Blog

A shortage of wagons for wheat transport is a cause of concern for the governor

Top Russian Journalists Sue FSB Over Telegram Encryption Demands

“We believe that this affects our right to confidential communication with sources of information,” the journalists said

Video Glorifying Russian Mercenaries in Syria Trends on Youtube

The Wagner private contractor group is believed to have played central roles in conflicts in Ukraine and Syria

Russian Opposition Activist Dies After Being Attacked With Iron Rod

Alexei Stroganov fell into a coma after the assault and never regained consciousness

Investigation Reveals Putin’s Inner Circle Has Amassed $24 Bln Fortune

Estimates of Putin’s private wealth vary, from the officially declared 8.9 million rubles ($133,000) to as high as $200 billion

Navalny (Really) Can’t Run for President, Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office Says

The head of Russia’s Central Elections Commission said in October Navanly could only run in 2028

First Naturalized Russians Take New Oath of Allegiance

A new law requiring naturalized Russians to recite an oath of allegiance took effect in September

Exploring Russia’s Rural Airports

Forget your preconceptions of how airports should look.

Arts & CultureBy admin October 23, 2017

Why Did So Few Novels Tackle the 1918 Pandemic?

Surprisingly few U.S. writers touched by the 1918 pandemic wrote about it. But flu lit appears more popular today than ever

Russia’s Interfax News Agency Site Down After Hack

The source of the attack has not yet been determined

Russia’s 2018 World Cup Costs Soar Another $600 Million

A decree signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday did not state the reason for the latest increase

Russian Police Threaten to Kill Navalny Supporters After They Compare Police Wages to Sweden

The video culminates with the officer calling the video’s author a ‘Swedish homosexual’

Sobchak Campaign Teams Up With Igor Malashenko, Who Once Helped Yeltsin

“You can laugh at me, but I understand show business”

Arts & CultureBy admin October 23, 2017

A Fresh Look for Smithsonian’s Oldest Art Museum

The Freer’s renovation comes with a new thematic presentation of Asian Art—and the Peacock Room is reopened, as well

‘Madman’ Attacker Denies Trying to Kill Ekho Journalist Felgenhauer

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on Tuesday that Felgenhauer was attacked by a “madman.”

Pussy Riot ‘Slightly Occupies’ Trump Tower

“We came to occupy Trump Tower to call attention to political prisoners,” Pussy Riot wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.

Moscow Mayor Sobyanin Seeks New Term to ‘Finish Reforms’

Sobyanin’s plans to relocate around 10 percent of Moscow’s population sparked mass demonstrations this summer

Moscow Gang Accused of ‘Purging’ Homeless People Sentenced

Three of the defendants were found to have psychiatric illnesses

Radio Station Publishes Security Footage of Man Who Stabbed Russian Radio Host

The man then pepper-sprays the guard and then ducks under a turnstile, running into the building

Russia Accuses U.S. of Stealing Seized San Francisco Consulate Archives

Another episode in the San Francisco consulate saga

Ekho Moskvy Editor Felgenhauer Expected to Survive Stabbing Attack

Venediktov told Radio Svoboda that doctors had said she was in a “medium serious” condition and had lost a lot of blood, but that her life was not in danger.

Russia’s Journalism Union Blames State TV For Stabbing Attack on Editor

Russia’s Union of Journalists added the stabbing to a roster of recent attacks against journalists in Russia

Ekho Moskvy Radio Station Editor Stabbed in Moscow

Felgenhauer has been hospitalized and her life is reportedly not under threat

MT Classic: A Foreigner’s Nightmare in Dubrovka

When Svetlana Gubareva woke up in a Moscow hospital, one of the first things she heard was President Vladimir Putin offering condolences to the families of the 129 hostages who died in the Dubrovka theater

Arts & CultureBy admin October 22, 2017

What a Pair of Empty Blackboards Can Teach Us About Art and Social Change

Can art alter the course of history? Should artists even try? Joseph Beuys said yes and yes

TV Host Tapped for Russia’s New Gender Equality Post

The Duma will reportedly discuss the establishment of the new representative office on Tuesday

First Snow Falls on Moscow

The white winter’s comfort has arrived

Russian Actress and CEO Accuses Weinstein of Sexual Harassment

The actress said Weinstein invited her to his hotel in Venice

Siberian Funeral Homes Deny Moscow Construction Caused Tombstone Shortage

Three funeral homes in the Siberian city of Omsk told RBC on Friday that they are not experiencing difficulties with granite deliveries.

Coming Unglued in Russian

Want to know the meaning of закон подлости? It’s when you go south to improve your health and come back sicker than when you left.

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

Arts & CultureBy admin October 18, 2017

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

Arts & CultureBy admin October 17, 2017

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

Arts & CultureBy admin October 17, 2017

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.

He Who Shall Not Be Named — The Kremlin’s Last Words on Navalny’s Election Bid

Say who?!

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.

Arts & CultureBy admin October 17, 2017

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.