those pics of your are brilliant!!)) They really capture the atmosphere underground. I especially like the Kutznetskii Most ones. How many times have I waited there for a train home at 6am after a night out in Kitai Gorod!
Unlike you I havent the balls to take pics underground. Her indoors says ”no” and thats the end of it for me. Do you anywhere I’d get a pic of ‘metro girl’, the pretty blonde/redhead in the poster adds?

The Moscow metro has to be the most photography-friendly metro I’ve ever encountered. Even the DC metro now periodically makes announcements that photography is not allowed, SPB has signs up, police stop you in Tashkent… but in Moscow, I’ve only ever been approached once by a cop in the metro – unpleasant, but fairly remarkable given all the times I’ve been down there with a camera.

Some of my metro pics are here;
some better metro photos are here;
Artemy Lebedev’s excellent metro site is (with old maps, tokens & tickets, archival photos, etc.) here.

Andy, not telling you your business or anything, its your blog, but why not put up a post where people can discuss their favourite streets/metro stations/Russian women? It’d be popular I’m sure.

Hilarious is ever. Should be more like ”i’ve never said I’m right full stop”
That’d be more accurate.

Sadly your reasoning on your own use of anonymity is as flawed as all your other arguments. The reason you practice anonymity is very simple – if your name was out there, you’d never get a Russian visa again. Gratuitiously offending the Russian Federation publicy is an actual offence and if the Russians knew who you are – and to be honest I’d say they do anyway – you’d just be told ”nyet” next time at the embassy. The line is quite strict ”entering Russia is a courtesy of the Russian Federal government and shuold not be considered an automatic right.” So if I were you I wouldnt be too suprised if you never see Moscow or Petes again. Then again, lets face it, its hardly Russia’s loss really.
Never mind! You’ll still be as influential as you think you are. Obviously, the continetal United States is the best place to influence change in Russia from. After all its only 10 hours away on the plane, uses a totally different language and couldnt care less what westerners think. Who needs to actually be in Russia anyway, eh?) Perish the thought! You can make that revolution happen from there at your pc!)

Please dont compare yourself to Shakespeare. Its really upsetting. To quote Polonius giving his fatherly talk to Laertes ”give very man thine ear but few thine voice”. Maybe you should take Polonius’ advice, stop your ranting and actually learn something about Russia?

“Tim Newman said:
March 16th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
To my knowledge, Russia doesn’t even have a legal tradition where race is written into or interwoven with law, again like in the United States.

I am of the opinion that the practice of making Soviet citizens having their race clearly stamped in the passports as a legal tradition. Certainly those who had “Jew” displayed boldly and clearly on the first page of their passports would think so.

Sean said:
March 16th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Tim you are of course correct. I also forgot about the Pale of Settlement for Jews. Thanks for the correction. What a mistake on my part.”

***

Sean:

Your rejoinder to my last prior posted comments clarifies your views. I respect your logic, while having a different take.

Folks:

I’m as anti-Soviet as they come and I don’t see my opposition to bigotry as being less that of anyone at this discussion.

Let’s distinguish between propaganda and reality. Zionism acknowledges a Jewish nation and hence a Jewish national identity. Every ten years, a Soviet census was taken. Soviet citizens had the freedom to list whatever of many chosen groups were offered. For example, a Russian in Aremina could choose an Armenian identity.

During this period, NO ONE forced Jews to list a Jewish identity. Some Jews chose an identity other than Jewish. What if the USSR didn’t list a choice of ethnic groups? Suppression of national identity! I’m also unaware that a Jew’s document was (as suggested) constructed differently from others.

Bigotry? How about Jackson-Vanik which essentially stated that only a Jew can leave the USSR? Was it okay for others to live in an unfortunate situation? This shortsighted clause saw a good number of Soviet citizens forge a Jewish identity just to get out of the USSR. I recall eXile having written a piece on this.

As for the Pale of Settlement, in fact many Jews lived in Russia proper (the territory of today’s Russian Federation) during that paper law which was frequntly not observed. Also, consider what was going on elsewhere in the world during that period.

So yes, Russia has ethnic tensions. Who doesn’t? It’s not skirting the issuie to show double standards and clarify certain points related to Russia’s ethnic problems.

Try building a mosque in Slovenia. Try getting an article published in American mass media on Jewish bigotry against Arabs without noting what nurtures such an attitude. On the matter of bigotry, where’s the outrage against the bigoted anti-Russian Captive Nations Committee?