1917, 2017, 1945
1. The February Revolution bears that name because it began on February 23. At least, in the Julian calendar it did. By the Gregorian calendar – used by much of the world, including Russia after early 1918 – the riots and strikes that led to a new world order began on March 8. Still, in honor of that day in late February, here’s a head start on the people who led the rallies that changed the face of the world, the role of World War I, and how the tsar himself was feeling as he saw his country collapsing around him.
2. Antsy for a jaunt into space? Soon you’ll be able to book your ticket to the cosmos with S7, Russia’s most successful private airline. After receiving a license for space operations in Russia, S7 Group’s affiliated aerospace company plans to launch a Zenit-M rocket later in 2017 from Baikonur in Kazakhstan. After that, the company will use a floating launch platform called Sea Launch, forecasted to service 70 launches over the next 15 years. It’s T minus soon until the commercial space race blasts off.
3. Forget giving Goofy a hug or riding a rollercoaster: Russia’s Patriot Park is building a miniature Reichstag building for storming practice. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the scaled-down replica will grant the Russian Youth Army (Yunarmia) the opportunity "to storm a specific location, not something abstract." The new building, along with other military attractions, is meant to bolster young folks’ patriotism by giving them a taste of World War II.
In Dogger News
Quote of the Week
“Why are we doing this? Just because it is beautiful.” —S7 chief Vladislav Filyov on the decision to resurrect the Sea Launch initiative, with the goal of sending commercial flights into space.
Cover image: A.M. Gerasimov, Skobelev Square during the February Revolution. Source: wikimedia.org
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