Moscow Court Rules Against Gay Uzbek Journalist’s Asylum Claim
Nurmatov’s lawyer said after the decision that a number of violations were committed during the process
At Valdai, Putin Didn’t Announce His Presidential Bid. This Is What He Did Say
“In our country, anything is possible.”
Russia’s Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky Keeps PhD, Despite Plagiarism Allegations
Russia’s Higher Attestation Commission has convened behind closed doors to decide whether to rescind Vladimir Medinsky’s doctorate in historical sciences
RT Refuses U.S. Request to Register as Foreign Agent
Russian senators are reportedly preparing to blacklist U.S. outlets in Russia is response
Moscow Construction Leads to Tombstone Shortage in Siberia
To compensate for the shortages, granite imports from China and Ukraine have reportedly increased
Russians Forget Incidents at Home But Remember Those Abroad — Poll
Events in Ukraine, North Korea, and Syria ranked in the top five most mentioned events
That Was the Moscow That Was
If you lived in Moscow in the 90s, you’ll remember this
What’s Behind Ksenia Sobchak’s ‘Against All’ Bid for the Presidency?
She is a socialite and former reality TV presenter, turned opposition activist, then opposition journalist and — now — presidential candidate
These Collegiate Innovators Are at the Vanguard of Technology and Art
A massive three-day festival spotlights the achievements of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Who’s Paying for Sobchak’s $17M Presidential Campaign?
Big business could fund the majority of Sobchak’s $17.4 million campaign, an asset that Kremlin-backed candidates enjoy.
Why Ksenia Sobchak Is Running for President (Op-ed)
Mark Galeotti explains how Sobchak’s campaign can reshape the Russian presidential election landscape.
Sanders Campaign Aide to Work on Sobchak’s Presidential Bid
The Belarusian-born consultant helped two opposition politicians gain an unprecedented number of seats in Moscow in September
Protesters Beware, Russian Law Enforcement Could Soon Wield Stun Shields
The manufacturing company Mart Group is developing a non-lethal stun shield for riot police to use in 2018
How This Vienna Suburb Became the Center of the “Raw Art” Movement
Once a psychiatric clinic, the Art Brut Center Gugging now serves as a museum exhibiting the works of some of the world’s best self-taught artists
Socialite Ksenia Sobchak Announces Bid for Russian Presidency
The former reality television host is the daughter of Anatoly Sobchak, the first democratically elected mayor of St. Petersburg and the former boss of President Vladimir Putin
Every Modern Architecture Lover Should Take This Three-Day Road Trip
In Connecticut, works by some of the most notable architects of the 20th century are hiding in plain sight. Take the wheel for this sightseeing tour
The Central Bank of Russia Blacklists 120 Otkritie Bankers
The collapse of Otkritie is third most expensive collapse of a Russian bank in modern history.
Kaliningrad Mayor Says Residents Should Leave City During World Cup Matches
Residents who remain are asked to help foreign visitors and avoid fights with the large groups of fans watching the games in bars
Iggy Pop Takes Moscow
The legendary punk musician Iggy Pop is performing in Moscow this week as part of the world tour for his Post Pop Depression album.
How Korean Fried Chicken, AKA “Candy Chicken” Became a Transnational Comfort Food
A new Smithsonian Folklife Project, Forklife, traces the journeys of immigrant food traditions taking root in the United States
Pavlensky Transferred to Psychiatric Hospital After Setting Bank of France on Fire
Pavlensky’s wife will meanwhile remain in custody.
Russian Actress Faces Backlash for Harvey Weinstein Comments
“Isn’t it beautiful when a man of such great power sexually harasses you?”
Moscow’s Fall Restaurant Season: Let the Dining Begin!
Autumn in Moscow is always a time of openings and premieres, on the dining scene as much as on stages and in museums. Here’s a variety of new places, from a spot to grab a cup of Joe to restaurants serving more elaborate cuisines.
Human Rights Law Firm to Defend Telegram in Government Encryption Row
Pavel Durov said he had received 200 offers, including from famous lawyers who were prepared to defend Telegram pro bono
Russia Prepares to Blacklist Five ‘Undesirable’ U.S. Media Outlets
CNN, Voices of America, and Radio Liberty are all included in the list. The names of the two other outlets have not been disclosed.
Theater Director Serebrennikov’s House Arrest Extended in Fraud Hearing
Serebrennikov alleged during the hearing that for several years, he had been tailed by intelligence agents
Moscow Named World’s Fourth Safest Megacity for Women
It ranked behind Paris, Tokyo and London in terms of overall safety.
The Minister Who Invented Camping in America
How William H.H. Murray accidental bestseller launched the country’s first outdoor craze
Russia’s Trade With China Up 22%
Russia is steadily making China into its most important trade partner
Russian Police May Punish Parents and Teachers for Protesting Children
Teenagers have played a leading role in a series of rallies organized by opposition leader Alexei Navalny and presidential hopeful this year
This Ambitious Landmark Hip-Hop and Rap Anthology Was Successfully Funded
Smithsonian’s nonprofit record label launched a Kickstarter for help and got it
Funding This Landmark Hip-Hop and Rap Anthology Will Be a Community Effort
Smithsonian’s nonprofit record label launches a Kickstarter for help with its most ambitious project yet
Inventing a Vocabulary to Help Inuit People Talk About Climate Change
One team is working with Inuvialuit elders to come up with a renewable energy terminology—and maybe revive a dying language
European Court Orders Russia to Compensate Navalny Over Yves Rocher Fraud Case
The ECHR on Tuesday ruled that the Navalny brothers’ right to a fair trial was violated and that their convictions fell outside the definition of fraud
These Never-Before-Seen Photos From “The New York Times” Offer a New Glimpse Into African-American History
The editors of the new book, “Unseen” talk about recognizing the paper of record’s biases
Worldwide Short Film Festival Opens in Moscow
The Worldwide Short Film Festival, or “shnit,” is an international festival of short films that opens in Moscow on Wednesday.
Kremlin Troll Factory’s Methods and Figures Revealed
Their orders were to “uncover and highlight existing problems and social issues in the United States”
Statue Unveiled Commemorating Russian ‘Volunteer’ Fighters in Ukraine
The unveiling was reportedly attended by DNR leader Alexander Zakharchenko and Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov
Moscow Then and Now
Not since Josef Stalin’s first General Plan for the Reconstruction of Moscow in 1935 has the Russian capital changed so radically and so quickly.
Russian Women Speak Out After Harvey Weinstein Scandal
Former Bolshoi ballerina Anastasia Volochkova told The Daily Beast that she had attended “gala nights” for ballerinas and Russian oligarchs during her career
The Fraud Scandal Engulfing Russia’s Media Watchdog, Explained
The case has implicated Roskomnadzor’s spokesman, the head of its legal department among other top officials
Telegram Founder Durov Puts Out Call for Lawyers to Fight Encryption Fine
A Moscow court on Monday fined Telegram for failing to give security services decoding data targeting six phone numbers
Designing The Moscow Times
The designer of The Moscow Times shares his experience in creating the first newspaper layout
France Arrests Radical Russian Artist Pavlensky for Bank Arson
France granted Pavlensky and his partner asylum in May, months after Russia fined him for a 2015 arson attack of the Federal Security Service building.
Home Is Where the Corpse Is—At Least In These Dollhouse Crime Scenes
Frances Glessner Lee’s ‘Nutshell Studies’ exemplify the intersection of forensic science and craft
Danske Bank Under Investigation for Russian Fraud
A Danish bank is under investigation for helping launder a $230 million fraud committed by the Russian treasury and uncovered by the late Sergei Magnitsky
Telegram Fined for Failing to Provide Encryption Keys to FSB
The company has 10 days to appeal the verdict
Kremlin Propagandist Kiselyov: U.S. Threats to End Iran Deal Is ‘Like a Madhouse’
“Doesn’t this mean that for other countries, it is useless to agree on anything [with the U.S.], because they’ll change their minds?”
Helicopter That Fired on Bystanders at Zapad Drills Was Involved in Second Incident
A source close to the Defense Ministry and another in the aviation industry said a second misfiring occurred 25 minutes after the first
Kremlin Troll Tells All About Influencing U.S. Elections
The trolls were ordered to watch the hit series “House of Cards” in English and had English lessons to correct their grammar.
MT Classic: Soviet Sturgeon Nikita Loses Life in Norway
In another ominous sign of the souring relationship between Russia and NATO, a prized sturgeon given to Norway by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev has died in a tragic accident.
Inside Taiwan’s Craft Beer Renaissance
Once a state-run industry, beer-making in Taiwan is blending globally-minded brewing with local flavors
Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome Workers Hunger Strike for Third Year
Construction workers at Russia’s Far East spaceport are staging a hunger strike for the third year in a row demanding salaries that they haven’t received in six months
British Council Launches ‘Science Train’ on Moscow Metro
A science and education-themed train will soon launch in the Moscow Metro
Russia’s Biggest Cinema Chain Agrees to Screen Controversial Tsar Biopic ‘Mathilde’
Despite arson threats from a vigilante group, a film about Tsar Nicholas II’s affair with a Polish ballerina will be screened by Russia’s biggest cinema chain
Moscow Extends ‘My Street’ Urban Renewal Program to 2020
Already over budget, Moscow’s infrastructure revamp will now last another three years
Miss Russia Thanks Putin for Lack of Weinstein-Style Harassment in Russia
Russian women have President Vladimir Putin to thank for the lack of sexual harassment incidents that are coming to light in the United States
Russian Lawmaker Milonov Gets Slap on the Wrist for Anti-LGBT Rhetoric
The State Duma ethics committee will reprimand ultra-conservative St. Petersburg lawmaker Vitaly Milonov for inciting hatred against the LGBT community
25 Russian Words For 25 Years: Part Two
This week I begin my trek through time stuck in a traffic jam. The place: Moscow. The year: 2005.