(opendemocracy.net – Mikhail Loginov – August 24, 2013) Mikhail Loginov is a journalist and novelist based in St Petersburg. He is the author of the recently published bestselling political thriller “Battle for Kremlin”. Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake on the planet, is part of Russia’s DNA, and many romantic ballads sing of its size and beauty. Beyond the lake […]
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(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 23, 2013) Around 2.5 million liters of wine have been delivered by Georgia’s enterprises to the Russian market since Russia lifted its ban on Georgian wine imports, Gennady Onishchenko, head of the consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor and Russia’s chief epidemiologist, told Interfax on Friday. “A total of 690 shipments of alcohol products weighing more than 2.4 […]
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(Interfax – August 22, 2013) Russia’s membership in the World Trade Organization, the first anniversary of which was on Wednesday, has not had a negative impact on the country’s economy and there are no plans to reconsider the conditions of Russia’s accession to the trade body, the director of trade negotiations at the Economic Development Ministry, Maxim Medvedkov said in […]
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(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris in Moscow – August 22, 2013) Russia never does things by halves. Before the global crisis of 2008, the talk was of an economy overheating. But the latest data showing second-quarter GDP grew just 1.2% from a year ago suggests the country is sliding toward recession and the government seems, at first […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Guennadi Moukine – August 22, 2013) Small business representatives called for equality before the law and less interference from the government, sharing their concerns with Moscow mayoral candidate teams at a round-table discussion organized by the For an Honest Market movement Wednesday. The meeting was attended by mayoral candidate Sergei Mitrokhin of the liberal Yabloko […]
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(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, August 21, 2013) The Russian government’s failure to maintain the infrastructure that existed at the end of Soviet times is one of the primary reasons why this year’s flooding in the Russian Far East has inflicted so much damage and suffering on the population there, according to Moscow experts. Many Moscow commentators […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 22, 2013) Traders that have been looking for the shortest route from Asia to Europe since the days of Christopher Columbus and John Cabot may have finally found it, though the way may be colder than expected and the cargo will probably consist of less silk and spices. Yong Sheng, a 19,000 ton Chinese […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Irina Filatova – August 22, 2013) Russia could annul a free trade regime with Ukraine and scrap joint projects in a number of industries if Kiev signs an association agreement with the European Union, Kremlin advisor Sergei Glazyev was quoted as saying Wednesday. By signing the agreement which is slated for November Ukraine […]
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(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Nathan Gray – August 21, 2013) Growth in targeted investment is the key message of the 2013 American Express/CFO Global Business and Spending Monitor, scheduled for release in Russia this week. While businesses worldwide are still exercising caution, the report’s findings cite growing optimism among companies toward investment, with specialization in markets and value delivery […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 20, 2013) The Kremlin has held back a proposed program to give financial support to the most talented Russian students undertaking postgraduate degrees in top foreign universities, because there is no guarantee that the economy will benefit from the outlay, a news report said Tuesday. The program was aimed at raising the standard of […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Darya Novak, special to RBTH – August 20, 2013) Moscow, Saint Petersburg and The Golden Ring are the only option presented to you by your travel agency you must be thinking there has to be more to Russia than this? Well, you would be right! Russia Beyond The Headlines is launching the ultimate […]
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(Business New Europe – bne.eu – August 21, 2013) With Moscow about to vote for a new mayor this September, opposition blogger and candidate for the job Alexei Navalny is doing what he does best: exposing the sweet little earners that come from being well connected. In this case it is Anna Sobyanina, the daughter of Moscow’s incumbent mayor, Sergei […]
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(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – August 20, 2013) Russia’s economy, long one of the drivers of growth in the developing world, might already be in recession. Worse, the country’s leaders are offering no indication that they’re prepared to combat it. Identifying recessions can be difficult in Russia. The typical definition is two quarters of declining gross domestic product, […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anatoly Medetsky – August 21, 2013) As officials scowl at the cargo that goes out through foreign harbors, the government is making headway on a plan to build a $7 billion port on the Black Sea. The Port of Taman will open in 2019 to handle dry cargoes, such as grain and coal, Transportation Minister […]
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(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Olga Tanas – August 19, 2013) Russian consumer spending accelerated in July as unemployment unexpectedly fell and inflation eased to the slowest pace in eight months, boosting household purchasing power. Retail sales accelerated for a second month, growing 4.3 percent from a year earlier after a 3.5 percent increase in June, the Federal Statistics Service in […]
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(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 19, 2013) The Russian Federation Council has no more senators with foreign accounts and assets, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said. “Members of the Federation Council have complied with the demands of the federal law banning certain categories of citizens to have foreign accounts and assets. The limitations imposed by the law apply to senators as […]
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(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 19, 2013) At least 39 State Duma deputies were supposed to make decisions regarding their foreign assets and real estate abroad before August 19. A law, which came into effect on May 19, 2013, compelled deputies to abandon either their assets or their parliament seats. Deputies and public servants are permitted to have real estate abroad […]
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(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 19, 2013) Russians have paid attention to the ruble’s depreciation, which began in late June, but cannot explain its causes, sociologists said. Thirty-nine percent of the respondents polled in 130 towns and cities in 42 regions in July said they had noticed the ruble’s slide. The change was especially obvious to residents of cities with a […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Irina Filatova – August 19, 2013) President Vladimir Putin’s calls for domestic companies to repatriate their funds back home from offshore jurisdictions have fallen on deaf ears, with almost half of the $67 billion investment by Russian residents abroad in the first quarter of this year settling in the British Virgin Islands, according to figures […]
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(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Olga Tanas & Agnes Lovasz – August 19, 2013) Elena Dibova was ready to pledge her 15 million-ruble ($456,000) apartment to get financing for her metal-safe business. As her bank dragged its feet, she hit the roadblock companies across Russia face as the economy sinks. Corporate-lending growth has plunged as the weaker economy prompts banks to […]
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(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, August 16, 2013) Russian regions, most of which heavily rely on federal subsidies to survive, are funded in part based on how strongly they support the ruling United Russia party at elections, a new study claimed. The rule only applies to poorer regions with slow economic growth, according to the study by experts from the […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Marina Obrazkova, RBTH – August 16, 2013) Russians have become more relaxed about emigration yet contrasting opinions still exist. While some people are willing to abandon their native country in search of a better life, others find it difficult to think of leaving their families and friends behind. Almost 50 percent of […]
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(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Tim Gosling in Prague – August 15, 2013) Russia imposed restrictions on all Ukrainian imports, the Federation of Employers of Ukraine claimed on August 14. The escalation of Moscow’s trade war against its neighbour appears a bid to step up pressure on Kyiv to drop any ambition it has to move towards the EU. […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Anna Lisovets, special to RBTH – August 14, 2013) Russian markets have plenty to offer to their customers – fresh produce, variety and encounters with different cultures. RBTH presents this essential guide to help you navigate the best marketplaces in Moscow. The markets of Moscow have recently become a familiar topic for discussion […]
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(Interfax – MOSCOW, Aug 14, 2013) The number of convicts who have walked free under the so-called economic amnesty has now exceeded seventy, the press service for the Federal Service on the Enforcement of Punishments has reported. “Seven people who served their sentences in correctional establishments and 35 people registered with criminal enforcement inspectorates have been released under a decree […]
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(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, August 14, 2013) Many in the Russian Federation and the West were shocked when European countries recently published figures showing that thousands of Russians are now seeking asylum or at least permanent residence abroad, but Russian realtors say that behind these numbers is an even more disturbing one. Ever more wealthy Russians […]
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(RIA Novosti – WASHINGTON, August 13, 2013) Online U.S. retail behemoth Amazon is embarking on a “massive” expansion in the Russian books market and has already begun signing contracts with Russia’s largest publishing houses, a publishing industry website has reported. The Seattle-based firm has already signed an agreement with Rosman, one of Russia’s biggest publishers of children’s titles, for […]
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(Interfax – MOSCOW, Aug 13, 2013) Russia expects the EU countries to be able to overcome symptoms of crises in their economies and is willing to provide its assistance in this during its presidency of the G20, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. “We genuinely hope our European partners emerge from the period of stagnation as soon as possible. We […]
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(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, August 14, 2013) The vast majority of Russians see not paying their debts as an ethically unacceptable act, whereas they are much more willing to suspend moral judgment on tax evasion, a new poll showed Wednesday. Only 3 percent of the respondents said that leaving a debt unpaid was acceptable, compared with 95 percent who […]
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(Institute of Modern Russia – imrussia.org – Donald N. Jensen – August 13, 2013) Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Ukraine on July 27 to attend a joint commemoration marking the 1,025th anniversary of Russia’s conversion to Christianity. As Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, points […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Kirill Rudenko, RBTH – August 13, 2013) Over the 11 years during which the World Bank has compiled its Doing Business ratings, Russia has never been named among the 100 countries with favorable conditions for small and medium-sized businesses. Federal agencies and the Moscow government are now determined to change this. In mid-July […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Irina Filatova – August 13, 2013) A seven-story apartment complex on a quiet Moscow street just a five minute walk from the Cabinet building is widely known as the White House, not only thanks to the color of its facade. The house is reportedly home to high-profile government officials inhabiting vast apartments valued at millions […]
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(Interfax – MOSCOW. Aug 13, 2013) Nearly half of Russians (47%) think their rights cannot be protected in the majority of cases, and 38% claim the opposite. Twenty-four percent said their rights had been breached in the past 24 months and only 7% managed to defend themselves, the Public Opinion Foundation said in comment on a poll of 1,500 respondents […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Irina Filatova – August 12, 2013) Russia has recorded another quarterly decline in its economic growth rate, fueling concerns about a possible recession and casting doubt on President Vladimir Putin’s hopes to attain annual growth of 5 percent over the next few years. The negative dynamic could intensify pressure on the government and the Central […]
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(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, August 8, 2013) At the present time, there are approximately 30 territorial disputes among Russia’s federal subjects, a situation that makes changing borders anywhere a such an extremely dangerous proposition that one Moscow commentator calls these conflicts “a slow acting bomb under Russian sovereignty” as a whole. Indeed, Ruslan Gorevoy argues in […]
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(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Dan Wisniewski – August 6, 2013) Moscow’s efforts to develop its eastern regions over the last couple of centuries could be encapsulated in the rallying cry “Go east, young Russians!” But perhaps nowadays that might be rephrased as “Go east, young Uzbeks,” according to EurasiaNet’s Evgeny Kuzmin. Kuzmin notes that more and more Central Asian migrants […]
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(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Ilya Arkhipov & Olga Tanas – August 2, 2013) Russian President Vladimir Putin is showing his gamesmanship on a global stage by giving his voters what they want with the asylum granted to ex-U.S. contractor Edward Snowden, while leaving the White House flustered. The decision is backed by almost twice as many Russians as those against […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Michael Bohm, Opinion Page Editor – August 2, 2013) Russians have had trouble shaking off one stereotype for centuries: razgildyaistvo, or negligence and carelessness. Razgildyaistvo, some say, is as Russian as long, cold winters a Russian institution of its own making. How accurate is this stereotype? Prominent historian and journalist Leonid Mlechin perhaps put […]
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(Interfax – SELIGER, Tver region, Aug 2, 2013) The main problems in Russia are corruption, low incomes of citizens and insufficient infrastructure development, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. “The first issue and first problem is the fight against corruption, which is eating our society and state system. The second issue – and all this is interrelated – is low incomes […]
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(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, August 2. 2013) The Russian government appeared to renew its support for the Skolkovo innovation hub Thursday as Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev told the Cabinet that the embattled project would be included in a state program and receive 502 billion rubles ($15.2 billion) of funding through 2020. The brainchild of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Lena Smirnova – August 2, 2013) Russians were promised lower prices when the country joined the World Trade Organization, but one year on prices continue to rise at least for consumers. Increased competition from WTO members is lowering wholesale prices and putting huge pressure on domestic producers, but consumers continue to pay the same […]
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(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, Aug. 1, 2013) Most Russians have negative views regarding the influx of labor migrants, millions of whom come from former Soviet republics in Central Asia to seek a better living in Russia, according to the results of a state survey published Thursday. About two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents to the poll, conducted last month, said […]
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(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 30, 2013) Income disparity in Russia increased slightly in the first six months of the year compared with the same period last year, Rosstat reported. The 10% of Russians with the highest incomes accounted for 30.4% of all income in the six months. The first half results in previous years were 30.2% in 2012, 29.8% in […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – July 31, 2013) Russian industry’s main economic indicators do not suggest it is on its way to recovery in the second half of 2013. Low demand for industrial goods remains the main challenge for Russian businesses according to a poll conducted by the Gaidar Institute. The poll showed that in July demand was at its […]
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(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 30, 2013) The majority of Russians deems ruble devaluation possible and anticipates a threat to family budgets, Romir Holding said. Approximately two-thirds of the 1,000 respondents (64%) polled in seven federal districts in July said ruble devaluation was possible and 13% of them argued that it was inevitable. Twenty-five percent did not expect a crisis, and […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Guennadi Moukine – July 31, 2013) Removing obstacles that inhibit the development and operation of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Russia is the key to economic recovery, an Italian expert said. Small businesses were instrumental in rebuilding the Italian economy and transforming a mainly rural nation into an industrial powerhouse in the 1960s, a period […]
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(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Tom Balmforth – MOSCOW – July 29, 2013) Western lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activists are ratcheting up the pressure on Russia over laws outlawing “gay propaganda.” Among the tactics: an online campaign to “dump Russian vodka” calls for a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, while another campaign urges a visa ban […]
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(Business New Europe – bne.ru – Ben Aris in Moscow – July 30, 2013) [Charts here http://www.bne.eu/storyf5224/Europes_west_is_doomed_and_its_east_might_not_make_it] It’s not going well. Governments around the world have had six years to make a dent in the huge debts they built up during the 2008 crisis, but in the first half of this year those debt levels have increased and the pace […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Maria Shpigel, special to RBTH – July 30, 2013) Against the background of crises in the developed economies, Russia, with its high oil revenues, looks promising for the development of the services sector. The majority of micro and small enterprises operate in the services sector, because it is here that the cost of […]
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(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 29, 2013) One in two Russians gives three (out of five) to the existing economic situation in the city, town or village where the respondent lives, the majority do not feel confidence in tomorrow and their social activity is decreasing, Levada Center sociologists told Interfax. According to the results of the poll held on July 18-22 […]
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