RUSSIALINK: “Most Russians Say Their Country is Isolated – Poll” – Moscow Times
A majority of Russians believe that their country is isolated on the world stage, according to an independent poll […]
» Read moreTag: Russia’s Image
JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Registers World’s First Covid-19 Vaccine Despite Safety Concerns” – Wall Street Journal/ Thomas Grove
“Officials in Russia and the West express alarm at the speed the vaccine was developed.” “[With Putin’s blessing,] Russia registered the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine … amid [anticipation, skepticism and ] safety concerns …. Moscow’s [state-run] Gamaleya Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology developed the vaccine … [with] military testing, accelerated clinical evaluations and shortened trial times …. Russia [plans] … […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russians are ashamed of the ‘eternal poverty’ of their country” – bne Intellinews
“… The collapse of the Soviet Union and the loss of superpower status was … humiliating … Putin has played on [that] with actions like the annexation of Crimea and the war in Syria, to restore some sense of national pride. However, a … Levada Center [poll] this month found that Russians continue to be ashamed of their ‘eternal poverty’ […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Says World Cup Has Broken Stereotypes About Russia” – Reuters
“… Russia’s host nation status had been met with resistance by some in the West … suggest[ing] the tournament could be unsafe and play into the hands of Putin … accused by Washington of conducting ‘malign activities’ around the world. … the month-long tournament … has so far been without major security incidents. Concerns about racism and hooligan violence … […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “The real World Cup losers: The Russian people” – Washington Post/Frank A. Guridy, Tinatin Japaridze
“… Putin’s bet that the World Cup will produce a win for his government is a big gamble. The global political climate of 2018 is very different than the environment that existed when Russia was awarded the World Cup eight years ago, or even four years ago when Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed the Crimean Peninsula after hosting the 2014 […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “What does it mean to be a man in Putin’s Russia?”- The Daily Telegraph (UK)/Guy Kelly, Jon Jones
“… Putin in your mind’s eye …. Most likely … a thick-set, waxy figure waddling about in a dark suit and chilly frown, doing … what he wants on the world stage, regardless of the ramifications. Or perhaps it’s Sporty Putin, wearing a judo gi … black belt prominent, putting some poor serf in a choke-hold. Or is it the […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Is Vladimir Putin’s Russia in decline? We figured out how to measure ‘national power.'” – Washington Post/Simon Saradzhyan, Nabi Abdullaev
“… Overall, here’s what we found. The claims of Russia’s imminent demise seem unfounded – all but one model showed that Russia’s power vis-a-vis the world as a whole has grown in the 21st century. And all our models showed that Russia’s power has risen vis-a-vis Western nations. In absolute terms, all four methods showed Russia’s power to be less […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “About half of Russians confident Russia has status of great power – poll” – Interfax
MOSCOW. May 21 (Interfax) – About half of Russian citizens are confident that Russia maintains the status of a great power; about a quarter of those polled identified the army as one of the key factors of power, while 17% of respondents named the president’s activities, according to the Russian Public Opinion Research Center’s (VCIOM) poll, the results of which […]
» Read more“The World has Stopped Loving or Even Respecting Russia and Putin,” Shevtsova Says
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, May 3, 2018) Polls show that countries around the world not only have stopped loving or even respecting Russia and Putin but are increasingly ill-disposed to both, Liliya Shevtsova says, a trend that limits Russia’s options however much some in Moscow think they can ignore the attitudes of others or can compel them […]
» Read moreAll Russians Are Tainted by Putin’s Regime
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – June 21, 2016) The International Olympic Committee’s decision to let Russian athletes compete in the Rio Olympics if they can prove that they haven’t used performance-enhancing drugs won’t be popular with other countries. Nonetheless, it was the right call. But it also carries some unpleasant undertones: It formally requires Russians to prove that […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK The Guardian/Mary Dejevsky: “How do people see Russia? Eurovision gave one answer. Ukraine triumphed – but the popular vote suggested a more nuanced view of Russia than has often been assumed.”
NEWSLINK RBTH/Gazeta.ru: “Russia ranks among the top 25 best countries in the world”
Two-Thirds of Russians Think Their Country Is Great Power
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – November 30, 2015) Russians are more convinced than at any time in recent history that their country is a great power, as enthusiasm over military campaigns in Ukraine and Syria seems to outweigh worries about a deep economic slump. Sixty-five percent of Russians surveyed by the independent Levada Center pollster said Russia was a great […]
» Read moreResponse to Gordon Hahn’s post [JRL#159; Re: Pew Poll on Russia, Putin, Global Image]
Subject: Response to Gordon Hahn’s post [JRL#159] Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2015 12:07:07 -0400 From: Steve Shabad <steve.shabad@verizon.net> I find Gordon Hahn’s criticism of the WaPo report on the Pew poll about Russia and Vladimir Putin, while technically correct on some points, erroneous in its thrust and misguided. He makes a series of highly objectionable points, and misses the forest […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK Gallup: Russia Receives Lowest Approval in World; U.S. Highest
Russia in 2014 earned the lowest approval ratings globally for the eighth consecutive year and posted the highest disapproval ratings it has received to date. U.S. leadership received the highest approval rating in the world, with the median 45% approval topping ratings of the leadership of the European Union, Germany, Russia and China — as it has most years since […]
» Read moreForeign Russia Investors Warn Over Nemtsov Killing
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Howard Amos – March 3, 2015) Businessmen and investors said Monday that the killing of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov by the walls of the Kremlin last week will further worsen Russia’s battered investment climate and create more uncertainty in a market suffering from Western sanctions and an economic recession. “We are already in a period […]
» Read moreWar in Ukraine obstructing Russian economic recovery, say analysts
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Alexei Lossan, RBTH – March 2, 2015) The war in Ukraine is impeding attempts to improve the business climate in Russia, according to the head of the Moscow State University Department of Economics, Alexander Auzan. The Russian authorities therefore have to invest in infrastructure projects in order to overcome the crisis, say analysts. […]
» Read moreKremlinphobia, russophobia and other states of paranoia; The Russian government likes to regularly accuse the West of being ‘russophobic.’ They’re right, but not for the reasons they think.
(opendemocracy.net – Natalia Antonova – November 21, 2014) Natalia Antonova was born in Kyiv and grew up in North Carolina. She works as a journalist and playwright. ‘Russophobia’ has become a charge as common as fascism in the information war between Russia, Ukraine and the West. The accusation brings to mind the tale of the boy who cried wolf. The […]
» Read moreCensorship Fears Mount as Officials Move to Tackle ‘Negativity’ in Russian Media
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – October 18, 2014) Days after President Vladimir Putin signed a law forcing foreign companies to sell stakes in Russian media, members of Russia’s upper house of parliament have advocated applying state pressure to combat a glut of “negative” news that is poisoning the country’s image, a news report said Friday. The proposal’s mastermind, Igor Chernyshev, […]
» Read moreMost Russians Believe Foreigners View Country Favorably, Poll Shows
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – October 9, 2014) A poll published Wednesday revealed that a majority of Russians believe their country is perceived as “interesting” abroad, while few believe foreigners think Russia is “authoritarian.” The poll’s results, which showed that most Russians believe the country is viewed favorably abroad, may be a surprise to some in light of the West’s […]
» Read moreRussia’s International Reputation Hits 9-Year Low, Poll Shows
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – June 5, 2014) Russia’s global reputation has deteriorated markedly in the past year, according to the results of a poll published Wednesday. Across 23 countries, 45 percent of respondents viewed Russia in a negative light, according to a survey commissioned by the BBC World Service and conducted by consulting firm GlobeScan/Pipa. Negative views of Russia […]
» Read moreForeigners View Russia as ‘Unpredictable,’ Overseas Cooperation Head Says
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 13, 2014) Foreigners perceive Russia as “unpredictable and aggressive” and it will take Moscow years to improve on this image, the head of a state agency for overseas cooperation has said. The head of Rossotrudnichestvo, Konstantin Kosachyov, whose agency was established in part to improve Russia’s image abroad, offered no criticism of Russia’s intervention […]
» Read moreInterfax: Major sporting events boost Russians’ sense of dignity, nation’s openness to world – Putin
SOCHI. Feb 24 (Interfax) – Events such as the Sochi Olympics demonstrate to the whole world that Russia is no stranger to hospitality and success, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. “Events such as this are certainly of a nationwide nature, uniting people around absolutely positivity, boosting our sense of dignity while at the same time showing our country’s openness to […]
» Read moreSochi Winter Olympics kick off as the Games of Hate
(Business New Europe – Moscow blog – bne.eu – Ben Aris – February 7, 2014) The Sochi Winter Olympics kick off today February 7, but they have already turned from being a trial of human endeavour into a celebration of the hatemongering that pervades the coverage of Russia. Radio Liberty has published a useful page on its website that simply […]
» Read moreInterfax: Russians still proud of their country, though number decreasing – survey
MOSCOW. Nov 22 (Interfax) – Russians are more proud of living in Russia than of Russia itself, sociologists said. The share of Russian citizens who are not proud of their country has recently grown notably – from 34% in 2010 to 40%, while 53% respondents (against 88% in 2010) are proud of contemporary Russia, the Levada Center told Interfax following […]
» Read moreKremlin denies paying PR firm to embellish Russia’s international image
(Interfax – MOSCOW, September 14, 2013) The Russian president’s office has denied allegations that it has paid public relations firm Ketchum $23 million from the state treasury for embellishing Russia’s image abroad. “Ketchum doesn’t get any money from the presidential administration. We continue to cooperate with them but there is no direct state spending on this cooperation,” President Vladimir Putin’s […]
» Read moreHow much does the rest of the world hate Russia?
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris – September 11, 2013) How much does the rest of the world hate Russia? Answer: a lot. This excerpt below is part of an internal memo by a major US bank, which will remain nameless, to clients on the results of the Moscow mayoral elections at the weekend. What is supposed to […]
» Read moreSyrian position affects Russia’s image abroad
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Marina Obrazkova, RBTH – September 9, 2013) According to a survey, the worst attitudes toward Russia are expressed, ironically, by people in countries where Russian tourists traditionally go: Israel, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt. Experts explain this by the nuance that participants in the survey primarily evaluated not the country and its inhabitants, but […]
» Read moreRussia’s Global Image More Negative than Positive – Poll
(RIA Novosti – WASHINGTON, September 3, 2013) Russia’s image among citizens of other countries has taken a beating in recent years, with people in 39 countries around the world more likely to have negative opinions of Russia than positive ones, a survey published here Tuesday showed. The slump in other countries’ perception of Russia comes as Moscow takes a […]
» Read moreVladimir Putin and Europe: Winning the image battle?
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Katerina Ryzhakova, Toma Genole, special to RBTH – July 18, 2013 – Toma Genole is a political scientist and professor at the Paris Institute of Political Sciences. Katerina Ryzhakova is a communications consultant.) Outdated stereotypes served by the mass media leave Europe with an often inaccurate and incomplete image of Russia, which in […]
» Read moreAttitudes to Russia Worsening, Poll Says
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – May 23, 2013) People’s attitudes to Russia’s global role continue to deteriorate, particularly in the U.S., according to a poll conducted in 25 countries by the BBC. Respondents in only eight of the countries polled had predominantly positive perceptions of Russia, while in 15 countries people expressed negative views, Gazeta.ru said. Overall, only 30 percent […]
» Read moreKremlin Grapples With Series of PR Disasters
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – May 22, 2013) Rainbow flags were flown at half mast to mark President Vladimir Putin’s visit last month to Amsterdam, widely known as a city of open minds that take pride in enjoying free love. Thousands of brightly dressed Dutch activists gathered outside the Amstelhof, the site of Putin’s dinner with Queen […]
» Read moreWithout an Inspiring Project, Russia Will Disintegrate, Moscow Scholar Says
(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, March 14, 2013 – http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2013/03/window-on-eurasia-without-inspiring.html) Unless Russia’s “ruling class” comes up with a sufficiently grandiose project capable to inspire the population and give it a new “passionate impulse,” there is little chance that the country will remain “a unified state,” according to a scholar at the Presidential Academy of Economics and State […]
» Read moreFrom ‘Upper Volta with Missiles’ to ‘Nigeria with Snow’
(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, February 28, 2013 – http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2013/02/window-on-eurasia-from-upper-volta-with.html) Twenty-five years ago, German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt characterized the Soviet Union as being an “Upper Volta with missiles.” Now, Russian analysts, in response to findings of a Swiss firm, have suggested that a better analogy might be between the Russian Federation and a “Nigeria with snow.” The […]
» Read moreRussia needs to promote its positive image abroad – Putin
NOVO-OGARYOVO. Feb 11 (Interfax) – President Vladimir Putin has emphasized the need for “soft force” mechanisms in Russian Foreign Ministry operations. “Obviously, ‘classic’ diplomacy is, if not particularly out of date, then seriously transformed. You and your colleagues have to deal with the economy, developing business relations, supporting various economic projects and opening new promising markets,” Putin told Russian Foreign […]
» Read moreRussia Hires Goldman as Corporate Broker to Boost Image
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Jason Corcoran – February 4, 2013) Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (G) has been hired by the Russian government to burnish the nation’s image overseas and attract more institutional investors. The bank has signed a three-year agreement with the Economy Ministry and the Russian Direct Investment Fund to advise on issues such as communicating government decisions and […]
» Read moreVodka, Banya and Bears as Seen By Foreign Eyes
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Aliide Naylor – February 4, 2013) When I met the collective of 25 young people who traveled across Russia in one month and had just arrived after a three-day train trip from Irkutsk, they were, understandably so, at first more preoccupied with eating dinner, washing, shaving and finishing their film edits. These young people are […]
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