Air and Water: Russian Paratroopers Day
This year’s National Paratroopers’ Day marks 87 years since the founding of the corps. Often a rowdy celebration, paratroopers in their blue berets and striped shirts lay claim to park fountains.
Russian TV Presenter Punched Live on Air at Paratrooper Celebrations
Moments after Nikita Razvozzhayev began his live broadcast, he was approached by what appeared to be a heavily intoxicated man who punched him in the face
Russian Losses In Syria Four Times Higher Than Official Count — Reuters
At least 40 Russians have died fighting in Syria this year alone.
Deadly Shooting at Moscow Court Could Be Result of Negligence
There were only two guards, one of whom was female, for the entire group, according to the Moscow Investigative Committee.
World Cup Drunks Will Receive ‘Humane’ Treatment, Russian Official Promises
“If a person has had one drink too many, he needs to rest somewhere.”
Moscow Court to Deport Gay Novaya Gazeta Journalist to Uzbekistan
A Moscow court has ruled to deport an openly gay journalist to Uzbekistan where homosexuality is a punishable offense
U.S. Embassy Vacates Moscow Premises, Denies Visa Refusal Claims
The embassy was required to leave the dacha in Serebryany Bor as well as a diplomatic warehouse in an industrial area on Dorozhnaya Street by Aug. 1.
Teacher Handed Prize by Putin Says He Was Fired for Opposition Views
Demakhin was awarded the “Teacher of the Year” prize personally by Vladimir Putin in 2012.
Food Historian Reckons With the Black Roots of Southern Food
In his new book, Michael Twitty shares the contributions that enslaved African-Americans and their descendants have made to southern cuisine
Three ‘GTA’ Gang Members Dead Following Shootout at Moscow Court
The defendants were reportedly members of a criminal group known as the GTA Gang.
‘Foreign Agents’ Given State Funding, While Pro-Kremlin Bikers Shunned
Three Russian non-governmental organizations which have been labeled “foreign agents” have been awarded presidential grants.
Russian LGBT Group Alleges Killings of Gay Men in Chechnya
The Russian LGBT Network published a new report on Monday, adding to mounting allegations of persecutions of gay people in Chechnya
Moscow Mayor Rubber-Stamps Apartment Demolition Lists
The controversial urban renewal scheme is scheduled to roll out over two decades
The Kremlin’s VPN Ban Has KGB Roots (Op-ed)
The Kremlin’s ban on VPNs is less about national security than self preservation
Russia Introduces Rule to Rescue Those Stuck in Elevators Within 30 Minutes
Starting Aug. 1, elevator repairs should not take longer than 24 hours and the evacuation of people stuck inside elevators should take place within 30 minutes.
The Ousting of Hundreds of U.S. Diplomats From Moscow, Explained
What you need to know about Moscow’s decision to cut U.S. diplomatic staff to 455.
U.S. Embassy Staff Barred Entry to Moscow Properties
Russia blocked access on Tuesday to U.S. embassy recreational property in a Moscow suburb and closed access to a 2,000 square meter warehouse.
If U.S. Slows Visa Processing, Moscow Will Reciprocate — Russian Politician
A Russian official has said Moscow will reciprocate with longer wait times if the U.S. Embassy slows up travel visa processing for Russian citizens.
Novaya Gazeta Publishes Documents Detailing Chechnya Executions
Independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta has published photocopies of documents they say corroborate their earlier investigation into extrajudicial killings in the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya
The Fascinating, Regal History Behind Britain’s Swans
The aristocratic bird’s has a legacy as a luxury status symbol that dates back centuries
U.S. Embassy in Moscow Says ‘Too Early’ to Know How Russian Measures Will Affect Visas
Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Friday it was ordering cuts to U.S. diplomatic staff in Russia to 455 employees by September
Is There a Rebirth of Stalinism in Russia? (Op-ed)
Stalinism was criminal, costly and inefficient. Today’s Russia could meet the same fate.
Take an Exclusive Sneak Peek Inside the Renovated Freer Gallery, Reopening in October
Charles Lang Freer gifted this meditative haven for art lovers to the nation and was James McNeill Whistler’s friend and patron
Russian Court Sentences Ukrainian Citizen for Terror Plot
A Ukrainian citizen has been given a 12- year prison sentence for allegedly plotting a terror attack in Russia.
Putin Says Russia Held Back on Counter-Sanctions for a ‘Long Time’
Russia held back with introducing sanctions “for quite some time,” Putin says, but lost hope after Washington’s “unprovoked move.”
Russia Celebrates Navy Day
Russia’s Navy Day is a national holiday that is celebrated on the last Sunday of July. This year, Navy Day was celebrated in St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Sevastopol.
Putin Signs Law Prohibiting VPNs
The new laws, which come into force Nov. 1, forbid internet proxy services (VPNs) that help internet users gain access to websites that have been blocked by the government.
Russia’s Response to Sanctions Shows Restraint (Op-ed)
The expulsions allow Russia to signal displeasure without doing serious harm. But that could change.
Does the Narwhal’s Majestic Tusk Have a Point?
A Connecticut dentist, turned curator of a new exhibition, has long worked to solve the secrets of the whale’s characteristic horn
Why Russian and Chinese Warships Joined Forces in the Baltic Sea This Week (Op-ed)
For years, Russian-Chinese naval exercises have been staged closer and closer to potential conflict zones and the training scenarios have become increasingly realistic.
Perestroika Street Photographs
The six years of perestroika – from 1985 until the end of 1991 when the Soviet Union was dissolved – was a time of wildly syncopated change in the country.
The Secret Ingredient in Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Is Seventh-Day Adventism
America’s favorite processed breakfast was once the pinnacle of healthfulness—and spiritual purity
How Do You Collude in Russian? You Don’t!
With all this talk in the U.S. about collusion and Russians, I wondered: How do you collude in Russian? You never know when you may want to.
Safe But Not Welcomed, Afghan Refugees Build New Lives in Russia
Moscow’s Afghan community centers around a cluster of gray tower blocks that make up the Soviet-era Sevastopol Hotel
Russia Orders U.S. Embassy Staff Cuts in Sanctions Retaliation
Russia has ordered the United States to reduce its diplomatic and technical staff at its Embassy in Moscow and diplomatic missions in other Russian cities in response to a U.S. Senate vote to impose tougher sanctions.
Majority of Young Russians Watch Kremlin-Funded News
State-run television is the principal source of news for a majority of young Russians, the independent Russian television channel Dozhd reported Friday.
Putin Vows to Retaliate After U.S. Senate Sanctions Vote
The U.S. Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a bill calling for tougher economic sanctions against Russia
Russian Draft Dodgers Banned From Public Sector Jobs for 10 Years
An earlier version of the law passed in 2013 imposed a lifetime ban on draft dodgers.
Medvedev Calls Saakashvili’s Loss of Ukrainian Citizenship ‘Tragicomedy’
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described the former Odessa governor being stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship as “tragicomedy” in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Abramovich Personally Intervened for ‘Nureyev’ Ballet to Be Performed This Year — Report
The ballet might still premiere this year after billionaire Roman Abramovich intervened, Kommersant reports
The Weekend in Moscow: Afisha Picnic
This weekend in Moscow the weather will be hot and mostly sunny, just in time for the capital’s most famous music festival — the Afisha Picnic.
Russia Extends Syrian Airbase Lease by 49 Years
President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed an agreement with Syria which will give the Russian military access to an airbase on the Mediterranean for another half a century
Russia Could Expel U.S. Diplomats in Response to Fresh Sanctions
Moscow has threatened far-reaching countermeasures on the U.S. if new sanctions are implemented
This Russian Ad Claims Merkel’s Biggest Rival is Actually a Window Repair Expert
The ad was published back in April, but had gone unnoticed by media until now.
European Court Orders Russia to Pay $7,000 to Nemtsov Murder Accomplice
The European Court of Human Rights has ordered the Russian government to pay 6,000 euros in compensation to one of the men convicted in the murder of Russian politician, Boris Nemtsov
Family of Swedish Diplomat Wallenberg Sue FSB Over His Disappearance
“We are fighting for the right for free access to government information, including, political repression in the U.S.S.R.”
Descendants of Swedish Diplomat Who Mysteriously Disappeared Sue FSB
“We are fighting for the right for free access to government information, including, political repression in the U.S.S.R.”
¡Salud! to the Mexican-American Wine Revolution
Ceja Vineyards breathes new life into Napa Valley’s wine industry
Russian Officials Play Down Siemens Pullout
Dvorkovich said Siemens had not suspended Russian deliveries entirely, only those to “state companies.”
First Monument to Ivan the Terrible Erected in Moscow
A monument to Ivan the Terrible has been erected in Moscow, the Russian Military-Historical Society announced on its website on Wednesday
Moscow Hears Political Saber Rattling in Fresh U.S. Sanctions Vote
Top Russian officials on Wednesday slammed a U.S. House of Representatives vote in favor of fresh sanctions
Moscow Hears Political Saber Rattling in Fresh Sanctions Vote
Top Russian officials on Wednesday slammed a U.S. House of Representatives vote in favor of fresh sanctions
EU Scraps ‘Judo’ From Decision to Blacklist Putin Ally Rotenberg
In an amendment published online, the EU described Arkady Rotenberg as “a prominent Russian businessman who has close personal ties to President Putin.”
Capitalizing on a Socialist System (Op-ed)
In Russia, business thrives on the backs of people receiving old Soviet services
More Rich Russians Are Declaring Foreign Bank Accounts
The number of wealthy Russians declaring foreign assets has spiked in recent months, the RBC news outlet reported citing research conducted by real estate broker Tranio and British company Adam Smith Conferences
Inmates at Urals Prison Go On Hunger Strike
Inmates at a prison in the Urals have gone on a hunger strike, with some demanding visitation rights for multiple wives and English-language conversation.
What Kind of Footage Do Historical Colorists Like Best?
According to the historians and art directors from Composite Films who worked meticulously on America in Color, these were some of their favorite subjects
Facing Scrutiny for FSB Ties, Kaspersky Lab Offers Free Antivirus to the World
Kaspersky Lab has launched a worldwide roll-out of a free antivirus program
Movie Putin Lands on Hollywood’s Cutting-Room Floor
Vladimir Putin is having a tough time staying in the movies. Actually, it is not the Russian president himself. It’s his film character.
U.S. Declassifies Interviews With KGB Officer on JFK Assassin
Yuri Nosenko claims to have been the officer in charge of a KGB file on Lee Harvey Oswald.