Pskov

On 15 December at 14:30 works began on setting up a major new year tree of Pskov city on Oktyabrskays square. As PIA reports, spruce was brought from Pechory district this year. It was cut close to Novy Izborsk village. And has height of 18 metres. As reported before it should be decorated before 25 December. 5 giant garlands must web all the square.

273 Pskov region schools expected to be connected to Internet before the end of the year. As PIA was reported by the Director of regional centre of information technologies Alexey Draguniv, approximately 200 educational institutions use Internet.

He also said that those schools that are impossible to connect by wire will be connected with Internet by 2 way satellite connection in 2007. "It is expensive and complicated work to make a connection but it is not less important to provide a stable work of schools in the Internet and effective resource usage given by the state", Dragunov told.

On teachers anxiety about funding stop after 3 years director answered that "in his knowledges Russian schools access to Internet will be continued to fund even after the end of the project". "It is early to talk about financing the access to Internet and educational network in three years. Let's do not guess", Dragunov concluded.

Three Pskov bridges need reconstruction experts say. As city authorities detailed these bridges are Trinity bridge, Alexander Nevsky bridge and 50th October aniversary bridge.


Svyatoslav Peedoost paid a special attention on Trinity bridge. He said that reconstruction needed for right bank pier. Asked about danger level he answered, "as a builder I can assure you that it will not fall, no need to panic but obviously the reconstruction needed". He also said that a "special man" checks piers and compares them to previous data.


Partial reconstruction is needed for Alexander Nevsky bridge also. It is made of steel so should be protected from water. This can be done with special cover needed now. The bridge of 50th October aniversary needs total reconstruction.


"All the problem as you understand is the lack of money for road repair", Peedoost explained.

Group of distributors of printed bulletin of news agency "Pskov news bureau" lead by its founder Irina Tikhonova was put into police cars and delivered to central police department without giving any explanations, as Tikhonova told to PIA.

In her words in spite of all legal papers shown cops made journalists "wait for nobody knows what" for 4 hours. None of cops called his name and for all questions about reasons of jailing replied "rudely" that if they want they will "hold them for 48 hours".

While journalists being arrested all the printed materials were seized without any proper papers and told that "if cops' conscience will awake they will give materials back in 10 days", Irina said. She told that the front of bulletin contained articles that Pskov region governor Kuznetsov did not fulfill his election promises.

After 4 hours an investigator has come and started to interrogate her. She said it looked like a simple talking. He asked "if she could fulfill election promises if became a governor", "how she thinks if governor will be offended seeing their bulletin" and so on. It started being clarified that there were no actual formal reason for holding and Irina made a decision that it is just an ordinary fact of impediment for journalist works that is prosecuted as a criminal violation by law. As Tikhonova thinks cops were engaged for this action or just helpless in juridical aspects.

So there is a case made that any journalist of Pskov region who will allow himself criticize governor may easily be thrown to jail, Irina Tikhonova concluded.

First part of orphant children rehabilitation centre was opened on 11 December in Pskov sanatorium "Cherekha". As PIA reports it is a common project of Pskov city and german charity "Pskov Initiative".

Pskov mayor Mikhail Horonen thanked all people that "helped children to find a house". Merited citizen of Pskov, director of "Pskov Initiative" Dither Bach noted that in spite his age he still has dreams about orphant and disabled children accomodation improvements.
In his greeting speech the speaker of city Duma Leonid Trifonov told when "we come to any city we are shown something good connected with children, but later on we always note that we have better".

Project coordinator Hudda Menkmeller called not ocasional the fact that this opening coincided with german pre-christmass holiday of Advent. "These last days before Chistmass are full of hapiness expectation and this exactly feeling we experience because we managed to create warm for these orphant small people", she said.

Workers of Pskov region plants estimate acting governor's policy negative. As PIA reports, meeting participants criticised him and vice-governor Maximov on 8 December rudely. "Where he puts his arms in? We like our director, our production head", one woman said. "We have our salary in time, we have a paid vacation, and we are paid if sick, we are helped to get our children educated, given a loan", she said.

"I personally did not vote for him, it's clearly seen who is he. You know, when he appeared before elections in jeans and shirt as average and simple man he wanted to show that he has no bodyguards. So why does not he come out now?", she outraged.

While meeting workers expressed their negative estimation of economy policy of Pskov governor. "The only two palnts left - ours and "Avar", all the rest are just light industry. Only islands left after all former power. You want to kill last two plants and turn everything into trade, sell and buy!", one worker shouted out. In his opinion Velikie Luki will overgrow Pskov in industrial development soon. (Velikie Luki is the second biggest city in Pskov region).

Project of pest burial in Palkino district was financed by Danes and Russians, as an official web-site of State Committee of Pskov region for licensing and natural resources usage says. Approximately 80 pest storages from all around Pskov region were gathered in Palkino district.

Utilisation works are now stopped until the resolution of state ecology expertise. On 9 November Pskov city court obliged regional administration to present all necessary documentation to Rostehnadzor.

First class pests such as Agronal and Granozan that are actually organic mercury compounds collected at Lesnoe village of Cherskaya volost. Usage of Granozan is prohibited in Russia more than 30 years ago because of high toxic. Other pests were not identified. According to instructions each preparation or chemical compound should had been put in separate container. On 27 December 2005 a fire happened at the burial. Specialists suggest 5 reasons of fire. One of them is chemical self ignition.

Experts suspect that there were not proper works done on degasation at the burial and surrounding area.

More than 300 workers of "Pskovcabel" plant gathered at Pskov region administration building they request to protect their rights and justice, PIA reports.
Director of the plant Viktor Kukushkin also participates meeting.
Workers were shouting out "Kuznetsov come out!" (Kuznetsov is the surname of Pskov region governor), "Hands off the plant!", "Never let close the plant!", "Maximov come out!" (Maximov is the surname of Pskov region vice-governor). They were also holding banners "Putin help!", "Put Kuznetsov's gang to Court!", "No illegal actions!", "Protect the plant!", "No unemployment!", "Save our families of hunger!", "Put governor to jail!".
No power authorities' representative came out to meet workers. One worker tried to come into building to negotiate but police did not let him in. Decision about meeting against plant stop was supported by the majority of workers. On 7 December workers asked President Putin not to let close the plant. Their open letter was signed by more than 400 people. "We address to You with a great ask: help us to protect one of the best enterprises in Pskov region, stop this illegal actions, don't let them make us loosing our job", letter says. This letter was also sent to Duma Chairman Boris Grizlov, Federation Soviet Sergey Mironov, Government Chairman Mikhail Fradkov, Prosecutor General Ury Chaika and others.

See photos from the spot here - http://gallery.informpskov.ru/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=2969

Another article mentioned Pskov due to massive alcohol poisoning.
Here is the quote:
"In some regions - Pskov, Irkutsk and Voronezh, for example - the situation was described as critical. The consumption of counterfeit alcohol was bringing epidemics of hepatitis in its wake."
Written by Zygmunt Dzieciolowski, see full text published here by openDemocracy.net.

For 11 months of 2006 Pskov region custom offices transferred to federal budget 5 329 022 000 rubles. As press-secretary of Pskov custom Natalya Knyazeva told to PIA, plan is fulfilled for 106%, and it is the first time when 5 billion rate is exceeded.

15861000 of cargo units are passed through international custom terminals - that are more than 1392000 individial entrepreneurs and more than 764000 cargo vehicles. Amount of cargo trucks grew on 22% in comparison to the same period last year.

Custom border was crossed by more than 532000 freight cars and 287 planes.

International trade turnover for 11 months made up 1136085000 US dollars (on 88% more than the same period last year). Import is 451093000 $, export is 684092000 $, that are 219% and 172% of last year rates properly.

Pskov was mentioned in the article "On Wine: Vodka getting to be a risky way to toast" by Jennifer Rosen due to massive alcohol poisoning.

Here is the cut:
"Drinkers have been collapsing with liver damage from Pskov in the northwest to Irkutsk in Siberia, where patients are being turned away from hospitals with full beds."

See full text here. Published in Rocky Mountain News.

Very high temperatures observed in Pskov region which are 9-10 degrees higher than normal for beginning of December. As it was reported to PIA in Pskov regional meteorology centre, for last 16 years the first 5 days of December experience positive temperatures.

Absolut December maximum was fixed in 1953 - it was 9-10 degrees above zero. "We afraid that this maximum can be overcome this month", experts said.

They also added that November temperatures were also higher but only on 2 degrees. Absolut maximum for November was fixed in 1968 when termometer showed 14-16 above zero.

Regional office of Federal migration service in Pskov will be hiring citizens to work in Germany. As it was told to PIA there are vacancies for cookers, waiters, McDonalds workers, tractor drivers, parlormaids, agronoms and other specialists.

Candidates should be Russian cictizens occupied with these specialities, of age 18-40, have diploma of education, work experience not less than 2 years and speak German fluently. Along with papers there must be a contract with foreign employer submitted.

Pskov writers has disseminated among media their claim of uniting into Pskov regional writing organisation of Russia writers union. As it was told to PIA by Board member, this decision was made on 20 November. Before it there were 2 organisations - Pskov regional writing organisation and Association of Pskov writers. There are 36 professional writers are now in this artistic union lead by Igor Smolkin.

As writers think their unification will help to solve financial, social and creative problems. "Not only writers will benefit of it, but readers and all the regional culture in whole", was said in the organisation.

Literators' unions let better to keep best traditions collected in native literature and also "to give professional and tangible help to beginners, to solve moral and patriotic education issues that society and state need so much", sources in the Board said.

New organisation has plans to expand collaboration with power authorities, NGOs, to search new modern ways to communicate with readers, to spend creative hearings, literature holidays, to publish new books and to support artistic youth.

Due to massive poisoning with illegal spirit in Pskov region alcoholics started to buy home-brewed alcohol. As police authority major Dmitry Zhukov told to PIA, not only consumers are frightened to death but sellers too. Nowadays there are almost no illegal spirit seized.

On 1 December there were 3591 litres of spirit containing liquid seized, most of it occured to be wash. On 3 December 630 litres of wash were also seized in Pskov city.

"Home-brew effect is the same as of spirit although it is only 30-35% strong. Sellers add drowsy tablets into it to reach the effect", Zhukov added.

This costs more. A bottle of illegal spirit costs 15-20 rubles, a bottle of home-brew is 30-50 rubles. "Yet it's production is more expensive process. But stillthere are some cases of mixture home-brew with spirit again", major concluded.

Famous writer had visited Pskov region and here is the part of his thought published in TimesOnline. Reproduced partly, see full text here.

Russia's icy heart


PSKOV
In the small patch of ground behind a church, three women have been planting seeds. One of them begins making the sign of the cross many times, slowly turning around in a circle. The two other women touch their lips and pray. Praying for the seed to flourish in this stubborn soil. The church was in the middle of a yard of semi-derelict two-storey houses, erected at the beginning of the previous century. Two old men, without shirts, sat in opposite parts of the yard. A young couple sat on the steps leading to one of the houses, a transistor radio blaring beside them. Dogs lay in the dust. Two or three people sat by their windows, gazing down at the scene.
I suspect that it was always like this — dirty, shabby, unkempt. It would have been shabby before the Revolution and after the Revolution. It would have been unkempt during the Soviet period, just as it is now. The nature of a terrain does not change very much. Then two young girls come out and begin to blow soap bubbles. They have been to the baptism of a three-year-old child, held in this church before us. The ceremony had lasted three hours. One girl tells us that the young boy had cried when the water touched his head. No, her companion interrupts, he cried when the oil was put on his legs. Baptism and soap bubbles somehow go together.
A drive out of Pskov takes us to the great Pechory monastery. There is a vista of churches and towers on a hillside, the blue domes and golden domes and silver domes like clouds of stars. We are greeted by the sound of bells, growling bells, menacing bells, yearning bells. The female servants of the monastery reverently sweep every inch of the steps leading to the principal church. The monks look very dirty, but no doubt they are just untidy. Perhaps they consider themselves as nothing before the infinite sweetness of God. And is it possible that some people consider themselves as nothing before the infinite benevolence of the State?
This monastery was also a fortress and a centre of power; as an object of pilgrimage, it still retains some of that power. There are two small shelters where water is pumped from sacred wells — holy water, water of faith. The religion here is a real and enthralling culture.
On the way back to Pskov from Pechory, two small children are waiting by the side of the road for a lift. The little girl, Macha, is accompanied by her brother Zhenya; they are five or six years old. They live six kilometres away. What are you doing by the side of the road? Our mother sent us to the shop, to see if they would give us bread. But they would not give it to us without money. Why does your mother not wash you or clean your clothes? There is no soap in the house. The small boy spoke with great determination — almost defiantly.
Perhaps the size of the country, the extent of the land, breeds a sense of resignation and of hopelessness. Perhaps it is just the “character” of the Russian country people. Smaller places, such as England, encourage practicality and common sense and moderation. These do not seem to be in the Russian character. But it is not so hopeless, after all. The vast spaces inspire expectancy and ardour and idealism. But they can also engender bewilderment and confusion and black humour. There is comedy, for example, in the fact that the traffic police lurk behind bushes in order to catch speeding cars. It may also be comic that they prefer bribes to issuing tickets. The police are paid very low salaries.

"Care and participation" action devoted to the International disabled people day started in Pskov region on 1 December. As Pskov region branch of Red Cross told to PIA, this day there will be a concert spent in the hospital of war veterans. Pskov city vocal band ruled by Lubov Bitieva will perform with the help of city cultural centre. They will sing songs of famous USSR singer Klavdia Shulzhenko. Then there will be a dinner which is sponsored by Pskop bread company with 1500 rubles. There are 80 patients in the hospital now.

Charity concerts will be spent also in Pushkinskie Gory in Veterans House and in the Hostel. A choir of folk songs will perform for people stay in there. Pskov Red Cross will pass them 65 sets of personal hygene stuff. These presents were bought for own money of Pskov Red Cross, total amount consists 3000 rubles.