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131-647: Development of the L-159 started in 1993 as an initiative to replace various Soviet -era fighter aircraft with a modern Czech-built equivalent; it was decided against pursuing a clean-sheet design to avoid excessive costs. Development was supported by the Czech government , which ordered 72 L-159A single-seat aircraft for roughly 50 billion CZK to equip the Czech Air Force . In 1998, the Boeing Company became

262-493: A Honeywell F124-GA-100 engine. The aircraft is pitched for the U.S. Air Force Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance program. The L-159B, also known as L-159B Albatros II, is a two-seat version primarily designed for Advanced and Operational/Lead-In Fighter Training. The L-159B configuration can also be tailored to customer specific requirements and adapted to needs of basic training as well as combat missions including air-to-ground, patrol and reconnaissance missions. On 23 July 2002,

393-655: A famine between 1930 and 1933 that killed millions. The Soviet forced labour camp system of the Gulag was expanded. During the late 1930s, Stalin's government conducted the Great Purge to remove opponents, resulting in mass death, imprisonment, and deportation. In 1939, the USSR and Nazi Germany signed a nonaggression pact , but in 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union in the largest land invasion in history, opening

524-541: A closer relationship with France and Britain. In 1939, half a year after the Munich Agreement , the USSR attempted to form an anti-Nazi alliance with France and Britain. Adolf Hitler proposed a better deal, which would give the USSR control over much of Eastern Europe through the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact . In September, Germany invaded Poland, and the USSR also invaded later that month, resulting in

655-673: A fleet of strategic bombers and during war situation was to eradicate enemy infrastructure and nuclear capacity. The air force also had a number of fighters and tactical bombers to support the army in the war. Strategic missile forces had more than 1,400 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), deployed between 28 bases and 300 command centers. Penta Investments Penta is a Central Europe investment group founded in 1994 in Slovakia by Czech Marek Dospiva and Slovaks Jaroslav Haščák, Juraj Herko, Martin Kúšik and Jozef Oravkin. Today,

786-519: A greater union which he initially named as the Union of Soviet Republics of Europe and Asia (Russian: Союз Советских Республик Европы и Азии , romanized : Soyuz Sovyetskikh Respublik Evropy i Azii ). Joseph Stalin initially resisted Lenin's proposal but ultimately accepted it, and with Lenin's agreement he changed the name to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), although all republics began as socialist soviet and did not change to

917-777: A large, stable customer base. EM&F operates in Poland, Russia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and Romania. In Autumn 2012 Penta announced the sale of its medical laboratories Alpha Medical. Penta had developed Alpha Medical from EUR 2 million sales in 2006 to current 65 million. Over the past five years, the Group acquisition-led growth strategy has seen revenues increase significantly. In this period, Alpha Medical has successfully entered two new countries and has established top five position in all three markets including market leadership in Slovakia and second position in

1048-404: A new hardpoint under the fuselage was added instead of a GSh-23L cannon. The aircraft is powered by the non- afterburning Honeywell/ITEC F124-GA-100 turbofan engine with a maximum thrust of 28 kN. Almost 2,000 litres of fuel are stored in eight internal tanks (six in the fuselage, two at the wingtips ) with up to four external drop tanks (two 500 L and two 350 L tanks) carried under

1179-597: A new profitable market. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Stalin ordered Marxist-Leninist parties across the world to strongly oppose non-Marxist political parties, labour unions or other organizations on the left, which they labelled social fascists . In the usage of the Soviet Union, and of the Comintern and its affiliated parties in this period, the epithet fascist was used to describe capitalist society in general and virtually any anti-Soviet or anti-Stalinist activity or opinion. Stalin reversed himself in 1934 with

1310-746: A pair of Collins ARC-182 transceivers . Self-protection of the L-159 is ensured by the Sky Guardian 200 radar warning receiver (RWR) and the Vinten Vicon 78 Series 455 chaff and flare dispenser. L-159A and T2 variants are equipped with the Italian FIAR Grifo L multi-mode Doppler radar for all-weather, day and night operations. All variants of L-159 are equipped with a total of seven hardpoints (one under-fuselage and six under-wing mountings), capable of carrying external loads up to 2,340 kg. The aircraft can be equipped with

1441-571: A part of the Iraqi contract which included handover of four actively used aircraft – three L-159A and one L-159T1 – to the Iraqi Air Force. Prototype L-159T1+ S/N 6067 (manufactured as L-159A in 2003 and converted to L-159T1 in 2007) was unveiled by Aero Vodochody in March 2017. L-159T1+ aircraft are characterized by an upgraded mission system, avionics and newly installed Grifo-L radar, offering

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1572-644: A sales and purchase contract to dispose of its stake in PPC Investments, a.s., which is being purchased by a member of ISTROENERGO GROUP, a.s. At the same time, Penta also concluded the sale of NOVES okná, a.s. and PetCenter, a.s. in a management buyout. Since 2014 Penta has been investing in the Slovak media market through its News and Media Holding and Petit Press. In 2015 Penta purchased the Vltava-Labe-Press, Astrosat and Tablet Media companies in

1703-631: A status that is retained by the Russian Federation . Covering a sixth of Earth's land surface, its size was comparable to that of North America . Two other successor states, Kazakhstan and Ukraine , rank among the top 10 countries by land area, and the largest country entirely in Europe, respectively. The European portion accounted for a quarter of the country's area and was the cultural and economic center. The eastern part in Asia extended to

1834-545: A strategic partner in both the project and Aero Vodochody itself. On 4 August 1997, the L-159 performed its maiden flight ; on 10 April 2000, the first production aircraft was delivered to the Czech Air Force. Further development of the type proceeded, particularly of the twin-seat L-159 models. In 2003, the Czech fleet of 72 L-159A aircraft was reduced to 24 due to budget constraints. Following several years of storage,

1965-475: A union of equals, in practice the Soviet Union was dominated by Russians . The domination was so absolute that for most of its existence, the country was commonly (but incorrectly) referred to as 'Russia'. While the Russian SFSR was technically only one republic within the larger union, it was by far the largest (both in terms of population and area), most powerful, and most highly developed. The Russian SFSR

2096-531: A variety of weapons ranging from unguided bombs and rocket pods to air-to-ground and air-to-air guided missiles or with special devices to conduct aerial reconnaissance or electronic warfare . For example, it is capable of carrying advanced targeting pods including the AN/AAQ-28(V) LITENING . The Czech Air Force is the primary operator of the L-159. During 1995, the Czech government ordered 72 aircraft, but after review, opted to reduce

2227-777: Is a leading distributor of media and entertainment products, clothing, shoes, toys and accessories for children, cosmetics as well as language courses. The Group consists of operating and commercial companies and NFI Empik Media & Fashion S.A. as the holding company. EM&F business model is based on four segments: the Empik Group, the Smyk Group, Language Schools and Fashion and Beauty. The Group develops its business model based on own brands and trading concepts, as well as franchised and licensed brands. The EM&F Group companies have been successfully building their strong market position for years, have an extensive retail network and

2358-644: Is a tribute to the original five founding partners, all schoolmates during their studies in Moscow and Czechoslovakia . Penta Investments group and its co-owner Jaroslav Haščák have been associated with the Gorilla scandal , a corruption affair that erupted in Slovakia in 2012. The company has been denying the allegations and interpreted the "Gorilla" file as fabricated. In 2012, the Constitutional Court ruled that wiretapping of Slovak secret service

2489-573: Is derived from the Russian word sovet (Russian: совет ), meaning 'council', 'assembly', 'advice', ultimately deriving from the proto-Slavic verbal stem of * vět-iti ('to inform'), related to Slavic věst ('news'), English wise . The word sovietnik means 'councillor'. Some organizations in Russian history were called council (Russian: совет ). In the Russian Empire ,

2620-469: Is equipped with a multi-mode Doppler Grifo-L radar (a variant of the Grifo-F x-band multi-mode, pulse-doppler radar ), for all-weather, day and night operations. It can carry a wide range of NATO standard stores including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and laser guided bombs. The L-159A is in operational service with the Czech and Iraqi air forces. There are two different configurations being used by

2751-655: Is his background, his education , his profession . These are the questions that will determine the fate of the accused. That is the meaning and essence of the Red Terror ." During his rule, Stalin always made the final policy decisions. Otherwise, Soviet foreign policy was set by the commission on the Foreign Policy of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , or by

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2882-611: Is not required. It is also an upgrade from the Aero L-39 Albatros that the Ukraine Air Force uses. Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004 , Czech military web pages General characteristics Performance Armament Avionics Grifo-L Radar Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR ), commonly known as

3013-431: Is worth considering whether we could provide Ukraine with our L-159 aircraft. As direct combat support aircraft, (the planes) could also help Ukraine significantly in the counteroffensive”. They also carry an array of western weapons such as: “AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, AIM-120 AMRAAM, AGM-65 Maverick, and GBU-12 Paveway II and GBU-16 Paveway II laser-guided bombs.” They also are a Czech aircraft, approval from other countries

3144-520: The Council of People's Commissars ), headed by the Chairman (Premier) and managing an enormous bureaucracy responsible for the administration of the economy and society. State and party structures of the constituent republics largely emulated the structure of the central institutions, although the Russian SFSR, unlike the other constituent republics, for most of its history had no republican branch of

3275-606: The Eastern Front of World War II . The Soviets played a decisive role in defeating the Axis powers , suffering an estimated 27 million casualties , which accounted for most Allied losses. In the aftermath of the war , the Soviet Union consolidated the territory occupied by the Red Army , forming satellite states , and undertook rapid economic development which cemented its status as a superpower . Geopolitical tensions with

3406-706: The Hamrin Mountains of Diyala province during late 2021. During early 2022, Iraq has been in contact with Aero Vodochody on the topic of modernising its L-159 fleet. As of March 2023 an Iraqi L159 was photographed carrying the Turkish Aselpod reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting pod This could mean that the Iraqis have found a solution to the limited air to ground capability of the Iraqi L159s In 2009, EADS-CASA of Spain exchanged with

3537-755: The Land Forces , the Air Force , the Navy , Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) and the Internal Troops . The OGPU later became independent and in 1934 joined the NKVD secret police, and so its internal troops were under the joint leadership of the defense and internal commissariats. After World War II, Strategic Missile Forces (1959), Air Defense Forces (1948) and National Civil Defense Forces (1970) were formed, which ranked first, third, and sixth in

3668-528: The Moscow State Institute of International Relations . The Marxist-Leninist leadership of the Soviet Union intensely debated foreign policy issues and changed directions several times. Even after Stalin assumed dictatorial control in the late 1920s, there were debates, and he frequently changed positions. During the country's early period, it was assumed that Communist revolutions would break out soon in every major industrial country, and it

3799-657: The Pacific Ocean to the east and Afghanistan to the south, and, except some areas in Central Asia , was much less populous. It spanned over 10,000 kilometres (6,200 mi) east to west across 11 time zones , and over 7,200 kilometres (4,500 mi) north to south. It had five climate zones: tundra , taiga , steppes , desert and mountains . The USSR, like Russia , had the world's longest border , measuring over 60,000 kilometres (37,000 mi), or 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 circumferences of Earth. Two-thirds of it

3930-790: The Popular Front program that called on all Marxist parties to join with all anti-Fascist political, labour, and organizational forces that were opposed to fascism , especially of the Nazi variety. The rapid growth of power in Nazi Germany encouraged both Paris and Moscow to form a military alliance, and the Franco-Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assistance was signed in May 1935. A firm believer in collective security, Stalin's foreign minister Maxim Litvinov worked very hard to form

4061-464: The Soviet Union , was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. During its existence, it was the largest country by area , extending across eleven time zones and sharing borders with twelve countries , and the third-most populous country . An overall successor to the Russian Empire , it was nominally organized as a federal union of national republics ,

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4192-581: The Soviet republics , and the control of the Communist Party weakened. The failed coup attempt in August 1991 against Gorbachev by hardline communists hastened the end of the Soviet Union , which formally dissolved on December 26, 1991, ending nearly seven decades of Soviet rule. With an area of 22,402,200 square kilometres (8,649,500 sq mi), the Soviet Union was the world's largest country,

4323-772: The State Council , which functioned from 1810 to 1917, was referred to as a Council of Ministers. The Soviets as workers' councils first appeared during the 1905 Russian Revolution . Although they were quickly suppressed by the Imperial army, after the February Revolution of 1917 , workers' and soldiers' Soviets emerged throughout the country and shared power with the Russian Provisional Government . The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin , demanded that all power be transferred to

4454-666: The United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force to use its L-159s as aggressor aircraft for pilot training. A separate company, Lewis Fighter Fleet LLC , also operates three L-159As for its own purposes. These aircraft, which were formerly owned by EADS-CASA, were acquired by the firm in July 2013. The L-159A ALCA is a single-seat light multi-role combat aircraft designed for a variety of air-to-air, air-to-ground and reconnaissance missions. The aircraft

4585-635: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), saying that it was "overly juridical" and potentially infringed on national sovereignty. The Soviet Union later signed legally-binding human rights documents, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1973 (and the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ), but they were neither widely known or accessible to people living under Communist rule, nor were they taken seriously by

4716-769: The largest arsenal of nuclear weapons in the world . As an Allied nation, it was a founding member of the United Nations as well as one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council . Before its dissolution, the USSR was one of the world's two superpowers through its hegemony in Eastern Europe, global diplomatic and ideological influence (particularly in the Global South ), military and economic strengths, and scientific accomplishments. The word soviet

4847-538: The right to food , the right to work , and the right to education . The Soviet conception of human rights was very different from international law . According to Soviet legal theory , "it is the government who is the beneficiary of human rights which are to be asserted against the individual". The Soviet state was considered as the source of human rights. Therefore, the Soviet legal system considered law an arm of politics and it also considered courts agencies of

4978-703: The 1920s, it refused to rubber stamp proposals from the party and Council of Ministers. In 1990, Gorbachev introduced and assumed the position of the President of the Soviet Union , concentrated power in his executive office, independent of the party, and subordinated the government, now renamed the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR , to himself. Tensions grew between the Union-wide authorities under Gorbachev, reformists led in Russia by Boris Yeltsin and controlling

5109-482: The 1950s, the Soviet Union expanded its efforts in space exploration and took a lead in the Space Race with the first artificial satellite , the first human spaceflight , the first space station , and the first probe to land on another planet . In 1985, the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev , sought to reform the country through his policies of glasnost and perestroika . In 1989, various countries of

5240-601: The 1990s, people in the West were also interested in the radioactive hazards of nuclear facilities, decommissioned nuclear submarines , and the processing of nuclear waste or spent nuclear fuel . It was also known in the early 1990s that the USSR had transported radioactive material to the Barents Sea and Kara Sea , which was later confirmed by the Russian parliament. The crash of the K-141 Kursk submarine in 2000 in

5371-526: The CPSU, being ruled directly by the union-wide party until 1990. Local authorities were organized likewise into party committees , local Soviets and executive committees . While the state system was nominally federal, the party was unitary. The state security police (the KGB and its predecessor agencies ) played an important role in Soviet politics. It was instrumental in the Red Terror and Great Purge , but

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5502-600: The Communist Era Czechoslovak Secret Police ( StB ). Penta was a major antagonist in Slovakia's so-called Gorilla scandal from 2011 to 2012. The scandal evolved around the publication of transcripts of conversations between high-level business, law enforcement and politics, pointing to dubious deal-making and reminding many of the highly corrupt 1990s. Seemingly they were recorded by Slovakia's intelligence agency. Penta describes them as fabricated. Two figures quoted in and incriminated by

5633-529: The Communist authorities. Under Joseph Stalin , the death penalty was extended to adolescents as young as 12 years old in 1935. Sergei Kovalev recalled "the famous article 125 of the Constitution which enumerated all basic civil and political rights" in the Soviet Union. But when he and other prisoners attempted to use this as a legal basis for their abuse complaints, their prosecutor's argument

5764-425: The CzAF four CASA C-295 for three L-159As, two L-159T1s and 130 million Euros. Later the two L-159T1s were returned by EADS-CASA to the Czech Republic as compensation for the C-295M not meeting the counter measures requirements of the CzAF at the time of delivery. This problem has been solved by EADS-CASA three years later and the remaining three L-159As resold by EADS-CASA to Lewis Fighter Fleet LLC. During 2014, it

5895-417: The Czech Air Force – using the Honeywell 4x4 inch MFDs or the Vdot 5x6.7 inch MFDs. Avionic upgrades are designed and developed by V-Dot Systems Inc. The L-159E ALCA is the export designation of L-159A in service with Draken International . Combat-capable variant first unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow on 16 July 2018. Developed in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries and powered by

6026-403: The Czech Republic. In December 2015, Penta bought the Slovak subsidiary of Sberbank. Penta's rise is sometimes seen as exemplary for how Czechoslovakia's Communist Nomenklatura and its offspring have been benefitting from the transition to Capitalism and their resulting grip on power in business and politics today. For several years Penta's chief advisor was Alojz Lorenc , the former Head of

6157-522: The Czech Republic. The network reached significant efficiency improvement through central procurement, laboratory centralization and personal cost driving. Currently Alpha Medical operates 57 medical laboratories in Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland. In 2013 Penta completed its first real estate project in the Czech Republic – the Florentinum office building. The project includes 49,000 gross square meters of offices on 9 floors and 7,500 sq m of retail space. Florentinum's quality architecture has garnered it

6288-579: The Czech government has re-sold most of the redundant aircraft to both military and civilian operators, namely the Iraqi Air Force and Draken International . The L-159 has seen active combat use by the Iraqi Air Force against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) insurgents in the country. In Draken's service, the L-159 (colloquially known as " Honey Badger ") has been employed as an aggressor aircraft for pilot training. Since 2007, six L-159A aircraft have been rebuilt into T1 trainer derivatives. During 2017, Aero Vodochody formally restarted production of

6419-498: The Czech government. During early 2015, Iraq signed a deal for 14 L-159 aircraft, comprising 12 L-159As and two L-159T1s, for the Iraqi Air Force . This sale was politically controversial in the United Kingdom , as it necessitated the lifting of a long-standing ban on the export of British radar technology to Iraq. The first two Czech L-159s were delivered to Iraq on 5 November 2015. In May 2016, numerous Iraqi L-159s participated in attacks upon positions held by Islamic State of Iraq and

6550-445: The Czech military signed a letter of intent on acquisition of the first two L-159B aircraft. However, due to the budget constraints the trade did not materialize. The only prototype has been rebuilt by Aero Vodochody into L-159T2X demonstrator. The aircraft's designation was changed on 14 December 2015. The L-159T1 is a two-seat trainer derivative used by the Czech and Iraqi Air Force. All L-159T1s (excluding one newly built L-159T1 for

6681-441: The Iraqi Air Force) are modified L-159A airframes taken from storage. Unlike L-159A, they have just one MFD in each cockpit and no radar. L-159T1 S/N 6069 made its first flight on 8 March 2007 and the first batch of four aircraft was handed over to the Czech Air Force on 23 November 2007. Another two aircraft were delivered in August and December 2010, respectively. L-159T1 S/N 6069 was transferred to Aero Vodochody on 30 June 2015 as

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6812-404: The L-159 avionics integrator. V-Dot will replace the Honeywell multi-function displays (MFD) and upgrade the mission processors to support new functions. On 31 March 2017, following a 13-year stoppage in L-159 production after the delivery of the final Czech Air Force example, Aero Vodochody held a ceremony to mark the resumption of manufacturing; a new-build L-159 destined for the Iraqi Air Force

6943-420: The L-159 was derived from the L-39/59 in terms of aerodynamic configuration but a number of changes were made to improve its combat capabilities. These include strengthening of the airframe, reinforcing of the cockpit with composite and ceramic ballistic armour and enlargement of the aircraft's nose to accommodate the radar. Compared to the L-59, the number of underwing pylons was increased from four to six, and

7074-592: The Levant (ISIL) insurgents in the city of Fallujah . During October and November 2016, L-159 aircraft operated by Squadron No. 115 were deployed in the battle against ISIL forces at the Southern outskirts of Mosul . As the threat posed by ISIS diminished in Iraq, the L-159s were placed into temporary storage around 2017 or 2018. During February 2022, it was announced that the Iraqi L159s had been brought back into active service, although they were only capable of limited operations initially. It had reportedly been used in multiple strikes against insurgents in ISIL hideouts in

7205-481: The Politburo after the deaths of Lenin and Stalin, as well as after Khrushchev's dismissal, itself due to a decision by both the Politburo and the Central Committee. All leaders of the Communist Party before Gorbachev died in office, except Georgy Malenkov and Khrushchev, both dismissed from the party leadership amid internal struggle within the party. Between 1988 and 1990, facing considerable opposition, Mikhail Gorbachev enacted reforms shifting power away from

7336-499: The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), the world's first constitutionally socialist state . The revolution was not accepted by all within the Russian Republic , resulting in the Russian Civil War . The RSFSR and its subordinate republics were merged into the Soviet Union in 1922. Following Lenin's death in 1924, Joseph Stalin came to power, inaugurating rapid industrialization and forced collectivization that led to significant economic growth but contributed to

7467-420: The Russian name of the Soviet Union as СС has been taboo, the reason being that СС as a Russian Cyrillic abbreviation is associated with the infamous Schutzstaffel of Nazi Germany , as SS is in English. In English-language media, the state was referred to as the Soviet Union or the USSR. The Russian SFSR dominated the Soviet Union to such an extent that, for most of the Soviet Union's existence, it

7598-450: The Soviet Union and turned into SSRs, which was not recognized by most of the international community and was considered an illegal occupation . After the Soviet invasion of Finland , the Karelo-Finnish SSR was formed on annexed territory as a Union Republic in March 1940 and then incorporated into Russia as the Karelian ASSR in 1956. Between July 1956 and September 1991, there were 15 union republics (see map below). While nominally

7729-477: The Soviet Union . Boris Yeltsin , the leader of the RSFSR, oversaw its reconstitution into the Russian Federation , which became the Soviet Union's successor state; all other republics emerged as fully independent post-Soviet states . During its existence, the Soviet Union produced many significant social and technological achievements and innovations . It had the world's second-largest economy and largest standing military. An NPT-designated state , it wielded

7860-417: The Soviet Union's priorities changed. Despite previous conflict with the United Kingdom , Vyacheslav Molotov dropped his post war border demands. The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc , which began following World War II in 1945. The term cold war is used because there

7991-480: The Soviet Union's superpower status, the economy struggled due to its centralized nature, technological backwardness, and inefficiencies. The vast military expenditures and burdens of maintaining the Eastern Bloc, further strained the Soviet economy. In the 1980s, Mikhail Gorbachev 's policies of Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring) aimed to revitalize the Soviet system but instead accelerated its unraveling. Nationalist movements gained momentum across

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8122-424: The Soviet authorities admitted. The Soviet Union was the world's second largest producer of harmful emissions. In 1988, total emissions in the Soviet Union were about 79% of those in the United States. But since the Soviet GNP was only 54% of that of the United States, this means that the Soviet Union generated 1.5 times more pollution than the United States per unit of GNP. The Soviet Chernobyl disaster in 1986

8253-406: The Soviets, and gained support from the workers and soldiers. After the October Revolution , in which the Bolsheviks seized power from the Provisional Government in the name of the Soviets, Lenin proclaimed the formation of the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic (RSFSR). During the Georgian Affair of 1922, Lenin called for the Russian SFSR and other national Soviet republics to form

8384-415: The Supreme Soviet were members of the CPSU. Of the party heads themselves, Stalin (1941–1953) and Khrushchev (1958–1964) were Premiers. Upon the forced retirement of Khrushchev, the party leader was prohibited from this kind of double membership, but the later General Secretaries for at least some part of their tenure occupied the mostly ceremonial position of Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet ,

8515-551: The US led to the Cold War . The American-led Western Bloc coalesced into NATO in 1949, prompting the Soviet Union to form its own military alliance, the Warsaw Pact , in 1955. Neither side engaged in direct military confrontation, and instead fought on an ideological basis and through proxy wars . In 1953, following Stalin's death , the Soviet Union undertook a campaign of de-Stalinization under Nikita Khrushchev , which saw reversals and rejections of Stalinist policies. This campaign caused tensions with Communist China . During

8646-430: The USSR. Moscow eventually stopped threatening other states, and instead worked to open peaceful relationships in terms of trade, and diplomatic recognition. The United Kingdom dismissed the warnings of Winston Churchill and a few others about a continuing Marxist-Leninist threat, and opened trade relations and de facto diplomatic recognition in 1922. There was hope for a settlement of the pre-war Tsarist debts, but it

8777-409: The Warsaw Pact overthrew their Soviet-backed regimes , and nationalist and separatist movements erupted across the Soviet Union. In 1991, amid efforts to preserve the country as a renewed federation , an attempted coup against Gorbachev by hardline communists prompted the largest republics—Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus—to secede. On December 26, Gorbachev officially recognized the dissolution of

8908-449: The accident, but this led to a relatively low number of deaths (WHO data, 2005). Another major radioactive accident was the Kyshtym disaster . The Kola Peninsula was one of the places with major problems. Around the industrial cities of Monchegorsk and Norilsk , where nickel , for example, is mined, all forests have been destroyed by contamination, while the northern and other parts of Russia have been affected by emissions. During

9039-403: The acquisition and development of Aero Vodochody and the acquisition of SmVaK (North-Moravian sanitation Ostrava). In 2005, Penta has changed its structure to that of a standard private equity company and in the same year started investing also into real estate and expanding into other foreign markets beyond Slovakia and Czech Republic, primarily into Poland through the acquisition of Żabka ,

9170-409: The avionics integrator. During 1995, the Czech government placed a large order for 72 L-159A single-seat aircraft at a cost around 50 billion CZK. The contract was signed on 4 July 1997. The number of aircraft to be delivered was based upon the size of the Czech Air Force at that time, taking into account the necessity to replace MiG-23BN and Su-22 fighter-bombers and Su-25 attack aircraft. Due to

9301-505: The basic L-39 Albatros design with a view toward greater export. The resulting L-39MS, later designed as L-59 Super Albatros , featured a more powerful turbofan engine, advanced avionics, and has been bought in quantity by Egypt and Tunisia . In 1993, a group of Czech military experts launched a project to produce a modern domestic fighter to replace the obsolete Soviet aircraft. Since the proposed Aero L-X supersonic fighter development proved to be financially demanding (up to US$ 2 billion),

9432-524: The business development and sale of TES Vsetín and restructuring of bankrupted steel wires manufacturer in Poland – Drumet. Recently, Penta has entered the new market Germany, through acquisition of traditional engineering company Gehring Technologies. Currently one of the most significant investment in Penta portfolio is EM&F Group. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and

9563-497: The company's net asset value was approximately 50 million Slovak crowns , Penta gained control over VÚB Kupón – the largest investment fund in Slovakia, with an asset value of 9 billion Slovak crowns. Penta convinced the British Regents Fund to purchase a control block of stock of VÚB Kupón. During the transaction, VÚB, the founding bank of the fund, started to resist. The British Regents Fund decided to pull out of

9694-458: The cost of the project, the Czech government decided that a strategic partner, the Boeing Company , would be invited to collaborate with Aero Vodochody in the venture during May 1998. The maiden flight of the first L-159 prototype (5831, "376 white") occurred on 2 August 1997 with a two-seat version. On 18 August 1998, the single-seat L-159A prototype (5832, "356 white") first flew; it was completed to Czech customer specifications. On 10 April 2000,

9825-429: The country was limited. The state restricted rights of citizens to private property . According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , human rights are the "basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled." including the right to life and liberty , freedom of expression , and equality before the law ; and social, cultural and economic rights, including the right to participate in culture ,

9956-512: The country's largest independent food retail chain with more than 2000 stores, which was completed in the summer of 2007. In 2008 Penta made a major investment into the Hungarian meat industry. In March 2006 Penta Investments Limited acquired MobilKom, a small telecommunication company with 10 employees. In the following months, MobilKom built wireless CDMA network in the Czech republic. Liabilities of MobilKom increased from CZK 4 million at

10087-716: The creation of new state commissions and committees. It gained additional powers relating to the approval of the Five-Year Plans and the government budget . The Supreme Soviet elected a Presidium (successor of the Central Executive Committee ) to wield its power between plenary sessions, ordinarily held twice a year, and appointed the Supreme Court , the Procurator General and the Council of Ministers (known before 1946 as

10218-589: The degree of power consolidation, it was either the Politburo as a collective body or the General Secretary, who always was one of the Politburo members, that effectively led the party and the country (except for the period of the highly personalized authority of Stalin, exercised directly through his position in the Council of Ministers rather than the Politburo after 1941). They were not controlled by

10349-553: The duty of the Russian Bolsheviks to protect what they had in Russia, and avoid military confrontations that might destroy their bridgehead. Russia was now a pariah state, along with Germany. The two came to terms in 1922 with the Treaty of Rapallo that settled long-standing grievances. At the same time, the two countries secretly set up training programs for the illegal German army and air force operations at hidden camps in

10480-481: The end of 2006 to CZK 2,116 million at the end of 2009, with China Development Bank among the largest creditors. In February 2011 Penta sold Mobilkom to the local wireless operator Divenno Holdings Limited. The company was not able to finance its mounting losses and in 2012 asked commercial court to allow restructuring. In 2005, Penta decided to diversify its portfolio. Apart from its buyout business, Penta decided to invest in real estate. The first move to this market

10611-527: The first delivery of the L-159A took place to the Czech Air Force. Prototype (6073) of the two-seat L-159B variant first flew on 1 June 2002. During October 2004, the Czech government announced that Aero Vodochody was to be privatised, and Boeing decided to withdraw from involvement in both the L-159 and the overall company. During October 2006, Aero Vodochody was sold to Penta Investments . In 2009, Aero Vodochody selected V-Dot Systems (split off from Boeing) as

10742-410: The fleet size to 24 L-159s, which received the latest avionics upgrades, while the remaining aircraft were placed into long-term storage. By 2016, the Czech Air Force had 16 L-159A and 5 L-159T1 aircraft in service. On 1 June 2016, Aero Vodochody received an order to upgrade an initial batch of 16 Czech Air Force L-159s. On 15 October 2012, it was announced that Iraq had agreed to purchase 28 L-159s from

10873-779: The founding republics who signed the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR in December 1922. In 1924, during the national delimitation in Central Asia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were formed from parts of Russia's Turkestan ASSR and two Soviet dependencies, the Khorezm and Bukharan PSPs . In 1929, Tajikistan was split off from the Uzbekistan SSR. With the constitution of 1936, the Transcaucasian SFSR

11004-445: The four years that followed, it realised several restructurings and investment transactions in Slovakia. These included VSŽ, Slovenská poisťovňa, Slovnaft , Elektrovod, Drôtovňa Hlohovec and Sanitas. In 2002, Juraj Herko left and Jozef Špirko joined as the fifth partner. The same year Penta's net asset value reached 2 billion Slovak crowns. In 2001, Penta entered the Czech market with the development of its Dr. Max chain of pharmacies,

11135-410: The general party membership, as the key principle of the party organization was democratic centralism , demanding strict subordination to higher bodies, and elections went uncontested, endorsing the candidates proposed from above. The Communist Party maintained its dominance over the state mainly through its control over the system of appointments . All senior government officials and most deputies of

11266-525: The globe. The post-Stalin leadership, particularly under Nikita Khrushchev , initiated a de-Stalinization process, leading to a period of liberalization and relative openness known as the Khrushchev Thaw . However, the subsequent era under Leonid Brezhnev , referred to as the Era of Stagnation , was marked by economic decline, political corruption, and a rigid gerontocracy . Despite efforts to maintain

11397-497: The government. Extensive extrajudicial powers were given to the Soviet secret police agencies . In practice, the Soviet government significantly curbed the rule of law , civil liberties , protection of law and guarantees of property , which were considered as examples of "bourgeois morality" by Soviet law theorists such as Andrey Vyshinsky . The USSR and other countries in the Soviet Bloc had abstained from affirming

11528-458: The group actively develops companies and projects, primarily in healthcare, financial services, retail, manufacturing, real estate and media. Having grown from a local to international company, Penta operates in more than ten markets across Europe, providing more than 37,000 jobs through investee companies. In financial year 2015, Penta achieved a consolidated net profit of EUR 200 mln and increased total portfolio assets to EUR 7 bln. The name Penta

11659-466: The highest bodies of the party and making the Supreme Soviet less dependent on them. The Congress of People's Deputies was established, the majority of whose members were directly elected in competitive elections held in March 1989, the first in Soviet history. The Congress now elected the Supreme Soviet, which became a full-time parliament, and much stronger than before. For the first time since

11790-742: The highest local and international awards (CEEQA – best office in CEE) and is certified LEED Platinum. A year later the Bory Mall retail centre in Slovakia was completed and Penta started to build a new residential development in the Walter factory brownfield in Prague. Penta entered the Polish real estate market in 2014 and started to prepare a project involving two office buildings in Warsaw. In 2014 Penta inked

11921-472: The implementation of socialist policies and the New Economic Policy (NEP), which allowed for market-oriented reforms. The rise of Joseph Stalin in the late 1920s ushered in an era of intense centralization and totalitarianism. Stalin's rule was characterized by the forced collectivization of agriculture , rapid industrialization , and the Great Purge , which eliminated perceived enemies of

12052-545: The largest and most populous of which was the Russian SFSR . In practice, its government and economy were highly centralized . As a one-party state governed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , it was a flagship communist state . Its capital and largest city was Moscow . The Soviet Union's roots lay in the October Revolution of 1917. The new government, led by Vladimir Lenin , established

12183-654: The less costly L-159 subsonic attack aircraft, derived from the L-39 Albatros, was approved for procurement instead. Conducted between 1994 and 1997, the technical development of the L-159 ALCA in Aero Vodochody consisted primarily of building a single L-159 two-seat prototype, based on the L-59 airframe, and utilizing western engine, avionics and weapon systems, with Rockwell Collins (eventually Boeing) as

12314-541: The most common Russian initialization is Союз ССР (transliteration: Soyuz SSR ) which essentially translates to Union of SSRs in English. In addition, the Russian short form name Советский Союз (transliteration: Sovyetsky Soyuz , which literally means Soviet Union ) is also commonly used, but only in its unabbreviated form. Since the start of the Great Patriotic War at the latest, abbreviating

12445-417: The newly elected Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR , and communist hardliners. On 19–21 August 1991, a group of hardliners staged a coup attempt . The coup failed, and the State Council of the Soviet Union became the highest organ of state power 'in the period of transition'. Gorbachev resigned as General Secretary, only remaining President for the final months of the existence of the USSR. The judiciary

12576-400: The nominal head of state . The institutions at lower levels were overseen and at times supplanted by primary party organizations . However, in practice the degree of control the party was able to exercise over the state bureaucracy, particularly after the death of Stalin, was far from total, with the bureaucracy pursuing different interests that were at times in conflict with the party, nor

12707-608: The official Soviet system of importance (ground forces were second, Air Force fourth, and Navy fifth). The army had the greatest political influence. In 1989, there served two million soldiers divided between 150 motorized and 52 armored divisions. Until the early 1960s, the Soviet navy was a rather small military branch, but after the Caribbean crisis , under the leadership of Sergei Gorshkov , it expanded significantly. It became known for battlecruisers and submarines. In 1989, there served 500 000 men. The Soviet Air Force focused on

12838-544: The only legal party and the final policymaker in the country. At the top of the Communist Party was the Central Committee , elected at Party Congresses and Conferences. In turn, the Central Committee voted for a Politburo (called the Presidium between 1952 and 1966), Secretariat and the general secretary (First Secretary from 1953 to 1966), the de facto highest office in the Soviet Union. Depending on

12969-694: The other order until 1936 . In addition, in the regional languages of several republics, the word council or conciliar in the respective language was only quite late changed to an adaptation of the Russian soviet and never in others, e.g. Ukrainian SSR . СССР (in the Latin alphabet: SSSR ) is the abbreviation of the Russian-language cognate of USSR, as written in Cyrillic letters . The Soviets used this abbreviation so frequently that audiences worldwide became familiar with its meaning. After this,

13100-570: The partition of Poland. In response, Britain and France declared war on Germany, marking the beginning of World War II . Up until his death in 1953, Joseph Stalin controlled all foreign relations of the Soviet Union during the interwar period . Despite the increasing build-up of Germany 's war machine and the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War , the Soviet Union did not cooperate with any other nation, choosing to follow its own path. However, after Operation Barbarossa ,

13231-538: The party's highest body the Politburo . Operations were handled by the separate Ministry of Foreign Affairs . It was known as the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs (or Narkomindel), until 1946. The most influential spokesmen were Georgy Chicherin (1872–1936), Maxim Litvinov (1876–1951), Vyacheslav Molotov (1890–1986), Andrey Vyshinsky (1883–1954) and Andrei Gromyko (1909–1989). Intellectuals were based in

13362-467: The rear seat, the new two-seater will have independent instruments interchangeable with the L-159A while using the same software configuration. The Czech Air Force has ordered 3 L-159T2 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in November 2018. On 11 May 2023, Czech President Petr Pavel , in a radio interview, offered the L-159 to Ukraine. Subject to a decision by the Czech government, President Pavel said “It

13493-466: The same combat capability as the single-seat L-159A. The T1+ modernization of 4 Czech Air Force L-159T1 is scheduled to be completed in December 2019. The L-159T2 is a two-seat trainer with full combat capability converted from stored L-159A airframes. Compared to the L-159T1, it has a higher proportion of newly manufactured components and a Grifo-L radar installed. Instead of mirroring the instruments to

13624-714: The state. The Soviet Union played a crucial role in the Allied victory in World War II , but at a tremendous human cost, with millions of Soviet citizens perishing in the conflict. The Soviet Union emerged as one of the world's two superpowers, leading the Eastern Bloc in opposition to the Western Bloc during the Cold War . This period saw the USSR engage in an arms race, the Space Race , and proxy wars around

13755-469: The struggle for dominance was expressed via indirect means such as psychological warfare , propaganda campaigns, espionage , far-reaching embargoes , rivalry at sports events and technological competitions such as the Space Race . Constitutionally, the USSR was a federation of constituent Union Republics, which were either unitary states, such as Ukraine or Byelorussia (SSRs), or federations, such as Russia or Transcaucasia (SFSRs), all four being

13886-523: The transaction. At this key moment, Penta succeeded in convincing VÚB to sell its share and finance the purchase of stocks bought by the British fund. Penta gained control over VÚB Kupón for a stock price of only 20 percent of its real market value. VÚB Kupón's acquisition opened the way for Penta to earn its first billion. In 1999, Penta was restructured into a holding with its mother company in Cyprus . In

14017-447: The transcripts are former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Penta founder Jaroslav Haščák. Amidst cries of censorship and widespread condemnation of international press groups Haščák succeeded to block the publishing of journalist Tom Nicholson's book covering the subject by way of preliminary injunction, until a court overturned the restraining order. In 2012, the Constitutional Court ruled that wiretapping of Slovak secret service

14148-492: The truth". Human rights in the Soviet Union were severely limited. The Soviet Union was a totalitarian state from 1927 until 1953 and a one-party state until 1990. Freedom of speech was suppressed and dissent was punished. Independent political activities were not tolerated, whether these involved participation in free labour unions , private corporations , independent churches or opposition political parties . The freedom of movement within and especially outside

14279-502: The type, and unveiled a newly built L-159T1 for the Iraqi Air Force; furthermore, the Czech Air Force was in the process of acquiring L-159T2 two-seaters. Immediately after the 1989 Velvet Revolution , the president of Czechoslovakia Václav Havel declared a demobilisation of the Czechoslovak defence industry. Nevertheless, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Czech company Aero Vodochody continued developing

14410-527: The west further raised concerns. In the past, there were accidents involving submarines K-19 , K-8 , a K-129 , K-27 , K-219 and K-278 Komsomolets . There were three power hierarchies in the Soviet Union: the legislature represented by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union , the government represented by the Council of Ministers , and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),

14541-616: The wings. The lightly armoured cockpit is equipped with a VS-2B ejection seat capable of catapulting the pilot at a zero flight level and zero speed. The aircraft's avionics, based on the MIL-STD-1553 databus , include Selex Navigation and Attack Suite, Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Global Positioning System (GPS). Flight data are displayed both on the FV-3000 head-up display (HUD) and two multi-function displays (MFD). Communications are provided by

14672-465: The world's largest lakes; the Caspian Sea (shared with Iran ), and Lake Baikal , the world's largest (by volume) and deepest freshwater lake that is also an internal body of water in Russia. Neighbouring countries were aware of the high levels of pollution in the Soviet Union but after the dissolution of the Soviet Union it was discovered that its environmental problems were greater than what

14803-411: Was Bratislava Digital Park , an exclusive administrative complex, which has won prestigious architecture awards in Slovakia and abroad. In 2010 Penta invested into the first real estate project in Prague - Florentinum. Penta has started the construction of exclusive office space in down town Prague. In recent years the group has succeeded in several major transactions, such as the sale of Zabka Polska,

14934-624: Was a coastline . The country bordered Afghanistan , the People's Republic of China , Czechoslovakia , Finland , Hungary , Iran , Mongolia , North Korea , Norway , Poland , Romania , and Turkey from 1945 to 1991. The Bering Strait separated the USSR from the United States . The country's highest mountain was Communism Peak (now Ismoil Somoni Peak ) in Tajikistan , at 7,495 metres (24,590 ft). The USSR also included most of

15065-539: Was also the industrial center of the Soviet Union. Historian Matthew White wrote that it was an open secret that the country's federal structure was 'window dressing' for Russian dominance. For that reason, the people of the USSR were usually called 'Russians', not 'Soviets', since 'everyone knew who really ran the show'. Under the Military Law of September 1925, the Soviet Armed Forces consisted of

15196-462: Was announced that Draken International Inc. , a civilian American company that cooperates with the US military for pilot training, was in the process of acquiring 21 ex-Czech Air Force L-159s. The deal made Draken International into the world's largest private air force. Aero Vodochody handed over the first L-159 aircraft to the company on 30 September 2015. Draken International has secured contacts with both

15327-483: Was brought under strict party control after Stalin's death. Under Yuri Andropov , the KGB engaged in the suppression of political dissent and maintained an extensive network of informers, reasserting itself as a political actor to some extent independent of the party-state structure, culminating in the anti-corruption campaign targeting high-ranking party officials in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The constitution , which

15458-595: Was carried out within the terms of the Soviet Civil Code. Some Soviet legal scholars even said that "criminal repression" may be applied in the absence of guilt. Martin Latsis , chief of Soviet Ukraine 's secret police explained: "Do not look in the file of incriminating evidence to see whether or not the accused rose up against the Soviets with arms or words. Ask him instead to which class he belongs, what

15589-542: Was colloquially, but incorrectly, referred to as Russia . The history of the Soviet Union began with the ideals of the Bolshevik Revolution and ended in dissolution amidst economic collapse and political disintegration. Established in 1922 following the Russian Civil War , the Soviet Union quickly became a one-party state under the Communist Party . Its early years under Lenin were marked by

15720-404: Was dissolved, resulting in its constituent republics of Armenia , Georgia and Azerbaijan being elevated to Union Republics, while Kazakhstan and Kirghizia were split off from the Russian SFSR, resulting in the same status. In August 1940, Moldavia was formed from parts of Ukraine and Soviet-occupied Bessarabia , and Ukrainian SSR. Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania were also annexed by

15851-424: Was no large-scale fighting directly between the two superpowers , but they each supported major regional conflicts known as proxy wars . The conflict was based around the ideological and geopolitical struggle for global influence by these two superpowers, following their temporary alliance and victory against Nazi Germany in 1945. Aside from the nuclear arsenal development and conventional military deployment,

15982-450: Was not independent of the other branches of government. The Supreme Court supervised the lower courts ( People's Court ) and applied the law as established by the constitution or as interpreted by the Supreme Soviet. The Constitutional Oversight Committee reviewed the constitutionality of laws and acts. The Soviet Union used the inquisitorial system of Roman law , where the judge, procurator , and defence attorney collaborate to "establish

16113-575: Was present. This batch of production aircraft featured several improvements, such as the use of a wet wing and increased endurance; further enhancements were also being worked on at that time. The company reportedly negotiated with Argentina on the topic of the L-159, which reportedly may have included the establishment of an assembly line in the country. The L-159 ALCA is designed for the principal role of light combat aircraft (single-seat L-159A variant) or light attack jet and advanced / lead-in fighter trainer (two-seat L-159B and T variants). Design of

16244-485: Was promulgated in 1924 , 1936 and 1977 , did not limit state power. No formal separation of powers existed between the Party, Supreme Soviet and Council of Ministers that represented executive and legislative branches of the government. The system was governed less by statute than by informal conventions, and no settled mechanism of leadership succession existed. Bitter and at times deadly power struggles took place in

16375-540: Was repeatedly postponed. Formal recognition came when the new Labour Party came to power in 1924. All the other countries followed suit in opening trade relations. Henry Ford opened large-scale business relations with the Soviets in the late 1920s, hoping that it would lead to long-term peace. Finally, in 1933, the United States officially recognized the USSR, a decision backed by the public opinion and especially by US business interests that expected an opening of

16506-482: Was that "the Constitution was written not for you, but for American Negroes, so that they know how happy the lives of Soviet citizens are". Crime was determined not as the infraction of law, instead, it was determined as any action which could threaten the Soviet state and society. For example, a desire to make a profit could be interpreted as a counter-revolutionary activity punishable by death. The liquidation and deportation of millions of peasants in 1928–31

16637-587: Was the Russian responsibility to assist them. The Comintern was the weapon of choice. A few revolutions did break out, but they were quickly suppressed (the longest lasting one was in Hungary)—the Hungarian Soviet Republic —lasted only from 21 March 1919 to 1 August 1919. The Russian Bolsheviks were in no position to give any help. By 1921, Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin realized that capitalism had stabilized itself in Europe and there would not be any widespread revolutions anytime soon. It became

16768-404: Was the first major accident at a civilian nuclear power plant . Unparalleled in the world, it resulted in a large number of radioactive isotopes being released into the atmosphere. Radioactive doses were scattered relatively far. Although long-term effects of the accident were unknown, 4,000 new cases of thyroid cancer which resulted from the accident's contamination were reported at the time of

16899-486: Was the party itself monolithic from top to bottom, although factions were officially banned . The Supreme Soviet (successor of the Congress of Soviets ) was nominally the highest state body for most of the Soviet history, at first acting as a rubber stamp institution, approving and implementing all decisions made by the party. However, its powers and functions were extended in the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, including

17030-585: Was unlawful. Following the announcement that Penta was going to take over SME , a leading Slovak daily, its publisher, editor-in-chief and 60 members of the editorial staff collectively announced their resignation citing the Gorilla scandal, concerns regarding journalistic freedom and the imminent loss of their readership's trust. Editor-in-chief Matúš Kostolný said "Penta is trying to buy their reputation and I am not going to work for them." SME ranks third amongst dailys in Slovakia in terms of circulation and runs

17161-715: Was unlawful. Penta's initial capital originated mostly from the business that the two founding members, Marek Dospiva and Jaroslav Haščák, conducted in China . In 1990, during their studies in Beijing , they founded a small textile importing company consisting only of two accountants and one secretary and began importing Chinese textiles to chain stores in Czechoslovakia . At the end of 1993, Marek Dospiva, Jaroslav Haščák and Jozef Oravkin teamed up with Martin Kúšik and Juraj Herko and founded company Penta Brokers. In 1996, when

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