The foyer leading to Conference Hall on Level 3 at KL Convention Centre was decked with Russian flags and coats-of-arms reminiscent of the Russian Tsar whose Imperial Arms of the House of Romanov was in black while the new Russian crest is in auspicious red.
In the photo; HH Princess Norodom Arunrasmy, Cambodian ambassador and sister to His Majesty the King of Cambodia and member of Cambodia's Privy Council who advise the King. Next is Princess Dr Becky Leogardo and Princess Arun's daughter Ponita Keo Norodom.
Russian ambassador HE Madam Lyudmila Vorobyeva and Kee Hua Chee
Minister of International Trade and Industry Dato Sri Mustapha Mohamad and Kee Hua Chee. Both are from Kelantan but here the similarities end...
RUSSIA NATIONAL DAY OR NATIONAL DAY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION OR NATIONAL DAY OF RUSSIA. ON THE INVITATION CARD, THE TERM USED WAS 'NATIONAL DAY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION'.
Princess Dr Becky Leogardo with HE Madam Lyudmila Vorobyeva the Russian ambassador and her husband Mr Feodor Ozarenov and officer from Russian embassy.
Kee Hua Chee, Irina, Svetlana, Natalja and Ekaterina, all from Russia!
Symbols of friendship; Kremlin topped by the Red Star and Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Twin Towers
Danny Siew, Ace Tang, Puan Sri Christine Khir Johari and Princess Dr Becky Leogardo posing in front of the party's most popular spot
Madam Zarssanga, spouse of Afghanistan ambassador, Princess Dr Becky Leogardo and Mrs Karin Gunilla Waever, spouse of the Danish ambassador.
Tunku Dato Seri Iskandar Tunku Abdullah, group MD of Melewar Group and wife Datin Seri Maneesah
Power brokers! The ambassador of United States of America HE Mr Paul Jones, ambassador of Russia HE Madam Lyudmila Vorobyeva, wife of new Japanese ambassador HE Mr Shigeru Nakamura
Female power! The 9 lady ambassadors to Malaysia! Clockwise from bottom left; Cambodia ambassador Her Royal Highness Princess Norodom Arunrasmy, Russia ambassador HE Lyudmila Vorobyeva, Turkey ambassador HE Serap Ataay, Iraqi ambassador HE Dr Amal Mussa Husain Ali Al-Rubaye, Argentinia ambassador HE Maria Isabel Rendon, Spain ambassador HE Maria Bassols Delgado, Lesotho ambassador Ntsebe Idlett Kokome, Ecuador ambassador HE Lourdes Puma Puma and Austria ambassador HE Mag. Andrea Wicke.
His Excellency the Australian High Commissioner Mr Miles Kupa and wife Zuly.
Madam Melissa Lecaros, wife of Philippines ambassador HE Mr Victoriano Lecaros, Datin Christina Lau and ambassador of Uzbekistan HE Mr Shukur Sabitov
The Cuban ambassador HE Mr Carlos Amores and wife
Elena, Vladimir and Elene from Russia
Guests at National Day of the Russian Federation
Guests listening to the congratulatory speeches
The Russian ambassador giving a speech at far left.
The Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Dato Seri Mustapha Mohamad with Russian ambassador
The Minister and Russian ambassador with guests
The Ecuadorian ambassador, Datuk Rebecca Sta Maria and Russian ambassador
6 lady ambassadors
9 lady ambassadors!
Harry Lynam a lawyer from Ireland and Shankar Jayanathan
Princess Dr Becky Leogardo and Huang Mei Si, Miss Malaysia Chinese Cosmos 2007
President of MODA Gillian Hung and Princess Dr Becky Leogardo. Note her hair matches the Hermes Birkin ostrich bag!
Timur, Deivys and Ilya
Many assume this was akin to Russia's Independence Day which is misleading as Russia was never a colony nor under foreign jurisdiction. Russia has always been independent throughout its history. Some think 'Independence' refers to Russia becoming a republic after being under the Romanov dynasty. The entire Imperial Russian family was shot dead by the evil communists on 16 July 1918 during the February Revolution at Ekaterinburg, thus ending the last imperial dynasty to rule Russia since 1613.
On that terrible day, Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra were told the whole family would be photographed in Ipatiev House where they were staying to prove to the people they were still alive. However they were taken to the cellar, arranged properly and left alone for a few minutes. Then the soldiers entered and started shooting. The princesses did not die as the bullets rebounded from the diamonds and crown jewels sewn into their corsets! One of the bullets ricocheted and killed one of the soldiers. The killers were shocked and feared they had the divine right to rule bestowed by God.
Yakov Yurovsky the Bolshevik ordered the soldiers to stab the girls with their bayonets. This proved futile as the tightly packed diamonds and precious gems acted superbly as a shield. They were finally shot point blan at close range though it was said the soldiers had to close their eyes as they pulled the trigger, knowing the sin they were committing.
The Tsars at the turn of the 20th century and throughout the last two hundred years from the time of Catherine the Great were so rich they made other European kings looked like poor cousins. Indeed, many European royals looked forward to their birthdays or visiting the Tsar especially during Christmas as they knew they would be loaded with jewels and other costly gifts.
After the Tsar's murder, their relatives fell on hard times as they fled Russia just as the Windsor family of United Kingdom grew in power and wealth. The table had turned and it was the turn of the British Royal Family to buy the magnificent Russian Crown Jewels, often at rock bottom prices.
Call it what you will but Russia National Day is now the most important day in Russia's political calendar as Russia has come full circle. Previously Russia was part of the Soviet Union and not known for billionaires but now Russian billionaires have snapped the world's priciest and best properties, from palatial homes, diamond, Faberge eggs and football clubs!
On 12 June 1990 the Russian parliament formally declared Russia sovereignty from the USSR aka Soviet Union and the holiday was officially declared in 1992. "It has been celebrated globally by all Russian embassies ever since," explained Ilia Kozitskii, Head of Protocol and PA to the Russian ambassador HE Madam Lyudmila G. Vorobyeva.
Its original name was Day of the Adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation. On 1 February 2002, this mouthful of a name was shortened to Russia Day though some in Russia regard this as Independence Day though official documents never mentioned this name.
Held in the Conference Hall on Level 3 of Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the National Day of the Russian Federation was a grand display of Russian power as the foyer was decked with huge Russian flags of red, blue and white as well as the coat-of-arms of Russia in the form of the imperial double-headed eagle, once the symbol of the Tsars. Each crowned eagle's head was surmounted by a Christian crown while the claws held a sceptre and orb, reminiscent of Tsarist Russia. The Imperial Arms of the House of Romanov is black and the contemporary Russian crest is red but the similarity is so striking as to be a clone of each other. As Russia resumes is role as a super power, it is taking on more global responsibilities.
The centrepiece inside the hall were two magnificent ice sculptures in the form of the architectural icons of Moscow and Kuala Lumpur---the Kremlin topped by the famous Red Star and KL's Petronas Twin Towers!
The Guest of Honour was Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamad, Minister of International Trade and Industry who represented Malaysia who gave a toast to the good health of the Russian President and all Russians while the Russian ambassador HE Madam Lyudmila Vorobyeva reciprocated with a toast to His Majesty the King of Malaysia, the Malaysian Government and the people of Malaysia.
Around 600 guests enjoyed a lavish feast that included Malaysian and Russian delicacies like blinis, solyanka (soup) and dumplings. Champagne, wine, liquor and soft drinks flowed nonstop. The Tsar would have approved of such lavish hospitality.
THE END
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