Author: Tambiyan Samvel

US telethon raises 11m dollars for separatist Karabakh highway

Arminfo, Yerevan
26 Nov 04

Los Angeles, 26 November: A total of 11m dollars have been raised as
a result of a telethon in the USA to raise funds for the construction
of the North-South highway in Nagornyy Karabakh.

Expressing his gratitude to those who contributed to the fund-raising,
the Nagornyy Karabakh president, Arkadiy Gukasyan, said in a live
broadcast that the biggest contribution was made by well-known
American entrepreneurs of Armenian descent – Louis Simon Manoukian,
Gerard Cafesjian and Hrair Hovnanian, as well as by Eduardo Eurnekian
from Argentina.

In parallel with the USA, a fund-raising action was held in Nagornyy
Karabakh where over 150,000 dollars were raised. The donations
were made by both enterprises and institutions of the republic and
individual citizens. So far, a total of 7.2m drams (14,400 dollars)
have already arrived at Artsakhbank accounts. The biggest contribution
was made by legal and physical entities of Mardakert [Agdara] District
of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic – to the tune of 1.8m drams [about
3,600 dollars].

We should recall that to complete the construction of the highway,
a project valued at 25m dollars, a total of 12.5m dollars remained
to be raised in the telethon, of which 11m dollars were raised on 25
November 2004.

Equatorial Guinea court to rule in coup plot case
By Estelle Shirbon

Reuters, UK
Nov 26 2004

MALABO (Reuters) – An Equatorial Guinea court is due to give its
verdict on 14 suspected foreign mercenaries accused of plotting a coup
in the tiny country, sub-Saharan Africa’s third biggest oil producer.

Prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for Nick Du Toit, a
South African accused of leading an advance party of mercenaries
bent on ousting President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The verdict
was originally expected at 9 a.m. British time on Friday but court
officials said it would now be announced 1 p.m.

Obiang has ruled Equatorial Guinea, split between volcanic islands
and a mountainous jungle mainland in central Africa, since 1979 when
he seized power in a coup against his uncle.

Many foreign critics say Obiang and his allies have pocketed much of
the country’s recently acquired oil wealth, and human rights groups
say abuses are rife — charges Obiang dismisses.

Du Toit at first admitted he had taken part in a coup plot, but later
retracted his confession in court, saying it had been extracted by
torture. Several of the men on trial with him also said they were
tortured.

State prosecutor Jose Olo Obono denied their allegations, saying all
their rights had been respected.

Obono has named a group of foreigners as financial backers of the
planned putsch, including Mark Thatcher, son of former Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher.

Thatcher, who denies any involvement, was arrested in South Africa
on August 25 on charges related to the alleged plot. A court there
on Thursday delayed his trial until April.

Thatcher had also been due to answer questions about the case from
Equatorial Guinea in South Africa on Friday but a Cape Town magistrate
postponed that hearing until February 18.

The prosecutor says the plot aimed to replace Obiang with exiled
opposition politician Severo Moto, with backing from an international
web of financiers lured by Equatorial Guinea’s lucrative offshore
oil deposits.

PLOT ALLEGATIONS DENIED

Moto, who lives in Spain, denies all involvement in the plot. The
prosecutor has asked for him to be sentenced to death in absentia
and has called for 102-year jail terms for eight members of Moto’s
self-proclaimed government in exile.

Besides Thatcher, the prosecutor named several other British or
London-based people as alleged financiers of the coup plan.

Malabo last week said it wanted an explanation from London after
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the British government had first
heard about the plan in late January — more than a month before it
was foiled.

The Malabo trial has been under international scrutiny, with diplomats,
foreign journalists and observers from Amnesty International and the
International Bar Association following every court session.

Seven other South Africans and six Armenians, all arrested at the same
time as Du Toit, are on trial with him. The South Africans could face
86-year prison terms while the Armenians could be jailed for 26 years.

Five Equatorial Guineans are also defendants in the same trial. The
prosecutor has requested jail terms for two of them, and has dropped
charges against the other three.

All of the accused told the court they were innocent.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Nov 25 2004

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES MINISTER OF
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS OF THE ISLAMIC
REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN
[November 25, 2004, 22:16:18]

President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev has received in the
Presidential Palace the minister of information technologies and
telecommunications of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Awais Ahmad
Khan Legari, on 25 November.

Warmly welcoming the visitor, President Ilham Aliyev has expressed
satisfaction in connection with his participation in the Conference
taking place in Baku, “Global Information-Communication
Technologies-2004”.

Having emphasized quick development of relations between two
countries in all areas, President Ilham Aliyev has noted that
official visit of the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf to
Azerbaijan represents great value from the point of view of the
further strengthening and development of cooperation of two
countries. The Head of State has emphasized that personal friendly
relations with the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf serve the
cause of the further development of links between two countries,
having noted thus great value of expansion of cooperation between
systems of communications of Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

President Ilham Aliyev stated full conformity of positions between
Azerbaijan and Pakistan in the field of the international questions,
highly having estimated in this connection the constant and complete
support by two countries each other in the questions connected to the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict and Kashmir problem.

Having expressed gratitude for warm reception and kind words, the
Pakistani minister has noted that meeting with President Ilham Aliyev
is great honor for him, has conveyed to the Azerbaijan President
sincere greetings and deep respect of President Pervez Musharraf.
Once again having passed to the Head of Azerbaijan State the
invitation of President Pervez Musharraf connected to official visit
of President Ilham Aliyev to Pakistan, Mr. Awais Ahmad Khan Legari
has told that Pakistan with great impatience waits for visit of the
President of Azerbaijan.

He has noted that relations of our countries in political, economic
and other spheres successfully develop, that the great value in this
connection represents also cooperation in the field of communications
and information technologies.

Having noted that Azerbaijan and Pakistan are the friendly and
brotherly countries, the Minister has emphasized that the two states
completely support position of each other in Nagorny Karabakh and
Kashmir questions.

The visitor informed that on November 24, at session of the UN
General Assembly, Pakistan has made special statement in support of
the full right of Azerbaijan on Nagorny Karabakh.

The Pakistani minister has expressed confidence that relations of two
countries in all areas, including in sphere of information
technologies, and henceforth would develop successfully.

Having expressed deep gratitude for sincere greetings of President
Pervez Musharraf and the invitation to pay official visit to
Pakistan, President Ilham Aliyev asked the Minister to convey his
greetings to the Head of Pakistan State. President of Azerbaijan has
expressed confidence that his visit to Pakistan would serve the cause
of further expansion of relations between two countries.

At the meeting, also present were Minister of Communications and
Information Technologies of Azerbaijan Ali Abbasov and the ambassador
of Pakistan in Azerbaijan Mohammed Hafiz.

–Boundary_(ID_ELZfdVpbikoYk4YYYdGSKA)–

Business wire (press release)
Nov 25 2004

Announcement by the Government of Armenia, OTE and Armentel

ATHENS, Greece–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 25, 2004–The Board of
Directors of Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (ASE: HTO,
NYSE: OTE), the Greek full-service telecommunications provider,
issued the following announcement:

On November 25 2004, after a period of intensive negotiations, the
Government of Armenia, OTE and Armentel settled all outstanding
disputes between them.

The settlement package includes the mutual dismissal of an
arbitration proceeding between the Government and OTE in London, the
issuance of a second GSM license as well as an amended license to
Armentel with rationalized build-out obligations.

The Government, OTE and Armentel agreed to a compromise from their
respective positions, in order to replace a costly and
confrontational relationship, with one which is founded on
cooperation and the efficiency of the regulatory and business
environment, which will lead to the offering of consumer-oriented
services.

As a result, the Armenian consumer will benefit from an enhanced
competitive offering of telecommunication services rendered.

On the other hand, Armentel will function under an equitable
regulatory framework, which will enable the implementation of
high-quality services based on rapidly evolving technologies.

With the support of the Armentel customers and the stabilization of
the regulatory and business environment for the investor, this new
chapter in the field of telecommunications will significantly
contribute to the growth of the economy of the Republic of Armenia,
and the prosperity of the population.

The Government of Armenia OTE Armentel JV,
JSC

About OTE

OTE is a provider of public, fixed switch domestic and international
telephony services in Greece. With local, long distance and
international communications services in addition to mobile
telephony, internet services, and high-speed data communications, OTE
provides consumers and businesses the ability to communicate globally
through its extensive network infrastructure. In addition, OTE has a
number of International investments in the South East European region
and addresses a potential customer base of 60 million people.

Listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, the company trades under the
ticker HTO as well as on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker
OTE. In the U.S., OTE’s American Depository Receipts (ADR’s)
represents 1/2 ordinary share.

Additional Information is also available on

Contacts:
OTE: Dimitris Tzelepis- Head of Investor Relations,
Tel: +30 210 611 1574 / 1429
email: [email protected]

Nikos Kallianis – Senior Financial Analyst,
Investor Relations Tel: +30 210 611 5070;
email: [email protected]

Daria Kozanoglou – Communications Officer,
Investor Relations Tel: +30 210 611 1121;
email: [email protected]

Taylor Rafferty: London: +44 20 7936 0400, New York: +1
212-889-4350;
email: [email protected]

Armenian MP denies arson attack allegations

Mediamax news agency
23 Nov 04

Armenian businessman and MP Gagik Tsarukyan has denied any involvement
in an arson attack on a service car of the editor-in-chief of Yerevan’s
Aykakan Zhamanak newspaper, Armenian Mediamax news agency reported
on 23 November quoting Aykakan Zhamanak.

Editor-in-Chief Nikol Pashinyan’s service jeep exploded and burnt in
Yerevan in the evening of 22 November, Mediamax reported. The editor
accused Tsarukyan of ordering the attack and said that the reason
could be articles in his newspaper criticizing Tsarukyan’s activities.

In the meantime, Mediamax quoted the Armenian Police as reporting
that faults in the vehicle’s battery had caused the explosion.

In his denial to Aykakan Zhamanak, Gagik Tsarukyan urged the police
to investigate the incident.

Gagik Tsarukyan is the president of the Multi Group concern and
chairman of the Armenian National Olympic Committee.

ARAM I: “REVIVAL OF THE MOTHERLAND MEANS THE REVIVAL OF OUR NATION,
STRENGTHENING OF THE MOTHERLAND MEANS THE STRENGTHENING OF THE DIASPORA”

ANTELIAS, November 18 (Noyan Tapan). In connection with the telethon
of the Pan-Armenian “Hayastan” (“Armenia”) Fund to be held on November
25 Catholicos of the Great Cilician House Aram I made a statement in
which he greeted the action directed at the support of the construction
of the North-South highway in Artsakh.

“This arrangement is a basis for the construction and repairs and it is
of economic, cultural and political importance. The North-South highway
is the most important branch connecting Artsakh with Armenia. Hence,
its quick reconstruction is of vital importance not only for Armenia
but also for all the Armenians of the world,” Catholicos Aram I said.

The Catholicosate of the Great Cilician House called on all the
Dioceses to continue their work directed at the sacred cause of the
construction of the Motherland.

ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
57/5 Arshakunyats Street
Yerevan, Armenia 375026
Telephone: (374 1) 44-74-01
Fax: (374 1) 44-74-26

PRESS RELEASE

Nov 17, 2004

UMCOR-ARMENIA TO CELEBRATE ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY BY GREENING
MALATIA-SEBASTIA ALONG WITH ARMENIA TREE PROJECT

Yerevan — In celebration of a decade of United Methodist Committee On
Relief (UMCOR) activities in Armenia, the international organization
will mark its 10th anniversary with a tree planting in the `Motherhood
Park’ at the Malatsia Sebastia Community Site, on Friday, November 19,
2004 in cooperation with the Armenia Tree Project (ATP).

UMCOR has donated a total of 1,000 trees to this park. A portion of
which has already been planted and the remained part will be planted
on this special day by the heads and members of UMCOR, ATP and other
guests at the event. Among them are thujas, ashes and junipers, that
will serve as a beautiful gift from UMCOR to the local community,
ensuring future generations with a flourishing dense green park, in
place of the site’s current deserted land.

The celebration and tree planting is scheduled to begin at 2.00 p.m.

Invited to participate in the ceremonial tree planting are
representatives from UMCOR’s partners and friends, the Ministries of
RA, and over 55 local and international organizations who have shown
support for the Armenian transition over the years. Expected attendees
include the US Embassy, World Vision, Jinishian Memorial Foundation,
Eurasia Foundation, UNDP, USAID, OSCE, and UNHCR.

Following the welcome speeches planting will commence supervised by
agriculture specialists from ATP, who will explain and demonstrate the
methodology of tree planting in order to secure the survival of each
and every seedling. Recently, the seedlings of sites managed by ATP
produce a survival rate of approximately 90%, considered to be well
above average.

The hope of this event is to foster community awareness of the urgent
environmental need to restore disappearing green areas. Furthermore,
the event will establish a basis for further UMCOR-ATP collaborations
with respect to community outreach and poverty reduction programs
throughout the city.

`UMCOR believes that improving the environment is something that will
have a lasting effect on the families that live in Armenia and we are
honored to support such an important initiative in commemoration of
our ten years of service to Armenia’, – says Warren Harrity, the Head
of Mission of UMCOR.

UMCOR and ATP already have had an opportunity to collaborate with each
other. It was in June 2000, when 3 volunteers through UMCOR’s `Global
Justice Volunteer’ program joined ATP staff doing volunteer work in
ATP’s programs. These volunteers were hosted by ATP employees’
families and they spent their time helping and supporting ATP in its
daily activities.

The greening of Armenia is an important initiative that UMCOR seeks to
support, and will do so through a coordinated effort with the Armenian
Tree Project.

United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR)

UMCOR was formed by the United Methodist Church in 1940 to alleviate
the human suffering caused by World War II. In subsequent decades, it
became UMCOR’s mission to assist people in need resulting from natural
or manmade disasters, addressing three fundamental areas: emergency
response, hunger and poverty, and refugee concerns. UMCOR works in the
United States and approximately 90 other countries. Nowadays UMCOR
also initiates programs geared towards development and capacity
building, addressing the roots of hunger and poverty, and provides
beneficiaries with the opportunity to become self-reliant. UMCOR
headquarters is located in New York City.

The NGO Unit of UMCOR was established in 1993. It operates as a
professional humanitarian agency and is funded largely through grants
from US and European government institutions, the United Nations and
private donors. The NGO Unit has offices in New York, USA and Vienna,
Austria. At present UMCOR directly implements programs in eleven
countries worldwide, including Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in the
Caucasus region.

In the aftermath of an earthquake, regional conflict and economic
distress, UMCOR established an office in Armenia in August
1994. Initially the office focused on the distribution of
pharmaceuticals to health institutions and clinics. Gradually the
organization transitioned from relief to more developmental activities
including the provision of medium-size agricultural loans,
micro-credit and the provision of agricultural inputs.

This year UMCOR-Armenia celebrates its 10th anniversary.

UMCOR responds to natural and manmade disasters worldwide. It
alleviates human suffering by providing relief and development
assistance without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender,
social status or political affiliation. The whole UMCOR membership
believes in human dignity, that all people have a right to a life in
which their basic needs are met. In Armenia, UMCOR assists the young
and the elderly; men and women; the vulnerable and the poor; the
healthy and the handicapped; those residing in the city and the
countryside.

On November 19, 2004, UMCOR Armenia will plant 1,000 trees in one of
its final 10th anniversary commemorative activities. A park in
Yerevan, known as `Motherhood Park’, will receive the trees and
provide a wonderful green area for the surrounding of high-rise
buildings, secondary school, and children’s polyclinic hospital.

For more information, please, contact Warren Harrity,
Head of Mission, UMCOR Armenia office
Tel.: 24 81 41, 28 29 77, 24 92 15
Address: 16 Karapet Ulnetsu St., Yerevan, 375115,
Armenia
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

Armenia Tree Project (ATP):

Armenia Tree Project was founded in 1994 during Armenia’s darkest and
coldest years with the vision of securing Armenia’s future by
protecting Armenia’s environment. Funded by contributions from
diasporan Armenians, ATP has by now planted and rejuvenated 580,000
trees at more than 468 sites ranging from Gyumri to Goris.

ATP planted over 19,000 trees at 51 churches in Armenia in 2001 to
commemorate the 1700th anniversary of accepting the Christianity as an
official religion in Armenia.

ATP’s Community Tree Planting (CTP) devision plants and tends more
than 40.000 trees each year, and the amount of planted and rejuvenated
trees grows sharply monthly. We are partnering with communities,
schools, orphanages and other institutions to plant and tend trees
that deliver a range of tangible benefits.

Our 3 nurseries (in Karin, Khachpar villages and Vanadzor, Lori)
provide high quality, drought resistant indigenious trees for
community tree planting. The Michial and Virgian
Environmental-Educational Center in Karin serves as a research and
training center for tree nursery technology. Many students from
Agriculture Academy have already participated in the classes led by
ATP specialist and experts from other countries.

ATP creates a village-based model of poverty reduction and
reforestation. ATP seeks to become `partners in development’ and
inspire villagers to become agents of reforestation via tree-related
micro-enterprise in remote Armenian villages.

For additional information, please, contact Bella Avetisyan, ATP
Public Outreach Coordinator Assistant at:

Tel.: 44 74 01, 44 74 02
Fax: 44 74 26
Address: Arshakunyats 57/5
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Agence France Presse — English
November 18, 2004 Thursday 5:38 PM GMT

Armenia’s President Kocharian says Turkey bullying his country

BERLIN

President Robert Kocharian of Armenia has accused neighbouring Turkey
of trying to seal off and bully his country by closing their border
for the last decade in a gesture of support for another neighbour
Azerbaijan, in remarks to be published on Friday.

In an interview with the Friday edition of the German newspaper Die
Welt, Kocharian said: “Turkey is sealing off Armenia, and you can
only call that bullying.”

He said the closure of the frontier since 1993 was a reflex act of
solidarity with Azerbaijan.

Armenia has had tense relations with its Caucasian neighbour
Azerbaijan since both became independent from the Soviet Union with
its collapse in 1991.

The cause of the trouble is the mainly Armenian-populated enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan.

The territory is claimed by Azerbaijan but currently ruled by a
self-styled independent government recognized only by Armenia.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia to support Azerbaijan in its
war against Yerevan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

A close ally of Azerbaijan, Turkey has declined to establish
diplomatic ties with Armenia.

Kocharian, currently in Berlin for an economic conference, said his
country had set no preconditions for normalisation of relations with
Turkey.

“For us it is very important that Turkey should acknowledge its
genocide of Armenians in 1915 but this will never be a condition for
development of bilateral relations,” he was quoted as saying.

But if Turkey did admit to genocide it would be a big step towards
normalisation, he said.

The subject of the Armenian massacre has remained a controversial one
touching Turkish and Armenian sensitivities for nigh on nine decades,
with Turkey categorically refusing to acknowledge that genocide had
occurred in 1915-1917 when up to 1.5 million Armenians died.

The Messenger, Georgia
Nov 16 2004

Electricity imports to continue

Ministers dismiss claims that Telasi’s import agreement corrupt
By Christina Tashkevich

Imports of electricity from Armenia will not be stopped, as had
previously been suggested, while imports from Russia will begin in
the next few days, Minister of Energy Nika Gilauri said on Monday.

On Friday Telasi returned the license it received just two weeks ago
from the National Energy Regulation Commission (GNERC) after
accusations against the company’s import contracts.

Director General of Telasi Dangiras Mikalajunas explained the
company’s decision to return the license relates to a recent letter
sent by the Energy Ombudsman David Ebralidze to the General
Prosecutor of Georgia.

Ebralidze together with the MP Gia Natsvlishvili blamed Telasi for
signing one-sided agreements on imports from Armenia and Russia which
were profitable for Armenia and Russia but not for the Georgian
government. The letter claimed that the price of one imported
kilowatt/hour had been increased by 0.15 U.S. cents.

On Friday Mikalajunas said the Georgian government must evaluate this
letter and then decide over the future of electricity imports from
Armenia.

As a result, on Monday Minister Gilauri met with Minister of Security
Vano Merabishvili, General Prosecutor Gia Adeishvili and Director
General of Telasi Dangiras Mikalajunas to discuss the situation over
Telasi and electricity imports.

After the meeting, Gilauri stated that the imports from Armenia would
continue, while Merabishvili stated that Telasi received a full
guarantee from the government at the meeting that “there would be no
problem with importing electricity into the country.”

“There are forces in Georgia who do not want Tbilisi to have a
24-hour electricity supply,” Merabishvili said, adding however that
law enforcers “are currently studying the statements” made in
Ebralidze’s letter.

Telasi’s press officer told The Messenger on Monday the government
expressed its support to Telasi, saying, “there was no corrupt deal
behind the electricity imports from Armenia.”

Telasi said that while it was true that the price of imports has
increased comparing with last year, this is “a worldwide matter.”

The company, which distributes electricity to Tbilisi, claims,
however, that there is no item in the agreement which prohibits
Telasi from raising the price of imported energy.

Telasi also confirmed that imports from Russia will begin in a few
days, leading Deputy Minister of Energy Aleko Khetaguri to state at a
press conference on Friday that Tbilisi will receive electricity
without limitations.

Last Wednesday, November 10, Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania threatened
minister Gilauri by saying that unless problems in the sector were
resolved in two weeks, the minister would face dismissal.

Minister Gilauri responded that the ministry has formulated a plan
for improved payment collection, as well as a schedule for
electricity distribution, whereby the regions will receive eight
hours per day, large cities 18 hours, and the capital 24 hours of
electricity.

“Such schedules will be formulated monthly and will be published in
regional newspapers and also will be announced by television and on
the internet. In this way the population will be able to check the
schedule of their region or city,” stated Gilauri.

MOSNEWS, Russia
Nov 15 2004

How to Deal With a Russian Hangover

Polina Moroz

MosNews

For one reason or another, what people know about Russia is often
linked to alcohol. Experience of Russian drinking culture is the
subject of one well known joke, when a foreigner writes in his
journal: `Monday. Drank with the Russians. Tuesday. Almost died.
Wednesday. Drank with the Russians some more. Thursday. Should have
died on Tuesday.’ So it is necessary to give homage to the way Russia
deals with the after-effects of drink, both on a national and a
personal level. The misery of a hangover has not changed for
centuries, neither has the campaign against misbehaving drunks, so
the question of post-drinking blues has a long history.

People that roam the city after their drinking escapades risk ending
up in a vytrezvitel, a ‘drunk tank’, a place that has inspired fear
in generations of Russians. It was conceived as an institution in
tsarist times, the first one opening in 1902 in Tula to save local
army men from freezing to death after their squad had a bit too much.
It was reinstated in the Soviet Union in 1931 and came under the
control of the Interior Ministry in 1940.

During the prohibitionist years, the police had a daily norm of
picked-up drunks. They drove around in a special wagon nicknamed a
kopilka (piggy bank) and singled out people that threatened public
safety: quite often the victims were chosen at random, especially on
cold nights when the patrols got tired and bored.

Even though prohibition was short-lived in Russia, putting stray
drunkards into the kopilka is still in practice; moreover, it’s
profitable for the officers. When morning comes to the vytrezvitel
and you find out that half of your money was gone overnight, the
police cheerfully tell you to be more careful next time you go out to
a bar. After all, it’s not called a piggy-bank for nothing!

If you manage to get home without event, there are a few traditional
Russian hangover cures for the morning-after that have been popular
for centuries. The most popular is the brine from either pickles or
Russian sauerkraut (called rassol in Russian) as it contains the
necessary potassium and magnesium. Another handy liquid is kvass,
which is a brown malt beverage made of fermented rye bread.

Many Russians believe that it’s better to fight fire with fire and
sip warm beer from the night before, but there is the risk of getting
carried away and continuing the previous night’s debauchery and
spiralling into the vicious circle of a zapoy, or drinking binge.

For the more ambitious, there are also Russian hangover cocktails
that juggle the classic ingredients like eggs, spices and tomato
juice. For one, known as `Sick head,’ the directions are as follows:
you have to cover a glass with a thin coat of vegetable oil, break
one egg into the glass, a pinch of salt, and red and black pepper.
Pour in two tablespoons of vodka and mix well. Close your eyes and
nose, forget what is in the glass, and gulp down the contents. After
the procedure the victim should lie down and rest with a cold towel
over the forehead.

There is also traditional hangover food. The classic greasy burger
and shake never really took off in Russia, but there is one dish that
is recognized as a guaranteed hangover remedy. It is a thick stew
called haash, which actually comes from the Caucasus and is even
served in Moscow’s Armenian restaurants on January 1st to alleviate
the morning-after misery. Haash is a pain to prepare: you have to
cook tripe and beef trotters for six hours and consume the result
with radish and a lot of garlic.

Another curing `snack’ was allegedly discovered by Tsar Nicholas II,
and is called `Nikolashka’: take a slice of lemon, put a teaspoon of
sugar and a teaspoon of coffee on top, and eat in one bite.

All of these may be helpful and tested by generations of Russians,
but when that morning comes, most people can’t find the strength to
prepare a complicated recipe. Some opt for `Alka-Seltzer and sleep’,
others put instant coffee into coca-cola, and some, like my friend
Alina, choose `rassol and a guillotine’.