Russia Opens 350 Banned Professions to Women, Stripping Soviet-Era Restrictions

Women in Russia will soon be able to work in more than 350 job positions they’d previously been barred from under largely unchanged Soviet-era labor restrictions. Russia currently prohibits women from holding 456 jobs in dozens of industries that involve physically strenuous tasks or harmful working conditions. Previous media reports suggested that the Labor Ministry…

Russia’s Good Year at the Awards

Despite concerns over censorship, the film and performing arts in Russia remain largely free of government interference. While the government can certainly impact the film industry and theater through funding and sometimes, with film, by withholding screening permits, there are many independent companies that can produce whatever they want. Now that the awards season for…

Russia Stole U.S. Hypersonic Missile Tech to Make Nuclear Advances – Bolton

Russia has stolen hypersonic cruise missile technology from the United States, U.S. President Donald Trump’s top national security aide John Bolton said while discussing last week’s deadly explosion at a military test site in Russia’s north. The mysterious explosion that killed five Russian nuclear engineers and caused a radiation spike last Thursday has spawned conflicting…

Kremlin Warns of Foreign Espionage as Scientists Criticize New Restrictions

The Kremlin said Wednesday that Russia must be vigilant in protecting its industrial secrets against foreign intelligence services after scientists criticized new restrictions on them meeting foreigners. Under an order issued by the Education Ministry in February but which has only now come to light, government-affiliated scientists are advised to meet their foreign colleagues only…

‘Top 100 Influential Russian Muslims’ Ranking Released by Local Media

A Russian media outlet has for the first time compiled a ranking of the country’s 100 most influential Muslims, with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov featured alongside tycoons, government officials and spiritual leaders. An estimated 20 million Muslims make up Russia’s second-largest religious minority, comprising about 14% of the overall population. Seven of Russia’s 85…

Russian Scientists Told to Beware Foreign Contacts, Academic Says

Russian authorities have recommended for scientists to avoid communicating with their foreign colleagues, a prominent academic has complained in an open letter. The Russian Science and Higher Education Ministry reportedly distributed a decree in July advising scientists to brief the ministry in detail about upcoming meetings with foreign counterparts and to seek approval from bosses…

Gazprom Dobycha Nadym taking part in large-scale environmental project on Vilkitsky Island

Background Gazprom Dobycha Nadym is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom. The company’s key activities are production and treatment of gas and gas condensate. Gazprom Dobycha Nadym was the first gas production company in the north of Western Siberia. It was created to develop and operate the Medvezhye oil, gas and condensate field. It is now also involved in production at the Yubileynoye, Yamsoveyskoye, and Bovanenkovskoye fields. The company holds the license…

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Simplifies Citizenship Process for ‘Persecuted’ Russians

Ukraine’s new president has made it easier for Russians facing “political persecution” to become Ukrainian citizens in an ongoing passport battle between the countries. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last month ordered an overhaul of the process for granting Ukrainian citizenship in response to Russia expanding the number of Ukrainians who can apply for fast-track Russian passports.…

Moscow Art Group Takes St. Petersburg By Storm

In late July, the internationally acclaimed art group AES + F launched a new exhibition, “Predictions and Revelations,” featuring eight of their biggest projects from the last two decades. The eye needs time to adjust before it can take in the enormous digital collage installation that greets the visitor to the exhibition “Predictions and Revelations”…

Russia, China to Discuss ‘U.S. Meddling’ in Moscow and Hong Kong Protests

Russia and China plan to discuss foreign interference as anti-government protests continue to rock Moscow and Hong Kong and spur accusations of U.S. meddling. Russian lawmakers said they plan to cut short their summer recess to debate foreign powers’ “meddling in domestic issues” as they blamed Google for allegedly promoting last Saturday’s 50,000-strong protest on YouTube.…

Record Protests Rock Moscow

An estimated 50,000 protesters took to the streets of Moscow on Saturday, Aug. 10, in one of the largest protests in Russia since 2012. They rallied against the barring of opposition candidates from local elections next month and police crackdowns at recent rallies. 256 were detained in a march after the demonstration.

On This Day: The Kursk Submarine Disaster

On Aug. 12, 2000, the nuclear submarine Kursk sank, killing all on board: 118 crew members.  President Vladimir Putin, then in his first term as president, was faced with intense criticism over his handling of his first national disaster.  The catastrophe took place in the Barents Sea on the first Russian naval annual exercise that…

Russia’s Muslims Celebrate Kurban Bairam

Muslims in Russia celebrated the religious holiday of Kurban Bairam, or Eid al-Adha, on Sunday. The holiday, whose name means “Festival of the Sacrifice,” commemorates the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. During the festival of Kurban Bairam, considered one of the holiest days in the Islamic calendar, large groups…

Yamburg sports and technical club wins silver in Nether-Polar Cross

Background Gazprom Dobycha Yamburg is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom. It operates in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area. The company is focused on gas and gas condensate production. Gazprom Dobycha Yamburg holds licenses for the development and production of hydrocarbons from the Yamburgskoye and Zapolyarnoye fields and is preparing for commercial production the Severo-Kamennomyssky, Kamennomysskoye-Sea, Obsky, Chugoryakhinsky, Tazovsko-Zapolyarny and Yuzhno-Parusovy subsurface areas, and, as part of joint ventures, the Parusovy,…