Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! NO. 51 (1843) САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ-ТАЙМС WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014 WWW.SPTIMES.RU JULIA REMIZOVA / FOR SPT / FOR JULIA REMIZOVA Skaters slip and slide on the rink in Pionerskaya Ploschad set up as part of a holiday fair that opened on Dec. 19 and will remain open until Jan. 11. The city offi- THE IRONY OF SKATE cially opened the holiday season on Dec. 20 with the lighting of the tree in Dvortsovaya Ploschad as locals prepare for the upcoming New Year celebrations. NEWS NEWS Will Russia’s Facebook Ban FEATURE Economic Woes How to Hurt Other Disappear Countries? Forever The St. Petersburg Times learns how it’s done. Weakening ruble causes Social media website blocks Page 16. recession fears. Page 5. pro-Navalny page. Page 3. News www.sptimes.ru | Wednesday, December 24, 2014 ❖ 2 World’s Biggest Clock Unveiled ALL ABOUT TOWN Wednesday, Dec. 24 people regret their decision to come By Irina Titova English teachers looking to bring in and try to match their intellectual THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES the holidays with grammatical cor- prowess against yours. The official presentation of the world’s rectness are encouraged to attend biggest clock, which was made at Rus- the British Book Center’s EFL Saturday, Dec. 27 sia’s oldest watch-making factory Ra- Seminar this evening conducted by Get cultural and material simultane- keta located in St. Petersburg’s suburb Evgeniy Kalashnikov, the British ously during the free classical music Petrodvorets, was held in the famed Council regional teacher trainer. concert at the Galeria shopping mall Central Children’s Department Store Register for the event, which begins in the heart of the city. Starting at 7 in Moscow on Tuesday. at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon, on the p.m., shoppers and mallrats will be The clock will join the list of the Book Center’s website if you wish able to hear the sounds of Tchaik- world’s top five mechanical clocks such to attend. ovsky and Strauss softly lilt over the as London’s Big Ben, Moscow’s Krem- Better understand the Christmas constant buzz of people bustling from lin Clock, Prague’s Tower Clock and traditions of other countries at the store to store, trying to get their shop- Guangzhou’s Clock in China. Good Luck! Language and Tourism ping done before New Year. Center’s International Christmas Party this evening in their office at Sunday, Dec. 28 118 Naberezhnaya Reki Fontanki. Prepare for the holidays at the The mirror surface of Master classes, songs and competi- “Russian Winter” New Year’s Fair the clock creates an tions will be held in three different on Moskovskaya Ploschad, which languages to teach about the most concludes today after starting on amazing optical effect, wonderful time of the year. Register Dec. 22. Games and attractions as for the free evening by calling 812 well as numerous performances will and visitors will see 454 0193. be occurring for those looking to their reflection change get into the spirit while numerous Thursday, Dec. 25 vendors will be on hand to make in the pendulum. Make this Christmas a slam-dunk sure you get something for every- and check out BC Zenit St. Peters- one on your list. Raketa’s new clock is six to seven burg take on Nizhny Novgorod this meters in diameter. It has 5,000 parts of evening at the Sibur Arena on Monday, Dec. 29 up to four meters in size and a pendu- Krestovsky Island near the under- Learn how the Swedes celebrate lum of 13 meters. construction Kirov Stadium at 8 p.m. Christmas, or julen, as they call it in The pendulum’s diameter is three Tickets are still available on the their land of ice and snow, during meters wide and it has a swing time of club’s website for as little as 200 ru- “Swedish Christmas” at the Ler- seven seconds. Its mirror surface cre- bles ($3.30). montov Children’s Library this af- ates an amazing optical effect and visi- Spend your yuletide with Oleg ternoon at 4 p.m. Activities explain- tors to the store will be able to see their Basilashvili this evening at the Con- ing and demonstrating Sweden’s own reflection changing within the cert Hall near Finland Station on Ar- cultural traditions will be accompa- movement of the pendulum. senalnaya Naberezhnaya 13/1. The nied by traditional dishes and The weight of the mechanism, which legendary film and stage actor will sweets. is made of gold, aluminum, steel, cop- chat with fans, tell stories and share per and brass, is five tons. The working FOR SPT memories of an extensive career that Tuesday, Dec. 30 mechanism is unique, as there are no Raketa’s new clock is six to seven meters in diameter, with a pendulum of 13 meters. has earned him acclaim throughout Today is the final day of the Christ- clocks in the world that have gear Russia. mas Market at the Europolis shop- wheels of such enormous size, the pany received from Gals Development Petrodvorets Watch Factory Ra- ping center on Polyustrovsky pros- press-service of Raketa said. is very important for the plant. keta was founded by Russian tsar Pe- Friday, Dec. 26 pekt. Get cannibalistic with your The manufacturers of the unique “All our team is proud of this proj- ter the Great in 1721, although it Celebrate Boxing Day by boxing in sweet tooth by chowing down on clock hope it will be seen as a work of ect, and we hope the clock will be a his- didn’t have the name of Raketa at your opponents on various game some gingerbread men, or attend art and one of Moscow’s leading toric one,” Jacques von Polier said. that time. It is one of the rare watch- boards during the British Book one of the master classes that can sights. The Central Children’s Department making factories in the world that Center’s Board Game Evening to- teach you about how to make beau- French businessman Jacques von Store, which is currently in its final produces all the components of its night at 5 p.m. Spread the Christmas tiful, festive decorations for your Polier, creative director of Raketa, said stage of reconstruction, is set to re- models, including hair-springs and cheer and goodwill by making other tree using only your hands. the order for the clock that the com- open next year. escapements. Kadyrov Names Islamic Militants Russian Senator: Use Disease That Must Be Destroyed Beets Instead of Lipstick By Allison Quinn Kadyrov, who soon took to Instagram that there was no need for violence in THE MOSCOW TIMES “In such a situation, the less peo- THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES to declare that the family members of Chechnya today because, unlike in the A Russian senator has advised ple think about the foreign currency, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has militants should be held liable for fail- 1990s, it now offers inhabitants peace women to start using beetroot to the better for them — their health will described the Islamic militants that ing to stop the attack. and stability. Anyone who seeks vio- color their lips instead of lipstick to be stronger,” Chernyshev was cited as plague his republic as an incurable dis- Reports of subsequent arson attacks lence there, he said, is simply “going avoid the high price of imported saying, adding that “in such an unsta- ease, in comments to the Izvestia news- on several homes of people with sus- against Islam, his own people and the cosmetics. ble situation there is a great risk of paper, saying that the only way to deal pected ties to the militants thrust Kady- law” and will be “severely punished” “Well, if you really want to color making the people mentally ill.” with them is to destroy them. rov into the spotlight and pitted him for it. you lips — why not beets? They’re In the current conditions, he said, Emphasizing that Chechen authori- against the republic’s human rights activ- Chechen authorities are generally natural, no chemicals will wind up in it is necessary to come up with an al- ties have their own house in order, ists, who themselves then suffered an ar- known for taking a harder line with your body,” Igor Chernyshev, the ternative solution for companies who Kadyrov said the masterminds of a son attack on their offices in Grozny. militants than authorities in neighbor- deputy chairman of the Federation import goods to Russia that aren’t deadly Dec. 4 terrorist attack on Grozny In comments to Izvestia, Kadyrov ing Dagestan, where the insurgency is Council’s Social manufactured were from neighboring Dagestan and repeated earlier claims that the activ- estimated to be larger and much more Policy Commit- domestically. Ingushetia, not Chechnya. ists who came under attack had been active but authorities have tried tee, told regional Radio station “The number [of remaining terror- working for the U.S. State Department “softer” tactics in the war on terror, news portal Re- ‘In such a situation, Govorit Moskva, ists] changed, of course, after we de- and helping terrorists in order to desta- such as a rehabilitation program for in- gions.ru last the less people think or Moscow stroyed 20 shaitans [devils]. So about bilize Chechnya, saying they “should surgents. week. Speaks, reported 30 militants now remain. … Now we be driven out of Russia.” The program, which sought to re- “And our about the foreign on Dec. 14 that have information that those militants The outspoken leader also implied turn young men from the insurgency women will look certain stores had that got into Grozny came through the that Chechnya’s neighboring republics and reintegrate them into society, was more beautiful currency, the better begun pricing border with Ingushetia.