Posters “450 years of the voluntary annexation of Kabardino-Balkaria to Russia. Together forever!" have been decorating Nalchik since last year, when the republic celebrated this semicircular date. The authorities are in no hurry to dismantle reminders of voluntariness, but someone periodically paints over the words “voluntary annexation” and writes over “1785-1864” - the date of the Great Caucasian War, during which Kabarda and Balkaria were conquered.

Posters “450 years of the voluntary annexation of Kabardino-Balkaria to Russia. Together forever!" have been decorating Nalchik since last year, when the republic celebrated this semicircular date. The authorities are in no hurry to dismantle reminders of voluntariness, but someone periodically paints over the words “voluntary annexation” and writes over “1785-1864” - the date of the Great Caucasian War, during which Kabarda and Balkaria were conquered.

Those who have recently encountered Vladimir Putin note that he is tired - he looks tired and aged. When he spoke at the opening of the monument to Boris Yeltsin at the end of April, it even seemed that he was unwell. Journalist Vladimir Solovyov, in his book on Putin, suggests that he has back problems because his favorite move is the throw over the back from the knees - in judo they are usually parried with a knee thrust, which injures the spine.