March Music in Moscow

There is no need for an excuse to listen to chamber music, but with spring still around the corner, March can call for a cozy indoor evening to lift your mood. And by now you might be ready for a change from the mulled wine and electric radiator that kept you going for the past…

How Many Blini Can You Eat?

Moscow is gearing up to celebrate Maslenitsa — the week before Lent begins  — in grand style with food, concerts and burning effigies. In recent years, Russia’s Mardi Gras or “pancake week” has seen a glamorous and all-frills revival in the large cities as municipal and regional administrations organize a week of public celebration. From…

Russian Opposition Activist Defects to Kremlin-Run RT

A one-time Russian opposition activist has taken a job at the Kremlin-run RT television channel, stirring heated debate among former colleagues and observers. Once described as the face of Russia’s opposition, Maria Baronova had recently headed the Moscow branch of the Open Russia pro-democracy movement. In 2012, she was detained and charged over her role…

Russian Bid for U.N. Action on Venezuela Fails

Russia failed on Thursday in a bid for the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution that expressed support for a political solution in Venezuela and backed the Maduro government as the primary coordinator of international help. The Russian text only received four votes in favor. Four countries abstained and the rest of the 15-member council…