Russia to Ground All International Flights Over Coronavirus

Russia will halt all international flights from midnight on Friday under a government decree listing new measures against the coronavirus outbreak. The decree published on Thursday orders aviation authorities to halt all regular and charter flights, with the exception of special flights evacuating Russian citizens from abroad. Russia’s civil aviation agency Rosaviatsiya will halt “regular…

Russia’s Coronavirus Aid Arrives in Italy

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…

Immerse Yourself in Russian Art

The physical Tretyakov Gallery is, of course, closed, but it has a wealth of online excursions and films, and is starting a series of concerts, films, excursions and lectures with the hashtag #ТретьяковкаДома, which can be found here. Most are in Russian, but upcoming concerts held in the halls of the museum don’t require any…

‘Pro-Western’ Activists Posing as Journalists Are Infiltrating Russia’s Military, Defense Minister Claims

Members of a “pro-Western opposition division” in Russia are posing as journalists to “hide behind” the country’s mass media law and infiltrate its military facilities, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday. Speaking to Russia’s upper chamber of parliament, Shoigu urged lawmakers to change the nation’s mass media law to counter so-called “information attacks.”  “[These activists]…

Sakhalin Energy Offloaded 1,800th Standard LNG Cargo

News from projects and regions March 25, 2020, 16:00 Earlier today at the Port of Prigorodnoye, the 1,800th LNG cargo produced at the Sakhalin-2 LNG plant operated since 2009, was loaded onto the Hyundai Aquapia LNG carrier. The destination country for this cargo, purchased by KOGAS company, is South Korea. It is also worth to note that this is the first port call of the ship…

‘We Respect It’: Russia Reacts to Tokyo Olympics’ Coronavirus Postponement

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) decided on Tuesday to delay the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the coronavirus pandemic shows little sign of slowing down. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and IOC president Thomas Bach agreed to reschedule the highly anticipated sporting event after pressure from the international community. Following the news, Russia’s Sports Minister Oleg…

Watch a Prophetic Film

Flipping through the film catalog… looking for something relevant… Oh! Here’s something: the 1937 film “Bílá nemoc” (The White Plague), directed by and starring Czech director Hugo Haas  and based on a play by Czech writer Karel Čapek. It’s about a bellicose, nationalist leader whose plans to invade a smaller country are complicated by a…

Arctic Oil Faces Crisis

The coronavirus and subsequent global economic meltdown is taking its toll on developments in Arctic waters. Norway’s Equinor is reducing staff on platforms and operating costs are cut to the bone. On Sunday the company announced that it was suspending a large €5 billion share buy-back programme. At the same time, the development of new projects…

Hear a Poem Every Day

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…

On This Day in 1877 Felix Yusupov Was Born

Today marks what would be the 143rd birthday of Prince Felix Yusupov. Although the aristocrat is most often remembered as the assassin of Grigory Rasputin, his hedonistic yet charitable nature made him a notable character among his royal contemporaries.  Yusupov was born in Saint Petersburg to a princess and a count. The family was wealthier…

With Temperature Checks and Face Masks, Russians Protest Putin Despite Coronavirus

Small-scale protests against Vladimir Putin’s plans to amend the Russian Constitution so he can run for president again in 2024 took place in several medium-sized Russian cities on Sunday, local media reported. Protests against the changes, which would overturn a constitutional ban on Putin running for another term, were called off in Moscow and St. Petersburg due…

Got Grechka? Make a Grain Bowl!

So, you’ve cornered the grechka market.  Well done. Now what? You picked an excellent grain to stockpile. Buckwheat packs an incredible nutritional punch: it promotes heart health and is a superb source of many key vitamins and minerals (including thiamin, niacin, and folate) as well as protein and fiber.  Buckwheat is one of those foods…

Prominent Russians Urge Government to Take Swift Action Against Coronavirus

Russian public figures, doctors and citizens have launched a petition urging the government to take urgent action against the coronavirus as the country’s number of confirmed cases continues to climb. The petition’s authors include acclaimed novelist Lyudmila Ulitskaya, economist Sergei Guriev, publisher Irina Prokhorova, musician Alexei Kortnev and journalists Leonid Parfyonov, Katerina Gordeeva and Ilya…

Russian News Outlets Ordered to Take Down ‘Fake’ Coronavirus News

Russia has ordered several news outlets to take down information about the coronavirus outbreak that it says is “fake.” Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor on Friday said that the Ekho Moskvy radio station, the Govorit Magadan news website and several other outlets had published “false information that is socially significant” about the coronavirus that “threatens to…

On This Day in 1922 Irina Antonova Was Born

Today marks the 98th birthday of art historian Irina Antonova, former director of the Pushkin Museum and the longest-serving director of any major museum to date. In her directorial stint from 1961 to 2013, Antonova was responsible for bringing the works of major artists to Soviet and Russian audiences.  A native Muscovite, Antonova graduated from…

5 Russian Ballets

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…

Putin’s Relative Launches Political Party

One of President Vladimir Putin’s relatives has launched a political party and said he wants to contest parliamentary elections next year, the Kommersant daily reported on Friday. Roman Putin, son of President Putin’s cousin Igor, told Kommersant in an interview that his People of Business party was a right-wing conservative project aimed at supporting small…