Where to find the best varieties of teas, massage in Kiev

The Kiev-based studio Emotional Relaxation is the environment where customers relax, beautify and improve their health, all in the same place and at the same time. A massage relieves fatigue at psycho-emotional and physical levels, and well-rested visitors to the studio look happy and beautiful.

A friendly chat over a cup of fabulous tea heightens the effects of relaxation, beautifying and health improvement. The studio helps residents and guests of the Ukrainian capital city relieve stress and fatigue by means of authorial massage techniques of body relaxation and tea ceremonies performed by a tea master. Studio's space has two areas, namely, antistress complex - authorial massage + tea ceremony; and tea used as a tool to improve the quality of life, which enables vigor, balance and relaxation. Although both areas are separate, they complement each other perfectly.

After a massage, the tea master introduces guests of the studio to tea, they chat and continue to get the additional portion of relaxation/pacification at a psycho-emotional level. According to studio owner Anatolii Nech, visitors are interested in that and they like it, they want to come again, not only to get a massage but to taste new tea, buy it for the house, they get involved and have pleasure in opening the new, brightest page in their life.

Tea culture is new and increasingly popular trend in the way of life of Ukrainians from year to year. Apart from a massage, the studio offers its customers tea tasting sessions, teaches them to discriminate between different varieties of teas, customizes tea birthday parties and other events at request of those who are sick and tired of drinking coffee and alcohol. In addition, the customers buy teaware and other accessories to enjoy a tea party at home.

However, Mr. Nech notes that there is a shortage of quality Japanese tea in Ukraine. In this context, the recent presentation of IPPODO products received accolades from visitors to the studio. High-quality teas were bought in the first place during the first presentation. Besides tasting of matcha as a drink, the customers tasted dessert made of matcha such as ice-cream, pastries and cheesecakes. As far as tea culture in studio's space is concerned, the most preferred variety of tea was matcha, followed by gyokuro and sencha.

Among customers of the studio are mainly young people ranging in age from 25 to 40, and, less frequently, from 40. Their interests embrace healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet, yoga, meditation and IT.

Increasingly, matcha becomes popular not only in other countries but also in Ukraine. Ukrainians learn about it from tours of Europe and other countries. Given that matcha becomes popular in this country, it turns out to be on the menu of some Kiev-based cafes, which specialize in coffee drinks, though it is not delicious, according to the guests of the studio. Such opinion has been formed, especially after tasting IPPODO products at Emotional Relaxation. Anatolii Nech pointed out that the customers were pleasantly surprised and delighted at the same time to find the comfortable and tranquil space in Ukraine, where they can savor quality Japanese tea.

Additional information: daltonukr@gmail.com

Economic indicators: output

The latest numbers from the State Committee for Statistics of Ukraine show that the mining industries decreased output by 6.5% in January-July, compared with the same period last year.

The enterprises that produce food, tobacco and drinks increased output by 4.6%.

Woodworking enterprises, pulp and paper, printing industries and publishing houses increased output by 3.5%.

Metallurgical plants and metalworking industry enterprises decreased output by 3%.

The manufacture of pharmaceuticals rose by 1.2% in Ukraine. Incidentally, the Wall Street Journal notes that the Samsung conglomerate is furthering its efforts to build a full-fledged prescription-drugs business, signing its first deal to develop novel drugs for hard-to-treat diseases.

In January-July production of coke and petroleum products decreased by 17.6%, compared with the same period last year.

Russia builds warships in Crimea to counter NATO build-up

By Vladimir V. Sytin

Currently, keels are being laid for warships at the Crimean shipyard Zaliv, which is incorporated in the Zelenodolsk plant in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. They will be adopted by the Russia's Black Sea Fleet and the Northern Fleet.

Specifically, two vessels are designed for missions within the framework of the Arctic gas project. In addition, the cable laying ships Volga and Vyatka that will be used to lay communications cables on polar sea beds between many scattered islands and the mainland are nearing completion at the Kerch-based shipyard. Designed for 50-day sailing without stopping, these unique ships with a displacement of 10,000 tons are capable of laying cables and repairing them while sustaining storm force up to five under severe icing conditions.

Readers of The Ukrainian Times know that the purpose of Russia is to convert Crimea into an unsinkable aircraft carrier, the strategic military base, capable of challenging the old and faulty NATO (essentially the United States). In particular, the Russian peninsula is outfitted with the cutting-edge weaponry, including S-400 Triumph and Pantsir air-defense missile systems, as well as with Bastion mobile antiship missile complexes and Bereg coastal mobile artillery systems.

According to Paul Craig Roberts, chairman of the Institute for Political Economy, Russia has allowed Washington to put ABM bases on its borders with Poland and Romania. This is like the U.S. permitting Russia to put missile bases in Cuba. The fact that no one in Washington or any Western government has stepped forward to reassure the Russian government and demand the removal of U.S. missile bases surrounding Russia indicates a level of hubris or denial that is beyond comprehension. And what about the vote of the U.S. House of Representatives to go even beyond the obscene proposal of the Trump administration to increase the military budget by $54 billion and instead add a whopping $74 billion to the Pentagon budget?

США, ЮЖНАЯ КОРЕЯ ДОЛЖНЫ ПРЕКРАТИТЬ ВОЕННЫЕ МАНЁВРЫ В РЕГИОНЕ КОРЕЙСКОГО ПОЛУОСТРОВА

На недавнем экстренном заседании Совета Безопасности ООН, созванного в связи с испытанием водородной бомбы Северной Кореей, Китай и Россия заявили, что введение новых санкций является неэффективным шагом и может привести к ещё большей эскалации кризиса. Москва и Пекин предлагают Пхеньяну приостановить осуществление ядерной и ракетной программы, а США и Южная Корея в ответ на это должны прекратить свои регулярные военные манёвры в регионе Корейского полуострова. Кроме того, Россия и Китай выступают за возобновление переговоров с северокорейскими властями.

Ornex Ltd. takes blocking stakes in energy troika

By Vladimir V. Sytin

Recently, the State Property Fund of Ukraine has sold blocking stakes in three energy companies, namely DonetskOblEnergo, ZapadOblEnergo and KievEnergo by exchange auctions. All blocks of shares were acquired by the limited liability company Ornex of Cyprus, which is incorporated in the System Capital Management Group controlled by Ukrainian industrial magnate Rinat Akhmetov. As a result, DonetskOblEnergo, ZapadOblEnergo and KievEnergo are respectively 96.5%, 97.2% and 97.4% owned by Akhmetov's companies today.

According to many observers, Kiev authorities' assurances to return KievEnergo to communal ownership turned out to be worthless. At present, privatization in Ukraine is the way that bureaucrats can reward tycoons and cronies by giving them valuable public resources for a low price. As a rule, this deregulation entails high prices and poor services, whereas private owners would not move a finger to build new power plants or mend power networks, but milk very hard-pressed Ukrainian taxpayers of their cash.

В МАТЕРИ ГОРОДОВ РУССКИХ ПЛАНИРУЮТ ПОСТРОИТЬ СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ МУСОРОПЕРЕРАБАТЫВАЮЩИЕ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЯ

Ежегодно в Киеве накапливается около 1,2 миллиона тонн твёрдых бытовых отходов (ТБО), из которых на полигоны и свалки вывозят 67,2%. Очевидно, возле матери городов русских уже бы выросли целые мусорные терриконы, если бы часть отходов не сжигали на заводе "Энергия".

Сегодня завод реконструируют, модернизируют котлоагрегаты с заменой электрофильтров. На эти цели в 2015-2016 годах было потрачено 49,1 миллиона гривен, а в этом году нужно ещё почти 11 млн. грн. Проектируют и устанавливают современные системы очистки дымовых газов. Работы планируют завершить в 2020 году.

На заводе "Энергия" сжигают всего лишь 21,8% ТБО. То, что вывозят на полигоны, создаёт угрозу для окружающей среды Киева и его околиц. Выход из ситуации видится в сортировке и переработке отходов. Специалисты разработали Концепцию обращения с ТБО. Планируется создание новых центров обращения с отходами, где их будут сортировать, максимально извлекая ресурсоценные компоненты - стекло, пластик, метал и т.п. Сейчас сортируют всего лишь 11% ТБО.

Местные власти инициировали противоаварийные мероприятия на полигоне № 5 и разрабатывают проект его дальнейшей рекультивации. Кроме того, планируется строительство пяти современных мусороперерабатывающих предприятий мощностью от 350 до 450 тысяч тонн в год.

В Киеве установили 50 подземных мусорных баков. До конца текущего года установят ещё 300, а в 2018 году - тысячу баков. Каждый контейнер рассчитан на пять кубических метров ТБО. Они оснащены системами пожаротушения и датчиками, которые подают сигнал диспетчеру, что бак заполнен.

Cannabis activity prohibited in Ukraine, its neighbors

In Ukraine, cannabis is mainly grown in small plantations, hidden amongst corn, in the black soil suitable for cultivation, which is found in the central and southern parts of this country. According to Ukrainian legislation, cultivation (without intent to sell) of up to 10 cannabis plants qualifies as an administrative violation, with a fine of from 18 to 100 tax-exempt minimum incomes and the seizure of plants. Reportedly, the limit for possession without intent to sell, for which no criminal liability is provided, shall not exceed five grams of cannabis.

By comparison, Russia reduced the limits for criminal possession of many drugs in 2006, with the criminal threshold for cannabis being cut from 20 to six grams.

Cannabis activity is strictly prohibited in Byelorussia. When a person is caught with cannabis, be it small or large amount, it can cost him or her a lot more (from bribing) and a law-breaker may well receive an 8–10 years' prison sentence.

P.S. A joke overheard in a pub:

Two Hippies are walking along a railroad track, stoned. One Hippie says: “This is a really long staircase, man!” The other Hippie says: “I don’t mind the stairs, man. It’s this low handrail that is killing me.”