Western versus Eastern technology competition

[ArtMech]

Some pics from our community yesterday's meeting nearby Ukrainian embassy.
Prie Ukrainos ambasados - gedulo
Prie Ukrainos ambasados su?ibo ?vakut?s / Aktualijos / lrytas.lt
The articles are written in local language, so I know nobody can read it. There are many more daily articles here with lots of nice pictures from Ukraine events. I may post the links if fellows TBN'ers would accept it anyways.

The Reuters link of pics (in the reply above) is being updated.

 

[RobertN]

My Great Grandparents went from Germany with colony to bring crafts/farming to Ukraine ~1850-1860. They were pushed out by 1870's, went back to Germany, then to US by 1880's, settling in Dakota Territory(Yankton SD). My understanding is they were Mennonite, and got pushed out of Ukraine because of that, and again out of Germany.

I was working in town called Pallasovka 230km NE from Volgograd or about 100 Km East from Kamyshin and not too far from Kazakhstan. The population was of German origin moved there from Ukraine by Stalin before WW2. Those people were descendants of Germans who were invited by the Czar (I don't know when) to introduce crafts (such as blacksmithing, cabinet making etc) to the region. That is the story I was told.

The problem with Russia is that the country is run by crooks and criminals.

 

[ArtMech]

In the link below most exotic "weapon" and body protection used by Ukrainian protesters. The idea is, that NO COMBAT FIREARMS should be used. Even if the pistols, revolvers or rifles could be seen in their hands, they still are low power pneumatic or gas or scatter-guns.
Kijevo protestuotoj? rankose - egzoti?kiausi ginklai / ?vykiai / lrytas.lt

 

[ArtMech]

Here in Vilnius it was organized the "Live Chain" consisting of people to support Ukrainian fight for democracy today. It was announced, that 715 men and women will be needed to fill in the distance between EU office and the Embassy of Ukraine. Many more has arrived including conservative politicians and folks from other towns. At a certain time the organizers, who had the communication among them, asked to get arm in arm, and the "Live Chain" had been successfully fixed.
Some pics from this action.
Ukrainai palaikyti - gyva vilnie?i? grandin? (video) / Aktualijos / lrytas.lt
Vilniuje gyva grandine i

 

[ArtMech]

BTW; what did happen post war in east Prussia; where Germans expelled, left in fear of Soviets, or did the disappear in the Soviet far east... I know there was a huge German population in the Baltic as well; pre war; just never really heard where they all went.

The following article is in Russian, but the pics clearly show the real vision of how are the things going on in East Prussia (Kaliningrad) today - 70 years after the end of WW2.
????????? ???????. 70 ??? ? ??????? ?????? | ????????? ??????

 

[Redneck in training]

The following article is in Russian, but the pics clearly show the real vision of how are the things going on in East Prussia (Kaliningrad) today - 70 years after the end of WW2.
????????? ???????. 70 ??? ? ??????? ?????? | ????????? ??????

It gives me goosebumps just to look at it. I used to live in a country like that. Perhaps not as dilapidated but still in substantial disrepair. When my wife and I visited Czechoslovakia first time after revolution in 1991 she was just crying and asking how could you live here. Potholes everywhere, plaster falling from every other building. Everything looked gray. Airport had broken windows, was dirty and had no jet ways. Custom officer was rude. Rental car had no working reverse! Toilets were scary places. And we were still dirt poor (by USA standards) at that time and despite that the condition was shocking for her. I am glad that it is over and CZ is almost normal country now.

I used to work on a pipeline construction in Russia between 1978 and 1980. One of the compressor station was in Pallasovka about 100 km east of Kamyshin not too far from Western border with Kazakhstan. Many if not most inhabitants of the town were of German origin moved there by Stalin from Ukraina.

 

[ArtMech]

Same was and in some cases still is in my country. But privatisation makes sense. Now the property, which lacks investment funds, should be surrounded by fence or removed. The progress could be seen in the streets as well.

But it looks like Russians don't feel being at home in East Prussia.