Russian Dumplings and the Time of Troubles

Soon Russia will be marking a rather curious holiday, the “Day of National Unity” on November 4 when a peasant and a prince — Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky — supposedly led a volunteer army to liberate Moscow from Polish invaders a half-millennium ago. It would seem to be a very patriotic and important holiday,…

Russians Weary of War, Turning to TV for Distraction, Moscow Patriarch Says

War-fatigued Russians are turning to entertainment for distraction in what could threaten Russia’s “civilizational identity,” said the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church. “After almost three years of active military operations, we see there’s a certain weariness among our fellow citizens of reports from the front lines,” Patriarch Kirill said at the church’s World Russian People’s…

Exiled Businessman Chichvarkin Says He’s Leaving Russia’s Opposition, Citing Infighting

Self-exiled entrepreneur Yevgeny Chichvarkin said Friday that he is temporarily stepping away from Russia’s opposition, criticizing activists for “fighting each other” instead of uniting against the Kremlin. “I’ve decided to withdraw from the Russian opposition for now, until my colleagues and friends refocus on fighting the bloody, monstrous, disgraceful Putin regime,” Chichvarkin said in a video…

Russia Says Repelled Large Wave of Ukrainian Drone Attacks

Russia’s military said early Friday that its air defense systems destroyed 83 Ukrainian drones over multiple Russian regions and annexed Crimea overnight, with at least one of the drones crashing into an oil depot and sparking a fire. In southern Russia’s Stavropol region, Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said an unmanned aircraft “fell” into an oil depot…

Gazprom developing infrastructure for gas and power supplies to eastern Russian regions

October 31, 2024, 20:40 The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the development of the gas transmission infrastructure and the expansion of the gas supply and gas infrastructure network in Eastern Siberia and the Far East, including power generation facilities. Gazprom is making comprehensive efforts for establishing a fully developed gas industry in the east of Russia. Among other things, the Company has created such…

This year sees Gazprom build already more than 500 pipelines to bring gas to Russian consumers

October 31, 2024, 20:35 The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the progress of the programs for gas supply and gas infrastructure expansion in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and their synchronization with regional programs for converting housing and utilities, industries and other entities to gas, as well as the information about the gas supplies and extension of gas grid coverage in the…

Russia’s Constitutional Court Lifts Statute of Limitations for Anti-Corruption Asset Seizures

Russia’s Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that law enforcement authorities are no longer bound by statutes of limitations when seeking state seizure of assets in anti-corruption cases. “Prosecutors should not be constrained by time limits in anti-corruption lawsuits,” the court said. Those accused of corruption “must be denied the ability to use the statute of limitations…

Russian Lawmaker Calls for Ban on Halloween in Schools

A senior lawmaker in Russia’s upper-house Federation Council on Thursday called for a ban on Halloween celebrations in schools and universities, denouncing the holiday as a “Western” cultural import. “We need to do everything to ensure that this Western holiday is simply forgotten by the public and never again remembered,” Natalia Kosikhina, a senator from…

‘Alexander*a’: A Journey into the Life of Soviet Revolutionary Alexandra Kollontai

BERLIN – “Alexander*a” is a multimedia performance that immerses audiences in the world of pioneering revolutionary and politician Alexandra Kollontai.  As one of the first female diplomats in history, Kollontai also became a powerful advocate for women’s liberation within the early Soviet government.  Directed by Vika Privalova — a multidisciplinary artist born in Russia who…

Russia-Iran Partnership Treaty ‘Coming Soon,’ Lavrov Says

Russia and Iran will sign a strategic partnership agreement “in the near future,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday, as political and military ties between the two countries deepen. Both under heavy Western sanctions, Russia and Iran have strengthened their ties since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Iran widely believed to be supplying Russia with…

4 Killed in Gas Explosion in Russia’s Karachayevo-Cherkessia

At least four people were killed and 11 injured when a gas explosion ripped through an apartment building in the North Caucasus republic of Karachayevo-Cherkessia, regional authorities said Thursday. Video of the explosion site published by regional emergency officials showed the partially collapsed top two floors of the five-story building in the regional capital of…

U.S. Sanctions Nearly 400 Firms, Accusing Them of Aiding Russia’s War Effort

Washington on Wednesday unveiled a new round of sanctions against almost 400 people and companies it accused of supplying Russia with advanced technology to support its “war machine.” The U.S. Treasury Department announced sweeping sanctions against 275 individuals and entities in countries including India, China, Switzerland and Turkey, with the restrictions aimed at “disrupting global…

Moscow Summons Finnish Ambassador Over Property Seizures

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that it summoned the Finnish ambassador in Moscow to protest the seizure of Russian state properties in connection to a Ukrainian lawsuit. A Finnish court ordered the confiscation of $4.25 billion in Russian-owned assets at the request of Ukraine’s national gas provider Naftogaz. The order relates to a ruling last year…

Top 5 Takeaways From Navalny’s Memoir ‘Patriot’

Kremlin foe Alexei Navalny started writing his posthumously released memoir “Patriot” while recovering from a nearly fatal nerve agent poisoning in Germany.  Eventually incorporating his prison diary, the book provides new insights into his early life and political career, as well as the conditions he faced in the months leading up to his death in…

Russia Says It Captured Village in Ukraine’s Kharkiv Region

Russia’s military said Wednesday that its forces captured the village of Kruhliakivka in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, where it has been stepping up pressure on Kyiv’s forces for months. The village was home to around 1,200 people before the full-scale invasion and lies around 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Kupiansk, an embattled Ukrainian stronghold…

Russian Military Destroys 23 Ukrainian Drones Overnight

Russia’s military said early Wednesday that its air defense forces shot down nearly two dozen Ukrainian drones across six Russian regions overnight, with some of the downings causing minor property damage. Seven drones were destroyed over the Rostov region, where Governor Vasily Golubev said there were no injuries or damage. In the Kursk region, Governor Alexei…

Gazprom to continue contributing to sustainability of global gas market

October 29, 2024, 19:00 The Gazprom Board of Directors took note of the information about the development prospects of the shale gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) industries around the world, as well as opportunities and threats facing the Company. It was noted that in 2023, the share of shale gas in the global gas production remained at the level of 2022, thus making about 20 per cent, and…

Board of Directors approves Gazprom’s work on implementation of LNG production and supply projects

October 29, 2024, 18:55 The Gazprom Board of Directors expressed its approval of the Company’s ongoing work on implementing the projects for the production and supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). It was noted that the Company consistently reinforces its positions in this business segment in order to further increase the flexibility and reliability of consumer gas supplies. The large-scale plant within the Sakhalin II project is successfully…

Gazprom preparing launch of new capacities at Irkutsk gas production center

October 29, 2024, 18:50 The Gazprom Board of Directors expressed its approval of the Company’s ongoing work with regard to the implementation of its major investment projects. The projects are aimed at solving strategic tasks, such as to expand the gas supply and gas infrastructure network in Russian regions, to accurately fulfill the export obligations, and to supply the domestic economy sectors with the products of natural gas processing. Gazprom…

U.S. Man Jailed in Russia Interviewed on State TV

A U.S. soldier serving a prison sentence in Russia’s Far East appeared on state television Tuesday, saying he hoped to be exchanged at some point in the future. Gordon Black spoke to state broadcaster Rossiya from prison, looking pale and wearing the same clothes he had on at the time of his arrest earlier this…

Gazprom Board of Directors approves revised investment program and budget for 2024

October 29, 2024, 18:13 The Gazprom Board of Directors endorsed the revised investment program and budget (financial plan) of the Company for 2024. The overall amount of investments under the 2024 investment program will total RUB 1,641.625 billion, which is RUB 67.998 billion more than was envisaged in the initial version of the investment program approved in December 2023. The adjustments to the 2024 investment program were introduced,…

Russia Fines Google $2.5 Decillion Over YouTube Bans – RBC

Google has racked up some 2 undecillion rubles ($2.5 decillion) worth of fines in Russia after years of refusing to restore the accounts of pro-Kremlin and state-run media outlets, the RBC news website reported Tuesday, citing an anonymous source familiar with court rulings against the tech company. According to RBC’s sources, Google began accumulating daily…

Estonia Summons Russian Diplomat Over Border River Dispute

Estonia’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s charge d’affaires amid an ongoing border dispute over a shared river, media in the Baltic country reported Tuesday. In May, Estonian border guards accused their Russian counterparts of removing two dozen navigation buoys from the Narva River, which flows north into the Baltic Sea from Lake Peipsi, or Lake Chudskoye…

Chechnya’s Mufti Slams Ban on Hijabs in Schools

The republic of Chechnya’s supreme mufti on Tuesday decried bans on hijabs and other religious clothing in schools as unconstitutional, arguing that the restrictions violate a person’s right to freedom of conscience and religion. Supreme Mufti Salah Mezhiev issued his criticism a week after education authorities in central Russia’s Vladimir region ordered a ban on…

Tens of Thousands Rally in Georgia After Contested Vote

Tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets Monday to protest against the ruling party’s victory in parliamentary polls denounced as “stolen” by the pro-Western opposition, while Georgia’s president alleged to AFP that the vote was rigged using “sophisticated” methods she linked to Russia. The Caucasus country — rocked by mass anti-government protests earlier this…

U.K. Sanctions 3 Russian PR Firms, Senior Managers

Britain’s government on Monday unveiled new sanctions on three Russian public relations firms and their top managers, accusing them of “attempting to undermine and destabilize Ukraine and its democracy.” London said it was targeting Russia’s state-funded Social Design Agency (SDA), its partner company Structura and another firm called Ano Dialog, as well as three senior…

Finland Seizes Russian Cultural Center in Helsinki After Ukrainian Gas Provider Wins Lawsuit

Finnish authorities have begun seizing Russian state-owned property in the country after a Hague-based court ordered Moscow to compensate Ukraine’s national gas provider for assets it lost during the annexation of Crimea, the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat reported Monday. Finland’s National Enforcement Authority, an agency of the country’s justice ministry, reportedly seized the 3,326-square-meter (35,800…