Capital of the Urals - Yekaterinburg ++REPLAY++
(28 Jun 2018) LEADIN:
World Cup host city, Yekaterinburg, is the Capital of the Urals and home to former Russian President, Boris Yeltsin.
The city witnessed one of the most crucial moments of Russian history and proudly serves some impressive pelmeni dumplings too.
STORYLINE:
Located in the heart of the Ural Mountains, opposition-minded Yekaterinburg has played a role in many crucial moments of Russia's history.
In 1918, the last Russian Czar, Nicholas II and his family were executed here.
Today, at the execution site, the Church on Blood - as it's known - stands as a monument to the event.
Built in 2003, on the ground floor it houses a restored basement, popularly known as the Shooting Room.
The history of the Romanov dynasty ended right behind us, explains historian Sergei Sokolov.
Here was the house of the engineer Ipatiev, located in the beginning of the 20th century, where Bolsheviks brought the last emperor and his family from Tobolsk in 1918.
Here they spent a few months, from April to July, and in mid-July, on night of the 16th, the whole family and servants were executed in the basement of this house.
The original Ipatiev house, where Nicholas II and his family were executed, was demolished by another historical figure, Boris Yeltsin, in 1977.
At that time, Yeltsin was the leader of the Sverdlovsk communist party, just starting his career.
Around 14 years later, he became the first president of a new, democratic Russia.
Yeltsin was born in the tiny village of Butka, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Yekaterinburg.
He held a deep emotional connection to the region until his death in 2007.
To pay tribute to him, the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center, one of the largest and most modern museums in Russia, was opened in 2015.
It exhibits not only explore the period of Russian history under Boris Yeltsin, but also Russian history as a whole.
Among other rarities exhibited in the center is this nuclear briefcase.
Boris Yeltsin was from here, from the Ural region, explains director Dina Sorokina.
He started his career here, in Sverdlovsk, as Yekaterinburg used to be known then, during the Soviet times.
And the beginning of his career certainly takes roots here, in the Ural region, in Sverdlovsk. However, there is also an emotional connection to it.
Yekaterinburg's restaurants specialise in dumplings - or 'pelmeni,' as they're known in Russia.
Historians say dumplings came to the Urals from China, but residents claim the Urals is actually home to the world-famous dish.
Nowadays, pelmeni come with many different fillings, but meat-filled dumplings are the most popular.
The classic recipe of pelmeni is quite simple - mincemeat of pork and beef is wrapped in thin, unleavened dough.
(Ural) people are working class. We work here, especially men, they work hard, explains chef Larisa Sychyova.
There are a lot of factories, that is why the priority is meat, meat, and meat. That is why in the Urals and Siberia (pelmeni) is our priority.
Ural dumplings can be found in almost every café or restaurant. It's claimed they're especially good with vodka.
For a late-night drink, there are dozens of bars and clubs located around the city centre.
There are plenty of clubs, plenty of fun venues where one can rest, hang out, go crazy, says partygoer Artyom Yaroslavtsev.
There are venues with tasty food, take a rest, drink beer, listen to musicians, jazz musicians, rock musicians. One can hang out with techno or deep house.
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Russia | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Russia
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.
SUMMARY
=======
Russia (Russian: Росси́я, tr. Rossiya, IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə]), officially the Russian Federation (Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya, IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə]), is a country in Eurasia. At 17,125,200 square kilometres (6,612,100 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world by area, covering more than one-eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area, and the ninth most populous, with about 144.5 million people as of 2018, excluding Crimea. About 77% of the population live in the western, European part of the country. Russia's capital, Moscow, is the largest metropolitan area in Europe proper and one of the largest cities in the world; other major cities include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod. Extending across the entirety of Northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe, Russia spans eleven time zones and incorporates a wide range of environments and landforms. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares land borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both with Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea. It shares maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk and the U.S. state of Alaska across the Bering Strait.
The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants, the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century. In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire, beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium. Rus' ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states; most of the Rus' lands were overrun by the Mongol invasion and became tributaries of the nomadic Golden Horde in the 13th century. The Grand Duchy of Moscow gradually reunified the surrounding Russian principalities, achieved independence from the Golden Horde. By the 18th century, the nation had greatly expanded through conquest, annexation, and exploration to become the Russian Empire, which was the third largest empire in history, stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east.Following the Russian Revolution, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the world's first constitutionally socialist state. The Soviet Union played a decisive role in the Allied victory in World War II, and emerged as a recognized superpower and rival to the United States during the Cold War. The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century, including the world's first human-made satellite and the launching of the first humans in space. By the end of 1990, the Soviet Union had the world's second largest economy, largest standing military in the world and the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, twelve independent republics emerged from the USSR: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Baltic states regained independence: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania; the Russian SFSR reconstituted itself as the Russian Federation and is recognized as the continuing legal personality and a successor of the Soviet Union. It is governed as a federal semi-presidential republic.
Russia's economy ranks as the twelfth largest by nominal GDP and sixth largest by purchasing power parity in 2015. Russia's extensive mineral and energy resources are the largest such reserves in the world, making it one of the leading producers of oil and natural gas globally. The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. Russia is a great power as well as a regional power and has b ...
Nicholas II of Russia | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Nicholas II of Russia
00:03:16 1 Family background
00:06:34 2 Tsarevich
00:09:51 3 Engagement, accession and marriage
00:13:43 4 Reign
00:13:52 4.1 Coronation
00:17:55 4.2 Initiatives in foreign affairs
00:18:52 4.3 Ecclesiastical affairs
00:19:40 4.4 Russo-Japanese War
00:22:47 4.5 Anti-Jewish pogroms of 1903–1906
00:23:48 4.6 Bloody Sunday (1905)
00:28:08 4.7 1905 Revolution
00:31:49 4.8 Relationship with the Duma
00:41:58 4.9 Tsarevich Alexei's illness and Rasputin
00:44:33 4.10 European affairs
00:46:48 4.11 Tercentenary
00:47:26 4.12 First World War
00:56:40 4.13 Collapse
01:01:25 4.13.1 Abdication (1917)
01:04:41 4.14 Imprisonment
01:08:10 4.15 Execution
01:11:32 5 Identification
01:13:22 6 Funeral
01:14:12 7 Sainthood
01:16:19 8 Assessment
01:19:54 9 Ancestry
01:20:03 10 Titles, styles, honours and arms
01:20:14 10.1 Titles and styles
01:21:29 10.2 Honours
01:22:12 10.2.1 National
01:22:39 10.2.2 Foreign
01:23:30 10.3 Arms
01:23:38 11 Children
01:23:47 12 Wealth
01:25:01 13 Documentaries and films
01:25:37 14 See also
01:25:53 15 Note
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Nicholas II or Nikolai II (Russian: Николай II Алекса́ндрович, tr. Nikolai II Aleksandrovich; 18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 17 July 1918), known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer in the Russian Orthodox Church, was the last Emperor of Russia, ruling from 1 November 1894 until his forced abdication on 2 March 1917. His reign saw the fall of the Russian Empire from one of the foremost great powers of the world to economic and military collapse. He was given the nickname Nicholas the Bloody or Vile Nicholas by his political adversaries due to the Khodynka Tragedy, anti-Semitic pogroms, Bloody Sunday, the violent suppression of the 1905 Russian Revolution, the execution of political opponents, and his perceived responsibility for the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). Soviet historians portrayed Nicholas as a weak and incompetent leader whose decisions led to military defeats and the deaths of millions of his subjects.Russia was defeated in the 1904–1905 Russo-Japanese War which saw the annihilation of the reinforcing Russian Baltic Fleet after being sent on its round-the-world cruise at the naval Battle of Tsushima, off the coasts of Korea and Japan, the loss of Russian influence over Manchuria and Korea, and the Japanese annexation to the north of South Sakhalin Island. The Anglo-Russian Entente was designed to counter the German Empire's attempts to gain influence in the Middle East, but it also ended the Great Game of confrontation between Russia and the United Kingdom. When all Russian diplomatic efforts to prevent the First World War (1914–1918) failed, Nicholas approved the Imperial Russian Army mobilization on 30 July 1914 which gave Imperial Germany formal grounds to declare war on Russia on 1 August 1914. An estimated 3.3 million Russians were killed in the First World War. The Imperial Russian Army's severe losses, the High Command's incompetent management of the war efforts, and lack of food and supplies on the home front were all leading causes of the fall of the House of Romanov.
Following the February Revolution of 1917, Nicholas abdicated on behalf of himself and his son and heir, the Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. He and his family were imprisoned and transferred to Tobolsk in late summer 1917. On 30 April 1918, Nicholas, Alexandra, and their daughter Maria were handed over to the local Ural Soviet council in Ekaterinburg (renamed Sverdlovsk during the Soviet era); the rest of the captives followed on 23 May. Nicholas and his family were executed by their Bolshevik guards on the night of 16/17 July 1918. The remains of the imperial family were later found, exhumed, identified and re-interred with elaborate State and Church ceremony in St. Petersburg on 17 July 1998 – 80 years later.
In 1981, Nicholas, his wife, and their children were recognized as martyrs by the Russian Orthodox Church Outsid ...
Capital of the Urals ready to welcome the world
(4 Jun 2018) RUSSIA WORLD CUP YEKATERINBURG GUIDE
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTIONS: AP CLIENTS ONLY
LENGTH: 5:38
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yekaterinburg, Russia - 24 May 2018
++DAY SHOTS++
1. Aerial shot of Yekaterinburg city centre
2. Various of city hall, Monument to Lenin in main square
3. Wide of Iset River
4. Wide of Sevastyanov's House, the residence of the Russian President
5. Wide of people in main street
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yekaterinburg, Russia - 19 May 2018
6. Various of monument to Romanov family
7. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Sergei Sokolov, Historian:
The history of the Romanov dynasty ended right behind us. Here was the house of the engineer Ipatiev, located in the beginning of the 20th century, where Bolsheviks brought the last emperor and his family from Tobolsk in 1918. Here they spent a few months, from April to July, and in mid-July, on night of the 16th, the whole family and servants were executed in the basement of this house.
8. Aerial shot of the Church on Blood
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yekaterinburg, Russia - 22 May 2018
9. Various of Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center exterior
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rostov, Russia – 6 October 1995
++4:3++
10. Wide of Yeltsin dancing on stage during campaign
11. Mid of crowd dancing
12. Close of Yeltsin
13. Wide of crowd
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yekaterinburg, Russia - 21 May 2018
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Dina Sorokina, Director of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center:
Boris Yeltsin was from here, from the Ural region. He started his career here, in Sverdlovsk, as Yekaterinburg used to be known then, during the Soviet times. And the beginning of his career certainly takes roots here, in the Ural region, in Sverdlovsk. However, there is also an emotional connection to it.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yekaterinburg, Russia - 22 May 2018
15. Various of exhibit
16. Close of camera, showing Yeltsin's New Year address
UPSOUND (Russian): I am retiring.
17. Various of presidential office and visitors
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yekaterinburg, Russia - 21 May 2018
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Dina Sorokina, Director of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center:
An absolutely must-see is, of course, the presidential office that has been fully recreated, the office that used to be in the 14th building of the Moscow Kremlin that we have meticulously preserved and restored here, in our museum. Everything, all of the furnishings, starting from chandeliers to the wallpaper, to, of course, the presidential desk.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yekaterinburg, Russia - 22 May 2018
19. Mid of nuclear briefcase
20. Various of exhibit
21. Various of Soviet apartment installation in exhibit
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yekaterinburg, Russia - 23 May 2018
22. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Larisa Sychyova, Chef at Dyuzhina Pelmeni restaurant:
The Urals' main dish is ushki, or pelmeni, as we call them now. I have put pelmeni (in the boiling water), they will be done in twelve minutes.
23. Close of pelmeni in boiling water
24. Various of Sychyova making pelmeni
25. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Larisa Sychyova, Chef at Dyuzhina Pelmeni restaurant:
(Ural) people are working class. We work here, especially men, they work hard. There are a lot of factories, that is why the priority is meat, meat, and meat. That is why in the Urals and Siberia (pelmeni) is our priority.
26. Various of Sychyova serving pelmeni
27. Various of pelmeni
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yekaterinburg, Russia - 19 May 2018
++NIGHT SHOTS++
28. Aerial shot of Yekaterinburg
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yekaterinburg, Russia - 25 May 2018
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Capital of the Urals ready to welcome the world
(4 Jun 2018) LEADIN:
As the FIFA World Cup approaches, Russian cities are preparing to welcome thousands of fans and guests from around the world.
Yekaterinburg, the Capital of the Urals and home to former Russian President, Boris Yeltsin, is no exception.
The city witnessed one of the most crucial moments of Russian history and proudly serves some impressive pelmeni dumplings too.
STORYLINE:
It's known as the Capital of the Urals, Yekaterinburg is getting to ready to play its part in Russia's 2018 World Cup.
Located in the heart of the Ural Mountains, opposition-minded Yekaterinburg has played a role in many crucial moments of Russia's history.
In 1918, the last Russian Czar, Nicholas II and his family were executed here.
Today, at the execution site, the Church on Blood - as it's known - stands as a monument to the event.
Built in 2003, on the ground floor it houses a restored basement, popularly known as the Shooting Room.
The history of the Romanov dynasty ended right behind us, explains historian Sergei Sokolov.
Here was the house of the engineer Ipatiev, located in the beginning of the 20th century, where Bolsheviks brought the last emperor and his family from Tobolsk in 1918.
Here they spent a few months, from April to July, and in mid-July, on night of the 16th, the whole family and servants were executed in the basement of this house.
The original Ipatiev house, where Nicholas II and his family were executed, was demolished by another historical figure, Boris Yeltsin, in 1977.
At that time, Yeltsin was the leader of the Sverdlovsk communist party, just starting his career.
Around 14 years later, he became the first president of a new, democratic Russia.
Yeltsin was born in the tiny village of Butka, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Yekaterinburg.
He held a deep emotional connection to the region until his death in 2007.
To pay tribute to him, the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center, one of the largest and most modern museums in Russia, was opened in 2015.
It exhibits not only explore the period of Russian history under Boris Yeltsin, but also Russian history as a whole.
Among other rarities exhibited in the center is this nuclear briefcase.
Boris Yeltsin was from here, from the Ural region, explains director Dina Sorokina.
He started his career here, in Sverdlovsk, as Yekaterinburg used to be known then, during the Soviet times.
And the beginning of his career certainly takes roots here, in the Ural region, in Sverdlovsk. However, there is also an emotional connection to it.
Yekaterinburg's restaurants specialise in dumplings - or 'pelmeni,' as they're known in Russia.
Historians say dumplings came to the Urals from China, but residents claim the Urals is actually home to the world-famous dish.
Nowadays, pelmeni come with many different fillings, but meat-filled dumplings are the most popular.
The classic recipe of pelmeni is quite simple - mincemeat of pork and beef is wrapped in thin, unleavened dough.
(Ural) people are working class. We work here, especially men, they work hard, explains chef Larisa Sychyova.
There are a lot of factories, that is why the priority is meat, meat, and meat. That is why in the Urals and Siberia (pelmeni) is our priority.
Ural dumplings can be found in almost every café or restaurant. It's claimed they're especially good with vodka.
For a late-night drink, there are dozens of bars and clubs located around the city centre.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia runs 14 June - 15 July.
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Capital of the Urals ready to welcome the world
(10 Jun 2018) LEADIN:
As the FIFA World Cup approaches, Russian cities are preparing to welcome thousands of fans and guests from around the world.
Yekaterinburg, the Capital of the Urals and home to former Russian President, Boris Yeltsin, is no exception.
The city witnessed one of the most crucial moments of Russian history and proudly serves some impressive pelmeni dumplings too.
STORYLINE:
It's known as the Capital of the Urals, Yekaterinburg is getting to ready to play its part in Russia's 2018 World Cup.
Located in the heart of the Ural Mountains, opposition-minded Yekaterinburg has played a role in many crucial moments of Russia's history.
In 1918, the last Russian Czar, Nicholas II and his family were executed here.
Today, at the execution site, the Church on Blood - as it's known - stands as a monument to the event.
Built in 2003, on the ground floor it houses a restored basement, popularly known as the Shooting Room.
The history of the Romanov dynasty ended right behind us, explains historian Sergei Sokolov.
Here was the house of the engineer Ipatiev, located in the beginning of the 20th century, where Bolsheviks brought the last emperor and his family from Tobolsk in 1918.
Here they spent a few months, from April to July, and in mid-July, on night of the 16th, the whole family and servants were executed in the basement of this house.
The original Ipatiev house, where Nicholas II and his family were executed, was demolished by another historical figure, Boris Yeltsin, in 1977.
At that time, Yeltsin was the leader of the Sverdlovsk communist party, just starting his career.
Around 14 years later, he became the first president of a new, democratic Russia.
Yeltsin was born in the tiny village of Butka, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Yekaterinburg.
He held a deep emotional connection to the region until his death in 2007.
To pay tribute to him, the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center, one of the largest and most modern museums in Russia, was opened in 2015.
It exhibits not only explore the period of Russian history under Boris Yeltsin, but also Russian history as a whole.
Among other rarities exhibited in the center is this nuclear briefcase.
Boris Yeltsin was from here, from the Ural region, explains director Dina Sorokina.
He started his career here, in Sverdlovsk, as Yekaterinburg used to be known then, during the Soviet times.
And the beginning of his career certainly takes roots here, in the Ural region, in Sverdlovsk. However, there is also an emotional connection to it.
Yekaterinburg's restaurants specialise in dumplings - or 'pelmeni,' as they're known in Russia.
Historians say dumplings came to the Urals from China, but residents claim the Urals is actually home to the world-famous dish.
Nowadays, pelmeni come with many different fillings, but meat-filled dumplings are the most popular.
The classic recipe of pelmeni is quite simple - mincemeat of pork and beef is wrapped in thin, unleavened dough.
(Ural) people are working class. We work here, especially men, they work hard, explains chef Larisa Sychyova.
There are a lot of factories, that is why the priority is meat, meat, and meat. That is why in the Urals and Siberia (pelmeni) is our priority.
Ural dumplings can be found in almost every café or restaurant. It's claimed they're especially good with vodka.
For a late-night drink, there are dozens of bars and clubs located around the city centre.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia runs 14 June - 15 July.
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Tumblr:
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