1) “Godfather” of the Russian Internet dies of heart attack
Influential Russian Internet entrepreneur Anton Nossik, 51, died of a heart attack this weekend. Last October, he was convicted of hate speech after calling for the destruction of the Syrian nation. Read our story here.
2) Russian newspaper uncovers more killings by police in Chechnya
Novaya Gazeta reports about a mass shooting of 27 victims in Chechnya that occurred this January. The report is part of the newspaper’s ongoing investigation into extrajudicial killings in Chechnya — many of which allegedly target gay men.
3) Bolshoi Theater postpones premier of much-awaited ballet
For the first time in its history, Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater postponed the premier of a new ballet just days before its scheduled date of July 11, reports Vedomosti. The “Nureyev” ballet, based on the life of the Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, is the brainchild of director Kirill Serebrennikov, whose theater is currently involved in a corruption case that is widely seen as politically motivated.
4) Russian police clamp down on Navalny supporters
Nearly 130 volunteers working for opposition leader Alexei Navalny were detained on Saturday for allegedly violating public assembly rules, reports police monitoring website OVD-Info.
5) Ilya Glazunov, popular artist of nationalist themes, dies of heart attack
Ilya Glazunov, one of Russia’s most decorated artists, passed away on July 9. The 88-year old artist emerged as a star during the perestroika era with his haunting and patriotic images.
6) Activists detained in Moscow city center
Three nationalist activists were detained in Moscow for their unsanctioned event, “Occupy Manezh,” which intended to draw attention to issues of human rights, freedom of speech and the right to assembly in Russia, reports the OVD-Info police monitoring website.
7) Mysterious dolphin deaths continue in Crimea
The bodies of six dolphins washed ashore in Crimea on July 8, reports outlet FlashCrimea. This is part of an ongoing occurrence – several dozens of corpses have been found in the Black Sea region over the past few months.
8) Gorbachev draws parallels between his meeting with Reagan to this weekend’s Trump-Putin meeting
Last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev says that the American internal opposition to this weekend’s Trump-Putin meeting reminded him of similar attitudes to his meetings with President Ronald Reagan in 1985-1987.
9) Russian politician worries that Ukraine’s president is on the verge of a heart attack
Russian senator Alexei Pushkov facetiously recommended on Twitter that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson bring heart attack medicine with him to Kiev for his meeting with Ukrainian President Petr Poroshenko who, he suggested, is likely fretting about last week’s G20 meeting between Trump and Putin.