U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Russia to pull its troops from Venezuela and said that “all options” were open to make that happen. The arrival of two Russian air force planes outside Caracas on Saturday believed to be carrying nearly 100 Russian special forces and cybersecurity personnel has escalated the political crisis in Venezuela. Russia and China…
Release March 27, 2019, 18:30 A Gazprom delegation headed by Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Company’s Management Committee, paid a working visit to Kyrgyzstan today. During the visit to Bishkek, Alexey Miller had a working meeting with Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev, Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic. The parties discussed issues related to cooperation in the gas sector, including the upgrading and renovation of the Kyrgyz gas transmission and…
A ballet set to music by The Rolling Stones and choreographed by Mick Jagger’s ballerina girlfriend has premiered in Russia. The eight-minute “Porte Rouge” (Red Door) show, inspired by the veteran British singer’s zany dance style, delighted a packed crowd at St. Petersburg’s famous Mariinsky Theatre on Tuesday night. Jagger’s partner Melanie Hamrick, a U.S.…
Russian opposition politician and Moscow municipal deputy Ilya Yashin has accused the city’s mayor of budgetary waste in connection with plans to seal off one of several controversial landfills outside Moscow. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin pledged in 2017 to close the Malinki landfill 40 kilometers north of Moscow near the town of Troitsk. Activists believe…
Russian lawmakers have passed legislation that extends punishments for those holding senior positions in organized crime groups. Lawmakers estimate that members of organized crime groups in Russia committed more than 15,000 felonies in 2018. Russia’s upper-house Federation Council voted in favor of the organized-crime bill on Wednesday, sending it to President Vladimir Putin’s desk to be…
A Lithuanian court found former Soviet Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity on Wednesday for his role in a 1991 crackdown against the Baltic state’s pro-independence movement. The Vilnius court sentenced Yazov, 94, in absentia to 10 years in prison. He was the highest-ranking person on a list of…
Ford will close two of its assembly plants in Russia, a spokeswoman for the company’s joint venture in the country told The Moscow Times on Wednesday. The Vsevolozhsk assembly plant near St. Petersburg and the Naberezhnye Chelny assembly plant in Tatarstan will both close, while the plant in the city of Yelabuga in Tatarstan will…
Using images from U.S.S.R.-era books, postcards and newspapers, Dutch artist Tamara Stoffers delves into the Soviet past to create surreal collages, playing with the old and ordinary to make it experimental and new. Her distinctive style inspires nostalgia for a time and place to which not all have been — including the young artist herself.…
Former Russian minister Mikhail Abyzov was detained by security forces Tuesday on suspicion of embezzling 4 billion rubles ($62 million). Abyzov, 46, faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted. The ex-minister has denied the charges. He is the second government minister to be detained and face criminal prosecution in the past two years,…
Protesters clashed with security forces in Russia’s republic of Ingushetia early on Wednesday during a protest against a controversial land swap deal. More than 10,000 protesters rallied in Ingushetia’s capital of Magas on Tuesday against legislation that would bar residents from voting on border-related issues. Protest leaders said the rally would continue “indefinitely” to demand…
The Tretyakov Gallery continues its series of retrospectives of prominent turn-of-the-century painters with an enormous exhibition of works by Ilya Repin. Devoted to the 175th anniversary of the artist’s birth, the retrospective at the Tretyakov Gallery is only the first of three shows. After Moscow it will travel to the State Russian Museum in St.…
Russia’s Defense Ministry plans to establish a film studio to produce movies about the modern Russian army, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Tuesday. The announcement was made at an annual awards ceremony that celebrates art and culture about the Russian military. During his awards speech, Shoigu said that despite there being plenty of quality films…
More than 1,300 Russian state officials suspected of violating corruption rules were fired for loss of trust last year, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Russia ranks among the world’s most corrupt countries. Observers have criticized anti-graft campaigns under President Vladimir Putin’s rule as ineffective. The Prosecutor General’s Office said its intervention has led to the dismissal…