The Weekend in Moscow: From Cheese to Jazz
On Aug. 19 and 20, Moscow has something for every palate, from eats to music, and a great festival from South America.
Russia’s Strange and Whimsical Monuments
As some countries are pulling down their monuments, Russia is holding on to her famous statuary. No, we don’t mean Lenin.
Andrei Zvyagintsev’s ‘Loveless’ to Compete for Oscar Against ‘Mathilde’
The film is in the running to be Russia’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Academy Awards
Russian Fun Fact Friday
I’ve been so caught up in false friends and politics that I’d forgotten some of the finer pleasures of language acquisition: fun facts.
The Future of Russia’s Armed Forces, After Putin (Op-ed)
In today’s Russia, the Army is failing in its core functions
After Media Law, Foreign Ownership of Russian Internet Operators Could Be Next
Russia’s Communications Ministry has proposed limiting foreign ownership over internet exchange points to 20 percent
Seattle Mayor Wants Lenin Statue Removed After Charlottesville
The mayor of Seattle described several monuments there as symbols of “hate, racism and violence.”
Evaporating Lake in Siberia Stirs Outcry Over Border With Kazakhstan
It was reported earlier that Russia gifted the lake to Kazakhstan
Almost 50 Percent of Russians Consider Geopolitical Dominance Top Priority
They said Russia is“one of the most influential countries in the world, without which not a single important question can be solved.”
How Artists and the LGBTQ Community Made Wearing Trash Cool
Before hipsters descended on your local thrift store, repurposing discarded goods was a subversive art form
Daily Stormer Still Active on Russia’s Largest Social Network VK
Russia’s most popular social network VK is still hosting the neo-Nazi group Daily Stormer
Navalny Outs Kremlin Spokesman’s Alleged Son
This was not the first time Navalny has taken a stab at Peskov
Daily Stormer Booted From Russia for ‘Propagandizing Neo-Nazi Ideology’
Russia’s media watchdog requested the Daily Stormer neo-Nazi website be blocked on Thursday
Jehovah’s Witnesses Added to Russia’s Extremism Registry
Any Jehovah’s Witnesses Administrative Center activities in Russia as well as 395 local branches are now banned
How Russian Media Skewed a Pew Center Poll on Putin
The Pew report found that just 26 percent of respondents worldwide trust Putin’s foreign policy.
Russian Activist Fined Over Gulag Memorial Plaque
It is reportedly the first time a “Last Address” activist has been prosecuted
The West Supplied Chemical Weapons to Syrian Rebels, Says Russian Foreign Ministry
Maria Zakharova said it was “a proven fact” that the White Helmets falsified its humanitarian work
Putin-Watch Is Over Before It Takes Off
President Vladimir Putin made a timely public appearance on Wednesday
Russian Translator Censors Putin Questions at George Martin Q&A
The translator also avoided a question on U.S. Donald President Trump
Five Russian Athletes Suspended for Doping, RUSADA Says
The Russian Athletics Federation has disqualified five Russian athletes for doping
Former Minister Ulyukayev In Court Over Rosneft Bribe: Day One
Alexei Ulyukayev Faces 15 Years Behind Bars for Bribery
Russian Accused of Plotting Drone Attack on U.S. Planes Refuses Extradition
A Russian citizen accused of plotting attacks on American military planes has refused extradited from Turkey
Moscow Could Be 100 Years Older than Originally Thought
A spate of archeological findings in the capital is reportedly muddying Moscow’s history
U.S. Religious Freedom Report Names Russia ‘Country of Concern’
The annual report produced by the state United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said Russian authorities’ policy
Dalai Lama ‘Dreams’ of NATO Relocating to Moscow
“I’m afraid now that after such a suggestion, I won’t be allowed to go to America!”
350 Russian Children in Middle East Conflict Zones, Says Russian Official
Most are from Russia’s North Caucasus regions of Chechnya and Dagestan, Anna Kuznetsova said.
Dine 21 Stories Underground in This 345-Million-Year-Old Cavern
Cavern Grotto, a new restaurant in Arizona, opens inside the largest dry cavern system in the country
Moscow’s Taxis Among the World’s Cheapest
Taxi prices in Moscow have plummeted since the arrival of app providers Yandex-Taxi, Gett and Uber.
Russian Police Investigating Nationalist Attacks at LGBT Rally
Several activists and journalists were pepper sprayed by a group of nationalists on Saturday
Putin Says Military Overhaul to Go Ahead Despite Budget Cuts
Cuts to defense spending next year will not affect plans to re-equip the Russian Armed Forces, Putin Says
Moscow’s Metro Is the Perfect Zombie Apocalypse Hideout
Russian illustrator and designer Max Degtyarev images what would happen if the zombie apocalypse came to the Moscow metro
The Big Unsexy Problem With Tiger Selfies
Why drugging and caging the cats for Tinder photos is even more messed up than it sounds
What Folklore Tells Us About Eclipses
Across multiple cultures, says a Smithsonian folklorist, a darkening of daytime skies provokes a foreboding of evil
Russia’s FSB Says It Detained a Ukrainian Agent in Crimea
The agent was said to be attempting an attack on electricity infrastructure
Probe Into Russian Military Plane Crash Delayed
An investigation will not be completed until late this year
Russian Activist Charged Over Gulag Memorial Plaque
An activist is being prosecuted for installing a memorial plaque on the home of a victim of Soviet repression
The Fuzzy History of the Georgia Peach
Once a feral resource for planters, the stone fruit got a marketing makeover in the late 19th century—and a boost from the segregated labor market
U.S. Consulate Closures Are a ‘Bluff,’ Says Russian Foreign Ministry
Washington has no legal grounds to close Russian consulates in the United States, Maria Zakharova said on Sunday
Memorial Names Convicted March 26 Protesters Political Prisoners
Memorial said it considered the persecution of March 26 participants to be “politically motivated, targeted at intimidating critics of the authorities.”
Russia’s FSB Says It Foiled Moscow Terror Plot
Two potential suicide bombers, an explosives expert and an “emissary” of Islamic State have been detained.
Life Expectancy in Russia Reaches 72 Years for First Time
But Russia still lags behind many other countries
Russian Publisher Admits Removing LGBT Plot from Hit U.S. Fantasy Novel
The Russian publisher the “Shades of Magic” series says it did so to comply with anti-gay legislation.
Through Fire and Sand: Russia Takes Gold in the International Tank Biathlon
The 2017 International Army Games’ “Tank Biathlon” was held from July 29 to Aug. 12 in Moscow’s Alabino region.
Russian Politician Blames West For Starting World War II
Alexei Pushkov said Western nations were to blame for appeasing Hitler at the Munich Conference in September 1938
Harassed LGBT Activists Rally in St. Petersburg
LGBT activists faced off with police and far-right protesters in the city’s largest pride march in years
In Small-Town Russia, a Syrian Imam Battles Islamic Extremism
More than a decade ago, Kifakh Bata moved to Russia. Now he’s ‘saving souls’
Moscow Court Orders Navalny to Remove Usmanov Bribery Allegations
A Moscow court on Friday ordered Navalny to remove excerpts of YouTube video that accuse Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov of bribery
Russia’s Lavrov Calls on North Korea and U.S. to Let ‘Common Sense’ Prevail
Speaking Friday at the Klyazma forum for students, Lavrov described the rhetoric in Washington and Pyongang as “over the top.”
Russia Names New Fifth Generation Fighter Jet Su-57
Russia’s first fifth-generation fighter jet will receive the designation Su-57
Gogol Theater’s Serebrennikov Deterred From Traveling Abroad by Russian Authorities
“I am stripped of my passport. I can’t leave anymore,” Serebrennikov told the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Stranded Whale Swims to Freedom in Russia’s Far East
The animal was able to swim to sea when the tide came in and rescuers were monitoring its progress.
Moscow Traffic Havoc
If you come to Moscow this summer, 15 minutes after you leave the customs area at the airport you will hear talk of моя улица (my street).
Whale Rescue in Real Time
A 13-meter-long whale was at risk of dying after being stranded on an island in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Aeroflot Hikes Fares to Russia’s World Cup Host Cities — Vedomosti
Aeroflot has sharply increased prices for flights to host cities during the 2018 World Cup in Russia
Washington May Force Russia to Close Consulate Amid Diplomatic Spat
Washington could force Russia to shutter one of four consulates in the United States
Trump ‘Thankful’ to Russia for Expelling U.S. Diplomats
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was “thankful” to President Vladimir Putin for expelling U.S. diplomats from Russia
Whale at Risk of Dying After Being Stranded in Russia’s Far East
National Park rangers on the island “risked their lives” to approach the whale in a small boat to keep it wet and alive until the tide rises.
St. Petersburg Stages Military Display to Honor Leningrad Siege
St. Petersburg on Thursday commemorated the Soviet defense of the city from the Nazis
Russian Journalist Sokolov Jailed for Extremism After Calling for Referendum
A Moscow court on Thursday sentenced Russian journalist Alexander Sokolov to three and a half years in jail for extremism, in a case Sokolov described as “Orwellian.”
Russian Protester Gets 4 Years in Jail for Striking Police at Anti-Corruption Rally
A Moscow court on Wednesday sentenced a man to four years in prison for punching and kicking two police officers at an unsanctioned protest against corruption.