Belarus Signs Up to Russian-Led Customs Union Amid $1Bln Credit Deal
Belarus has signed the Eurasian Economic Union’s (EEU) controversial Customs Code after months of legal wrangling.
A Russian All-Righty
Лад is a nice little word. No one seems to know its origins, but it contains notions of order, harmony, and accord – all those good emotions and behaviors that make life not only livable, but peaceful.
Russian Corruption Is Among the World’s Worst — And It’s Here to Stay (Op-Ed)
Just over a month ago, opposition leader Alexei Navalny released an investigative documentary making major allegations of corruption against Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev.
Russian News Outlet RBC Confirms Sale Amid Fears of Kremlin Censorship Crackdown
Negations are underway to sell Russia’s independent RBC media outlet.
A Smithsonian Historian Wanders the “Bardo,” Exploring the Spiritual World of the 19th Century
George Saunders’ new novel, “Lincoln in the Bardo” recalls the melancholy that hung over a nation at war
A Smithsonian Historian Wanders the “Bardo,” Exploring the Spiritual World of the 19th Century
George Saunders’ new novel, “Lincoln in the Bardo” recalls the melancholy that hung over a nation at war
How Director James Gray Discovered the Insanity Behind the Search for “The Lost City of Z”
A story of Victorian-age madness and exploration in the South American jungle is coming to a theater near you
How Director James Gray Discovered the Insanity Behind the Search for “The Lost City of Z”
A story of Victorian-age madness and exploration in the South American jungle is coming to a theater near you
AirBnb Shutters Russian Subsidiary
Global rental site AirBnb has closed its Russian subsidiary, leading analysts to speculate it is trying to avoid new Russian internet regulations.
‘Russia Is No Place for Dreamers:’ Meet the Rocket Entrepreneurs Battling Bureaucracy to Conquer Space
Russian rocket scientists with a bold vision of the future struggle against bureaucratic red-tape and a conservative investment climate to build Russia’s first private sector rockets.
Russia Has Backed Itself Into a Corner in Syria
The chemical attack in Idlib changed everything. Trump’s personal position on Syria and Assad has shifted radically, military action is now on the table. And Russia’s actions have been self defeating.
An Earful of Russian
When I grow up — or retire, whichever comes first — I want to get a Ph.D. in linguistics by writing a dissertation on The Role of Body Parts in Russian Expressions. This week I’m all ears.
Russia’s Generation Z: In Search of a Future
The survival of the authoritarian Russian regime into the 2020s will depend on whether Putin is able to offer the young people a clear vision of the future. So far there is none.
After the Blast, St. Petersburg Shows a Unique Civic Spirit (Op-Ed)
When a bombing killed 14 people in St. Petersburg, a spirit of solidarity electrified the city. Locals organized to help others get home and support one another. That’s new in Russia.
It’s Official: Russia’s Recession Is Over (Thanks to Some Creative Statistics)
A change in reporting methodology has magically ended Russia’s recession.
Terror in Russia and the West: A Need for Compassion
Feed the Kremlin love, feed the Kremlin so much love it chokes. Do it either because it is right or do it because it is smart, but do it either way.
Kremlin’s Reply to Anti-Corruption Demonstrations: We Can Deal With It Ourselves
The Kremlin’s answer to accusations of corruption are as follows: Russian civil servants’ income reports are transparent for the Secret Service and that is enough.
Russia Is a Political Hazard Zone
The rift between the elites and the masses in Russia is as real today as it was six or 26 years ago. Neither the annexation of Crimea, nor symbolic gestures aimed at exciting nationalistic pride have been able to bridge it.