May is coming soon, which means that the annual international European Eurovision Song Contest (already 64th) is coming.

On May 12, the Israeli performer Netta Barzilai won the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, so European performers will go to Israel in 2019.

Enough scandals have already taken place around the competition, according to the tradition of a political persuasion, Netta was almost immediately accused of plagiarism, and the competition was in jeopardy more than once.

From Russia, Sergey Lazarev will go to the competition with the song "Scream" (Scream). In 2016, Sergey Lazarev already participated in the Eurovision Song Contest and took 3rd place. We wish him good luck and victory this time!

Distribution of the Baltic States participating in the semi-finals:

• Russia - Second semi-final, second half - Sergey Lazarev with the song "Scream" (Scream)
• Finland - First semi-final, first half - Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman "Look Away"
• Sweden - Second semi-final, first half - John Lundvik "Too Late for Love" (Too Late for Love)
• Estonia - First semi-final, second half - Viktor Kron "Storm" (Storm)
• Latvia - Second semi-final, first half - Carousel "That Night" (That night)
• Lithuania - Second semi-final, second half - Jurijus "Run with the Lions" (Run with the lions)
• Denmark - Second semi-final, first half - Leonora "Love Is Forever" (Love is forever)
• Poland - First semi-final, first half - Tulia "Pali się" (Fire of Love)
• Norway - 2nd semi-final, 2nd half - KEiiNO "Spirit in the Sky"
• Iceland - First semi-final, second half - Hatari "Hatrið mun sigra" (Hate will prevail)

Germany - Immediately goes to the final - Performer S!sters with the song "Sister" (Sister)

Prepared from Wikipedia.

The schedule for the opening of bridges in St. Petersburg in 2019

The Committee for Transport of St. Petersburg ordered to announce the beginning of navigation on the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg. Navigation for ship traffic opens on April 12, 2019. Water facilities for navigation on small boats in St. Petersburg will be opened on April 14, 2019.

In this regard, a schedule for the bridges in St. Petersburg appeared.

According to the bridge opening schedule:

• Volodarsky bridge (across the Neva) is divorced 2 times from 2:00 to 3:45 and from 4:15 to 5:45
• The Finland (railway) bridge is raised 1 time from 2:20 to 5:30
• The bridge of Alexander Nevsky (across the Neva) is divorced 1 time from 2:20 to 5:10
• Bolsheokhtinsky bridge (across the Neva) is divorced 1 time from 2:00 to 5:00
• The Liteiny Bridge (across the Neva) is opened 1 time from 1:40 to 4:45
• Trinity bridge (across the Neva) is divorced 1 time from 1:20 to 4:50
• The Palace Bridge (across the Bolshaya Neva) is drawn 2 times from 1:10 to 2:50 and from 3:10 to 4:55
• Blagoveshchensky bridge (across the Bolshaya Neva) is divorced 2 times from 1:25 to 2:45 and from 3:10 to 5:00
• Birzhevoy bridge (across the Malaya Neva) is raised 1 time from 2:00 to 4:55
• Tuchkov bridge (across the Malaya Neva) is divorced 2 times from 2:00 to 2:55 and from 3:35 to 4:55

Bridges Sampsonievsky, Grenadiersky, Kantemirovsky across the Bolshaya Nevka are opened from 1:30 to 4:30 at the request of the courts.

What do dens, bears and Berlin have in common?

The words berloga and Berlin come from the same ancient Slavic root. The old name for brown and brown bears is ber or berl. Hence the modern European names of bears - English (bear - “bea”) and German (der Bar), For example.

Perhaps the name of the capital of Germany - Berlin - comes from the word "berl", meaning brown mud and swamp, but the symbol of Berlin is a bear.

In many Slavic languages, the old Ber was replaced by the word bear (or consonants), which means a beast that eats honey. Bear in Polish niedźwiedź("week").

With the advent of cinnamon, the Russian word brown, probably derived from "ber", was replaced by the word brown. In English and German, the word Brown("brown"), reminiscent of "ber", means brown.

Polish brown - brazowy sounds like "bronze".

Draft Law on Mandatory Accreditation of Visa Application Centers

July 14 Russian senators proposed introducing mandatory accreditation for intermediary companies in issuing visas abroad.

Russians, as now, will be able to obtain a visa for traveling abroad either at the consulate of a foreign state, or at the visa center, if it passes accreditation.

The maximum share of participation of foreigners in the authorized capital of such companies should not exceed 20%. Firms must have sensitive data processing technology and at least three years of experience in document management services.

At the moment, neither foreign nor domestic visa centers can meet the standards developed by the deputies. The first - due to exceeding the threshold of 20% foreign ownership, the second - due to the lack of three years of experience. And consulates are currently not ready to serve large volumes of applications, especially with the delivery of biometrics.

For example, VFS Services LLC (VFS Global brand) belongs to the Cypriot Ecron Enterprises Ltd. On its website, the company says that it is a subsidiary of the Swiss Kuoni Group. That, in turn, belongs to the investment company EQT, created by the Scandinavian Investor AB.

The adoption of this bill could lead to the closure of visa centers and queues for obtaining visas.

According to fontanka.ru and rbc.ru

Creepy sculpture park in Parikkala in Finland (Photo)

On the way from Lappeenranta to Joensuu, in the town of Parikkala on highway number 6, there is a park of strange eerie sculptures (Patsaspuisto). You can also visit this place on the way to Savonlinna.

Location coordinates on google map: 61.4838006 29.4813052

This sculpture park is also called the mystical forest. All exhibits are created by one author.

Veijo Rönkkönen has been creating sculptures for over 50 years on his relatively small plot, which can fit more than 500 figures. He was born in 1944 in Parikkala (he died in 2010 there). They write that he was an unsociable person, and expressed himself in figures. From the age of 16, he worked at a paper mill in Simpel as a presser, and creativity was his hobby, as a means for psychological relief and understanding of life.

The self-taught sculptor created from concrete. Vejo Rönkkönen used real dentures in his sculptures, this adds realism and creepiness to the sculptures. The first denture used in the work was the prosthesis of the author's late father.

Some of the sculptures are quite cute, they go in for sports: yoga and gymnastics. Others watch for tourists from behind the bushes. Visitors are not advised to walk through the park alone in the dark.

They say that everyone in the park finds something of their own. Many sculptures seem funny and, of course, memorable. There are sculptures of people from different cultures and eras. Even the “author” himself modestly sat down with a shovel on a stone, I wonder who he was going to bury?

Finnish music lovers will be interested to know that a photograph of figures from the park was used on Jimi Tenor's CD "HIGHER PLANES".

The characters are periodically rearranged and restored, something could have changed since our visit (in 2011), but the place still remains interesting. Perhaps there is no other such park anywhere.

Entrance to the park is free, but you can leave a donation. Volunteers help the park.

Not far from the exposition there is a rest stop, common for Finland near the highway. The parking lot has information about the place. Tourists write that there is now a cafe there.

The passage to the museum from the highway is not very visible, it is better to navigate on the map (coordinates on the google map: 61.4838006 29.4813052). Address: Kuutostie 611, Parikkala, Finland, index 59130.

Does the work of Vejo Rönkkönen remind you of anything? It seems that laundresses are like Rorschach inkblots:

Photos of 2011:

Buses to Kingisepp from St. Petersburg and Ivangorod (Narva)

If you want to get cheaper from St. Petersburg to Ivangorod or Narva (Estonia), there is a bus service St. Petersburg - Kingisepp and Ivangorod - Kingisepp.

From Petersburg to Kingisepp:

There is a bus from Leninsky Prospekt metro station in St. Petersburg to the former Kingisepp bus station № 841 (red buses). The interval of movement during peak hours is half an hour, the rest of the time - an interval of an hour. Ticket price - 300r one way. The movement is organized by the carrier from the city of Kingisepp.

Bus 841 is the most convenient mode of transport between Kingisepp and St. Petersburg.

There are also other buses passing through Kingisepp: 851 (from Slantsy), 842 (from Ivangorod), buses from Tallinn, Gdov. Bus 851 runs frequently. Each bus has its own place of departure and place of arrival, in St. Petersburg it is usually the Bus Station, Leninsky Prospekt metro station or Moskovskaya metro station.

By train Ivangorod-Petersburg from St. Petersburg to Kingisepp (or back) can be reached for 332 rubles, the inconvenience is that it runs once a day, and not every day (from St. Petersburg in the evening except Saturday, from Ivangorod in the morning except Sunday). In St. Petersburg, the train arrives at the Baltic Station.

There are trains passing by, for example, Tallinn - Moscow, 1 time per day. Seating from 530r. The train arrives at the Moscow railway station.

From Kingisepp to Ivangorod the movement of buses 51 and 51a is organized.

The border between Ivangorod and Narva can be crossed on foot. Traveling on Russian buses, you can save a little on the road.

Often tickets for the St. Petersburg-Narva and St. Petersburg-Tallinn buses cost the same, so a trip to Tallinn is more attractive for tourists.

Dear tourists, be careful: to visit Ivangorod, the border area, or.

Rocca al Mare Open Air Museum Estonian Village

If you come to Tallinn for a few days, we recommend visiting the Rocca al Mare open-air museum.

The museum is located not far from the capital, you can get here by buses 21 and 21B. Stop Vabaõhumuuseumi.

(Photo from google)

The Estonian Village Museum is a very beautiful place. There is an extensive exposition, various events and master classes are held.

(Photo from the museum website)

(Photo from Google)

You can also “walk” around the museum on google maps, but the museum is especially beautiful in summer, early autumn and winter. In the off-season, there is mud here, everything is like in a real village.

Here you can get acquainted with the life of the inhabitants, with customs, try traditional Estonian cuisine. The museum holds many master classes, you can learn how we used to weave or spin, get acquainted with pottery. You can see the animals of the Estonian village, ride a horse-drawn cart.

Here you can get acquainted with the various architecture and decoration of the Estonian village. They will teach you how to play folk games, show you old toys and teach you needlework, and tell you how the lessons went at the village school. There are mills, windmills and watermills, a chapel, a village shop, a fire shed, a school, a tavern, a fishermen's house, and many farms.

Some photos from the museum website:

Holidays are held here, for example, Ivanov's Day, the Autumn Fair, and divine services. Events at the museum.

Information 2018:

ESTONIAN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM
OPEN EVERY DAY
(except December 24, 25 and 31)

IN THE SUMMER SEASON April 23 to September 28
farms, Kuye school and Lau shop from 10:00 to 18:00
Tavern Kolu from 11:00 to 20:00
park and needlework shop from 10:00 to 20:00

Farms, Kuye school, Lau shop, handicraft shop and museum park are open from 10:00 to 17:00.

Tavern Kolu from 11:00 to 17:00.

Of the farms, Härjapea, Sepa, Seto and the House of the Old Believer from Peipsi have been discovered.

CENTER FOR CONSERVATION AND DIGITATION OF CULTURAL PROPERTIES KANUT open on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00

STORE AND CAFE OF THE ESTONIAN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM AT PIKK 2 open Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 7 pm, Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm
From May 7 to September 28 from 11 to 20

TICKET COST

IN THE SUMMER SEASON April 23 to September 28
Regular ticket 9 €
Reduced ticket 6 €
Family ticket 18 €

IN THE WINTER SEASON from September 29 to April 22
Regular ticket 7 €
Reduced ticket 5 €
Family ticket 14 €

ANNUAL TICKET
For one person 30 €
Family 55 €
The annual ticket gives a 5% discount at the Kolu Tavern and at the handicraft shop.

TICKET TO TANK KOLA
per person 9 €, family ticket 18 €

You can buy a ticket to the tavern from 17:30.

The ticket allows you to choose dishes in the tavern for its cost and is valid only for visiting the tavern. To visit the museum, you must purchase a separate ticket.

The address: st. Latviu 53, Vilnius 08113 (separate entrance)
Phones for information:(+370 5) 272-38-93 (from 9:00 to 12:00)
Hotline for receiving emergency messages (for Russian citizens):(+370 6) 833-81-65
Fax machine:(+370 5) 272-33-75
Email: [email protected]

Before visiting the Consular Section, you need to make an appointment
(Record online via this link).

Please note that the registration is for one person ( if documents are submitted for a family of four, four entries must be taken).

WORKING SCHEDULE OF THE CONSULAR DEPARTMENT: (reception is by appointment on the website of the Embassy) Attention!

From November 1, 2018, the procedure is established cashless payments for services provided by the Consular Section of the Russian Embassy in Lithuania. Payment is made only by bank payment card and no commission is charged from the applicant.
If the visitor does not have a bank card, to pay for the service, you can contact the nearest bank branch.

Please note that when paying at a bank branch, a commission is charged for the transfer in accordance with the bank's tariffs.

Reception of visitors on visa issues:
Reception of documents: 9:00 - 10:30 - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Issuance of documents: 13:15 - 15:00 - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Reception of visitors Citizenship and Passports:

Reception of visitors on notarial issues, documents retrieval:
Reception of documents: 8:15 - 11:50 - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Issuance of documents: 13:15 - 15:50 - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Reception of visitors on the issues of processing documents for temporary residence in the Russian Federation:
8:15 – 11:50 – Wednesday

Reception of visitors on issues of assistance in voluntary resettlement to the Russian Federation of compatriots living abroad:
8:15 - 11:50 and 13:15 - 15:50 - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (by prior arrangement)

Note: Paperwork during working hours outside the above schedule is carried out only in the interests of the participants of the Great Patriotic War, as well as in urgent cases (illness, death of close relatives, other cases in agreement with the head of the consular department).

To obtain permission to enter the country, you will have to contact the responsible authorities. Its registration is carried out directly through the representative offices of the state in the territory of the Russian Federation. The Lithuanian Visa Application Center also helps interested persons to obtain the necessary marks in the passport and the right to visit the state.

Embassy

It is this institution that is one of the central places where issues of granting the possibility of entry into the state are resolved. The Embassy of Lithuania in Russia is located in the capital. It performs certain functions:

• acceptance of documents from citizens of the Russian Federation for the provision of visas;
• informing interested parties about changes in the rules and policies in the field of migration in Lithuania;
• acceptance of documents for a residence permit.

In addition, the embassy provides assistance in solving many other issues.

Schedule

For applying and submitting documents, it is necessary to take into account the working hours of the institution. The Lithuanian embassy in Moscow is located at the address: Borisoglebsky lane, house 10. It is open at certain hours:

• Monday-Thursday - 9.00-18.00;
• Friday - 9.00-17.00;
• lunch break - 13.00-14.00.

If you need to apply to receive documents that are already ready, you should appear on weekdays, from 14.00-15.00.

Appointment

Registration at the Lithuanian Embassy is carried out on a first-come, first-served basis. Before the visit, you will definitely need to make an appointment in order to appear on the appointed day and time. Such a system exists in order to avoid the accumulation of people in the institution and not to create a queue. Registration at the Lithuanian embassy is carried out by phone or on the official website.

Consulate

The Consulate General of Lithuania is located in several major cities of the country. You need to apply there in accordance with the work schedule of these institutions.

In St. Petersburg

On st. Ryleeva, 37 is the consulate of Lithuania in St. Petersburg. You can apply there to submit papers from 9.00 to 12.00, and to obtain a ready-made visa from 12.00 to 15.00.

in Kaliningrad

Contact in this city for registration of entry permits and other issues should be addressed to: st. Proletarskaya, 133. Reception hours: on weekdays from 8.30 to 12.30 to submit documents, to obtain visas - from Monday to Friday, from 8.30 to 17.30, Friday - from 15.30 to 16.15.

Visa Application Centers

In addition to the official representations of the state in the Russian Federation, today there is a network of exhibition centers throughout the country. They help prepare documents for a single visit, moving to permanent residence, etc.

Visa Application Centers of Lithuania in Russia are located in many settlements, therefore they are more accessible than consulates.

Moscow

The Russian Consulate in Lithuania builds its activities in several directions. First, support for citizens of the Russian Federation who are abroad. Secondly, issuance of visas of various categories, registration of travel documents, registration for a foreign passport. Thirdly, the conclusion of marriages between Russians, the issuance of death and birth certificates.

Both citizens who have a Russian passport and citizens of Lithuania who wish to visit the Russian Federation can apply to the Consulate of the Russian Federation in Lithuania.

There are two Russian consulates on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania: in the capital (in Vilnius) and in Klaipeda.

In Vilnius, the Consulate of the Russian Federation operates at the embassy and is located at:

• Latvių g., 53

The Consulate General of the Russian Federation is located in Klaipeda, you can find it at:

• Šermukšnių g., 4 (Shermukšnu st., 4)

The choice of consulate for applying depends on the county in which you are located. In emergency situations, Russian citizens can contact any of them.

How to get there

Finding the consular department of the Russian Federation in Vilnius is not difficult. The following types of public transport go here:

• To the stop "Zhverinas" - buses 49 and 69, trolleybuses 9 and 19.
• To the stop "Selu" or "Latvu" - trolleybuses 1, 3 and 7.

You can study the schedule and routes of public transport in the Lithuanian capital on the website:

Opening hours

All visitors to the consulate should remember that the reception is strictly by appointment (you must fill out a form on the official website of the consulate).

Receiving visitors to Consulate of Russia in Vilnius carried out according to the following schedule:

Visas to Russia for foreigners - Mon., Tue., Thu., Fri.

• Reception of documents - 09:00-10:30
• Issuance of documents - 13:15-15:00

Citizenship, passports, notaries, retrieval of documents — Mon., Tue., Thu., Fri.

• Reception of documents - 08:15-11:50
• Issuance of documents - 13:15-15:50

On the right to pay lifting allowance, one-time duty-free importation of goods for personal use, the procedure and terms for issuing a temporary residence permit outside the quota, the accelerated acquisition of Russian citizenship or a residence permit, which are provided to participants in the State program to assist voluntary resettlement of compatriots in the Russian Federation, living abroad (hereinafter referred to as the State Program).

We inform you that the decision to participate in the State Program is made voluntarily at basis conscious choice their places of residence, work and (or) study and the realization of their potential labor, educational, creative and other opportunities on the territory of the Russian Federation.

The list of Russian regions that ensure the implementation of the State Program is posted on the website http://mvd.rf/mvd/structure1/Glavnie_upravlenija/guvm/compatriots/information-pack/federalnie-okruga-i-subekti . By selecting a region from the list, you will be able to familiarize yourself with the regional resettlement subprogram. Please note that it contains the criteria for selecting candidates, requirements for their level of education and work experience, a list of the most sought-after professions, as well as data on the possibility of local authorities providing support in housing and employment.

Additional information about the State Program can be found on the website of the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation: http://mvd.rf/mvd/structure1/Glavnie_upravlenija/guvm/compatriots

Consultation and acceptance of documents under the State Program is carried out on weekdays from 8:15 to 11:30 and from 13:15 to 15:30 by prior agreement by e-mail [email protected] or phone (+370 5) 272-38-93. Please provide your name, phone number, the region to which you would like to move, the desired time of visit to the consular department.

The list of documents that are submitted for consideration of the possibility of participation in the State Program:

2) notarized copies of the passports of the applicant and his family members included in the application, with the presentation of the originals of these documents (it is enough to certify a copy of the main spread of the passport);

3) notarized copies of documents confirming the relationship of the applicant and his family members included in the application, with the presentation of the originals of these documents; notarized copies of documents on the marital status of the applicant and his family members, with the presentation of the originals of these documents.

4) notarized copies of documents on education, professional training, work experience, academic title and degree, as well as information characterizing the identity of a compatriot living abroad and members of his family, his professional skills and abilities (if such documents available) with the presentation of the originals of these documents. A certificate from the Office of the State Social Insurance Fund of the Republic of Lithuania (SoDra) on insurance payments is accepted as a document confirming the length of service. Letters of recommendation, testimonials from places of work can also be submitted. It is desirable to document the work experience for at least the last 10 years;

5) two color matte photographs of the State Program participant sized 3.5 by 4.5 cm (photographs of family members of the State Program participant included in the application are not required).

All documents drawn up in a foreign language (the text of which is not duplicated into Russian) are provided with a notarized translation into Russian.

Notarized translations must be bound at the same level (top or middle).

Consideration of the application is free of charge.