Putin Extends Nationwide Paid Holiday as Coronavirus Numbers See Sharpest Rise Yet

President Vladimir Putin announced the extension of Russia’s nationwide “non-working week” until April 30 after the country registered a sharp increase in coronavirus cases on Thursday.  Confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia spiked overnight with 771 new cases registered across the country, bringing official totals to 3,548 infections and 30 deaths. Speaking in a televised address,…

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Accept an Invitation Into a Pianist’s Home

Zaryadye Hall, Moscow’s newest and perhaps best hall accoustically, is shuttered like every other public building in the city. But that doesn’t mean their program has been halted. There are plenty of concerts and performances that were taped and are available online on the hall YouTube channel. But some of the musicians who had planned…

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Young Russian Journalist Dies From Coronavirus

A 36-year-old Russian journalist died from the coronavirus this week, authorities said on Thursday two days after her passing, drawing criticism for allegedly withholding the news. Anastasia Petrova, chief editor of the Delovoy Interes business weekly in the city of Perm 1,400 kilometers east of Moscow, was hospitalized with pneumonia on March 24. Regional health…

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ROSATOM starts 3D printing Venturi valves for ventilators

Moscow, 1 April 2020 – Rusatom-Additive Technologies (RusAT, a subsidiary of ROSATOMs fuel company TVEL) has produced prototypes and is prepared to start 3D printing valves for Venturi oxygen masks – an important component of ventilators.  The need for these valves has increased substantially due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. RusAT’s production facilities have…

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Who Paid for Russia’s Coronavirus Aid to the U.S.?

Russia sent a military plane carrying protective gear and ventilators to the United States on Wednesday to help the country battle the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Shortly after, the U.S. said it purchased the medical supplies from Russia, the State Department said Wednesday, contradicting the Kremlin’s initial description of the shipment as humanitarian aid. Who really paid…

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Coronavirus Hits Russian Markets | April 2

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble. The latest on the markets,…

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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | April 2

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 47,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 3,548 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 30 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

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Russia Reserves $18B to Counter Coronavirus Crisis

Russia has earmarked almost $18 billion to battle the coronavirus pandemic, the prime minister said Wednesday as Moscow imposed a strict lockdown. The finance ministry “has reserved 1.4 trillion rubles ($17.8 billion) in all for fighting the spread of the coronavirus and carrying out anti-crisis measures,” Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told President Vladimir Putin during…

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How Are Russia’s Neighbors Handling the Coronavirus?

As Russia closed its borders and moved toward increasingly strict self-isolation measures, its post-Soviet neighbors have taken a wide range of approaches to the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic, from relaxed to high-alert. Here’s a look at how some of the post-Soviet republics, where 4,375 people have been infected across 12 countries as of Wednesday, are…

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Visit Moscow Museums

The Moscow city site has dedicated a new section to “Museum Moscow” where almost 40 museums in the city have uploaded images of part of their collections. The museums range in subject matter from several major art museums, such as the Moscow Museum of Conteporary Art and the Glazunov Gallery, to house museums of writers…

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Syktyvkar Identified as a Russian Virus Epicenter

The number of coronavirus infections in Russia’s republic of Komi has increased steadily since the first case was confirmed on March 16. Regional health authorities now say that a total of 54 people are confirmed to be carriers of the virus. This number is among highest number in the country. Only the Moscow region, St. Petersburg…

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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | April 1

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 42,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 2,777 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 24 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

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Coronavirus Hits Russian Markets | April 1

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble. The latest on the markets,…

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Campaigners Urge Russia to Release Prisoners as Coronavirus Spreads

Rights campaigners are urging the Russian government to consider releasing some pre-trial detainees and prisoners held in the country’s packed jails, warning of the “devastating consequences” of the coronavirus pandemic. More than half a million people are held in Russia’s notoriously crowded prisons in what is the European continent’s largest prison population. In a letter Tuesday…

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Watch All 431 Minutes of An Iconic Soviet Film

Many of us have heard of Sergei Bondarchuk’s sweeping adaptation of Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” but few of us have watched it in its (admittedly enormous) entirety. With the days of quarantine stretching out before us, what better way to spend 7 hours than indulging in one of the most groundbreaking feats of Soviet cinematography? …

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As Virus Looms, Russian Arctic Brigade Tests Chemical Weapons Defense

This week more than 80 units of military hardware rolled out of their compounds in the Kola Peninsula to participate in exercises, the Northern Fleet informs. The exercises involved motorized infantry units of the Northern Fleet’s Arctic Brigade, and included military equipment such as self-propelled Gvozdika howitzers, the Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system, and MTLB armored transport…

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St. Petersburg Under Siege by Coronavirus

Last week St. Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov asked Russians to stay out of the city. “Movie theaters, theaters and other venues are closed. There is nothing to do here,” he said on March 21 during his visit to the coronavirus information center in St. Petersburg. Despite his warnings and quarantine measures, street life last week…

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Coronavirus Hits Russian Markets | March 31

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble — both of which are…

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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | March 31

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 37,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 1,836 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and nine deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia…

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Moscow Begins Lockdown During Tougher Push to Curb Virus

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday urged Moscow’s 12 million residents to respect a strict new lockdown, as other parts of the country began to introduce similar steps to curb the coronavirus outbreak. The enforcement of the new rules, which Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin suddenly announced late Sunday, coincided with the beginning of a “non-working”…

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Moscow Pleads for Private Clinics’ Help in Coronavirus Fight

Moscow’s mayor has asked for the Russian government’s help in getting private clinics to provide beds for coronavirus patients, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported Monday. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who sits on Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s coronavirus coordinating council, named hospital beds and the national healthcare system’s mobilization as top priorities in the…

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A Night at the Theater

Yevgeny Vakhtangov was one of the great lights of the Russian theater world, a good friend of Mikhail Chekhov, and influenced by both Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vsevolod Meyerhold. From Vladikavkaz, the son of an Armenian father and Russian mother, he came to Moscow and attended Moscow State University before joining the Moscow Art Theater in…

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Chechen Police Brandish Pipes in Coronavirus Street Patrols

Police officers armed with plastic pipes in Russia’s republic of Chechnya are patrolling the streets to observe compliance with the region’s coronavirus quarantine, Russian media reported this weekend.  The majority Muslim region enacted a strict quarantine Saturday with steep fines for venturing outside. Videos that circulated online starting late Friday showed police convoys advising residents…

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Is Moscow’s Virus Lockdown Order Legal?

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin’s announcement of an indefinite citywide quarantine to limit the spread of the coronavirus has prompted debates over whether his strict measures are legal. Sobyanin imposed restrictions on movement starting Monday and said that authorities will enforce the new self-isolation rules through “smart monitoring” and a system of special passes. The isolation…

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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | March 30

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 33,000 people continues to spread around the world, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 1,534 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and nine deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases…

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Coronavirus Hits Russian Markets | March 30

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble — both of which are…

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Moscow Orders Citywide Quarantine Starting March 30

Moscow will enact an indefinite citywide quarantine starting Monday, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said as the city’s number of coronavirus cases surpassed 1,000 over the weekend. The self-isolation order will apply to all residents regardless of age. According to the decree, Moscow residents will only be allowed to leave their homes for: Emergency medical care; Traveling…

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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | March 29

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 30,000 people continues to spread around the world, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 1,534 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and eight deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases…

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