Category: Life in Russia, Culture, Arts

JRL NEWSWATCH: “Average bribe in Russia for 2018 is $9,000” – bne Intellinews

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections

“[The a]verage bribe in Russia is estimated by the Public Prosecution Service at RUB609,000 ($9,000), while the total amount of uncovered bribes in January-September 2018 stood at RUB1.8bn ($26.7mn), as reported by Vedomosti …. uncovered bribes increased by 3% year-on-year, with suspected bribetakers exceeding 1,000. Out of that more than 400 were law enforcement and military officials. …. [D]amage caused […]

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Grassroots Modernization

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

The rise of diversity and individualism in Russian society is undisputed. However, these new trends are observed, first and foremost, in the private sphere, in consumption, and in everyday practices, while the political realm remains “frozen.” (PONARS Eurasia – Maria Lipman, Maria Volkenstein – December 17, 2018) Maria Volkenstein is the President, CEO, and Founder of the VALIDATA Market Research […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin on Rap Music: It’s the Drugs That Really Bother Him” – New York Times/ Andrew E. Kramer

Drugs, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Podium with United Russia Logo, Gesturing

“Told that rap and hip-hop have grown wildly popular among Russian youth, and that … lyrics are rebellious, mention drugs and include many swear words … Putin mused about banning the music outright … then suggested … he might try to control it. ‘If it is impossible to stop, then we need to lead, and in an appropriate way, direct’ […]

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Putin Hails Solzhenitsyn As ‘True Patriot’ On Centenary Of His Birth

History, Soviet Union, Human Rights, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexander Solzhenitsyn file photo

(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – MOSCOW – Dec. 11, 2018 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/putin-solzhenitsyn-true-patriot-centenary-birth/29650018.html) President Vladimir Putin has praised late Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn as a “true and real patriot” after unveiling a statue honoring the Nobel Prize-winning author in central Moscow. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony marking the centenary of Solzhenitsyn’s birth, Putin […]

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RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “[Putin appearance:] Monument to Alexander Solzhenitsyn unveiled in Moscow” – KremlinRu

History, Soviet Union, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexander Solzhenitsyn file photo

(Kremlin.ru – December 11, 2018) The President attended the unveiling ceremony for a monument to Alexander Solzhenitsyn in Moscow’s Tagansky District on the 100th anniversary of the writer’s birth. The bronze monument sitting on a granite pedestal was designed by National Artist of Russia Andrei Kovalchuk. His project won the architecture and sculpture tender held in 2017 by the Union […]

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NEWSLINK: “Putin’s Filmmaker Speaks, Reveals Unseen Footage of Russian Leader’s Rise to Power; Rare insight from Vitaly Mansky, a former Kremlin propagandist, paints an extraordinary portrait of a president drawn ever deeper into dictatorship” – Daily Beast/ Nico Hines

History, Soviet Union, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Newslinks, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin » Read more
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RUSSIALINK: “Russian Autumn Fun: The Word’s Worth” – Moscow Times/ Michele A. Berdy

Environment, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Newslinks, Russian Language
File Photo of Autumn Leaves and Wooded Trail, With Patches of Sunshine or Sky, adapted from image at fws.gov by Steven C. Welsh :: www.stevencwelsh.info :: www.stevencwelsh.com

“Осень: autumn There are, I’ve heard, places on earth where weather is not a topic of conversation. I’ve heard that in some places a few degrees up or a few degrees down is pretty much the entire range of weather events. That is not Moscow. Погода (weather) can run your life, determine when and if you go outside, raise or […]

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Moscow has Complex System to Run Agents of Influence Abroad, Khmelnitsky Says

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Spies, Spy Allegations
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, August 26, 2018) As Moscow’s geopolitical isolation has increased, Dmitry Khmelnitsky says, the role of its agents of influence abroad and the enormously variegated organizations that recruit and direct them has increased far beyond what they were during the Cold War when anti-communism served as a constraint. “The Russian network of agents […]

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NEWSLINK: “The CIA funded a culture war against communism. It should do so again” = Washington Post/Sunny Bunch

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Newslinks, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of CIA Seal on Floor

“… Set aside the vaguely totalitarian suggestion that art must, by its nature, exist either in support of or opposition to the political establishment. Today, I’d like to focus on the CIA’s involvement in the Cold War’s culture war and think back to a better time, when ideas were taken seriously and art was considered transformative — and keep in […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Amazon Getting Ready to Launch ‘The Romanoffs’; The series breaks usual practices, formats, and genres” – Moscow Times

History, Soviet Union, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Romanov Family Photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – HOLLYWOOD – July 30, 2018) Amazon Studios’ much-anticipated original anthology series “The Romanoffs” will hit the world stage on Oct. 12, initially available in 200 countries simultaneously. Departing from the traditional television format, “The Romanoffs” will be presented in the Amazon Prime platform both in English and foreign languages, announced Matthew Weiner, its creator, writer, […]

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Elisabeth Schimpfossl: “New book: Rich Russians (OUP 2018)”

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Hand Pulling Cash from Envelope

Subject: New book: Rich Russians (OUP 2018) Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2018 From: Schimpfossl, Elisabeth <e.schimpfossl@aston.ac.uk> Would there be a chance to announce the UK launch of my book (26 July) on your mailing list? Rich Russians: From Oligarchs to Bourgeoisie (published by Oxford University Press) The first book to examine the legitimacy, social lives, lifestyles, ideologies, and families of […]

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NEWSLINK: “Saint Petersburg, Russia, Wins The World Cup Of Condensed Guides To European Culture” – Forbes/Gil Press

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Newslinks, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
St. Petersburg

:… Shamlikashvili … [is] the owner of Indigo Hotel which opened in 2014 as the first of InterContinental Hotels Group’s Indigo brand of boutique hotels in Russia. Like many entrepreneurs in the U.S., Shamlikashvili is an outsider and has arrived at her venture in a circuitous way. She grew up Jewish in Tbilisi, Georgia, and received both an MD from […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russia’s Summer Folk Head Out to the Dacha” – Moscow Times/Michele A. Berdy

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Newslinks
Siberian River, Forest, Mountain

“Дача: country cottage … Visitors to Moscow and other large Russian cities will notice two curious things in the summer: enormous traffic jams leading out of the cities on Thursday and Friday evenings, and empty cities on the weekends – with the exception of die-hard football fans, that is. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Grand Dacha Exodus. …”

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Why are Russians so stingy with their smiles?” – The Conversation/Samuel Putnam

JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Sports, Olympics, World Cup
File Photo of Russian Crowd, with Russian Flag Being Waved

“… In our psychology research, we’ve noticed a striking difference in how often people smile in the United States when compared to Russia. To Americans, it might be easy to assume that this says something about Russians – that they’re an unfriendly, callous people.  … that’s not the case ….  there are two likely explanations …. Different cultures have different […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “5 ways the football World Cup has transformed Moscow – for now” – Deutsche Welle

Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
File Image of Soccer Ball, Field, Stadium with Lights, adapted from image at fbi.gov

“‘This is a Moscow I don’t know’ has become the rallying cry of the Russian capital’s residents since the World Cup started. The tournament has seemingly pressed pause on laws – and has changed the city’s public space. …. In some of Russia’s host cities … reports of banners being hung and large fences being built to cover crumbling buildings. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “What does it mean to be a man in Putin’s Russia?”- The Daily Telegraph (UK)/Guy Kelly, Jon Jones

JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin and Pilot in Hang Glider Airborne Next to Flying Cranes

“… 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 […]

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Francis A. Boyle: “Solzhenitsyn at Harvard (JRL #105 item 31)”

History, Soviet Union, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
Alexander Solzhenitsyn file photo

Subject: Solzhenitsyn at Harvard (JRL #105 item 31) Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2018 From: Boyle, Francis A <fboyle@illinois.edu> Forty years ago, I went there just to hear him speak. Originally I was not going to bother to attend Harvard’s Commencement in June of 1978 just to pick up my Master’s Degree in Political Science from the Harvard Graduate School of […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russians taught how to smile ahead of World Cup” – The Telegraph (UK)/Alec Luhn

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Image of Soccer Ball, Field, Stadium with Lights, adapted from image at fbi.gov

“Russia has spent $12bn building stadiums, airports and roads in 11 cities for the World Cup, but it may be just as big of a challenge to put a smile on … faces …. [T]housands of volunteers and public transportation employees have been undergoing special lessons about smiling, being polite and saying key phrases in English. The results have been […]

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Behind the wire: pride and paranoia in one of Russia’s closed towns; Thousands of Russian citizens live in “closed towns.” I visited one of them, Lesnoye, to find out how people live today.

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Military, Nuclear, Missile Defense, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Montage of Radioactivity Symbol and Russian Map with Russian Flag, adapted from images at .gov sites

(opendemocracy.net – Ivan Chesnokov – May 16, 2018) Ivan Chesnokov is a Russian freelance journalist specialising in social issues and conflicts. His work has appeared in Takie Dela, the Moscow Times, RBTH, and other publications, and he is engaged in several multimedia journalism projects. [opendemocracy.net/od-russia/ivan-chesnokov/behind-the-wire] A shabbily dressed older man in a cap with ear flaps, looking like a character […]

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Russia’s Strange Obsession with Sobibór

History, Soviet Union, Human Rights, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Religion
File Photo of Reel of Film

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Izabella Tabarovsky, Senior Associate, Manager for Regional Engagement at The Kennan Institute – May 9, 2018) [Text with links kennan-russiafile.org/2018/05/09/russias-strange-obsession-with-sobibor/] A new Russian movie, Sobibór, is making its way into Russian theaters and European capitals. The big-budget, highly promoted film tells the story of a prisoner escape from the Nazi death camp Sobibór in October […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Shvydkoi upset that Bolshoi actors fail to get U.S. visas, sees explanations as ‘weak'” – Interfax

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Bolshoi Theater file photo

MOSCOW. April 23 (Interfax) – Russian Special Presidential Representative on International and Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoi said he was disappointed to learn that a number of Bolshoi Theater performers were unable to receive visas for a United States tour. “I was upset to learn that Bolshoi Theater actors did not receive visas for a U.S. tour,” Shvydkoi told Interfax. “The […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Acclaimed Russian ballerinas denied entry into U.S.” – Page Six/Oli Coleman

JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Bolshoi Theater file photo

“Amid roiling relations between the U.S. and Russia, two members of Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet – including one of its prima ballerinas – have been refused visas to perform in New York City …. Organizers of a Lincoln Center gala where Olga Smirnova and Jacopo Tissi were due to dance on Monday believe the Department of Homeland Security’s decision may be […]

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82% of Russians Favor Gender Equality in Families – Poll

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Couple in Hospital with Newborn

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 6, 2018) [https://wciom.ru/index.php?id=236&uid=116735] As many as 82 percent of surveyed Russians say they are in favor of gender equality within the family, according to a state-run poll published Tuesday. Despite high rates of divorce and abortion, Russia has positioned itself as a country of conservative family values against modern liberal trends. Russia was among […]

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NEWSLINK: “A Literary Road Trip Into the Heart of Russia; In the land of Tolstoy, Turgenev and now Putin, what are the stories Russians are telling themselves?” – New York Times Magazine/Karl Ove Knausgaard

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Newslinks
File Photo of Car on Road in Siberian Town

  “… Russia is still an enigmatic country to me. Every day there is news from Russia – we hear about Putin, about his imprisoned dissidents, about his meddling in the elections of his rivals – all of it serving the notion that ‘Russia’ is a singular, comprehensible, clear-cut entity. But what do the people who live inside of that […]

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The Worse Russians Live, The Happier They Are, VTsIOM Poll Suggests

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

(Paul Goble – Staunton, December 23, 2017) According to a poll conducted by the VTsIOM agency, Russians now have begun to feel even happier than they did before the onset of the crisis as measured by the different between those who tell sociologists that they are happy and those who say they are not. Valery Fedorov, the head of VTsIOM, […]

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NEWSLINK: “A Christmas Encounter With the ‘Russian Soul’; The man who found my wallet demanded an ‘honorarium.’ He learned a lesson when I stood firm.” – Wall Street Journal/ David Satter

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Newslinks, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Snowy Night on Red Square with Old St. Basil's Lit Up

“As tension with Russia deepens, it may seem as if Americans have little in common with those living under Vladimir Putin’s dictatorship. But I have witnessed the triumph of good over evil in Russia many times, including on one striking occasion 25 years ago this month, when an expression of the ‘Russian soul’ defused a dangerous situation and gave me […]

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NEWSLINK: “The Winds of Russian Change” – Moscow Times/ Michele A. Berdy

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Newslinks, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Crowd in Russia Including Person Waving Russian Flag with Eagle

  “… But when I do want to discuss change in Russian, I have to stop for a moment and think which word to use. I don’t know if Russians are better at dealing with change than other nations, but they sure have lots of ways of describing it. …”

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Russian Labor Official Tells Russians to Stop Partying and Start Working

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
File Image of Artist's Rendition of Champagne Glasses

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – November 22, 2017) Russians should spend more time at work if they want to be successful, the head of Rostrud, Russia’s Federal Labor and Employment Service, says. Next year, Russia will have 28 official national holidays. They include 10 days in early January when Russians celebrate the Orthodox Christmas and the country traditionally grinds to […]

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RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “[Putin at] Meeting with Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky” – KremlinRu

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Mayakovsky Theater at Night, file photo; adapted from image from Creative Commons/wikimedia/Shuvaev

(Kremlin.ru – November 13, 2017) Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky to discuss the ministry’s performance over the past nine months. President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Medinsky, three quarters have passed, and the year is drawing to a close. Any good news? Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky: With your permission, I would like […]

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Oscar Contender Andrei Zvyagintsev Feted in Hollywood

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Reel of Film

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ali Sar – HOLLYWOOD, November 13, 2017) Not many foreign film directors are easily recognized at public events here. But an exception is Russian moviemaker Andrei Zvyagintsev. At the American Film Institute’s annual festival fans approach him for his autograph, ask to take pictures with him and compliment him on his work. A newspaper reviewer […]

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Welcome to Gdov, where Russia comes to an end; Russia’s westernmost district is dying out – and with it, hopes for the country’s rebirth.

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(opendemocracy.net – Sergey Damberg – November 1, 2017) Sergey Damberg is a sociologist and graduate of St Petersburg and Bielefeld universities. He directs the Expertise sociological bureau, and is a researcher at Centre for Independent Social Research. In 2014-2015, Damberg was the general manager of Pskov Drama theatre. Together with Russian sociologist Sergey Damberg, we start a new column series […]

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The Evolution of Homo Sovieticus to Putin’s Man; The tumultuous decades have left their mark on Russians’ inner life

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Crowd in Russia Including Person Waving Russian Flag with Eagle

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Eva Hartog, Lev Gudkov – October 13, 2017) [Text with charts themoscowtimes.com/articles/the-evolution-of-homo-sovieticus-to-putins-man-59189] Lev Gudkov remembers sitting in his Moscow office as a young sociologist, surrounded by stacks of letters. It was 1989, and for the first time after decades of hushed conversation around kitchen tables, Russians had been asked for their opinions on a range […]

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Re: Russia’s Americans

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

Subject: “Russia’s Americans” Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2017 From: Deena Stryker <deenstryk@gmail.com> Recently Johnson’s Russia List ran a story about the dearth of Russian experts available to participate in serious projects seeking to mend US-Soviet relations. The fact that fewer college students are studying Russian than in former periods caught my attention because last May I travelled to Russia for […]

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NEWSWATCH: “The most controversial, anticipated film in years is coming soon to Russia. What’s it actually about? [Re: ‘Matilda’]” – Meduza/ Anton Dolin/ translation Kevin Rothrock

History, Soviet Union, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Reel of Film

“When it comes to cultural scandals in contemporary Russia, it’s hard to find anything so controversial as “Matilda,” a new film by Alexey Uchitel about the love affair between Nicholas Romanov, when he was still heir to the tsarist empire, and Matilda Kshesinskaya, a celebrated ballerina …. A campaign against the movie has raged for almost a year … * * […]

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In Soviet Times, Russian Children were More Like Adults; Now, Russian Adults are More Like Children, Psychologists Say

Children, Adoptions, Orphans, Education, Academia, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, September 21, 2017) Fifty years ago, Soviet psychologists conducted a major study of Russian children in the fourth and fifth classes; now, Russian psychologists have replicated that study and conclude that in Soviet times, Russian children were more like adults while now Russian adults are more like children. (kp.ru/daily/26734.4/3761099/). The 1967 study […]

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More than 50 Times as Many Russians Marched This Week for Animal Rights Compared to Those Who Did So Against Mathilda

Dogs, Cats, Pets, Animals, Strays, Shelters, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Dog at Animal Shelter Jumping Up on Person in Winter Clothing, With Beseeching Look

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, September 20, 2017) Novyye izvestiya reports today that there were two major demonstration efforts in Russian cities last weekend, protests against the showing of the film Mathilda and demonstrations calling for more laws to protect animals from abuse and mistreatment (newizv.ru/news/society/20-09-2017/107-2-s-takim-schetom-protivniki-matildy-ustupili-zaschitnikam-zhivotnyh). The former attracted enormous attention in the media, while the latter […]

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‘The Death of Stalin’ Comedy Has Russia’s Culture Ministry Bracing for Communist Backlash

History, Soviet Union, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
File Photo of Reel of Film

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – September 18, 2017) The Russian Culture Ministry’s public council should pre-screen a satirical movie on the death of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin to avoid repeating the ongoing controversy over a Tsar Nicholas II biopic, a senior council member told the Govorit Moskva radio station on Monday. Scottish director and writer Armando Iannucci’s “The Death of […]

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NEWSLINK: “Russian Art Fair Cosmoscow Celebrates Its Fifth Edition” – Forbes/ Ann Binlot

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Newslinks
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

“… Cosmoscow began in 2010 with just 28 galleries, and it was put on hiatus until 2014. From September 7 to 10, the only contemporary art fair in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States celebrated its fifth edition at Gostiny Dvor. Cosmoscow 2017 featured 54 galleries, 20 of them international, including Osnova Gallery, Pechersky Gallery, Sandy Brown from Berlin […]

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Russians have Sex but Don’t have Sex Education – and the Results are Disturbing

Children, Adoptions, Orphans, Education, Academia, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
Medical Symbol with Pole, Serpents, Wings, adapted from image at lanl.gov

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, September 2, 2017) In Soviet times, it was sometimes said, there was no sex; but there was at least in many periods sex education in the schools. But in post-Soviet times, there appears to be even more sex, although there is no sex education in the schools as a result of enormous […]

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In Russian-U.S. Standoff, Cultural Exchange Suffers; Major staff cuts have hit the U.S. Embassy’s cultural programs hard

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of U.S. Embassy Moscow, with Russian Foreign Ministry Building in Distance

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Maria Saltykova – September 1, 2017) The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is dramatically scaling back its cultural exchange programs in Russia after hundreds of diplomats were let go this week. The Embassy’s Public Affairs department on Aug. 28 announced to staff working on cultural and educational initiatives that it was scaling back from 15 to […]

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NEWSWATCH: “The Show Trial of a Russian Theater Director; If it is not clear by now, let me say it in no uncertain terms: The #Serebrennikov case is a show trial” – Moscow Times/ John Freedman

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

“The arrest of director Kirill Serebrennikov … created a firestorm of reaction …. Serebrennikov’s arrest is the latest development in an affair that went public in late May. At that time, he was questioned about funds allegedly embezzled from theater projects mounted by an entity called Seventh Studio, an offshoot of the Gogol Center, where Serebrennikov has been artistic director …. […]

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Interfax: Stage director Serebrennikov says charges brought against him absurd, asks court not to take him into custody

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

MOSCOW. Aug 23 (Interfax) – Stage director Kirill Serebrennikov, the art director of the Gogol Center theater, who has been charged with organizing the embezzlement of at least 68 million rubles allocated from the budget to Studio Seven, which he founded, for implementation of the Platforma theatrical project, has dismissed the charges as absurd. “The charges brought against me are […]

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Former Chess Champion Kasparov Set For Onetime Return From Retirement

Chess, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Chess Pieces File Photo

(Article ©2017 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – August 14, 2017 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/chess-kasparov-russia-us-croatia-putin/28674990.html) Former world chess champion and Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov is briefly coming out of retirement after 12 years. Kasparov, who dominated professional chess from 1985 to 2000, will compete in the Rapid and Blitz competition at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, […]

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NEWSLINK: “Three Questions: Russian intellectual history as a practice and project (Historia Nova Interviews)” – Nancy Condee/ NYU Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia

Education, Academia, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Newslinks
Bookcase file photo, adapted from image at nlm.nih.gov

“Background: On the fifth anniversary of the Historia Nova Prize, Irina Prokhorova poses three questions to the HN winners on the current state of intellectual history in Russian studies. …”

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Putin hasn’t Destroyed Russia but Rather Russia has Destroyed Him, Konchalovsky Says

Germany, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, August 3, 2017) Many people accuse Vladimir Putin of destroying Russia, film director Andrey Konchalovsky says; but instead “Russia has destroyed Putin” because like any Russian ruler, he finds it hard “rule a state whose population has no idea about democracy … and by according to inviolable tradition voluntarily delegates all power […]

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Americans in the USSR: Changing Hearts and Minds in the Midst of the Cold War (excerpt)

History, Soviet Union, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags, 200, 1807-2007

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Izabella Tabarovsky, Senior Associate, Manager for Regional Engagement at The Kennan Institute – July 24, 2017) This blog is a short version of a Wilson Quarterly article Walking in Each Other’s Shoes: wilsonquarterly.com/quarterly/the-lasting-legacy-of-the-cold-war/walking-in-each-others-shoes-through-the-iron-curtain-and-back/ For interview excerpts with the guides, please see and “A Tribe of the Exhibit People: American Guides Recall Soviet Journey”: wilsonquarterly.com/quarterly/the-lasting-legacy-of-the-cold-war/a-tribe-of-exhibit-people-american-guides-recall-soviet-journey/ In my […]

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NEWSLINK: “RUSSIANS ARE THE WORLD’S BIGGEST CAT LOVERS” – Dalia Research

Dogs, Cats, Pets, Animals, Strays, Shelters, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Newslinks
File Photo of Young Cat Amidst Tall Grass, adapted from image at cdc.gov

“Our latest survey shows that a majority (59%) of Russians own a cat. This is more than 10 percentage points higher than any other country in our survey of 52 countries. Surprised? Don’t be. In Russia, cats have been placed on a high pedestal since Empress Elizabeth’s reign in the 1700s, where felines prized for their mouse-catching abilities were brought to […]

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Most Russians Swear Under the Influence of ‘Strong Emotions’ – Poll

Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – July 18, 2017) Seventy-three percent of Russians use obscene language, according to a poll conducted by Public Opinion Foundation (FOM). Some 58 percent of 1,500 respondents said they use obscene language but “only under influence of strong emotions.” Sixty-five percent of respondents said they see nothing wrong with using profane language and 36 percent admitted […]

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Bad Weather Blamed for Moscow’s Summer Sadness

Environment, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Aerial View of Moscow From Beyond Stadium, file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – July 6, 2017) An unusually cold summer is partially responsible for a spike in Muscovites calling in for psychological help, RT reported, citing the director of the Moscow Psychological Aid Service Nina Petrochenko. The service received a total of 3,870 queries in June 2017, a 14 percent increase compared to the same month in 2016. […]

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