Blog

This year’s National Paratroopers’ Day marks 87 years since the founding of the corps. Often a rowdy celebration, paratroopers in their blue berets and striped shirts lay claim to park fountains.

Russian TV Presenter Punched Live on Air at Paratrooper Celebrations

Moments after Nikita Razvozzhayev began his live broadcast, he was approached by what appeared to be a heavily intoxicated man who punched him in the face

Russian Losses In Syria Four Times Higher Than Official Count — Reuters

At least 40 Russians have died fighting in Syria this year alone.

Deadly Shooting at Moscow Court Could Be Result of Negligence

There were only two guards, one of whom was female, for the entire group, according to the Moscow Investigative Committee.

World Cup Drunks Will Receive ‘Humane’ Treatment, Russian Official Promises

“If a person has had one drink too many, he needs to rest somewhere.”

Moscow Court to Deport Gay Novaya Gazeta Journalist to Uzbekistan

A Moscow court has ruled to deport an openly gay journalist to Uzbekistan where homosexuality is a punishable offense

U.S. Embassy Vacates Moscow Premises, Denies Visa Refusal Claims

The embassy was required to leave the dacha in Serebryany Bor as well as a diplomatic warehouse in an industrial area on Dorozhnaya Street by Aug. 1.

Teacher Handed Prize by Putin Says He Was Fired for Opposition Views

Demakhin was awarded the “Teacher of the Year” prize personally by Vladimir Putin in 2012.

Arts & CultureBy admin July 31, 2017

Food Historian Reckons With the Black Roots of Southern Food

In his new book, Michael Twitty shares the contributions that enslaved African-Americans and their descendants have made to southern cuisine

Three ‘GTA’ Gang Members Dead Following Shootout at Moscow Court

The defendants were reportedly members of a criminal group known as the GTA Gang.

‘Foreign Agents’ Given State Funding, While Pro-Kremlin Bikers Shunned

Three Russian non-governmental organizations which have been labeled “foreign agents” have been awarded presidential grants.

Russian LGBT Group Alleges Killings of Gay Men in Chechnya

The Russian LGBT Network published a new report on Monday, adding to mounting allegations of persecutions of gay people in Chechnya

Moscow Mayor Rubber-Stamps Apartment Demolition Lists

The controversial urban renewal scheme is scheduled to roll out over two decades

The Kremlin’s VPN Ban Has KGB Roots (Op-ed)

The Kremlin’s ban on VPNs is less about national security than self preservation

Russia Introduces Rule to Rescue Those Stuck in Elevators Within 30 Minutes

Starting Aug. 1, elevator repairs should not take longer than 24 hours and the evacuation of people stuck inside elevators should take place within 30 minutes.

The Ousting of Hundreds of U.S. Diplomats From Moscow, Explained

What you need to know about Moscow’s decision to cut U.S. diplomatic staff to 455.

U.S. Embassy Staff Barred Entry to Moscow Properties

Russia blocked access on Tuesday to U.S. embassy recreational property in a Moscow suburb and closed access to a 2,000 square meter warehouse.

If U.S. Slows Visa Processing, Moscow Will Reciprocate — Russian Politician

A Russian official has said Moscow will reciprocate with longer wait times if the U.S. Embassy slows up travel visa processing for Russian citizens.

Novaya Gazeta Publishes Documents Detailing Chechnya Executions

Independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta has published photocopies of documents they say corroborate their earlier investigation into extrajudicial killings in the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya

Arts & CultureBy admin July 30, 2017

The Fascinating, Regal History Behind Britain’s Swans

The aristocratic bird’s has a legacy as a luxury status symbol that dates back centuries

U.S. Embassy in Moscow Says ‘Too Early’ to Know How Russian Measures Will Affect Visas

Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Friday it was ordering cuts to U.S. diplomatic staff in Russia to 455 employees by September

Is There a Rebirth of Stalinism in Russia? (Op-ed)

Stalinism was criminal, costly and inefficient. Today’s Russia could meet the same fate.

Arts & CultureBy admin July 30, 2017

Take an Exclusive Sneak Peek Inside the Renovated Freer Gallery, Reopening in October

Charles Lang Freer gifted this meditative haven for art lovers to the nation and was James McNeill Whistler’s friend and patron

Russian Court Sentences Ukrainian Citizen for Terror Plot

A Ukrainian citizen has been given a 12- year prison sentence for allegedly plotting a terror attack in Russia.

Putin Says Russia Held Back on Counter-Sanctions for a ‘Long Time’

Russia held back with introducing sanctions “for quite some time,” Putin says, but lost hope after Washington’s “unprovoked move.”

Russia Celebrates Navy Day

Russia’s Navy Day is a national holiday that is celebrated on the last Sunday of July. This year, Navy Day was celebrated in St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Sevastopol.

Putin Signs Law Prohibiting VPNs

The new laws, which come into force Nov. 1, forbid internet proxy services (VPNs) that help internet users gain access to websites that have been blocked by the government.

NewsBy admin July 28, 2017

Russia’s Response to Sanctions Shows Restraint (Op-ed)

The expulsions allow Russia to signal displeasure without doing serious harm. But that could change.

Arts & CultureBy admin July 27, 2017

Does the Narwhal’s Majestic Tusk Have a Point?

A Connecticut dentist, turned curator of a new exhibition, has long worked to solve the secrets of the whale’s characteristic horn

Why Russian and Chinese Warships Joined Forces in the Baltic Sea This Week (Op-ed)

For years, Russian-Chinese naval exercises have been staged closer and closer to potential conflict zones and the training scenarios have become increasingly realistic.

Perestroika Street Photographs

The six years of perestroika – from 1985 until the end of 1991 when the Soviet Union was dissolved – was a time of wildly syncopated change in the country.

Arts & CultureBy admin July 27, 2017

The Secret Ingredient in Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Is Seventh-Day Adventism

America’s favorite processed breakfast was once the pinnacle of healthfulness—and spiritual purity

How Do You Collude in Russian? You Don’t!

With all this talk in the U.S. about collusion and Russians, I wondered: How do you collude in Russian? You never know when you may want to.

Safe But Not Welcomed, Afghan Refugees Build New Lives in Russia

Moscow’s Afghan community centers around a cluster of gray tower blocks that make up the Soviet-era Sevastopol Hotel

Russia Orders U.S. Embassy Staff Cuts in Sanctions Retaliation

Russia has ordered the United States to reduce its diplomatic and technical staff at its Embassy in Moscow and diplomatic missions in other Russian cities in response to a U.S. Senate vote to impose tougher sanctions.

Majority of Young Russians Watch Kremlin-Funded News

State-run television is the principal source of news for a majority of young Russians, the independent Russian television channel Dozhd reported Friday.

Putin Vows to Retaliate After U.S. Senate Sanctions Vote

The U.S. Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a bill calling for tougher economic sanctions against Russia

Russian Draft Dodgers Banned From Public Sector Jobs for 10 Years

An earlier version of the law passed in 2013 imposed a lifetime ban on draft dodgers.

Medvedev Calls Saakashvili’s Loss of Ukrainian Citizenship ‘Tragicomedy’

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described the former Odessa governor being stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship as “tragicomedy” in a Facebook post on Thursday.

Abramovich Personally Intervened for ‘Nureyev’ Ballet to Be Performed This Year — Report

The ballet might still premiere this year after billionaire Roman Abramovich intervened, Kommersant reports

The Weekend in Moscow: Afisha Picnic

This weekend in Moscow the weather will be hot and mostly sunny, just in time for the capital’s most famous music festival — the Afisha Picnic.

Russia Extends Syrian Airbase Lease by 49 Years

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed an agreement with Syria which will give the Russian military access to an airbase on the Mediterranean for another half a century

Russia Could Expel U.S. Diplomats in Response to Fresh Sanctions

Moscow has threatened far-reaching countermeasures on the U.S. if new sanctions are implemented

This Russian Ad Claims Merkel’s Biggest Rival is Actually a Window Repair Expert

The ad was published back in April, but had gone unnoticed by media until now.

European Court Orders Russia to Pay $7,000 to Nemtsov Murder Accomplice

The European Court of Human Rights has ordered the Russian government to pay 6,000 euros in compensation to one of the men convicted in the murder of Russian politician, Boris Nemtsov

Family of Swedish Diplomat Wallenberg Sue FSB Over His Disappearance

“We are fighting for the right for free access to government information, including, political repression in the U.S.S.R.”

Descendants of Swedish Diplomat Who Mysteriously Disappeared Sue FSB

“We are fighting for the right for free access to government information, including, political repression in the U.S.S.R.”

Arts & CultureBy admin July 25, 2017

¡Salud! to the Mexican-American Wine Revolution

Ceja Vineyards breathes new life into Napa Valley’s wine industry

Russian Officials Play Down Siemens Pullout

Dvorkovich said Siemens had not suspended Russian deliveries entirely, only those to “state companies.”

First Monument to Ivan the Terrible Erected in Moscow

A monument to Ivan the Terrible has been erected in Moscow, the Russian Military-Historical Society announced on its website on Wednesday

Moscow Hears Political Saber Rattling in Fresh U.S. Sanctions Vote

Top Russian officials on Wednesday slammed a U.S. House of Representatives vote in favor of fresh sanctions

Moscow Hears Political Saber Rattling in Fresh Sanctions Vote

Top Russian officials on Wednesday slammed a U.S. House of Representatives vote in favor of fresh sanctions

EU Scraps ‘Judo’ From Decision to Blacklist Putin Ally Rotenberg

In an amendment published online, the EU described Arkady Rotenberg as “a prominent Russian businessman who has close personal ties to President Putin.”

Capitalizing on a Socialist System (Op-ed)

In Russia, business thrives on the backs of people receiving old Soviet services

More Rich Russians Are Declaring Foreign Bank Accounts

The number of wealthy Russians declaring foreign assets has spiked in recent months, the RBC news outlet reported citing research conducted by real estate broker Tranio and British company Adam Smith Conferences

Inmates at Urals Prison Go On Hunger Strike

Inmates at a prison in the Urals have gone on a hunger strike, with some demanding visitation rights for multiple wives and English-language conversation.

Arts & CultureBy admin July 25, 2017

What Kind of Footage Do Historical Colorists Like Best?

According to the historians and art directors from Composite Films who worked meticulously on America in Color, these were some of their favorite subjects

Facing Scrutiny for FSB Ties, Kaspersky Lab Offers Free Antivirus to the World

Kaspersky Lab has launched a worldwide roll-out of a free antivirus program

Movie Putin Lands on Hollywood’s Cutting-Room Floor

Vladimir Putin is having a tough time staying in the movies. Actually, it is not the Russian president himself. It’s his film character.

U.S. Declassifies Interviews With KGB Officer on JFK Assassin

Yuri Nosenko claims to have been the officer in charge of a KGB file on Lee Harvey Oswald.