Results tagged “russia”

Mari Vanna: The latest addition to New York's niche dining market this week comes to us all the way from Russia. Mari Vanna opened last Wednesday after a soft opening all through July, bringing authentic Russian cuisine and all the vodka you can stomach. Inspired by the mythical Mari Vanna (think Max Brenner, but with Borscht), the restaurant feels more like an immigrant kitchen, complete with tchotchke on the bookshelves and ottomans on the floor. And with the winter months approaching, Mari Vanna offers Russian classics like Blinis and Beef Stroganoff on homey yet extravagant china and linens, and gives you the opportunity to wash down that stew with over 70 types of vodka, including a couple dozen imported bottles from Russia. The emphasis, however, is on their in-house infused vodkas, with flavors like Oats & Honey and Dill & Garlic. No word yet on if those flavors are actually successful. 41 E 20th St; (212)-777-1955

Hundreds of Georgians living in NYC, which has the largest enclave of Gerogians in the country, prayed for the Georgian-Russian conflict to end at a Georgian Orthodox church in Williamsburg yesterday. While a cease-fire was signed last week, St. Nino's Father Alexander Tandilashvili told NY1, "They said several times that they are going to stop the fire, but fire continues. Now they are stop the fire but concerns to the withdrawal of the troops. I would love to see that they keep their word, but they already broke their word several times so it's very difficult to believe what they say." As it happens, though Russia agreed to withdraw from Georgia over the weekend, U.S. officials say, per the NY Times, that Russian military is "moving launchers for short-range ballistic missiles into South Ossetia, a step that appeared intended to tighten its hold on the breakaway territory."

Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili signed a cease-fire that requires Russian military to withdraw from Georgia. U.S. Secretary Condoleezza Rice, who is in Georgia's capital of Tbilisi, told reporters, "Our most urgent task today is the immediate and orderly withdrawal of Russian armed forces and the return of those forces to Russia."

The Daily News reports that "local Georgians are planning to march from the UN to the Russian Consulate Thursday afternoon to protest the conflict in their native country." They will meet at 3 p.m., in front of hte U.N., and will begin the march at 4 p.m. In the meantime, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev says Russia will, per the Times, "act as an international guarantor of the two pro-Russian enclaves at the center of the crisis," which flies in the face of President Bush's request that "the sovereign and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected.” U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, "I don’t see any prospect for the use of military force by the United States in this situation."

President Bush announced today that he's sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the country of Georgia, to show "America's unwavering support." Rice will go to Georgian capital Tbilisi after going to France, which had negotiated the ceasefire between Russia and Georgia. However, Georgia claims Russia tanks occupied the city of Gori today. Georgian president Mikhal Saakashvili criticized the West, including the U.S., saying, “Today, the West’s very will is tested. The main thing is if the West fails now, then it will have tremendous consequences for the world for years to come.” MSNBC reports Russian military mocked retreating Gerogians as having gotten "American training in running away.

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev ordered a halt to military action in Georgia, saying, "I have taken the decision to end the operation to force Georgian authorities into peace...The aggressor has been punished and suffered significant losses." The aggressor being Georgia, which tried to take back separatist state South Ossetia back, leading to the Russian army to step in. However, fighting has seems to be continuing. Yesterday, President Bush denounced Russia's earlier actions, "Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century," and that the incident had "substantially damaged Russia's standing in the world." The U.S.'s largest Georgian enclave is in NYC, mostly in Brooklyn.

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Gala Apple is a sprawling Slavic supermarket housed in a former Rite Aid, located along the southern border of Kensington, Brooklyn. It’s loaded with odd food gems like these cute, 8 oz. “Subway Series” rye mini-loaves ($1.29), above, that come from a Queens bakery. Part of the baker’s profits benefit education about the Armenian Genocide.

Yesterday Forbes magazine, in their annual ranking of the rich, declared New York City is no longer the billionaire capital of the world. Where have all the dollar signs gone? To Moscow, of course, who beat us out by 3 billionaires (they have 74 to our 71).