Month: May 2013

JRL E-Mail Newsletter Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#93 :: 23 May 2013

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#93 :: 23 May 2013 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org 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. Kennan Institute (DC): The Turning Point for Russia Will Be […]

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JRL E-Mail Newsletter Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#92 :: 22 May 2013

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#92 :: 22 May 2013 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org 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. RIA Novosti: Brezhnev Beats Lenin as Russia’s Favorite 20th Century […]

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Syria: Does the path to peace run through Geneva?

Syria
Syria Map

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Andrei Ilyashenko, special to RBTH – May 21, 2013) The campaign to resolve the Syrian crisis has entered a new phase. However, if the upcoming international conference, dubbed Geneva-2, focuses entirely on increasing the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad, there will be a long way to go before peace is achieved in the […]

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Duma speaker says time for Council of Europe to stop monitoring Russia

Europe, EU
File Photo of Council of Europe Headquarters Building with Flags in Front

(Interfax – May 21, 2013) State Duma speaker Sergey Naryshkin has said that at a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in the next autumn he is intending to raise an issue of abandoning the monitoring of Russia by the Council of Europe. Naryshkin said this at a meeting with Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjoern […]

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Kremlin Grapples With Series of PR Disasters

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(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 […]

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Masha Gessen Considers Leaving Russia

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – May 22, 2013) One of Russia’s most internationally renowned journalists, Masha Gessen, has said that she will probably move to New York to join her son, who is studying in the U.S. Gessen, 46, moved with her family to the U.S. in 1981, returning to Moscow to establish a career as a journalist covering Russia […]

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Nikiforov Says State’s Weight Is Behind IT

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Guennadi Moukine – May 22, 2013) The role of the government is to provide infrastructure and facilitate technological development and innovation, Communications and Press Minister Nikolai Nikiforov told business representatives at the Leaders’ Club forum on Tuesday. Information technology is important for the Russian economy, Nikiforov said. It accounts for 4.6 percent of the nation’s […]

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Most Russians support non-intervention of church in state affairs – poll

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Religion
Russian Orthodox Believers Holding Candles at Cathedral at Christmas

(Interfax – Moscow, May 21, 2013) Most Russians (57%) think that state should not interfere in church affairs and vice versa, poll conducted by the Levada Center showed. At the same time, 30% respondents said they thought state and church should participate actively in each others’ affairs and 14% failed to answer. When asked who is to punish people insulting […]

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Russian human rights activist, MPs criticize anti-blasphemy bill

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Religion
Duma Session file photo

(Interfax – Moscow, May 21, 2013) The head of Russia’s oldest human rights organization, the Moscow Helsinki Group, Lyudmila Alekseyeva, has said that the draft bill on the protection of believers’ feelings passed by the State Duma in the second reading (today) violates human rights and contravenes the Constitution, despite softening amendments. “This is yet another repressive bill,” Alekseyeva told […]

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Dvorkovich Upbeat on His, and Russia’s, Future

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Arkady Dvorkovich file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Bratersky – May 22, 2013) In an attempt to squash media reports and assure investors, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said Tuesday that he had no plans to leave government and intended to help guide the country’s economic course at least until the next presidential election in 2018. Dvorkovich, speaking at a news conference […]

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Russian PM Medvedev Says Against Cabinet Reshuffle

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Dmitry Medvedev with United Russia Logos Behind Him

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, May 22, 2012) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said he was not ready to part with any of the current ministers, but dismissals are possible in connection with the recently introduced law banning officials from keeping their money in foreign banks. “The government is a team. I have proposed their [ministers’] candidacies to the president and […]

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Russian premier gives wide ranging interview to pro-Kremlin tabloid

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Dmitry Medvedev file photo

(Interfax – May 21, 2013) Russian Prime Minister Dmitriy Medvedev has given a wide ranging interview to the pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda to mark the anniversary of the formation of the current government, privately-owned Interfax news agency reported on 21 May. The interview is to be published in the newspaper’s 22 May edition. The topics highlighted by Interfax were: – […]

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Poll shows little appetite for protests in Russia

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

(Interfax – May 21, 2013) The protest mood in Russia is low, Interfax news agency reported on 21 May, citing a poll conducted by independent Russian pollster Levada Centre. According to the poll results published on the Levada Centre website on the same day (http://www.levada.ru/21-05-2013/gotovnost-uchastvovat-v-protestakh), 68 per cent of respondents said mass protests against falling living standards or in support […]

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Brezhnev Beats Lenin as Russia’s Favorite 20th Century Ruler

History, Soviet Union
File Photo of Richard Nixon sitting with Leonid Brezhnev, with Third Person Standing and Leaning between Them

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, May 22, 2013) ­ Russians view Leonid Brezhnev as the most positive of all Soviet and Russian leaders in the 20th century, but Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin were close behind in an opinion poll released on Wednesday. Brezhnev, who ruled the Soviet Union from 1964-1982, was viewed positively by 56 percent of respondents in the […]

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Russian Premier Calls For Better Weapons

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Military
Russian Helicopter file photo

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, May 22, 2013) ­ Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called on the country’s defense industry on Wednesday to provide the military with state-of-the-art weapons superior to their Western analogs. “It is essential to offer weapons which are superior to our world counterparts, and pay special attention to strengthening cooperation, primarily with our partners in the Collective […]

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Pushkov says Kudrin directly responsible for current state of Russian economy

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexei Kudrin file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, May 21, 2013) Head of the Russian State Duma’s International Affairs Committee, the United Russia member, Alexei Pushkov, said that former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin was responsible for the current state of the Russian economy. “Kudrin is better not to say anything on the current state of the economy. He is directly guilty of it. GDP dropped […]

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Navalny Defense Aided by Kirov Governor Testimony

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
File Photo of Alexei Navalny Being Grabbed by Police at Protest

(RIA Novosti – KIROV, May 22, 2013) ­ Russia’s beleaguered opposition figurehead, Alexei Navalny, was given a boost in his fight against controversial embezzlement charges on Wednesday when a regional governor testified in his favor. Navalny and a former political ally, Kirov businessman Pyotr Ofitserov, are charged with heading a criminal group that investigators say embezzled 16 million rubles’ ($500,000) […]

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Shoigu Kicks Serdyukov Reform Into Long Grass

Military
File Photo of Russian Military Conscripts Boarding Train with Gear

(Eurasia Daily Monitor – Eurasia Daily Monitor – Volume 10, Issue 96 – Jamestown Foundation – jamestown.org – Roger McDermott – May 21, 2013) Six months after his appointment as Russia’s defense minister, Army-General Sergei Shoigu has initiated a number of policy reversals in key areas of his predecessor’s Armed Forces reform. Some of these changes were small measures, however […]

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Russian Church Will Never Accept Gay Marriages, Patriarch Says

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Religion
Patriarch Kirill file photo

(RIA Novosti – Moscow, May 21, 2013) The Russian Orthodox Church will never recognize same-sex marriages, even though it respects people’s free choice even if it is sinful, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said on Tuesday (21 May) at a meeting with the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, Thorbjoern Jagland. “If people choose such a way of […]

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Dvorkovich says expects Russian-EU energy cooperation to enhance after Yekaterinburg summit

Europe, EU, Oil, Gas, Energy
File Photo of Blue Flame from Natural Gas

(Interfax – MOSCOW, May 21, 2013) Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said he expected political signals on Russian-EU gas and electricity cooperation to come after the Russia-EU Summit in Yekaterinburg. “I hope we will discuss these issues in detail in the framework of the Russia-EU Summit in less than two weeks in Yekaterinburg,” Dvorkovich said at a briefing in […]

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Russia refuses to let Americans adopt 33 children

Children, Adoptions, Orphans, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Russian Orphans with Mr. and Mrs. Dmitry Medvedev

(Interfax – ST. PETERSBURG, May 21, 2013) Thirty-three orphans, including 12 disabled children, who were supposed to be adopted by U.S. nationals, will be unable to join their would-be parents because of this year’s Russian ban on the adoption of Russian children by Americans, the office of the St. Petersburg commissioner for children’s rights said on Tuesday. The commissioner, Svetlana […]

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Russia won’t break up Gazprom

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy
Russian Gas Facility file photo

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – May 21, 2013) The Russian government has no plans to break up the state-owned gas monopoly Gazprom, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told the state-owned paper Rossiiskaya Gazeta on May 20. Speculation has been mounting that the state will break the inefficient behemoth up in its quest to make Russias biggest tax payer more […]

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Russian pundits dismiss first day of Public TV as ‘dull’, ‘old-fashioned’

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
File Photo of Russian Television Studio

(Interfax – May 20, 2013) The first day of broadcast of the Russian Public TV (OTR), which was launched on 19 May, has received extensive feedback from pundits and journalists. The channel’s vague prospects and the coverage of non-topical issues have become the main points of criticism. “The project envisages the appearance of a discussion platform. But to make it […]

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Russia’s new ‘Public TV’ channel has a Soviet feel

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Russian Television Studio

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Yulia Ponomareva, RBTH – May 20, 2013) You may have never watched Soviet television in the 1980s, but if you’re curious and would like to get a flavor, tune in to the newly launched Public TV channel. Across the political spectrum, commentators agree that many of the Russian government’s initiatives over the past […]

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Russian Laws, Policies Restrict Religious Freedom – US Report

Human Rights, Religion
Department of State Signage and Headquarters Building File Photo

(RIA Novosti – WASHINGTON, May 20, 2013) ­ Russia is among several countries around the world including Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, and China that imposed restrictions on freedom of religion last year, according to an annual report released Monday by the US State Department. “This report is a clear-eyed, objective look at the state of religious freedom around […]

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Russia Urges EU to Avoid Ideology-Based Remarks on NGO Law

Europe, EU, Human Rights, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's
EU Map

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, May 21, 2013) The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday urged the European Union to abstain from “ideology-based” remarks on the issue of non-governmental organizations in Russia. The statement, posted on the ministry’s website, was made in the wake of the May 17 meeting between the Foreign Ministry’s Special Representative for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule […]

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Kremlin Faces Barbs From All Sides on Human Rights

Europe, EU, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jonathan Earle – May 21, 2013) Russia is facing a renewed barrage of international criticism, led by the European Union, over its human rights record in connection with an ongoing clampdown on non-governmental organizations and a State Duma proposal to ban so-called “homosexual propaganda.” The EU on Friday expressed growing concerns about the situation, including […]

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Surkov Ridicules Government’s New Website

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladislav Surkov file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimews.com – May 21, 2013) Former deputy prime minister Vladislav Surkov has ridiculed the English version of the government’s new official website presented by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Monday. Surkov posted in his Twitter blog a screenshot of the new site’s introductory page with comments pointing to obvious grammatical errors as well as awkward translation into […]

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Russian Communist leader takes government policy apart

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

(Interfax – MOSCOW, May 20, 2013) Russia’s Communist Party sees the government’s performance for the past year as “purely negative,” one of the party leaders said. “It’s not just that we in principle have different views on what social and economic course to take. On top of that, they haven’t even addressed what they themselves declared to be priority tasks,” […]

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Moscow Safer Than New York – Minister

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Moscow Traffic file photo

(RIA Novosti – NEW YORK, May 21, 2013) Russian police reforms have proved so successful that, in some areas, Moscow outperforms New York on safety, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev has boasted while on a visit to the United States. Kolokoltsev made the claims during a meeting in New York late on Monday with New York City Police Commissioner Raymond […]

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Putin’s Game And Kudrin’s Choice

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexei Kudrin file photo

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Brian Whitmore – May 20, 2013) If Russian President Vladimir Putin ever actually appoints Aleksei Kudrin as his prime minister, we’ll know that one of two things happened: Either Putin decided to radically change course or Kudrin shamelessly sold out. In the weeks since Kudrin made a surprise appearance at Putin’s annual live call-in program with […]

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The man behind the curtain: Do people miss Surkov? Or do they miss the illusions he created?

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladislav Surkov file photo

(Moscow News – Anna Arutunyan – Anna Arutunyan is a correspondent and editor at themoscownews.com – May 20, 2013) It’s been two weeks since Vladislav Surkov left the government amid a swirl of subterfuge and guesswork. The man himself was soon off fishing with Ramzan Kadyrov in Chechnya, but the questions of why he left and what will happen now […]

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Bill on mixed elections to Duma to determine development of Russia’s entire political system – Naryshkin

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Duma Session file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, May 20, 2013) The new bill on mixed elections to the Russian State Duma will become the basis for the development of the political system in the country, however it is difficult to forecast what this system would be like in five years, State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said on Monday. “In my point of view, this […]

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The incompetent many or the corrupt few?

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Moscow Environs Aerial View

(opendemocracy.net – Grigorii Golosov – May 20, 2013) Grigorii Golosov is Professor of Political Science, Project Director, Center for Democracy and Human Rights Helix, St. Petersburg Recent protest rallies and continuing opposition sentiment have provoked the Kremlin into reform.  The first part of the process sees the partial return of regional governor elections, abandoned nine years ago in favour of […]

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Russians say Internet does more good than harm – poll

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

(Interfax – May 21, 2013) The Internet audience in Russia has been growing year on year and most of users believe the worldwide web has nothing but advantages, the Russian Public Opinion Study Center (VTsIOM) said after having polled 1,600 respondents in 42 regions of the country on March 30-31. At present 65 percent browse the Internet daily, weekly or […]

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Two Thirds of Russians are Internet Users – Survey

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
File Photo of Little Russian Girl at Laptop Next to Globe

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, May 21, 2013) A total of 59 percent of Russians use Internet, up three percentage points since last year, according to the results of a survey published on Monday by an independent pollster, Levada Center. The figure was only five percent when Levada Center first polled Russians on the issue in 2001. The percentage varies greatly […]

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Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu Russia’s most popular politician – survey

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Sergei Shoigu file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, May 20, 2013) Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is the most popular and one of the most influential members of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s government, a survey among prominent figures in the media and politics suggests. First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are the others in the top troika on a 28-name […]

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JRL E-Mail Newsletter Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#91 :: 21 May 2013

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
Map of Russia

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#91 :: 21 May 2013 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: www.russialist.org JRL on Facebook: www.facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support […]

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JRL E-Mail Newsletter Table of Contents :: Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#90 :: 20 May 2013

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
Map of Russia

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#90 :: 20 May 2013 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org 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. Forbes.com: Mark Adomanis, Russia’s Internet Use Is Exploding. 2. ITAR-TASS: […]

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Russian chief prosecutor says corruption threatens national security

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

(Interfax – May 17, 2013) Corruption in Russia is a threat to national security, and cooperation with international organizations must be stepped up to fight it, Russian Prosecutor-General Yuriy Chayka said on 17 May. He was speaking at a meeting with a delegation from the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in Moscow, as reported by Russian […]

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Deputy Prime Minister responds to criticism toward Russia’s government

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Arkady Dvorkovich file photo

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Elena Shipilova, RBTH – May 20, 2013) Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich talks to RBTH about the country’s current economic problems, investment climate, energy sector and upcoming St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Arkady Dvorkovich, speaks to Russia Beyond The Headlines about the problems of the Russian economy, access […]

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United Russia Conference Lauds Results of Party’s Work

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Dmitry Medvedev with United Russia Logos Behind Him

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Natalya Krainova – May 20, 2013) The ruling United Russia party kicked off a massive two-day forum with members from regional branches in Moscow on Friday, where it lauded its social and infrastructure projects, some three months before September regional and municipal elections. Raising the forum’s profile, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who chairs the party, […]

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Former Finance Minister argues that NGO law restricts civil society in Russia

Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexei Kudrin file photo

(Interfax – May 20, 2013) Former Russian Finance Minister and head of the Fund for Civil Initiatives Alexei Kudrin has said that the law on NGOs as foreign agents does not promote civil society in Russia. “The law on NGOs as foreign agents that the Duma has passed is a clear restriction of civil society,” he said at the Open […]

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Government strong to withstand pressure – Dvorkovich

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Arkady Dvorkovich file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, May 19, 2013) Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich has highly appraised the government’s performance in its first year and said interaction between the Cabinet and the Kremlin administration was efficient enough. “I think a large amount of work has been done over the year and results have been achieved in some areas, although not in all,” Dvorkovich […]

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Medvedev generally pleased with govt’s performance

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Dmitry Medvedev file photo

(Interfax – SOCHI, May 19, 2013) Normal macroeconomic indices, the budget rule and privatization deals are the main results of the year that has passed since the government started working, said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. “A year has passed, and it was filled with so many different events. However different opinions may be, the country kept developing, credit for which […]

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Interfax: Three-fourths of Russians insist government should ban public display of homosexuality – poll

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

(Interfax – MOSCOW, May 17, 2013) Homophobia is rather common in Russian society and attitudes toward the LGBT community have been changing slowly throughout the past year, sociologists said. The same as a year ago, three-fourths of Russians brand gays and lesbians as morally loose (43%) or mentally deficient persons (35%). Only 12% acknowledge homosexuality’s right to existence, the Levada […]

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Moscow News: No more rainbows: anti-gay sentiment rises in Russia

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Kristen Blyth – May 20, 2013) “Homosexuality is not a perversion. Perversion is hockey on grass and ballet on ice!” reads one picket sign, held aloft by a middle-aged man. “Against all forms of discrimination,” proclaims another, held by a young woman. “My gender is my choice,” says a third. The scene was Moscow Pride. […]

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Medvedev blasts moves that may discourage private enterprise

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Dmitry Medvedev with United Russia Logos Behind Him

(Interfax – MOSCOW, May 18, 2013) Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has lashed out against legal initiatives that may discourage private enterprise. “It is a completely unacceptable situation that, as a result of some decisions, the total number of those who see entrepreneurial activities as their future occupation should decline,” Medvedev said at a meeting of the leadership of the ruling […]

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Countries to Jointly Fight Tax Evasion

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Man Placing Stack of Large Bills into Inside Pocket of Suitcoat

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Guennadi Moukine – May 20, 2013) Greater cooperation between tax authorities from 45 countries, including more extensive information sharing to help catch evaders, was the result of an international conference in Moscow that was hosted by the Federal Taxation Service and ended on Friday. “The message to tax evaders and those who facilitate tax evasion […]

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