NY was beautiful today. My mood is, sadly, still the same. Mentally i am always in the same place-Andrei's case. Thinking ahead and trying not to at the same time.

The situation in the North Caucasus is looking hopeless. President Medvedev in his interviews appears genuinely scared, not simply concerned. That's where months of lies from the secret services and the never-ending local corruption get you.

R.I.P Michael Jackson. Thank you for your great talent.

As I was choosing a present for my friend's daughter Varya- a 3D puzzle and decided against the White House, a salesgirl said, 'I don’t like Americans either. I don’t know any or much about them, but I don’t like them for some reason; don’t even know why.'

Another footage from the play in Dagestan. I guess it was very daring.

North Caucasus is in a state of anarchy and is on a brink of descending into something terrible and bloody.

As always. News most regular.

NAZRAN, June 22 (Itar-Tass) - Ingush President Yunus-Bek Evkurov got a scull injury and several broken ribs as a result of the act of terrorism, a representative of the republican clinical hospital told Itar-Tass.

He confirmed that the President’s brother Uvais, 38 years old, was also injured.

A task group has been created in Ingushetia for investigating the attempt on the life of Yunus-Bek Evkurov, which is made up of officers of the republican branch of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the republican Interior Ministry and investigating bodies, said Kaloi Akhilgov, press secretary of the Ingush President.

According to his information, Evkurov’s condition is of medium graveness.

He said that the attempt on the life of the Ingush President had been staged at about 08.20, Moscow time, on the Caucasus Highway, 20 metres away from the turn to Magas. As a result of the explosion, the President and three guard officers were wounded and taken to hospital. Medical assistance is being rendered to them.

OLEG Yankovsky...

TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE BOOK

Introduction.
1. The war forgotten.
2. Family night.
3. “Mommy, are these men in masks actors?”
4. Death or Paradise
5. No news is bad news
6. Relatives. Gym benches, doctors, TV screen and cups of coffee
7. A girl who wanted to stop them
8. President, Command Center and the International Pressure
9. Media and A new kind of celebrity
10. Terrorists ask for Anna Politkovskaya,
11. Accidental shooting
12. Negotiations, failing
13. “We will start executing hostages at dawn!”
14. The Gas
15. The operation proclaimed a success as bodies are being counted.
16. The aftermath and the many unanswered questions.
17. Families. Six years on.
18. Supporting materials: Investigation files, phone calls transcripts, photographs, plans, maps, etc.
Index.

Al Jazeera. I have no way of knowing if the translation is correct. For all i know i could be saying that a dead chicken spoke to me and i believe its message to be sacred.

RenTv

Some fragments of the play in Dagestan and the reaction of the audience. As well as the president Muhy Aliev.

My days as an agent))

Russian Military Cuts Leave Soldiers Adrift

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/world/europe/12russia.html?_r=1&hp

Happy RUSSIA DAY

A a of national unity or, formerly, "Day of the adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation".

This is what hangs on the walls of the Nashi youth movement headquarters. I'm sure they've been put on a back-burner by Kremlin for financial reasons but when the time comes the puppeteer will reach into his sack and pull out his pretty doll once more.

North Caucasus

There are sign of another war in the North Caucasus looming. The situation there, no matter how optimistically portrayed in the media, is always like a blade inches from the neck. The very bad economic situation and the level of unemployment mean that at any point those fed up with this kind of life can turn to extremism. The level of corruption and the clashes between the clans bring it almost to the verge of anarchy. Now that the Interior minister of Dagestan and deputy head judge in Ingushetiya have been assassinated, a couple more of the same blunt attacks and all the hell with break lose. Russian forces will move in for 'control' and terrorists will reactivate.

Another scene

At the breakfast table. Man is in grey uniform.

Woman. Leave me some money.
Man. What for?
Woman. I need to buy shoes for the summer.
Man. What’s wrong with the ones you wore last year?
Woman. They are old.

Telephone rings. He jumps at the sound. She goes to answer it.

Woman. Hello? (Pause) Yes, one moment.

Hands him the receiver.

Man. (cautiously) Rojem Kinsky speaking. Hello? (listens with a confused face) What? (Pause) Right, yes. I don’t…Well…. Well, I do my best. Yes. Yes, thank you. That of course is not why…..Thank you. Yes. Goodbye.
Woman. What was that all about?
Man. (excitedly) They think I reported Sula!
Woman. But you didn’t right?
Man shakes his head. Goes up to the phone, picks up the receiver to ensure the other side did hung up. Drags his wife to the sink and lets water run.
Man. (whispers) But they think I did.
Woman walks back to the table and sits down to finish her breakfast.
Woman. (pouring herself tea) You must tell them.
Man. Shhh. You know what this means? I get a promotion and my own office so I don’t have to share with that mousy idiot anymore. And, you’ll like this one, we get a two-week vacation at a resort of our choice. I’m thinking the Blue Lake.
Woman. Who told them this? Sula himself?
Man. No, they said they’ve not been able to crack him on anything. They got it some other way.
Woman. He probably did it so that you will have a vacation. He knows how stingy you are. A good man. (weeps slightly)

Andrei

Prokuratura is asking for 15 year in jail for my fiance. Even the lawyer was shocked. I haven't spoken to Andrei since yesterday's hearing and I'm very worried. He needs to know I'm not giving up on him.

My interview after the gentlemen below banned my play. This particular one is pretty dramatic.

Грани-ТВ: Наталья Пелевайн о запрете своего спектакля

All my favorite people

A scene

Somewhere in the past/present/future. Night. Bedroom.

Man and Woman are lying in bed. Lights are out.


Woman. Why is the dog still barking?
Man. Go to sleep.
Woman. Maybe they’re still in there.
Man. No I heard the car drive off.
Woman. Maybe it was a different car.
Man. Go to sleep. (pause)
Woman. I can’t.
Man. How wrong can you turn out to be sometimes. He was a guest of honour at my last birthday.
Woman gets up.
Woman. Not to mention how you were groping his wife.
Man. She is pretty.
Woman. I’ll go and see how she is.
Man. They probably took her too.
Woman. No they haven’t I heard her yelling at the door. If she got to go with him she wouldn’t have been yelling. (Pause) It’s quiet now.
Man. She probably fainted.
Woman. The kids… I better go see her.
Man. Get back here! And don’t speak so loudly for Chris sake!
Woman. They are good people.
Man. I said don’t speak so loudly! (pause) I suspected something for some time.
Woman. Right.
Man. I did.
Woman. Whatever you say. Someday someone might be saying that about you.
Man. How dare you?! The SCA needs me!*

Woman puts on a dressing gown and starts to move towards the door.

Man. So you want to be a hero? You want to go there and feed the crying children and make her better with the smelling salts? Not giving a damn about your own family. I’m getting chest pain. Get me some water.

She brings him a jug of water.

Man. Are the streetlights off?
Woman. (standing by the window) Yes.
Man. Thank God. It means it’s over.
Woman. For the night it is.
Man. Come to bed.
Woman. (wipes her eyes) The dog is still barking.


*SCA – State Control Apparatus.

Many people in this country make 10,000 roubles (less than $300) a month and have not been getting even that money for months, because the factories have closed. Canned meat, bread or potatoes make up dinners in many cases. How long will they tolerate this kind of existence? This country is in default.

W.

Oliver Stone's W. , the film about George W. Bush is not just extremely watchable because of the director's skill. To me the fact that a portrayal of a leader, even if a very unpopular one, can come out so soon after he steppes down as president. And of course there were no limitations as to how he was being portrayed. This kind of creative freedom is worthy of envy.