Russian National Anthem

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This week we are looking at Russia’s national anthem.

The “State Anthem of the Russian Federation” is the national anthem of Russia. It uses the same melody as the “State Anthem of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics”, composed by Alexander Alexandrov, and new lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov, who had collaborated with Gabriel El-Registan on the original anthem.

In 1944, that earliest version replaced ” The Internationale” as a new, more Soviet-centric and Russia-centric Soviet anthem. The same melody, but without any lyrics, was used after 1956. A second version of the lyrics was written by Mikhalkov in 1970 and adopted in 1977, placing less emphasis on WWII and more on the victory of communism, and without mentioning Joseph Stalin by name.

Glinka’s anthem was replaced soon after Yeltsin’s successor, Vladimir Putin, first took office on 7 May 2000. The federal legislature established and approved the music of the national anthem of the Soviet Union, with newly written lyrics, in December 2000, and it became the second anthem used by Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The government sponsored a contest to find lyrics, eventually settling upon a new composition by Mikhalkov; according to the government, the lyrics were selected to evoke and eulogize the history and traditions of Russia. Yeltsin criticized Putin for supporting the reintroduction of the Soviet-era national anthem even though opinion polls showed that many Russians favoured this decision.

Public perception of the anthem is positive among Russians. A 2009 poll showed that 56% of respondents felt proud when hearing the national anthem, and that 25% liked it.

Below are then lyrics in English.

Russia is our sacred state,
Russia is our beloved country.
A mighty will, great glory –
Your dignity for all time!

Be glorified, our free Fatherland,
The age-old union of fraternal peoples,
Ancestor-given wisdom of the people!
Be glorified, country! We are proud of you!

From the southern seas to the polar edge
Our forests and fields are spread out.
You are the only one in the world! You are the only one –
the native land so kept by God!

Be glorified, our free Fatherland,
The age-old union of fraternal peoples,
Ancestor-given wisdom of the people!
Be glorified, country! We are proud of you!

A wide scope for dreams and for life
The coming years open to us.
We are given strength by our fidelity to the Fatherland.
So it was, so it is and it will always be so!

Be glorified, our free Fatherland,
The age-old union of fraternal peoples,
Ancestor-given wisdom of the people!
Be glorified, country! We are proud of you!

Perth

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This week we are looking at the last of Australia’s capital cities and that city is Perth, capital of Western Australia. It sits where the Swan River meets the southwest coast. Sandy beaches line its suburbs, and the huge, riverside Kings Park and Botanic Garden on Mount Eliza offer sweeping views of the city. The Perth Cultural Centre houses the state ballet and opera companies, and occupies its own central precinct, including a theatre, library and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. 

It was named after the Scottish city of Perth. The name was chosen by Governor Charles Fremantle, who was instructed by the British Secretary for the Colonies, Sir George Murray, who was a native of Perthshire, Scotland. 

It was founded by Captain James Stirling as the capital of the Swan River Colony in 1829. It was the first free-settler colony in Australia established by private capital. From 1850, convicts began to arrive at the colony in large numbers to build roads and other public infrastructure.

The Traditional Owners of Perth are the Whadjuk Nyoongar people. They are part of the larger Noongar nation and have been the custodians of the land and waters for at least 45,000 years. The town recognizes the Whadjuk people as the Traditional Owners.

The river is a sacred place for Nyoongar peoples and they preserved many stories of the Waugal, a water-serpent understood to be responsible for the creation and maintenance of the river and most of the water features around Perth. The Nyoongar peoples moved with the seasons, travelling inland in winter, then returning in late spring to capture game such as wallabies, kangaroos and possums. A main camp site was at what is now known as Kings Park (Mooro Kaarta). Aboriginal peoples also frequented the mud flats (Matagarup) which later became Heirisson Island as it was a productive fishing spot.

The Nyoongar peoples had contact with various seafaring visitors including the Dutch and the French before the arrival of Captain James Stirling who colonised the region for the British in 1829. Relations between the settlers and the Aboriginal peoples were not always harmonious as the latter were dispossessed of their land and subjected to sometimes harsh and unsympathetic colonial rule. Fast forward to December 2009 when the State Government signed a framework agreement with the representative body, the South West Aboriginal and Land and Sea Council, aimed at resolving through negotiation six Nyoongar Native Title claims over Perth and the south-west of Western Australia. The city is working closely with its Aboriginal community to deliver 71 actions in the City’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan which aim to build respect, relationships and opportunity with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 

Since water transport was vital to communications in the new colony before roads were built, the meanderings of the Swan River determined the site of the first towns. Governor Stirling decided that the site for the colony’s capital would be sited on the river 18km from the sea port of Fremantle. On 12 August 1829 Mrs Helen Dance, wife of the commander of HMS Sulphur, drove an axe into a tree (near the current Perth Town Hall) to mark the colony’s foundation.

The city site was mid-way between the sea and the farming areas of the Upper Swan. However, the early years were difficult financially for the colony and in 1850 it was decided that convict labour would be beneficial in that regard. Between 1850 and 1868 almost 10,000 convicts were transported from Britain. Due to the influx of convicts, many public works were completed during the period from 1856-79, notably the Perth Town Hall. It was not until 1856 that Perth officially gained ‘city’ status when it was declared a Bishop’s See by Queen Victoria.

The first meeting of the Perth City Council was held on 10 December 1858. Rich gold discoveries in the Kalgoorlie region in the early 1890s brought a new era of prosperity for the city and many impressive buildings, some of which still grace the streets to this day. The city also experienced significant population growth. Representative government evolved in Western Australia in the second half of the 19th Century and in 1901 Western Australia federated with the other Australian States to form the Commonwealth of Australia. Perth experienced another mining boom in the 1960s and the wealth it generated could be evidenced by the city’s changing CBD skyline.

Perth became widely known as the City of Lights when U.S. astronaut John Glenn told the world he had seen the city’s lights during his historic orbit around the Earth in February 1962. There was also international attention on Perth later that year when the British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in the city.

The City of Perth is the fastest growing local government area with a population approaching 20,000. It has ranked consistently among the Top 10 most liveable cities in the world, as surveyed by the highly regarded The Economist Intelligence Unit. Once again, wealth generated by the State’s natural resources is driving development of the city, with the difference being that many companies and businesses are choosing to make Perth their home.

Rhinoceros

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This week’s hooved animal is the rhinoceros or rhino the word rhinoceros is a combination of two Greek words – rhino (nose) and ceros (horn).

There are five living species of rhinoceros – white, black, greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatran. In addition, a number of other animals have rhinoceros as part of their names, including the rhinoceros auklet, rhinoceros beetle, rhinoceros chameleon, rhinoceros cockroach, rhinoceros fish, rhinoceros hornbill, rhinoceros iguana, rhinoceros rat snake, rhino shrimp, and rhinoceros viper. All of them have horn-like appendages on their noses.

They can be found in several countries across both Africa and Asia. In Africa, you can find them in Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In Asia, they can be found in India, Indonesia, Nepal, and Vietnam. 

The two main species of rhino in Africa are the black rhino and the white rhino. Black rhinos are found in 12 African countries, with the largest populations in Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. White rhinos are found in 11 African countries. 

Asia is home to the greater one-horned rhino, Javan rhino, and Sumatran rhino. You can find them in India, Indonesia, Nepal, and Vietnam. 

A rhino’s horn is not attached to its skull. It is actually a compacted mass of hairs that continues to grow throughout the animal’s lifetime, just like our own hair and nails. The longest horn on record belonged to a white rhino and measured just under 152cm or 60 inches, which is five feet, and I am only four foot eleven inches tall.

The rhinoceros’s closest living relative is the tapir. Horses and zebras are also related, but less closely than tapirs. All three belong to the group of odd-toed ungulates, known as Perissodactyla. Really horses and zebras that sounds weird.

The white rhino’s name comes from the Afrikaans word “wyd,” which means “wide” and describes its mouth. Early English settlers in South Africa misinterpreted the “wyd” for “white”. Black rhinos may have received their name from the dark wet mud in their wallows that made them appear black in colour. Both species are gray in colour, the famous Blue Rhino, corporate logo for the well-known propane tank company, is entirely a figment of its founder’s imagination.

After mating, adult male and female rhinos typically go their separate ways. After the calf is born, it will spend a couple of years or more in the company of its mother, and perhaps associate with other females and their calves, but the father rhino is not part of the standard social group.

They are not generally considered friendly to humans, although they are not inherently aggressive. They prefer to be just left alone and will only charge if they feel threatened or are protecting their young. Female rhinos, especially those with calves, can be particularly dangerous in the wild. While they may not intentionally seek to harm humans, their size and power make them a serious threat if they do charge. 

The live anywhere between 35 and 50yrs depending on the breed.

All five species of rhinos are herbivores, eating mainly vegetation. They spend most of their time browsing and grazing through their natural habitat in search of plants and grasses to eat.

Russia

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 Good morning, everyone, this week’s country is Russia, now this is a country I am pretty sure every man and his dog has heard of. It is after all one of the major countries in the world.

It has a long history, and this may be a three-post country because of that. It was founded way back around the year 862.

The capital is Moscow, and the population is around 144 million.

Russia, the largest country in the world, occupies one-tenth of all the land on Earth. It spans 11 time zones across two continents (Europe and Asia) and has coasts on three oceans (the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic).

The Russian landscape varies from desert to frozen coastline, tall mountains to giant marshes. Much of Russia is made up of rolling, treeless plains called steppes. Siberia, which occupies three-quarters of Russia, is dominated by sprawling pine forests called taigas.

Russia has about 100,000 rivers, including some of the longest and most powerful in the world. It also has many lakes, including Europe’s two largest: Ladoga and Onega. Lake Baikal in Siberia contains more water than any other lake on Earth.

Russia is part of two continents, Europe and Asia and of course the language is Russian.  

The currency is the Russian ruble, issued by The Central Bank of the Russian Federation, notes are issued in denominations ranging from 5 to 5,000 rubles. The obverse of the banknotes is adorned with images of structures and monuments, including a bridge over the Yenisey River in Krasnoyarsk, the Bolshoi Theatre building in Moscow, a monument to Peter the Great in Arkhangelsk pictured in front of a sailing vessel. Coins are denominated in values from 1 to 50 kopecks, and there are also coins ranging in value from 1 to 25 rubles.

The flag is a tricolour with three equal horizontal bands of white, blue, and red. The white stripe symbolizes nobility and honesty, the blue stripe represents love and loyalty, and the red stripe signifies courage and love. This flag was first adopted in 1696 as an ensign for merchant ships under the Tsardom of Russia. 

The symbolism of the flag is this. 

White: Represents nobility and honesty. 

Blue: Represents love, loyalty, and faith. 

Red: Symbolizes courage, love, and sacrifice. 

The flag was first adopted in 1696 as an ensign for merchant ships under the Tsardom of Russia. It was later adopted as the national flag in 1993. 

Religion plays a prominent role in the public and spiritual life of today’s Russia. The majority of believers belong to the Orthodox Christian denomination. Russia adopted Christianity under Prince Vladimir of Kiev in 988, in a ceremony patterned on Byzantine rites.

The constitution recognises the right to freedom of conscience and creed, but it also acknowledges the special role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the country’s history and culture. While the Russian Orthodox Church is the largest religious denomination in Russia, it does not have the status of an official state religion. The law recognizes Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism as “traditional” religions in the country. 

In theory, Russian women have equal rights with men as guaranteed by the Constitution. However, in practice, significant inequalities persist, particularly in the workplace and in areas like domestic violence and reproductive rights. While the constitution mandates equality, women face discrimination and societal expectations that prioritize motherhood over professional development.

While domestic violence is illegal, many forms were decriminalized in 2017, and support groups for victims have been labelled as “foreign agents”.

There are ongoing efforts to limit abortion access and potentially introduce mandatory counselling and husband’s consent for abortions.

Women in Russia have been able to vote since either 1917 or 1918 depending on site you look it up on.

Well tha’s enough for this post more next week.

Week 20 of 2025

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I had another good night slept all night waking only once to pee at 1am.

Kathy rang me this morning to wish me a happy Mother’s Day.

It is raining this morning; it has rained all day and has been a cold day.

I have felt sad a lot of the day, Jess brought over more Mother’s Day gifts for me, shop bought slippers and a crochet bag for my feet and lower legs.

Steps:6070= 3.4km’s

BGL6.6

I slept for 9hrs & 10mins according to my watch and was awake for only 8mins during the night.

BGL:6.5

Jess came over to drop her work shirts for me to wash, she said she was very tired and just wanted to go to bed but she has to drive Sam to Tafe.

Sue rang around 9.30 to let me know her glasses are in and ask if I would like to go with her to pick them up, so I did.

It has rained on and off all day.

Steps:6,728=3.9km’s

I slept for 7hrs and 32mins and was awake for only 7mins according to my watch.

I did a load of washing and hung it out.

I forgot that Sam wasn’t going to school today as it is the sports carnival.

It is a cold day but mostly a dry day.

This afternoon I am feeling sad and don’t know why, I feel life is so damn hard right now.

I am feeling extremely tired this arvo.

Steps:7712=4.5km’s

I slept for 11hrs and 10-mins and was awake for 29-mins during the night. In fact, I was in bed by 6.35 and pretty much fell straight asleep and slept straight through the night.

I am coughing and sneezing a lot this morning and suddenly around 6.45 started to feel really cold. The temp was 15C

By midday it had warmed up to 22C and I had to take my long sleeve singlet.

Steps: 5635=2.98km’s

BGL: 7.0

I slept well, I did wake a couple of times to pee but straight back to sleep. I slept for 6hrs and 59mins and was awake for 24mins during the night.

I started to ride the scooter up to wait with Sam for her transport to arrive but while I was stopped out the front of Jess’s it started to rain so I came back and swapped to the walker. I was waiting for Sam to join me and had my back against the letter boxes, well Sam came up behind me and when she touched my shoulders I screamed. I was recording a text for Sue and had to assure her I was ok due to the screaming.

After I got back it started to piss down raining and rained most of the day.

I mopped the laundry, kitchen and bathroom floors. I also changed the sheets.

Sue went to have her tyre looked at and while she was at the tyre place the road out the front flooded, one small red car was nearly covered in water. To leave she had to drive down the footpath, but she managed it.

Tim rang at 5pm to let me know he will be late due to the traffic. As it turned out he was 30-mins late.

BGL:5.8

Steps:7,575= 4.61Km’s

I slept well, 6hrs and 14mins and I was awake for 14mins during the night.

I woke feeling sick in the gut, but that improved after I ate. I also woke to rain.

It has rained on and off all day, Sue came and took me to do some shopping. Thankfully it wasn’t raining when I went to meet Sam this arvo.

Sue said the bras I bought her from Temu fitted well and she is happy with them.

Tim has conjunctivitis in one eye, he said he will see if he can see a pharmacist tomorrow and get some drops for it.

BGL: 5.8

Steps: 9,033=5.59km’s

I slept well, 7hrs & 4min and I was awake for 23mins during the night. It is a cold morning had to get a jacket on as well as turn the heater on, thankfully only needed it on for an hour.

It has been fine all day no rain at all.

Tim rang to let me know he will be late.

When Jess got home from work, she brought over her work shirt for me to wash and to the cleaned re-ironed shirt home with her.

Steps: 8,244=5.13kms

BGL: 6.2

Caturday

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Well here we are at another Caturday this week we have Luca.

Hi there I am Luca I am a beautiful black and white cat, I live with my human Tasha, her son, his girlfriend and at the moment the girlfriends mother. Oh yeah there are two other cats here but they are visiting as this is my home and I am the top cat here and they better not forget it. This is a photo of me sleeping with my mum, see the pretty drawings on her hand and arm, they are called tattoos and she has lots of them. 

Hobart

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This week we are looking at Hobart, which is the capital of Australia’s island state of Tasmania, sits on the River Derwent. It has a population of around 56,000.

Nearby is Battery Point, a historic district with narrow lanes and colonial-era cottages. The city’s backdrop is 1,270m-high Mount Wellington, with sweeping views, plus hiking and cycling trails.

Battery Point is Hobart’s first suburb, and widely regarded as the best-preserved colonial-era suburb in Australia.

The Muwinina people are the traditional owners of Hobart, Tasmania. They are one of the four distinct groups of Tasmanian Aboriginal people who lived in southern Tasmania, along with the Nuenonne, Mellukerdee, and Lyluequonny. The Muwinina were known as the “South East People”. The city of Hobart is situated on land that was once the domain of the Muwinina for thousands of years. 

Hobart is Australia’s second-oldest capital city, it was founded in 1804 as a British penal colony, by Lt-Governor Collins. Initially named Hobart Town, it grew from a small settlement to a significant port, driven by industries like whaling and shipbuilding. 

Hobart served as a penal colony, with a significant influx of convicts and a growing reliance on industries like whaling and shipbuilding. 

In 1811 Governor Macquarie ordered a town plan for Hobart, which was developing rapidly, with hotels, shops, and other establishments. 

The 1820s saw increased development with more efficient administrators and a growing number of free settlers and ex-convicts. 

The town became a municipality in 1852 and in 1857 it was designated a secular city. It was in 1881 that the “Town” was formally dropped from its name, leaving it as simply “Hobart”. 

Today, Hobart is a vibrant city with a thriving cultural scene, including the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). It also boasts a dynamic food scene and the famous Salamanca Market. 

Hobart is one of the best places to visit during Summer, with average temperatures ranging from 11.5 – 21°C (52.7 – 69.8°F). The months of January and February are also the driest, and beaches are warm enough to swim. 

Autumn has many calm, sunny days, with average temperatures between 8.9 – 17.3°C (48 – 63.1°F). The city is blanketed in deep red and yellow hues as the trees begin to change.

During Winter the island feels the southerly winds from the Antarctic and experiences some of Australia’s coolest temperatures. Mount Wellington is dotted with snow and average daily temperatures range from 5 – 12.3°C (41 – 54.1°F). Overnight temperatures can drop as low as 3°C (37.4°F).

In Spring, average temperatures range from 7.8 – 16.9°C (46 – 62.4°F). This is the wettest time of year (168.7mm / 6.6 inches), however it should be noted that Hobart is Australia’s second-driest capital city (after Adelaide).

Hippo’s

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This week we are looking at hippo’s aka hippopotamus they are what some refer to as stout and naked-skinned. They are semiaquatic artiodactyl mammals, possessing three-chambered stomachs and walking on four toes on each foot. While they resemble pigs physiologically, their closest living relatives are the cetaceans. They are sometimes referred to as hippopotamids.

Their hooves are different from other ungulates, as they are more like fingernails. Their feet are webbed, which helps them move about in water.

They are found in the heart of Africa’s wetlands. These semi-aquatic creatures live in and around lakes, rivers, and grassland swamps. There are two species of hippopotamuses, the common river hippopotamus and the smaller pygmy hippopotamus.

Common river hippopotamuses are native to sub-Saharan Africa. They live in waterways like rivers, lakes, swamps, and estuaries. These semi-aquatic mammals can be found in various African countries, with populations in both East and West Africa.

Pygmy hippos, unlike their larger relatives, are found in the tropical rainforests and swamps of four West African countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Their slightly smaller bodies have adapted to allow them to easily navigate the vegetation in rainforests.

Hippos must keep their skin wet with mud or water for most of the day to stay hydrated. While they don’t have sweat glands, they secrete a red substance called blood sweat. This helps protect their reddish-brown, thick yet sensitive skin from sunburn and keeps it moisturised. Despite their need to spend most of their time in the water, hippos can’t swim. Instead, they run or walk along riverbeds. When they’re rafting—napping while submerged in water—a subconscious reflex keeps them near the water’s surface.

They are formidable creatures and considered the second largest land mammal, smaller only than elephants. The average male hippo can weigh around 3,200 kilos (7,000 pounds, they’re typically around 3.5 metres (11 feet) long and 1.5 metres tall (5 feet).

While adult pygmy hippos stand about 75–100 cm (2.46–3.28 ft) high at the shoulder, are 150–175 cm (4.92–5.74 ft) in length and weigh 180–275 kg (397–606 lb). Their lifespan in captivity ranges from 30 to 55 years, though it is unlikely that they live this long in the wild.

Hippos have bulky, barrel-shaped bodies, short and stout legs, large heads, and enormously powerful jaws. Their jaws can open to 180 degrees and their bite is three times stronger than a lion. They have incredible sharp teeth that can grow up to 50cms long, which are used for eating and defence. The common hippopotamus has four webbed toes adapted to support them on land and in water. On the other hand, pygmy hippos tend to have less webbing and slightly longer legs. A hippo’s eyes and nostrils sit on top of its head, which helps it stay mostly submerged in water while breathing and keeping an eye on its surroundings. Although hippos can’t breathe underwater, they can hold their breath for up to five mins.

Hippos exhibit strong social bonds and typically live in groups of anywhere between 40 to 200, known as bloats, pods, or herds.

They are territorial creatures and use their dung to mark their territory. Male hippos have been known to flick their dung around to assert dominance. This dung is actually important to their aquatic ecosystems, as it transfers vital nutrients from land to water, allowing insects, plants, and other microorganisms to flourish. 

They play a crucial role in the ecosystem it inhabits in other ways, too. These herbivores graze on the vegetation surrounding wetlands, helping prevent overgrowth, which can clog water sources, disrupt the natural flow of water, and threaten the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems. 

Healthy wetlands act as effective carbon sinks and remove excess carbon from the atmosphere. By maintaining the balance of these delicate ecosystems, hippos help mitigate the effects of climate change.

Hippos are facing several threats to their survival as a species. Global conservation efforts are critical to ensuring the well-being of the species and the ecosystems it inhabits.