Just a couple of days ago I mentioned that I wanted to keep tabs, if possible, on the two children of Artyom and Anna Dultsev — the two Russian spies who were part of the historic swap concluded on August 1st. The only initial information the public had been given was that Sofia, 11, and Daniel, 8, did not know that they were Russian, and not Argentinian, until they were on a plane from Ankara to Moscow with their parents, whom they had not seen for the past nineteen months because . . .

But wait . . . I’m getting ahead of myself. It’s a convoluted tale, best told in some sort of logical sequence. And thanks to Shaun Walker of The Guardian (U.K.), some further details are now available.

If you’ve never seen the 2013 Golden Globe-winning, six-season TV series “The Americans” . . . well, let me just say that I consider it essential viewing for every adult who isn’t afraid of the truth. It is fiction, overflowing with violence and sex (and violent sex). But it is superbly written and acted, and inspired by the story of a real Russian family of “illegals” — specially-trained spies who infiltrate into another country, blend in as locals, and sacrifice their own normal lives for the benefit of Mother Russia.

Yes, this shit really happens. Not to be overly dramatic — okay, maybe just a little bit dramatic — you don’t really know who your neighbors are.

That, in a nutshell, describes — though hopefully without all the violence (the sex is their own business) — the lives of Artyom Dultsev and Anna Dultseva. They were sent first to live in Argentina as Maria Mayer and Ludwig Gisch. Their children were born there, and grew up speaking Spanish. On the excuse that they feared the excess of street crime in Argentina, the family moved to Ljubljana, Slovenia (wouldn’t that be everyone’s obvious first choice?), where the children attended an international school and studied English. Little Sofia and Daniel knew their parents as ordinary business people who sometimes had to travel; they had no idea they were Russian . . . let alone Russian spies.

Life was good for the family, until one day in December of 2022, when their suburban home was raided by armed police who had come to arrest the couple on the basis of a tip from “an allied intelligence service.” [The Guardian, August 6, 2024.] They were sent to prison; Sofia and Daniel were placed in foster care, and were only reunited with their parents 19 months later — on the day of the spy swap, August 1st, 2024.

What those 19 months were like for the children can only be imagined.

Now look at the picture of them arriving in Moscow. They appear so composed, so normal. Or perhaps they’re simply shell-shocked. In one day, they have been brought back from foster care to their real parents (it is not clear whether they knew why they had been separated in the first place); given some story to explain why they were immediately leaving Slovenia on a plane with strange foreign writing on its exterior; and then told, when they were in the air and it was too late to run away, that they were not Argentinian, their parents were Russian spies, and they were leaving everything behind to spend the rest of their lives in Russia!

Yes . . . I definitely vote for shell-shocked.

Apparently, the children’s parents had done such a good job of keeping them in the dark about all things Russian for the past eleven years that, when they arrived at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport to be greeted by a military honor guard and Vladimir Putin himself, the youngsters didn’t know who the hell he was.

And now, for the second time in their short lives, they are being forced to start over in a strange land, learn a new language, make new friends . . . and adapt to a restricted way of life they have never known before. I believe a few history lessons — including current events — are in order for them. And perhaps a little therapy.

Those poor children . . .

But, according to — yes, folks, he’s back! — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, it’s all worth it; that “making such sacrifices for the sake of their work and their dedication to their service” is all just part of being an illegal.

Easy for you to say, Dima. You’re not the one making the sacrifices.

The story of the Dultsevs is already being touted in Russia with pride, as an indication of what Russian operatives are willing to do in the name of patriotism. Appearing on Russian TV in an interview that was broadcast from the grounds of SVR headquarters outside Moscow (presumably the Yasenevo complex), Anna Dultseva expressed her appreciation:

“I am so grateful to our country and so grateful to Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin].”

Of course you are, Anna. You have no choice.

The children were also there; it happened to be young Daniel’s ninth birthday, and the interviewer presented him with a gift: a plush toy character from a popular Soviet-era book, Cheburashka — a fuzzy little creature, an orphan who doesn’t quite fit in but remains optimistic, and has a best friend Gena, a lonely crocodile . . .

Well, I’m sure Daniel was thrilled.

The interviewer further offered the following palliative to viewers concerning the Dultsev family:

“They are high-class professionals who devoted their whole lives to the motherland, making sacrifices that ordinary people could never understand. They raised their children as Spanish-speaking Catholics. Now they will have to teach them what borscht is.” [The Guardian, id.]

Oh, I feel much better now.

*. *. *

But what about the backstory? How many of these “illegals” does Putin have scattered around the world, living seemingly normal lives while rooting for valuable information to transmit back home, spreading the current line of Russian propaganda, and possibly even recruiting converts to Russia’s team?

The simple truth is, they’re everywhere, and have been for decades. We round them up when we find them, but I don’t suppose there’s any way of estimating how many there are — not just here in the U.S., but throughout the world.

And they have now become heroes of Putin’s propaganda machine, appearing in TV documentaries, “carefully edited” books depicting their patriotic activities, and even statues to some of the most well-known in various cities. The hardships are ignored; what is stressed is their “glorious sacrifice for the benefit of the motherland.” [The Guardian, id.]

I wonder how 11-year-old Sofia and 9-year-old Daniel feel about that.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/7/24

It’s wet out there, folks!

(Note: The above picture was not taken in our immediate neighborhood, but apparently somewhere in the county.)

Some of our neighbors have had drainage and spillover problems, but for the most part, we’re doing okay. And we’re lucky to be in a neighborhood where people jump in to help each other in times like this.

Nearly everything is shut down today, other than emergency and “essential” services. Schools are scheduled to open for the new academic year on Thursday; that remains to be seen.

It’s one of those times when life seems to be suspended in midair, waiting to hit the ground running again when the signal is given.

And I just keep writing . . .

Hey! My iPad just took a selfie!

Brendochka
8/6/24

Just graduated from high school? Can’t afford college? Having trouble finding a job that pays a living wage?

You’ve got lots of company. So maybe you’re thinking of doing your duty to your country and enlisting in the military, where you can learn a skill while also serving the land that has done so much for you. And with all that free room and board, and medical and dental care, you can save up enough for college later.

What a great idea! So let’s crunch the numbers. A U.S. Army private with less than two years of service currently earns a base pay of $21,420, or about $2,017 per month. Since your expenses are practically nil, that sounds pretty good to you 18-year-olds, doesn’t it?

Well, it’s not bad . . . not bad at all. But you shouldn’t grab the first offer that comes your way. Check this out.

Vladimir Putin has doubled the up-front payments for volunteers to fight in Ukraine. Doubled! Sign a contract with the army, and you will receive a signing bonus of 400,000 rubles, or $4,651. And the government has recommended that regional authorities match this payment with at least the same amount, so you could be talking about $9,302 before you’ve even been fitted for a uniform.

Hold on, there. Did you read that right? Rubles?!! Well, yes. We are talking about the Russian army, after all. But, moving on . . .

There’s also your monthly salary. For a private participating in Russia’s “special military operation” (we’ll talk about that later), the minimum annual wage in the first year of service has been increased to 3.25 million rubles (or the equivalent of $37,791). In Russia, that makes you a millionaire! In rubles, of course.

And if you enlist in Moscow, you qualify for the additional up-front payment of 1.9 million rubles recently authorized by the mayor (another $21,777), bringing your total first-year pay to . . . WOW! . . . a whopping 5.2 million rubles (or around $60,320 in real money).

So, you say there’s got to be a catch, right?

Well . . .

Remember I mentioned that “special military operation”? Have you been paying attention to the news for the past 2-1/2 years? That’s what Russia calls its war in Ukraine — its brutal, bloody, barbaric invasion of a peaceful sovereign nation in which an estimated 10,500 civilians have been killed thus far.

And you don’t even want to know about the half million or so Russian military casualties.

No, seriously . . . you don’t want to know, because that’s where they’ll be sending you: into the meat grinder they call a “special military operation,” because they’re afraid to let their people know what it really is. And you? You’re just more meat.

*. *. *

So what’s my point? Well, first, it’s that money is not always the most important consideration. What good is a fat bank account when you’re dead?

And second . . . Okay, I confess: this little lesson wasn’t really aimed at high school graduates. They’re not reading my blog anyway. It was just another example of the state of things in Russia vis-a-vis its military misadventure in Ukraine. They can’t get enough volunteers — enlistments so far this year have numbered only about 190,000 as compared with 490,000 in 2023 — not even enough to replace the casualties. And they’re rightfully concerned about popular reaction if they even consider staging another nationwide mobilization.

How strange: no one wants to go to war. Well, except for a few hard-core criminals who think that even coming home in a body bag would be better than life in a Russian prison. And from what we’ve learned recently from the former hostages, they’re probably right.

So the government is buying live bodies, both at home and in friendly countries abroad. That has to be tough on the economy . . . but perhaps all the precious metals and gems their mercenaries are hauling out of Africa will help.

*. *. *

Well, now — what’s that all about? Do we have a lead-in to my next post, or what? We’re talking about Russian mercenaries, African mine workers, governments trading who-knows-what behind closed doors so that Vladimir Putin can keep his “special military operation” going.

I wonder: If Louis Armstrong were alive today, do you think he’d still be singing “What a Wonderful World”?

Because from everything I’m seeing, I’m not so sure it is.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/6/24

Well, we lost power for about four hours out here in the Georgia countryside, thanks to Tropical Storm Debbie.

Not wanting to run down my iPad’s battery, I had to suspend work for a while, but I did manage to get in some reading by flashlight: an exciting new book by Anne Applebaum, titled “Autocracy, Inc.” For those of you who follow my commentaries on world events, I strongly recommend you consider adding it to your reading list.

*. *. *

But now that our power has been restored, I’m back at work on a couple of thoughts for posting later today. I’m not implying that I’d want to go back to the days of writing by candlelight with a quill and ink, but this dependency on all of our conveniences has made us helpless in the face of the occasional inconvenience.

Hmm . . . there’s a topic worth exploring.

But later. Right now, I believe I’m beginning to get used to the sound of the rain beating against the window — enough to allow me to concentrate, at any rate. It’s not the gentle pitter-patter I’d prefer, but it’s all right. And we haven’t floated away yet. I’ll break in from time to time with updates on Debbie’s impact on Coastal Georgia, but in the meantime . . .

Gotta write!

Brendochka
8/6/24

Seriously. Trying to concentrate on what’s going on in Ukraine, or Taiwan, or Doug Emhoff’s former love life has proven difficult today, what with the sheets of rain pounding against this side of the house, and a tornado watch issued for the next three days.

You guessed it: I’m down here in Coastal Georgia, USA, feeling the first impact of Hurricane Debbie (or Debby, depending on which account you’re reading). It’s not really a hurricane at the moment, but it’s the equivalent of one of those nasty storms that roll through here periodically. The problem with this one is that it’s moving painfully slowly, dumping gobs of water on already saturated ground.

I did say this was news from The Swamp, didn’t I? I wasn’t kidding. The houses here have no basements, because you can’t dig a basement in a swamp. The house would just pop up out of the ground with a huge, resounding “Thwoop!” and float down the Savannah River and off to Bermuda.

News flash: My phone just signaled me again with another weather alert. This one was a localized flood warning for the next several hours. No kidding, people? Possible flooding, in this weather? Who would have guessed?

So I’ve been looking at the headlines, trying to ignore the beating against the window in my den. There’s Mali severing diplomatic relations with Ukraine over some to-do with the Wagner Group . . . Wait! The Wagner Group? The late Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mercenaries? Are they still around? Well, that bears looking into.

And there’s another mention about the two children of those Russian spies who were just returned to Moscow from Slovenia. There’s a human interest story here, but it’s going to be hard to get any information out of Russia. Still, it’s worth a try. Those poor, confused kids.

Then I really need to get started on the annual birthday poem for an old friend. That’s coming up next month, and it takes me a while to finish those. It all started about 30 years ago, and — would you believe? — they’re beginning to feel a little repetitive. How’s this:

“There once was a girl from Nantucket . . .”

Okay, I can do better.

But all I can think of is that last piece of cheesecake in the refrigerator, and perhaps a little chair nap. I’ll try and pick up the threads later . . . or tomorrow.

If we haven’t floated away.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/5/24

That would be like saying “Happy anniversary of your husband being murdered.” Not cool.

Because it turns out there is more than one Jewish day of mourning and fasting. Yom Kippur is not exclusive after all. And I was not aware of that.

So, being thirsty for all sorts of knowledge, I did a little reading on the significance of this holiday. And, since misery — especially Jewish misery — craves company, I am compelled to share it with as many people as possible. That would be you, lucky reader.

First of all, it’s pronounced something like “Tish above.” But not exactly.

Second, it is commemorated every year on the ninth day of the month of Av, on the Hebrew calendar. On the Gregorian calendar (that’s the one used today in most of the world), that means it will begin this year at sundown on Monday, August 12th, and continue for 24 hours until sundown of the following day — at least, for those of us who have not been washed downriver and out to sea by Hurricane Debbie. So we still have a week to be joyous and eat as much as we want. Because, as I said, Tisha B’av is not a happy holiday.

My research taught me, first, that there are two main tragedies (which probably means there are a bunch of lesser ones) to be remembered on Tisha B’av: the destruction of Solomon’s Temple, and the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. They built it once, it was destroyed in 585 BCE; built it again, and . . . well, you know what happened. History repeated itself, but not until 70 AD, so it did last for 655 years. That’s pretty good, in terms of amortization.

*. *. *

Well, I was right. It emerged as I read on that there are the so-called Five Calamities that befell the Jewish people on the ninth of Av. Sort of like the Jewish Friday the 13th. The other three were:

– When twelve spies were sent to the land of Canaan by Moses, of whom ten came back . . . and with negative reports on the land. The Children of Israel despaired in their fear of never being able to enter the Promised Land, which displeased God, Who apparently wasn’t fond of quitters and complainers. So He punished them by declaring that the ninth day of Av would be a day when Jews would be crying for generations.

Generations? Try centuries!

[Note: These were not “spies” of the James Bond sort. It seems they were more like advance men, or scouts, searching for the Promised Land.]

– Then there was the capture of Beitar by the Romans, when thousands of Jews were murdered. This city was located southwest of Jerusalem and was captured after a 2-1/2-year siege by a Roman General named Severus.

[Note: That sort of thing seemed to keep happening a lot throughout the centuries, didn’t it? Right up to the present time, in fact. Genocide, ethnic cleansing ... call it what you will. There always seems to be someone who thinks it’s a good idea.]

– And finally, there was the big one: the total destruction of Jerusalem in 136 AD. Known as the Bar Kokhba revolt, this one lasted four years from 132-136 AD, and resulted not only in the plowing-under of the city itself, but also the displacement of the entire surviving population of the region.

[Note: The good news is that it was eventually rebuilt, and stands proudly in Israel to this day. The bad news is that it’s not a land at peace.]

*. *. *

The “curse” of Tisha B’av seems destined never to end. There have been many events begun on that date in more recent times, as, for example:

– The expulsion of Jews from England, France and Spain between the 13th and 15th centuries;

– The approval of Hitler’s “Final Solution” by the Nazi Party, thus beginning the Holocaust that saw one-third of the world’s Jewish population eliminated; and

– The deportation of Jewish people from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka Concentration Camp in World War II.

Coincidences? Really?!!

*. *. *

So now you see why Tisha B’av is a day of mourning and fasting. It is not one of the High Holy Days — that honor is reserved for the period from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur. But it definitely takes its place among the most revered by the Jewish people.

[Note: Sukkot and Simchat Torah are also considered High Holy Days; however, being more of a celebratory nature, they’re not really relevant to my narrative.

*. *. *

But Jews can be funny, too. (Just think of Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Sacha Baron Cohen . . .) Example: There is an old joke that sums up, in just three short declarative sentences — nine monosyllabic words — the entire history of the Jewish people and their method of dealing with the vicissitudes of life:

They tried to kill us.
They failed.
Let’s eat.

To which I say:

L’chaim! . . . To life!

Brendochka
8/5/24

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, has issued a chilling warning to the recently released political hostages in the United States and Germany: That they are not safe from the wrath of the Russian government, and perhaps should seek witness protection. (See today’s earlier post: “The Long Arm of the Lawless …”)

But Vladimir Putin’s vengeance has also descended upon those whom he once considered friends, when they dared to displease him. So I suggest a word of warning might also be in order for his newly returned “heroes” . . . and one in particular:

*. *. *

Ode To An Assassin

To Putin’s “good friend,” Vadim Krasikov,
I offer a few words of caution:
Remember what happened just one year ago
To his other “friend,” Zhenya Prigozhin.

*. *. *

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/5/24

They have been freed from the hell of their Russian prison cells. Some are back home in the United States or Germany; others are temporarily stateless, kicked out of their Russian homeland with no time to make plans for the future. But they are free, and they will survive and thrive.

They are the lucky sixteen: former hostages of Vladimir Putin who were traded on August 1st for eight of his people — spies, thugs, cyber criminals, and a convicted murderer. He calls his eight returnees “heroes,” while to him our sixteen are “traitors.” And Vladimir Putin does not abide traitors . . . either real or imagined.

The years-long, incredibly complex negotiations that resulted in this week’s historic prisoner swap may at last be over; but the fallout is yet to be seen. And there will be fallout.

Putin’s Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev — as always, sparing no drop of venom — openly threatened the opposition figures, saying in a post on Telegram that they “pose an existential threat to today’s Russia. They should not forget the transience of their existence in this world.” [DPA International, August 4, 2024.]

And in case that wasn’t clear enough, he went on to advise them to always “look around with caution,” to “hide under new names” and “actively disguise themselves.” [Shweta Kukreti, Hindustan Times, August 2, 2024.]

But to justify their release, he added that: “[While] it would be desirable to see the traitors of Russia rot behind bars . . . it’s more useful to get our guys out.”

So . . . is it safe to assume Medvedev’s not going to be running for any Humanitarian of the Year award any time soon?

*. *. *

But this is not new. Actual threats and physical attacks have long been made against Russian dissidents who have already fled the country. Leonid Volkov, a former associate of the late activist Alexei Navalny, was brutally attacked by thugs with hammers outside his home in Vilnius, Lithuania, a few months ago. He was lucky to have survived.

Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland, said the two Polish football “hooligans” (his word) had been paid to attack Volkov by a Belarusian man working for Russian intelligence. All three have been arrested . . . but it is certain that there are countless others out there, more than willing to be hired at the right price. [Will Vernon, BBC News, August 3, 2024.]

*. *. *

Dmitry Gudkov, a Russian opposition politician living in exile in an undisclosed EU country, flew to London last summer for a friend’s birthday. On arrival at Luton Airport, he was approached by two plain-clothes UK police officers, who had been waiting for him — not to arrest him — but to warn him that he was on a list of people considered to be in danger. They asked where he would be staying and what phone he would be using. [BBC News, id.]

Reading the description of Gudkov’s experience, I immediately wondered whether those two “officers” were indeed members of UK law enforcement. Or were they Russian messengers, hired to plant the seeds of doubt and fear, and to track his movements? I assume their identity was verified by Mr. Gudkov, who took the warning seriously. But my initial doubts stem, not from paranoid delusions, but from the reality of the way Russia’s security forces actually operate.

*. *. *

Another anti-Kremlin activist contacted by British police was the founder of the Russian Democratic Society, Ksenia Maximova. She said they told her “they needed to discuss the safety of me and my family,” and advised her not to travel to certain countries where Russian agents operate more freely. [BBC News, id.]

Maximova stated that “[The Kremlin is] stepping up the campaign against ‘enemies,’ that’s absolutely true. They’re tightening the screws.” She and others have noticed an increase in cyber attacks. [Id.]

*. *. *

Alesya Marokhovskaya is a Russian investigative journalist living in Prague. She felt she was safe there. But she has been receiving anonymous messages, one saying, “Parasites can’t sleep in peace . . .” She thought it might be “some crazy Czech guy who was pro-Putin and had recognised me on the street.” But she moved to a new home, “to make it harder for them.” [BBC News, id.]

And then the messages became more sinister. They called her a “scumbag,” and threatened to find her “wherever she walks her wheezing dog.” She really does have a dog . . . and it really does wheeze when it goes for walks. So she notified the Czech police.

Later, when she was preparing to fly to Sweden for a conference, she received threats including details of her flight, her seat number, and the hotel she had booked. “It was clear they had high-level access to documents. It looks like the behaviour of the Russian state,” she said. [BBC News, id.]

*. *. *

These are just four of the horror stories coming from Russians forced to live in exile because they opposed the policies and actions of the Putin regime . . . proof that Vladimir Putin’s reach is long and deadly. While he sits in the Kremlin, himself under threat of arrest in accordance with a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, his goons are scattered around Europe — and who knows where else? — to do his dirty work for him. The occupants of the Kremlin have always been known for their short tempers and long memories.

As Alesya Marokhovskaya said:

“When I left Russia and came to Prague, I had this illusion of security. Now I realise that [Russian intelligence services] can get their hands on people almost anywhere in Europe. I can’t say I’m not afraid, because I am.” [BBC News, id.]

*. *. *

I know I would be.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/5/24

Today is both National Friendship Day and Sisters’ Day. Since my sister was also my best friend, I’m missing her twice as much today.

Rest well, “Merny” . . . ‘til I get there. Then we’ll start the rounds again: theater, restaurants, shopping, cruises . . . theater, restaurants, shopping, cruises . . . theater . . .

Oh, you remember.

Love you and miss you so much,
“Brendy”

October 1st will mark his 100th birthday. And President Jimmy Carter says, “I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris” in November.

In hospice since February of 2023, survivor of metastatic brain cancer and liver cancer, survivor of brain surgery after a fall in 2019 — he has defied the odds countless times. His grandson Jason Carter said in May of this year that his grandfather was “coming to an end.” It appears that he’ll be doing that on his own terms. I hope so.

You hang in there, Mr. President. And don’t forget to vote.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/4/24