Month: February 2014

RIA Novosti: Ukraine On Terror Alert Amid Explosion Threats

Terrorism, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Ukraine Map and Flag

KIEV, February 9 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian security agents are on high alert following reports of planned explosions in the country that could cause mass casualties, the national security service said Sunday. A warning has been issued concerning high-risk facilities across Ukraine, including nuclear and hydro power plants, international airports, railway stations and bus stations, cross-country pipelines and weapons storage […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

It’s Bolotnaya, But Not As We Know It

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
iPad file photo

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Tom Balmforth – MOSCOW – February 07, 2014) They’re gearing up to march on Moscow’s Bolotnaya Square. Two years ago, protesters rallied there against electoral fraud in the wake of the disputed December 2011 State Duma elections. In May 2012, they clashed with police on the eve of President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration. And, on February 8, […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

Interfax: Show during Sochi Olympics opening ceremony designed as story about Russia – author

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Sochi 2014

MOSCOW. Feb 8 (Interfax) – Konstantin Ernst, author of the script for Friday’s opening ceremony for the Sochi Winter Olympics, said the main idea of the show that was part of the ceremony was to retell Russian history in a modern language. “The language of a stadium means three-dimensional and vivid images and quite direct metaphors. On that basis, we […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#26 :: Friday, 7 February 2014

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
St. Basil's file photo

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#26 :: 7 February 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. Reuters: Winter Games to open, Putin keen to prove doubters […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , ,

Arab Spring in Russia’s Backyard

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

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Michael Bohm – February 7, 2014) Michael Bohm is opinion page editor of The Moscow Times. For Russians watching state television news over the past several weeks, the message about the political turmoil in Ukraine is clear: The anti-government protests are a U.S. plot. Take, for example, this Jan. 22 evening news broadcast on Channel […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

Tape implies US leaning toward backing Poroschenko for Ukraine PM

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Petro Poroshenko file photo, with additional men in background, adapted from image at state.gov

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Graham Stack in Kyiv – February 7, 2014) According to the leaked recording of a phone-tapped conversation between senior US diplomats, Washington is pushing for Ukraine’s opposition leaders to take up the offer from President Viktor Yanukovych to head a government of national unity, while viewing Klitschko as a future presidential front runner. But […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Nuland Denies U.S. Training Ukraine Militants, Suggests Aid Possible

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Victoria Nuland file photo

(RFE/RL – rferl.org –  February 7, 2014) A senior U.S. diplomat has denied Russian claims that Ukrainian antigovernment militants are trained at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland also said Washington and the international community are ready to provide more aid to Ukraine if leaders move quickly to implement democratic reforms and install what she […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Russian oil major Rosneft extends U.S. embrace

Oil, Gas, Energy, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo Rosneft and Russian Flags Next to Rosneft Banner

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – David Miller, special to RBTH – February 7, 2014) Russia’s biggest crude producer agrees to buy Morgan Stanley’s oil merchanting assets as it ramps up cooperation on new fields with U.S. major ExxonMobil. Russia’s largest oil firm, Rosneft, purchased Morgan Stanley’s oil trading and transportation business in a move that gives the firm […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Sochi Winter Olympics kick off as the Games of Hate

Russia & the West, Sports, Olympics, World Cup
File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(Business New Europe – Moscow blog – bne.eu – Ben Aris – February 7, 2014) The Sochi Winter Olympics kick off today February 7, but they have already turned from being a trial of human endeavour into a celebration of the hatemongering that pervades the coverage of Russia. Radio Liberty has published a useful page on its website that simply […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#25 :: Thursday, 6 February 2014

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
St. Basil's file photo

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#25 :: 6 February 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. Moscow Times: What to Expect at Sochi’s Opening Ceremony. 2. […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , ,

Interfax: Russian ambassador to US: No link between McFaul departure, reset policy

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Interfax – February 6, 2014) The upcoming resignation of U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has nothing to do with the end of the reset policy in Russia-U.S. relations, Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak said. “I did not know when Mike decided to resign but I know that he wanted to return to his favorite work at […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Pussy Riot Invades America and Everything in Russia is Awful as Putin’s Olympics Begin: A Historical Perspective

History, Soviet Union, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

Subject: Pussy Riot Invades America and Everything in Russia is Awful as Putin’s Olympics Begin:A Historical Perspective Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2014 From: Sarah Lindemann-Komarova <echosiberia@gmail.com> Pussy Riot Invades America and Everything in Russia is Awful as Putin’s Olympics Begin: A Historical Perspective By Sarah Lindemann-Komarova [Siberian-based civil society development activist] Over the last few weeks the Western media “everything […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

RIA Novosti: EU Offers Ukraine Financial Aid in Exchange for Reform

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map

BRUSSELS, February 6 (RIA Novosti) – The European Union is ready to boost aid to Ukraine if Kiev pursues economic and political reforms, a senior EU official said Wednesday. “In case of a positive scenario we will be ready to extend our assistance based on a genuine commitment for political and economic reforms, in cooperation with the IMF and other […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Interfax: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Nuland, Ukrainian opposition leaders discusses situation in Ukraine

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Victoria Nuland file photo

KYIV. Feb 6 (Interfax) – U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and Ukrainian opposition leaders Arseniy Yatseniuk of the Batkivschyna faction, Vitaliy Klitschko of the UDAR party and Oleh Tyagnibok of the Freedom party have discussed resolving the social and political crisis in Ukraine. The parties have discussed the situation in Ukraine during a meeting held in Kyiv on […]

» Read more
Leave a comment

Who is fighting whom in Ukraine – and why

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Maidan Square file photo

(opendemocracy.net – Valery Kalnysh – February 4, 2014) Valery Kalnysh is editor of the Kommersant Ukraina newspaper The Maidan protests, which started over two months ago, have drawn a very clear line between the political parties. At future elections, voters will ask their candidates, ‘What did you do during Maidan?’ How might the politicians reply? The Ukrainian parliament or Verkhovna […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , ,

Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russian ICBM missile tests: What lies behind U.S. allegations?

Nuclear, Missile Defense
Russia ICBM on Mobile Launcher

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Viktor Litovkin, special to RBTH – February 5, 2014) The U.S. recently accused Russia of contravening the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in its testing of the RS-26 intercontinental ballistic missile. However, these allegations may conceal a hidden agenda. The United States has informed its NATO allies of American concerns over a possible breach […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Writers Denounce Repressive Russian Laws in Open Letter

Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Moscow Environs Aerial View

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jennifer Monaghan – February 6, 2014) More than 200 writers from around the world have signed an open letter to the Russian authorities denouncing the introduction of gay-propaganda and blasphemy laws in Russia, which they call an attack on freedom of expression. We “cannot stand quietly by as we watch our fellow writers and journalists […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Interfax: West will stop criticizing Russia if it becomes weak – Putin’s spokesman

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
World Map Showing Continents, Greens, Browns, Ice

(Interfax – Moscow, February 5, 2014) The West will stop criticizing Russia and will start loving it only if it becomes defenceless and weak, the Russian president’s press secretary Dmitriy Peskov has said. “When we disband our army, give out concessions for all our natural resources and sell all our land to Western investors, then they will stop criticizing us. […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Consequences of a weakened ruble

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

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Natalia Antonova, Nathan Gray – February 5, 2014) Following the weakening of the ruble, Moscow residents both foreign and local are bracing themselves in expectation of higher prices and general market instability. Yet according to the experts, it is too soon to tell whether or not the currency’s present state will have a lasting impact […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

RIA Novosti: Local NGO Fights ‘Foreign Agent’ Status

Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(RIA Novosti – February 5, 2014) The St. Petersburg-based Freedom of Information Foundation has filed a complaint against the prosecutor office’s request that it register with the Justice Ministry as a “foreign agent.” The request was issued after the NGO’s founder attended a meeting of human rights activists with US President Barack Obama during the G20 summit last September, the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

Russia’s ‘Optimistic Channel’ Fighting For Survival

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(RFE/RL  – rferl.org – Tom Balmforth – MOSCOW – February 5, 2014) Just shy of four years ago a new private television channel appeared on the Russian media scene. With a new generation of talent, snappy and hip programming, and a politically independent line, Dozhd (Rain) TV presented a sharp contrast to the drab and predictable Kremlin-controlled media. And it […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

Rich cities and dying company towns

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

(opendemocracy.net – Dmitry Travin – February 6, 2014) Dmitry Travin is Research Director at the European University in St. Petersburg’s Centre of Modernization Studies. Russia’s unemployment figures look low, but they are rising, and there is a great gulf between the prosperous centre and failing regions. A foreigner coming to Moscow or St Petersburg as a tourist or on business […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

RIA Novosti: Putin Signs Contentious Courts Merger Into Law

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

MOSCOW, February 6 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday gave final approval to a contentious reform to streamline the justice system by merging two top courts. According to the terms of the law, the merger of the Supreme Arbitration Court, which oversees business disputes, and the Supreme Court, which handles criminal cases and civil lawsuits, will be […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

Some Government Agencies Could Move East

Far East, Siberia, APEC
Siberian Natural Scenery, with River, Trees, Hills

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anatoly Medetsky – February 6, 2014) The Cabinet is mulling further tax breaks for the Far East and moving some government agencies to the remote region in another bid to inject more vigor in the economically lagging area. In addition, two new state companies could emerge to plow 170 billion rubles ($4.8 billion) into preparing […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

Do Russians need psychological help?

Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Anna Trofimova, RBTH – February 6, 2014) The Soviet experience taught Russians that it was better to suffer than admit the need for help, but times are changing. It should come as no surprise that living in Russia is hard: It’s cold, wages are low and the government is unresponsive. Nevertheless, Russians have […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , ,

Top 20 must-see attractions to make your Sochi experience complete

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Sochi 2014

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – c – Svetlana Sinepostolovich, for RBTH – February 4, 2014) Here is a to-do list for travelers who don’t want to miss any of Sochi’s highlights 1. Take the obligatory tourist photo While in Sochi you must get a picture of yourself against the backdrop of the subtropical palms along Platanovaya Alley (Sycamore Alley). Tourists […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Deputy prime minister calls Sochi Olympics Russia’s biggest investment project

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(Interfax – February 6, 2014) Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak has described preparations for the XXII Winter Olympic Games and the event itself as the largest investment project for the country. “Since the victory in Guatemala of the Russian Federation’s bid to host the XXII Olympic Games in Sochi, many people have asked one and the same questions: whether […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Sochi Ready for Some, Not for Others

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Sochi 2014

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – February 6, 2014) As the Olympic Torch arrived in Sochi on Wednesday and President Vladimir Putin personally presided over the raising of the Russian flag in the Olympic Village, the Internet was abuzz with tales of construction blunders and the popular Twitter hashtag “#Sochiproblems.” No secret has been made about the significance […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Interfax: Putin’s spokesman downplays Sochi problems

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(Interfax – Moscow, February 5, 2014) The Russian president’s press secretary Dmitriy Peskov has said everything is ready for the Olympic Games and made an appeal not to exaggerate problems in Sochi. “I’m not in favour of making problems that accompany any event of this scale, any Olympic Games, look like they can affect the entire process,” Peskov said, speaking […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

57% of Americans Think Sochi Terror Attack Is Likely, Poll Says

Sports, Olympics, World Cup, Terrorism
Sochi 2014

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – February 6, 2014) More than half of Americans think that a terrorist attack is likely at the Sochi Winter Olympics, set to open Friday, despite assurances by the White House that the Games will be safe, a recent poll indicates. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they thought a terrorism act at the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#24 :: Wednesday, 5 February 2014

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
St. Basil's file photo

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#24 :: 5 February 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. ITAR-TASS: Putin named politician number one in first world poll […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , ,

What to Expect at Sochi’s Opening Ceremony

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Sochi 2014

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – February 6, 2014) The opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics on Friday will take Russia’s biggest cultural gems and serve them up with contemporary dance music and spectacular lighting. At least, that is what can be expected if the final rehearsal is anything to go by. The organizers have asked that the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Russian retail lending may be hitting a growth ceiling

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

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Natalia Orlova, special to RBTH  – February 5, 2014) While developed economies face the need to deleverage, emerging markets still have the opportunity to grow by taking on more debt. Natalia Orlova is the Chief Economist at Alfa Bank in Moscow. While developed economies face the need to deleverage, emerging markets still have […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Interfax: Medvedev orders analyzing relocation of HQs of some state-own companies, government bodies to Far East – deputy PM

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

MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered analyzing the possibility of relocating the main offices of a number of major companies partly or wholly owned by the state and a number of federal government bodies to the Far East, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev told […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , ,

RIA Novosti: Kremlin Suspends Questioned Reform of Wildlife Reserves

Environment
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

MOSCOW, February 5 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to amend recent environmental legislation that critics said could allow for real estate development in Russia’s protected territories. A law passed in December allows for the downgrading of any of the 102 Russian wildlife reserves to natural parks, where construction is permitted under certain conditions. The law, which passed […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

TRANSCRIPT: [Putin] Visit to Persian Leopard Breeding and Rehabilitation Centre

Environment, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Sochi 2014

(cc – February 4, 2014) Vladimir Putin visited the Persian Leopard Breeding and Rehabilitation Centre at the Sochi National Park. Vladimir Putin toured the Centre together with IOC Executive Director for the Olympic Games Gilbert Felli and IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Jean-Claude Killy. The Centre was set up in 2009 within the framework of the programme to restore the Persian […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

After Rocky Two Years, McFaul Quits as Ambassador

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ezekiel Pfeifer and Natalya Krainova – February 5, 2014) Michael McFaul, who has served as U.S. ambassador to Russia over a two-year period marked by heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow, announced in a blog post Tuesday that he would be leaving his position as ambassador and returning to academia later this month. McFaul, 50, […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

McFaul says his decision to leave Moscow unrelated to US-Russia relations

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Interfax – February 5, 2014) U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul says there is no political reason for his decision to leave Moscow. “But it had nothing to do with US – Russia relations, and it had nothing to do with any decisions by the Russian government, it was all purely due the fact that I want and need to […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Interfax: McFaul: Washington eyeing Russia-US summit in Sochi this summer

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama Seated Before Russian and U.S. Flags

MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) – Washington is preparing to hold a Russia-U.S. summit in Sochi this summer on the G8 sidelines, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said. “We’re working very hard to make the agenda rich enough to justify a summit with an eye toward the G-8 Summit in Sochi in the summer,” he said in an interview with […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

McFaul: U.S. still sees Iranian threat as risk that should be minimized with missile defense system

Iran, Nuclear, Missile Defense
Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(Interfax – February 5, 2014) The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has given an interview with Interfax in which he speaks about the outcomes of his work in Russia, latest trends and developments in relations between Moscow and Washington. Question: The news on your departure has come as a surprise. Despite the fact that you clearly wrote that […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Interfax: Outgoing U.S. ambassador shouldn’t have tried to build relations with Russian opposition – Duma deputy

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Alexei Pushkov file photo

MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) – Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul made a mistake in trying to maintain contacts not only with Russian government institutions but also with the opposition, says Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Russian State Duma international affairs committee. “I think the ambassador’s replacement is unlikely to have any impact on Russian-American relations. Surely, it […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

Report on EU Corruption Could Spur Russian Recrimination

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

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Delphine d’Amora – February 5, 2014) A report declaring that not a single member of the European Union is corruption-free will likely be taken as political vindication in Russia, a representative from Transparency International Russia said. The report, which was released by the European Commission on Monday and examined corruption in all 28 EU member […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Putin Doesn’t Want to Be a Stalin But He May End a Milosevic, Russian Analysts Say

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

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, February 5, 2014) Russian President Vladimir Putin does not aspire to become a new Stalin as long as he is able to maintain power and profitability without the use of the totalitarian violence of the Soviet dictator, according to one Russian analyst, but he may become a Milosevich by his incautious actions […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

First-Ever School Shooting Prompts Debate on Security

Children, Adoptions, Orphans, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Education, Academia
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Oleg Sukhov and Matthew Bodner – February 4, 2014) A 10th-grade student killed a geography teacher and a police officer and took children hostage at a Moscow school on Monday in Russia’s first-ever school shooting, triggering a debate on security at educational institutions and over the right to bear arms. The incident was widely compared […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Gazprom Overspending Dwarfs Sochi Costs, Expose Says

Oil, Gas, Energy, Sports, Olympics, World Cup
File Photo of Blue Flame from Natural Gas

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Panin – February 5, 2014) Gazprom is spending money on useless pipelines that makes the $51 billion spent on the Sochi Olympics look modest, an opposition party investigation said. The state-owned gas giant is lavishing billions of dollars on transportation infrastructure, including the South Stream pipeline to Europe, that will never be used even […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , ,

Russia to Send 32-Member Permanent Mission to WTO

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
WTO Logo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 5, 2014) More than a year and a half after joining the World Trade Organization, Russia has decided the size of its permanent mission to promote the country’s interests at the body’s headquarters in Geneva. The mission will be staffed by 27 representatives of the Economic Development Ministry and five specialists from the Foreign […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

RIA Novosti: Half of Russians Approve of Hosting Olympics in Russia

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Sochi 2014

MOSCOW, February 5 (RIA Novosti) – Fifty-three percent of Russians think their country did “the right thing” by bidding to hold the Sochi Olympics, which kick off on Friday, according to a new poll released Wednesday. Twenty-six percent of respondents in the poll by the independent Levada Center said Russia should not have bid to host the Winter Games, and […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

RIA Novosti: Study Suggests Russian Medal Count to Be Boosted by Home Advantage

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

MOSCOW, February 4 (RIA Novosti) – A new study on the scientific basis of the home advantage in sports suggests that the Russian medal count at the Sochi Games opening Friday might be boosted by psychological effects. “Game location has a powerful influence on performance outcomes in sport,” British scientists Mark S. Allen and Marc V. Jones wrote. The study, […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , ,

Russian rights council asks minister to probe providers’ dropping of Dozhd TV

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(Interfax – February 4, 2014) A number of members of the presidential human rights council have sent a letter to Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev asking him to check the actions of major Russian satellite TV operators that have dropped independent television channel Dozhd from their packages, privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax reported on 4 February. “We believe that the […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , ,

Dozhd Television Faces Closure But Strives to Stay Afloat

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Oleg Sukhov – February 5, 2014) Dozhd, Russia’s only opposition-oriented television channel, on Tuesday announced that the decision of large cable providers to drop it could lead to its closure and attributed the move to a Kremlin-driven campaign to get rid of them. All major cable companies, including OnLime, Akado, NTV Plus and VimpelCom, dropped […]

» Read more
Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,
1 … 4 5 6 7