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Stele of Health, Happiness and Prosperity constructed in October 2012 as part of the project ‘Intercultural cities’ leaded by Council of Europe and European Commission. Stele is made according to classical canons of East culture as a Buddhist Stupa for the well-being and prosperity of Udmurt Republic and its people and for the benefit of all beings. In the East it is considered that the mere seeing of a Stupa that was built the pure intention as well as the hearing of it, remembrance of it, going around it clockwise, touching even a shadow of it or just to be exposed to wind that touched the Stupa brings immense benefit and happiness in ones life. Offering flowers also brings peace and satisfaction, well-being and health. Designed by Giovanni Boni (Italy) Paintings and calligraphy by Migmar Tsering (Tibet-China-Italy) Project realized by Public organization ‘21th Century’ with the assistance of the newspaper ‘Izvestia of the Republic of Udmurtia
Just in case you mistakenly heard that it was all ice and snow in Russia, take a peek at the Big Bikini Exposition. This is right on the river Moskva in Moscow!Moscow has been the capital of Russia for almost its entire history. The exception is during the period of the Russian Empire, which lasted from 1721 until the Russian Revolution 1917. For these two centuries the capital was St. Petersburg. The Russian Empire was the second largest contiguous Empire in world memory; only the Mongol Empire had been greater.Check out what's happening north of Mongolia these days, in ChitaAlthough you may not have heard of Sochi, on the Black Sea, they're building up quickly and hope to host the 2014 Olympics.Other periods of Russian history include the Tsardom of Russia, from Ivan IV to Peter the Great, and the Grand Duchy (14th-16th centuries).The earliest period of Russian history was ruled by the Novgorod Republic and Kievan Rus, which was the first Russian state dating back to 800AD in Kiev.Modern Russia remains one of the world's superpowers. They launched the earth's second satellite, called Sputnik 1, and were the first country to put a human being into orbit around earth. (The first one is called the Moon.)After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia became a federal republic of 83 states.Text by Steve Smith.
