Last Christmas was an anniversary and opened a series of celebrations on the occasion of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity. But not only: it coincided with the "peaceful transfer of power" in the country. The patriarch, who blessed Yeltsin upon his first inauguration on December 31, 1999, when the "black suitcase" passed to the new leader, acted as a spiritual catalyst. Then the patriarch accompanied the first president of Russia to Bethlehem - to the birthplace of Christ.

The Russian government may well patent new bankruptcy prevention technology. Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin sent a notice to the Paris Club two days before the New Year that Russia would not pay its debts in the first quarter of 2001. Here, it turns out, how simple everything is: it is enough to warn the creditor in advance that you will not pay, and there will be no default for you! This is how government representatives interpret the situation.

The visit of a friend of Gerhard to Christmas Moscow turned out to be even more mysterious than in advance. Lyudmila Putin's birthday - it was, of course, a serious reason for the meeting. However, whether the Bundescantzler had other reasons for the informal Russian rendezvous, and remained a mystery. As you know, literally on the eve of this mysterious meeting, our government announced the "technical default" in relations with the Parisian club of creditors.

The huge mass of the Arctic air, which covered Siberia in the first January days, turned all the Trans -Urals into a natural disaster zone. Along the way, it turned out that the houses in the regions, famous for their forty -degree frosts, were designed at a minimum temperature of -37 degrees, and in severe cold panel buildings, like thyroid huts. Another "unexpected" trouble - it turns out that associated gas is used in the Baikal region.