The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.

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This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Friday, February 19, 2010

Billboards of Josef Stalin across Moscow [ 656 ]

Stalin billboards to mark Russia's WWII victory

Russian communists stand in line in Red square to attend a wreath laying ceremony at the tomb of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin marking the 130th anniversary of his birthday at the Kremlin wall in Moscow, Russia, December 21.

Russian communists stand in linein Red square to attend a wreth laying ceremony at the tomb of Josef Stalin marking the 130th anniversary at the Kremlin wall in Moscow, December 21.

Photograph by: Sergei Karpukhin, Reuters

Agence France-PresseFebruary 17, 2010

MOSCOW - Billboards praising Josef Stalin for leading the Soviet victory against Nazi Germany are to go up across Moscow as Russia marks 65 years since the end of World War II, news agencies said Wednesday.

Rights groups immediately denounced the billboard campaign, which the Moscow organizers said was launched at the request of veterans groups.

"We are going to protest against this in every way possible," Lyudmila Alexeyeva, head of the Moscow Helsinki Group, told Interfax.

"Those who want to put up portraits of Stalin in Moscow would like to see a return to the state terror of the Stalinist period."

Lev Ponomarev, head of the Movement for Human Rights, said the billboard campaign was certain to spark protests.

"Advertising that glorifies Stalin is unacceptable," he told RIA-Novosti.

Stalin, who died in 1953, sent millions of people into the brutal Gulag prison system and launched a disastrous campaign to collectivise agriculture that sparked a massive famine.

He is still admired by many Russians, however, largely due to his role in leading the Soviet Union to victory against Nazi Germany in 1945, which Russia commemorates each year on May 9 with military parades across the country.

Last month a drinks factory in the southern Russian city of Volgograd announced plans to make a lemonade featuring Stalin on the label to celebrate the anniversary.

In August last year, an inscription praising Stalin was restored in a Moscow metro station, sparking outrage from liberals.

© Copyright (c) AFP

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