single photo

US Marines from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo eat a late meal after a patrol during an operation in Zalmabad village
in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January, 2011.

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during an operation in Zalmabad village

 US Marines from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo walk in line during an operation
in Zalmabad village in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January, 2011 

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The local inhabitants on the south are basically peasants and farmers! As usual this people are ordinary and affable. That's why, everyone who waged a war in Iraq, said that the war in Iraq and Afghanistan like day and night. Everything here is very affable! I guess that everyone saw the pictures of a children in Iraq or Palestine. The contact between children and army is very different! All children can ask the candy or the pen. The forces of ISAF wage the war very carefully as possible as it may be. For example, the peasant buries an explosive at night. No one shoot at him and don't cover with mortar fire. Soldiers let him do that and in the morning he goes to demine everything he buried before. Later the soldiers go to his place, arrest him and interrogate about his action! They ask who gave him the explosive and notice him not to do this anymore and then release him! As usual the peasants do this just because they need money. He buried the mine on the money of Taliban and when the US patrol will pass by his place and ask where the mine is, he'll show because americans will pay for it. That is such kind of life fact. If you need the money you should bury the mine, if you need more you should dig it up. That is easy! During the conversation they looks like Chekhov's peasant who unscrewed a nut from the railway. Also you need to remember the east raid. I've written about the best friends fight agains each other. And here is one more example. It was in Uzbekistan which is very similar to Afghanistan. I traveled in Uzbekistan during one month and always felt that everyone tried to deceive me. And they didn't try to do it in difficult way, they tried to make obvious trickery!

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The Milky Way Galaxy

An armoured vehicle of US Marines from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo is seen in front of The Milky Way Galaxy (R)
during an operation not far from Shir Chazay in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January, 2011

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single photo

US Marines from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo have a rest near their compound during an operation not far from Shir Chazay
in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January, 2011

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during an operation

US Marines from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo patrol during an operation near Zalmabad village
in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January, 2011

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compound

A US Marine from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo company rests in a compound not far from Shir Chazay
in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January, 2011. 

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single photo

US Marines from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo sit near a fire as they rest after a patrol in Musa Qala district
of Helmand province on January, 2011

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during an operation

US Marine from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo patrol during an operation in Musa Qala district
of Helmand province on January, 2011. 

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single photo

An Afghan boy looks at the camera in Musa Qala on January 27, 2011

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single photo

Afghans are pictured through a camouflage tent as they walk from the market in Musa Qala
in Helmand province on January 27, 2011.

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A time Machine

When I was a teenage I enjoyed to watch through the palm of my hand, like through the spyglass. I unclenched my palm then clinched them tightly, trying to make the things visible that wasn't destroyed by a human, trying to imagine places at the time when they were wild. In Afghanistan I could stand with outstretched hand in opposite directions. Imagine that you are walking on the barely rolled road and there is nothing around! Absolutely nothing. You could only see slightly visible craggy outcrops of mountains.
Then you get into the village. There is nothing that could remind you about civilization. It's impossible to imagine, you just have to see it! There is nothing made from plastic. Even the rubbish looks different from other rubbish. There is just mud, you'll never see the butts or plastic bags. It is impossible to find something that will close the sky from your eyes except of trees. You could meet a child for whom you will be the first foreign person whom he saw.

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An Afghan detainee sits guarded by US Marines from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo
during an operation in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January 23, 2011.

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that is a war

As far as I understood, this operation shouldn't be hold! There is a period of silent time but there is a district in the south of Musa Qala, that caused a problem during few month! When I arrived, someone said me: "Do you see that hill? If you want to get RPG missile, just go there"! As a result, this operation was planned. The main feature is that there are few villages, one of which is a native village of the group of leaders of Taliban and they control the market.

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A market

There is a market very close to my base, which is gathering twice a week! But unfortunately marines don't go there and I can't go there alone. That is incredibly interesting to watch this idyllic pictures of medieval rural life. Predominantly you could buy there livestock. When the market closes, lots of people start to play football near that place.
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returning

I've just returned from a quite big mission! Everything is OK. Everyone is alive and healthy. No one from Marines didn't perish. On our way "home" we drove over a mine but it was little and even the car didn't get any damages! I have to recover after this mission and later I'll give you my impressions!

P.S. During my mission there was no network, and when I returned I heard about that terrible explosions in Moscow! I was very upset. And if something happens in native country it touches more even when I so such kind of things everyday here!
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Not far from Shir Chazay

US Marines from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo company patrol during an operation
not far from Shir Chazay in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January 22, 2011. 

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Single photo

The Milky Way Galaxy is seen as US Marines from 1st Battalion 8th,
Bravo have a rest near their compound during an operation not far from
Shir Chazay in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January 22, 2011

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food

 Afghan National Army soldiers prepare food at Talibjhan base in Musa Qala district
of Helmand province.

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Single photo

A US Marine from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo company sits in his room at Talibjhan base
in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January 21, 2011.

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Single photo

A goat stands near armoured vehicles of the US Marine 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo company
at Talibjhan base in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January 21, 2011.
A 140,000-strong force of NATO-led international troops stationed in Afghanistan
currently fighting Taliban-led insurgency is now entering its tenth year.

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Afghan National Army (ANA)

 Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers prepare their rifles at Talibjhan base
in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January 21, 2011.

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My new hotel "sweet home"

The base where I moved later was less comfortable and smaller than the previous! There wasn't normal food at all! but everything looked very real!!!
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3D

I am glad to introduce my first work in 3D! I hope that this is the first 3D photographs of an afghanistan military operation you have ever seen. I took them for myself and I hope that they would be not only in my blog but on AFP. Of course you can watch them in 3D glasses or using TV with 3D.
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Patrol

US Marines from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo company are pictured
through a window repairing their armoured vehicle outside
Talibjhan base in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January 20, 2011.

During the patrol we broke a wheel on a little track. The military track is rolling this little track to avoid being exploded on mine! Americans don't use Humvees anymore! They were changed by big vehicle with a bottom as on a ship to dissect the explosion. After explosion the vehicle loos there wheels but whole track doesn't get any damages. In general this vehicles are very reliable but there are very huge!

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Single photo

US Marine from 2nd radio battallion sits near his bags in his room at Talibjhan base
outside Musa Qala on January 19, 2011. A 140,000-strong force of NATO-led international troops
stationed in Afghanistan currently fighting Taliban-led insurgency is now entering its tenth year.

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The Musa Qala District Center

US Marines from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo company pose as they unpack containers
of mineral water at Talibjhan base in Musa Qala district of Helmand province on January 19, 2011.
A 140,000-strong force of NATO-led international troops stationed in Afghanistan currently
fighting Taliban-led insurgency is now entering its tenth year.

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Musa Qala

An Afghan youth stands at a market in Musa Qala on January 18, 2011.

I looked around and realized that everything is like it was 500 years ago. It always seems to me that many of the medieval artists could see everything! And here I understood that everything was just like on in their pictures. Afghanistan is a time machine, I could hardly believe my eyes.

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Single photo

An Afghan boy stands near a wall as US Marines from 1st Battalion,
8th Marines patrol around the to of Musa Qala on January 18,2011

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The Musa Qala District Center base

US Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marines prepare barbed wire on a wall in the town
of Musa Qala on January 18, 2011

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Military fitness centre

A US Marine from 1st Battalion, 8th Marines exercises at a makeshift gym at the Musa Qala District Center base
on January 17, 2011. The top US military officer said January 12 he sees an increase in bloodshed in Afghanistan
as allied forces step up their offensive against the Taliban

-To be a marine is a job for young people, but I'm not so young I'm 36. So I have to train more.

-do you usually training everyday?

-yes, but every time I exercise different groups of muscles. Today -the dorsal muscles, tomorrow - ...

     Recently an excellent gym was set up, in a couple of tents in the camp, it has more equipment than the gym nearby my flat in Moscow. So if you want to save money on fitness you should became an marine! Doing exercises outdoors is better for you anyway.
Everyone was training so rigorously that it made me want to have a go. 

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The Musa Qala District Center base

US Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marines burn human waste as they clean their lavatories at the Musa Qala
District Center base on January 17, 2011. The top US military officer said January 12 he sees an increase
in bloodshed in Afghanistan as allied forces step up their offensive against the Taliban

About toilets...
Each morning one of the marines cleaned the toilets, he took a barrel from under the toilet, filled it up with fuel and burnt it! I think they put something in it to kill the smell.
Nobody cares when you get up! As long as you do your tasks and your duties. So if there is nothing to do you can just sleep! That's solves many problems! Everyone has enough sleep and doesn't feel tired during the day, secondly you will never find a queues in front of the sink and the toilet! And everyone have time to take a shower!
In my country in the army it is normal to take a shower once a week, even though you are running and jumping everyday and getting sweaty.

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The Musa Qala District Center base

A US Marine from 1st Battalion, 8th Marines takes a rest during a patrol
around the town of Musa Qala on January 18, 2011

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The Musa Qala District Center base

A US Marine from the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines sleeps in a helicopter 

during a flight to Musa Qala District Center base early on January 16, 2011

- can I sit closely to the gunner? I asked.
- damn you, go ahead! Shouted the marine, preparing the helicopter for take off.

     After two failed take offs and landings, one helicopter change 11 hours on the ground in total we finally took off. Our helicopter was carrying a huge tank of water. "Turn right when you go out" I read 50 times during the flight and what did I do! I turned left. In a few seconds I was retreating from the caudal fin. ...finally we reached the destination...

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The dust

     The dust is everywhere, that's why everyone is coughing so much. A truck crossed in front of me and I saw what looked like life size ghosts. The life-size ghosts went right on down the road. They were ghosts of a soldiers with weapons and backpacks....
     It took me a few minutes to understand that the 'ghosts' were in fact soldiers covered in dust. I couldn't see the soldiers, just their shadows.
     I'm still waiting for a helicopter. There are few of other journalists waiting. 
I hope we'll leave this evening. 
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...waiting...

       I am pleased that Natahen's photograph was on the list of winners of "the best of Russia 2010" Even though there are as many winners as "days in the year", it may not seem such a victory but I am still glad.
The cloud approaching Kabul finally brought snow despite my companions view that it was just a dust cloud! Everything was covered with a fine sprinkling of snow. 
       I have missed my second plane as the recently arrived British unit has filled it completely and as usual the journalists have to make do with the leftovers. I returned to the departure lounge to wait but as it turns out there is still no place for me! So I continue to wait. 
       The time in Kabul is + hour and a half GMT. It surprised me. I had always wondered why astronaught wore so many watches, now I realize why. They have to know the time in London, in Moscow and in Houston especially when docking the shuttle! I understand how they feel because I have to know the local time in Moscow, in Paris, in Delhi and Hong Kong depending on witch office I need to work with! Of course you get use to time difference but I still want to put on three different watches! 

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Second day in Kabul

     I am in military base in Kabul and waiting for permission to go to a Camp Bastion. I think I'll reach my destination in just a couple of days!

     This morning I intended to write about the punctuality of the American military! But I changed my mind. I was told to be at the front gate between 7.15pm and 7.30p.m, where I would be met by an officer and I had to take my things with me. During the day the office found me and asked why I had not been at the front gate. As it turns out they had mixed up the a.m. and p.m. 


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Morning in Kabul.

       Here I am in Kabul! It is so incredibly beautiful, especially in the daytime. The traffic in Kabul is crazy! No one will give way, everyone goes where they want to! No one is paying attention to the traffic controller! As in most eastern countries everybody uses their hooter all the time! There are many bicycles everywhere! It is total chaos, but very funny!

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Afghanistan

I am leaving on a business trip to Afghanistan. For more then one month. Hopefully it will be interesting and fun.
P.S. Nikon gave me a camera 24/1.4 to test for them. They said that it was only used in studious, and now I will field test it for them.
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