Tag: Russia
Russia Seeks To Drive Wedge Into Central Asia
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Bruce Pannier – January 5, 2016) Russia appears to be practicing a bit of “divide-and-conquer” politics in Central Asia, and state-owned Gazprom is spearheading the campaign. On January 4, Russia’s main news agencies quoted a “source” within Gazprom Export, the Gazprom wing charged with handling gas imports from other countries, saying Russia would not be importing any […]
» Read moreSanctions, Khachapuri, Burgers – Moscow’s Year in Food
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Andrei Muchnik – January 6, 2016) Despite the various sanctions, counter-sanctions, inflation and other economic and gastronomic woes, 2015 was a pretty good year for food lovers in Moscow. With all those economic problems, it’s no wonder that cheap but good fast food emerged as the main trend of the year. Georgian cuisine, previously associated […]
» Read moreAfter the ban: a short history of Ukraine’s Communist Party
You can ban Ukraine’s communists, but you can’t beat them. (opendemocracy.net – Denys Gorbach – January 8, 2016) Denys Gorbach is a leftist activist and researcher working on the Ukrainian labour movement. On 16 December, Kyiv’s district administrative court approved a claim by Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice. It sought to ban the country’s Communist Party (KPU). Ukrainian society has come […]
» Read moreRussian diplomat interviewed on relations with Latin America
(RIA Novosti – December 15, 2015) Interview with Aleksandr Shchetinin, director of the Russian Federation Foreign Ministry’s Latin America Department, by RIA Novosti special correspondent Tatyana Kukushkina, date and place not specified: “Foreign Ministry: Russian Federation Makes Contact with All the Political Forces in Latin America In an interview for RIA Novosti, Aleksandr Shchetinin, director of the Russian Federation Foreign […]
» Read moreUnwrapping Christmas in Russian literature
The decorations are up, the nights are drawing in – in the northern hemisphere, at least – and gift-hunters are braving the crowds ahead of Christmas. In Russia, however, this celebration has a different meaning. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – PETER BEECH, SPECIAL TO RBTH – January 7, 2016) The majority of Russians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, […]
» Read moreWhat’s behind the new investigation into the murder of the Romanovs
In September 2015 the Russian Investigative Committee resumed an investigation into the death of the family of the last Russian tsar. Investigators exhumed the remains of the Romanovs, who had been buried in the Peter and Paul Fortress, and took DNA samples from Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Fyodorovna. Official accounts states that the Romanovs were murdered on the night […]
» Read moreMoscow Patriarchate Church in Ukraine headed toward the dustbin of history, Chapnin says
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – January 7, 2016) The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is headed toward disintegration, and the only question is whether Moscow will simply watch as this happens or take the lead in organizing this change, according to Sergey Chapnin, who was recently fired as editor of the “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate.” […]
» Read moreRussian bombing of Syria “defensive” and just, top cleric says
(Interfax – Moscow, January 7, 2016) Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill has expressed support for the Russian military operation in Syria. “What is happening today in Syria, which appears to be far away but is in actual fact literally our neighbour [as received], is what the defence of the Fatherland is about,” the patriarch said in the interview […]
» Read moreBack to the USSR: Lamenting the loss of the everyday
While the range of consumer goods available to ordinary Soviet citizens was notoriously narrow, some of those goods were – and still are – so dear to people that they couldn’t have imagined life in the Soviet Union without them. RBTH interviewed a number of people who lived through the era to find out what they miss the most. (Russia […]
» Read morePatriarch Kirill sees no tragedy in current economic crisis
(Interfax – January 7, 2016) Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia has called on people not to despair over the economic problems in Russia. “Problems are now generally relative: people earn a little more or a little less (only God forbid that the economic situation should worsen), but generally there is currently no tragedy in the country,” the patriarch said […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK The Guardian: “Nuclear weapons risk greater than in cold war, says ex-Pentagon chief. William Perry lists a series of factors that he says mean the chance of a ‘calamity’ is higher today than in the 1970s and 80s”
NEWSLINK The Guardian: “The Ukrainians starting a new life – in Russia. About 1.5 million have fled the conflict in Donetsk, with their choice of destination largely set by their allegiance in the war”
NEWSLINK Center for Global Interests/Maria Snegovaya: “Russia’s Worsening Economy Means Less Aggression Abroad, More Repression At Home In 2016”
NEWSLINK The New Yorker/Jack Hitt: “The Russian Tom Clancy Is on the Front Lines for Real [Fyodor Berezin]”
NEWSLINK The Daily Telegraph (UK): “How Tolstoy rewrote the history of Russia. As War and Peace comes to television, Rosamund Bartlett reveals the games the book’s author plays with the truth”
NEWSLINK Foreign Policy Magazine/ Mark Galeotti: “Yuri Andropov Would Drop Assad Like a Hot Kartoshka. And four other lessons Putin could learn from his hero, the Soviet Union’s most ruthless reformer”
NEWSLINK Foreign Policy Magazine/Thomas Remington: “What to make of the Putin fan club?”
Russian Economy Killers: Oil and Sanctions
(Voice of America – Bernard Shusman – January 6, 2016) Russian President Vladimir Putin gets a bad report card, even a failing grade, for his handling of the economic crisis in his country, according to 27 percent of analysts who participated in a major survey conducted by Bloomberg Business. These are hard times in Russia, with the collapse in oil […]
» Read moreRussian Nationalism among Young Very Different than Among Older Groups, Sociologist Says
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, January 6, 2016) Relatively few young people in the Russian Federation are attracted to Russian nationalism of the traditional kinds, Vladimir Petukhov of the Moscow Institute of Sociology says. Instead, they manifest what might be called “young nationalist views.” In a 2014 study on youth attitudes in Russia and China that has […]
» Read moreFor Protesting Russian Truckers, A Christmas Far From Home
(RFE/RL – Tom Balmforth – January 6, 2016) KHIMKI, Russia — After dark in the frigid parking lot of an Ikea outlet north of Moscow, in the trailer of a grubby white truck heated by a generator, a dozen men are sitting in winter coats and hats watching a Soviet blockbuster on a projector. The cramped space has been a […]
» Read moreRUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-3 :: Thursday 7 January 2016
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#3 Thursday 7 January 2016 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org – JRL […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK Christian Science Monitor: “Czarist echo? Russian Orthodox Church drives to restore its political clout. The Russian Orthodox Church sees itself as the spiritual generator of public policy and the ideological bulwark of the state. Under Putin, priests have become fixtures in the military, schools, and other public institutions”
NEWSLINK Wall Street Journal: “Russia’s Taxi-Hailing Apps Gain Ridership. Gett, Yandex.Taxi and Uber make inroads, despite protests by taxi drivers”
Russia and Ukraine Finally Break Up
(Bloomberg – thebloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – December 30, 2015) [Chart here bloombergview.com/articles/2015-12-30/russia-and-ukraine-finally-break-up] Russia and Ukraine have spent most of their post-Soviet history as Siamese twins, but for the last two years they’ve been undergoing political and economic separation surgery. It will probably be more or less complete in 2016, and though both twins are in for a grim period, […]
» Read morePutin gives Kursk schoolgirl Labrador retriever puppy
KURSK. Dec 31 (Interfax) – Anna Abramova, 11, from Kursk, received from Russian President Vladimir Putin a Labrador puppy as a gift, the press service for the Kursk City Assembly reported on Thursday. The girl named the puppy Undina. The girl has been dreaming about a dog for a long time, but the income of her family (her mother, Tatyana […]
» Read moreInflation in Russia reaches 12.9 per cent, highest since 2008 – statistics
(Interfax – December 31, 2015) The inflation in Russia has reached its highest value since 2008, mounting to 12.9 per cent for 2015, the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics (Rosstat) reported, as cited by Russian privately-owned news agency Interfax on 31 December. According to Rosstat, the preliminary calculations for December, which are based on data for a limited list […]
» Read moreState vs Art: Russia’s 2015 Crackdown on Contemporary Culture
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Eva Hartog – December 31, 2015) “It’s theater. We were just playing.” That’s how Boris Mezdrich, his tone simultaneously apologetic and defiant, described the avant-garde production of Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser that got him fired. “Blasphemy!” – was what the Russian Orthodox activists shouted as they protested outside the State Opera and Ballet Theater in Novosibirsk, […]
» Read more2015 in review: 8 Russian figures who made an impact this year
RBTH has selected eight people and things from various fields of Russian life who had a significant influence on domestic and global affairs in their spheres in 2015. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ALEXEY TIMOFEYCHEV, RBTH – December 30, 2015) Statesmen Sergei Shoigu – the operation in Syria Russian Defense Minister since 2012. Previously Minister of Emergency Situations […]
» Read more2015 in review: From the murder of Nemtsov to blackout in Crimea
The murder of Boris Nemtsov was arguably the most discussed domestic political issue in Russia this year, along with the bankruptcy of Transaero, the blackout in Crimea and protests by long-haul truckers. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Igor Rozin – December 30, 2015) Nemtsov’s murder shocks the nation A woman holds a portrait of Russian opposition leader Boris […]
» Read moreMedvedev: New year to bring bright events, new accomplishments
(Interfax – December 31, 2015) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev addressed all Russians, wishing them a happy New Year and expressing confidence that the next year will bring bright events and new accomplishments. “Dear friends! From the bottom of my heart, I wish you a happy New Year. This holiday is filled with special atmosphere, pleasant engagements and joyful surprises. […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK The National Interest/Nikolay Pakhomov: “The Truth About Sanctions Against Russia. Western sanctions have failed to deliver a ‘devastating blow’ but they also seem here to stay.”
Hard Times: Five Russians’ Hopes, Fears For 2016
(RFE/RL – Tom Balmforth – MOSCOW, January 3, 2016) 2015 has been a tough year for many Russians. The economy has been mired in recession. Dragged down by oil prices, the ruble has languished near record lows. The cost of a typical trip abroad has doubled in ruble terms, and U.S. and EU sanctions over Moscow’s interference in Ukraine have […]
» Read moreTRANSCRIPT: [Putin] New Year Address to the Nation
(Kremlin.ru – December 31, 2015) President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Citizens of Russia, friends, In a few moments, we will see in the New Year of 2016. The sensation of this wonderful moment between the past and the future is familiar since childhood. We look forward to it with joy, hope and excitement, believing in the best. Traditionally, we celebrate […]
» Read moreAbsent ‘Revolutionary Change,’ Russia’s Population Decline to Accelerate in Coming Decades, Experts Say
(Paul Goble – Staunton, January 1, 2016) Unless “revolutionary” steps are taken – something Moscow has shown no taste for given that it has spent less than half as much on boosting s than it did on the Sochi Olympiad – Russia’s demographic decline will accelerate in the coming years and its population will fall in this century to just […]
» Read moreRUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#2 :: Monday 4 January 2016
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#2 Monday 4 January 2016 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org – JRL […]
» Read moreRUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#1 :: Saturday 2 January 2016
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#1 Saturday 2 January 2016 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org – JRL […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK Forbes/Kenneth Rapoza: “Russia Gives Ukraine A Break On Fuel Costs, But Prices Likely Going Lower Anyway”
National Interest/Thomas Fedyszyn: “What Russia Said About NATO and Why It Matters”
NEWSLINK The Atlantic/Jeffrey Taylor: “The World According to Russia. A documentary on state television gives a glimpse of Vladimir Putin’s philosophy”
NEWSLINK BBC: “Russian security blueprint sees NATO expansion as threat”
RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#254 :: Thursday 31 December 2015
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#254 Thursday 31 December 2015 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org – JRL […]
» Read moreUkraine’s media: a plea for pluralism
Ukraine’s media is caught between propaganda and counter-propaganda. We need to stop this black and white thinking. (opendemocracy.net – Igor Burdyga – December 29, 2015) Igor Burdyga began his career as a journalist with Interfax-Ukraine in 2007 before moving to Kommersant-Ukraine. Since the fall of 2013, he has worked as a special correspondent for Vesti.Reporter, reporting on EuroMaidan, the annexation […]
» Read moreRUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#253 :: Wednesday 30 December 2015
[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#253 Wednesday 30 December 2015 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org – JRL […]
» Read moreRussia May Be Close to a Revolution But Not the One Opposition Hopes For, Sociologist Says
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, December 28, 2015) Given the increasing pessimism among Russians because of declines in their standard of living, Russia may be approaching a revolutionary situation, according to Yekaterina Dobrenkova; but the revolution may not succeed or it may turn out to be very different than the one the opposition hopes for. Earlier this […]
» Read more2015: The Year Putin Bounced Back
(RFE/RL – Carl Schreck – December 29, 2015) In December 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama fielded a question about Russia while addressing a group of American business leaders in Washington. President Vladimir Putin’s incursion into Ukraine and “backward-looking” policies, Obama said, are “isolating Russia completely internationally.” If it was Russian expansionism last year that triggered this isolation, it was Putin’s […]
» Read moreTwelve Things to Do on the 12 Days Of Christmas
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – December 28, 2015) 1. Have dinner on an ice-breaker yacht Take in the stunning Christmas lights of Moscow whilst meandering on the Moscow River on one of the new Radisson Hotel flotilla of ice breaking yachts that ply the water 365 days a year. You can dine in the on-board restaurant or simply just come […]
» Read more2015 in review: Eight key events in Russian culture
This year brought mixed fortunes for Russian culture, with successes in the realms of literature, art and ballet offset by the growing interference of the Orthodox Church in the cultural sphere. RBTH looks back at 8 important events in Russia’s cultural life in 2015 that had an international impact. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Oleg Krasnov – December […]
» Read moreInterax: Lavrov reveals the key Russian diplomacy task in 2015
(Interfax – December 28, 2015) The main objective of Russia’s foreign policy in 2015 was to secure the country’s leading role in the fight against terrorism; the actions of the Russian aviation group in Syria helped clear the situation in this regard, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. “The key objective of Russian diplomatic efforts was to secure the leading […]
» Read moreEight Shades of Crisis – Russia’s Year of Economic Nightmares
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Peter Hobson – December 26, 2015) [Charts here themoscowtimes.com/business/article/8-shades-of-crisis—russias-year-of-economic-nightmares/553703.html] Imagine Russia as a combustion engine. Oil and gas pumped from its vast territories wash through the economy as taxes, government spending and investment. Foreign currency from oil and gas sales is used to fund imported equipment and products on shop shelves. Cash from the energy […]
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