This site is being transferred to the Eurasian Vegetarian Association http://www.evs-ru.ru
Backup files are stored at http://www.unclepasha.com/old_vegetarian_russia.html
Inquiries in English can be copied to paul_voytinsky@yahoo.com?subject=virtual office or posted to by BBS www.unclepasha.com/bbs_russian_faq.htm

WWW.VEGRUSSIA.ORG NEEDS A WEBMASTER FOR NEXT YEAR. REQUIREMENTS: ABILITY TO CONTINUE CONSOLIDATING RUSSIAN VEGETARIAN RESOURCES... [CONTINUE]

See also
Saying Goodbye
and Public Hanging

Paul Voytinsky, or "Uncle Pasha", which is a folksy form of address in Russia, has been designated to manage the content and layout of this site in 2001-2002. The disgusted countenance seen in the photo above has, however, nothing or little to do either with this appointment or hard life vegetarians live in this land of sausage and vodka and filterless cigarettes, but stemps from a simple fact that his life-partner Olesya dragged him out of his beloved "dacha" to St. Peters for his periodic compulsory dip into things cultural, lest he become excessively immersed in hay, manure, lumber, his fruit trees and other rural jobs and joys. Both his facial expression and attitude are immediately adjusted at the approach of a potential translation, interview preparation, or travel client.. Misery Tourism guests, however, are met in the guise shown above. He took over www.vegrussia.org early in 2001 out of his pity for the dying site no one wanted (the official version) and because he recognized the business value of a resource that consistently ranks in the top 10 for promoting his commercial services (the true reason). The humble emoluments of his profession allow him to spend his days in a delapidated log cabin in Tver backwoods, where hired local peasants do all the real work, leaving him free to sit by the fireplace in front of the computer wired to the rest of the word by an illegal radio, ride Daisy in the surrounding hills, glue a cardboard model of his country estate to be build as soon as financial and other resources allow such a monumental undertaking, and ramble on in sentences so long that by the end he let alone the reader forgets what the point was.... It seems that he wanted to say that from now on all information related to vegetarianism and Russia that comes to his attention will be captured and registered here with a certain amount of zeal based on his ambition to make a few pennies out of 1-2% of the travelling public constituted by consistent vegetarians. He welcomes and expects contributions, and is tolerant of criticism that he deams constructive. In a manner somewhat atypical of a Russian let alone a Tver peasant he actually does answer inquiries right away if he can, and acknowledges e-mails if he needs time to find information for you or otherwise come up with an appropriate respons. He can be contacted by writing to paul_voytinsky@yahoo.com?subject=virtual office or, in emergency, by phone at (-08263) 23036 or (-095) 959-3865 / 243-9090 during his occasional visits to Moscow. His young and dynamic wife Olesya, who is co-mastering this site with him, carries a sleek cellular phone and can be reached at (902) 117-1527. Still, e-mail works best and exposes you to less of a risk of running into him during one of his increasingly frequent bouts of intense grouchiness and misanthropy. Well-formulated inquiries will receive priority attention. We reserve the right to answer stupid or unclear or otherwise sloppily constructed ones in a snappy and rude-ish manner.

Dixi*

_______
* All Latin words and expressions found here and elsewhere translate as "I know Latin and you don't". In the old days "dixi", which means "I said", was used to designate the end of a speach and speakers disinterest in any further discussion.

Disclaimer:

[Add something to the effect that this document has been written in the author's customary style which, if found offensive, should not be taken as an indicator of what typical Russian vegetarians are like. Unlike me they are nice gentle and soft-spoken New Age crystal suckers uncapable of getting anything done but nice fellow otherwise.]

St. Petersburg, spring 2001

And this is Olesya (top) on Romashka (bottom). Romashka translates as "Daisy", but if it was suggested by one of our site's reviewers that Nellie is the North American cultural equivalent of Romashka. That is, Nellie would be an appropriate name for a village hag that refuses to leave her barn, climbs over fences instead of jumping, and knows how to untie - not to chew through, but gently untie! - bags with oats. Vegetarians of a faith so pure that they find explotation of animals objectionable please relax: under most riders Romashka will at the most do a circle or two around her barn, with a detour to the hay shed perhaps. On a good day she may even walk to the stream for a drink. She quickly learned to yank the reins out but otherwise ignore whoever sits on her back. By some misterious reason she can be ridden by kids no problem.

The face hasn't come out clear on the picture above. Here is a better one. Enjoy.

Olesya is in charge of our Sunday afternoon gatherings held for the purpose of promoting vegetarianism in Russia and networking among interested parties (the official version), expanding the circle of those on whom we can inflict our commercial services (the true reason), and generating a chance of finding neighbours and participants for our countryside project (the ultimate reason).

She also holds special responsibility for the Traveller Support part of Uncle Pasha's CONSULTANTS & FACILITATORS. Contact her if you need a place to stay in Moscow (or St. Petersburg, where she has friends and colleagues), or an inexpensive guide and all-around assistant in Moscow.

Contact information

olesya@unclepasha.com   http://www.unclepasha.com/olesya.htm
(095) 959-3865 or 243-9090 (home office), (-902) 117-1527 (cellular), or (-08263) 23036 ("dacha")