New bankruptcy law may bring Russians relief from debt collectors

Cash, Calculator, Pen

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – OLEG YEGÓROV, SPECIAL TO RBTH – October 26, 2015) Debt collectors in Russia often exceed their authority and resort to bullying, intimidation and even physical violence in order to force individuals to pay. However, a new law on individual bankruptcy is designed to help borrowers avoid such unpleasant encounters, though critics fear it […]

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BNE: Putin’s approval rating reaches all-time high of 90%

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – October 23, 2015) Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has soared to a historical peak of 89.9% on the back of his proclaimed anti-terror campaign in Syria, according to a new poll. The rating broke the last record of 89.1% registered in June 2015 as the Kremlin boss continues to defy Western opinion and […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#208 :: Monday 26 October 2015

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#208 Monday – 26 October 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 […]

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Will ‘Sunstroke’ Make the Oscar List?

File Photo of Reel of Film

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ali Sar – October 26, 2015) HOLLYWOOD – Nikita Mikhalkov’s film “Sunstroke” will be the director’s sixth submission to the Oscar competition and will give the renowned Russian moviemaker a chance to capture his second Academy Award. Unlike last year’s awards entry “Leviathan,” the story about a corrupt mayor of a small seaside fishing village, […]

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U.S. professor unveils Russian ‘Architecture at the End of the Earth’ in DC

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

William Brumfield presents new book on cultural heritage of Russia’s north. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ANNA SOROKINA, RBTH – October 23, 2015) William Brumfield presented highlights and stunning photos from his new book Architecture at the End of the Earth: Photographing the Russian North on Oct. 15 at the headquarters of the American Councils for International Education […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#207 :: Friday 23 October 2015

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#207 Friday – 23 October 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 […]

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Announcement of new Russian-language journal Kontrapunkt

Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

Subject: Announcement of new Russian-language journal Kontrapunkt Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2015 From: Cory Welt <cwelt@gwu.edu> New Russian-Language Journal of Politics & Society “Counterpoint” George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (IERES) is pleased to announce the first publication of Counterpoint (Kontrapunkt), a new open-access Russian-language journal of politics and society edited by Maria Lipman available at […]

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Putin’s Bipolar Disorder

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Brian Whitmore – October 21, 2015) Separatist leaders in Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia region announce they plan to hold a referendum on joining Russia. Kremlin-backed parties lead the polls in Moldova with the pro-Western government in Chisinau mired in corruption allegations. And Moscow appears to be getting its way on the implementation of the Minsk cease-fire […]

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Russia’s secret treason investigations; In Russia, the number of state treason cases is rising. Secret service tactics mean we know less and less about who is under investigation

File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

(opendemocracy.net – Gleb Belichenko – October 22, 2015) Gleb Belichenko is a journalist and former member of the activist group Team 29, which works to further freedom of information in Russia. Statistics for the past few years show that, in Russia, four to six people a year are put on trial for state treason. In 2014, this number rose sharply: […]

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Brothers Armed: Military Aspects of the Crisis in Ukraine. Second edition.

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

From: director@cast.ru (Ruslan Pukhov) Date: 20.10.2015 Subject: Brothers Armed: Military Aspects of the Crisis in Ukraine. Second edition. Brothers Armed: Military Aspects of the Crisis in Ukraine offers an in-depth look at the state of the military in both Russia and Ukraine, as well as the history, political circumstances and events leading to the annexation of Crimea and outbreak of […]

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Russian Academia Divided Over FSB Vetting of Research Papers

FSB Building file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Daria Litvinova – October 22, 2015) A report this week of research papers and scientific articles becoming subject to vetting by the Federal Security Service (FSB) before publication rattled Russian academics, coming on the heels of several cases in which people have been accused of espionage and treason in connection with their professional activities. The […]

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Moscow State University Tops Emerging Countries Ranking Rating

Moscow State University file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – October 22, 2015) Moscow State University (MSU) has topped a list of the 150 best universities of emerging countries in Europe and Central Asia by the Britain-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) education platform. MSU was given an overall score of 100, achieving perfect scores in the academic reputation, employer reputation and faculty/student ratio categories, the online […]

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Moscow’s Spending Cuts Undermining Russians’ Health and Reducing Life Expectancy

Medical Symbol with Pole, Serpents, Wings, adapted from image at lanl.gov

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, October 21, 2015) Guzel Ulumbekova, the head of the Russian Association of Professional Medical Societies, says that the health and life expectancy of Russians is directly related to the amount of government spending on health care and that as this amount is falling, their health is suffering and their life expectancies are […]

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Russian MinFin adjusts revenue for 2016 budget to 13.74 trln rubles, spending to 16.1 trln rubles

Anton Siluanov file photo

MOSCOW. Oct 22 (Interfax) – The Russian Finance Ministry has increased the parameters for the revenue and spending of the 2016 federal budget to 13.738 trillion rubles and 16.098 trillion rubles, respectively, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told journalists. “Revenue is 13.7385 trillion and spending is 16.0987 trillion rubles,” he said. Earlier the draft budget envisaged revenue of 13.57 trillion […]

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Has Russia’s economy turned the corner?

Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris in Moscow – October 22, 2015) Things are pretty grim in the Russian economy, but some of the country’s leading economists are wondering if Russia Inc has turned the corner some 10 months after the biggest devaluation of the ruble since the 1998 crash. “September seems to have been the starting point […]

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ASN 2016 World Convention Call for Papers (Deadline Reminder: 29 October)

Columbia University Campus with Main Building

Subject: To Post: ASN 2016 World Convention Call for Papers (Deadline Reminder: 29 October) Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2015 00:30:09 +0000 From: Dominique Arel <darel@uottawa.ca> To: davidjohnson@starpower.net <davidjohnson@starpower.net> Dear David: could you post this Deadline Reminder on JRL? Thanks, Dominique [A PDF of this announcement can be accessed at http://nationalities.org/uploads/documents/ASN16_Call_for_Papers.pdf] Call for Papers 21st Annual World Convention of the Association […]

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The Sakharov Center’s Direct View on Real Life

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Guido de Boer – October 21, 2015) [Photos here http://www.themoscowtimes.com/arts_n_ideas/article/the-sakharov-centers-direct-view-on-real-life/540002.html] With all the big exhibitions that opened this autumn as part of the 6th Moscow Biennale or as museum season openers, one small but interesting show might have been overlooked. It is an exhibition of photographs at the Sakharov Center called “Direct View.” The 11 […]

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Kremlin chief of staff sees little progress in implementation of Minsk agreements on Ukraine

File Photo of Sergei Ivanov, adapted from defense.gov image

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Sochi. Oct 22 (Interfax) – Moscow is not inclined at the moment to make optimistic forecasts regarding the developments in settling the conflict in Ukraine, as the Minsk agreements have yet to be fulfilled, and Kyiv needs to arrange contacts with Donetsk and Luhansk representatives, Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov says. “I would be cautious about making […]

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Communication, mutual aid channels to be established once agreement with U.S. Defense Department takes effect

Aerial Photo of Pentagon and Environs

(Interfax – October 20, 2015) A memorandum on flight safety in Syria, which was signed between Russia and the United States on Oct. 20, regulates all aircraft and drone flights in the Syrian airspace and aims to ensure flight safety, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov has said. “We consider it a positive step that the Russian Defense Ministry and […]

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Is Moscow looking to make Syria’s opposition a deal?

Syria Map

A recent meeting between a Russian presidential envoy and a Syrian opposition leader in Cairo has sparked much rumor and speculation. RBTH has polled Russian observers for their views on the reasons behind the meeting with opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Nadezhda Ustinova, Yekaterina Sinelschikova, RBTH – October 20, 2015) Speculation of […]

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Assad pays surprise visit to Moscow for Syria talks with Putin

Syria Map

Syrian president thanks Russian leader for assistance in fight against ‘terrorists’. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Igor Rozin, RBTH – October 21, 2015) Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad made an unexpected visit to Russia on Oct. 20 to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov revealed on Oct. 21. “The negotiations were rather long and […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#206 :: Thursday 22 October 2015

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2015-#206 Thursday – 22 October 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 […]

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The ABR (Anywhere But Russia) crew of fund veterans now punting in Pakistan, Iraq and Iran

Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Jason Corcoran in Moscow – October 21, 2015) Dedicated-Russia funds have become a rare species in the years following the 2008-2009 economic crisis. The country’s subsequent low growth, its current recession along with tumbling commodity prices and political isolation over Ukraine have almost led to their extinction. But what has become of these fund […]

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NEWSLINK Christian Science Monitor: Inside the Kremlin’s velvet grip, Russia’s civil society struggles to survive. Workers at Memorial, Russia’s leading human rights monitor, live under constant, unyielding pressure from the government, which is trying to stymie dissent.

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Ukrainian energy minister plans to prolong electricity contract with Russia

Electrical Yard file photo

(Interfax – October 20, 2015) Ukrainian Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn is planning to prolong the electricity import contract with Russia that expires on 31 December 2015, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported on 20 October. “We are planning to prolong the contract. Everything depends on further talks and contract conditions,” he said. Ukraine will need Russian electricity to meet peak demand […]

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Calculating the Cost of Russia’s War in Syria

Syria Map

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Peter Hobson – October 21, 2015) Russian air strikes in Syria are costing Moscow up to $4 million per day, data collated for The Moscow Times by a defense think tank showed. The figures by IHS Jane’s show that bombing raids, supply runs, infrastructure and ground personnel – along with a salvo of cruise missiles […]

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Interfax: Russian authorities know how to take inflation under control, to reach plan by yearend – Shuvalov

Igor Shuvalov file photo

MOSCOW. Oct 21 (Interfax) – The Russian authorities know how to take inflation under control; by the end of 2015 it will reach planned levels, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said at the State Duma on Wednesday. “I can say that in terms of growth rates and inflation – which concerned us most of all within the macro […]

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Russia’s Sole Sexual Assault Center Struggles to Make Ends Meet

Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Vasily Kolotilov – October 21, 2015) Russia has only one organization that exists specifically to help victims of sexual assault, and today, its fate hangs in the balance. The Sisters sexual assault recovery center in Moscow is eking out an existence, depending on modest donations and barely able to cover the rent and phone bill […]

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Russian deputy prime minister says no plans to raise pension age

Two Babushkas file photo

(Interfax – October 20, 2015) Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets has said that the Russian government is not yet planning to raise the pension age. “We are not planning this over the period of time we use for planning. No, we are not,” Golodets told journalists on Tuesday [20 October] when asked when the government was planning to resume discussions […]

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Putin to attend Valdai Club’s final plenary session on October 22

File Photo of Valdai Club Gathering at Long Tables in Large Hall Valdai Club Gathering at Long Tables in Large Hall

MOSCOW. Oct 21 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday will attend the final plenary session of the twelfth annual session of the Valdai International Discussion Club in Sochi, the Kremlin has said. The topic of this year’s Valdai conference is “Societies Between War and Peace: Overcoming the Logic of Conflict in Tomorrow’s World,” the Kremlin press office said. […]

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