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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 Probe Blames Pilot for May Plane Crash That Killed 41

Russia has completed an investigation into a plane crash at a Moscow airport in May that killed 41 people, and plans to formally charge the pilot with causing death by negligence, the Kommersant business daily said. Citing an unidentified source close to Russia’s Investigative Committee, the state body that investigates major crimes, the paper said…

Russian Mobile Operators Flag Security Loopholes in Sovereign Internet Law

Russia’s internet providers have asked the Kremlin to introduce changes to the new sovereign internet law to better protect user data, the RBC news website reported Tuesday. At a meeting with government officials last week, the country’s top telecoms firms highlighted loopholes in the controversial legislation which could give third parties access to swathes of…

Russian Beauty Queen Fears for Son’s Safety After Divorcing Malaysian King

A Russian beauty queen’s fairytale ending has hit a dark turn following her divorce from a former Malaysian king. Oksana Voyevodina, who was named Miss Moscow 2015, has filed a police report over threats against her infant son, Interfax reported Monday. Voyevodina, 26, divorced Sultan Muhammad V, 50, this summer, a year after tying the…

Russia Blocks U.S. Stock Photo Site’s Domain Over ‘Objectionable’ Content

Russia has blocked one of U.S. stock photography and footage provider Shutterstock’s domains over content it said constituted an insult to state symbols. The website of communications watchdog Roskomnadzor showed that one of the firm’s domains had been blocked in Russia as a result of a decision by the country’s Attorney General on Nov. 13. It did not…

Russia Refused Dutch Request to Hand Over MH17 Suspect, Investigation Says

Russia has refused a Dutch request to hand over a suspect in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, in violation of European law, prosecutors said on Monday. Volodymyr Tsemakh, a Ukrainian national, had been identified as a suspect by the Netherlands, which is leading an investigation into the disaster on July 17, 2014 which…

Russian Trans Woman Jailed for ‘Manga Porn’ Faces Life-Threatening Sentence

A Russian transgender woman with cancer who has been jailed for three years for sharing manga illustrations online faces a potentially life-threatening sentence, the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported. A court in the city of Bryansk southwest of Moscow reportedly found Michele, 53, guilty of “circulating pornography depicting minors” in the Japanese-style illustrations. An expert…

Russia’s New ‘Foreign Agent’ Law, Explained

Russia has passed legislation that will allow individual journalists and bloggers to be labeled “foreign agents,” a move that critics say will tighten curbs on the media and free speech. At least nine news organizations funded by the U.S. government have been designated “foreign agents” under the original version of the law since it was…

Russia Bans Sale of Smartphones Without Russian Apps

Russia will force tech companies to pre-install Russian-made government-approved applications and software onto new smartphones from next year. The measures — dubbed the “law against Apple” due to the U.S. iPhone maker’s refusal to sell products loaded with third-party apps — sailed through the Russian parliament and was rubber-stamped by President Vladimir Putin Monday. It…

HIV Cases in Russia Surpass 1 Million – State Watchdog

The number of people living with HIV in Russia has surpassed 1 million as government officials have largely remained silent, Interfax reported, citing consumer protection watchdog data. More than 340,000 people with HIV have died in Russia since the first case was registered three decades ago, two-thirds of them since 2012, Iskander Yasaveyev, a sociologist…

Tajik Remittances From Russia Could Stop – Kommersant

Tajikistan’s move toward a money-transfer monopoly risks complicating or cutting off remittances from Russia as early as Tuesday, the Kommersant business daily reported. Ex-Soviet Tajikistan relies heavily on millions of its migrant workers in Russia sending money back home. The World Bank puts the Central Asian republic near the top of its list of the…

3 Russian Military Police Injured in Bomb Attack on Syrian Border

Are Russia and Belarus Creating a Unified Cabinet and Parliament?

Russian-language media was abuzz after Belarus’ top diplomat in Moscow said the countries are working toward creating a single parliament and cabinet of ministers. Talks to deepen Russian-Belarussian integration have taken on greater significance amid discussions that President Vladimir Putin could extend his rule past his current term limit by taking on the leadership of…

Russia to Upgrade Homegrown Encyclopedia to Replace ‘Unreliable’ Wikipedia

Russia is to set up a new online site for its national encyclopedia after President Vladimir Putin said Wikipedia was unreliable and should be replaced. The move will ensure people can find “reliable information that is constantly updated on the basis of scientifically verified sources of knowledge,” a government resolution said. Putin last month proposed…

Everyday Life in the Moscow Metro

A lot has changed since the first stations of the Moscow metro were opened in 1935. Over the decades, World War II, perestroika and the collapse of the U.S.S.R. have all radically changed life for Muscovites. One thing has remained constant, however: The importance of the metro in residents’ lives. It’s more than just a…

Russians Embrace Black Friday Sales

Russian shoppers spent 30% more in Black Friday online sales this year than they did in 2018, the head of Russia’s internet retail association said Monday. Despite not celebrating Thanksgiving, Russian retailers and consumers still embraced the shopping bonanza that kicks off the day after the U.S. holiday. In total, Russians spent 22.3 billion rubles…

Turkey Says Purchase Date for New S-400 Russian Missiles Is Just a ‘Technicality’

BusinessBy admin December 2, 2019 Leave a comment

Gazprom commences pipeline supplies of Russian gas to China

Release December 2, 2019, 13:05 Power of Siberia gas pipeline has come onstream. Gas production center has been set up in Yakutia. Conditions for further gas grid expansion have been created in eastern Russia. A ceremonial event marking the start of first-ever pipeline supplies of Russian gas to China via the eastern route – the Power of Siberia gas trunkline – took place today. Taking part in the event…

Art Exhibition of 18th Century British Artist Thomas Gainsborough Opens in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts with Support by Rosneft

BusinessBy admin December 2, 2019 Leave a comment

Rosneft has been the general sponsor of the art exhibition of Thomas Gainsborough, a brilliant portraitist and painter, the brightest and most original representative of his era, one of the founders of the British arts school of 18th century.

Gazprom completes construction of gas pipeline branch to town of Tsiolkovsky

Release December 2, 2019, 09:40 Power of Siberia is facilitating gas grid expansion in Amur Region. About 3,000 permanent jobs will be created at Amur GPP. A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Vasily Orlov, Governor of the Amur Region, took place today in Blagoveshchensk. The parties discussed issues related to enhancing their strategic cooperation in light of the start-up of the Power of Siberia gas…

Karelsky Okatysh received high product quality ratig by voestalpie

BusinessBy admin December 1, 2019 Leave a comment

December 2, 2019 Karelsky Okatysh, the leading plant for the extraction and processing of iron ore in Russia (part of PAO Severstal), has been commended by one of its largest customers – voestalpine AG, which it supplies with fluxed iron ore pellets. In a letter from voestalpine’s headquarters in Linz, Austria, the leading global technology…

19 People Killed in Bus Crash in Russia’s Far East

anotherBy admin December 1, 2019 Leave a comment

Nineteen passengers died when a bus skidded off a bridge in Russia‘s far east on Sunday and plunged into a river, local government said. “According to updated information, 19 people died, 21 have various injuries,” the local government for the Zabaikalsk region said in a statement. Russia‘s emergencies ministry said in a statement on its website…

On This Day in 1934 Sergei Kirov Was Killed

MoscowBy admin December 1, 2019 Leave a comment

On Dec. 1, 1934 Sergei Kirov, Party boss of Leningrad, was gunned down as he left his office. In the Soviet Union, this case turned out to be like the Kennedy assassination in the U.S.: a charismatic leader murdered in his prime by a lone assassin, whose death would burnish his memory and go on…

Apple ‘Taking a Deeper Look’ at Map Policies After Calling Crimea Part of Russia

anotherBy admin November 30, 2019 Leave a comment

Apple Inc is “taking a deeper look at how we handle disputed borders” after it referred to the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula as part of Russia in its Maps and Weather apps for Russian users, a company spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday. Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told Reuters that Apple has not made any changes to its maps outside of Russia and…

Russia Tests Hypersonic Missile in Arctic

anotherBy admin November 30, 2019 Leave a comment

Russia‘s MiG-31K interceptor jet carried out a test of the Kinjal (Dagger) hypersonic missile in Russia‘s part of Arctic earlier this month, TASS new agency reported on Saturday, citing two military sources. The report came a day after Danish intelligence service warned of intensifying geopolitical rivalry in the Earth’s freezing North, and said that China’s military…

‘The Connection’ by Daniil Kharms

MoscowBy admin November 30, 2019 Leave a comment

Daniil Kharms was born Daniil Ivanovich Yuvachyov in St. Petersburg in 1905. His father, a former member of the revolutionary group The People’s Will who had been imprisoned and exiled in his younger years, was a professor of philosophy. Kharms first went to school in Tsarskoye Selo and then attended the German Peterschule, where he…

Results of 9th Energy of Victories national sports journalism festival contest announced

Release November 29, 2019, 21:00 The final round of the 9th Energy of Victories national sports journalism festival contest, organized by the Russian Olympic Committee and the Federation of Sports Journalists of Russia with the backing of Gazprom, took place today in Moscow. The winners of the 9th Energy of Victories national sports journalism festival contest are as follows: Best Article (federal media): 1st place – Yury Golyshak,…

Russia and Ukraine continue bilateral gas negotiations at expert level

Release November 29, 2019, 19:35 The negotiations on gas between Russia and Ukraine continued today in Vienna in accordance with the agreements reached the day before to intensify joint work on a bilateral basis. The negotiations were conducted at the expert level and involved representatives of Gazprom and Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine. The parties discussed technical aspects related to the terms of transiting Russian…

With endless decorations and lights lining its streets, Moscow transforms into a winter fairytale during the holidays each year. Like clockwork, Christmas trees and brilliant light displays have already began to pop up around the capital, despite the fact that there’s no snow on the ground yet. Over 300 Christmas trees and more than 4,000…

Gazprom and Wintershall Dea discuss current issues of cooperation

Background In 2018, Gazprom’s gas supplies to Germany hit a record high of 58.5 billion cubic meters, an increase of 5.1 billion cubic meters (9.5 per cent) against the 2017 record of 53.4 billion cubic meters. Wintershall Dea GmbH is Europe’s largest independent oil and gas producer, formed by the merger of Wintershall Holding GmbH (subsidiary of BASF) and DEA Deutsche Erdoel AG (subsidiary of LetterOne). Nord Stream…

Alexey Miller and Francois Fillon discuss development trends of French and European energy markets

Release November 29, 2019, 16:35 A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Francois Fillon, French politician, took place in St. Petersburg today. The parties discussed the current development trends of the French and European energy markets, while also stressing the importance of the Nord Stream 2 project for reliable supplies of Russian gas to European consumers. Alexey Miller and…

6 Things You Need to Know About OPEC+

Energy ministers from two dozen of the world’s most important oil producing countries will descend on Vienna next week for a crucial OPEC+ meeting. Top of the agenda will be negotiations over whether to extend or deepen the oil cartel’s current level of production cuts, which are due to expire in March 2020. What is…

‘There Will Be More Arrests’: New Opposition Protesters Face Trial

A Moscow court on Friday placed a new protester under arrest until Jan. 27 on suspicion of assaulting police at this summer’s anti-government rallies, the latest prosecution under the so-called “Moscow Case.” Russians took to the streets nearly every weekend this summer after a slew of opposition politicians were barred from taking part in Moscow’s…

The Russia–Brazil Business Council, led by Andrey Guryev, and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency Sign Memorandum on Mutual Support for Exports and Investments

The Russia–Brazil Business Council, led by Andrey Guryev, and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency Sign Memorandum on Mutual Support for Exports and Investments Moscow – The Russia–Brazil Business Council, led by PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev, and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency have concluded a memorandum on mutual support in the areas…

Moscow Scoops Top City Prize in World Travel Awards

Forget London and Paris. Moscow has been named the world’s leading city destination in 2019 by tourism industry standard the World Travel Awards. The Russian capital saw off tough competition from a list including New York, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney, as well as the British and French capitals. “Moscow really is the best city…

5 Facts About Russia’s First Highway Bridge to China

Russia and China have completed the first vehicle bridge to cross the two neighbors’ border, the RBC news website reported Friday. Footage from the bridge’s opening ceremony showed trucks crossing the bridge between the cities of Blagoveshchensk and Heihe as ice drifted underneath. Russia and China connected their sides of the bridge across the Amur…

Dog or Wolf? Prehistoric Puppy Discovered in Russia Might Be Missing Link

Scientists in Far East Russia have discovered a well-preserved two-month-old puppy dating back 18,000 years that left them wondering: Is this a dog or a wolf? The furry creature was discovered largely intact within the permafrost in the republic of Sakha in the summer of 2018, The Siberian Times reported Monday. Its fur, teeth, lashes…

Russia Delivers First Weapons to Central Africa’s Gabon

Russia’s Defense Ministry said it has supplied small arms to the Central African nation of Gabon to help it combat poaching and protect national parks. This appears to be the first weapons delivery in the history of Gabon’s ties with either Russia or the Soviet Union, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing the…

Russia Arrests Suspected Ukrainian Spy in Crimea

MoscowBy admin November 29, 2019 Leave a comment

Russia has arrested a Russian woman in Crimea on suspicion of state treason for allegedly attempting to obtain Russian military secrets on behalf of Ukraine, the state-run RIA news agency cited Russia’s Federal Security Service as saying on Friday. The woman was arrested in the city of Sevastopol, the report said. Russia annexed the Crimean…

What’s On in St. Petersburg in December

St. Petersburg is always a magical place to visit, but it’s especially glorious in the lead-up to the grand New Year’s and Christmas holidays. Here are our picks for best exhibitions and a couple of must-see concerts. Alexander Deineka and Alexander Samokhvalov The Manege has put on a breath-taking show of two major artists of…

Macron Says NATO Should Focus on Terrorism Instead of Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said his remarks that NATO was experiencing “brain death” had been a useful wake-up call to alliance members, and he would not apologize for saying it. Macron’s blunt verdict ahead of a Dec. 4 summit in Britain drew strong reaction from European peers who believe Europe still needs to…

Greenpeace Protests Transport of ‘Toxic’ Cargo from Germany

Russian activists from Greenpeace environmental campaign group protested on Thursday the transportation of what they say is radioactive waste from Germany. The vessel Mikhail Dudin which carries depleted uranium — a by-product of manufacturing fuel for nuclear power plants — docked in St. Petersburg last week. Its cargo was seen being load onto train carriages on…

Gazprom’s financial information under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for the nine months ended September 30, 2019

Release November 29, 2019, 10:00 IFRS results 2019 Today PJSC Gazprom issued its unaudited consolidated interim condensed financial information prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34 Interim Financial Reporting (IAS 34) for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. The table below presents the unaudited consolidated interim condensed statement of comprehensive income for the nine months ended…

A Moscow Pensioner’s Death Puts City Officials in the Crosshairs

Time ticked away as 85-year-old Alexandra Zhiglova lay on the floor of the stuck elevator, a team of paramedics monitoring her vital signs. When they finally got her out and into an ambulance, more than 40 minutes had passed. Doctors call the crucial period within which stroke victims must be treated for them to avoid…

Russia and Ukraine hold bilateral gas negotiations

Release November 28, 2019, 21:15 Vienna hosted today the negotiations on gas between Russia and Ukraine involving Alexander Novak, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, Alexey Orzhel, Minister of Energy and Environmental Protection of Ukraine, Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, as well as the heads of Naftogaz of Ukraine and Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine. The parties discussed Russian-Ukrainian cooperation in the gas…

ROSATOM holds a workshop on Russian nuclear technologies in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

27 November 2019, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) – ROSATOM held a workshop on Russian nuclear technologies for representatives of Saudi companies based in the west of the country. The workshop was held at the venue of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and under its support. In the welcoming speech Alexander Voronkov, director of Rosatom Middle East…

France’s Macron Denies Accepting Putin’s Anti-Missile Proposal

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday denied having accepted a Russian proposal to impose a moratorium on missile deployments in Europe, but said it was important the Kremlin initiative not be simply dismissed. Russia has called on the United States and other countries to declare a moratorium on the deployment of short and intermediate-range nuclear…

Russia Carries On With 2020 Olympics Preparations Despite Potential Ban

The head of Russia’s Olympic Committee said on Thursday it was carrying on with preparations for the Tokyo Olympics next year and criticized World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recommendations to punish some Russian Olympic officials as excessive and wrong. A WADA committee recommended this week that Russia be banned from the Olympics and world championships in…

U.S. Accuses Russia of Helping Syria Cover up Chemical Weapons Attack

The United States on Thursday accused Russia of helping Syria conceal the use of banned toxic munitions in the civil war by undermining the work of the global chemical weapons agency trying to identify those responsible. The comments by the U.S. representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Kenneth Ward, drew a rapid…

Rosenergoatom: valuable cobalt-60 isotopes are now produced by all three power blocks of the Smolensk NPP

The upload of additional cobalt absorbents into the third power block’s reactor has been finalized at the Smolensk NPP (city of Desnogorsk, Smolensk region). Now, all three power blocks of the NPP make their contribution to the production of this valuable isotope for health care and manufacturing. Nikita Konstantinov, Business development director at the Rosenergoatom…

The international WANO experts have visited the Beloyarsk NPP prior to the corporate partnership verification for Rosenergoatom

The preliminary visit of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) experts to the Beloyarsk NPP, which took place on November 25-27, 2019, became the first step on the way to the corporate partnership verification, which is to be conducted at the Rosenergoatom Joint-Stock Company in 2020 by the international nuclear association. The experts walked…

Russia, Syria Agree to Restore Ancient Palmyra

Russian and Syrian state museums have signed two agreements to begin restoring the ancient city of Palmyra after it was heavily damaged by the Islamic State, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg has said. Aided by Russian airstrikes, the Syrian army captured Palmyra from the Islamic State twice in March 2016 and March 2017.…

Russia’s Sberbank Enters the Driverless Cars Game

MoscowBy admin November 28, 2019 Leave a comment

Russia’s largest lender, Sberbank, has added driverless cars to its list of technology ventures, by teaming up with artificial intelligence (AI) transport developer Cognitive Technologies, the two companies said Thursday. Sberbank and Cognitive Technologies have signed a legally binding document to create a new company, Cognitive Pilot, they said in a statement. Sberbank will have…

On This Day in 1880 Poet Alexander Blok Was Born

On Nov. 28, 1880, Alexander Blok was born into a prominent academic family in St. Petersburg, although he spent many years in his childhood at the estate of relatives outside Moscow. After studying law and philology at St. Petersburg University, he married Lyubov Mendeleyeva, daughter of the famous scientist, to whom he dedicated a volume…

Rosneft is the best Russian company in the international human rights ranking

Rosneft has become the best Russian company in the international human rights rating of the CHRB (Corporate Human Rights Benchmark).

French Sociologist Banned From Russia for 10 Years Ahead of Yellow Vest Lecture

Russia has banned a prominent French sociologist from entering the country for 10 years after she arrived to give a lecture on France’s yellow vest protests, the Kommersant business daily reported Thursday. Carine Clément was due to give a lecture in Moscow on Friday on yellow vest protesters in Paris, which she researched for a…

Russian Rocket Launcher for UAE Military Satellite