Even though I don’t think anyone with even the slightest interest in Russia can possibly have missed this amazing blog, I still felt like I have an obligation to tell the world about it. Every time I take yet another picture out and about in the Great Russia, capturing her peculiar splendor and her eccentric yet fascinating surroundings, I always ask myself this question: “Will this become the picture that will finally give me something good enough to be posted on www.englishrussia.com?”

As of yet, despite numerous tries (I even did a witty series of shots from our ‘foreigners’ dorm in the Urals’ and sent it in with no success last spring, as the snow was thawing and making our whole existence into a flood of mud water), I have not had anything published on that remarkable outlet for all us Russophiles. Instead I choose to share a little something here that I think must be ‘englishrussia-worthy’ – a picture that was taken in the outskirts of Omsk, Siberia in May 2006. It portrays a rather innovative spin on the good ol’ pioneer-theme, with Lenin wearing a basketball cap. I don’t know if the campaign was successful, but I sure hope it was, since it had such a catchy slogan (though I’m sure I’ve heard it somewhere before…) – всегда готов [always ready]!