The Chinese Got Tired of Waiting So They Made Their Own iPhone 5

The Chinese Got Tired of Waiting So They Made Their Own iPhone 5

Moskovskii Komsomolets - 31 August 2012

by Алексей Дмитриев

translated by Phil
Click here for the original article in Russian

Goophone, a little-known Chinese company, announced the availability of their new smartphone, the iPhone 5.

The talented and deft Chinese cloned the iPhone 5, which doesn't even exist yet, and ended up with the Goophone i5.  That also happens to be the name of the small Chinese company making the device.  The developers don't hesitate to say that the device was created using the leaked elements of the 6th generation iPhone.  If we are to believe the device's cover image, the Goophone i5 is running Android Honeycomb.

The Chinese iPhone 5 in All Its Glory - planetiphone.ru

A small company, assembling design changes to produce for the iPhone, decided not to deal with Apple and its lawyers and withdrew from the sale of the iPhone 5 back panels.  This didn't prevent others from doing the same and finding ways out of similar situations, writes iguides.ru linking to the Cult of Mac.

For those who can't wait to have a device that is similar to the new iPhone 5, there is the Goophone i5.  It is a cheap smartphone running Android and there really is nothing interesting about it except that the design is made to look like the iPhone 5.

The unit doesn't even use the latest version of the operating system, the one Apple hates, Android ICS!

The specifications are more in common with the iPhone 4, says onliner.by.  The device is based on the MT6575 single-core gigahertz processor with 512 MB of RAM, a 3.5" display with a resolution of 960 x 640 and 2 cameras a 5 MP primary and 1.3 MP front, reports Nowhereelse.

Unfortunately, there is no cost information for this model yet.  But, one can easily assume that it will be much less than a real iPhone 5.  As reported by supreme2.ru, Goophone also marketed a copy of the iPhone 4S which was said to be very successful.

See a video of the phone here

Russian Instrument on the Mars Rover Will Start Working This Week

Russian Instrument on the Mars Rover Will Start Working This Week

Izvestia - 6 August 2012

by Константин Пукемов

translated by Phil
Click here for the original article in Russian

Photo: REUTERS/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout

How will the neutron scanner DAN [Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons] search for water on Mars?  Izvestia was told all about it by one of its developers, Igor Mitrofanov, from the laboratory at the Institute of Space Research.

Izvestia- Did the Americans buy the instrument?  Does it belong to them?  Or is it still our device?

I.M.- There are 9 units installed on board and one of them is our unit, the DAN.  Being Russian means that it was made with money from the Russian Space Agency and placed on board the Mars Rover through an agreement with NASA and the Russian Space Agency.

Izvestia- What is the device and how does it work?

I.M.- The device includes a neutron generator that we've named "Perfume", created by our colleagues at the Institute of Automation.  The neutron generator irradiates the surface of Mars with neutron pulses while another group of sensors measure the properties of the reflected neutrons to determine surface water content  up to 1 meter deep.  This will be done over the course of the mission.

Izvestia- Could you consider our device one of the principle instruments of the mission?  How important is it to find water?

I.M.- All of the instruments are very balanced and all have unique challenges.  We don't yet know if there is life or understand what form it could be.  It could turn out that finding water has the biggest priority or maybe not.  It's important that the landing is in Gale Crater since that area was a former sea.  The entire surface are deposits of minerals that have accumulated.  What will be the most interesting?  I can't say, but we will for sure try not to miss any interesting areas looking for water.

Izvestia- When will the unit start transmitting the soil characteristics?

I.M.- Recently the rover transmitted the first picture and now the phase of thoroughly testing all scientific equipment and systems begins.  After a few weeks checking and if everything is fine, I think after 2 weeks or so, the Mars Rover can begin moving.

The device is starting to operate this week and will continue next week.  This data is already scientific.  This week DAN is working in passive mode, measuring neutrons that occur naturally on the surface of Mars.  But next week I'm going to NASA to turn on the neutron generator and we'll see how the instrument works at full power.  Again, the first data we receive will be scientific but the most interesting data will come when the rover moves, changing the neutron signal from point to point.

Izvestia- Will you personally push a button to turn the unit on?

I.M.- Of course I won't have a button but we will say to mission control that we are planning to turn on the device and let them know which commands need to be submitted.  The commands are similar to an SMS message.  The device reads them and starts doing the operations.

Izvestia- How long will the unit operate?

I.M.- Unfortunately, the [neutron] generator has a limited lifespan.  It is guaranteed to work for 3 years.  Since it was first assembled a year and a half has already passed so we have about the same time remaining.  As for the detectors and electronics, we hope that they will work as long as the rover will.  Without the [neutron] generator we can still do a rough estimate of the water.  But with the [neutron] generator we can determine its depth.  Its like digging a well in the country.  We know the water is there but not how much digging we need to do.  That's why we need the [neutron] generator.

Izvestia- How much water do you think you will find and what condition will it be in?

I.M.- In the landing area, near the equator, water may be present in a chemically bound form, like in a clay.  There could be about 10% of this kind of water.  That is more than enough.  The device will tell us up to 1 meter depth where this water is concentrated.

Izvestia- How much did the development of these instruments cost?

I.M.- We started work in 2005 and since that time have spent about 100 million Rubles [3.1 mil dollars].

The Dnepropetrovsk Terrorists Have Confessed to Three Attacks

The Dnepropetrovsk Terrorists Have Confessed to Three Attacks

Ukrainian Komsomolskaya Pravda - 12 June 2012

by Алла ДУНИНА

translated by Phil
Click here for the original article in Russian

The Ukrainian Security Service has combined the cases from last year's bombings in Kharkov, Zaporozhia and Dnepropetrovsk together.

Investigators have no doubt that the bombings that occurred throughout eastern Ukraine from last October through this April were the handiwork of the 4 residents of Dnepropetrovsk detained a week ago.

"The suspects gave evidence that supported the crime scene and while at the scene they showed how and where the explosives where hidden", said the head of the Security Service Igor Kalinin.  He added that they have collected all the necessary evidence including camera pictures showing the suspects.  They are also familiar with the types of explosives used and their assembly.  There is even evidence that the suspects threatened to bomb Donetsk on a website.

According to the Security Service the motive that compelled the 4 men to the attacks was asking for $4.5 million dollars, 10 cents for every Ukrainian.  The attacks had no political motive at all.  All of the attacks were combined into one case because the sum demanded by the terrorists after last years bombings in Kharkov, Zaporozhia and Dnepropetrovsk was the same.  Previously they demanded money from businessmen whose supermarkets they had planted with explosives and this time they demanded it from law enforcement.

"They prepared well for the bombings this past April in Dnepropetrovsk", said Ivan Derevianko, head of the investigative department.  They read spy novels, changed their phone's sim cards, hid their internet addresses and even changed their credit cards and how they use them.  At the same time they were so convinced they were still being followed that every night they would walk under the windows of the Security Service building in Dnepropetrovsk and check whether anyone followed them or not.

Therefore, the suspects had quite a few pictures of the Security Service not even counting the additional ones they had paid for to be taken then delivered in a package thrown from a train along with extra credit cards.  However, their spy-for-hire game stopped after the suspects threatened to blow up a playground.

As an investigator who participated in the suspects arrest told KP: when the leader of the Security Service arrived at the suspect's apartment, he nearly collapsed in surprise.

"The suspects are testifying and we hope it's straightforward", said the head of the Security Service Igor Kalinin.  "There has been no physical or psychological pressure put on them.  We hope that by September the investigation will be complete and the case can go to court."

The Explosions in Dnepropetrovsk: The Work of Smooth Criminals or Lunatics?

The Explosions in Dnepropetrovsk: The Work of Smooth Criminals or Lunatics?

Ukrainian Komsomolskaya Pravda - 3 May 2012

by Павел ДИНЕЦ , Максим МИРОШНИЧЕНКО, Мария ЯШИНА, Евгения РУДНИЦКАЯ, Николай ЛИСИЦЫН

translated by Phil
Click here for the original article in Russian

Today the deadline given by the President to find the Dnepropetrovsk terrorists expires.  City leaders will be gathering later for a meeting.  Meanwhile, the city is alive with life: the spring wedding rush is on, the parks are full and no one is suffering from trash can phobia.

Panic stopped as soon as mobile phones started working again.

Recalling the scary events of April 27th in Dnepropetrovsk one remembers the lack of police on duty and the moment when they were suddenly everywhere.  One also remembers the unplanned change in design of the local trash cans.  After the explosions at the downtown tram stops one finds light metal fences set up everywhere.  And for those stops that the first and fourth horrible devices ripped apart we now have nothing left of a tram stop whatsoever.

Panic prevailed in the first hours after the attacks but began to subside later that day as mobile phones were reactivated.  As people were able to call family and loved ones to make sure they are okay, they began to calm down.  This also helped remove tension among the people and spread the message that even though a terrorist act occurred, no one was killed.

As early as Friday evening KP correspondents watched as some businesses went on holiday break and began to forget the recent explosions.  The very next day many of these people were riding around the city in wedding processions, celebrating.

That Sunday the weekend really began as the parks started filling with thousands of people.  On Karl Marx Avenue, where the explosions took place, people were moving about as normal.  Clowns entertained kids on the center square while music played and a carousel went around.

Most importantly no one was suffering from trash can phobia (remember it was in trash cans that all four bombs were placed).  Men, women and children passed by them all day long and street vendors set up next to them.

Last year's events are related to the recent terrorist acts.


Saturday, the day after the bombings, President Viktor Yanukovich arrived in Dnepropetrovsk.  After consulting with law enforcement officials, the President visited a hospital that was treating the wounded.  Yanukovich gave fruit and candy to the injured children and promised them tickets to a local theater.  To the adults he promised rehabilitation at health resorts.  His cabinet has already allocated half a million hryvnia to pay for it.

Experts are still trying to find out exactly what kind of devices were used, Attorney General Viktor Pshonka told the press.  It is clear that the terrorists constructed it to create shrapnel damage and therefor placed it in the trash cans.

Head of the State Security Service Igor Kalinin spoke a little more freely:

"One theory is that these explosions are connected with the explosion last November 16th outside the Central Department Store," he said.  "The handwriting is the same and the device was also placed in a trash can."

Today a meeting is being held with coordination staff and journalists to further investigate the bombings.  Meanwhile, authorities have continued to say little instead insisting that "the theories put out earlier remain in place."  The number of theories has diminished however, with areas of the investigation having progressed sufficiently.

Speaking about the fewer possible theories they may be pursuing, and probably keeping in mind his political future, Igor Kalinin urged on Friday that we shouldn't rush to "politicize the bombings".  His first deputy Vladimir Rokitsky, on the tv show "Shuster Life" even said that he doubted it was even a terrorist attack saying, "Today I wouldn't publicly announce that this is an act of terrorism.  Give us time to understand everything about the crime."

A rendering of the people possibly involved in the terrorist act.  They were captured on a surveillance camera not far from one of the bombs.  Men, 30-45 years old, medium height, Slavic appearance

Who will receive two million?

"According to information we now have, I'm more inclined to believe that the bombings were organized by mentally unstable people," the first deputy chairman of the Security Service, Alexander Skibinetsky, told KP.  "There was no real motivation behind the attacks, only to cause a panic.  If this were a real terrorist attack it would have been different.  There is unlikely any political motivation..."

"It was purely criminal in nature," said the chief of the investigation for the Interior Ministry of Ukraine, Vasyl Farinnik, on Inter TV.  

A source from Dnepropetrovsk USBU [a university] gave a similar version in an interview with Rossikaya Gazeta.  "A war is going on in the city between criminal business groups.  Two weeks ago an influential businessman Gennady Axelrod was murdered..."  However, the criminal link to this crime is not very strong.

"When someone wants to intimidate a businessman use a bomb near his home, car or office not one at a tram stop where businessmen never venture.  There have been lots of examples of these kinds of bombings in Ukraine," says Oleg a former employee of the Ukrainian Security Service.  "When you create panic in a city like Dnepropetrovsk you are either crazy or you want something from the government.  Maybe they have even listed some demands but the Security Service has kept them quiet in the interest of the investigation..."

Remember the May 4th deadline that the President set to investigate the bombings and search for the criminals.

The next day after the bombings the Dnepropetrovsk administration has announced a two million hryvnia reward for information helping to find the criminals.  So far though law enforcement has not said whether anyone has tried to claim the reward.

Meanwhile...


Exploding bags in Kherson, Train station searches in Sumy


On one hand the explosions in Dnepropetrovsk have increased people's vigilance, but on the other increases in prank calls of terrorist acts have also risen.  The first victim of undue panic was a suitcase stuffed with old newspapers.  People in Odessa and alerted police on April 27th, April 30th and again on May 1st.  In Kherson bomb technicians were called up to diffuse two harmless bags that ended up only containing air.  One of the bags was in a tree while the other was in a trash can around which the area was evacuated for 50 meters.

In Sumy residents started to panic when police flooded the train station.  It turned out that a townsperson had heard a conversation of two people on the street and from it decided that they were going to blow up the town.  And even in Chernigov the police report that a real bomb was found!  A homemade device was found in a trashcan on Popudrenko Square and disarmed on the spot.  A criminal investigation has been started but it looks to be the work of hooligans.

An explosives expert even recalls an event in Zaporozhia.  On the night of May 1st all the intelligence agencies were on edge after someone called the Ministry of Emergency Situations saying "I'm a terrorist!  I will blow all of you up!"  They found and arrested the troublemaker.  It turns out he had damaged his brain from drinking vodka and sniffing glue.

Additionally


Internet users have already found a terrorist.

Once the video of the first explosion at the intersection of Karl Marx Ave and Serov St first appeared on the internet, watchful users have already identified one of the suspects.  Video from a camera on a house across the street from the tram stop "shows an interesting character in the lower right corner," writes one of the bloggers.  He comes to the edge of the road for a few seconds before the explosion, reaches into his pants (for a mobile phone) and walks a few more steps away.  Around him people are walking and running while he only stands and watches.  I think this is the guy who planted the explosives.  He is the only one behaving as if he knew about the explosion."

Dnepropetrovsk Is Under Attack

Dnepropetrovsk Is Under Attack

Izvestia - 27 April 2012

by София Саржвеладзе

translated by Phil
Click here for the original article in Russian

A series of explosions roared through the city.  25 people have been sent to the hospital.  It's unknown whether any Russians are among the injured.

Photo: RIA Novosti

In the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk a series of explosions resonated throughout the city, Friday April 27th.

At 11:50 local time (12:50 GMT) an explosion was reported at a tram stop on Karl Marx Avenue.  The explosives had been placed in a trash bin.  13 people were injured. The blast wave knocked out windows in the tram and a car parked nearby.

Bystanders aid a victim following a series of explosions in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine

Photo: RIA Novosti

Half an hour later near the movie theaters "Rodina" there was another explosion, again from the trash bin.  11 people were injured, including 9 children.

Next a bomb exploded near the entrance to Lazar Globa park injuring 3 people.

The final explosion occurred at 1:02 pm local time (2:02 GMT) again on Karl Marx avenue.  Similar to the first two, this one was also placed in a trash can.  No one was injured.

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Emergency Situations, 27 total people were injured, 9 of them children.  25 have been taken to hospitals for treatment.

The website gorod.dp.ua reports that rescuers and police barely had time to arrive at one location before the next explosion occurred.  Local internet forums report that the city had not four but ten total explosions.  Loud bangs were heard near the Grand Plaza shopping center from the surrounding streets of Pravda, Schmidt, Korolenko, Ozyorki and from the river embankment.  However, it is possible that these are only rumors.  Currently, panic is taking over the city.  Cellular communications have been disabled and public areas have been evacuated.  Police have removed all the trash bins from the city streets.  Subway access is limited and passengers have been advised to use the roads.

About 3:30 pm local time we received information that a skirmish had broken out near the Caravan shopping center between possible suspects in the attacks and security forces as they work to detain them.  Meanwhile, Ukrainian media has reported that the first suspects in the bombings have already been taken into custody.

The Russian Consulate General in Kharkov has been checking to see if any Russians are among the injured. So far there is no information on the victim's nationalities.  When the victims were hospitalized all of them reported a place of residence of Dnepropetrovsk the press secretary of the Russian Embassy, Elena Khomyakov, told Izvestia.

The injured from one of a series of bomb blasts in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine

Photo: RIA Novosti

An operational headquarters has been created in Dnepropetrovsk by Ukrainian Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko.  The working staff includes investigators, criminologists and bomb technicians.  The police have enhanced their inspection of public areas, checking all suspicious objects.

People have been advised not to go out on the streets.  All students have been released from their classes.  Movement in the city center has been shut down.  City residents have posted pictures of armored personnel carriers in the streets on social networking sites.  The army has confirmed that this type of equipment has entered Dnepropetrovsk.

The prosecutor's office has opened a criminal investigation under part 2 statute 248 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code for a "Terrorist Act".  President Viktor Yanukovych called the incident, "another challenge for the country".  He also said the best detectives will be involved in the case.

A source at the Ministry of Interior Affairs told reporters from "Most-Dnepr" that the criminals "were very professional" and the explosives contained a lot of metal objects.  The case has now been taken over by the Ukrainian Security Service.

"We will think of how to adequately respond," said [Ukrainian President] Yanukovych.

Profession: Liquidator

Profession: Liquidator

Moskovskij Komsomolets - 27 April 2011

by Анна Королева

translated by Phil
Click here for the original article in Russian

"The one wish I had was that this never happen again", recalls a doctor who participated in the rescue of the inhabitants of Chernobyl.

A quarter century has passed since the disaster at Chernobyl.  There could have been many more deaths from the events in the radiation zone if not for the bravery of the doctors working back then.

Liquidators in white coats risked their own health and lives unceasingly working behind the barbed wire fences.  Moskovskij Komsomolets managed to find one of these doctors, Sergei Didyaeva, who now works in a Rostov [Russia] trauma hospital.  But even to this day he clearly remembers the events of 25 years ago.

- In January 1987 they sent me to be a reserve officer in the city's disaster cleanup office, recalls Sergei

MK - So how did you end up in the Chernobyl disaster?

- I had been working in civil defense for 5 months along with doctors from all across Russia.  We hardly had an opportunity to get to know each other, it was more like a deployment.

MK - Memoirs of eyewitnesses talk about the unique conditions under which the liquidators operated.  How was it really?

- Our regiment was stationed behind barbed wire fences which looked just like the exclusion zone.  They put us up in officer's barracks and every day took all the doctors to work.  At first our regiment was 25 km from the power plant then we spent 2 months on site.

MK - Was your training enough to get the job done or did you have to learn new skills?

- When we arrived at Chernobyl the first thing our boss told us was, "Forget who you were in the civilian world!  Here there is only one job, that of a military doctor!"  That's all it took for everyone.

MK - Did you have any kinds of responsibilities working in the exclusion zone?

- I was head of the clinic staff.  Our only responsibility was to help those who needed it.  I never treated anyone who had radiation sickness but we did treat various other health problems.  In the end there were only a few major cases: 2 officers and 2 ambulance drivers.

MK - What do you remember the most?  What was the worst thing working there?

- The scariest thing was realizing you're inside a city and there are practically no people anywhere.  Birds fly around, cats and dogs wander about but none of them have any idea what has happened...  Although there were also people that didn't want to understand what had happened either...  I really wanted to stay in my own country, it was scary.  I remember the winter in 1987 was harsh, lots of snow and ice and instead of mud there was sand everywhere.

MK - Currently, many see a parallel between the Chernobyl accident and the Japanese tragedy.  How do you feel about it?

- Of course I feel sorry for the people and the nation.  I wish them courage in their struggle with the elements and hope they don't make any mistakes...

MK - And in the events that happened to us 25 years ago do you think mistakes have been made?

- I don't think it was worth sending so many liquidators into the disaster.  We Russians were fortunate in that most Russian liquidators had to be over 28 years old and already have children.  Ukraine and Belarus sent anyone who was over 18.

MK - Do you think there is a possibility of this kind of disaster occurring on our land again?

- Unfortunately, I don't think we can exclude any kind of possibility.  Personally, I worry about the Volgodonsk power plant.  Think back to how it was built... environmentalists claimed it was built on unstable sand.  When sand was discovered during construction, piles were driven in to "strengthen" the building and work continued so as not to lose money.  In the end the plant was still started up.  What consequences could there be from this?  I'm afraid to imagine.  But this power plant is very close to us.

MK - Do you have any kind of Chernobyl traditions since experiencing it 25 years ago?

- Every year I get together with my friends who worked with me there.  We meet near the monument to Chernobyl victims north of the city [Rostov].

MK - Have you received any awards?

- 20 years later I was awarded a medal "For rescue of the wounded".  Of course, while I was working there I had no thought of rewards.  The one wish I had was that this never happen again, I wanted to get home as quickly as possible.

The Moscow Secret of Marilyn Monroe

The Moscow Secret of Marilyn Monroe 

Moskovskij Komsomolets - 13 April 2012

by Александр Добровольский

translated by Phil
Click here for the original article in Russian

The famous Hollywood blonde had her eyes on a secret Soviet agent.

Marilyn Monroe - It's not a name but a symbol. It's been a half century since her death but her life is still full of obscure or even mysterious stories. One of them being an illegal trip to Moscow. It was always thought to be a beautiful legend but the director/screenwriter Lyudmilla Dark, who recently completed work on a film about Ms. Monroe, found evidence of the famous actress in the capitol of the USSR. She opened up to MK the secrets of the star.

At the beginning of the 2000's Russian intelligence agencies exchanged document archives with the U.S. Among them, from the depths of the KGB, were materials connected to the development of Marilyn Monroe. The foreign film star no doubt attracted the attention of the Soviet agencies since she was part of the inside circle of John F. Kennedy, who became the President of the U.S. in 1960.

There is evidence that in the documents from our secret agencies Marilyn went by the name "Masha", says Lyudmila Temnova. Even Khrushchev called the gorgeous blonde "Comrade Monroe" and wanted to arrange a visit to Moscow for her. Allegedly, we even planned to shoot a new film specifically for Marilyn Monroe in the lead role. But then fears about her unpredictable nature started to come up and our top leaders had to refuse.

But has the heroine of the silver screen ever been to Moscow? For a long time there were never any answers to this question. The film crew from "Circles on the Water" (Круги по воде) kept up in the search and in the end found an answer.

One day our investigator Konstantin Antonov said: "Through some acquaintances I have been promised a meeting with a man who personally met Marilyn Monroe and for sure knows if she has even been to Moscow. He personally called me and we agreed that he will meet me in the studio." As a result the interview will be impromptu and there will be no pre-prepared questions.

The visitor did not hide that he agreed to talk reluctantly: "I am meeting with you only out of respect for my former friend and colleague." At first he was against the interview being filmed: "I think it's unnecessary. I don't want to, I figured the movie..." But, as if by chance, Anton had already arranged all the equipment. To the objections of our subject he argued: "What are you actually afraid of? The country were this took place is no more, and Marilyn Monroe has died a long time ago!" After this the guest agreed to speak on camera but warned: "if you have the interview in a film please change my name..." so his real name was never revealed. In the credits he appears as Vladislav Egorov.

...In September 1959 at the invitation of then President Eisenhower the head of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev came to visit. On this occasion both sides held receptions. At one of the events the popular actress Marilyn Monroe met with a young employee of the Soviet Mission to the UN.

Vladislav Egorov- "It was a reception organized by the Soviet Embassy where many famous actors from Hollywood were invited. I met Marilyn only once purely by chance near the main room. She smiled at me, we clinked champagne glasses... Then we met, chatted... It wasn't planned beforehand. Somehow it happened that we became friends and it slowly grew, even having some sense of feeling... But the fact was that I wasn't in the U.S. as a visitor, only a tourist... I worked there - doing certain tasks... diplomatic things and requests from our intelligence services... Naturally, the contact with Marilyn quickly became known to my superiors. However, an issue arose; in fulfilling my duties I would now have this woman to "develop". But when 2 people can really relate together and when there are feelings between them - it can make things complicated.

Based on the story of our friend, they met several more times with Monroe and even took her for a ride in a horse drawn carriage. During this romantic trip the actress told Egorov about her love for Dostoevsky and that she'd very much like to visit the home of such a great writer. She said: "Look, you're Russian, tell me, what do you think, could I play Grushenka in the Brothers Karamazov?"

To be in a film based on the book by Fyodor Mikhailovich [Dostoevsky] was an old dream of Marilyn's. However, instead of a cherished dramatic role she was once again offered a Hollywood mass produced character. Filming of "Let's Make Love" began in mid January 1960 and Monroe became a partner of French singer Yves Montand. Soon the media published sensational reports that the 2 stars supposedly started a relationship. Having read one of the articles in the paper, Marilyn's present husband, screenwriter Arthur Miller, couldn't stand it and defiantly left the film's set. He made no effort to explain anything to his wife. This move greatly hurt her and she felt betrayed. Saying she didn't feel well Marilyn left the film crew, went to the hotel and disappeared.

"All these facts are beyond doubt," says Ludmila Temnova. In the official biography of Monroe it actually mentions that in the winter of 1960 she disappeared from sight for 2 weeks. It's not known if she was sick in the hotel the whole time or if she went somewhere. Our classified guest proves that it is during this "technical" break in the filming of "Let's Make Love" that Marilyn, without telling anyone, made a "classified" trip to the Soviet capital. Supposedly he called her hotel room and invited her to visit Moscow. Surely this wasn't for Vladislav's personal initiative but only an invitation through him to take advantage of his closeness to the Hollywood star. Marilyn agreed to the invitation with pleasure. Soon after the respective bodies went to work to make her a visa (during the Cold War this process would normally drag on a long time). Incidentally, I asked Vladislav during the interview: "Is it true that Marilyn Monroe was in this country incognito?" He made no secret of the concern this would have caused. "Can you even imagine that in the Soviet Union, with the Iron Curtain, someone could come incognito?!"

Vladislav Egorov- Marilyn went to the Soviet Union under her real name, Norma Jean Baker, not her stage name. She didn't really stand out among our women - maybe only her clothes, perhaps. She behaved very modestly..."

Vladislav met the American guest at the airport. On the way to the hotel Marilyn said she'd hoped to see the Moscow subway.  She had heard about the real underground palaces... Her accommodations were in a double room in the Hotel National where, to her delight, you could see the Kremlin from the windows. The next day she fulfilled her dream of visiting the Dostoevsky museum. Of course she was accompanied by Vladislav. Together they walked through the Catherine Garden and then down the streets of downtown Moscow. The whole time no one raised any hype about the overseas celebrity.

The view from Marilyn's Hotel Window

On arrival Marilyn Monroe only knew a small circle of people. Ordinary Muscovites simply saw a spectacular, well-dressed woman - obviously a foreigner - and never even imagined that she was a popular Hollywood actress. In the USSR most films with her never reached a wide audience and the beautiful blonde was never reached the forefront of the media or to the knowledge of most citizens. Meanwhile, the same Hollywood superstar looked with delight over the snow covered streets and trees of Moscow. Observantly she quickly noticed that Russian women prefer to wear hats in the winter and she especially liked the fluffy, knit scarves.

Valdislav Egorov in 2008

After a walk around Moscow Marilyn and Vladislav went out to the country to his parents cabin. They spend 2 days there up until she left the country.

Vladislav- "They were unforgettable days... Marilyn was greatly impressed by the Russian countryside. Of course there were some tense relations between us. After all we realized that even if it's just the 2 of us here it doesn't mean that no one else would see or hear anything. With the specifics of the situation and her arrival to the USSR it only seemed natural at the time... But I still regret that all this happened! Marilyn was waiting for me, she wanted some kind of continuation of our relationship, but it was completely pointless given the specifics of my work at the time..."

Yes, nothing romantic happened between them. Under the close watch of the bureau's secret agents how could I reveal my feelings and heartfelt impulses?!

The short visit to the Russian capital was for Marilyn Monroe like flying to another planet. But she returned to the filming of "Let's Make Love" as if nothing had happened. However, members of the film crew noticed that Marilyn was somehow different, she was now more enlightened, inspired. Additionally, after her "illness" she started to gain weight and the costume designer had to repeatedly alter her dress. After that the super-blonde actress wished only to appear in a thick sweater and low-heeled shoes starting rumors around the set about her being pregnant.

"Official information about the birth of Marilyn's baby doesn't appear anywhere if don't take into account the reports written in the tabloid magazines," says Temnova. However, according to many who knew her, the actress often talked of her love for her daughter as if she really existed...

- Indeed, it's a mystery. And what do you think about Vladislav's story? Have you tried to get any more evidence for this love story?

- Unfortunately, that was the last meeting we had with him. We have not been able to reach him anymore. But everything he said doesn't seem to be that fabulous.

- So after a chance run in a Hollywood star was overcome with sympathy for a Soviet agent!...


- In fact, it's nothing fantastic. When they met she would have been 33 and he was 27. I saw the picture of Vladislav when he was that age, he was young, charming and could easily have attracted Marilyn. Even many years later when we started talking you could feel his energy, confidence and reliability... Powerful qualities!.. Besides, don't forget, Vladislav worked as a secret agent so he was well trained in communicating with the opposite sex...

- But it turns out that none of these tactics worked! History has continued...


- I asked Vladislav if he kept in contact with Marilyn. He mentioned that after her return to America the actress wrote a few letters back to the USSR addressed to you know who... However, he never received any of them. And 2 years later the magnificent blonde was gone... You can tell by his voice as he describes their incidental contact, just as he did to his superiors years ago, that even now he still feels some guilt toward Marilyn. Now off camera Vladislav shares his impressions: "She had a kind of unpredictability, but at the same time it's very controlled... She wasn't the same as everyone had thought. She was much deeper than I had imagined... She was laid back, easy to talk to, not like a star at all! She kept a great energy and playfulness that had been preserved up into adulthood and had the looks of a seductive, mature woman...

Incidentally, I asked Vladislav what happened to his life after the series of meetings with the legendary actress. He answered shortly: "Whenever abroad, I never went out." Ok then!

Vladislav- "I may have forgotten much of this story... Who knows how everything was exactly! Believe me or don't believe me!... Many years have passed. Details continue to slowly slip away but some things, like the memory of a woman, I can never forget. Those memories will be with me 'till the end of my days."