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fancyfanfiction · 4 years

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Soon It Will Be Spring (Chapter 3)

YAY! I had a major set back in the form of my external hard drive corrupting, but I got the data back and have been working on this chapter! I also now know way too much about the Russian railway system. Fun fact: The name of the Nikolaevsky/Oktyabyrsky station is now the Moskovsky Station.

Cross-posted to AO3 here:https://archiveofourown.org/works/16242599/chapters/65460604

Chapter 3

The clocktower of the Nikolaevsky—now Oktyabyrsky—railway station stood stark against the cobalt sky as the pair approached the building, one of the holdouts of imperial style in the new culture of Russia. Train whistles mumbled and overlapping conversations, and the chugging of locomotives enveloped the station and its grounds. Gleb and Katya kept pace with their fellow travelers as they crossed the threshold into the main hall of the station.

Katya took in the sight, allowing herself private revelry in the familiarity of the old train station. Any childhood trip ended there: with a train pulling back into Saint Petersburg and some treat or another from her father to ease the sadness of an adventure ended. Katya could almost hear her father comforting her: the best part about the end of an adventure is now another can begin. Adventure had been his life since the beginning, adventures that Katya had never quite been able to imagine. The Caucasus mountains existed to her only in books and in the stories her father had told of his boyhood. Regret pricked the back of her neck. Katya would never get to see the mountains where her father had been born now.

The odd companions stood staring at the board of arrivals and departures. Moscow would be easy, but Poland: less so. Money and time for forged papers were luxuries they hadn’t been afforded. They approached the ticketing window, and something seemed to click on in Katya’s eyes.

“Hello, comrade. Where are you headed?” asked the man.

“Two for Moscow, please. The earliest departure you have.” Katya had donned a modest Polish accent as she slid the money across the counter, not unintelligible by any means, but unmistakable in its origin.

Upon hearing the accent, the ticket man seemed to change his demeanor. The stench of condescension wafted off of him. “You’ll need to go to platform four and give this to the man on the train when he asks for it” He pronounced each word slowly and loudly as if speaking to a small child, exaggerating each syllable and gesturing as he handed Katya the tickets.

She offered a vacant smile, “Thank you, comrade.”

Of course. She was playing dumb Gleb realized.

“Platform four, then?” Gleb asked once they had left the counter, shifting his pack from one shoulder to the other. “I’m surprised you didn’t shout at him.”

“Playing into people’s prejudices can have its uses,” Katya said, her disdain for the “stupid Pole” stereotype dripping from each word.

“Where did you learn to do that accent so well, Yekaterina?” Gleb asked, curiosity getting the better of his instinct to leave Katya alone to cool off.

“My mother’s family is Polish. Neither of my grandparents on that side ever fully shook the accent.” Her answer was direct but lacked the iciness Gleb had expected.

They walked in silence to their destination. The light tang of coal, metal, and oil floated in the air, strengthening as the platform grew closer. The train would be departing in less than half an hour. They stood with their fellow passengers, the shared comradery of an imminent journey connecting all those who stood waiting. The moment washed over the pair like water over the banks of the Neva as they watched the train pull into the station.

“We can’t come back.” Katya broke through the silence.

Gleb thought for a moment he saw heartbreak flicker in her eyes – the same look Anya had as she knelt next to him, loaded gun still in his hand, the same blue eyes. Gleb glanced at Katya again, but she had turned away.

A sea of coats, hats, and luggage ebbed and flowed around them as the passengers boarded. Katya claimed the window seat before Gleb even had a chance to protest. Exhaustion clung to her like sleet, weighing Katya down as she leaned her head against the cool glass. Her eyes fluttered, going in an out of focus as sleep threatened to overtake her.

“Here.” Katya thrust the tickets toward Gleb. “Just hand the conductor both of ours when he comes by.”

Gleb nodded and took the paper slips from Katya; the tips of her fingers brushed his through her fingerless gloves. Whether they were fingerless for dexterity or simply because the tips had become too damaged to bother mending anymore, Gleb couldn’t say.

The train lurched forward in a cloud of steam and smoke as it pulled away from the platform. The gentle rocking as the train picked up speed lulled Katya into a blessedly dreamless sleep, leaving Gleb alone with his thoughts.

He took stock. It would be at least a few hours before they reached Moscow. He knew Katya had some money but had no clue how much; Gleb decided he would only count on his own money. There was no use speculating on things he didn’t know and had no place asking. He knew Katya couldn’t have saved much. Yet Anya – Anastasia, he corrected himself mentally – had made it with those conmen, and street sweepers made only a fraction of what a cleaning woman would make. She had more than made it. She had thrived. Why hadn’t she taken her place publicly? The image of Anya decked out in her regal red gown that played so well against rosy skin haunted him, taunted him, dangled what could have been in front of him, just out of reach. Long life, Gleb, her voice still echoed in his head.

***

“Now arriving at Oktyabrsky Terminal, Moscow.” The conductor’s voice boomed through the train car. Katya stirred and woke, fixing Gleb with those blue eyes that seemed too familiar after four hours of ruminating on the past.

“Welcome back to the world of the living,” He said dryly.

“We’re in Moscow, then?” Katya rubbed her face.

“Unless the conductor is lying.”

Katya responded with a short half laugh. “So, you do have a sense of humor.”

“A bit rusty, but it’s there.” Gleb smiled, the first genuine smile Katya could remember seeing on him.

With their current government, the more paranoid part of Katya didn’t quite trust that the conductor wasn’t lying. She stretched and stood, trying to shake the idea from her mind. A yawn escaped as she shook out the stiffness from sleeping leaning against a train window.

“Warsaw next, then?” Gleb asked, allowing the chatter of the other passengers to cover their conspiracy.

Katya nodded. “Yes…” she trailed off.

Gleb sensed the “but” implied in her answer. “But we don’t have papers.”

Another nod. “I think I have a workaround, but we’ll have to be quick.”

The pair disembarked with the rest of the passengers and crossed to the departures board. The train station hadn’t changed much, despite its renaming Katya noted. She almost wished she had time to wander around Moscow. It had been so long since she’d visited. Then she remembered. The palaces, the grand parties, all of that would be long gone—had been long gone for years now.

Gleb looked between the chalk departures board and his father’s old map. “It looks like the closest we can get to Warsaw today will be Minsk.”

“Alright then. One more leg to the journey won’t throw things off too badly.” Katya began walking, rifling through of her bag.

Gleb’s gaze drifted from person to person, habitually searching for any danger. His heart jumped as he noticed a man walking quickly in his direction. The man was dressed neutrally, meant to blend in with the crowd in the train station, but he walked with a purpose that set him apart, shoulders square and jaw set. Gleb knew a Chekist guard when he saw one. And one was walking dead towards him and Katya.

“Yekaterina.” Gleb grabbed her arm, not even waiting for a response. He pulled them both around a corner into a shadowed, empty corridor and pressed her against the wall, hoping the dark color of his coat would camouflage them—if not, he supposed he could use the excuse of sweethearts stealing a kiss away from the crowds.

“What—” Katya’s question was cut off by Gleb placing his finger to his lips. She was certain she would have a bruise on her upper arm from how hard he had gripped. Scrutinizing his face, she searched for an answer as to why the former Deputy Commissioner had shoved her against a wall in a dark corner of a crowded building. The wool of his coat still held the familiar smell of his—now former—apartment despite their frenzied escape from St. Petersburg. He looked over his shoulder and Katya noticed the dark stubble that had begun to spread along Gleb’s jawline. Seeing the bruise-colored circles beneath his eyes, Katya felt a pang of sympathy. This close she realized Gleb was holding his breath. What ever caused him to try and hide them, she figured, it must not be gone.

Seconds felt like minutes before Gleb heard the quick steps of the Cheka pass. He stepped back, freeing Katya.

“The Cheka.” He answered her unfinished question.

Katya’s eyes widened. “Do you think they’ve found us?” Her breathing hitched. Had they really been so close to danger?

“No.” He shook his head. “But if they’re looking for us, they’ll have our descriptions.”

The two walked back into the main lobby of the station. The travelers and commuters seemed oblivious as to what had just happened.

“Well, we should get to Minsk as soon as possible.” Katya walked up to the window and returned with their tickets. “The train’s already boarding.” She walked right past Gleb, leading him toward their platform.

This train was nicer that the last, Gleb observed. He and Katya found their compartment and took their seats, this time across from each other, rather than side by side. This would be a long trip. Moscow was more than 700 kilometers from Minsk. The train ride alone would take 6 hours, likely more if they needed to stop to refuel.

Gleb looked at Katya. Her face was mirrored in the dark glass as she stared out the window. He cleared his throat to get her attention.

“If we’re going to be on this train for a while, perhaps we could get to know each other?” Gleb suggested as nonchalantly as he could. Truthfully, he was a little curious about his companion.

Katya turned from the window toward Gleb. “What do you want to know?”

He searched for a moment before settling on a question. “What was your life like before you worked as a cleaner?” “My mother left me at the Smolny Convent to become a nun when I was about 14.” Katya replied.

“You were a nun?” Gleb was astonished. In the hours they had now spent together, he’d not once gotten the impression that she was particularly devout.

“No. I was a novice and not a very good one at that.” Katya corrected, amused by his surprise.

“Papa and I sent letters, in secret of course.” She continued, “We weren’t exactly supposed to have contact with our families, but he always encouraged my rule-breaking. I suppose that was part of why my mother sent me to the convent in the first place.” The softness Katya’s features had taken talking about her father faded. “I was there until you Bolsheviks disbanded the convent.” She gave him a pointed look. “And looted it.”

She leaned back against the seat. “I would write and tell my father about how I had screwed up in my novitiate again since we’d last talked. Something stupid normally. Playing a prank on another novitiate. Staying out past curfew and then trying to argue my way out of penitence. He’d say, ‘That’s my Katenka. Full of fire to the bitter end. Just like me.’” A fond and forlorn smile softened Katya’s features again.

“Katenka? That’s not a pet name I’d expect for you.” Gleb fought the amused look on his face.

“Don’t ever call me that.” A hint of menace lurked behind her dismissive tone, almost protective of the memory she’d just shared. Katya scowled at the floor between them as they sat in silence; the conversation was obviously dead.

“I miss my father, too.” Gleb offered after a few minutes.

Katya looked up.

“He died about 10 years ago.” He continued.

“Mine died about that time, too. I suppose a lot of children lost fathers during the revolution.” Sadness and sympathy for those who had known her tinged Katya’s voice.

“His name was Sergei?” Gleb attempted to keep the conversation going now that it had been resurrected.

She raised an eyebrow as her lips pressed together and quirked to the side. “No, his name was Ivan.” An eye roll and a small smile of amused exasperation accompanied her sarcasm.

Gleb’s eyes flicked downward, then back to Katya as he realized the redundancy of asking someone he almost exclusively addressed as “Yekaterina Sergeyevna” her father’s name.

Sometimes he seemed more like a boy than an officer to Katya, a child wearing his father’s boots.

“Mine was Stepan.” Gleb brushed some dirt from his sleeve.

"Really, Gleb Stepanovich? I never would have guessed." Katya emphasized his patronym.

“Wouldn’t it be funny if they had known each other, given they died around the same time?” Gleb waited a second to see if Katya found it an interesting thought as well.

“We live in a country of more than 90,000 people. I think that’s rather unlikely.”

Gleb grimaced at his failed attempt at connection. A yawn caught him off guard.

“You should sleep. It’s a long train ride, like you said, and I got to rest on the last one.” Katya offered. “I’ll keep an eye out for anyone suspicious.”

Gleb nodded and leaned back, appreciating the feeling of cushion rather than stone. Adrenaline could only carry a person so far, he figured. Sleep pulled him down into darkness quickly as he closed his eyes.

Katya looked at the sleeping form across from her. The Deputy Commissioner—former Deputy Commissioner—wasn’t unhandsome, not by any stretch of the imagination she decided. He was in fact very handsome when he deigned to smile. Which was seldom. She had only seen a true smile once or twice, not that tight-lipped half-grimace he often made. He, like all the other Bolsheviks Katya had had the pleasure of encountering, seemed to lack a sense of humor almost entirely or at least she had thought until that afternoon. Even so, he at least had more empathy than his comrades. He looked younger when he slept, granted he was young for his rank, but still.

The train’s great heave forward as it began to pull away from the station didn’t rouse Gleb in the slightest. He seemed already lost in dreams. Katya unthinkingly reached out and gently brushed his normally well-kept hair from his forehead. She hated to admit it, and perhaps it was just the shared bonds of running for one’s life, but she was growing fond of the former Bolshevik. She turned to look out the window again. Katya had never been to Minsk, hopefully the added time to the journey would be worth it.

#anastasia fanfiction #anastasia musical #Gleb Vaganov #Anastasia Broadway #OC #soon it will be spring #Fanfiction #Soon it will be spring chapter 3

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airmanisr · 7 years

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Russia Railways - Dunaberg & Witepsk Railway (Динабурго-Витебской железной дороги) 0-6-0 steam locomotive (Sharp Stewart Locomotive Works, Manchester 1860/71) by Historical Railway Images Via Flickr: LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE AND TENDER ON THE DUNABERG AND WITEPSK RAILWAY One of thirteen engines with tenders, manufactured by Messrs. Sharp, Stewart, and Co., for the Dunaberg and Witepsk Railway. The engine has outside cylinders, and six coupled wheels. Illustration from "The Engineer" Magazine dated March 10, 1871 Dunaberg is a town in the Oblast of Vitebsk, European Russia, built on both sides of the river Dwina, 12 miles S.E. of Riga. It possesses a fortress commanding a floating-bridge over the river, and from its position on the railway between Warsaw and St. Petersburg is of great military and commercial importance. Information on the Dunaberg & Witepsk (alt. "Witebsk") Railway is scarce. Some basic details suggest that "it was a single track line initiated on July 18, 1863 and constructed by English engineers. The first section from Dinaburg to Polotsk was opened for traffic late in May (or early in June) of 1866, and the second section from Polotsk to Vitebsk in October of the same year. Most foreign engineers did not burden themselves with finding the best technical solutions for the construction of the railway. An example is the terminal station Vitebsk. Although during the design phase it was known that the railway line would be continued, the station was arranged so that it became inbound, that is, all transit trains had to change the direction of their journey." The following link (in Russian) contains an interesting reference to the Dunaberg & Witepsk railway: news.vitebsk.cc/2017/04/01/fermer-nashel-pervyiy-parovoz-...

#locomotive #drawing

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lethaderr-blog · 5 years

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Required reading for instant wanderlust.

Have you traveled to ? I’ve yet to visit this alluring country. To be honest, I really don’t know much about , yet it’s always intrigued me. The entire country feels shrouded in mystery. Perhaps it’s because only opened itself up to mass tourism within my lifetime. Most people visit the big cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, but the country itself is massive. There’s so much that lies beyond those major destinations.

Want to learn more about traveling in from those who have personally experienced the journey first hand? Enter Destination : A Ship and a Cat in the Tundra and Other Extraordinary Encounters. Authors Roberta Melchiorre and Fabio Bertino put their experiences into a collection of short stories. In this travel book, we gain insights into what it’s like to visit as an outsider. It’s enlightening, fascinating, funny, and captivating.

Personal Tales and Connections

One of the major aspects of Destination are the personal connections and recollections from traveling around the country. Some of the best travel stories come from the people we meet while we travel. Every short story centers around the authors’ encounters with the people of .

In The Beauty of Petersburg, the Italian travel companions, Melchiorre and Bertino reveal a story detailing the kindness of strangers. Their encounter with a boy named Andrey back in the early 90s demonstrates how the true beauty of Petersburg lies with its people. His kindness helps the traveling couple while making his life a little more difficult, and he asks for nothing in return.

In the story, A life on the Trans-Siberian Railway, we delve into the lives of a husband and wife working on the train. He works at night, and she works during the day. While they live together in a very small space on the train, their main encounters happen during their shift changes.

The whole life of Lyudmila and her companion is permanently linked to the Trans-Siberian Railway. He is from Moscow where from Yaroslavskiy Vokzal, one of the nine stations in town, depart the trains to East. She is from Novosibirsk, boasting the biggest and most im- posing station of the whole Siberia, more than 1,864 miles from the capital. Without the railway they would have probably never met.

Historical Context

In every short story in Destination , we gain some historical context about ’s mysterious and intriguing past. Having a basic knowledge of the history of a place or event helps us understand the present day lives of the people. I’m grateful that the authors made these historical connections to help connect the dots for those of us who might not have a great knowledge of n history.

For instance, A Dinner in Moscow, highlights a dinner party with Lilya Mihaylovna, an elderly n lady. We learn about her personal history in the context of a broader framework about Moscow and ’s past. It’s amazing what you can learn over a meal with a local.

The story, Visiting the Museum, illustrates a trip to the small museum of Komi culture in Vorkuta. It also details the harsh conditions of living so far to the north, with frequent closures due to the winter weather. While the snow and ice make Vorkuta nearly uninhabitable, the city also has a harsh past for its residents. From its forced labour camps in the 1930s to the internment of prisoners in the 1940s and 1950s, the only memorial that remains are small metal crosses without names, poking through the deep snow of the tundra.

My Favorite in Destination

It’s hard to choose a few favorite stories from Destination , but I was able to identify with a few of them. The first story, Towards Belarus, demonstrates the mishaps that can happen while traveling by train between countries. What seemed like an easy journey is never quite so easy. I felt like this story resonates with anyone who has traveled by train…or who has traveled at all. Nothing ever goes off without a hitch (at least, in my experiences it doesn’t). Something always goes a little askew. For Melchiorre and Bertino, this issue almost disrupted their entire trip from Warsaw to Brest, Belarus.

And naturally, I loved the story called A Cat in the Tundra (for regular readers of this blog, I’m sure you know how much I love cats!). The story isn’t so much about a cat as it is about living in a remote village in the Arctic tundra. It seems that the entire town of 25 residents welcomed the two travelers to their home. Social life in Seyda revolves around the main shop in town where a cat also happens to live.

Buy Destination

Destination is a fairly quick read at 140 pages, although I feel it’s a perfect length. You can pick it up, read a story or two before bed, and put it back down. Each story is self-contained, making it easy to pick up from where you left off with a new tale. This travel book is such a captivating read that you might not want to put it down until you finish the whole thing!

If you’re interested in books about , travel stories, or personal tales in general, definitely pick up a copy of Destination : A Ship and a Cat in the Tundra and Other Extraordinary Encounters. I was left with a greater knowledge about n people and their history, and I now want to pack my bags to experience this amazing country first hand.

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Have you ever traveled to ? Do you want to?

The post Destination : An Intriguing Collection of About A Fascinating Country appeared first on Justin Plus Lauren.

#Russia #Travel #Stories #Book #ShortStories #ShortStories"

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batexamin · 6 years

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World Cities with Their famous Nicknames

100 Cities and Their Nicknames

The table comprises the complete list of famous Cities of the world and their Nicknames. World Cities with Their famous Nicknames. Paris – The City of Love, The City of Light, La Ville-Lumiere Prague – The City of Hundred Spires, The Golden City, The Mother of Cities New York – The Big Apple Las Vegas – Sin City. Every city of the world has a nickname, here we are sharing famous nicknames of 100 cities.

Paris – The City of Love, The City of Light, La Ville-Lumiere Prague – The City of Hundred Spires, The Golden City, The Mother of Cities New York – The Big Apple Las Vegas – Sin City Chicago – The Windy City Vancouver – The Big Smoke Montreal – La Belle Ville, Frenchtown, The City-Mountain Los Angeles – The City of Angels New Orleans – The Big Easy Philadelphia – City of Brotherly Love, Philly Amsterdam – Venice of the North Venice – La Serenissima, Bride of the Sea Vienna – The Imperial City London – The Square Mile, The Old Smoke, The Smoke Detroit – Motor City Miami – The Magic City, Little Cuba Memphis – Bluff City Petra – The Rose Red City Pittsburgh – Iron City Rome – The Eternal City, City of the Seven Hills Seattle – The Emerald City Bucharest – Little Paris Florence – The City of Lilies Barcelona – The City of Counts, The City of Gaudi Budapest – Pearl of the Danube Toronto – Queen City, Muddy York, The Big Toe Dublin – The Fair City Jerusalem – The Holy City Boston – The Hub San Francisco – Frisco Moscow – The Whitestone, The Forty Forties, Third Rome Edinburgh – Auld Reekie Geneva – The Peace Capital Rio de Janeiro – Marvelous City Salzburg – White City Mumbai – The City of Dreams Singapore – The Lion City Naples – City of the Sun Bologna – Red City; La Dotta, La Rossa, La Grassa (the educated, the red, the fat) Torino – City of Four Rivers Genova – The Superb Palermo – The Happy Milano – Fashion Capital of the World, The Drinkable City Cairo – Paris of the Nile Buenos Aires – Paris of the Americas, Queen of the Plata Ushuaia – The End of the World Melbourne – City by the Bay, Bleak City, Europe of Australia Sydney – The Harbour City Sao Paulo – Brazil’s Locomotive, Land of Drizzle, Sampa Dubrovnik – The Pearl of the Adriatic Helsinki – The White City of the North Bordeaux – City of Wine Nice – Angels City Berlin – The Grey City Jaipur – The Pink City Oslo – Tiger Town Warsaw – Default City, Big Village in the Middle of Nowhere St Petersburg – The Mind of Russia Madrid – El Foro, The Forum Athens – The City of Violet Crown Dallas – Big D Hong Kong – Pearl of the Orient Munich – World City with Heart Birmingham – The City of a Thousand Trades, Brum Lisbon – City With a Future The Hague – City of Peace and Justice Calcutta – City of Palaces, City of Love, City of Joy Beijing – The Forbidden City Adelaide – City of Churches Zagreb – Little Vienna Bruges – Venice of the North Marseille – Phocean City Tel Aviv – The City that Never Stops Bolzano – The Door to the Dolomites, The German One Sanremo – The City of Dreams Tivoli – City of Delights Vicenza – City of Gold Kuala Lumpur – Golden Triangle Cuernavaca – The City of Eternal Spring Tijuana – Television Capital of the World Rotterdam – Manhattan upon Meuse Lima – City of the Kings Manila – City by the Bay Porto – The Invincible City Cadiz – The Little Silver Cup Bilbao – El Bocho Zurich – Little Big City Kiev – The Mother of Rus’ Cities Honolulu – Sheltered Bay Macau – Oyster City Wroclaw – City of Hundred Bridges Beirut – Paris of the Middle East Udine – Capital of the Great War Ancona – Doric City Tehran – The City of 72 Nations Bangalore – The City of Gardens Leipzig – Bimbo Town Split – The Diocletian’s City Grenoble – Capital of the Alps

Which city is known as White City?

-Which city is called 'White City' of Rajasthan? A. Bihar B. Jaipur C. Udaipur D. Jodhpur - SSC Tests - SSC Mock Papers.

Which city is known as the Boston of India?

Ahmedabad is known as the Boston of east. It is one of the most beautiful cities in India. Ahmedabad also called as Amdavad is the largest city and former capital of the western Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court.

What is San Francisco known as the city of?

San Francisco has several nicknames, including "The City by the Bay", "Golden Gate City", "Frisco", "SF", "San Fran", "Fog City", and as well as older ones like "The City that Knows How", "Baghdad by the Bay", "The Paris of the West", or simply "The City".

Why is Jaisalmer called the Golden City?

"Jaisalmer" means "the Hill Fort of Jaisal". Jaisalmer is sometimes called the "Golden City of India" because the yellow sand and the yellow sandstone used in every architecture of the city gives a yellowish-golden tinge to the city and its surrounding area.

Which city is known as white city of India?

Jaisalmer(Brown city) - Jaipur(Pink city) - Udaipur(White city).

Which city is known as the green city?

Green City or Green Town may refer to: Gandhinagar, capital city of Gujarat state in India, known as "Green City Gandhinagar" Trivandrum, capital city of Kerala state in India, known as "Evergreen city of India"

Why is coorg called the Scotland of India?

Coorg, also known as Kodagu. Coorg is an administrative district in Karnataka and is filled with emerald green landscapes and acres of plantation. It was the British Planter community who had affectionately coined the term 'The Scotland of India' for Coorg.

What is the nickname of Seattle?

A nickname can say a lot about a community — where it has been and where it is going. There's a new Seattle emerging — one which is far distant from “Jet City” or “Queen City” or “Emerald City.”

Why is Prague called the Golden City?

Prague is a well known city because of its Gothic style Cathedral of Saint Vitus, the Tyn Cathedral, also known as Church of our Lady, and all of the beautiful towers, spires, and churches. Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic.

Why is it called Prague?

The Czech name Praha is derived from an old Slavic word, práh, which means "ford" or "rapid", referring to the city's origin at a crossing point of the Vltava river.

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drubblernews-blog · 7 years

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New Post has been published on http://drubbler.com/2017/03/07/ports-russian-propaganda-and-haggling-for-belarusian-goods/

Ports: "Russian propaganda and haggling for Belarusian goods

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Alyona Zelenina, March 7, 2017, 12:03- REGNUM

the RUSSIAN RAILWAYS announced season discounts for Belarus

jsco RZD will provide a 50 percent discount on the transit of oil from railway stations Barbarov and Novopolotsk (Belarus) towards the ports of North-West Russia. Action discounts will last till December 31, 2018 year. This is evidenced by the extract from the minutes of the meeting of the Board of the company from 1 March.

News not that very unexpected — even in December 2016 year head of JSC “RZD” Oleg Belozerov said of a possible increase in operating in this area 25% discounts, which have introduced in the autumn. In a monopoly does not conceal that by using discount want to entice Belarusian traffic flows from the Baltics to Russian stevedores.

it should be noted, however, that even such attractive terms of delivery do not imply that Belarusian shippers refuse services ports of Latvia and Lithuania in favor of Russia. Exporters will consider comprehensive proposal of the Russian side and measure the benefit of the entire logistics chain. This is confirmed by the official Belarusian persons. So, the country’s Minister of transport and communications Magonis has already said that some of the efforts of the RUSSIAN RAILWAYS is not sufficient to reorient the transit of Belarusian oil products, reports the BELTA. According to Sivaka until what Belarusian shippers do not hurry to change the supply routes. The Minister recalled the important components such as the cost of services in ports, as well as distance transport by sea. “The feeling is that the CFR played in some sweepstakes. Why 50% rather than 40 or 75? What is the result of the last 25% discounts? No plausible answers to these questions is no. Much like that CFR guide not timed coming to the issue of transit from Belarus, redirection and declares loud intention, which it is not worth a real miscalculation. All this looks more like a promotional company, rather than on systematic work, noted the commentary IA REGNUM expert Sergey Artemenko .

Baltic ports are “gateway” for Belarusian oil exports, and Riga and Vilnius constantly emphasize that Minsk for them is a key partner. Recently the Baltic elite launched violent activities in the Belarusian direction. At the end of January, the Minister of transport and communications of Latvia Uldis Prime visited Minsk on opening the representation of Latvijas Dzelzceļš (Latvian railway Ldz) in Belarus, created for the development of business relations with Belarusian enterprises and organizations attract new cargoes and increased cooperation with BR. Less than a month, as the Belarusian capital visited Lithuanian railway workers. The purpose of their visit was to discuss the prospects for increasing the volume of cargo traffic between the two countries. So the proposal of RZD gives the Belarusian side the perfect opportunity to wrest for themselves even more favorable terms from Latvians and Lithuanians. So to say that Belarusian transit withdrew from the Baltic States, yet.

read more: the secret of political greatness Lukashenka: transit games around Belarus

Bronk have tempted the Finns

the Finnish shipping company Finnlines March 2017 will focus its cargo in the port of Bronka report “ Statements .

2009 year the Finnish ferry operator working in Russia with the St. Petersburg sea port (which is Port stevedoring at UCL Division of the international transport group, UCL), but now reorienting their operations on Bronku due to the optimal logistics and lower tariffs, the newspaper notes.

Start Bronki- the ambitious project of the St. Petersburg businessman Dmitry Mikhalchenko — took place at the end of the year 2015. Marketers new port did bet on the topic of “import substitution” in the port industry and promised that Bronk would pick Russian containers and Ro-Ro (RoRo) cargo from Baltic and Finland. However, to join the fight for cargo with “foreigners” Bronki have not yet succeeded, and the main competitors of the port became the neighboring terminals of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region. The emergence of competition will sharpen Bronki including pricing and “newbie” can not pobrezgovat’-dumping, experts predicted after entering a new Terminal in operation. So much so that a new player came to the container market at the time of its decline. Among undoubted advantages Bronki is a winning location and direct access to the RING ROAD. Bronk is also the most technologically modern terminal in the region. However, according to the Director of the logistics direction and analytical research company “Morstrojtehnologija” Alexandra Goloviznina this gives little to attract real traffic.

recall that maritime transshipment complex multifunctional Bronk is located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, near the town of Lomonosov. The first port queue bandwidth allows you to handle the 1.45 million TEU and 260 thousand. u. Ro-Ro cargo. In the future it is planned to increase the capacity of the complex is up to 1.9 million TEU and 260 thousand. u. Ro-Ro cargoes per year. Port capacity in 2016 totaled more than 36 thousand. TEU.

read more: Bronk strives to fight: Finland and Baltic ports remain without goods?

will win whether Poland distrust of China?

China hopes that Poland will continue to play a positive role in the development of Beijing’s relations with Europe. This was stated by Chairman of the Standing Committee of the national people’s Congress of CHINA Zhang Deczjan in a meeting with Deputy Speaker of the Polish Parliament Grzegorz Chelej, held last week in Beijing, reported the news agency “ Xinhua .

according to the Chinese official, Beijing and Warsaw’s relations have entered a new stage of development since the two countries declared a comprehensive strategic partnership during the visit of China’s President XI Jinping in Poland in June 2016 onwards.

China is interested to strengthen the existing friendship with Poland, to strengthen bilateral trust, develop pragmatic cooperation, and promote the implementation of the project “One zone, one way, to the development of bilateral relations in depth,” the representative of the people’s Republic of China.

Chelej, in turn, said that the Chinese initiative “One zone, one way” opens new possibilities for Poland, and the country’s Parliament is ready to develop relations between the two countries.

it should be noted that among Poland’s political establishment are divided on the significance of Beijing’s infrastructure project for the country. For example, the Polish Defense Minister Antony Macerevich believes that the Chinese “New Silk Road” represents a threat to national interests. According to the information of the Newsweek Polska, with the filing of the Macerevicha Agency of military property Poland has blocked the sale of land for the construction of logistics center in Lodz Chinese investors. Officially the refusal was explained by the need to re-analysis of the impending deal. However, the Edition cited Macerevich that “the concept of the Silk Road, China’s expansion is part of agreement of Western Europe with Russia and China, as well as the Elimination of the Eurasian zone of influence of the United States and Poland as an independent entity.

Belarus and Ukraine want more goods

in Kiev last week, talks to the President of the Management Board of PJSC «Ukrzaliznytsya (Ukrainian railways) Wojciech Balchuna and head of the Belarusian Railroad (BDZ) Vladimir Morozov. The parties discussed cooperation in cargo and passenger transport, as well as the implementation of joint infrastructure projects, the correspondent of IA REGNUM, the press service of the Ukrainian railways.

“Today in our countries are complex economic processes, but railway workers must help each other, work together to create conditions for the development of freight and passenger transport,” said Vladimir Morozov. He noted that today the BELARUSIAN RAILWAY completes the electrification of a plot at the direction of Gomel (Belarus)-Vilnius (Lithuania). The head of the BELARUSIAN RAILWAY added that Belarusian railways offer Ukrainian colleagues to consider and make joint decisions on the question of electrification plots Korosten (Ukraine)-Mozyr (Belarus) and Gomel (Belarus) — Chernihiv (Ukraine).

during the negotiations was also discussed the need to attract additional cargo on routes between the two countries. In particular, reference was made to projects such as the container train Viking (goes on the route Ukraine-Belarus-Lithuania) and train service “Zubr” (Estonia-Latvia-Belarus-Ukraine-Moldova).

the volume of transported cargoes between Ukraine and Belarus in 2016 year amounted to 14.6 million tons, up 18.5% more in comparison with the previous year. Export of goods from Belarus to Ukraine (including the Ukrainian ports) increased by 1.7% to 7.2 million tons. Key exports are mineral oil category — they accounted for 67.6% or 4.9 million tons. Importation of goods from Ukraine to Belarus amounted to 5.5 million tonnes of goods (+ 61.8% to 2015). In the structure of imported goods is dominated by construction goods — 3, 4 million tons or 63.0%. Cargo transit via Belarus to/from Ukraine grew by 3.2% compared to the year 2015 and totaled 1.9 million tons.

read more: Ports: Belarus negotiates with China and Ukraine

the future of the Northern sea route in transit have put cross?

in today’s conditions the Northern sea route (SASCO) no capacity in terms of transit. This was announced by Deputy Minister of economic development and trade of the Russian Federation Alexander Cybulski, reports IA PortN’jus .

according to Sławomir Cybulski, expert community there is no consensus regarding the profitability of SMES. “Everything depends heavily on the global environment, the shift in global economic axis”, — stressed he. “I do not believe that in today’s world there is the potential in terms of transit, but in terms of delivery of cargoes from the Arctic to the Asia-Pacific region and back, certainly [потенциал] there is,” said Cybulski.

as the REGNUM NEWS AGENCY earlier, volumes of traffic on the Northern sea route (SASCO) in 2016 year grew by 35% compared with the previous year and amounted to 7.3 million tons. The strongest growth was recorded in the segment of bulk-oil cargo. The northern route was moved four times more oil and oil products compared to the year 2015 is 3.5 million tons.

read more: Maersk: main competitor is sailing through the Suez Canal

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fancyfanfiction · 4 years

Text

Soon It Will Be Spring (Chapter 2)

At this rate I’ll be giving GRRM a run for his money with writing speed.

Cross posted to AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16242599/chapters/51959866

Summary: The blue glow of the pre-dawn sky had only just begun to peer through the boarded-up windows of the old Kazan Cathedral when Katya woke. She and Vaganov had been lucky to find a way in. He was huddled against the wall, still sleeping.

The blue glow of the pre-dawn sky had only just begun to peer through the boarded-up windows of the old Kazan Cathedral when Katya woke. She and Vaganov had been lucky to find a way in. He was huddled against the wall, still sleeping. Katya stretched, hoping to release some of the tension that had pooled in her back from sleeping propped against a wall. The cold seeped in past the layers of clothing sending shivers radiating through her slight frame.

She shook Vaganov awake. “It’s morning.”

Gleb rubbed his eyes, stifling a yawn.

“What time is it?” He pulled his coat closer around himself.

“Just before dawn.” A few pops accompanied Katya’s stretching. “I never want to sleep propped against an abandoned church wall again.”

“Again? I wasn’t aware you made a habit of sleeping in abandoned churches,” Gleb quipped.

“You know what I meant,” she dismissed.

Katya’s stomach cut off the argument with a low gurgle. She hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before. The borscht hadn’t been fresh, and the taste of beets made Katya want to wretch, but food was food and she needed more.

“We should go eat. The question is where…” Katya figured that two people wanted by the Cheka couldn’t easily walk into any old bakery and place an order, no matter how early it was. She tapped her fingers against her jaw, racking her brain for any place that might work.

“I know a place.” Gleb picked up his pack taking the lead.

The backstreets of St. Petersburg were lined with people huddled against the cold, their garbage can fires long reduced to embers by time. Gleb and Katya plodded along their path, making eye contact with no one and keeping their heads down. Sympathy panged in Gleb’s chest at the scene of the poor huddled together and clinging close to the stone walls on either side of the unpaved alley. The new order was supposed to cure this—to ensure none of these people would be warding themselves against the cold with no roof over their heads or food in their stomachs. Could he have really been so blind to this suffering? The thought settled in his gut so heavily, he was unsure if the churning he felt was from hunger or shame.

After nearly fifteen minutes, the pair reached the backdoor of a shop. The windows were boarded up, though the broken glass had been long since swept away. The memory of that night added to the cold currently attempting to suffocate the man who had spent many an afternoon playing in that same alley all those years ago. Gleb rapped on the weathered wood.

“Glebka!” A woman opened the door almost instantly, a smile bursting across her features. Wrinkles and crowfeet lined her flour-dusted face; her greying hair was tied back into a once-tight bun, a few strands framing her face.

“It’s good to see you, Sveta.” He returned the smile. “May we come in?”

“Of course, of course! You know you’re always welcome here.” Sveta ushered Gleb and Katya over the threshold, closing the door behind them.

The perfume of baking bread wafted through the warmth of the kitchen. The heat that embraced them brought feeling back to Katya's face and hands while the red glow of the kitchen stoked a nostalgia in her--a memory one can't quite place and that may not have even been real to begin with.

"Sit, sit," Sveta placed a loaf of bread and some cheese on the small, worn, round wooden table that sat next to her stove and pulled out the chairs before turning to put on some tea. "It's been a while since you've brought a girl by, Gleb."

Gleb coughed, trying not to choke on the bread he'd just bitten into.

Sveta turned to Katya pouring hot water from the samovar, "How long have you been seeing each other?" She placed the steeping tea in front of the younger woman.

"Oh, we're not...um..." Katya chose her words carefully, "Seeing each other." She valiantly fought the flush she felt on her cheeks but lost.

"Gleb Stepanovich," Sveta took her seat, "Did you get married without telling me?" Her smile had fallen into a stern, almost unreadable mask.

"No. Sveta, I wouldn't--I--we--" Gleb sputtered, suddenly a teenager again.

Sveta's sternness lasted all of ten seconds before she burst into laughter. "Don't worry, dear. I'm just kidding. You’re just as easy to tease.” She smiled, affection for the young man before her brimming over.

Gleb exhaled, relief overtaking his features. He took a sip of his, still too light, tea. He seemed younger, more at ease here, to Katya. It was an ease she's never seen in him before. The three sat in companionable quiet, enjoying the fresh, soft bread.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name, dear," Sveta broke the silence, turning to Katya.

Katya swallowed, "Yekaterina, but please, call me Katya."

"Yekaterina." Sveta's gray eyes were far away, "That was my daughter's name. We called her Katyusha." The faint smile of reminiscence traced its way across Sveta's aged face. "She and Glebka were like brother and sister."

The familiar grief pricked in Gleb's memory. Katyusha had passed so long ago, he'd nearly forgotten his childhood confidant and companion’s face. The intervening decades had taken as much as they had given. "Sveta and my mother owned this shop together; she's more or less my aunt," Gleb explained, matter-of-fact tone disguising his wistful distraction.

The silence returned, tinged with melancholy this time. Katya thought back to her own childhood, to her little brother and her cousins all playing together in the summer. Their white linen clothes and the heat of the beach felt just beyond her fingertips. Her father and his own cousin, their faces so similar, as they laughed at the antics of their children were nearly there before her.

"Sveta, do you still have my father's map?" Gleb asked.

"I think so. Let me go check." Sveta rose and ascended the steps in the corner of the room.

"She's sweet." Katya observed. "We could bring her along."

"She is. And she'd never come with us." Gleb's grim certainty closed the question.

"Found it!" Sveta called as she returned from upstairs. The rolled-up paper she held had browned with the years, small tears and missing chunks the edges further confirmed its age. She held it out to Gleb as she returned to the table.

"Thank you." He took the map, sticking it carefully into his pack.

"Where are you two headed then?" Sveta sat, propping her head on her hands. She looked from Gleb to Katya.

"Paris, ideally, but out of Russia for sure," Katya answered.

"I see." Sveta's expression was blank: whatever she thought of the answer was her own secret. She looked to Gleb again, "Promise you'll write when you get wherever you're going."

"I will," Gleb assured her, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand.

With the tea and food finished, Sveta walked her visitors to the door, offering each a warm embrace and a small parcel of bread and cheese as they re-entered the alleyway.

"Thank you for everything." Gleb took Sveta's hands in his, pressing a few rubles into her palm.

"Gleb, I don't--" Sveta began to protest.

"Please, take it," He insisted.

"Thank you." Sveta kissed his cheek. "Be safe."

The sky was still painted with pastels as the pair left the tea shop. The alley had emptied of its formerly sleeping residents leaving Katya and Gleb to walk alone through the silent shadows.

"Why can I never seem to escape Paris?" Gleb griped to no one in particular.

"If you're that opposed, we can go our separate ways once we're out of Russia." Katya shot back. "And if you must know, my family is there." She crossed her arms in front of her, knuckles white as she gripped either side of her coat.

"Your family?" Gleb repeated dumbly. He hadn’t thought she had any family.

"Yes. My mother, brother, and step-father are there," Katya said, protective of the information, as though the buildings on either side would run off to tell the Cheka on her.

"The offer to split up later still holds." Any warmth Katya had shown when talking about her family was chased away by the ice in her tone.

"I promised I'd make sure you got where you were going safely. And that's a promise I would like to keep." Loathe as he was to admit it, the short-tempered cleaning girl had grown on him in their time together.

"Well, if you insist on sticking together, we'll have to get to the train station soon."

"We'll need a plan first and foremost," Gleb countered, holding up his father's map.

The pair walked the few blocks to the park, the increasing bustle of the waking city offering the protection they’d lacked last night. Still-bare trees hung over the park, spindles of wood stark against the clear sky above. The park was blessedly empty, save a couple of children playing. The stone bench retained the bite of the April morning as Gleb and Katya sat, the map spread between them.

“The best way out will be to take the Moskvosky from Nikolaevsky station.” Katya traced the railway on the paper with her finger, “Then from Moscow to Warsaw to Berlin and Berlin to Paris.”

“Oktyabrsky station to Moscow is fine, but we should head from Warsaw to Vienna instead and enter France from the south though Italy,” despite his emphasis, Gleb’s voice was low as he glanced around for prying eyes and ears. His heart thrummed, if the wrong person caught their conversation it wouldn’t matter which way they wanted to get to Paris.

Katya scowled at the man across from her. “Why do you insist on changing the names of everything?”

“Why are you so upset by it? It’s not like you have any attachment to the names,” Gleb shot back.

Katya sputtered before giving up the fight. The former Deputy Commissioner had won this round. She’d agree to his plan for now, if only to keep them moving.

The knell of bells marked the hour as Gleb rolled up the map and replaced it in his bag. The ninth and final chime rung out and the unspoken understanding that it was time to go passed between them. They rejoined the flowing river of people once they reached the Nevsky Prospekt allowing the eddies to carry them to their destination.

#anastasia musical #anastasia fanfiction #gleb vaganov #fanfiction #soon it will be spring #soon it will be spring chapter 2

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