What happened in March. Calendar of historical events of March

Social page

Unknown Russia

Literary page

Recipes

Our contacts

Help the children!

Articles of the day

2.03.2015

2.03.2015

March 1, 1921 - Sailors' revolt in Kronstadt

It was on this day that a joint armed uprising of the garrison of the city of Kronstadt and the ships of the Baltic Fleet against the Bolsheviks took place in Petrograd.

March 3, 1933 - The Third Reich is proclaimed in Potsdam

The Third Reich is the unofficial name of the German state, which existed from March 24, 1933 to May 23, 1945. Adolf Hitler saw Nazi rule as a logical continuation of the German Empire. The First Reich, according to historians, was also the most powerful, having begun its existence in 962 in Rome under the reign of Otto the Great, itproclaimed the territory of Germany the Holy Roman Empire.They decided to create a new German Empire, or the Second ReichKing William I of Prussia and Chancellor Otto von Bismarckin 1871, after winning theFranco-Prussian War 1870-1871 The Second Reich did not last long: until November 1918. The reason for the collapse was the loss in the First World War.

When creating the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler set himself the task of German domination throughout the world. He was sure that only the Aryan race should rule, and all other peoples should serve. Hitler’s idea of ​​creating a unified German state was inspired by the book “The Third Reich,” written in 1922 by Arthur Möller van den Bruck.

In May 1945, the Third Reich came to an end. Germany lost the Second World War, which it started. As a result, the territory of the country was divided, and two states appeared on the map of Europe: Germany and the GDR.

March 8, 1950 - The USSR announced the presence of an atomic bomb

The news that an atomic bomb appeared in the USSR shocked the world community, especially the US government, which considered the Soviet nuclear industry to be insufficiently developed.

Since 1941, the USSR intelligence services reported that a nuclear bomb was being actively developed in America; at the Potsdam Conference, Truman hinted to Stalin that the United States had weapons of incredible destructive power. Not wanting to allow the US nuclear monopoly, Stalin ordered the acceleration of the creation of the Soviet atomic bomb. And already in 1947, Foreign Minister Molotov announced the presence of nuclear weapons, the Americans perceived this information as a bluff. In the same year, the first nuclear reactor was launched. The tests of the new Soviet bomb were successful, and American intelligence agencies, who took an air sample in the Kamchatka region, found isotopes in it that clearly indicated recent tests.

March 9, 1934 - Yu.A. was born. Gagarin

The first person to fly into space, USSR pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Alekseevich Gagarinborn in the village of Klushino, Gzhatsky (now Gagarinsky) district, Smolensk region. His parents were hereditary Smolensk peasants Alexey Ivanovich and Anna Timofeevna Gagarins.

March 12, 1917 (February 27 according to the Julian calendar in force at that time in Russia) - Armed uprising, later called the February Revolution to her

The February Revolution began as a result of dissatisfaction among liberal-bourgeois circles with the autocratic policies of the tsar.

Initially, events developed as a general strike:bread riots, anti-war rallies, demonstrations, strikes at industrial enterprises in the city; fighters from the capital’s garrison of thousands joined the strikers. The situation began to develop into an armed uprising. The rebels managed to occupy the most important points of the city and government buildings. The tsarist government was not prepared for the current situation and was unable to quickly take the necessary measures.

As a result of the February Revolution, Tsar NicholasIIabdicated the throne, a provisional government was formed, which united the legislative and executive powers. In its Declaration, the Provisional Government announced amnesty for political prisoners, civil liberties, replacement of the police with a “people's militia”, and reform of local self-government.

March 13, 1881 - Alexander II was mortally wounded by a bomb

Emperor Alexander II of the Romanov dynasty entered Russian history as a Liberator and Reformer.

Died as a result of a terrorist attack organized by the People's Will party.A bomb thrown by a Narodnaya Volya member ended the tsar’s life at one of the most significant moments in the fate of the autocrat and the entire country.He died on the very day when he decided to set the constitutional project in motion, telling his sons Alexander (the future emperor) and Vladimir: “I do not hide from myself that we are following the path of the constitution.”

March 20, 2003 - Coalition invasion of Iraq begins

US troops invaded Iraq under the pretext of searching for weapons of mass destruction. However, not only did they not find weapons, they could not even prove the involvement of the Iraqi regime in terrorism.

40 countries took part in the coalition against Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime, including Georgia and Ukraine.

Refused to participate in the operation: Russia, France, Germany, China, India. However, they did not provide any tangible assistance to Iraq.

Assassination of the Russian EmperorPaul I happened in the building of the Mikhailovsky Castle, on the night of March 11 (23), 1801 to March 12 (24), 1801.

A group of 12 guards officers burst into the ruler's bedroom, death occurred from strangulation.

The reason for the conspiracy was dissatisfaction with unpredictable politics and the breakdown of relations between Russia and Britain.

March 25, 1238 - Beginning of the heroic defense of Kozelsk

The heroic defense of Kozelsk lasted 50 days. Approaching a small town, the Mongol troops demanded that it surrender, but the residents of Kozelsk answered the enemies:“Our Prince is a baby, but we, as true believers, must die for him in order to leave a good reputation for ourselves in the world, and after the grave to accept the crown of immortality.” . After which a long siege began. With the help of battering machines, the Tatars managed to destroy the wall of the fortress, but the Kozelites were able to repel the attack. About 4,000 Mongols died during the siege.

Batu was outraged by the unprecedented resistance of the Kozel residents and forbade calling the city Kozelsk, changing the name to “Evil City”.

After taking the city, the Mongols killed everyone, including infants.

Crimean War 1853-1856 ended with the signing of the Paris Peace Treaty, which was not beneficial for Russia. According to this treaty, Russia was prohibited from having a navy in the Black Sea (the ban was lifted only in 1871 at the London Convention), Russia lost part of its territories.

The second stage of the launch vehicle failed. Fortunately, the emergency rescue system worked normally and the astronauts landed safely in the Kazakh steppe.

During the launch of the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station, a carrier accident occurred with a manned spacecraft. After the launch, the automation turned off the engines of the second stage of the rocket, and the astronauts had to make an emergency landing. The reasons are not yet known, there is only information that everything is fine with the crew, they are alive.

In the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft, two cosmonauts were supposed to go to the International Space Station - Russian Alexey Ovchinin and American astronaut Nick Hague. For several flights already, a reduced crew has been flying into orbit, not three, but two. This is due to the Russian decision to reduce the crew until the multifunctional laboratory module “Nauka” is launched into orbit, which is expected to launch at the end of 2019.

The astronauts had to fly on a shortened six-hour schedule. But such an innovation does not affect the flight; it only affects the maneuvers of the spacecraft, performed after entering orbit, and a more precise time for the launch of the rocket. Today’s launch is in many ways an anniversary, it was dedicated to the centenary of the Experimental Engineering Plant (ZEM) of the Energia rocket and space corporation, where the Soyuz is manufactured.

What's even more offensive is that today's launch preceded very important negotiations between Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, and NASA head Jim Brandenstein. After the launch, negotiations were expected between the Russian and American sides on cooperation in the creation of an American lunar station. Russia wants to participate in its creation on an equal basis, while the Americans want to consolidate their primacy. Unfortunately, after such an accident, negotiations will most likely be postponed.
Separately, it is worth noting the excellent performance of the emergency rescue system (ESS) of the Soyuz spacecraft, developed for the emergency rescue of astronauts. The emergency rescue system operates throughout almost the entire flight path of the rocket and is separated from the launch vehicle only after reaching a safe altitude. On the Soyuz rocket, the SAS can be seen at the very top, it is a “spire” above the head of the carrier.

In this case, the escape system separated the spacecraft from the emergency launch vehicle, put it on a trajectory towards Earth, braked and then deployed the parachute for a soft landing. It is clear that when the rescue system engines fire, the astronauts experience serious overloads, since the rocket accelerates at high speed, and the rescue system begins to brake sharply.

According to preliminary information, this time the overload did not exceed 6g, which is not dangerous to the life and health of the crew. During a normal flight, astronauts already experience overloads of up to 5–7g.

The last time the emergency rescue system was activated on Soyuz rockets was September 26, 1983. Then the accident occurred right on the launch pad, but the system’s engines pulled the spacecraft out of the accident zone and allowed the astronauts to land safely. In that case, the crew experienced overloads of 14 to 18 g without harm to their health, rising to a height of 650 meters.

In the current situation, the system worked much more sparingly. It is reported that the astronauts have already landed in the Kazakh steppe. It was unrealistic to see the moment of failure and explosion, since the Roscosmos broadcast was interrupted a few seconds before the emergency situation began.

Illustration copyright Getty Images

Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation Andrei Klishas introduced a bill to the State Duma to postpone the 2018 Russian presidential elections to March 18, the date of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin spoke out in support of this proposal, however, the Kremlin reacted with restraint and promised to “think about it.”

The election campaign has started, and it seems we can already guess under what slogans it will be held.

What to expect from the 2018 elections?

Host of the program "The Fifth Floor" Mikhail Smotryaev talks with a political scientist Nikolai Petrov and Professor at the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology of the European University in St. Petersburg Vladimir Gelman.

Mikhail Smotryaev : We can say that the election campaign has gradually begun. It is unlikely to contain any colossal surprises, but the events of the last few days, when at least three participants in high-profile trials were released, can be interpreted in different ways. This bill, which entered the State Duma on the third, establishes some almost Soviet parallels between elections and public holidays - let’s not forget that March 18 is a federal holiday in Russia. For those who are a little older, it is easy to remember the corresponding slogans from the newspapers about the unbreakable alliance of communists and non-party people, about virtually uncontested elections, even though now it is not the Central Committee that is being elected, but the president.

NikolathPetrov: Stylistically, parallels can be drawn here, but what is happening today has much more important consequences for the further development of the country than just a coincidence. Apparently, we are seeing a moment when a choice has been made regarding the model of the upcoming presidential elections, and, possibly, the country's development strategy.

Vladimir Gelman: There are quite a lot of parallels with the Soviet past, but the elections in the USSR were a show, and the presidential elections in 2018 were an important event. I agree with Nikolai, they will really greatly influence the trajectory of the country’s further development.

M.S. : Lately, quite a lot has been written about what this trajectory will look like. There are several components here that make sense to discuss separately. Today I saw Bovt’s commentary, where he draws a parallel between the slogan" make America great" and its Russian counterpart. First they got up from their knees, then doubledaivaliGDP, and now some similar conversations are also taking place. The situation here breaks down into foreign policy - this is a topic for a separate conversation - and domestic policy. The domestic political situation was to some extent spurred by the sanctions that were imposed on Russia, but the economic prerequisites were there long enough ago that a push was needed for their development. At the same time, oil prices fell at about the same time. Now we are finding out how the Russian economy will be structured in the next 10 or 20 years. And statistics tell us that Russians already spend twice as much as Europeans on food alone, and not the most expensive ones. About 30% of your monthly income, which is less than in neighboring Ukraine, but much more than the national average" golden billion" . What changes await us here?

N.P.: The fact of choosing a presidential election model does not mean a clear choice of a country's development model. The moment simply came when the Kremlin stopped hoping for the possibility of concluding agreements with the West, primarily with the United States, which would help ease the country’s financial situation by easing financial sanctions. There is very little time left before the elections, and the course is set to take Crimea for the third time, to hold elections as a plebiscite, when the people demonstrate unity and unite around the military leader. This can support the legitimacy of the government. But then the question still arises of how the country will develop further, and here the choice has not yet been made, and, secondly, even if it were made in favor of the mobilization model of development, intensifying confrontation with the West, it is still clear that this model It is unlikely to be able to provide long-term stability to the regime, and yet, through a crisis, a transition to a relatively liberal economy is possible.

M.S. : The election mechanism, which in simplified form looks like" If not Putin, then who?", - this is already a vector, this is a signal of how life will be structured in the Russian economy and foreign policy. In the form in which it exists today, the regime does not have an excessive margin of stability. It must be supported all the time. The mechanism of its functioning in previous years is unlikely to change radically if Vladimir Putin remains president.

V.G.: The goal that the current leaders of Russia set for themselves is to leave everything as it is, to leave themselves in power for as long as possible, in a word, not to change anything much. They do not have any incentive to begin carrying out liberal reforms in the economy. All talk about the transition to a mobilization economy meets the interests only of some lobby groups. This means that the model of development is assumed to be a model of stagnation, similar to the one that existed in the USSR during the time of Brezhnev. Quite a few of our fellow citizens consider this time to be the best in recent Russian history. But it is obvious that the longer any changes are delayed, the more painful they will be, but this is not the issue of today's elections.

M.S. : The question of today's elections is who will continue to lead the economy in the near short-term future. If the elections really turn out to be virtually uncontested, then this is a clear indication that a course has been taken towards conservation. Moreover, this can be framed with propaganda mobilization slogans, and vice versa, with another doubling or tripling of GDP. But if you peel off this shell, then in fact nothing will change.

N.P.: This is a logical, but not entirely correct reasoning. This is a rare case when I disagree with Vladimir Yakovlevich. I agree that the system itself, the political elite, would like not to change anything. But can she not change anything? A change in model is absolutely inevitable, and it is due to the fact that there are practically no resources left to maintain the current model. A descent into the Brezhnev era is impossible in principle. Whether it wants it or not, the system is at a fork in the road. And this fork is quite simple: either liberal economic attempts to once again breathe new life into the Russian economy, or the need for a strict mobilization model in both economics and politics.

In this sense, the importance of what is happening today is quite serious and does not depend on what the Kremlin wants, whether or not there is a consensus among the elites on what development model to choose for the future. Moreover, in the last year we have observed very serious changes in the elites themselves, which today have led to the fact that the Kremlin is relatively free in choosing the vector of further development, at least serious consolidated attempts on the part of the elite to move in the direction that this elite group considers it beneficial for himself, today, apparently, today are impossible. The changes and rearrangements that occurred when strong and influential people were replaced by third-level technocrats who cannot act as leaders for this or that development model also indicate a transitional state of the system. This state cannot last long.

M.S. : Well, the elections are not tomorrow. There is a non-zero probability that by 18-muyear, the ferment in the elites will intensify so much that the elections will not be without alternatives.

V.G.: Such a development is unlikely. Of course, we cannot predict the future; any of our expectations are based on what we observe now. Anything can happen within a year. Everything can change radically and globally. But so far we see that the idea of ​​an inertial campaign scenario has prevailed. We see new candidates, we see a clear desire to rely on administrative methods - increasing voter turnout, it has already been announced that it is necessary to achieve 70% participation in the elections, it is almost impossible to do this honestly, there is a desire to capitalize on the positive feelings of many Russians from the annexation of Crimea. But all this looks like a repetition of the past, and we do not see new discussions or plans. Rather, we can expect that they will not appear over the next year.

M.S. : We have already talked several times about the state of the Russian political elites and each time we have come to the conclusion that the state is disappointing. And the fact that we now have elites, or, as they are called, the towers of the Kremlin, how ready are they, in principle, for the opportunity to change something, turn something around, how much do they understand that they are at a fork in the road? Because, if you look at Russia’s actions in the foreign policy area, then the mobilization model of the Russian economy grows out of them naturally, because nothing else can grow out of it - here is Crimea, and Syria, and constant vetoes in the Security Council, and suddenly Trump turned out to be by no means the best friend, and China is placing ballistic missiles on the border - a fortress surrounded by enemies. In this regard, to assume that someone, in some Kremlin tower, can guess and have enough weight to begin pushing the idea that maybe we’ll stop saber-rattling, let’s try to make peace, carry out liberal reforms, and thus increase our longevity as a regime, this idea may simply not be born?

N.P.: This idea cannot be born there as a movement from above, initiated by some organized group of the elite. Today we have a serious decline in trust within the elites. What is happening with the arrests of dignitaries, governors, and so on, prevents the consolidation of elites and unification for one or another development option. The system that has been built, we talk about the elite, about those people who take part in governing the country. But these are not independent figures, but people built into mechanisms.

Over the past year, the ability of the political elite to see and formulate a vision for the country as a whole, rather than how to most effectively solve a task set by someone from above, has decreased significantly. We can definitely talk about the degradation of political elites at both the federal and regional levels. Another thing is that life will push this colossus in a certain direction.

We can't wait for the elite to come up with a wonderful plan for economic and political change. But when faced with one problem or another, as recently when the elite faced problems in elections, a forced decision was made to return to a mixed system. And this is also a kind of impetus for further political development. As a result, we will see reactive political modernization, as a change and complication of the system, not because someone in the elite wants it or has a strategic idea of ​​how the country should develop further, but as a result of attempts to solve constantly emerging new problems, to respond to which some challenges.

M.S. : Permanent solution liketheir- this puzzle without a strategic development plan, at least for several decades, can end quite sadly for the country. Do you share concerns about the state of the Russian elite?

V.G.: The planning horizon is indeed extremely small. Of course, this is due to the steps that have been taken in recent years - the annexation of Crimea, confrontation with the outside world, tightening the screws in domestic politics. In terms of long-term strategic prospects, our elites and various leaders behave like ordinary people. They do not make long-term plans, but act according to the situation. Until very recently, this worked out, since even such an adventure as Crimea did not bring immediate catastrophic consequences. And the long-term consequences are accumulating, but those who rule the country today have expectations that when these consequences may come, they will no longer be in the world, or they will be completely old. And now there is a task with a very narrow perspective - one year. And unless extraordinary events happen, the Russian ruling class is quite capable of coping with the tasks of March 2018.

M.S. : And the next elections may look completely different. The question also arises of how the subordinate electorate reacts to all this. To what extent is the third capture of Crimea possible now, the mobilization of society is not even within the framework of the mobilization scenario of the economy, inswalking behind him a little wider? People, in general, are tired.

N.P.: The concept of "social mobilization" seems very important. This is something the Kremlin does not want and avoids at all costs. It is important to somehow attract voters, but there is no mobilization. Today society is mobilized in your support, but tomorrow this mobilization mechanism may not be in your favor at all. But this very idea of ​​combining voting day with the holiday of the annexation of Crimea means that the authorities are looking back, when they can demonstrate success, and not forward. This is very important, because elections are turning not into a discussion of plans for the future, even if not very reasoned and rational, but into pride in our glorious past. In this sense, this year will be lost for the country if it is going to live on, and not just celebrate the fourth, fifth, tenth anniversary of this or that event.

M.S. : It is customary for us to celebrate anniversaries. Another thing is what will happen to oil prices - we cannot predict that.

V.G.: The Russian authorities are really interested in demobilization. This was evident even when there was talk about the “Russian Spring”, when active citizens went to Donbass and took part in hostilities. The Kremlin, feeling that such an initiative and activity was useless, very quickly curtailed it all and helped get rid of some activists. The authorities are fully aware that a mobilized society is not always controllable. Most likely, the scenario associated with the continuation of the myth of our glorious heroic traditions, completed by the annexation of Crimea, will be continued, and in the short term this will bring success. We need voters who will come, vote properly and not ask unnecessary questions. How realistic this is in the future - the future will show.

M.S. : In these categories, would it be wiser to call elections for May 9?

V.G.: May 9 is a slightly different day. Its use for electoral purposes is - for now at least - not being considered. Although yes, all history works for the authorities as a resource to legitimize their current position.

M.S. : I did not talk about May 9 seriously, although I am ready to admit that if the situation develops according to the most conservative scenario, then the day is not far off when presenting the people with the heroes of Crimea will not be enough, and stronger arguments will be required. And then, you see, you can remember the Battle of Kulikovo and the Battle of the Ice. You never know there have been many glorious victories of Russian weapons, which may well be suitable for holding elections under them.

You can download the “Fifth Floor” podcast .

The situation in certain areas of Syria remains tense. The city of Daraa was subjected to massive shelling. The militants fired 16 rockets directly at residential areas. It is known for certain about the death of a woman and child, as well as at least eighteen victims, most of whom are children.

At the same time, Islamists intensified shelling of Damascus and the humanitarian corridor intended to remove civilians from Eastern Ghouta. However, 13 civilians were released from the area, including 5 children.

On Wednesday it became known that some Islamists themselves are ready to leave Eastern Ghouta along with their families. This proposal came from the Syrian military. Some militants expressed a desire to take advantage of this opportunity. But at the same time, the joint Russian-Turkish commission recorded 17 cases of violation of the cessation of hostilities.

This is not the first time that the situation in Syria has become the subject of dialogue between the leaders of Russia and Turkey. During telephone conversations, Recep Erdogan told Vladimir Putin about the progress of the special operation of Turkish forces in Afrin. In addition, the presidents generally discussed the situation in Eastern Ghouta and the possibility of implementing the UN Security Council resolution.

And in Ankara, the work hours of the American Embassy were temporarily disrupted. It was closed for one day due to some “security threat.” True, none of the American diplomats explained what kind of danger threatened the US mission.

Russia does not intend to extradite to Washington citizens accused of interfering in the presidential election. This statement was made by the country's President Vladimir Putin. The head of state emphasized that Russia does not extradite its citizens to anyone. And again he reminded that the States, first of all, should present at least some evidence.

Meanwhile, the United States State Department announced the introduction of new sanctions against the DPRK. As the representative of the American department, Heather Nauert, explained, the existing restrictions will be supplemented in connection with the use of chemical weapons in North Korea, which were allegedly used to kill Kim Jong Nam, the brother of the leader of the republic, Kim Jong Un.

In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, meanwhile, the largest nuclear facility, the reactor in Yongbyon, has reopened. And, apparently, it has reached a new design capacity of 5 MW. Analysts made this conclusion after studying satellite images. Experts saw clouds of steam coming out of the reactor pipes. And they noted that the ice on the river near the nuclear installation had melted ahead of time. This indicates the use of water to cool the coolant.

Donbass, Russia’s closest neighbor, continues to be one of the most tense points on the planet’s map. Despite the fact that the ceasefire agreement was supposed to come into force on March 5, the Independence armed forces continue to violate it several times a day. According to the operational command of the Donetsk People's Republic, Ukrainian security forces shelled three populated areas using large-caliber mortars.

And the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the preparation of a new armed operation in the Donbass. It will be carried out in parallel with the so-called anti-terrorist cleanup. The security forces are only waiting for the corresponding order to be signed by President Petro Poroshenko.

At the same time, the Ukrainian leader is concerned about the “independence” of the state. Poroshenko said that there is a fairly high probability of Moscow interfering in the elections.

Finally, about sports. In Russia, bright timer clocks are installed that count down the remaining time until the World Cup. Let us remind you that the World Cup matches will be held in 11 cities of the country, at 12 stadiums. In honor of the start of the countdown, numerous youth events are held, most of them aimed at popularizing sports in the country.

At the same time, it recently became clear that one of the most reputable teams, the England team, may not come to the championship competition. This statement was made by Boris Johnson, head of the British Foreign Office. The message drew immediate criticism from established football players. In particular, Gary Neville (former defender of Manchester United and the national team) wrote to the politician on his Twitter page: “Why bring football into this?! He's a clueless fool!

“Where is spring?” “March is like February.” “It's frosty and snowy again this weekend!” Guess which countries the news with such headlines is from? From Russia, of course, who would doubt it! Congratulations, you guessed it right. But not quite - the news about the weather now sounds exactly the same in both the USA and the UK. The cold, you know, is not only not an aunt, but also not politics - it is the same for everyone. And spring is in no hurry this year to Moscow, London, or Washington.

Climate change: Seasons have shifted by a month

MARCH FROSTS – FROM MOSCOW TO THE OUTSIDE

And here are just a few facts confirming this, using the example of last weekend.

In the Moscow region, on the night of March 18, it froze to -27.3 degrees, and the nights on Friday and Saturday were cold. This happens only once every 50-60 years - for the air to cool below -20 degrees for several nights in a row in mid-March, the Moscow Meteorological Bureau shrugs. The average daily temperature over the weekend was 10 degrees below the climate norm - like in mid-January! The snowdrifts in the capital are half a meter high.

It will not be possible to warm up in the neighboring regions: in Vladimir on Monday night the frost reached -24 degrees, in Cherepovets almost -28, and this is the most severe cold for March 19 in the entire history of meteorological observations. In the Ryazan region -25, in the Samara region -27, in the Penza and Ulyanovsk regions -30.

In several northern Russian cities - Vorkuta, Salekhard, Pevek - temperature records have recently been broken. There is a 40-degree cold there, which is abnormal even for these places, which are generally not gentle.

In the UK, Germany and France, March is also not warm. England and Scotland were covered in snow over the weekend. At London's Heathrow Airport, 150 flights were canceled due to bad weather, and on Monday classes were canceled in many schools in England - it was too cold (down to -10) and there was too much snow to walk or drive through. Foggy Albion has become frosty, as stated at the Phobos center.

And even in Spain there is still no shortage of snow. At the southernmost ski resort in Europe, in the Sierra Nevada, they have already decided to extend skiing until May 6 - so this strange spring has its advantages.

On the other side of the ocean the same picture. In Washington, the weather has been colder than normal for two weeks in a row. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the American capital and most of the eastern coast of the United States may be hit by a “winter storm,” as forecasters call it, with sleet or freezing rain, depending on your luck. And it will be the fourth since the beginning of spring.

THE SEASONS HAVE SHIFTED BY A MONTH

Now let’s remember: December 2017 in Moscow was 6 degrees warmer than the climate norm, January 2018 was 5 degrees warmer. December was remembered for showers and thaws up to +8 degrees. There was no snow in Moscow until January 5th! But February has already turned out to be 1.5 degrees colder than expected. And it started with the heaviest snowfall in the history of meteorological observations. This is in Moscow. Europe was covered in Siberian frosts in February - they were dubbed the “Beast from the East” (in English it rhymes: Beast from the East). Then Rome, the Cote d'Azur and Spanish beaches were covered with snow.

In general, the winter turned out to be really Russian - I harnessed it for a long time, then it accelerated so much that I couldn’t stop at the end of March. As a result, we experienced the same amount of frost and snowfall as in “normal” years. Just according to a different schedule: winter has moved exactly a month.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

Yes, each specific cold snap and snowfall is easy to explain. Cyclones-anticyclones-atmospheric fronts. In our country, say, the so-called Arctic or ultrapolar invasion is to blame for the March frosts: following the cold atmospheric front, icy air from the Arctic “fell” into the middle zone. And in the United States, meteorologists point to the “nor” easter, a giant cyclonic system over the North Atlantic.

But still, why did the seasons shift by a month? Will it always be like this now? Maybe stop complaining about December showers and March frosts and rename the months in the calendar so that everything falls into place?

The head of Roshydromet, Maxim Yakovenko, either seriously or seriously advises remembering... the old calendar. According to him, now is not the second half of March, but the very first days of spring! It seems that it’s no longer so offensive to see a “minus” on the thermometer in the morning.

Spring is spring, but in Moscow in March it can even be -32 degrees, Maxim Yakovenko does not add optimism.

Indeed, so far in March 2018, not a single temperature record has been broken in the capital. There have been times when the beginning of spring has been more severe. But a long time ago! Almost all records for current numbers have been standing for more than a century since 1915, since 1886... Then no one had ever heard of global warming. And now it seems illogical to freeze!

IT'S WARM IN THE ARCTIC, WE'RE COLD

But it is global warming that is preventing spring from spreading throughout the Northern Hemisphere! More precisely, warming in a single region – in the Arctic. This is evidenced by a new study by climatologists at the Research Center for Atmosphere and Environment (USA) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They analyzed polar temperature data going back to the 1950s. And they compared it with what winters were like in the USA - for this, scientists have such a thing as the “winter severity index.” Both frost and snowfall are taken into account. And it turned out that the warmer it is in the Arctic, the colder the winters.

We saw a very clear connection: while in polar latitudes winter is abnormally warm, in more southern latitudes it is very harsh. Global warming is a complicated thing. Yes, the average temperature on Earth is rising, but this can also lead to such paradoxical consequences, admits the author of the study, a specialist in long-term forecasts Judas Cohen.

What is happening now in the Arctic? There, warming is proceeding by leaps and bounds: the average temperature on Earth is growing at a rate of 0.17 degrees per 10 years, while in the Arctic it is increasing by 0.8 degrees over the same 10 years. More than four times faster!

Last winter in the Arctic Circle turned out to be the “hottest” in the history of meteorological observations, with temperatures often exceeding climate norms by as much as 20 degrees. In Moscow the frost is stronger than on Novaya Zemlya, in London it is colder than in Greenland... It sounds like a dystopia - but in the winter of 2017-18 such days really happened. And there is less ice in the Arctic Ocean now than there ever was in March.

FEVER OVER THE POLE

“Warm Arctic - cold continents” - this hypothesis has more and more supporters among climatologists, although the mechanism of operation of communicating weather vessels is not yet entirely clear.

Perhaps abnormally warm temperatures are interfering with the so-called polar vortex - this is a huge atmospheric vortex that constantly “hangs” over both poles of the planet. The polar vortex affects winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere - climatologists have known this fact for a long time. The vortex is most active in winter, when the temperature contrast between the Arctic and temperate latitudes is maximum. The warmer the Arctic, the less contrast, and the polar vortex begins to behave strangely. The flows in it weaken, and it begins to “slide” from the pole to the south, and brings with it the Arctic cold.

At the beginning of March 2018, the polar vortex completely split into two parts! Global warming has been supplemented by its “namesake” - a climate phenomenon called “sudden stratospheric warming”. It's like a fever like the flu: at an altitude of 10 to 50 kilometers in the middle of winter, the temperature suddenly shoots up, sometimes even by 50 degrees! The fever subsides after a day, two, sometimes ten. Sudden stratospheric warming is associated with the polar vortex (it weakens or completely collapses - this is what has happened now), and with weather in temperate latitudes and even the tropics, and with blocking anticyclones - when abnormal cold persists for a long time over vast areas.

What will happen next? Researchers believe that winters (and springs) similar to the current one will begin to recur more and more often. “The faster the Arctic warms, the more unpredictable weather we will experience,” states climatologist Robert Rohde of the Berkeley Earth research center. In general, prepare your sleigh for the summer, and prepare your fur coat for global warming.

BY THE WAY

Muscovites face another week of winter weather

Over the weekend, the night cold in the Moscow region turned out to be even stronger than the weather forecasters had promised! They warned that on Saturday and Sunday it would freeze to -23 degrees. In fact, in Klin and Cherusty the frost was not at all like March, -27 degrees. In Mikhailovskoye the air cooled to -25, in Volokolamsk and New Jerusalem the thermometers showed -23 degrees ()