Month: April 2013

JRL E-Mail Newsletter Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List 2013-#61 – 3 April 2013

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#61 :: 3 April 2013 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net JRL homepage: www.russialist.org JRL on Facebook: www.facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: http://russialist.org/funding.php POLITICS 1. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: What the Papers Say, Apr. 3, 2013. 2. National Public Radio: Once Championed By Putin, Medvedev Falls Precipitously Out Of Favor. 3. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Is Putin trading […]

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Low Life Expectancy Continues To Plague Former Soviet Countries

Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse
Chest X-Ray of Tuberculosis Patient file photo

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Eugen Tomiuc – April 2, 2013) More than two decades after the fall of communism, most former Soviet countries still have mortality rates significantly higher than those in Western Europe. Cardiovascular disease, high infant-mortality rates, infectious diseases, and a decrease in the quality and financing of public health-care systems were the main factors driving the trend, […]

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Afghan heroin claims over 1 mln lives since NATO operation began in 2001 – Russian drug control chief

Afghanistan, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse
Map of Afghanistan and Environs

(Interfax – MOSCOW. April 3, 2013) Over one million people have died from Afghan heroin in the world since 2001 and the NATO operation against drug production in Afghanistan is ineffective, Russian Federal Drug Control Service Chief Viktor Ivanov said. “Since the 2000s, since the beginning of the Enduring Freedom operation in 2001, over one million people have died from […]

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West adjusts ‘Libyan scenario’ to Syria – Pushkov

Middle East, North Africa, Syria
File Photo of Bashar al-Assad and Sergei Lavrov

MOSCOW. April 2 (Interfax) – The West has opted for a course to overthrow Bashar al-Assad by supporting rebels, not by launching a military operation, said Alexei Pushkov, the chairman of the State Duma’s International Affairs Committee. “Apparently, the stage of political maneuvers is drawing to its close. The West is passing over to a modified Libyan scenario in Syria […]

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Russia refuses to sign on UN conventional arms treaty renewal

Arms Trade, Military Aid, United Nations
Russian Helicopter file photo

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – April 3, 2013) Russia and west continue drift into Cold War stand off after the Russian delegation abstained from voting to renew the International Arms Trade Treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on April 2. The document covers conventional arms of the UN member countries and introduces general standards for deals with […]

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US Ambassador to Moscow McFaul: Learning to be Less Clear

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

(Marc Bennetts, RIA Novosti, MOSCOW, March 28, 2013) ­ US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul’s official residence in Moscow is Spaso House, a Neoclassical Revival mansion that served as the setting for a ball hosted by the devil in Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel, “Master and Margarita.” An apt home, some might say, for a man who has been demonized by state-run […]

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Russia, China should convert political understanding into specific cooperation results – Russian deputy foreign minister

China
China Map

(Interfax – MOSCOW. April 3, 2013) Russia believes the results of the Russian-Chinese summit conducted in March 2013 indicate continuity in the approaches adopted by the new Chinese administration to relations with Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said. “The visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping became a landmark event in the development of Russian-Chinese relations. With regard for […]

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Putin’s Top Bank Nominee Urges Growth Model Rethink

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Elvira Nabiullina file photo

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, April 3, 2013) ­ Former Economics Minister Elvira Nabiullina, nominated by President Vladimir Putin to head the country’s Central Bank, said on Wednesday Russia needed to rethink its model for growth amid the current global economic uncertainty and mounting problems in the eurozone. “We need to change our economic growth model and get focused on internal […]

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Russian Economic Slowdown A Worry, But Is No Recession – First Deputy PM

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Igor Shuvalov file photo

(RIA Novosti Yakutsk, April 2, 2013) The government is concerned about a slowing of economic growth in Russia at the start of 2013, however it does not signify a recession, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov told journalists. In January-February, GDP growth in Russia stood at 0.9 per cent compared to last year’s figure of 4.3 per cent, and in […]

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Arrival of effective owners a must in privatization – Medvedev

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Empty Boardroom

YAKUTSK. April 2 (Interfax) – Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the arrival of an effective owner is a must when state companies are being privatized; the government, however, cannot force any decisions on businesses. “No one can force any decisions on anyone. We want our businesses to be socially responsible, but we cannot institute this by passing decrees,” Medvedev told […]

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All dissidents now: Russia’s protests and the mirror of history

History, Soviet Union, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(opendemocracy.net – Tom Rowley – March 29, 2013) Tom Rowley is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge. His work investigates how dissidents are remembered in Russia from perestroika to the present day. THE CEELBAS DEBATE // How far does the current clash between the opposition and authorities reflect Russia’s history of dissidence?  Tom Rowley considers the importance of […]

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Sequel on Vampires Puts Spotlight on Kremlin Opposition

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
Map of Russia

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Bratersky – April 3, 2013) He never appears for the presentation of his books. His interviews, even short ones, are often literally a sensation and some people even question his very existence. In modern Russia, Viktor Pelevin is considered a cult figure and many of his books, from “Omon Ra,” a touching and grotesque […]

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Ombudsman Lukin calls for freeing Pussy Riot members on parole

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Religion
File Photo of Pussy Riot Members in Courtroom Enclosure, With Man Showing Papers to One While Female Guard Looks On

(Interfax – MOSCOW, April 2, 2013) Russian Human Rights Commissioner Vladimir Lukin has called for granting parole to the women from the Pussy Riot female punk band, who were earlier sentenced to two years in prison each for their stunt at the Christ the Savior Cathedral. “We expressed our disagreement with the court ruling convicting these two ladies, because we […]

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Courts and Prisons the Focus of Human Rights Complaints

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights
Russian Jail File Photo Showing Outer Wall, Windows, Barbed Wire

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Yekaterina Kravtsova – April 3, 2013) Unfair court judgments, poor prison conditions and abuse of authority by law enforcement officials were among the main complaints received by Kremlin human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin last year, which he said in an annual report was the “most difficult” for him since taking his post in 2004. Last […]

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Ombudsman Lukin asks NGOs to assess their inspections by law enforcement

Human Rights, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Lukin file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, April 2, 2013) Russian Human Rights Commissioner Vladimir Lukin has called on non-governmental organizations (NGO) to assess their ongoing inspections by law enforcement and tax agencies. “We have asked human rights organizations that have been subjected to inspections to send us documents and tell us how the inspections were conducted, how the law was abided by, and […]

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Putin Ramps Up Declaration Requirements

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Hands Opening Envelope Containing Cash

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – April 3, 2013 – Jonathan Earle) President Vladimir Putin has expanded declaration requirements for more than 1.3 million state employees and given the Kremlin the power to demand and check disclosures, significant steps toward carrying out the government’s stalled anti-corruption plan. While the government hailed the moves, laid out in two decrees signed by Putin […]

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Russian official testifies in Magnitsky’s alleged tax evasion trial

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Interfax – April 1, 2013) A former member of the government of Russia’s Kalmykia republic has confirmed during the Sergei Magnitsky tax evasion trial that the registration of the Dalnyaya Step and Saturn Investments companies in Kalmykia as investment firms involved document forgery. Magnitsky, who was an external auditor for British investment fund Hermitage Capital and died in a Moscow […]

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Spring Draft Highlights Class, Ethnic Divides in Russian Federation

Military
File Photo of Russian Military Conscripts Boarding Train with Gear

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, April 2, 2013 – http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2013/04/window-on-eurasia-spring-draft.html) Moscow is now conducting its spring draft of young men for the uniformed services, one that is highlighting class and ethnic divides among the population of the Russian Federation, a greater willingness on the part of both sides of these divides to speak out, and efforts by […]

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More Russian politicians blog at their own risk

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Dmitry Romendik, special to RBTH – April 2, 2013) Having a blog is a modern trend in Russia’s politics. Yet sometimes it results in high-profile scandals. Having a blog is the new fashion among Russian politicians, who are creating increasing numbers of accounts on social networks. Yet this cutting-edge form of reaching out […]

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Governor’s Favorite Declared Mayoral Vote Winner

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Arm and Torso of Person in Brown Sweater Placing Paper Ballot into Ballot Box

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Natalya Krainova – April 2, 2013) Governor Andrei Vorobyov’s preferred candidate was on Monday declared the winner of a small town mayoral election marred by allegations of widespread fraud. Sunday’s election in the Moscow region town of Zhukovsky, 25 kilometers southeast of the capital, was seen as a litmus test of people’s trust in the […]

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Raids on opposition spread to regions

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Map of Russia

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Anna Arutunyan – April 2, 2013) Russian law enforcement authorities have widened their search for opposition figures involved in the violent May 6 protest rally last year, with a series of raids in at least four regional cities, activists said. The raids were part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the violence that broke out […]

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Traffic Law Enforcement Disparity ‘Destabilizes’ Society

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime
Moscow Traffic file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Yekaterina Kravtsova – April 1, 2013) In a meeting with traffic police on Friday, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said the preferential treatement given to certain “categories of people” for traffic violations significantly destabilized society. He did not specify which categories he was referring to, but in recent years there have been numerous cases in which […]

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Putin Signs Law Allowing Regions to Cancel Governor Polls

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
Arm and Torso of Person in Brown Sweater Placing Paper Ballot into Ballot Box

MOSCOW, April 2 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a law that allows regions to decide whether they want to elect a governor by a direct popular vote or let regional legislatures choose them from nominees approved by the president. The State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament whose members initiated the bill, passed […]

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Russia takes yet another step against corruption

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime
Cropped File Photo of Two Men in Business Suits Shaking Hands and Passing Cash

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Munzer Hallum, special to RBTH – April 2, 2013) After large-scale embezzlement schemes revealed at major government agencies and state-owned companies, Russian authorities step up their anti-corruption campaign. The bill forbidding officials from holding foreign-issued assets will a step in the crusade. In February 2013, President Vladimir Putin submitted a bill to the […]

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Putin Orders State Officials to Declare Expenses

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Man Placing Stack of Large Bills into Inside Pocket of Suitcoat

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, April 2, 2013) Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees on Tuesday obliging state officials to declare not only their income, but also their expenses from now on, in a bid to crack down on corruption. State officials will have to submit information concerning their acquisition of real estate, land, cars, valuables and shares, as well as […]

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Interview: How Russia’s ‘Sistema’ Leads To The ‘Modernization Trap’

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Sitting at Desk

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – April 1, 2013) In her 2006 book “How Russia Really Works” and its sequel “Can Russia Modernize?” political scientist Alena Ledeneva of University College London looks at the informal governing system that characterizes Vladimir Putin’s Russia. RFE/RL correspondent Robert Coalson spoke with Ledeneva about how this method of governance works and what it means for Russia’s […]

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Putin Inaugurates New Home for His ‘Pet’ Humor Show

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Speaking with Flag Behind Him and Microphones in Front

(RIA Novosti, MOSCOW, April 2, 2013) ­ Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended the inauguration of a building that will host the Club of the Cheerful and Sharp-Witted, or the KVN, humor show in Moscow. The ceremony took place on Monday night at the former Havana cinema building, which has been remodeled with Putin’s backing to accommodate Russia’s most popular […]

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Pistols at dawn: Until the police can be trusted, more Russians will want guns

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime
Makarov Handgun file photo

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Konstantin von Eggert – April 2, 2013) “If you outlaw guns only outlaws will have guns’ ­ so goes the famous slogan of the National Rifle Association in the US. Until recently, few people thought that this would ever be a contentious issue in Russia. But the case of Alexandra Lotkova, a 21-year-old Moscow student, […]

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Russian premier praises liberal paper for ‘independent, responsible’ journalism

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Interfax – Moscow, April 1, 2013) Russian Prime Minister Dmitriy Medvedev has congratulated the editorial staff of Novaya Gazeta on the 20th anniversary of the publication, saying that “it is precisely such independent and responsible journalism that modern Russia needs”. (Novaya Gazeta is a liberal newspaper often critical of the authorities and known for its investigative journalism and focus on […]

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Medvedev Warns Ruling Party to Avoid Communists’ Fate

History, Soviet Union, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin

YAKUTSK, April 2 (RIA Novosti) ­ Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned his ruling United Russia party on Tuesday not to repeat the mistakes made by the Soviet Union’s Communist Party. “We do not aspire to be the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, particularly as it did not turn out very well,” Medvedev said at a meeting in Russia’s Sakha […]

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Human rights violations common in Russia according to poll

Human Rights
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(RIA Novosti – March 29, 2013) The majority of Russians (63%) believe that human rights violations are common in Russia while nearly one third of the population (27%) believes the opposite, according to a poll published by the Public Poll Foundation. The survey found that over the past two years, 72% of respondents had not been in a situation where […]

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Global warming will soon make white bears extinct – expert

Environment
File Photo of Polar Bear on Ice and Snow with Water Nearby

MOSCOW. April 1 (Interfax) – Yury Neyelov, a member of the Arctic Council, former governor of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, and a senator, believes white bears may become extinct in 30-50 years. “The situation with the population of white bears currently causes serious concerns without exaggeration. According to the World Wildlife Fund, white bears may stop reproducing in 2-3 years, […]

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Berezovsky funeral to take place in London by decision of his children – source

Britain, UK, United Kingdom, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, History, Soviet Union, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Boris Berezovsky file photo

MOSCOW. April 2 (Interfax) – The funeral of businessman Boris Berezovsky, who died in London recently, will take place in the British capital, TV Rain (Dozhd) reported citing a source close to Berezovsky’s family. “The decision to hold the funeral of the embattled oligarch in the UK has already been made by his children, firstly his older daughters – Yelizaveta […]

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Berezovsky: The faded face of a bygone era

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Boris Berezovsky file photo

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – April 2, 2013 -Yevgeny Gontmakher, special to RBTH) Analyst Yevgeny Gontmakher commemorates Berezovsky, who was not a hero but a face and a symbol of 90s. Yevgeny Gontmakher is deputy director of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations. Boris Berezovsky, who died last month, was a shrewd self-promoter, but he was […]

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Russian GDP growth confirmed at 3.4% in 2012, Q4 growth slows to 2.1% – Rosstat

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

MOSCOW. April 2 (Interfax) – Russian GDP grew 2.1% in the fourth quarter of 2012, the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) said in an initial estimate for the period on Tuesday. GDP growth for the year remains 3.4%. However Rosstat did adjust quarterly GDP dynamics for 2012: GDP grew 4.8% year-on-year in Q1, compared with an original estimate of 4.9%; […]

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Putin calls for programs to return effective scientists to Russia from abroad

Science, Technology, Engineering
Artist's Conception of Nanotechnology Components

NOVO-OGARYOVO. April 1 (Interfax) – The Russian authorities should think about expanding programs aimed at returning qualified Russians who are working as scientists abroad, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with the students and faculty of the Baltic Federal University. Vladimir Vanag, director of the Institute of Chemistry and Biology at the Baltic Federal University, who earlier worked […]

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Putin credits Immanuel Kant with authorship of European unification idea

Europe, EU
EU Map

NOVO-OGARYOVO, near Moscow. April 1 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed a suggestion for publishing works by German philosopher Immanuel Kant in Russian and credited the 18th-century thinker with being effectively the first person to propose European unification. “His works could definitely be published in the Russian language. Clearly, this would take time, including time to be spent […]

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Russia ready for dialogue with U.S. on equality, non-interference terms – Foreign Ministry

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Leaning Towards Barack Hussein Obama With Flags Behind Them

MOSCOW. April 1 (Interfax) – Moscow welcomes the U.S. wish to return the dialogue with Russia into a constructive mode, which Washington has been displaying lately, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported after the Monday meeting of its board. “We feel positive about the wish to return the dialogue into a constructive mode that Washington has been displaying lately. We are […]

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US Needs 5-7 GBIs to Intercept One Topol ICBM – Expert

Nuclear, Missile Defense
Missile Defense Launch File Photo

MOSCOW, April 2 (RIA Novosti) ­ The United States will need between five and seven Ground Based Interceptors (GBI) to intercept one Russian Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile, a Russian military expert said on Tuesday. “From my contacts with the director of the [US Department of Defense’s] Missile Defense Agency, I have learned that the Americans will need five to seven […]

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Russian Military Says CFE Treaty Has No Future

Europe, EU, Military, NATO
File Photo of Russian Tanks on Parade

MOSCOW, April 2 (RIA Novosti) ­ Six years after announcing a unilateral moratorium on the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), the Russian Defense Ministry has reaffirmed that the original document has no prospects in the future. “The CFE treaty was signed when two opposing military blocs ­ NATO and the Warsaw Pact ­ still existed,” head of […]

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More Ukrainians like Russia than Russians like Ukraine – poll

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

KYIV. April 1 (Interfax) – Most Ukrainians and Russians are amicable toward each other but the number of such people is bigger in Ukraine, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology reported on Monday. It held the poll together with Russia’s Levada Center in January-February 2013. The percentage of Ukrainians feeling friendly towards Russia grew inconsiderably, from 83% to 85%, since […]

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JRL E-Mail Newsletter Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List 2013-#60 – 2 April 2013

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#60 :: 2 April 2013 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net JRL homepage: www.russialist.org JRL on Facebook: www.facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: http://russialist.org/funding.php POLITICS 1. Moscow Times: Snowstorm a Cruel Joke for Muscovites on April Fools’ Day. 2. Interfax: Global warming will soon make white bears extinct – expert. 3. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Should Russia fear climate […]

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JRL E-Mail Newsletter Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List 2013-#59 – 1 April 2013 (updated with links)

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#59 :: 1 April 2013 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net JRL homepage: www.russialist.org JRL on Facebook: www.facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: http://russialist.org/funding.php POLITICS 1. New York Times: Russians Selectively Blocking Internet. 2. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Medvedev Redefines Conservatism in Speech to United Russia. 3. The Voice of Russia: Medvedev’s Press Secretary Gives Wide-Ranging Interview. 4. Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring: […]

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Russia Won’t Bail Out Cyprus Savers Facing Deposit Losses

Cyprus, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU
Cyprus Map

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Scott Rose – April 1, 2013) Russia won’t bail out people or companies that stand to lose money held at Cyprus’s two largest banks, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said. “If someone gets stuck and loses money in those two biggest banks, that’s really too bad,” Shuvalov said in an interview late yesterday on Russian […]

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Stalin’s secret kill lists

History, Soviet Union, Human Rights, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's
File Photo of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Joy Neumeyer – April 1, 2013) In 1934, Ivan Nosov appeared in a photo in Pravda, gazing rapt as his friend Joseph Stalin addressed the 17th Party Congress. In 1937, Stalin scribbled “za” (“I approve”) on a list condemning Nosov to death. Nosov is one of 44,500 names that appear in “Stalin’s Shooting Lists,” a […]

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TRANSCRIPT: Putin Address at Conference of All-Russia People’s Front

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Kremlin.ru – March 29, 2013) Rostov-on-Don Vladimir Putin took part in the first conference of the All-Russia People’s Front held under the theme Building Social Justice. The conference participants included heads of federal ministries and agencies, Mr Putin’s election campaign supporters, heads of the Front’s regional offices, and members of the expert community and public organisations. * * * PRESIDENT […]

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‘Stalin knew’: why NGO work is important

History, Soviet Union, Human Rights
File Photo of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Natalia Antonova – April 1, 2013) The NGO raids in Russia are the big story right now – and yet this story is one that threatens to overshadow some of the important work being done by one particular NGO. I’m talking about “Stalin’s Shooting Lists,” an updated and corrected disk recently reissued by Memorial scans […]

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Coalition force in Afghanistan has not carried out its tasks – Russian ambassador

Afghanistan, United Nations
Map of Afghanistan and Environs

(Interfax – April 1, 2013 – Brussels) – One cannot speak of the fulfillment of the mandate issued by the UN Security Council to the coalition force in Afghanistan, Russian ambassador to Afghanistan Andrei Avetisian believes. “The mandate of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was apparent – to fight terrorism. The result of 12 years of implementation of the […]

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