vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #154 / Special reports / Reading article...

Governor finds cash to pay Vladivostok doctors

Gov. Yevgeny Nazdratenko recently allocated 10 billion rubles to pay Vladivostok doctors. The money will be taken from federal funds earmarked for the krai that came through Nov. 3. Physicians from 15 children and four maternity hospitals, as well as several other medical institutions, will receive salaries thanks to the newly arrived funds.

US nuclear inspectors visit Kamchatka

In accordance with the START 1 treaty, ten United States military inspectors recently visited a Pacific Fleet nuclear submarine base in Kamchatka. The group had no complaints about the nuclear stockpile’s size at the base.

Court case opens against Admiral Khmelnov

The military court of the Pacific Fleet on Nov. 11 began hearing a case against the former Navy chief of staff Admiral Igor Khmelnov, who is on trial for alleged forgery and abuses of power. According to state law, the case must be heard where the crime was committed, but the Pacific Fleet’s court asked the State Supreme Court to hold the hearing elsewhere because the admiral was once commander of the Pacific Fleet. Khmelnov, however, asked the Supreme Court to keep the trial where it is. His application was approved.

Running for a Duma seat? Join the crowd

More than 320 people, 91 of whom are officially registered, are in the running for the Krai Duma’s 39 seats. Registration is still underway and elections are slated for Dec. 7.

Airline opens US service

Magadansky Airlines started flights via Anchorage to Seattle under its own flag recently. Flight No. 801 departs at 8:05 p.m. on Wednesdays. Just a few Russian companies have the right to use their flag for flying abroad.

Navy commander resigns

President Boris Yeltsin recently appointed Admiral and Navy Chief of Staff Vladimir Kuroedov as Commander of the Russian Navy. Former Commander and Admiral Felix Gromov, was relieved from his post due to his age, federal officials said. Russian laws limits the age of high-ranking Naval officers to under 60 years. A spokesman for the Defense Ministry said that Gromov’s dismissal was unrelated to the recent explosion at the Pacific Fleet’s arsenal.

Post offices will admit blame for lost letters

New postal regulations will take effect on Jan. 1, 1998. Post offices will now be responsible for loss, damage or untimely delivery of letters and packages. In addition, standard-sized letter envelopes will become longer and narrower, according to European standards.

Bus route to reach China

A new regular bus route between Ussurisk and the city of Mudanjiang – over 200 km inside the Chinese border – will begin operating later this month. Ussurisk is the first city in the krai to offer a bus service that covers such a long distance to a neighboring state.

Men head to sea on raft

Russian and Korean sailors left Vladivostok Nov. 11 on a raft for Posiet, the most southern point of Primorye. The crew will then follow a difficult route from Posiet to Pusan, South Korea. Historians think that Koreans used the route more than a thousand years ago to cover the 1.5 thousand kilometers to the southern Korean peninsula.