Author: JRL Russia List

TRANSCRIPT: [Putin excerpt re: Snowden] Answers to journalists’ to journalists’ questions after watching Central and Easter Military District training exercises at Tsugol test ground

Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Edward Snowden file photo

(Kremlin.ru – July 17, 2013)  [excerpt re: Snowden] QUESTION: Mr President, I want to ask about [Edward] Snowden. What happened with [Bolivian President Evo] Morales showed that the White House will stop short of nothing in this case. Aren’t you worried that it might jeopardise the upcoming Russian-American summit? Also, it seems that the biggest question now is how you […]

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Intel, IBM Feel Putin Pinch as Medvedev Tech Hub Falters

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Science, Technology, Engineering, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Skolkovo File Photo

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Henry Meyer, Irina Reznik & Jason Corcoran – July 17, 2013) When Russian agents stormed the downtown offices of the Skolkovo technology hub being built near Moscow on April 18, a startled Intel Corp (INTC). executive got caught up in the raid. Dusty Robbins, head of global programs for the world’s largest chipmaker, was forced to […]

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Putin Angered by Lack of Far East Progress

Far East, Siberia, APEC, Oil, Gas, Energy
File Photo of People Working on Car Amidst Siberian Woodlands and Meadows

(Moscow Times – themoscowtime.com – Anatoly Medetsky – July 17, 2013) President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday again said the Cabinet was slacking off. He blamed ministers for getting behind schedule in executing measures to develop the country’s Far East. “I’ll tell you what, dear friends, will you ever get to work or not? What is this?” Putin said, according to […]

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Russia overtakes Germany to become 5th largest economy

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

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – MOSCOW BLOG – July 17, 2013) Russia passed an important milestone on July 15, overtaking Germany to become the biggest economy in Europe in terms of purchasing power parity and the fifth biggest in the world. This achievement comes on top of the World Bank’s decision a week earlier to upgrade Russia from a […]

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Bureaucrats must not teach historians how textbooks should be written – Naryshkin

Education, Academia, History, Soviet Union
File Photo of U.S. Diplomat Teaching Class to Russian Students

(Interfax – KAZAN, July 16, 2013) Historians and history teachers, not bureaucrats, should decide how Russian history should be taught to Russian students, said Sergei Naryshkin, the Russian State Duma’s speaker and president of the Russian Historical Society. “Experts in history have wisely asked the Russian Historical Society to provide guidelines for teaching history as a subject, which will be […]

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Amid Controversy, New Pussy Riot Video Targets Oil Industry

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Oil Well file photo

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – RFE/RL’s Russian Service – July 16, 2013) Amid an apparent split in the ranks, the feminist punk performance-art group Pussy Riot has released a new music video lashing out at the oil industry; Igor Sechin, the head of Russia’s largest oil company Rosneft; and others. Copies of the video were released to RFE/RL on July 16 […]

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Russians View Opposition Not as Alternative but as Communications Channel, New Study Finds

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

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, July 17, 2013) Russians do not view the opposition as an alternative to those in power but rather as “an additional” but very weak “channel of communication” between themselves and the authorities, according to a new study prepared by the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The basic conclusions […]

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TRANSCRIPT: [Putin] Meeting with Gogland 2013 expedition participants

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

(Kremlin.ru – Gogland Island – July 15, 2013) VLADIMIR PUTIN: Good evening! Where shall we start? NATALYA SOLOVYOVA: We are very happy to see you. And naturally, we would like for the head of the expedition to finally tell you about this island. VLADIMIR PUTIN: Please, go ahead. YEGOR BLOKHIN: My name is Yegor Blokhin. I am heading the Gogland […]

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[Putin] Trip to Gogland Island

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

(Kremlin.ru – July 15, 2013) Vladimir Putin visited Gogland Island in the Gulf of Finland, where he looked over a number of projects the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) is carrying out. The President attended a presentation of RGS’ Russia’s Marine Glory project and its deep-water research programme. The main goal behind these projects is to study and preserve Russia’s marine […]

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Russia Stands before Abyss of a New Totalitarianism, Pastukhov Says

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

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, July 17, 2013) Vladimir Putin’s “restorationist policy” is rapidly leading Russia to the abyss of a new totalitarianism, one in which political repression will spread across the entire society claiming ever new victims and ultimately Putin and his entourage as well, according to Vladimir Pastukhov, one of the most brilliant analysts of […]

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Putin Foe Navalny Faces Jail as Investors Fret About Selloff

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Alexei Navalny Being Grabbed by Police at Protest

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Jason Corcoran & Henry Meyer – July 17, 2013) Alexey Navalny faces possible imprisonment tomorrow in the highest-profile case against a critic of President Vladimir Putin since the prosecution of former oil billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky. A judge in Kirov, 900 kilometers (560 miles) northeast of Moscow, will rule on charges that Navalny defrauded state-owned timber company […]

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Vox Pop: Muscovites On The Navalny Verdict

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Alexei Navalny file photo

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – July 17, 2013) RFE/RL correspondent Tom Balmforth asked Moscow residents ahead of the verdict on July 18 what they expected in the embezzlement case against Aleksei Navalny. Here are some of their answers: Igor, 25, transportation sector “I think Navalny will be found guilty. It’s most likely a political case and possibly was initiated to stop […]

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Opposition leader Navalny among six candidates registered to run for Moscow mayor

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Alexei Navalny Being Grabbed by Police at Protest

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Anna Arutunyan – July 17, 2013) Six candidates will run for mayor of Moscow in the upcoming snap elections on September 8, Valentin Gorbunov, the chairman of the Moscow City Elections Commission, said on Wednesday, when the formal registration of candidates was concluded. Aside from Acting Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who formally resigned and called the […]

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Rally in support of arrested Yaroslavl mayor brings together 5,000 – organizers

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Yevgeny Urlashov file photo

(Interfax – YAROSLAVL, Russia. July 16, 2013) Supporters of the arrested mayor of Yaroslavl, Yevgeny Urlashov, have held a rally in the city on Tuesday. “We estimate that about 5,000 people took part in the rally,” one of the meeting organizers, Andrei Alexeyev, told Interfax. The head of the press service of the Yaroslavl regional police authority, Alexander Shikhanov, told […]

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U.S. State Department Offers Grants to Russian NGOs

Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Department of State Signage and Headquarters Building File Photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – July 17, 2013) The U.S. State Department has announced a grant competition for Russian organizations to create programs improving relations between the two countries. The U.S. announcement about the competition, called the U.S.-Russia Peer-to-Peer Dialogue Program, comes amid what is perceived to be a crackdown by Russian authorities on nongovernmental organizations that detect and publicize […]

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Pursuit of better life, self-actualization prompts emigration from Russia – poll

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Population Disaster, Demographics
File Photo of Crowd of Russians with One Waving Russian Flag

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 16, 2013) The pursuit of a better life is the primary cause of emigration from Russia, said 54% of respondents acquainted with prospective emigrants. Sixteen percent explained their emigration as a desire for self-actualization, the Russian Public Opinion Study Center (VTsIOM) told Interfax. Five percent of prospective emigrants believe that life abroad is better organized and […]

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Russia urges G20 to tell market about its debt policy guidance

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
File Photo of Russia-Hosted G20 Banners Outdoors Before Yellow and White Facade of Historic-Looking Building

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 17, 2013) Russia urges the G20 nations to inform the markets about their debt policy guidance. “We think it would be advisable to put medium-term debt policy guidelines for countries with a lot of debt on the agenda for the G20 meeting [of finance ministers, which takes place in Moscow at the end of the week],” […]

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B20 publishes White Book of recommendations for G20 leaders

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
File Photo of Russia-Hosted G20 Banners Outdoors Before Yellow and White Facade of Historic-Looking Building

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 16, 2013) The Business 20 (B20) on Tuesday unveiled its definitive White Book of recommendations for the Group of 20 (G20) leaders, of which Russia is president in 2013. “The recommendations were discussed during the St Petersburg (economic) forum and submitted to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, and some of them will be presented during the summit […]

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Military Holds Largest Maneuvers Since Soviet Era

Military
File Photo of Russian Tanks in Military Parade

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Natalya Krainova – July 17, 2013) President Vladimir Putin observed the Armed Forces perform the largest military exercises since Soviet times Tuesday, the latest in a series of surprise drills around the country this year aimed at examining the army’s combat readiness following military reforms. The surprise maneuvers in the Far East, which started late […]

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Refuge or Asylum? Snowden’s Options in Russia

Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Edward Snowden file photo

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, July 17, 2013) It took fugitive former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden more than three days to submit an official request for asylum in Russia, after he voiced his intention to do so at meeting with human rights activists last Friday in his Moscow airport refuge. According to Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, who helped Snowden with […]

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Snowden has no grounds to apply for Russian citizenship – Russian human rights activist

Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Edward Snowden file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW. July 17, 2013) Former CIA employee Edward Snowden has no right to submit documents for Russian citizenship, Civil Assistance human rights committee head Svetlana Gannushkina told Interfax on Wednesday. Lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, who is helping Snowden, said on Wednesday that Snowden did not exclude applying for Russian citizenship. “As of today, Snowden has no right to submit […]

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Gorbachev proposes establishing global peace movement

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Military, United Nations
File Photo of Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan at Table Signing Documents

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 16, 2013) Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev said he was concerned with the high number of armed conflicts around the world and that he proposed the creation of a global peace movement. “Something is not working in the world, the arms race is on again. Either protest movements or conflicts between tribes and entire nations are […]

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#129 :: 17 July 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-#129 :: 17 July 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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Ukraine Even Under Yanukovich Shifting Its Focus from Russia to Europe, Kremlin Advisors Say

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, July 16, 2013) A close analysis by a group of Kremlin advisors of a message to the Verkhovna Rada by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich in whom Moscow has placed so much hope shows that Kyiv no longer views itself as part of the Russian cultural world, defines itself in European terms, and […]

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Snowden Bows to Putin’s Demand to Stop Harming U.S.

Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Edward Snowden file photo

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Henry Meyer – July 16, 2013) Fugitive U.S. ex-security contractor Edward Snowden has agreed to Russia’s demand that he stop anti-American activity and asked for temporary asylum, a Russian lawyer advising him said. Snowden “confirmed to me personally that he will accept these conditions,” Anatoly Kucherena said by phone today. Asked if that meant the American […]

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Snowden Saga Fuels Difficult Questions

Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Edward Snowden file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – July 16, 2013) President Vladimir Putin said Monday that NSA leaker Edward Snowden would leave Russia “as soon as the opportunity arises” and that the U.S. had blocked any further movement for the fugitive,  adding more intrigue to the ongoing whistleblower saga. “The conditions for political asylum are clear to him, and […]

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Snowden to stay in airport transit zone or move to shelter – FMS source

Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Edward Snowden file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW. July 16, 2013) Former CIA employee Edward Snowden who filed his request for temporary refuge in Russia on Tuesday will be staying in the transit zone of the Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport or move to a shelter for asylum seekers within the next few days, head of the Russian Federal Migration Service’s Public Council Vladimir Volokh told Interfax. […]

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The Kremlin’s cunning Snowden plan

Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Edward Snowden file photo

(Moscow News – Anna Arutunyan, Editor and Correspondent at themoscownews.com – July 15, 2013) On Friday, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden invited about a dozen Russian rights activists to the transit zone of Sheremetyevo Airport, where he’s been holed up for three weeks. The announcement took about 200 journalists on a wild goose chase, and a weekend later, there’s still a […]

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The vicious circle of Edward Snowden

Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Edward Snowden file photo

(Valdai Dicussion Club – July 16, 2013 –  Fyodor Lukyanov) “There is a wealth of choice, but no other alternative.” This tag line was extremely popular in the early 1990s, although no one is likely now to remember what the Alternativa research and production association produced. But it was a good line, and Edward Snowden could have used it to […]

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Decision to be made on Snowden within three months – migration service

Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Edward Snowden file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 16, 2013) A decision on granting asylum to ex-CIA employee Edward Snowden will be made within three months, a highly-placed official with the Federal Migration Service told Interfax on Tuesday. “A decision will be made in compliance with the legal timeframe, within three months,” he said. Federal Migration Service spokeswoman Zalina Kornilova has confirmed to Interfax […]

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Russian air safety: Into the wild blue yonder

Aviation, Drones
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Kristen Blyth – July 15, 2013) An airplane, said psychologist Alexei Gervash, is one of the scariest places in the world: one where all human fears are accumulated together. “If someone has a fear of heights, the aircraft is at the highest height,” Gervash told The Moscow News. “If you have claustrophobia, the aircraft is […]

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Chubais sees income drop 42.5 mln rubles in 2012

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Anatoly Chubais file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 15, 2013) The income of the CEO of state company Rusnano, Anatoly Chubais fell by 42.5 million rubles to 217.7 million rubles in 2012 from 260.2 million rubles a year earlier. Chubais’ income from his main place of work dropped to 20.55 million rubles from 22.4 million rubles, materials from the state company show. As of […]

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Putin Slams Far East Officials Over Slow Development

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Far East, Siberia, APEC, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of People Working on Car Amidst Siberian Woodlands and Meadows

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, July 16, 2013) President Vladimir Putin criticized the federal government and local authorities Tuesday over their failure to ensure effective development of Russia’s Far East, Rossiya 24 TV Channel reported. “Are you going to work, or what?” he asked participants at a development meeting for the Sakhalin region, which he said has everything needed to become […]

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Russian Mobile Revolution Sparks Fight for Network Orders

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
iPad file photo

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Adam Ewing, Ilya Khrennikov & Marie Mawad – July 15, 2013) Russian mobile carriers are gearing up for about $13 billion in spending to boost data speeds, creating the next major battleground for network suppliers. Russia is, by land mass, the largest country in the world, making it potentially tremendously lucrative for makers of equipment such […]

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The tsar files: Who killed the Romanovs

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, History, Soviet Union, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Romanov Family Photo

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Yan Shenkman, RBTH – July 16, 2013) In the night between the 16th and 17th of July 1918 the family of Russia’s last Emperor, Nicolas II, was killed in Ekaterinburg. RBTH investigates the identities and lives of the killers of the tsar. Even now, 115 years after the murder of Russia’s last czar, […]

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Expectations High for New Moscow One Year On

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Aerial View of Moscow From Beyond Stadium, file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Irina Filatova – July 16, 2013) [The Development of New Moscow One Year On chart here: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/expectations-high-for-new-moscow-one-year-on/482838.html] A little over a year after the territory of the city of Moscow more than doubled in size, real estate prices are stabilizing, and expectations for improving infrastructure are high. On July 1, 2012, almost 150,000 hectares of […]

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Reform of Russian Academy of Sciences to have no negative impact on employees – Putin

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Science, Technology, Engineering
Adaptions of Image from Livermore.gov of Element 118 Atoms

(Interfax – GOGLAND ISLAND, Leningrad region, July 15, 2013) The reform of the Russian Academy of Sciences will have no negative impact on the work of the institute’s employees, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. “Actually, nothing will change for those, who work in institutes,” Putin said on Monday when answering questions of participants of the archeological expedition Gogland 2013. Institutes […]

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Investigative Committee denies Estemirova murder probe stalled

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Chechnya, Dagestan, North Caucasus, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights
File Photo of Flowers and Photo of Natalya Estemirova

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 15, 2013) Russia’s Investigative Committee has denied allegations that the investigation of the 2009 assassination of Chechen human rights activist Natalya Estemirova has stalled and reiterated that, contrary to what is claimed by rights defenders, it sees militant Akhazur Bashayev as the primary suspect in the case. Investigations into Estemirova’s murder “have never been suspended” and […]

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Russia – making bloggers ‘law-abiding’?

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

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Natalia Antonova, Acting Editor-in-Chief, July 15, 2013) The latest legislative initiative from the State Duma would award popular blogs the status of media outlets. I am using the word “award” somewhat ironically here. United Russia Deputy Sergei Zheleznyak, who saw himself and his family attacked in the blogosphere after it was revealed that his daughters […]

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Golos hopes to receive state grant, to reset relations with authorities

Human Rights, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Image of Map of Russia for Polling Place Webcams

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 15, 2013) The Russian voter rights movement Golos (Voice) said it counted on receiving 14 million rubles from the state budget for its program whose aim is to increase public confidence in elections. “We have drafted a project, which is aimed at increasing society’s trust in the voting infrastructure and have written an application, which we […]

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Urlashov falls victim to politics – Prokhorov

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Yevgeny Urlashov file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 16, 2013) Civil Platform leader Mikhail Prokhorov wrote on his Internet blog that he offered birthday congratulations to Yaroslavl Mayor Yevgeny Urlashov, arrested over a bribery case. Prokhorov said that what was happening to Urlashov was politically motivated. “What has happened to you is direct result of our political enemies’ attitude toward you – in other […]

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Senators Choose Business or Power

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

(Moscow Times/RIA Novosti – July 16, 2013) Though the spring session of the upper house of parliament is over, it might not signal an end to the steady stream of wealthy senators who have stepped down as the Kremlin put forward new restrictions on officials owning assets abroad. The nine members of the 166-seat Federation Council who have left since […]

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All polling stations to be equipped with video surveillance for Moscow mayoral elections

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

(Interfax – July 16, 2013) It will be possible to watch voting during the early Moscow mayoral elections on September 8 on the Internet, same as during the presidential elections of 2012. “The next step in ensuring the transparency of elections will be the creation of a video surveillance system for regional elections,” acting Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said at […]

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Navalny to Be Registered for Elections on Eve of KirovLes Verdict, Report Says

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

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – July 16, 2013) Opposition leader Alexei Navalny will be registered on Wednesday as a candidate for the Moscow mayoral elections, just one day before the verdict for the KirovLes embezzlement case is scheduled to be delivered, Kommersant reported. The Kremlin critic is awaiting the verdict in a criminal case alleging that he embezzled 16 million […]

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United Russia MPs meet prime minister before summer recess

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

(Interfax – Moscow, July 15, 2013) State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin believes that the spring session allowed the lower house of the Russian parliament to learn political lessons. “The past session was not easy, and, in some sense, it was a breakthrough session as far as both the amount of work and the political lessons learnt are concerned,” he said […]

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Medvedev: Duma disbandment would be ‘very dangerous’

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Russian Duma Building

(Interfax – MOSCOW. July 15, 2013) Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has rejected suggestions for dissolving the State Duma, arguing that disbanding Russia’s lower house of parliament would be “very dangerous for our country.” “A legitimately elected body of government must remain in rule for exactly the period that is set for this. The opposite is very dangerous for our country,” […]

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Putin says enjoyed excursion to Gulf of Finland floor

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

(Interfax – GOGLAND ISLAND, near St. Petersburg, July 15, 2013) President Vladimir Putin has said he enjoyed going down to the floor of the Gulf of Finland aboard a submersible to see the sunken Russian 19th-century frigate Oleg. Oleg, which sank in 1869, is “in an amazingly good state,” Putin told reporters. “It’s lying on its right side. It’s really […]

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Brief history of corruption in Imperial Russia

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, History, Soviet Union
File Image of Czar Alexander II

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Georgy Manaev, special to RBTH – July 16, 2013) Since medieval times, corruption in Russia has been rooted in the essence of the governing system­not, however, an incurable disease. The third presidential term of Vladimir Putin has been marked by an unprecedented (for post-Soviet Russia) war on corrupt officials in the central governing […]

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Medvedev Lauds Russia’s 5th Place in World Bank’s GDP Rating

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

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, July 15, 2013) ­ Russia has been ranked as the world’s fifth largest economy by GDP based on purchasing power parity, winning praise on Monday from Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The World Bank’s new GDP rating published last week ranks the United States as the world’s largest economy by purchasing power parity last year with $15.7 […]

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Russia wants to make its armed forces more transparent – military

Military
File Photo of Russian Tanks in Military Parade

(Interfax -MOSCOW. July 15, 2013) The Russian Defense Ministry will make the situation in the armed forces more transparent for NATO colleagues, said Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov. “We will continue enhancing the transparency of our armed forces,” Antonenko said after a meeting with foreign military attaches. He said NATO officials have complained on many occasions that the Russian […]

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