Russian Military Helicopter Crashes, Killing Crew

A Russian military helicopter crashed Tuesday evening, killing its three crew members, news agency RIA Novosti reported. The MI-8 helicopter belonging to the Russian Air Force crashed near the town of Klin, 50 miles outside Moscow, during training exercises. “On May 19, around 20:00, while performing a training flight 20 kilometers from the village of Klin,…

Russian Medics 16x More Likely to Die From Coronavirus Than Foreign Colleagues: Analysis

Russian medics are 16 times more likely to die from the coronavirus than healthcare professionals in countries with similarly high Covid-19 numbers, the Mediazona news website reported Tuesday. Russia does not officially publish a separate count of medical professionals who have died from the virus. Since last month, the country’s doctors have been reporting their…

A Dream Hotel Comes to the (Small) Screen

The life of a St. Petersburg five star hotel, beloved to readers from a blog by the general manager and owner, is coming out online on Okko multimedia service on Tuesday.  The series, titled “Diary of a Hotelier #Helvetia” is loosely based on Yunis Teimurhanly’s bestselling collection of short stories “Do Not Disturb. The Diary…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | May 19

As the deadly coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, Russia has gradually become the world’s second most-infected country. There have been 299,941 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 2,873 deaths. May 19: 3 things you need to know today 1. Russia confirmed 9,263 new coronavirus infections Tuesday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 299,941. Russia now has…

Putin Intervenes as Russia’s Dagestan Faces Virus ‘Catastrophe’

President Vladimir Putin was forced to intervene personally on Monday in the epidemic sweeping Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan, as local officials described the coronavirus situation as a “catastrophe.” For several days now, there have rumours of mounting fatalities and overwhelmed hospitals in the mountainous majority-Muslim region and local medical staff have taken to social…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | May 18

As the deadly coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, Russia has gradually become the world’s second most-infected country. There have been 290,678 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 2,722 deaths. May 18: 3 things you need to know today 1. Russia confirmed 8,926 new coronavirus infections Monday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 290,678, signaling a…

Russia Is a ‘Distinct Civilization,’ Putin Says

Russia is a distinct civilization that must be protected through genetics and other advanced technologies, President Vladimir Putin said in an interview that aired Sunday. Putin told state television that “it would be impossible to secure the future of our civilization” without artificial intelligence, genetics and unmanned vehicles, as well as hypersonic weapons.  “Russia is…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | May 17

As the deadly coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, Russia has gradually become the world’s second most-infected country. There have been 281,752 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 2,631 deaths. May 17: 3 things you need to know today 1. Russia confirmed 9,709 new coronavirus infections Sunday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 281,752. Russia now has the…

‘Carpathia: Food From the Heart of Romania’

If your household’s lockdown dynamics are anything like mine, eating habits have probably changed dramatically over the past seven weeks. An informal straw poll of my cyber chums from around the world suggests that almost everyone has abandoned conventional mealtimes or the traditional components of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Snacking is on the rise, as…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | May 16

As the deadly coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, Russia has gradually become the world’s second most-infected country. There have been 272,043 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 2,537 deaths. May 16: 3 things you need to know today 1. Russia confirmed 9,200 new coronavirus infections Saturday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 272,043 and signaling…

Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk conducting first changeover of shift personnel under new rules

Background Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom, develops seven fields, including four gas fields, two gas and condensate fields, and one oil, gas and condensate field. The company’s facilities, among them three gas production sites and three gas production directorates, are located in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, Kamchatka, and Yakutia. Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk takes part in the state-run Eastern…

Russia Pushes Google to Block Report on Low Virus Deaths, Probes NYT and FT

Russia’s state communications watchdog has demanded that Google block a Russian news website’s article on a Financial Times report about Russia’s possibly undercounted coronavirus deaths.  Roskomnadzor, the watchdog, said Thursday it was probing reports by FT and The New York Times, which analyzed official mortality data to investigate whether Russia is undercounting its coronavirus deaths,…

Siberian Ambulance Crews Vow Hunger Strike Over Putin’s Unpaid Virus Bonuses

Ambulance workers in western Siberia have threatened to go on hunger strike if they don’t receive President Vladimir Putin’s promised payouts for working with coronavirus patients. Thursday marked Putin’s deadline to hand out April bonuses of up to 80,000 rubles ($1,100) to all medics treating Covid-19 patients. Russia’s prime minister acknowledged this week that regional…

Moscow Says No Proof Russian Hackers Spied on Merkel

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday rejected allegations by German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Russian hackers had spied on her. “Five years have passed. Not a single concrete fact has been provided,” Lavrov said in a live interview with Russia’s RBC news website. Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Merkel voiced frustration that Russia was targeting…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | May 15

As the deadly coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, Russia has gradually become the world’s second most-infected country. There have been 262,843 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 2,418 deaths. May 15: 3 things you need to know today 1. Russia confirmed 10,598 new coronavirus infections Friday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 262,843. Russia now has…

Moscow’s Golden-Pink Sunset Lifts the City’s Spirits

Moscow residents were treated to a magnificent sunset after Thursday evening’s springtime rain that could still be enjoyed from one’s window.  The golden-pink sky and rainbow brought a much-needed burst of color into our lives — no filter required. And while Muscovites are technically restricted from non-essential trips outside, some people just couldn’t resist the urge…

Russia’s Trash-Burning Plants Could Fuel Unrest, Greenpeace Warns

Russia’s ambitious plans to build 25 waste-burning power plants risk provoking social unrest over their environmental and financial costs, Greenpeace Russia warned Thursday. State industrial conglomerate Rostec, state nuclear agency Rosatom and the VEB state development corporation on Thursday announced a 600 billion ruble ($7.6 billion) project to build the 25 waste-to-energy plants in “Russia’s…

Project for natural gas processing and liquefaction complex near Ust-Luga moving forward

May 14, 2020, 17:45 Basic design solutions are agreed upon, and design documentation is being drawn up. Engineering surveys are completed at construction site; site clearing is in progress. Project financing is being arranged. The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the status of the project for the creation of an integrated complex for natural gas processing and liquefaction in the Leningrad Region (the…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | May 14

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 298,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to slow the pandemic’s spread within its borders. There have been 252,245 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 2,305 deaths. May 14: 3 things you need to know today 1. Russia confirmed 9,974 new coronavirus infections…

Tamara Eidelman on Zuleikha

Are you are still puzzled by the continuing war of words about the novel “Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes” by Guzel Yakhina (translated into English as “Zuleikha” by Lisa C.Hayden) and the series based on the novel that aired a few weeks ago? Here is someone to help you understand both the historical facts and the…