Russia | RMNB

Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics as national team announces Channel One Cup roster

Debate raged for months about the NHL’s seemingly small decision to forbid its players from participating in next year’s Winter Olympics games. One of the league’s biggest opponents was Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, but ultimately the Russian machine would not have been able to represent his country anyway.

Tuesday afternoon, the International Olympic Committee banned Russia from the PyeongChang Olympics due to rampant doping in the Sochi games. Individual athletes from Russia, who are deemed “clean” by a panel, will be allowed to compete under the name “Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR).”

The athletes will compete with a uniform bearing the OAR name and under the Olympic Flag. The Olympic Anthem will be played instead of the Russian national anthem.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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Russian Astronomer Names Newly Discovered Asteroid After Alex Ovechkin

Photo: Leonid Elenin’s Facebook

On March 31, 2009, Russian astronomer Leonid Elenin discovered an asteroid. Some five years later, Elenin has chosen the perfect name for it: Alex Ovechkin.

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By 5 years ago

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What is That Weird Song Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin Are Singing So Poorly?

For those of you whose lives literally stop until we post about that thing Ovechkin just did on social media, I would like to apologize on behalf of the entire blog for being more than 48 hours late on this article. Please forgive us.

You see, on Saturday, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was hanging out with Evgeni Malkin after the “From Pure Heart” charity hockey game. In a dark room, with the superstars face-to-face, Ovi started filming.

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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Russia, Ukraine, and What Alex Ovechkin’s #SaveChildrenFromFascism Photo Means

Editor’s note: There is news and reporting in here, but it’s also an opinion piece. My opinions are my own. I won’t speak for anyone else at RMNB. I also encourage everyone to do their own research on this and not just take me- or anyone else– at face value. Frankly, I’d rather not write about this at all, but it seems inappropriate for a site named “Russian Machine Never Breaks” not to address this somehow.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin shared the above photo on Instagram this morning.

In the photo, Ovechkin, wearing a t-shirt that reads “No War,” holds up a sheet of paper pasted to posterboard, reading “#SAVE CHILDREN FROM FASCISM” [sic].

It sounds like an implicit message of support for the rebels of Ukrainian. Those rebels, allegedly funded and armed by the Kremlin, have been fighting against the Ukranian government in an ever-escalating war. As of this morning, there are reports that as many as a thousand Russian soldiers have now joined that war. That, it seems, is how Russia intends to save children from fascism.

In short, this is chauvinistic Russian propaganda.

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By Peter Hassett 5 years ago

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This Video of Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov Driving to Verizon Center is the Most Russian Thing Ever (GIF)

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin let Evgeny Kuznetsov (whom I’m praying has a license) drive the $500,000 Ovi Mobile to Verizon Center today. The Russian machine blasted Finnebassen’s electronica hit What You Do and then shot an Instagram video while driving.

Kids, don’t try this at home. Actually, Ovi, you probably shouldn’t do this either.

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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The NHL is Back on Russian Airwaves

After long negotiations, the Russian National Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) has secured the rights to broadcast the NHL on their sports channels (free SD Russia 2 and cable HD Sport 1).

Back when RMNB was in its infancy, I described what it was like to be a fan of the Washington Capitals in Moscow. Staying up until 6am and searching the internet for feeds of Caps games (where there’s no guarantee I will hear Joe B. and Locker), is neither convenient or healthy.

Understanding this shortfall, the NHL started offering a Russian version of their website this season, and they allowed Europeans to watch games on NHL GameCenter Live. The VGTRK deal — which was completed in November — is another step towards globalizing the NHL.

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By 7 years ago

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Alex Ovechkin’s New Gillette Commercial

On Tuesday, Gillette announced a multi-year partnership with Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals’ superstar is now the company’s ambassador for Russia and Eastern Europe. Dan Steinberg of the DC Sports Bog has reported that Ovi will join such international sports icons as New York Yankee’ aging shortstop Derek Jeter and British rugby player Jonny Wilkinson in representing the company.

Well, last night I caught glimpse of Ovi’s first Gillette commercial, which has dropped in Moscow. Check it out!

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By 8 years ago

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Semyon Varlamov Starts A Russian Language Blog

Today, Semyon Varlamov started his own blog in the Russian language. It’s based off of LifeJournal technology and is a part of the blogging network in one of the biggest Russian sports sites – Championat.ru. Varly’s blog is entitled “The Last Stronghold of Capitalists.” Take a look here.

Below the fold is the English translation of his first post:

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By 9 years ago

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RMNB’s Fedor Fedin: Living Through A Hot Summer In Moscow

2010 has been a tough year for Russia. See here, here and here. 2010 has also been tough for Fedor. See here, here and here. Sadly this summer, Mother Nature decided to pile on. Below, Fedor describes what it’s been like to live through the heat and wildfires surrounding Moscow.

Hey guys! While you were out enjoying the #rmnbparty a few weeks ago, I was sweating profusely in front of my PC in Moscow. Suffice to say, it’s been sweltering in my home city and it’s driving people crazy. For example on Twitter, some of the “trending topics” in Central Russia are heat and wildfire. Why all the hubbub? This Boston Globe report summarizes it well:

Last month, Russia endured the hottest July ever recorded since records began 130 years ago. The intense heat and drought affecting central Russia has been drying out trees and peat marshes, which have been catching fire recently, burning forests, fields and houses across a massive region. Some 500 new fires have been reported in the last 24 hours alone, and a mobilization of hundreds of thousands of emergency workers is underway to combat them. President Dmitry Medvedev has now declared a state of emergency in seven regions. To date, over 1,500 homes have been destroyed and 40 lives have been lost as wildfires continue across over 300,000 acres.

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By 9 years ago

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Moscow Subway Struck by Suicide Bombers

An injured woman sits near Park Kultury station (Photo: AFP)

We woke up this morning to news of suicide bombing on the Moscow metro. During rush hour today, the Lubyanka and Park Kultyry subway stations were targeted in a coordinated attack. Current counts put the death toll at 38 with many more injuries. No group has yet taken credit for the violence, but the ongoing conflict between Chechnya and Russia proper is suspected to be involved.

RMNB correspondent Fedor Fedin is a Muscovite, and he has seen too many days like this. In the summer of 1999, a series of bombs detonated in low-income apartment buildings, killing 293 people. Similar attacks occured in 2001 and 2004. Violence between Chechyn separatists and the Russian government have been common since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Obviously, this website has a great deal of affection for the people of Russia. Our sympathies go out to everyone affected. We’re a hockey blog and, as such, we are absurdly underpowered to address the machinations of global politics. All we can do right now is show our solidarity with the Russian people, who have given the world violins, vodka, very long books, and the world’s best hockey players.

Россия, мы любим тебя.

By Peter Hassett 9 years ago

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