cultural and political wars the now many believe it's a time when both old working together to celebrate each other's success first we enter in a series building situated in the steel gates love machine both this impressive location is the residence of the russian ambassador kensington palace gardens with the most expensive and elite addresses in the british capital. photographs a possum bust it is in public figures greece to lose an extravagant gifts from various leaders and dignitaries adorn the rooms oh wow absolutely breathtaking the soviet embassy moved into this building in one nine hundred twenty nine also known as harrington house it was one of the few venues in the area the bravely use the number thirteen but scared of anything another interesting fact is that they just pay one pound a year for the rent here but on the flip side of that the british embassy residence in moscow pays just one rouble which is actually a fifty times cheaper

a good price for both every year the u.k. consulate section issues two hundred thousand visas for russians who want to visit london the russian embassy says it supports the russian business while in britain offering assistance wherever possible but how does the embassy help british and russian relations i think the russian culture needs no major. introduction or advertisement here. because russia is branch of the european christian civilization and i think we share the same. values for interim values the same perception of the good and bad. life and if you will and. there is no such thing as a cultural barrier between the two nations the russian cultural heritage is extremely. popular here to kick them around the world never the russian theater's russian to. for is he wrong or right. it always attracts.

a bigger man than a big number of friends and or didn't it's not me but him see parties illegal drugs and the v.i.p. just said partying in dreams like this many young middle class christians live in london and that brings us to this week's guess. it's me a little why do you think russians love london so much seven status i guess the level of the people that rational that they could makes here is aristocracy celebrities it was different it wasn't the say that we had in russia. you know you could go to elton john ball here you can do it now probably in moscow but you couldn't do that before so people i guess were reading me detracted by all that i knew were from magazines so i presume that you were out every single hour to different events and functions that's true a lot

a lot of what's the russian social scene like the russians don't seem to congregate just in one place if you go to no boy if you go to if you go to new how you will hear russians russian speech so it would be. glamorous places i guess for the new generation of russians who grew up around europe the most expensive places are not necessarily the best so you'll see a lot of people you know about to shoreditch hanging out in self they prefer their friends be rather than. well as i. would like to thank you. because scene of russia and the former soviet republics is not all about bush and pancakes why not try something new and right in the heart of london's mother boom. some accounts in the name of the beautiful city opened in two thousand and ten and already he's gained

a reputation visit a venue he specializes in central asian cuisine offering its international guests a chance to taste the exotic flavors of his extended a mission in stylish interior to the kitchen where you can see chefs at work making delicious bread in clay and pulling needles into shape following the recipes which you've been passed down to generations these recipes has been passed on. and my mother is very much in control in the kitchen she makes sure that every single thing is done according to the recipe that she's very high in the kitchen just to make sure that every single thing is just. huge success worldwide particularly in the british capital base alone achieving almost one billion dollars in sales in the last decade several options are held in

london every year during various pieces from different periods which are an interest among bidders recent nineteenth and twentieth century russian paintings icons and other works of art including family having jenner. it's a frenzy of excitement among the collecting cheesy predominately the market for russian painting russian bias but interesting enough when the artists leave russia . especially after the revolution is such a sure guy and can do skin suit team. that becomes very international so we have a wide range of international clowns for those artists but for pure russian artists by russia i always get very excited about anything russian sells but to be honest i think the most exciting thing i'm ever so. much and we so did in new york and it made me incredibly price of sixty million dollars.

moving outside now and some experts said the russian leaders say markets in london has kept many companies alive for the past five years the new wealthy russians the famous london square as an elite central areas of the capital are the places to live in the places to be seen over the past twenty years thousands of wealthy russians have moved to london with large houses in the sense that batching millions of pounds many local state agents have welcomed the new russian custom is open why the british capital well that's why that's. not exposure to a very famously very good london crowd of the oligarchs here in london yes the london grad because so many wealthy russians have moved to london in the last ten years and i think most of the other famous all the golds but also a lot of more middle class russians have moved here as well i think they like the lifestyle of. the history like the part that is. the russians like

the schools as well so they bring the children the families. and i think that's those are the main reasons why the right to decide to fight me to just scrap the whole great deal well this is. just to squelch is otherwise known as red square because the russian is a big houses. down the street. and you have most problems is houses here will cost at least fifteen. pounds sterling to buy. it's a very historic square i think most of the russian. boy here because they feel it's part of the british establishment. wants to buy a house here with all of the ruling elite and that's what i like. moving to a final location at the victoria and albert museum that's simply exhibition on the

influential russian artistic director the agel if you founded one of the most exciting don'ts companies of the twentieth century. douglas imaginatively combine dance music and arts to create theater his dramatic performances transforms dance reawakening interests in ballet across europe and america knowledge of the company's revolutionary ballets filtered through theatre fashion and to daily life including interior design and style all around the world. starts company was created a century ago in the productions of paris revolutionize twentieth century arts and still continue to influence cultural activity today celebrating the company's keep period of activity this major exhibition reveals jackalopes influence on twentieth century arts design and fashion and includes hundreds of objects including giant feats across original costumes set designs props and posts is an impressive

collection so where did they get all the exhibit items from the remarkable thing is actually two thirds of the. way obviously having a museum like base is very helpful. for departments but we do have a wonderful. and of performance here and so the cloths and the costumes basically come from those. six cost to the rest. and we have this this wonderful wealth. collaborator jekyl it works with stravinsky picasso and. just like many past and present artists whose work is celebrated and studied all over the world. is staggering in many ways and in most major cities around the world you can now find out for yourselves those who want to museums. and you'll see that russia is closer than you think. fortunately that's all that's how we have on this week's

program i'll see the same time next week for more cultural adventures around the british capital until then for me and the rest of the team here at the victoria and albert museum bye bye for now. this is not a theatrical set. this is a real correctional facility. is there any cultural life behind bars. could transform a criminal into a law abiding citizen. and can performance really revolutionized the penitentiary system. prisons this.

one deals with war for us to realize that this tremendous amounts of damage that are done not just human damage but damage to the physical environment in which the battlefield takes place tremendous amount of damage done by these boys. napalm. chemical city whether it's. war it's the burning oil fields. or steroid use for purposes of on and on the geneva conventions nineteen forty nine states that there shall be taken in war to protect. against widespread long term and severe damage the united states although it is accepted almost all of the provisions one has taken exception to that.

wealthy british style holds. markets. happening to the global economy. in the united kingdom she's available in the house bill and the forty one hotel the old waverly hotel. some country house. the. tunnels the rim brant the crimean the chesterfield. the oil

the ruben's hotel. protests and violence are expected to flare up again in egypt as the opposition calls for yet another million strong march to push president mubarak from power. while the u.s. calls for a smooth transition of power in egypt many point to the hypocrisy of its decades long backing of mubarak's regime. nationalism and vandalism intensify in some parts of ukraine as the authorities strip wartime nazi collaborators of the earth national hero titles. posthumous awards were given by the previous ukrainian president. and as u.s. lawmakers rush to extend the patriot act before it runs out some congressmen say it resents the growing violation of civil liberties under the pretext of fighting terrorism the act was hastily adopted after the nine eleven attacks and unable to spy on american citizens. so you can see time for sports update even here with us

in the studio on the rugby season really gets into gear this evening in a indeed it does no slow start either in the six nations the two most successful teams in the competitions history they're going head to head tonight more not coming up in just a sec. great to have you with us this is sports today i'm you don't know me let's take a look at some of the stories we're covering this hour. you your first test it's the old guard who were preferred up front by dick. rusher perth for their opening game of twenty eleven against iran. let the games begin the six nations kick off later on friday with a cracker of an opening day possible wales versus england. and dizzying array we chronicled the choicest cuts from the week that was in the cage well.

let's get going with the continental hockey league guard have taken a huge step toward securing their regular season title ruud win over putting them five points clear at the top with just a fortnight left to go the cycle coming from behind to take a three one meaning second to a solid but if you lie a bit no help at all to do to stay in the hunt for top spots also on thursday champions akbar's produced a sensational comeback to be to the fate had been trailing ford zero but eventually won six four in the pick of the action elsewhere stassen petersburg moved to second in the west after taking care of c.s. with ease. to football where it's a familiar purring who lead the line for russia in their first game of the year next week pavel pogrebnyak alan roman public getting the nod they are running friendly the spot having one of the most in-form strikers in europe at their

disposal to bully can from side i don't den haag scored thirteen goals in seven games so far this season but according to russian manager dick advocaat was published this month will drag me out ply their trade in tougher leagues namely england and germany it's the rangy pair. played following their run game rush it took on armenia on march twenty sixth in their next euro twenty twelve qualifier the group b. two points ahead of ardent on the armenians with four of ten games played. in european rugby fans can rejoice the continent's top competition the six nations gets its start later tonight with a sizzling clash in cardiff wales hosting into in what looks like one of the most open tournaments in years the welsh are chronically are to form feeling to win any of their previous seven tests but their last six nations triumph came in two thousand and eight a full five years after current monitor martin johnson captained england two there

is a long waits on one which will be desperately needing to rectify given that the world cup starts in september on saturday holders fronts whole scope and while arland are in rome. also this weekend skiing's cross country world cup comes to russia somewhat surprisingly there's only one venue in the entire country which can stage such an event on the historic course in yellow sea level is enjoying something of a revival with more here's constantine to top off. winter snow is now hard to find in russia so one would think it's time i deal please for cross-country skiing however it's actually not that easy to find an ideal landscape not to mention facilities for all the demands of an international standard competition the sports center in germany is the only course in the world's biggest country able to host a stage of the cross-country skiing the most prestigious around the next one is on friday. we got the license for holding the world cup as we did serves all the

demands apart from the track there's a big list of facilities this year it'll be the fifth time we hosted well and we'll keep on improving everything here. the history of the center started more than thirty five years ago skiers use this place for many years but that petered out in the late eighty's and the venue was eventually reckon structed in two thousand and one hosting its first world cup six years later although that the man turned out to be a real challenge for united about. what they deal with letter record that winter there was an abnormal war several stages in europe were cancelled with you know what and here it was seven degrees above the are there january and we didn't have snow machines in their time because it was hard to imagine winter without snow here nevertheless we decided to use ice from. will laid out the ice on the course and that was a success that event made our way of famous around the globe. however that's not

the only obstacle organizers have faced through the years it took just six seconds for a powerful hurricane to destroy a ninety five percent of trees here in. the sports center quickly recover it and build the biggest deck of ward in the world. it might look strange but the towering structure has made it into the guinness book of world records and has become a famous landmark on the course located on the volga not far from rubin's one of the oldest cities on the river the sports center is surrounded by a charming countryside. their own little left no experience spirit then you not only for athletes but also speak dieter's they can watch races unfold in the seven thousand seater stereo and on the track up to twenty five thousand people can witness their action or their wish but you know it's easy to which races on our tracks because they're all very calm about to speak they just love to be close to the course and see all the action themselves and every year lots of bands beg them

a new release weekend flowers and clowns will be treated to now the world cup stage of doom in every area which is under doing plenty of freddy will come out with a new biathlon shooting range and the five blind hopefully guaranteeing this venue will be on the skiing map for many years to come because i am by the. region. all right that brings us to the hardware was a late late show in the n.b.a. as much of the day the san antonio spurs snatching the win against holders the l.a. lakers on thursday the californian side may be the reigning champions but it's the spurs who are top of the league at the moment it's going neck and neck through arts richard jefferson set the early pace for the visitors the robbery he could come up with it was answered by saul who starred for the lakers on the night the sides were tied at forty two points apiece going into the big break top scorer tony parker then opp his game in the second half to help the spurs inch ahead the soul weighed

in with a couple of weeks rose to give the lakers a one point lead with twenty three seconds to go someone tony who promptly went all out to turn the game around but misfired we times before antonio mcdyess chipped in at the buzzer to have the move will it be nine eighty eight the final score in los angeles. two more results to tell you about le bron james taking a massive claim for a third straight m.v.p. title in the florida darby king james scoring almost half of the heat's total tally is incredible fifty one points helping lie on the edge against the orlando magic. well golden state's off milwaukee for their second straight day. phoenix may be one of the hottest cities in the united states but subzero temperatures were recorded last night in our zone on the rare frost resulted in a late tee off for the opening round of the phoenix open golf tournament play beginning some four hours later than scheduled meaning only morning starters could complete the run before it was suspended with bad light however the chilly

conditions didn't stop former champion tom lehmann from setting up a birdie the sixteenth he went on to carve a six under par sixty five and was one of four players to do so sharing the early leader jason tom d.l.s. and bill haas the latter kicking things off the birdie of the first on would finish . were number four phil mickelson who won in phoenix fifty years ago since two strokes off the pace of the day though came courtesy of uncle cabrera the argentinian missing by a whisker after shooting for more than one hundred fifty meters on the sixty. let's head back on the ice for the best of the action from week nineteen in the cape shell some superb strikes on show as the playoffs edged closer in this the league's third season.

i've.

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indeed things heating up on the ice i was all your sports i'll see you soon weather's coming up in just a tick. for the full story we've gone to. the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers.

protesters are flooding into tough to square as the army tightens its quit on who can and cannot enter. while u.s. calls for a smooth transition of power in egypt mannie point to the hypocrisy of its decades long backing and financial propping up of mubarak's regime. plus nationalism and vandalism intensify in some parts of the brain as the authorities strip wartime nazi collaborators of the our national hero titles awarded by the previous president. as u.s. lawmakers rush to expand the patriot act before it runs out many say it represents the growing violation of civil liberties under the pretext of fighting terrorism.

you're watching r t coming to you live from moscow i'm marina joshie welcome to the program well as you know we continue our monitoring on the situation in egypt and it's been billed as final friday sauza as of opposition supporters in egypt are gathering in cairo central square as you can see there in the latest attempt to force president hosni mubarak out of office while the quality of picture is not great but at least that gives you an idea of what's happening there now as we speak well this is a cairo central time green square were demonstrators of one. president mubarak to stand down with immediate effect it is the eleventh day of the unrest and protesters say they are hoping for a turnout of about a million people our correspondent policy here is on the ground she's following the developments for us there and here's her report thousands of protesters all converging on his square the mood on the street is very much that today is d. day they say that this country.