. Grate potatoes, beets and eggs separately too. Mix each grated ingredient with mayo. Now, on a large dish lay out in layers one by one starting with a layer of the potato mix, followed by a layer of processed seledka. Cover up with a layer of chopped fresh onions, followed by a layer of grated boiled egg, than a layer of beet to top it up. Top that beet with more mayo (you will need ~400 grams in total). Let it stand in the fridge for about 1 hour to cool it down. That is it. Enjoy!
Olivie salad
Olivie salad - Photo by Flickr user belamaxx
Also takes time, but it is really, really good! Boil 4 eggs, 3 potatoes (in skins) and 2 carrots (also in skins). Prepare ~300 grams of your favourite meet (boiled or lightly fried, sausage will work too). You will also need a can of green sweet peas, 3-4 medium sized dill pickles, green onions and mayo. Cut the boiled eggs, potatoes (peel the skins), carrots (peel the skins) and pickles into small 0.5-cm cubes (the smaller, the better it looks). Cut the meet into slightly larger cubes. Chop the green onions. Mix everything together. Add the green peas, salt and mayo. Keep in the fridge for 30 minutes. It is ready to go!
But, back to our list of top ten New Year’s traditions…
Ironiya Sud'bi
4. Watching Ironiya Sud'bi – in all honesty, I think this is a cultural phenomenon. Here is the story. There is this New Year themed movie called Ironiya Sud'bi, which came out back in 1975 that quite literally gets watched every December 31st of every year in all of Russia. All major TV channels show it before midnight, and it has almost become a good omen for the next year to watch that movie on the New Year's Eve. And, the movie is really good, but everyone knows what is coming up next, people quote it as it goes, and for some mysterious reason, people still keep watching it. I guess, the only movie I can sort of compare it too is Home Alone: we have all seen that movie a million times, and yet there is something about that kid that just makes you want to watch that movie over and over again. It is kind of like that with Ironiya Sud'bi, but on a more cultural level.
5. Dressing up for the New Year’s depending on what Chinese calendar year it is – I know, this sounds weird. You might think, what does Chinese calendar have to do with the way New Year’s is being celebrated in Russia? But, Russians have always identified years with the corresponding animal in the Chinese calendar. It has just become a fun tradition to follow. Part of that following is dressing up on New Year’s in accordance with what lunar year is coming up – so, for example, year 2010 is the year of the tiger, and tigers have stripes on their skin, so I can guarantee people in Russia will show up for New Year’s parties in clothing with stripes this year. God forbid anyone wear bright colours because supposedly the tiger does not like bright things and that might ruin your whole next year. I know that it sounds ludicrous, but people genuinely believe in this kind of stuff. But, the craze does not stop there. Russian newspapers and magazines around this time of the year are filled with articles on how to decorate your dinner table and your house to “please” the year of the tiger, so you do not end up a mess by the end of it.
6. The New Year’s televised message from the President – classic! Ever since the late 90’s, watching the New Year’s message from the President minutes before midnight has become a tradition everyone actually waits for. Usually, the President talks about the past year: what went wrong, what was good. It is basically a wrap-up of the year past, and wishes for a good year to come. Interestingly, Vladimir Putin was the first President who took the New Year’s message “outdoors.” Previously, all of them were taped indoors, but Putin was the first one to escape the stuffy studio and deliver his message from inside Moscow’s heart – the Red Square. Here is President Medvedev's New Year's address from last year.
7. The midnight countdown – this one is huge because traditionally, the clock tower in Red Square – Kuranti has been used as the chief countdown clock for the country. The countdown was always broadcast on television, and it is with the last 12 beats that people would open champagne bottles and start celebrating.
8. The fireworks – fireworks are an absolute must at midnight on New Year’s. And, it gets so noisy and loud that the whole past-midnight commotion when car alarms get activated and windows get blown out has just become part of the celebrations.
9. Starting to celebrate the New Year’s as early as 3 PM on December 31 – this one is purely geographical. Russia has 11 different time zones – and given that many people have relatives and friends living in places like Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the far East, they have to call them up at 3 PM to wish them a happy New Year because it is already midnight there.
10. The “Old” New Year – this one is completely and totally illogical to most Westerners. Because how can the New Year be “old”? Well, in Russia it can. It is celebrated on January 14, and it really is just the New Year celebrated according to the Julian calendar. Russia used the Julian calendar until 1918, after which it switched to the Gregorian calendar that was used everywhere else. It is a bit weird because the Christmas tradition did not change. The January 7th Christmas is the Julian calendar version of December 25th Gregorian calendar Christmas. But, everyone loves to celebrate New Year’s twice regardless, although the “old” New Year parties are definitely quieter.
When Fate Gives You A Second Chance, You Take It: An Interview With Former Russian, Now Canadian Skier And Olympian Ivan Babikov
Ivan Babikov In Competition
Getting second chances in life does not happen often, but it did happen to Ivan Babikov – a Canadian cross-country skier whose family came to Canada from Russia to look for a better life. An experienced skier in his native Russia, Babikov came to Canada in 2003 with little hope of ever racing again. Fast forward to 2009, and Ivan Babikov is on the Canadian Olympic team, representing Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. After years of struggling to get his Canadian citizenship, Babikov had to skate for Russia until 2008. He now calls the town of Canmore, Alberta his new home and training ground, and he is sure living his dream…
I caught up with Ivan on the phone after he arrived from Davos, Switzerland, where he was competing in a World Cup event. We had a quick interview that brought up many interesting details about one man's tough journey to the Olympics.
--Ivan, first of all, congratulations on finishing in the top 10 in the men's cross-country ski team relay in Norway at the end of November. But, I heard that the Canadian team overall did not show very strong results in Finland just weeks ago. You actually did the best coming in 38th in the 15 km race. How is the team feeling about the results?
Yeah, in Finland, no one expected what happened to our coach. It was hard. He broke his hip. He will be back soon. Of course, we had to get used to working without him. It was hard in the beginning, but these little misfortunes are survivable, so it is ok. We still have time to prepare for the Olympics. We hope everything will be ok.
--How do you feel around your new Canadian teammates?
We have an awesome team. The guys are very friendly. We are all in it together, and no problems ever arise. We are a very close bunch and don’t make foes of each other.
--But, the language does not seem to be a barrier for you at all, does it?
No.
--When was your fist race as a Canadian athlete? And, how many races have you already completed for Canada?
Back in the day I was living here in Canada, but officially I was a Russian athlete. The sport is regulated by the International Federation, and every athlete has a license, so to speak, which defines what country you compete for. Back than, I still had Russian passport, so technically I represented Russia, although I was living and running races here. But, yeah, officially my first race for Canada was in December of 2008. And, right now, I am in my second season with the Canadian team.
--So, are you used to wearing the maple leaf on your uniform by now?
Of course, you get used to good things fast (laughs).
Ivan Babikov In Competition
--You were training and living in Canada when you came here in 2003. Did you make a decision to get the Canadian citizenship back than?
To be honest, when my family and I immigrated to Canada, I did not think that I would continue to race. I thought I would just get a job of some kind. I was doing relatively well in Russia, but I was not stellar. I had some good results, but I was not thinking about it seriously. I was not expecting to come here to race and represent Canada. I really came here looking for a better life for my family, so that my son could live in a good country, go to a good school and so on. When we came here, I was not even training, because I had a job in Toronto. So, I was not hoping for good results. But, than I had my first competition, did rather well and I thought why not try again? There were a lot of difficulties along the way, but it happened such that I am still here.
--Do you feel completely at home here now?
Yeah, Canada is probably home already. I have not been to Russia in a while. I have friends there of course. But, my entire family is now here.
--What did you find to be the most striking difference between your training and competitions representing Canada vs. Russia? For example, I heard Russian hockey players who come to play in the NHL say that that the training regimen here is a lot more individualistic, whereas in Russia, it is a lot more team centered with less freedom to do what you want to do.
I am a little surprised to hear that from the hockey players. Their sport is a lot more team-based. But, I think they have a point. It is sort of like that. I think it is because here in Canada you are being treated more as a human being. Canadians understand that if they make you comfortable, you will show better results on the track, you see? In Russia, it is not like that – there, everybody is put under the same label and being told, “Do this, because I know that is a good way to do it for everyone.” Here, you are asked what will ultimately work for you, what you think works well to get better results. So, it is a win-win situation here: athletes feel good because we are being treated as human beings, and if we succeed, the system also wins. It really is a double win. So, the approach here is simpler and more professional than in Russia. But, I think it is because the training system in Russia is a remnant of the way things were in the Soviet Union. There you treat training as you job. So, if you do not show up for work, you can be fired, etc. Your salary depends on it. And, here you do it as long as it is fun. Nobody is going to make you do anything, so if you want to go train, you do; if you don’t, than you don’t. In Russia, if you feel tired or do not feel well, they still say, “It is ok, go train.” Here, it is up to you. It is a more relaxed approach, but I think the results only benefit from that.
--So, it is the mentality that is different than?
Yeah, absolutely different. For Canadians - it is all about fun. For them, even if you do not do so well in a race, it is still fine. In Russia, even if you do well, you are being told, “it is no good, you still have to work on this and that…,” and you don’t feel satisfied as the result of that.
--You are on Twitter a lot. But, Twitter is hot with athletes lately – some of them use it to interact with fans, others use it for self-promotion. Why do you use it? (YTFiles – Twitter is a microblogging platform that allows users to interact in 140-character messages).
I would not say I Tweet a lot. There are other guys on the team who are even more active than me. I kind of do it sometimes just because everybody does it. People follow me, it must be of interest to someone. I just like to inform people about what I do, where I am, how I feel and so on. I think it is more for myself too, just to let go of some emotions. Just to show what I did and show to someone that I train, and I feel better because of that (laughs).
--Did you set your aspirations for Vancouver 2010?
No, I try not to think about it. Many North Americans have that mentality, as you said, of setting goals and striving toward something. I try not to think about it and see what happens. I will do my best to get the best results, but the thought of it is not in my head. I don’t wake up every morning and think about it – I think it would be too hard psychologically, especially for me. I never make grandiose plans. Of course, I go train every day and do the maximum to squeeze out everything from myself in training and competition, but the results vary: sometimes you don’t do well, sometimes you do better…
--Were you part of the “Own The Podium” program heading into the Olympics, or did the change of citizenship interfere with that? (YTFiles – “Own the Podium” is program launched in 2005 to prepare Canada to become the top winter sporting nation in the world by 2010).
Yes, they support me. They supported me all the way back since 2006, when I was just settling in. They understood that I am a team candidate, and backed me up. Getting citizenship ended up being a very long process, but the program managers tried to help me, which was kind of them.
--Do you hope to race in Sochi, Russia at the 2014 Olympic Games, or you are not making such long-term plans yet?
Of course I would want to. It would have been great. The Olympics will be in Russia. But, we will see. So far, I have the desire to compete for as long as I can. But, you never know how it will turn out with health and everything. Of course, if I have the means, the desire to race and good health, I will be there.
--You think the "home charm" will work?
I do not know where my home charm is anymore (laughs). I hope that it will help me here in Canada, and it will help me in Russia too.
--During the Olympic Games in Vancouver, there will be the Sochi 2014 Russia House where many of the Russian athletes, officials and entertainers will gather for the duration of the Games. Are you going to pay a visit?
I will be in Whistler. There will be a Canada House there. So, going to Vancouver for Russia House would be a long trip. The same thing happened in Turin (YTFiles – the capital of the 2006 Winter Olympics) where the Russia House was a four-hour drive from the skiing venues. That is why we never actually showed up at the Russia House back than. Typically, athletes like us who have a long stretch of competitions do not even have a chance to get out and see the Opening or Closing ceremonies. We start on the second day of the Games and go until the last, so we do not like to spend time and energy on things like that. But, if I had a chance to drop by, why not? I would go. I keep in touch with the guys from the Russian team, we are still friends.
--So, you do keep up in touch with the Russian national team?
With the athletes, yes. Because we were all on the same team at one time and represented the same country. Of course, things like that do not just go away…
--Why did you choose to settle down in Canmore, Alberta? Was it for training purposes?
Yeah, when I first came, I got in touch with Cross-Country Canada and I was told that the team is being formed here in Canmore. But, the training conditions here make for a very good training ground – the hills and the snow…Canmore is a hub for skiing and biathlon in a way.
--Have you had a chance to explore Canada and travel around? Or, are you entirely focused on training and competitions right now?
All my travel is limited to competitions – so when there is a Cup of Canada, or the National Championships, I travel around. So, of course I go places, but all of Canada? I did not explore all of Canada yet.
--What do you love to do in your free time, if there is such a thing for you?
Yeah, there is very little of it. But, I spend most of it with my family, my wife and son, or in front of a computer.
Ivan Babikov In Training
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Ivan Babikov In Training
YTFiles -- Photos and video attached are courtesy of Ivan Babikov. The interview was translated from Russian.
A Glimpse Of Alexander Ovechkin At The Bay Olympic Superstore In Vancouver: PHOTO and VIDEO
Alexander "The Great" Ovechkin has descended on the city of Vancouver to sign autographs this PM at the Hudson's Bay Company Olympic Superstore in the Pacific Center. Unquestionably, Ovechkin is one of the best players in the NHL, and he is becoming quite a socialite too. Today, over 500 people packed the Olympic Superstore waiting for hours in a long line-up just to meet Ovie.
Yesterday, I got an email from VANOC saying Ovechkin will be in town signing autographs. The only catch - I had to pre-purchase a merchandise item for Ovechkin to sign. It also said prices started at $98, which kind of made me abandon the idea of going, but than I figured I should go anyway to catch a glimpse of AO and take a few photos for my blog. But, when I walked into the HBC Olympic Superstore tonight, I saw hockey love all around -- people dressed in Ovechkin's jerseys itching to meet the big man.
I snapped a few pictures which you can see below. I also shot a video of the actual signing and the video of the insane line-up. Talk about "superstar" appeal, eh?
SochiReporter – The Beginnings Of Citizen Journalism In Russia; An EXCLUSIVE Interview With Founder Alexander Zolotarev
13/12/2009: Please note some corrections that have been made in the post.
In essence, the concept of citizen reporting is fairly simple – you see something newsworthy happening around you, you reach for your laptop or smart phone, snap a few photos, upload it to a hosting platform, add commentary, … and, boom, you have a citizen report before any major news wires find out that the news even happened. The simplicity and promptness of citizen journalism is what is slowly making it the new way to do news-gathering. But, for many Internet users here in North America the concept of “citizen journalism” is still a little fuzzy -- many are still unsure about the legalities, logistics and the editorial integrity of citizen reporting. In many places in Russia though, the concept of taking the responsibility to report news while doing it for free is still very, very raw.
Alexander Zolotarev, SochiReporter Founder and CEO
But, where there is a challenge, there is an opportunity. And, with the Winter Olympic Games coming to Russia in 2014, a group of citizen media enthusiasts headed by Moscow State University Faculty of Journalism lecturer and the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism Fulbright Scholar Alexander Zolotarev decided to give the “made-in-Russia” citizen journalism a try.
Now, why tether citizen journalism, a city in Southern Russia and the Olympics? Well, the upcoming 2014 Olympics in Sochi are a big deal for Russia. From what I am hearing and seeing on Russian news wires and blogs, there seems to be a genuine interest and excitement about the Games. However, there has been some controversy surrounding the Olympic construction in the city. Concerns over the potential threat to the region's ecosystems have been raised in the past. But, these are the issues that any Olympic city faces. And, if that is something that might get conversations going, there needs to be a place for people to talk about it. The idea is that the city is going through a major transformation heading into the Games and there is a need to provide a portal for discussion to take place.
But, any experiment needs a test lab. So, Zolotarev and the team have created a platform that lets the residents of Sochi try their hand at citizen reporting – the recently launched Drupal based portal is called SochiReporter, and it has all the tools necessary for people to create, share and distribute content about their city.
Exclusively for this blog, I got a chance to talk with Alexander Zolotarev, the man behind the idea of SochiReporter. Alex works out of Sochi and Moscow, coordinating both the entrepreneurial and editorial aspects of the project.
Alexander, when did the site officially launch, and what is the latest news on SochiReporter?
SochiReporter officially launched on October 27. We started testing the website in the middle of September granting access to a limited group of people: friends, colleagues, web experts and professionals.
The latest video report featured on the site brings the opinions of the citizens of Sochi about the new Sochi Olympics logo, which was presented recently. The design is based on the domain name of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee - sochi.ru, which conveys the idea of the hi-tech Olympics, and how the Olympics are adjusting to the digital age and aim at being closer to and reaching the younger audience, the digital generation. So one of our ‘sochireporters’ – as we call our citizen journalists – made a video in which she asks Sochi locals, ranging from a neighborhood fisherman to a hotel administrator – how they like and understand the new logo. Exciting!
How and when did the idea of SochiReporter come to you?
It was like a flash, which came into my mind soon after the city was elected to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. It was a great opportunity to bring to life my passion for the digital technologies and the new media. In 2007-2008, I was writing a thesis about it at the Faculty of Journalism Moscow State University which I am a graduate of, and at the same time was a Fulbright scholar in the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. I heard about the Knight News Challenge and decided to apply. So the jurors at the Knight Foundation liked my idea of building a digital archive of the pre-Olympic city involving citizen journalists and I became one of the winners of the 2008 contest.
So, the project is funded by the Knight Foundation?
Yes, correct. By the way, the contest is still on, in its fourth year, and you can apply. The deadline is December 15.
Do people in Sochi know about your project? Are they aware of the brand and functionality? How willing are they to participate?
SochiReporter Journalism 2.0 Workshop
Yes, I am actively promoting the project in Sochi, bringing to light the new opportunities and functions, which SochiReporter gives. We had a good media coverage of our seminar called ‘Journalism 2.0: the New Trends’ which we organized at the end of July for the students of five leading Sochi-based universities, and at this seminar then I announced the contest for the best story, photo and video among those students. We provided them with cameras, HD video cameras and voice recorders, basically armored them with the tech gadgets which helped them produce their materials. Our tech partners Kodak and Olympus presented the devices to the young people.
Those last three weeks I gave about 20 presentations and open lessons in Sochi-based schools and universities, meeting with high school teachers and presenting the project for university professors at the thematic meeting in the House of Education of Sochi, talking with young TV journalism students in the TV school for teenagers, etc. The young people are our key audience (hence our colorful, ‘adrenaline’ design), as they are the most active web users in Sochi.
How big is the pool of Sochi reporters at this point?
About 40 citizen reporters. We have been on for 5 weeks. But we are steadily growing as new users register on the website.
Are you happy with the content you are getting? What do you consider to be your greatest success with SochiReporter so far? What are some of the things that still need to be figured out?
I like the content which is being generated and uploaded on the website and I like the personal styles and voices of our reporters. One of the interesting things which SochiReporter presented on the website is the so-called Time Machine, a special section which helps to organize and archive all the materials generated by users, including the videos. It will enable any tourist or journalist who comes to Sochi in 2014 to travel back to any date in the past and see the picture of the day, all the stories and photos and videos which were uploaded by users on that day.
We still need to extend the English version of the website and introduce the more functional social network component, which we are working on now.
Citizen journalism is still in the up-and-coming stage in Russia. Does that help you or work against you in your project?
SochiReporter has an opportunity and was actually born to promote the digital tools in Sochi, and foster the ‘webization’ of the city, which is preparing to host the Olympics. So we are experimenting in finding new ways to attract and involve users, the Sochi citizens, to generate content and tell the story of their city, the story of transformation. We don’t expect the stories to be professional in a journalistic way, as our reporters are not professional journalists. But we expect their stories be hearty and sincere. And this is very important. This is thrilling!
How do you see SochiReporter growing after the 2014 games?
Do you think we’ll turn into an e-shop and will sell tickets to the post-Olympic skating rink? I’m kidding. Well, if stars align, by 2014 SochiReporter will grow into a known and strong web resource, and it should continue being. I see no reasons not to. Olympics are not just a destination, it’s also a factor that affects and leaves a huge legacy behind. And as time goes by, and technology develops, I bet SochiReporter will evolve.
Alexander Zolotarev is on Twitter @ZanderZolotarev. SochiReporter also has a Twitter account of its own @SochiReporter.
Video showing how SochiReporter was created
All photo and video materials were kindly provided by Alexander Zolotarev.
Worker And Kolkhoz Woman: A Soviet-era Monument Finds Its Way Back Into Moscow’s Landscape
Photo by Flickr user Intubator
Some call it the symbol of an era, others - a gigantic reminder of communism. The monument was gone for so long, Muscovites have almost forgotten about this enormity of a statue. But, the legendary 24-meter high monument of the Worker And Kolkhoz Woman is back next to Moscow's landmark All-Russia Exhibition Centre after six years of renovations. This ginormous 185-tonne statue was erected in 1939 and became the embodiment of the social ideals -- a mighty worker forging the nation's well-being with his hammer side by the side with an imposing Kolkhoz woman sure to feed the nation with her wheat-cutting sickle. The statue's idealistic design was bang on at the time, but is it relevant now? And, was it really worth it to spend six years of renovators' time and over a billion rubles to resurrect this symbol of the past? The grand re-opening of the monument was attended by hundreds of people, marked with fireworks and festivities. But, why all the buzz about the seemingly retrograde monument?
Well, the Worker And Kolkhoz Woman gained more of a cultural meaning throughout the years -- and the reason for that was the statue's use in movie pre-views. For millions of people in the Soviet Union, it became completely associated with movie openers -- much like the catchy tune and the sky-beaming projectors of the 20th century fox film studios that opened many of the Hollywood-made flicks. One of the biggest film production studios in the Soviet Union -- Mosfilm used the monument as their logo since 1947. Every movie made by Mosfilm opened with a video clip of the statue, so really any of the socialistic meanings that the statue's creators might have intended for it were pretty much erased by years of associations with the movie industry. So for one, I am glad to see the statue back, and not for any political reasons, but more for a nostalgic yearning to see a cultural symbol back.
Google Zeitgeist Russia: Explanation Of Why Things Trended In 2009
So, the yearly Google Zeitgeist is out for 2009, and for those of you who do not know Google Zeitgeist is a summary of the top searches that Google releases every year to show what people looked for the most. In many ways, Google Zeitgeist is a reflection of what was important to the online audiences around the world in any particular year. It is a cross-section of what has gotten people’s attention to the point that they just had to Google it to find out more about it.
Since Google breaks down its report by country, I was very curious to see what the top searches were for Russia. And, some very interesting trends popped up. But, I realized that you have to be in the culture, so to speak, to really understand the significance of some of them, so I decided to write a little “explainer” of what these trends really mean.
First of all, the fastest rising searches of 2009 were:
1. Windows 7
2. Odnoklassniki account page
3. Michael
4. VKontakte
5. Movies online
6. Torrent
7. Translation online
8. Work in Russia
9. Eurovision 2009
10. Opera 10
Now, Odnoklassniki is one of the top social networks in Russia that grew immensely popular in the last couple of years. Unlike most of the social networks here in North America, you have to pay to join Odnoklassniki, which was a bummer for me when I was trying to sign up. I just do not believe in having to pay to use a social network. But, Odnoklassniki have permeated the Russian culture so much, it is almost kind of awkward and anti-social not to have an account, so people are ready to pay for it just so they don't stand out. Vkontake is another popular social network that really is just a mirror image of Facebook. It is also free, so its popularity is on the rise lately – justifiably, it took the No. 4 spot on the list.
Sure enough, Michael Jackson hysteria could not have possibly missed Russia, so no wonder “Michael” was the third most searched item. Windows 7 being in the top spot was kind of surprising, but not really because most computer users in Russia are still loyal to PCs with a very limited number of Mac users. As in previous years, downloading stuff and translating online were popular. But, what was interesting is that Eurovision 2009, which Russia hosted this year, was the No. 9 top rising query. In previous posts, I wrote about the significance that the Eurovision contest had for Russia in terms of the national branding, logistical and financial maturity to hold major international events and just being in the position to welcome much of Europe on the scale that is unprecedented. I actually was expecting Eurovision to be in the top 5, but I guess you can’t argue with the Odnoklassniki’s phenomenon.
The news makers of the year were mostly Russian, but I was surprised to see the name of Arsene Wenger, the manager of Arsenal FC in the top 10. Of course, people in Russia cared about Wenger solely because the country’s top soccer player Andrey Arshavin had a very publicized and speculation driven transfer to Arsenal from St. Petersburg Zenit this summer. Arshavin was called nasty things for quitting his home club to seek better pay in England. In any case, the drama of his transfer is still lingering in people’s minds as Russia failed to make it to the 2010 World Cup in last month's qualifiers.
Sure enough, the current Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was the No.2 news maker of the year. But, what was surprising to me is that the current President Dmitri Medvedev was nowhere to be seen in the top 10.
In the “I want” category, the top searchers were – “woman”, “work”, “sleep”, “a lot of money”, “to get pregnant” and in No. 7 spot – “to believe.”
In the “why” searches of the year, people were wondering most about “why they are lonely”, “why the dollar is rising”, “why men cheat”, “why cats meow” and “why manholes are round”, which is actually one of the questions that Microsoft allegedly asks in their job interviews, so kind of unusual to see it here.
In the “events of the year,” Eurovision took the No.1 spot – no surprise there. Interestingly, the earthquake in L’Aquila, Italy was in second place, followed by the collision of the U.S. and Russian satellites. I am at a loss to explain such interest in the Italian earthquake, but I can say that Russia had its fair share of natural disasters in its recent history and any kind of large-scale calamities anywhere in world just tend to pull the trigger in people’s minds to Google the gory details. Apparently, the swine flu was not as important and sits in the fourth position in the top ten events. That was a surprise to me. With the kind of medication freak-out that Russia experienced when major pharmacies started to increase the price tags on antivirals for no reason, I was expecting people to go nuts and research the swine flu to death online, but evidently that did not happen. In other notable events, the 2009 world hockey championships, which Russians won this year, was the seventh most searched event. Winning the championships was extremely important for Russia heading into the 2010 Olympic Games. I remember watching Russian news days after the tournament and the country was still in the party mode, so no wonder it made the trends. Finally, the tenth most searched event was the election of the new Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church after the death of the former Patriarch Alexy II. I think the fact that people cared enough for the search term to make it into the top 10 events is pretty interesting, and shows that religion still has a pretty important place in the minds of people in Russia.
So, to me, many of the things in this year’s Russian edition of Zeitgesit were obvious, but many became a revelation. But, way to go, Google. The top searchers never seize to entertain!
The Launch Of The New Sochi 2014 Brand: Highlights And Live-streaming
This is it! After delays caused by the tragic events of November 27, the new brand for the Sochi 2014 Olympics will be revealed at the Red Square at 8 am GST today. IOC President Jacques Rogge will help reveal the new brand. Due to the official state of mourning for the victims of the Nevsky Express bombings, the program of the Sochi 2014 Olympic brand launch has been modified. At this point, it is not very clear if the any of the celebratory events that were scheduled are going to go through.
The ceremony is being live-streamed on the Sochi 2014 official website www.sochi2014.ru.
I will be watching live!
And this is a snapshot of the new site featuring the new logo:
Sochi? What is that?
Here in Vancouver, Canada, we are head over heels in preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, and the city is slowly but surely transforming into the Olympic capital it is bound to become in just three months.
But, did you know that the next Winter Olympic Games after Vancouver would be held in Sochi, Russia? From talking to people about Sochi, I realized that North Americans do not really associate the word “Sochi” with Russia. My friend once asked me if Sochi was some place in Japan. Well, I know the name is sort of unusual for a city in Russia, but the tiny town of Sochi will indeed be welcoming the world for the 22nd Winter Olympiad in 2014. And, it sure hopes to show class while doing that. I hear the 2014 Games are a tremendous occasion for Russians, and Sochi is sure to be worked up to impress.
I get a sense that whenever Russia gets to host a major international event nowadays, it becomes almost a pride thing to do really, REALLY well. Such was the case with the Eurovision 2009 Song Contest that Russia hosted this past May. Eurovision is an annual singing competition that is becoming a showbizz bonanza of multinational scale. This year, it was the first time in the event’s 55 years of existence that Russia got to host the contest. The outcome? Russians built the biggest and the flashiest stage in the history of the contest with lots of other perks, which in the end had Russia put together the most expensive edition of the contest – the bill came down to a whopping 40 million dollars.
So, when it will come to making the 2014 Games stand out, I am sure Russia will not hold anything back to make sure that its Games become the best Olympic Games ever.
Today’s launch of the Olympic brand, emblem and slogan of the 2014 Games will sure be a huge milestone for Sochi. And already, sky is the limit -- the Olympic news source GamesBids.com quotes Sochi 2014 President Dmitry Chernyshenko saying the Sochi 2014 logo will be the most innovative in the history of the Olympic Games. "It's a totally new experience and it's our philosophy, our way of thinking - it's quite simply unique", explained Chernyshenko.
Whether the new Olympic brand and Russia’s Games are going stand up to the hype remains to be seen.
Coming up on this blog: Sochi 2014 Russia House at the Science World in Vancouver – will it be the hottest ticket in town during the 2010 Vancouver Games?