Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#232 :: 26 December 2013

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#232 :: 26 December 2013
E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net
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POLITICS

1. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russia 2013: Success and Anxiety. How Russians will remember the outgoing year.
2. Russia Direct: Top 10 books about Russia published in 2013. Russia Direct presents a roundup of the most interesting books with a focus on Russia released in 2013.
3. Russia Beyond the Headlines: The basics of the best Russian drinking toasts.
4. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: Father Frost, Russia’s Counterpart to Santa Claus, Varies Widely by Region and Nationality.
5. ITAR-TASS: Happy map of Russia. And the places not doing so well.
6. Moscow Times: What the Papers Say, Dec. 26, 2013.
7. Moscow VTsIOM : Less than third of Russians interested in Putin’s annual address – poll.
8. Moscow Rossiya 1 TV: Russian state TV talk show sums up results of 2013.
9. Interfax: Russia hits dead-end but slaps Americans on nose – Communist Party.
10. Carnegie Moscow Center: Lilia Shevtsova, Looking Back on 2013: What Is Its Legacy?
11. RIA Novosti: Russian ex-finance minister sceptical about aid to Ukraine, other issues. (Kudrin)
12. Interfax: Number of Orthodox Christians, Muslims grows in Russia, 19% are nonbelievers – poll.
13.Reuters: Russian supreme court to review Khodorkovsky convictions.
14. ITAR-TASS: Khodorkovsky may be forgiven 17 billion rubles in tax arrears. Russian Press Review.
15. RIA Novosti: Nearly Half of Russians Approve Khodorkovsky Pardon.
16. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Georgy Bovt, Why the Kremlin released Khodorkovsky. There are many reasons for the release of Khodorkovsky after 10 years in a Russian prison, some of them known and many that are unknown.
17. Interfax: Comparing Khodorkovsky with Solzhenitsyn is inappropriate – top Russian senator. (Valentina Matviyenko)
18. Moscow Times: Vladimir Ryzhkov, Khodorkovsky’s New Fight for Civil Society.
19. Vedomosti editorial: Change in Russia Seen Unlikely Following Khodorkovskiy Release.
20. Human Rights Watch: Russia: “Foreign Agents” Law Hits Hundreds of NGOs: Updated December 26, 2013. Updated List of Nongovernmental Organizations Targeted under the “Foreign Agents” Law.
21. Moscow Times: Reform Will Lead to Death of Russian Science, Academicians Warn.
22. RIA Novosti: Russia’s most frequently quoted journalists named.
23. Moscow Times: Alexei Pankin, A Boost for the Kremlin’s Soft Power.
24. ITAR-TASS: Russian LGBT community has right for its subculture but no right to obtrude it on others.
25. ITAR-TASS: Russian universities being tested for efficiency.
26. Moscow Times: 50 Days Before Games, Main Sochi Stadium Still Not Open

ECONOMY

27. Reuters: Russian economy set to disappoint again in 2014.
28. ITAR-TASS: Newspapers review Russian economic situation. Russian Press Review.
29. Forbes.com: Mark Adomanis, Russia’s Economy Is Decelerating Sharply, But It’s Still Close To Full Employment
30. Interfax: Consumer demand the Russian economy’s main driving force – Ulyukayev.
31. ITAR-TASS: Security officials to control privatization. Russian Press Review.
32. ITAR-TASS: Medvedev to attend ceremony to sign agreement among trade unions, employers and government.
33. Interfax: Over $1 trln moved out of Russia to offshore areas in 20 years – Federation Council Chair Matviyenko.
34. Moscow Times: Sergei Aleksashenko, Crony Capitalism Gone Wild.
35. Interfax: Russia can keep oil output at 500 mln tonnes for 10 yrs – Donskoi.
36. Interfax: Ombudsman: Khodorkovsky pardon unlikely to have much effect on Russian business. (Boris Titov)

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

37. RIA Novosti: Fyodor Lukyanov, Foreign Policy -­ Breaking Away From National Interests.
38. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Dmitry Litovkin, Geopolitics of military reform: Results of 2013. Changes in Russia’s military this year defined not only the direction of development of the Russian Army, but also the growth of Moscow’s geopolitical ambitions.
39. Moscow Times: Reports of Imminent Resignation False, U.S. Ambassador Says.
40. ITAR-TASS: U.S. Missile defense cooperation with Russia still possible. (McFaul)
41. RIA Novosti: Bad time for Russia to discuss further arms cuts, diplomat says.
42. Russia Direct: The 10 most significant quotes in US-Russia relations in 2013. This year, Russian and American leaders always knew what to say to each other. Or did they?
43. Moscow News: Mark Galeotti, Sochi snub. Obama’s decision to skip the Olympics exposes Washington hypocrisy.
44. RIA Novosti: Obama’s Sochi Olympic No-Show Means Nothing ­- Official.
45. RFI: Olympics one-off chance to pressure Putin, Pussy Riot’s Tolokonnikova tells RFI.
46. Interfax: Topless FEMEN activist climbs altar in Cologne cathedral during Christmas mass.
47. ITAR-TASS: S&P upgrades forecast for Ukraine to ‘stable’, confirms credit rating at B-.
48. Interfax: Ukraine to resume association agreement talks with EU in early 2014 – foreign minister.
49. Interfax: Ukraine’s association with EU doesn’t contradict observer status in Customs Union – Kremlin.
50. Interfax: Superiority complex lets down EU in its relations with Ukraine – Pushkov.
51. Reuters: Attack on reporter restores passion to Ukraine demonstrations.
52. Moscow Times: Specter of Soviet Union Haunts Ukraine at Protests.
53. RIA Novosti: Over Half of Ukrainians Want Cabinet of Ministers to Resign -­ Poll.
54. ITAR-TASS: Russian money won’t be enough for Ukraine. Russian Press Review.
55. Center for American Progess: Cory Welt, Ukraine’s Euromaidan: Now Comes the Hard Part.
56. ITAR-TASS: The integration process is going on not easily in the post-Soviet space. Russian Press Review.
57. Moscow Times: 7 Greenpeace Activists Allowed to Leave Russia.