Vladimir Kara-Murza Dies at 59

On Sunday morning July 28, the journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza (senior) passed away after a long illness. His son, Vladimir, who is also a prominent journalist and an opposition politician, announced that his father had died at “8 o’clock in the morning on his name-day.” He was 59 years old. Kara-Murza was a historian who became…

Siberian Wildfires Swell to Crimea-Sized Area, Authorities Say Extinguishing Them Is ‘Pointless’

Massive wildfires sweeping through Russia have spread to an area the size of annexed Crimea as regional authorities have been slow to declare emergencies and firefighting efforts have been scaled back. Scientists have observed an “unprecedented” number of wildfires in Siberia and the Russian Arctic since June. Russian authorities have said a combination of lightning…

Vintage Soviet Cars Cruise Into Moscow

Moscow’s Red Square roared to life with vintage chic on Sunday as an extensive collection of unique Soviet cars cruised past the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral. The annual GUM AutoRally began in 2014 and is the most prestigious event of its kind in Russia. During the rally, 120 cars raced each other along a…

‘The Political Regime Against the People’: The Reactions to Moscow’s Election Protest and Crackdown

A mass protest that rocked Moscow on Saturday was marked by one of the biggest crackdowns in recent years against an increasingly defiant opposition decrying President Vladimir Putin’s tight grip on power.  The protest, which demanded that the authorities allow opposition-minded candidates onto the ballot in Moscow’s city council elections, has drawn international attention to…