Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#233 :: 27 December 2013

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2013-#233 :: 27 December 2013
E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net
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POLITICS

1. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russian New Year’s celebration: It’s all in the numbers. New Year celebrations are popular all over the world, but in Russia they are the main national holiday. The festivities last for at least eight days, and sometimes as many as 20.
2. ITAR-TASS: Russians will be giving gifts but wish to receive cash as New Year presents.
3. ITAR-TASS: On political results of the year. Russian Press Review.
4. Interfax: Putin politician of the year – poll.
5. RIA Novosti: Putin’s popularity falls by 10 per cent in 2013 – poll.
6. Valdai Discussion Club: Nikolai Zlobin, Putin is a Strong and Systemic Politician.
7. Moscow Times: Putin’s Year Through The Eyes of Lyudmila.
8. Moscow Times: Putin’s 12 Most Significant Trips in Russia This Year.
9. Russia Direct: Five must-watch films about Russian politics. From films about the current Putin era, to historical films based on the Stalinist and Tsarist eras, these are the films that can enhance your understanding of modern Russian politics.
10. Moscow Times: What the Papers Say, Dec. 27, 2013.
11. Interfax: Putin expects govt to realize its potential more fully.
12. Kremlin.ru: Meeting with the Government Cabinet.
13. ITAR-TASS: Russians increasingly distrustful of courts: what can reverse this trend?
14. Interfax: Share of Russians supporting Duma’s independence growing – poll.
15. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Migration Issue: Oxford expert on resolving tensions. Michael Keith, author of ten books about problems of urban change, race, ethnicity and migration, tells RBTH how he sees the development of cities like Moscow.
16. Moscow Times: NGOs Could Face New Challenges Under ‘Drug-Trafficking’ Bill.
17. Interfax: Social NGOs to receive over 1 bln rubles as state support in 2014 – Russian government’s decree.
18. ITAR-TASS: Supreme Court may mitigate sentence on cases of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev. Russian Press Review.
19. Moscow Times: Russia Could Compensate Khodorkovsky for Case Violations.
20. Moscow Times: Yevgeny Kiselyov, Khodorkovsky Free at Last.
21. New York Times: Masha Gessen, Prisoners of Pardon.
22. RIA Novosti: Freed Pussy Riot Activists to Start Prisoners’ Rights Group.
23. The Voice of Russia: Dmitry Babich, Myths about Russia: Are there many ‘political prisoners’ in Russia?
24. The International New York Times: Mark Gevisser, Life Under Russia’s ‘Gay Propaganda’ Ban.
25. St. Petersburg Times: Russia Urged to Join Global Healthcare Fight.

ECONOMY

26. ITAR-TASS: 2013 ­ Worst year for Russian economy after crisis. Russian Press Review.
27. Financial Times: Chris Weafer, Russia has woken up to its problems, but can it find a solution?
28. www.russiatoday.com: Russia faced ‘year of lost opportunities’ in 2013.
29. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Putin questions lavish corporate New Year’s parties.
30. Russia Beyond the Headlines: Russian economy showed mixed results in 2013.
31. Moscow Times: State Boosts Grip on Economy With Bank Crackdown.
32. Interfax: Savings of ordinary Russians not growing – poll.
33. Christian Science Monitor: Nick Grealy, Will Russia frack for oil? Shale oil is poised to go international, Grealy writes. It’s already happening in Argentina, Australia and China, but the big prize is in Russia’s Bazhenov shale in Western Siberia.
34. Interfax: Senior security official: rising shale oil, gas production a threat to Russia.
35. Reuters: Russia bets on sweeping reform to revive ailing space industry.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

36. Channel One TV: Russian state TV commentator reviews 2013, hails Putin foreign policy “triumph”
37. Interfax: Poll Captures Russian Views on Intelligence Services.
38. Interfax: Russians tend to believe in stability of Ukrainian government bodies amid protests – poll.
39. Interfax: Half of Ukrainians see political situation as explosive – poll.
40. Interfax: Ukraine re-examining European integration course, but continues work on it – Yanukovych.
41. Xinhua: Yearender: Ukraine Maintains Political, Economic Stability Despite Challenges.
42. Wall Street Journal: Ukraine President Eyes Own Future as He Pivots. Choice of Moscow Over EU Could Help Yanukovych in 2015.
43. Forbes.com: Mark Adomanis, Bulgaria’s Travails Should Be A Sobering Reminder to Ukrainians: The EU Doesn’t Fix Everything.
44. Moscow Times: Joe Parson, Why Gazprom Likes to Thumb Its Nose at Kiev
45. The National Interest: Katrina V. Negrouk, Understanding Ukraine’s Choice.
46. Russia Direct: Alexey Fenenkoi, Russia’s Near Abroad, still too far away. Over the past year, new regional integration projects in Europe and Asia have forced Russia to re-think how it interacts with the nations of the former Soviet Union.
47. ITAR-TASS: Israel hails Russian scientists’ conclusions on natural causes of Arafat’s death.