People Who Violate Coronavirus Quarantine Should Be Killed, Chechen Leader Says

Anyone who violates their coronavirus quarantine and infects others should be punished with death, the leader of Russia’s republic of Chechnya said Tuesday. Ramzan Kadyrov made the statement at a Chechen government meeting after the majority Muslim republic confirmed its first three coronavirus infections. He pointed to a Chechen resident who returned from a visit…

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Watch a Prophetic Film

Flipping through the film catalog… looking for something relevant… Oh! Here’s something: the 1937 film “Bílá nemoc” (The White Plague), directed by and starring Czech director Hugo Haas  and based on a play by Czech writer Karel Čapek. It’s about a bellicose, nationalist leader whose plans to invade a smaller country are complicated by a…

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75% of Russians Say Soviet Era Was ‘Greatest Time’ in Country’s History – Poll

Three out of four Russians think the Soviet era was the best time in their country’s history, according to a survey published by the independent Levada Center pollster on Tuesday. Russians have expressed increasingly positive opinions about the Soviet Union over the years, with nostalgia toward the U.S.S.R. and approval of Stalin hitting record highs in the…

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Arctic Oil Faces Crisis

The coronavirus and subsequent global economic meltdown is taking its toll on developments in Arctic waters. Norway’s Equinor is reducing staff on platforms and operating costs are cut to the bone. On Sunday the company announced that it was suspending a large €5 billion share buy-back programme. At the same time, the development of new projects…

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Russian Military Doctors Told to Sew Their Own Masks as Coronavirus Sparks Shortages

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

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Russian Medical Specialist Suspected of Working While Infected

Russian investigators opened a criminal case on Monday against a top infections specialist who tested positive for the coronavirus after visiting Spain but neglecting to self-isolate afterwards.  The negligence probe was launched after an infectious disease professor and top health care consultant in the southern Stavropol region became patient zero for the coronavirus there, exposing…

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Hear a Poem Every Day

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

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With Temperature Checks and Face Masks, Russians Protest Putin Despite Coronavirus

Small-scale protests against Vladimir Putin’s plans to amend the Russian Constitution so he can run for president again in 2024 took place in several medium-sized Russian cities on Sunday, local media reported. Protests against the changes, which would overturn a constitutional ban on Putin running for another term, were called off in Moscow and St. Petersburg due…

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Got Grechka? Make a Grain Bowl!

So, you’ve cornered the grechka market.  Well done. Now what? You picked an excellent grain to stockpile. Buckwheat packs an incredible nutritional punch: it promotes heart health and is a superb source of many key vitamins and minerals (including thiamin, niacin, and folate) as well as protein and fiber.  Buckwheat is one of those foods…

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Prominent Russians Urge Government to Take Swift Action Against Coronavirus

Russian public figures, doctors and citizens have launched a petition urging the government to take urgent action against the coronavirus as the country’s number of confirmed cases continues to climb. The petition’s authors include acclaimed novelist Lyudmila Ulitskaya, economist Sergei Guriev, publisher Irina Prokhorova, musician Alexei Kortnev and journalists Leonid Parfyonov, Katerina Gordeeva and Ilya…

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Russian News Outlets Ordered to Take Down ‘Fake’ Coronavirus News

Russia has ordered several news outlets to take down information about the coronavirus outbreak that it says is “fake.” Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor on Friday said that the Ekho Moskvy radio station, the Govorit Magadan news website and several other outlets had published “false information that is socially significant” about the coronavirus that “threatens to…

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5 Russian Ballets

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

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Update set of measures regardig COVID-19

March 20, 2020 PAO Severstal, one of the world’s leading steel and steel-related mining companies, provides the following update set of measures in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. While Severstal’s operations are functioning as usual, the continued health and safety of all our employees is our absolute priority. Severstal is strictly following recommendations issued…

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Watch a Concert at Garage Museum

Garage Museum of Contemporary Art is launching a series of online events and activities today with an unusual concert. The St. Petersburg group Verevka Ensemble will give an online concert of microtonal improvisation. The 90-minute concert, which begins at 7 p.m. Moscow time, will be performed on acoustic guitars with bows. It’s part of the…

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Russia Props Up Ruble, Oil Producers

Russia announced Thursday new measures to prop up the ruble and its oil producers, both of which have been suffering from sinking oil prices and the global panic over the coronavirus. “The government and the Central Bank will continue to take the necessary actions to ensure financial stability,” Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said. He announced…

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