Medvedev to open a Russian exhibition in Paris.

MOSCOW, March 1 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who is
beginning his state visit to Paris on Monday will attend the opening of
'The Holy Russia' exhibition on Tuesday. That will give an official start
to the Year of Russia in France and the Year of France in Russia,
presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said.
"The presidents of the two countries will unveil a unique Holy Russia
exhibition in the Louvre Museum on March 2 and will launch a new project
titled the Russia France Cross Year," he said.
The exposition features more than 1,000 -year-old history of Holy
Russia: "the appearance of the Russians in Latin and Byzantine history,
Christian art in Russian principalities in the 9th and 12th centuries; the
country's development up to the upheavals of the era of Peter the Great;
leading Russian museums: the Kremlin, the State History Museum, the
Tretyakov Picture Gallery as well as the museums of Vladimir, Suzdal and
Novgorod. A total of 438 unique exhibits from the collection of 17 Russian
museums, four libraries and one archive will be put on view in Paris."
The highlights include guest performances of the Comedy Francaise
theatre to be given in cities across Russia, the celebration of Days of
Russia in Paris, the opening of the Russian national exhibition and an
exhibition from the collection of the Picasso National Museum, which is
already being held in Moscow.
"The implementation of this grandiose project will make it possible to
step up an inter-cultural dialogue, develop inter-regional ties, expand
the teaching of Russian language in secondary schools and high educational
establishments in France and strengthen mutual understanding between the
people's of our countries," Prikhodko went on to say.
The Russian and French presidents are paying great attention to the
"Russia-France cross year" project. Medvedev has described it as an
excellent opportunity for the people in two countries to get to know each
other better, to touch upon the rich cultural heritage of the past and
open up new perspectives for cooperation in key areas."
"I wish that meetings and undertakings that will be organized in
France and Russia in 2010 could embrace as many spheres of human activity
as possible: sharing artistic and intellectual values that have always
played a priority role in deepening our knowledge about each other;
economy and entrepreneurship, human energy, which is also a guarantee of
dynamics of our relations; science and advanced technologies," President
Sarkozy said.
Prikhodko also mentioned humanitarian ties between Russia and France.
"A positive solution of an issue related to the granting to Russia of
a land plot for the construction of a new Orthodox church in Paris and the
ruling of the city of Nice on Russia's right of ownership to the St.
Nicolas Church are creating a favourable background for the visit," he
said.
"This is another vivid proof of the nature of relations and a
demonstration of cultural closeness between our two peoples," Prikhodko
went on to say.

. Russians visit fast foods for lack of time for proper meals-poll.

MOSCOW, March 1 (Itar-Tass) - The recent public opinion poll carried
out by the Russian Public Opinion Center (VTSIOM) has revealed that
Russians have no time for proper meals. That's the main reason why some of
them (33%) visit fast food restaurants.
According to the poll, every fifth Russian or 19 percent visit
fast foods more or less frequently. Fourteen percent said they visited
fast food restaurants once in a month. Those who eat there regularly are
in the minority: four percent do it at least once a week and one percent
daily. Another eleven percent pays occasional visits to such places. Most
of the respondents (69%) said they didn't visit fast food restaurants at
all.
Another important argument for visiting fast foods, apart from
lack of time for normal meals, is a lack of opportunities to eat in other
catering places 28%. Twenty-six percent of the respondents said that they
liked the quality of food cooked in fast food restaurants. The atmosphere
of such restaurants is less important for 18% and their location and hours
of work -16 percent.
Cheap food is important for seven percent of the respondents.
Burgers and sandwiches, the most favorite dishes on the fast food
menu, are ordered by 47% of the respondents. A traditional fast food order
also includes chips (28%), tea, coffee and the desert (27%). Twenty
percent of the polled give preference to dairy cocktails and soda drinks,
19% to hot meals, 16% to pizza, hot appetizers - 6% and sushi - one
percent.
Sociologists note that men and women often come to fast food
restaurants for different reasons. Men usually visit such places because
they don't have time for a proper lunch or supper (37%). Ten percent of
male respondents replied that they considered meals in fast food
restaurant to be economical. Women are most often attracted by the menu
(29%) and the atmosphere of fast food restaurants (22%).
An All-Russian public opinion poll was conducted on February 6-7,
2010. It covered 1,600 people in 140 populated localities in 42 regions
and republic of Russia. The statistical error doesn't exceed 3.4 percent.

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