Vladimir Megre/Anastasia/Russia - hope for the future?

[peacelovinman]

Have any of you read the Anastasia/Ringing Cedars books by Vladimir Megre?

The books document Russian Businessman, Vladimir Megre's, contact with a young recluse/mystic called Anastasia, who lives in what can only be described as a perfect harmony with nature, in the Siberian taiga (forest).

In the books, Anastasia puts forward a plan to save the world from what she calls "the forces of darkness". She suggests that every family who wants to be given 1 hectare of land to found what she calls a "Kins Domain". This domain will not only support the family in terms of food but should remain in the family for ever and not be subject to taxation. Impossible dream? Read on...!

According to Megre, Russia's Dacha cooperatives/communities have existed for years, most being loosely organised collections of families all working the land. In 1997, 14.7 million families had fruit growing plots, and 7.6 million families had vegetable plots. These families grew 90% of Russia's potatoes, 77% of it's berries and fruit and 73% of it's vegetables.

In 2004, statistics showed that these families, most working in their spare time, without machiney and using mainly organic methods, grew 93% of Russia's potatoes, 80% of it's berries and fruit and 81% of it's vegetables. This represents 51% of the total agricultural output of Russia and 2.3% of Russia's GDP. The contribution of these "dachniks" to the Russian economy exceeded those of the steel,electric power,chemical/pharmaceutical, forestry/timber, pulp/paper, building materisals and exceeds oil refining, natural gas and coal industries taken together!

On 7 July 2003, President Putin signed into law the "Private Garden-Plot Act". This allowed Russian citizens a plot of land, free of charge, between 1-3 hectares, with private inheritable ownership. Any produce grown is not subject to taxation. Putin instructed another law to be passed to facilitate the acquisition of land for gardening which was developed and finally ratified in 2006.

To me, this is inspiration and hope for the future. Communities as described in the Anastasia books are now springing up, particularly in Russia and the USA.

Your views/ideas are of course very welcome!

[burgundia]

I'm in the course of reading the series. Right now I am reading bookVII. I believe that these books carry important messages for humanity even if you don't agree with( or perhaps do not understand at this stage) everything you read in those books. To me the part about religions is very important as we see that more and more conflicts arising now, have religious background, or should I say- religious foreground-since the background may be too obscure to many.
I can relate to the message about growing your own fruit and vegetables. My father has a little garden and every year I have a chance to eat tomatoes, cucumbers, spring onions, string beans, beets, lettuce, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apples,etc grown there. It is true that when you pick a strawberry and eat it immediately( without washing it) it tastes totally different than if you took it home and ate even 30 minutes later. I never wash those strawberries and never get sick after eating them. and the tomatoes...! The tomatoes have the taste most people don't even know. That is why I cannot eat tomatoes sold in stores during winter months. I remember what they really taste like and what you buy in the stores doesn't even come close.
The garden is a 10 minute bike ride from where I live, so whenever I need some fruit or vegetable, or if I just want to lie on the grass under cherry trees, i go there. I think that this year I'm going to get more involved in caring for that garden and try the planting methods advised in the books.