Pussy Riot’s Samutsevich intends to sue all three of her former lawyers

File Photo of Pussy Riot Members in Courtroom Enclosure, With Man Showing Papers to One While Female Guard Looks On

(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 20, 2013) Pussy Riot punk band member Yekaterina Samutsevich, convicted to two years of a suspended sentence, has filed a lawsuit against her former lawyers Violetta Volkova, Nikolai Polozov and Mark Feigin. Samutsevich said she demanded to award her non-pecuniary damages for insulting statements regarding her. “The lawsuit has been filed against three lawyers: against Feigin, […]

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Is Russia Already in Recession?

File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(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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Government Plans $7Bln Port on Black Sea Coast

Map of Western CIS/FSU and European Environs

(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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RIA Novosti: Russian Pundits Warn Of Disintegration Of Egypt, Civil War

Map of Egypt and Environs`

(Moscow, August 19, 2013) Egypt is facing the threat of a civil war breaking out and only the Egyptian Army could prevent this from happening, experts think. The disintegration of the country is also likely, experts interviewed by RIA Novosti suggested. (Passage omitted: events of past week) Commenting on the current situation, a doctor of philosophy and a specialist on […]

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Russian Consumer Demand Strengthens in Sign of Resilience

File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(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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Gorky Park Prepares for Another Radical Makeover

Gorky Park file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Irina Filatova – August 20, 2013) Groups of workers squatting on their haunches surrounded by piles of sand and broken tarmac is a common picture for downtown Moscow these days. But Muscovites can keep calm: this is not another 2 billion ruble effort by acting Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to replace asphalt with tiles on pavements […]

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Dorenko returns to Ekho Moskvy

Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 19, 2013) Journalist Sergei Dorenko said he is glad to be back on Ekho Moskvy radio, but currently has no plans to stay there for a long time and is still hoping to open his own radio station. “No plans were discussed today, but I saw that (Ekho Moskvy editor-in-chief) Alexei Venediktov has put me on […]

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Russian Pundits Say Navalny’s Pull Out From Election Debates Is Non-Fatal Error

Alexei Navalny file photo

(RIA Novosti – Moscow, August 18, 2013) The decision of Moscow mayoral candidate Aleksey Navalnyy to not take part in debates on the Moskva Doveriye TV channel and the Moskva FM radio station can be described as a certain mistake, however he can use the time he saves to maximize contacts with voters on subjects that suit him, political analysts […]

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Navalny gives account on election fund spending on Internet

Alexei Navalny file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 19, 2013) Moscow mayor candidate Alexei Navalny said that he had spent 47 million rubles on the election campaign and that he asked his supporters to keep transferring money. “Over five weeks passed since the fundraising campaign began. You have given us over 49 million rubles during this time. Over 8,000 people donated to our election […]

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Navalny staff denies violations in fund raising

Alexei Navalny file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 19, 2013) The campaign staff of opposition activist, Moscow mayoral candidate Alexei Navalny has denied fund raising violations insinuated by the Interior Ministry. “Apparently, everything we have done is absolutely legal. They can do nothing but post a press release with scary words every Monday,” Navalny campaign staff head Leonid Volkov told Interfax on Monday. “The […]

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Acting Moscow Mayor’s Election Documents Complete – Officials

Sergei Sobyanin file photo

(RIA Novosti – Moscow, August 19, 2013) Moscow mayoral candidate Sergey Sobyanin has provided the full set of documents for registration in the election of Moscow city chief and was registered in total accordance with the law, a spokesperson for the Moscow city electoral commission told RIA Novosti on Monday (19 August). Moscow mayoral nominee from the RPR-Parnas party Aleksey […]

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Why Russia fails in ethnic conflict resolution

Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Patrick Sewell, special to RBTH – August 19, 2013) Flare-ups of nationalist conflict in July exposed the government as being either unable, or unwilling, to oppose a dangerous nationalist interpretation of Russian statehood with one based on civic identity. On July 8, 600 citizens in the southern town of Pugachev, angered by the […]

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Medvedev proposes that bloggers be involved in information security sphere

File Photo Dmitry Medvedev at Desk with Laptop Computer

(Interfax – PYATIGORSK, August 19, 2013) People, who are constantly working in the information technology sphere, bloggers included, should be involved in developments in the sphere of information security, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said. “We must be ready to protect ourselves in case of any attack against our country or our interests. In my point of view, it is […]

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Blogs begin to play a prominent political role

File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Lyudmila Nazdracheva, special to RBTH – August 19, 2013) Bloggers have become a fixture on Russia’s political scene. Almost every governor, mayor or party official has a blog these days, though few have more than a thousand followers. RBTH takes a look at successful virtual political diaries and the real people behind them. […]

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Federation Council has no more senators with foreign assets – Matviyenko

Valentina Matviyenko file photo

(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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None of State Duma deputies prefers foreign assets to parliament seat

World Map Showing Continents, Greens, Browns, Ice

(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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Medvedev: All regions should ultimately switch to direct elections

Map of Russia

(Interfax – PYATIGORSK, August 19, 2013, 2013) All Russian regions should ultimately switch to direct elections, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said. A young man asked Medvedev at the Mashuk-2013 North Caucasus youth forum on Monday whether regional elections should be direct like national elections, or if regional leaders should be appointed depending on the a region’s specific situation. “Elections should […]

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Zyuganov fears ‘Yeltsin tragedy’ may repeat itself if current government is not replaced

Kremlin and Moscow Environs Aerial View

(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 19, 2013) Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said a putsch similar to the one that occurred in Russia in August 1991 may repeat itself in Russia if Russia does not change its development direction. “I have talked to many Middle Eastern leaders and they said go on like this if you want, the Yeltsin tragedy will […]

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Society at root of worries over rising Russian excise

Shelf of Alcoholic Beverages with Red and White Tape Across It

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Maria Stambler – August 20, 2013) When Westerners think of Russia, bears, snow, matryoshki and, of course, vodka are among the first things that come to mind. The pervasiveness and social acceptance of vodka have attracted the government’s attention in recent years due to worrying levels of alcoholism. According to a 2011 report by the […]

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Russian ICUs: death behind closed doors

Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Natalia Antonova – August 19, 2013) It’s a fact of life that most Russians put up with and most expats are shocked by ­ virtually every patient in intensive care is completely cut off from the world: no visitors, no cellphones, and hardly any exceptions. The rules are so strict that even parents of small […]

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#152 :: 20 August 2013

Map of Russia

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#152 :: 20 August 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: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support […]

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Khodorkovsky lawyer doubts human rights council’s idea on new amnesty will be implemented

(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 19, 2013) The defense lawyers for former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky said he doubts that the idea of the presidential human rights council to declare a new amnesty to mark the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution, which could apply to the former Yukos managers, will be implemented. “The idea of this amnesty is constantly present […]

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Third of Russians anticipate further ruble slide – poll

File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(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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Snowden Not Interrogated by Russian Security Services – Assange

Edward Snowden file photo

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, August 17, 2013) Fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden was not interrogated by special services after his arrival to Russia, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said on Friday. In an interview with Fairfax Media, the founder of the anti-secrecy organization has confirmed that WikiLeaks personnel have continuously accompanied Snowden since he left Hong Kong for Moscow on […]

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Russian Investors Flock to Virgin Islands After Cypriot Crisis

Map of Caribbean Sea and Environs, Including Virgin Islands Highlighted by Red Box

(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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Russian Recession Risk Worsened as Banks Skimp on Loans

File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(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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Investigators Won’t Charge Serdyukov With Graft, Report Says

Anatoliy Serdyukov file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 19, 2013) Military investigators have decided not to open criminal a case that could have seen former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov charged with abusing his position to misappropriate government funds, a news report said Monday The allegations have only deepened the haze of suspicion surrounding Serdyukov, who was fired by President Vladimir Putin in […]

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Scenes from an election campaign

Aerial View of Moscow From Beyond Stadium, file photo

(opendemocracy.net – Anastasia Valeeva – August 16, 2013) Anastasia Valeeva is a Moscow-based journalist working at Public Television of Russia and doing her MA at the University of Siegen, Germany. The upcoming Moscow mayoral election is much in the news because one of the candidates, Alexei Navalny, is appealing against a prison sentence. Anastasia Valeeva gives a snapshot of some […]

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Navalny Seeks Votes from Non-Russian Diasporas in Moscow

Alexei Navalny file photo

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, August 19, 2013) Aleksey Navalny, despite his reputation for “politically incorrect” Russian nationalist statements, has now turned to Moscow’s non-Russian diasporas for a very simple reason: they form a minimum of 1.5 million of the city’s residents and cannot be ignored by anyone who hopes to win election there. Last week, the […]

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Navalny Won’t Participate in Future Debates

Alexei Navalny file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 19, 2013) Opposition blogger Alexei Navalny has announced that he will not participate in the next rounds of mayoral debates, both televised and on the radio. The Navalny campaign criticized the decision by television channel Moskva-Doverie to air the debate at 8 a.m., Interfax reported. Last week Navalny, the RPR-Parnas candidate, participated in three […]

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Putin to meet with members of human rights council – newspaper

Mikhail Fedotov file photo

(Interfax – August 19, 2013) Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with members of the presidential human rights council on September 3, the newspaper Vedomosti reported, citing sources with knowledge on the matter, on Monday. Putin was earlier scheduled to meet with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama in Moscow on September 3. Mikhail Fedotov, chairman of the human rights council […]

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There is No State in Russia,’ Gontmakher Says

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, August 19, 2013) “In place of a state as an institution,” the Russian Federation has “a gigantic and uncontrolled private structure which is successfully diverting profits to its own use,” according to Yevgeny Gontmakher, who argues that “the most immediate task of [Russian] society is to restore a state in Russia.” In […]

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Most Russians say politics makes them feel “depressed” – poll

Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Interfax -MOSCOW, Aug 17, 2013)  Most Russians – 59% – say politics makes them feel “depressed,” and a lot of them – 51% – admit that they do not quite understand all political intrigues, as is evident from a nationwide poll of 1,600 respondents the Levada Center public opinion survey service conducted in 130 communities of 45 Russian regions at […]

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#151 :: 19 August 2013

Map of Russia

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#151 :: 19 August 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: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support […]

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Muscovites Somewhat More Xenophobic than Russians Elsewhere, Polls Show

Aerial View of Moscow From Beyond Stadium, file photo

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, August 14, 2013) Muscovites are more xenophobic than are Russians living elsewhere in the Russian Federation, a pattern that means that Sergey Sobyanin’s appeal to such attitudes may help him in his race for mayor of the Russian capital, according to the director of the SOVA Analytic Center. In an article in […]

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Kremlin Funds Regions Based on Their Loyalty – Study

File Photo of Vladimir Putin Speaking At All-Russia Popular Front Gathering

(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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Why young Russians are leaving the country

Kremlin and St. Basil's

(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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Snowden Doomed to Dreadful Life in a Capsule

Edward Snowden file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Michael Bohm, Opinion Page Editor – August 16, 2013) Two weeks have passed since former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden received temporary asylum from Russia, and he hasn’t uttered a word. Nor do we know where he is located. The only information we have is a cryptic statement on Aug. 1 from Snowden’s Russian […]

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“It’s Not the Task of History to Prove Someone’s Ambitions”

Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags with Number 200, 1807-2007

(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Mary Elizabeth Malinkin) Interview with Alexander Okun, Associate Professor, International Relations, Samara State University, upon the completion of his grant, “Russia in American Political Thought and Public Opinion, 1895-1905.” Spring 2013. Mary Elizabeth Malinkin: What have been some of the most interesting discoveries during your time here? Alexander Okun: I found a lot of materials, […]

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Russia steps up trade war with Ukraine

Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(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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U.S. and Russia After the “Reset”

File Photo of Vladimir Putin Leaning Towards Barack Hussein Obama With Flags Behind Them

(Institute of Modern Russia – imrussia.org – Donald N. Jensen – August 16, 2013) The cancellation of the bilateral meeting between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin that had been scheduled for next month is being seen as a long-awaited acknowledgment from the White House that its “reset” policy had failed. Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic […]

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No political will to find rights activist Estemirova’s real murderers – activists

File Photo of Flowers and Photo of Natalya Estemirova

(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 15, 2013) Russian human rights activists do not believe the murder of Memorial center activist Natalya Estemirova in Grozny is being properly investigated and say there is no political will to find the actual murderers. “It is certain that there is no political will to solve this case,” Svetlana Gannushkina, the head of the Civil Assistance […]

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Politkovskaya Suspect Shot in Central Moscow

File Photo of Mourners with Photo of Anna Politkovskaya

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – August 16, 2013) A defendant in the ongoing trial over the murder of prominent investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya was shot and wounded near Ulitsa 1905 Goda metro on Wednesday evening, his lawyer said. Dzhabrail Makhmudov, who along with his two Chechen brothers Rustam and Ibragim is accused of being involved in the […]

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Sobyanin Support Falls 11% in Latest Poll

Sergei Sobyanin file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 16, 2013) The latest poll shows that support for acting Mayor Sergei Sobyanin slid 11 percentage points, a substantial fall that accompanies better showings from his opponents in the upcoming mayoral election. A survey conducted by Synovate Comcon between Aug. 8 and 14 found that Sobyanin’s support fell from 74.6 percent to 63.5 percent […]

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#150 :: 16 August 2013

Map of Russia

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#150 :: 16 August 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: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support […]

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#149 :: 15 August 2013

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#149 :: 15 August 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: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php POLITICS 1. Russia Direct: Russian protest movement: smaller and more radical? A […]

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How to get a good deal in a Moscow market

Aerial View of Moscow From Beyond Stadium, file photo

(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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Five Years after the Russian-Georgian War

Georgia Map

(opendemocracy.net – Liana Fix – August 14, 2013) Liana Fix is a researcher on Russia and Eurasia. Her research interests include Russian foreign and security policy after 1991 and regional dynamics in South Caucasus and Central Asia. Five years after the Russian-Georgian war, Georgian Premier Bidzina Ivanishvili has announced that Tbilisi is ready for direct talks with Abkhazia and South […]

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NATO Avoids ‘Costly’ Russian Transit Hub – Paper

NATO Meeting file photo

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, August 15, 2013) A year after Russia opened a transit hub in Ulyanovsk to help in NATO’s pullout from Afghanistan, not a single alliance member has used it, a Russian newspaper said Thursday. “Russian authorities insisted, when opening the hub, that only Russian transport companies service its operations. And they hiked the prices so much that […]

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Seventy people walk free under ‘economic amnesty’

Russian Jail File Photo Showing Outer Wall, Windows, Barbed Wire

(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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