ISS Crew Blasts Off From Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome Despite Virus-Hit Build-Up

A three-man crew blasted off to the International Space Station on Thursday, leaving behind a planet overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic. Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency and NASA’s Chris Cassidy launched at 8:05 a.m. GMT from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, where Covid-19 has caused changes to pre-launch protocol.  The crew told…

4 Killed in Moscow Nursing Home Fire

A fire that tore through a Moscow home for the elderly late Wednesday has killed four and put at least six people in the hospital with injuries, authorities said. Russia’s Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes, said either an electrical short-circuit or a faulty boiler has likely caused the fire. Its Moscow branch opened a…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | April 9

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 88,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 8,672 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 63 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

Coronavirus Hits Russian Markets | April 9

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble. The latest on the markets,…

‘This Too Shall Pass’: Putin Announces New Coronavirus Aid

President Vladimir Putin has announced a new aid package to doctors battling the coronavirus pandemic and ordered support for small businesses suffering under his paid “non-working” month in his third public address in as many weeks. Here’s a brief look at what he discussed during Wednesday’s televised meeting with regional governors and other officials: Frontline…

Watch an Old Soviet Movie at Moskino

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan provides help to its region of operation

Background Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan is a subsidiary of Gazprom focused on prospecting, exploration and development of hydrocarbon fields. The Levoberezhnaya part of the Astrakhanskoye gas and condensate field with an area of 1,360 square kilometers has been in operation since 1986. The field produces formation fluid with a high content of sulfur (25 per cent) and carbon dioxide (15 per cent). The company has around 300 wells of various use, hundreds…

Putin’s Coronavirus Expert Was His Daughter’s Research Supervisor – Reports

A leading endocrinologist who praised President Vladimir Putin’s efforts in combating the deadly coronavirus pandemic Tuesday was a onetime research adviser to Putin’s rumored daughter, according to Russian media. Ivan Dedov, president of the Health Ministry’s national endocrinology center and one of nine experts invited to consult Putin on the virus Tuesday, commended Putin for…

Russia’s Tatarstan Enforces Quarantine Through Texting

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

For Mild Virus Cases, Moscow Doctors Are Video-Calling

A grey-haired Muscovite speaks via video link from his flat. Diagnosed with the coronavirus late last month, he tells a doctor he doesn’t feel too bad but is still wheezing. This is a consultation via Moscow’s new telemedicine center, where doctors treat those who have tested positive but are well enough to stay at home.…

Drug Dealer Dressed as Deliveryman Detained in Moscow

A suspected drug dealer dressed as a food deliveryman has been detained with 500 grams of marijuana in quarantined Moscow, Russia’s National Guard said Tuesday. National Guard officers stopped the 37-year-old for a document check at a park that the authorities closed down due to the coronavirus outbreak.  “The perpetrator used a uniform of one…

JULIA DALAKIAN

Julia Dalakian is well-known favorite of Russian singers and stars. She has worked in the Russian market for well over 20 years, serving Moscow-based and foreign customers. Twice a year, the brand has been making 2 seasonal collections, introduced at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia since its very start.   JULIA DALAKIAN brand’s new collection MYSTERIOUS…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | April 8

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 82,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 8,672 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 63 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

Coronavirus Hits Russian Markets | April 8

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble. The latest on the markets,…

Russia Opens Criminal Probe Against Satirist Over Virus Video

A Russian satirist said Tuesday he had become the target of a criminal probe over spreading false information after he joked the coronavirus had been created in a secret Siberian lab. “Friends, a criminal case has been opened against me over yesterday’s humorous video in which I’m mocking a conspiracy theory about the coronavirus originating in…

Russia Compares Trump’s Space Mining Order to Colonialism

Russia’s space agency Roscosmos has denounced U.S. President Donald Trump’s order allowing commercial lunar mining and the extraction of other resources in space, appearing to liken the policy to colonialism. Trump signed an executive order Monday establishing a U.S. policy which allows “commercial exploration, recovery and use of resources in outer space.” The Encouraging International…

Make Quarantine Art!

Is all this great #quarantineculture inspiring you? As you sit at home in isolation, have you begun painting,  sculpting, drawing or performing?  Are you an artist who has lost your audience? Terrific. We’ve got a project for you. The InGallery in Moscow has announced an international open call for artworks created during the coronavirus pandemic.…

Russia Bribed FIFA to Host World Cup, U.S. Says

Russia bribed football officials for the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday in the first explicit accusations of wrongdoing following years of suspicion. FIFA has been dogged by claims of corruption since 2010, when the global football governing body voted to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | April 7

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 74,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 7,497 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 58 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

Coronavirus Hits Russian Markets | April 7

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble. The latest on the markets,…

Russia’s ‘Isolation Art’ Takes the Internet By Storm

A Russian Facebook project called ART-ISOLATION has art enthusiasts across the country tapping into their quarantine creativity by recreating iconic paintings from art history. The rules are simple: no photoshop, post only your own creations done during self-isolation with materials you already have at home, and no commentary. The creative challenge has quickly become a…

Kremlin Looks to ‘Scare’ Russians Into Isolation While Fighting Panic – Kommersant

The Kremlin faces the dual task of scaring Russians into self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic while also tamping down public fears about the virus, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday. Most Russian regions have ordered lockdowns similar to Moscow’s in recent days as President Vladimir Putin declared April a “non-working” month to encourage self-isolation during…

Russian Regions’ Crowded Queues Spark Coronavirus Concern

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

Russian Report on Boris Johnson’s Coronavirus Ventilation ‘Disinformation,’ Britain Says

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman dismissed as disinformation a Russian media report Monday that he was to undergo artificial lung ventilation after being hospitalized with persistent coronavirus symptoms. Johnson said he tested positive for coronavirus on March 27 and was due to re-emerge from seven days of self-isolation Friday. Downing Street announced Sunday that Johnson…

Spend a Day or Two in the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts has an excellent virtual museum on their site – actually, it’s five virtual museum collections and seven separate exhibitions. You can wander through the main building of the Pushkin Museum, spend time in the Museum of Private Collections, expand your perception of late 19th and early 20th century European…

Mikhailovsky Theater Dancers “Perform” From Home

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

ROSATOM facility inks long-term contract for supply of nuclear fuel components to ETRR-2 reactor in Egypt

Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (NCCP), an enterprise of ROSATOM’s TVEL Fuel Company, and the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority have signed 10-years term contract for supply of low-enriched nuclear fuel components, such as uranium and aluminum items, for ETRR-2 research reactor. ETRR-2, a research reactor of Argentinian design, is based at the Nuclear Research Center in…

Coronavirus Hits Russian Markets | April 6

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble. The latest on the markets,…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | April 6

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 69,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 6,343 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 47 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | April 5

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 64,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 4,731 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 43 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

Stay or Go? French Fly Home from Russia Amid Pandemic

Christian Querouix, a 69-year-old pensioner, who shares his time between France and Russia, had a difficult choice to make. Should he return to France, one of the European countries most affected by the coronavirus, or stay in Russia where the number of infected people is growing by the day?  “I have diabetes and I am…

Two Dead in Gas Explosion Outside Moscow

Two people were killed and six injured when a gas explosion ripped through a five-storey residential building outside Moscow on Saturday, with rescue workers still looking for survivors.  The blast took place in the town of Orekhovo-Zuyevo during stay-at-home orders aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The emergencies ministry said two people were…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | April 4

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 53,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 4,731 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 43 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

Italy and Russia Spar Over Alleged Coronavirus Spies

Italy was engaged in a war of words with Russia on Friday over allegations Moscow hid spies among doctors it had sent to the country’s coronavirus epicenter near Milan. The unusual exchange between the traditionally friendly nations followed the publication of an Italian newspaper story about the purportedly nefarious nature of the Russian mission. The Russians came…

Moscow’s Coronavirus Quarantine, Explained

Moscow enacted a strict self-isolation order this week as city authorities seek to clamp down on the coronavirus pandemic that has infected nearly 3,000 of the Russian capital’s residents. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Thursday extended the quarantine until at least May 1, meaning 12 million people will be expected to stay in their homes for…

Moscow’s Air Pollution Drops As Coronavirus Lockdown Sets In

Air pollution in Moscow has significantly fallen as the coronavirus pandemic has pushed the city’s 12 million residents indoors and shuttered all nonessential business, the pro-Kremlin Izvestia newspaper reported Friday. The Russian capital has ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the country due to heavy traffic congestion which releases toxic fumes. Mayor…