Ukrainian drones attacked the city of Shuya in central Russia’s Ivanovo region on Wednesday with unconfirmed media reports suggesting the air assault targeted a military base City officials urged residents to take shelter and canceled some classes at local schools, but said no evacuation was ordered Two people suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene Eyewitness videos shared on social media showed drones in the sky amid bursts of gunfire At least one drone appeared to crash in an open field and exploded with a powerful blast Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defense systems destroyed seven drones during the morning attack Emergency crews were working to clear debris after the strikes Explosions were reported in Russia's Shuya, Ivanovo region, with smoke visible in the city, according to local residents. The moment a drone crashed was captured on video. pic.twitter.com/LRBt5P4Q9S According to the Telegram news channel Astra, the drones targeted a facility that houses Russia’s 112th Guards Missile Brigade Geolocated video appeared to show one of the drones crashing near an area with military barracks Ukrainian authorities accused the Russian brigade of launching a ballistic missile attack against the city of Sumy on Sunday, killing at least 35 civilians. That attack was widely condemned President Donald Trump calling it a “horrible thing.” Neither Russia’s Defense Ministry nor authorities in Shuya have commented on the reports that Ukrainian drones targeted a military facility in the city the third-largest town in the Ivanovo region has a population of around 55,000 and is located 250 kilometers (155 miles) northeast of Moscow Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help please support us monthly starting from just $2 and every contribution makes a significant impact independent journalism in the face of repression This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Ukrainian military used drones to strike Russian positions of the 112th Missile Brigade in Shuya This marks the second day of drone attacks in this region while the "Kyivpost" media outlet wrote that it is an act of revenge for the attacks in Sumy where dozens of Ukrainian civilians were killed last week Residents of Shuya reported massive explosions carried out by drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 112th Guards Missile Brigade attacked again in Shuya, Ivanovo region. A fire breaks out, eyewitness footage shows.ASTRA geolocated one of the available videos. The location is directly behind the military unit—approximately 180 meters from the garrison of the 112th Guards... pic.twitter.com/nay73ETde6 — ASTRA (@ASTRA_PRESS) April 17, 2025 Footage of the attacks has been posted online The Ukrainian General Staff announced days ago that they had targeted Russian troops and the 448th Missile Brigade in the Kursk region This site is controlled and managed by KOHA are protected by KOHA's copyright and KOHA retains the reserved rights for them Materials on this site may not be used for commercial purposes without the prior permission of KOHA is prohibited The use of materials from any website or other medium without the permission of the KOHA Group on behalf of all the units that make it up (Koha Ditore is a violation of copyright and of intellectual property according to the legal provisions in force All violators of these rights will face the law The translation of contents into other languages ​​is done automatically and there may be errors Annex of the former Radio Prishtina (first floor) George Bush pn For the second day in a row, drones have been attacking Russia's 112th Missile Brigade in Shuya, Ivanovo region. This brigade took part in carrying out a strike on Sumy on April 13, the Ukrainian news portal Defense Express reports. Ukrainian Liutyi drones have to cover more than 700 kilometers and break through the air defense system in the so-called Central Industrial District of Russia "And the very fact that the location of a Russian missile brigade has been under attack for a second day is a very important indicator," Defense Express notes The point is that Shuya is located 700 km from the Ukrainian border but the actual flight path of Ukrainian drones is obviously much longer since it's necessary to bypass the powerful air defense zone of the Moscow region and strike targets in the so-called Central Industrial District of Russia the most protected from air attacks - and despite this Ukrainian drones are reaching their targets "And a second consecutive attack means that the Russian Federation failed to cover the gaps in its air defense system through which Ukrainian drones passed for the second time," the article states this is evidence that Ukraine's Defense Forces have the necessary quantity of long-range drones to carry out methodical strikes residents of Shuya in the Ivanovo region reported new explosions in the city footage appeared online showing the moment of a repeat attack on the 112th Guards Missile Brigade in Shuya the 112th Guards Missile Brigade (military unit 03333) in the Ivanovo region was attacked by drones on April 16 as well the brigade is stationed in the Southern town area of Shuya According to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence was involved in the strike on the center of Sumy on April 13 On April 16, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, referring to the shelling of Sumy in which more than 30 people were killed and 100 wounded, stated that Ukraine would respond to those Russian forces who kill Ukrainians in peaceful cities - and that the necessary weapons are available for this Furthermore, on April 15, Ukraine's Defense Forces struck the permanent deployment point of the 448th Missile Brigade of the Russian army in the Kursk region. It was this brigade that carried out the missile strike on the city of Sumy on April 13 The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve World Heritage partnerships for conservation Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in today’s complex world where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development Our Partners Donate Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information monasteries and cells developed in the vicinity of the village of Ivanovo This is where the first hermits had dug out their cells and churches during the 12th century The 14th-century murals testify to the exceptional skill of the artists belonging to the Tarnovo School of painting de monastères et de cellules creusés dans le roc s’est développé à proximité du village d’Ivanovo C’est là que les premiers ermites ont creusé leurs cellules et leurs églises au XIIe siècle Les peintures murales qui datent du XIVe siècle témoignent d’une technique artistique exceptionnelle caractéristique de l’école de peinture de Tarnovo يشهد وادي روسنكي لوم، شمال شرق بلغاريا، على نمو مجموعة من الكنائس والمعابد والأديرة والصوامع المحفورة في الصخر بالقرب من بلدة إيفانوفو حيث حفر الناسكون الأوائل صوامعهم وكنائسهم في القرن الثاني عشر وتجسّد الرسومات الجدارية التي ترقى إلى القرن الرابع عشر على تقنية فنية إستثنائية اشتهرت بها مدرسة تارنوفو للرسم 伊凡诺沃岩洞教堂位于保加利亚东北部洛姆河流域伊凡诺沃村一带，由岩洞教堂、小教堂、修道院和洞穴组成。12世纪，第一批隐士开始在这里开挖洞穴和建造教堂。绘于14世纪的壁画向人们展示了塔尔诺沃(Tarnovo)画派艺术家们杰出的艺术表现力。 состоящий из болгарских средневековых церквей выдолбленных в скалах на извилине реки Русенский Лом выполненные уникальными по составу красками специалисты относят к величайшим из сокровищ болгарской средневековой живописи В этих скалах укрывались первые христианские отшельники celdas y monasterios rupestres se fue formando a lo largo del tiempo en el valle del rí­o Russenski Lom Fue en el siglo XII cuando los primeros eremitas excavaron sus celdas e iglesias en la roca atestiguan la técnica excepcional caracterí­stica de la escuela de pintura de Tarnovo The frescos of the Ivanovo churches reveal an exceptional artistry and a remarkable artistic sensitivity for 14th century painting and Bulgarian medieval art; they are an important achievement in the Christian art of South-Eastern Europe Posterior to the Khora monastery mosaics (Karia Djami) of 1303 - 10 by their very expressiveness surpass any other historical monuments discovered Neo-classical in spirit and in elements of their subjects the frescoes represent a departure from the canons of Byzantine iconography They show close ties with expressive Hellenistic art and a clear preference for the nude an architectural background in a composition an emotional atmosphere - qualities which combine to make an exceptional masterpiece of the Tarnovo school of painting and monumental art The five historical monuments in this group (chapels serve as examples that pave the way for the distinctive character development and mastery in the art of the Second Bulgarian State /1187-1396/ the original architectural solutions - all set in a magnificent natural environment - confirm the value of this extraordinary historical grouping monasteries and cells were cut into the natural rock along the Rusenski Lom river The "Church" frescoes reveal an exceptional artistry and a remarkable artistic sensitivity for 14th century painting and Bulgarian medieval art; they are an important achievement in the Christian art of South-Eastern Europe an emotional atmosphere - qualities which combine to make an exceptional masterpiece Criterion (iii): The extensive complexes of monasteries were built between the time of the Second Bulgarian State /1187-1396/ and the conquest of Bulgaria by the Ottoman Empire The five historical monuments in this group the original architectural solutions - all of that set in a magnificent natural environment - confirm the value of this extraordinary historical grouping The property encompasses within its boundaries all the components necessary to convey its outstanding universal value but the rock massif Over the years a continuous programme of research have focussed on strengthening and stabilising the rock formation A programme was carried out for the "Investigation stabilization and waterproofing of the rock massif" for The Church of the Holy Virgin All of the statistical analyses are based on processing meteorological and instrument data Created in the natural cavities of a karst massif material and substance of the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo has been preserved Urgent conservation work has been completed on the valuable 13th and 14th century murals stabilization and presentation of The Church of the Holy Virgin murals has also been carried out In consequence of a rock collapse in the early 20th century the 13th century ceiling murals from the buried church of St have been rescued and moved to a new substrate The first stage of work on the 14th century murals of the collapsed St Through National Legislation the property has been protected as a 'Reserve' since 1965 (Official Gazette No Management is implemented through the Cultural Heritage Law (Official Gazette No.19 of 2009) and subdelegated legislation protection and promotion of the immovable cultural heritage in Bulgaria and the development of Conservation and Management plans for its inscribed World Heritage List of immovable cultural properties Protection is also afforded by Ordinance No 17 of the President of the Committee for Culture on Definition of Boundaries and Regimes of Use and Protection of Immovable Cultural Monuments outside Populated Areas (Official Gazette No 35 of 1979); and The Protected Areas Act (Official Gazette No In order to strengthen and stabilize the rock formation there is a need to pursue the implementation of the conservation measures IVANOVO — In this hardscrabble city in central Russia the morgues are full and well-paid jobs are scarce Though many of Russia’s outlying regions are struggling with the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic Ivanovo — a working-class city of 400,000 located 300 kilometers northeast of Moscow — is coping worse than most.  “It’s impossible to see a doctor,” Alexei Kucherov “You have to wait hours or even days for an ambulance to come But it’s not the doctors’ fault there just aren’t enough of them.” Despite its location just four hours by train from Moscow Ivanovo is one of Russia’s poorest cities with average monthly salaries around a third of those in the capital That has left its healthcare system teetering during the coronavirus pandemic as doctors have traditionally sought higher-paying employment elsewhere.  With the surge in Covid-19 cases in Russia’s regions in recent weeks Ivanovo’s already beleaguered health system has been placed under acute strain While authorities have announced an increase in hospital capacity to cope with the emergency many locals report long waits for coronavirus testing and treatment Official figures put the Ivanovo region’s daily death tolls in single figures, with 155 new cases and three deaths on Nov. 20, but local media reports suggest that Russia’s classification method means the real figure may be substantially higher. Local healthcare authorities have stated that up to 15 people in the region are dying of coronavirus every day At a recent meeting of the State Duma’s healthcare committee, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova described the situation in Ivanovo as “critical,” with the region’s hospitals having exceeded 95% capacity On Monday, Ivanovo region’s healthcare chief Artur Fokin made it clear that the things are getting worse, saying that the region’s Covid-19 caseload had substantially increased.  we are now looking for additional refrigerators because the morgues are already unable to store the bodies,” he said Ivanovo ranks 81st out of 85 Russian regions by average monthly salary, according to a 2019 analysis by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency The region’s GDP per capita is Russia’s sixth lowest weighing in at around $3,000 — comparable with that of Tajikistan A particular casualty of Ivanovo’s poverty has been its healthcare system. According to data compiled by the state statistics agency Rosstat an Ivanovo doctor can expect to earn the equivalent of $627 a month with other medics like nurses and ambulance drivers making around $321 — both the lowest average salaries in central Russia for healthcare professionals and nationwide ahead only of the impoverished republics of the North Caucasus Moscow-based medical staff on average earn over three times as much According to several Ivanovo healthcare professionals who spoke to The Moscow Times on condition of anonymity the prospect of higher salaries in other regions has led to colleagues resigning in pursuit of more lucrative employment elsewhere despite government bonuses for healthcare personnel working on the frontlines of the pandemic many were reluctant to blame the local authorities seeing the crisis in Ivanovo as the natural result of many years of stretched resources.  “It’s not really anyone’s fault People can just get more money working privately an Ivanovo region ambulance driver interviewed by The Moscow Times by phone Then the center of Russia’s booming textile industry it was popularly known as “The Russian Manchester” — a reference to the English city that was the hub of the world’s cotton trade — and “The City of Brides,” on account of its mostly female garment workers But the collapse of the Soviet Union hit Ivanovo harder than most provincial Russian cities The loss of the Central Asian cotton fields that had supplied the city’s mills and the arrival in Russia of cheaper Chinese fabrics sent the city’s signature industry into a downward spiral from which it has never recovered.  Though many Russian cities outside Moscow and St Petersburg have struggled with poverty and unemployment since the collapse of Soviet-era industries Ivanovo stands out for the extreme depth of its slump.  “Ivanovo is just so much poorer even than the neighboring regions,” said Mikhail a 27-year-old teacher who declined to give his last name “We just don’t have the sort of big IT sector you see in other cities so most people can’t afford to stay at home to control the virus.” Today’s Ivanovo is a city of faded grandeur the crumbling mansions of 19th-century textile barons jostle for space with Soviet-era apartment blocks The vast mills that once employed most of the population either stand empty or have been converted into budget shopping centers and on the marshrutka minibuses that rattle up and down the streets mask-wearing and social distancing is observed patchily despite the threat of a 15,000 ruble ($196) fine — equivalent to half an average monthly salary – for rulebreakers Teacher Mikhail said he sees Ivanovo’s extreme coronavirus crisis as a reflection of the city’s underlying difficulties “It’s not as though we have people lying in the streets but it’s because of our economic problems which are much more deep-rooted than just the pandemic.” Ivanovo also suffers from its proximity to Moscow With a new high-speed train taking just four hours to reach the capital it is easier than ever to seek employment in Moscow where the median monthly salary of $866 is more than three times that of Ivanovo many locals seek temporary security and construction work in the capital “This is just a depressed region,” said Roman Golov a 41-year-old self-employed carpenter who has had to take on poorly-paid security work to make ends meet during the pandemic “There’s just very little work here You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed the ivanovo train station has become both an architectural landmark and a symbol of the city after undergoing two previous reconstructions in the 1950s and the 1980s this most recent intervention reveals and preserves the original architectural elements while adding all the necessary functions for a contemporary station.  all images courtesy of FABER GROUP FABER GROUP decided to preserve the hybrid character of the building which is noted for its two ideologically opposing but stylistically complementary artistic trends: avant-garde constructivism and soviet modernism the basic elements of both the ‘red’ and ‘blue’ halls have been preserved and any new design interventions have been carefully selected to complement the original features returning to the station exterior is a combination of colors characteristic of 1920s-1930s avant-garde architecture: red the ‘blue’ hall retains its azure and beige colored walls and ceilings and multi-colored mettlach tiled floors have been meticulously restored and walls were entirely replaced with analogous the columns of the ‘blue’ hall are covered with decorative ‘oyster’ stucco (a unique stucco developed for commercial facilities that possesses exceptional durability and can be painted any color) with ornamentation based on motifs from the 1930s ‘campaign textiles’ art-project created in ivanovo textile workshops and commissioned by the AARS (artists’ association of revolutionary russia) for propaganda work in the USA and the UK stenciling technology is used to layer ornamental designs onto columns the interior of the ‘blue’ hall has been augmented by modern infrastructure to ensure the comfort and safety of passengers and a tourist information stand for ivanovo city center the project also gives the ‘red’ hall new functionality: it now allows for exhibits the avant-garde station building has become not only an important site for the city’s transportation infrastructure but a center for cultural and public events for the entire region representing a unique example for russia of careful restoration of a 20th century architectural landmark project name: reconstruction project of the railway station in ivanovo architect: FABER GROUP designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Up to 15 people are feared dead after a Russian military transport aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff on Tuesday Russia's Defense Ministry said that an Il-76 military cargo aircraft crashed at around 1 p.m ET) during take off for a "scheduled flight," according to state media A total of 15 people were on board when the aircraft crashed near the city of Ivanovo There were eight crew members and seven passengers on the transport aircraft Dramatic footage circulating online appears to show the aircraft in flames just before the moment of impact Russian authorities said "the cause of the disaster was a fire in one of the engines during takeoff." Russian state newspaper, Izvestia, published an image it said was the first photograph of the wreckage site It appears to show parts of an aircraft in a muddy Newsweek could not independently verify this photograph purported to have links to the Russian security services said several bodies had been recovered from the crash site The state-backed Tass news agency later reported that there were no survivors of the crash This has not been officially confirmed by Russian officials Russian state-backed media reported that a fire broke out close to the Severny airfield The blaze has been since been extinguished the RIA Novosti state news agency reported The crash "did not affect populated areas of the Ivanovo region," according to regional officials Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft are designed to transport troops In late January 2024, another Il-76 aircraft carrying 74 people crashed in Russia's southern Belgorod region The transport plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war at the time Footage posted to social media at the time appeared to show the moment the transport aircraft crashed flames visibly leaping up into the sky followed by dark clouds of smoke In June 2022, an Il-76 plane crashed and caught fire close to the Russian city of Ryazan Russia's state media reported that the engine of the transport aircraft had failed ET: This article was updated with additional information ET: This article was updated with further context Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all is finding it hard to redefine itself to attract tourists It used to be “the capital of textiles” and then “the city of brides,” — who worked in the textile factories — but today it’s just a stopover on the popular Golden Ring route Some guidebooks on Russia for foreign tourists don’t even mention the city at all Before the revolution the city was called Ivanovo-Voznesensk and the first factories appeared here in the 17th century industrialists and workers were the three pillars of Ivanovo community In 1929 the city became the center of the “Ivanovo industrial region,” which encompassed not just today’s Ivanovo region Yaroslavl and even part of Nizhny Novgorod region This coincided with major construction efforts in the city center that involved some of the brightest minds of Soviet architecture of the time By 1944 the Ivanovo industrial region was disbanded and the area lost its importance for manufacturing In the Soviet era the city was positioned as the textile capital of the U.S.S.R and “the city of brides,” thanks to a popular song Ivanovo stopped getting raw materials for textile production from Central Asian countries and other former Soviet republics In 1990s and early 2000s it was considered one of the most depressed regions of Russia and entrepreneurs got involved in trade to survive.   Today many consider Ivanovo’s architectural heritage — pre-revolutionary textile factories and constructivist buildings — to be its primary attraction Some of the industrial buildings were renovated Bolshaya Ivanovskaya Manufacturing plant right in the center of the city can boast several constructivist masterpieces with rather inventive but apt nicknames: the “house-ship,” which used to host the first Soviet factory-kitchen; the “house-bullet,” which used to house the former local KGB headquarters; the “house-horseshoe,” the former residential building for KGB staff; and the “house-bird,” which still serves as a high school The First Avant-Garde Factory Festival is trying to explore Ivanovo’s industrial past and its unique Soviet constructivist architecture to attract tourists and to liven up its cultural scene but it can already lay a claim to becoming the city’s image-making event like the Diaghilev Festival in Perm or Platonov Festival in Voronezh Art Director of the First Avant-Garde Factory Festival She told The Moscow Times that festivals and “events have become the tools of development and promotion and self-awareness in the city.” One of the main events of the festival this year is the exhibition "Two Types of Avantgarde Rhymes.” This is a collaboration between the Ivanovo Art Museum and AZ Museum in Moscow The exhibition combines the avant-garde masterpieces of the 1910-1920s from the Ivanovo Art Museum collection (Ilya Mashkov David Shterenberg) and the best works of non-conformist art of the second half of the 20th century from the AZ Museum collection (Anatoly Zverev The question mark in the exhibition’s title is designed to provoke a discussion about whether “the second avant-garde” of the 1960s and 70s really exists The exhibition compares the artworks of two epochs at the level of themes with each hall devoted to one subject:  bouquets the exhibition curators tried to show the common ground of artists of the early 20th century and those who worked during the “Thaw” period There are also some 21st century artworks by media artist Platon Infante which poses the question whether avant-garde lives on today The show runs until Nov. 20. For more information, see the AZ Museum site.  We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. © Andrey SafonovThe columns of the “Blue” hall are covered with decorative stucco with ornamentation based on motifs from the 1930s “campaign textiles” art-project Use of such stenciling technology for layering ornamental designs onto columns allowed for achieving the effect of using textiles for decorative effect The interior of the “Blue” hall has been augmented by modern infrastructure ensuring the comfort and safety of passengers The 2020 project also gave the “Red” hall new functionality: it now allows for exhibits As a result of the 2020 reconstruction project the avant-garde station building has become not simply an important site for the city’s transportation infrastructure representing a unique example for Russia of a careful restoration of a 20th-century architectural landmark You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email now on the rebound after years of stagnant activity celebrated the opening of a new synagogue and Jewish community center Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar presided over the dedication of the new center well attended by the local Jewish population the President of the Federation of Jewish Communities Rabbi Alexander Barada and the Chabad representative of neighboring Kostroma who has been serving Ivanovo’s Jewish community.  Ivanovo has in recent decades become a fast-growing significant city in the Moscow region boasting a sizable young demographic many universities and an international population a “chesed” center for humanitarian services a kosher kitchen and a beautiful synagogue A mikvah is scheduled for construction there as well.  “The purpose of this center,” said Rabbi Lazar as he affixed the mezuzah on the doors to the new center “is to create a warm and inviting space where the city’s Jews can explore connect and deepen their Jewish knowledge and commitment and be a hub of light for the city at large.”  Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Search Companies editorial@fibre2fashion.com Photo: Elena and Dmitry Mikhailov (November 15 the Court of Appeal overturned the order for further detention of Dmitry Mikhailov a 40-year-old resident of Shuya (Ivanovo region) who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses 1 in the Ivanovo region after spending almost six months in it This website uses cookies. If you give permission, we will use cookies to make your visit more personal, improve its quality and improve the performance of the site based on how you use it. If you reject the use of cookies, some features of the site may not work. You can learn more about the types of cookies we use on our Privacy and Cookie Policy page This article first appeared in our special "Russia in 2019" print issue published on Dec The road to “New Life” is bumpy the entrance to the apartment complex in Belgorod a provincial city on the border with Ukraine young mothers can be seen pushing strollers along bike paths as their toddlers scramble over Danish playground sets “We study the best of Europe so that we can create the most comfortable environment for people,” says Irina Tarasova a local landscape architect who designed the grounds Funded by the Belgorod Construction and Transport Department the complex is the product of new government spending on blagostroistvo across Russia’s regions best translated into English as urban beautification or renewal in Russian combines the words for “construction” and something “good.” it is not just local money that is being spent The municipality is one of 40 “comfortable city environment” projects funded by the federal Construction Ministry since 2017 President Vladimir Putin seems pleased with the result He has extended the project through 2020 and allotted 125 billion rubles ($1.9 billion) to improve public spaces in the selected cities city planners have transformed town squares main thoroughfares and river embankments “We have Napoleonic plans,” a local official in the Ivanovo region north of Moscow explains.  you might get the impression that rendering industrial Soviet cities European-like is the elixir that will cure all of Russia’s ills it will keep people from leaving the regions.  residents in only five cities — Moscow Kazan and Krasnodar — felt they could build a successful career by staying put.  students in Belgorod repeatedly told The Moscow Times that they would be “looking north” after graduation. “There are simply more jobs in Moscow and St a 26-year-old computer science master’s student “In most polls of places that people want to leave Ivanovo is in the top five,” says local governor Stanislav Voskresensky whereas the average salary in August in the Ivanovo region was 24,941 rubles ($379) it was three times higher only a five-hour drive away in Moscow many former factories stand empty in his city But Voskresensky imagines investors transforming them into lofts or offices with bustling cafes and restaurants on their first floors and those wanting a less hectic life will flock to a revamped Ivanovo his priority is providing enough incentives for locals to stay put “If we make Ivanovo a comfortable place to live,” he argues a nearly constant cycle of construction work has left in its wake modern parks and revamped public spaces The city has become leagues more livable — or “more European,” as Moscow’s mayor repeatedly says — and is growing rapidly Much of that work has been led by the Moscow-based KBStrelka consultancy one of Russia’s top urban design firms Strelka is leading the “comfortable city environment” project parachuting its consultants into cities across the country to help regional planners follow the Moscow model Voskresensky piloted the project in the village of Palekh “There is an energy that is coming from Moscow and Strelka,” says the head of Palekh “We have to learn from them and harness it.” the energy is evident: Palekh’s entire central square was remodeled this summer to include new lighting “It feels like a Potemkin village,” says Yar Pikulev “This is supposed to solve all of our problems?” believes it will take time to alter this mentality “Soviet design was focused on industry so people didn’t feel attached to their surroundings,” he says echoing Strelka’s “human-centric” design philosophy “Hopefully now a new generation will grow up to better appreciate their hometown.” “We are waiting for a miracle,” Sarkin continued director of the Moscow-based Institute for Urban Economics Russian cities should exploit “specific niches” to improve their economies That is what Andrei Knyazhensky is attempting in Ivanovo the 30-year-old architect won a private contract to redevelop a former factory in the city center the owner wanted to turn it into apartments he asked Knyazhensky to take a more creative approach Knyazhensky says that many in his social circle wanted to make Ivanovo a more vibrant place — all they needed was an opportunity So he created a community “for everyone who wants to help develop the urban environment.” “Our job,” Knyazhenskysays of the community The former factory now houses several startups focused on design and urbanism “But its full potential has yet to be realized,” says Knyazhensky Instead of the overgrown waterfront behind the factory All his dream needs now is some additional funding the money has been directed elsewhere,” Knyazhensky says Maybe it will be put to use here in the future." perhaps Knyazhensky himself would not have recently moved away from Ivanovo to Moscow (though he does remain a consultant on several projects) “It was mostly about career development,” he says is the centralization of Russia’s budget: the capital’s allowance totals nearly 25 percent of the rest of the country’s regions put together estimates that in the first half of 2018 Moscow spent 112 billion rubles on urban renewal compared with the rest of the country’s 170 billion combined This is also why she believes that the way blagostroistvo funds are distributed — about two percent of regional budgets she estimates — is for short-term political gains “The governor was trying to get re-elected.” The Construction Ministry and Russia’s Federal Agency for State Property Management have also shelled out for Strelka to train young architects city planners and local officials across the country they have traversed the nation to see how blagostroistvo is chugging along They also traveled to Europe last fall to study city planning there The plan is for them to then return to their home cities to continue spreading the gospel.  “Right now it’s embarrassing to invite anyone to visit our city,” says Marina Kuklina who works in the city planning and architecture department of Perm “Of course Russia has a long way to go but we seem to be starting to head in the right direction." Whether the investment in young specialists pays off “I do want to help improve Tyumen,” says Alexander Vasilyukha “But there are better opportunities [in Moscow] and a lot of my friends have moved there.” Others say they are considering looking beyond Russia’s borders “I could make three times as much money in China as I can in Russia,” explained Bakhtiyor Tirzakaritov blagostroistvo is ultimately a false idol when it comes to ending Russia’s brain drain “Look how much they’ve developed Moscow and people keep leaving anyway,” she says university researchers found that some 100,000 Russians are leaving the country every year 40 percent had graduated from higher education institutions A quarter of Russian emigres who spoke to the researchers said politics had played a role in their decision to leave the number has risen since the “disappointment after the 2012 elections” when Putin was re-elected in what were widely considered to be rigged elections Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine was another push factor Other emigres said they left for economic reasons with Russia struggling to pull itself out of recession since mid-2015 Those respondents identified fewer opportunities for employment some city planners have bought into the blagostroistvo model “If we make it feel like Europe,” Kuklina says of Perm “maybe people won’t want to leave to see it.”   For more in our "Russia in 2019" series, click here A military transport aircraft Il-76 crashed in the Russian city of Ivanovo on March 12 according to Russian media and Telegram channels Russian Telegram channels are actively spreading a video of a burning aircraft in the air It's possible that one of its engines caught fire Eyewitnesses report that the footage was taken in Ivanovo and the aircraft crashed at the Sieverny airfield where long-range radar detection aircraft A-50 is also based A thick column of smoke was observed from there According to information from some Russian Telegram channels calls it an "emergency landing." It is claimed that the crew diverted the burning aircraft away from residential buildings The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the crash of the Il-76 one of the engines caught fire during the aircraft's takeoff causing it to crash in the Ivanovo region during takeoff for a scheduled flight there were 15 people on board (8 crew members and 7 passengers) Russian media reported on 12 people and claimed that all passengers had died Photo: Another Il-76 crashed in Russia (Russian media) The Il-76 is a Soviet and Russian heavy military transport aircraft The Il-76 was the first military transport aircraft with turbojet engines in the history of the Soviet Union Russia uses these aircraft to transport both personnel and heavy equipment this aircraft is capable of carrying cargo with a maximum weight of 28-60 tons over a distance of up to 4,200 km at a cruising speed of 770-800 km/h On January 24, a Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft also crashed in the Belgorod region The Russian side claims that Ukrainian prisoners of war were on board Radio Liberty's Russian Service has reported that an Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft crashed near Severny air base in Ivanovo Oblast There were eight crew members and seven passengers on board Source: Radio Liberty's Russian Service Details: The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the crash of a military Il-76 aircraft near Severny air base They also said there were eight crew members and seven passengers on board The plane appeared to be unable to fly to the landing strip at Severny air base and crashed near the local cemetery According to the Russian radio service of Radio Liberty long-range radar A-50 detection aircraft and military transport aircraft are based at Severny air base the cause of the disaster was described as a fire in one of the engines during takeoff A working group of the Main Command of the Russian Aerospace Forces flew to the Ivanovo air base to establish the cause of the crash of the Il-76 military transport aircraft Support UP or become our patron Editor-in-chief: Sevğil Musayeva Founding Editor: Olena Prytula Contact us: upeng@pravda.ua This comes just months after a similar Russian IL-76 military transport aircraft crashed near the Russia-Ukraine border The incident took place shortly after the Ilyushin Il-76 departed from a western Russian air base BREAKING: Large Russian military plane crashes near Ivanovo, northeast of Moscow pic.twitter.com/di4pnpJxKh The recent crash raises concerns about the safety of these military transport aircraft and underscores the need for further investigation into their operations A national scientific conference dedicated to the 800th anniversary of the Ivanovo rock-hewn monasteries is taking place in Rousse with the participation of 40 medievalists from the country and abroad Under the aegis of the National Commission of the Republic of Bulgaria for UNESCO the conference is discussing the past and the future of the unique rock complex located in the valley of the nature and historical reserve Rusenski Lom The Ivanovo rock-hewn churches were founded by Joachim The Ivanovo churches are on the UNESCO World Heritage List on Saturday it will move to Bulgaria’s medieval capital Veliko Turnovo Reporting by BNR’s correspondent in Russe Assya Pencheva "You must have strong faith and pray - then the saint will help you and carry your prayer to God," says Father Georgi Markov of the Church of St Athanasius the Great in Gorni Lozen near Sofia He adds that he has often witnessed the miracles of St. marks 1160 years since the baptism of our Bulgarian people into the Orthodox faith and 1170 years since the creation of the Bulgarian alphabet and Slavic literature the Varna and Veliki Preslav Bishopric Metropolis. Bulgaria celebrates 149 years since the April Uprising – an event that led to the liberation of Bulgaria after almost five centuries of Ottoman rule we must not forget that every participant in the April. english@bnr.bg I asked myself: ‘What unique feature does my city have?’ There is a legend in Russia that says everybody can find a bride in Ivanovo because there are so many young and beautiful girls there when the city was the center of the USSR textile industry and a lot of young girls came there in pursuit of employment but everybody in Russia and ex-Soviet countries still believe and remember it as “The City of Brides.”—Alena Zhandarova Photographer Alena Zhandarova grew up in Ivanovo was inspired by a legend from Soviet times that boasted “anybody in Ivanovo could find a bride.” Zhandaraova creates her own interpretation of the legend in a series of unique portraits of young women in Ivanovo adorning themselves with various household items that seem to take on a life of their own Zhandarova has crafted a handmade limited edition artist’s book with a fabric cover and an embroidered title. The book includes 15 unbound pages and is sealed shut with wax. You can find a copy here Feature Shoot Contributing Editor Julia Sabot is the Associate Photo Editor at Dwell Once Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo at the Rusenski Lom River in North Bulgaria attracted renowned representatives of Bulgarian letters and spirituality while the tsars themselves were their patrons Archangel Michael Chapel near the village of Ivanovo some 20 km away from the Danube town of Ruse is the biggest among these spiritual centers carved at different height in the rocks and linked by paths and stairs The marvelous frescos on the monastery’s walls created by notable Tarnovo masters in the 13th and 14th c present the development of the famous Komnenos and Palaiologos styles in these lands There is also a great number of graffiti preserved a part of the monastery complex is open for visitors murals are considered top achievement of the Medieval Bulgarian and Balkan art “The monastery was active with monks till mid-16th c and then during the Ottoman rule it gradually dwindled Nowadays it isn’t acting,” says our guide across the rock-hewn complex Todor Petrov situated on an area of some 5 km2 consists of churches /predominantly/ dormitories or warehouse premises and seclusion cells Bogoroditsa Church has been under UNESCO auspices since 1979 as part of the global cultural heritage All murals here represent scenes from the Bible depicting the last 7 days of Jesus on earth Only conservation of the authentic murals has taken place This church is the ‘youngest’ in the monastery Tsar Ivan-Alexander was its donor during his rule in the period 1331 – 1371 The monks thanked him by depicting his image to the left of the official entrance.” Today’s entrance to the church was dug quite later – in 1936 – 38 one of the founders of the Bulgarian archaeological science There used to be a long path on the rock’s surface but unfortunately somewhere in the middle of the 16th c it tore apart and collapsed – nowadays it doesn’t exist Their plots reflect the influence of hesychasm silence and muteness.’ “At the same time they exude the harmony of spirited human figures in a composition of many layers which combines the Orthodox canon with hesychasm,” Todor Petrov goes on to say into this rock valley and also into the one close to Varna – of the Aladzha Monastery they found numerous small natural karst caves later on manually enlarged to the sizes necessary.” The method used for the painting is the world famous Italian style or simply ‘fresco’ – meaning ‘repeated painting on wet mortar’ – up to even 18 layers extracted across the monastery’s surroundings the lighting of candles inside the temple played a decisive role for the preservation of the range of colors “Candles were made of wax and tallow through that period During the burning process they evaporated meeting with the cooled surfaces of the rocky premises A small part of the candle vapor condensed sticking onto the walls and thus sealing the murals in a very delicate this tiny wax layer was washed via special technology without affecting the range of colors itself That was exactly how the full magnificence of these unique murals shined – but unfortunately they remained unprotected at once fully exposed to the intense erosion of the air now they are covered by an additional layer This layer guarantees that the range of colors shall be preserved around 1,000 years ahead in the future,” our guide Todor Petrov says in conclusion 9 easy-to-do yoga poses that improve memory and intelligence How to make South Indian-style Rava Masala Dosa at home 10 baby girl names that mean 'beauty' 10 baby boy names that mean "gift from god" 10 India’s most visited natural destinations 10 places in the hills to visit in November before it gets too cold How to use Turmeric (Haldi) for weight loss 8 life lessons that humans can learn from animals Our Privacy Policy has been revised. Please review updated ';P+='Privacy Policy Here';P+=' Uzbekistan intends to open a textile and logistics center in the Ivanovo Oblast Creation of the hub was discussed by representatives of the O'zto'qimachiliksanoat association and a delegation from the Ivanovo Oblast headed by deputy chairman of the regional government Lyudmila Dmitriyeva.  As the press service of the association stated warehouse complex will be used for the storage and distribution of cotton yarn the parties also expressed willingness to create joint ventures develop cotton-textile clusters and expand trade Uzbekistan exported textiles worth $86 million to the Ivanovo Oblast Uzbekistan may open a Trade House in the Samara Oblast It will import ready-made garments from Uzbekistan to sell in the Russian market the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree according to which by 2025 the republic should increase the volume of textile exports to $7 billion by processing the entire volume of cotton yarn produced in the country Bulgaria’s Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh and Zurab Pololikashvili Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) have officially signed the agreement for Bulgaria to host the 9th Global Conference on Wine Tourism,. The Mini Bulgaria Park is an unusual place for a tourist tour spiritual culture and natural landmarks of Bulgaria meet Gorna Oryahovitsa often remains undeservedly hidden from the eyes of tourists even though it is only about 10 km away from Bulgaria's old capital which lies at the foot of the Balkans on the banks of the.