Republic Day message of the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev to the President of India Mrs Pratibha Patil and to the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh.

The 56th Solo Exhibition entitled “Earthly Heaven” by noted Indian artist Surjit Akre was opened at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture on January 20, 2012. The exhibition which will continue till January 31, 2012, consists of 61 recent painting, oil on canvas on different themes. In the exhibition, the artist interprets her feelings of love to her motherland and her countrymen.

On January 13 the Embassy of Russia in India hosted a colourful fancy ball on the occasion of the Orthodox Christmas, which has already become a traditional and remarkable event in the cultural and social life of the Indian capital.

Tens and hundreds of greeting letters and post-cards reach Indian Embassy in Moscow these days. They congratulate Indian ambassador Ajai Malhotra with the Republic Day of India, which is celebrated on the 26th of January.  Russian colleagues and many friends of India, who met with the ambassador in Saint-Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Vladivostok, Severodvinsk, Sochi, Archangelsk and other Russian cities, send the ambassador their best wishes.

General Director of the Rostekhnologii (Russian Technologies) state corporation Sergey Chemezov has ruled out any further delay in the handover of the Admiral Gorshkov heavy aircraft carrier to India. Speaking about three other frigates constructed at the Baltic shipyards of Yantar, Chemezov admited that ‘there was a certain delay but shipbuilders are doing their best to get it reduced to the minimum”.

Russian science fiction writer Alexander Belyayev, popularly called the “Soviet Jules Verne”, was a visionary of sorts. In his captivating novels, he created vivid worlds and predicted modern marvels such as organ transplant, hormone therapy and space missions. But not many know about his love for India and its beautiful and nuanced evocation in Ariel, his last novel before he died.

On the eve of the Republic Day of India, Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra spoke of the Indo-Russian partnership and highlighted the key areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Sania Mirza has been a great role model for girls but tennis in India still needs to be popularized. Tennis revolution in Russia in the 1990s can serve as a good example.