Wow, didn't know about this thread. Well, I guess my fellow countryman Sergei missed a spot or maybe I'm just a hair-splitter.
For Soviet revanchists yes. But not for those who have no remorse about disintegrating of the Union. Though young ones and many more are ok with it.
Oh, they truly do! (sarcasm sign). Especially after our Great Ekaterina (who was a Jerry basically) made everything to shut down any independence of Cossacks. The presence of Russia in Ukraine was very strong, and there is an invisible line between Western and Eastern Ukraine. The first one was eager for independence and took their chances since Empire was falling apart in 1917. Stalin politics was no help to make Ukrainians feel good about us as millions died of hunger in the beginning of 1930s. Though Ukrainian nationalists forget that Russians also were victims of hunger as a result of the same politics, Stalin simply didn't give a s**t about people.
He was never in charge.
Vlad is a short derivative from a completely other name - Vladislav. If you want to call Vladimir shortly it is Vova or Vovan (as some teenagers and hoodlums can call a fellow)
Deadly wrong, they have they Duke Ramzan now, who is playing the role of wild but faithfull vicegerent but actually no one knows what is in his mind. Putin doesn't give a damn until Ramzan and his thugs keep order in the Chechnya Republic.
In general, that is correct. Usually, it was only a summer house but know some folks rebuilding houses or create new ones on their properties to have an option to live there for a whole year. People moved from cities to dachas for summertime in the early 19 century. In the middle of the same century, dachas became more and more popular thing with the development of the railroad. During Soviet time land was also given away for dachas settlements. My own grandfather was a bigshot in government and he got one too in the late 50s and build the house on his own.
Sergei is right it is a hell of a trip our trains are not very comfortable. But you don't have to drink the whole trip, in fact, the rules about drinking are toughened. I went by railroad to Baikal lake myself for 3 and a half days and didn't have a problem or discomfort as a result of drunkards. Though an Austrian guy whom I met, later told me that on his way back traveling with a guy who went out or jail or something, who forced him to drink with him and it was pretty scary).
Well at least in UK and US people have more legal protection and their rights are much better protected.
Yes, it is well filmed, good production. But some things about the portrayal of soviet life and all that is very naive, at least my father said so who was an adult at that time.
