Tag: Russian News

NEWSLINK: After 20 years, Russia and Estonia sign border treaty

Baltics
Truck at Russian Border Crossing

[“After 20 years, Russia and Estonia sign border treaty” – Reuters – February 18, 2014 – reuters.com/article/2014/02/18/us-russia-estonia-idUSBREA1H0QN20140218] Reuters reports on Russia and Estonia signing a treaty formalizing their border, still awaiting ratification by their respective legislatures.  The treaty comes amidst long-standing tensions between the two countries. Russia and Estonia signed a treaty setting out the position of their joint border […]

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NEWSLINK: Japan-Russia Ties: An Opportunity for the U.S.

Europe, EU, Japan, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Japan Map

[“Japan-Russia Ties: An Opportunity for the U.S.” – Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jeffrey Mankoff – February 18, 2014 – themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/japan-russia-ties-an-opportunity-for-the-us/494786.html] A Moscow Times commentary by Jeffrey Mankoff, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, suggests that Russian relations with the United States and the European Union are at an impasse, but that Russian Relations with Japan have been […]

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NEWSLINK: Former Prime Minister of Georgia Convicted of Corruption

Georgia
Tblisi, Georgia, File Photo with Building with Tower on Hillside and City Buildings in Valley in Distance

(“Former Prime Minister of Georgia Convicted of Corruption” – New York Times – Olesya Vartanyan, David M. Herszenhorn – February 18, 2014 – nytimes.com/2014/02/18/world/europe/former-georgian-prime-minister-convicted-of-corruption.html) The New York Times reports that former Georgian prime minister Ivane Merabishvili has been convicted of public corruption and sentenced to five years of prison.  Although the conviction is part of a series of cases that […]

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Kiev Forces Ring Opposition Camp as Death Toll Reaches 10; update of “Ukraine Forces to ‘Restore Order’ If Evening Deadline Isn’t Met”

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Maidan Square file photo

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Aliaksandr Kudrytski, Volodymyr Verbyany – February 18, 2014 1:09 PM ET) Ukrainian forces announced the start of an operation to clear the Kiev square occupied by thousands of protesters, after at least 10 people died in the bloodiest day of the country’s three-month standoff. Police officials said by loudspeaker shortly before 9 p.m. that women and […]

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NEWSLINK: Ukraine riot police move in on Kiev protesters after 14 die; Protesters battle police in Kiev after Russia renews aid

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Maidan Square file photo

[“Ukraine riot police move in on Kiev protesters after 14 die; Protesters battle police in Kiev after Russia renews aid”/update of “Protesters battle police in Kiev after Russia renews aid” – Reuters – Pavel Polityuk, Richard Balmforth – February 18, 2014 – reuters.com/article/2014/02/18/us-ukraine-idUSBREA1G0OU20140218] Reuters covers deadly clashes between Ukrainian police and protesters in Kiev.  The death toll is rising, just […]

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NEWSLINK: Russia and the G8: Increased Prominence in International Affairs

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
File Photo of G8 Heads of State Outdoors in 2013

[“Russia and the G8: Increased Prominence in International Affairs” – Valdai Discussion Club – Andrew Monaghan – February 18, 2014 – valdaiclub.com/russia_and_the_world/66904.html] Andrew Monaghan, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House, assesses Russia’s role and position on the world stage, as they follow up the Sochi Olympics by hosting the G8 summit in several months: Some suggest that Russia is in […]

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NEWSLINK: Olympic Official: We Realized Hotel Problems ‘Too Late’; First Public Explanation for Rocky Launch of 2014 Games; ‘Red Alert’ Sounded

Sports, Olympics, World Cup

[“Sochi Olympics Official: We Realized Hotel Problems ‘Too Late’; First Public Explanation for Rocky Launch of 2014 Games; ‘Red Alert’ Sounded” – Wall Street Journal – Matthew Futterman, Gregory L. White  -February 17, 2014 – online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304899704579388882111244174] The Wall Street Journal covers the various glitches and delays in the preparations for the Sochi Olympics: The International Olympic Committee’s chief coordinator for […]

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NEWSLINK: What the Papers Say, Feb. 18, 2014

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
Collage of Russian Newspapers

[“What the Papers Say, Feb. 18, 2014” – Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring – themoscowtimes.com/news/article/what-the-papers-say-feb-18-2014/494765.html] The Moscow Times and BBC Monitoring review Russian print publications. Nezavisimaya Gazeta 1. Alexandra Samarina article headlined “Waiting for personnel changes” predicts that a number of senior officials including governors may lose their jobs after the Sochi Olympics. The author reports on the meeting of the State […]

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NEWSLINK: The culture of corruption: Russians pay, but they don’t like it

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

[“The culture of corruption: Russians pay, but they don’t like it” – Washington Post – Timothy Frye – February 17, 2014 – http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/02/17/the-culture-of-corruption-russians-pay-but-they-dont-like-it-2/] The Washington Post features Timothy Frye, Columbia University political scientist and Director of the Harriman Institute for Russia, Eurasian and East European Studies, writing on Russia’s culture of corruption: A central theme of the Sochi Olympics has […]

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NEWSLINK: Fast food conquers Russia, brings obesity

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse
File Photo of Russian McDbnald's Crew with U.S. Diplomat

[“Fast food conquers Russia, brings obesity” – ITAR-TASS – Lyudmila Alexandrova – February 18, 2014 – http://en.itar-tass.com/opinions/1676] ITAR-TASS tries to blame McDonald’s for Russian obesity: Russia’s first McDonald’s fast food restaurant opened on downtown Moscow’s Pushkinskaya Square in late January 1990, causing unprecedented buzz among Muscovites who formed a multi-kilometer line to taste American fast food. International fast food came […]

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NEWSLINK: Russia Struggles Past Norway to Make Olympic Hockey Quarterfinals

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Sochi 2014

[“Russia Struggles Past Norway to Make Olympic Hockey Quarterfinals” – R-Sport – February 18, 2014 – http://en.ria.ru/sochi2014/20140218/187658612/Russia-Struggles-Past-Norway-to-Make-Olympic-Hockey.html] R-Sport covers Russia’s Olympic men’s hockey team as it advances to the final eight: Alexander Radulov scored two goals and an assist to help Russia to a 4-0 win over outsider Norway in the first round of the Olympic men’s hockey playoffs. In […]

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Moscow Faces Five Growing Obstacles to Integrating Post-Soviet Space, MGIMO Professor Says

CIS, Customs Union, Eurasian Union
European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, February 18, 2014) Both because the Russian empire has always been “an empire of a special type” and because ethnic Russians remain “the most divided people in Europe,” Moscow has every right to “struggle” to overcome what Vladimir Putin has described as the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century, according to […]

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$2 Billion in Russian Aid Fails to Help Ukrainian Currency

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – February 18, 2014) Russia’s promise to release the next payment of a promised $15 billion loan to the government of Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych failed to help the country’s hryvnia currency, which fell by up to 1.6 percent against the dollar on Tuesday. Monday’s announcement by Finance Minister Anton Siluanov that Moscow […]

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Russia to Ukraine’s rescue with $2 billion bailout bond purchase

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – February 18, 2014) Just in the nick of time the Kremlin is stepping in with a fresh Ukrainian bond purchases. The Russian government said on February 18 that it would make a second purchase of Ukrainian bonds handing the government some badly needed cash. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that Moscow will buy […]

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Russia Mends Georgian Ties as Sochi Heals Beijing Wounds

Georgia
File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Helena Bedwell – Februay 17, 2014) On the first day of the Beijing Olympics six years ago, war broke out between Georgia and Russia. The Sochi Winter games finds the neighbors on much friendlier terms. Georgia’s government is seeking to use the $45 billion Winter Olympics to revive ties, with Premier Irakli Garibashvili saying four days […]

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Banks Scramble for Clients as Mortgage Lending Takes Off

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Sberbank File Photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Delphine d’Amora – February 18, 2014) Mortgage lending is soaring as banks lower their rates, carrying with it both the benefits and potential drawbacks of a mortgage-greedy banking system. Until recently, Russian banks and consumers alike were skeptical of mortgages, and the rapidly escalating price of real estate did not help matters. Now, stable housing […]

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For Visitors and Residents, Olympics One Big Party

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Sochi 2014

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI – February 18, 2014) Every night of the Olympics, celebratory fireworks light up the dark sky above Sochi, a vivid reminder that what is purely a sporting event for television audiences watching from home is a non-stop festival for visitors on the ground. Since there are no sporting events in the […]

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RIA Novosti: Veteran Director of Liberal Russian Radio Station Ousted

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Aerial View of Moscow From Beyond Stadium, file photo

MOSCOW, February 18 (RIA Novosti) – The long-serving director of Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy was replaced Tuesday by a manager from state-owned media, sparking fears of editorial changes at the liberal news outlet. Yury Fedutinov was removed as director of Ekho Moskvy after more than 20 years in the job and replaced by Yekaterina Pavlova during a shareholder meeting, […]

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Rossiya Segodnya Head Given Presidential Award

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 18, 2014) State television host Dmitry Kiselyov, known for his strong opposition to gay rights in Russia, has been awarded the Order of Service to the Fatherland by President Vladimir Putin. A presidential decree published on the government’s legal documents website said the honor was bestowed on Kiselyov for his contribution to Russia’s “social […]

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RIA Novosti: Russians Split on Military Draft – Survey

Military
File Photo of Russian Military Conscripts Boarding Train with Gear

MOSCOW, February 18 (RIA Novosti) – Russians are divided about the use of conscript soldiers in the army, according to a survey published Tuesday. A total of 48 percent of Russians believe the military draft should remain a key source of manpower for the army, while 40 percent think only professional contract soldiers should serve, the poll by the independent […]

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Three Statistics with Long Shadows for Russia

Central Asia, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Population Disaster, Demographics, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Crowd of Russians with One Waving Russian Flag

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, February 18, 2014) Three newly released statistics – one on births in Kazakhstan, a second on how Russians understand events in Ukraine, and a third on where websites of the .ru domain are hosted – say more about where the Russian Federation is heading than do more prominent declarations of Moscow political […]

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Russia Heartbeat – Monday, Feburary 17, 2014

Russian News
Stylized EEG Image Showing Heartbeat Pulse

Sochi Olympics, Sports Russian President Vladimir Putin was in attendance for Russia’s Olympic men’s hockey game against the United States, a non-medal round victory for the Americans … over all, Putin seems to be basking in the Sochi games … Putin chief of staff Sergey Ivanovochi argues that invisible security is the best security … Russians and Westerners have different […]

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Johnson’s Russia List with links :: 2014-#33 :: Monday, 17 February 2014

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

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#33 :: 17 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: Sochi Notebook: Russian vs. Western Styles of Talking. […]

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Turkmenistan: The Achilles Heel Of Central Asian Security

Afghanistan, Central Asia
Map of Turkmenistan and Environs

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – February 16, 2014) Central Asian governments are already on heightened alert over the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. This sense of alarm is almost certain to increase in coming months. But in Turkmenistan there does not seem to be the same concern heard in the neighboring Central Asian states. Ashgabat seems content to rely on […]

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Ukrainian Opposition Needs to Face Up to Some Painful Realities, Pavlova Says

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Maidan Square file photo

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, February 16, 2014) Ukrainians in the Maidan as well as their supporters need to face up to some painful realities if Ukraine is to escape its current impasse given that at present no good exit is obvious, according to Irina Pavlova, one of the most thoughtful observers of the post-Soviet space. In […]

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Ukraine’s Klitschko Gives Up German Residency

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Ukraine Map and Flag

MOSCOW, February 16 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s boxer-turned-opposition politician Vitali Klitschko said Sunday he has given up his residency in Germany to prove his right to run for the president next year. The leader of the Udar political party, Klitschko, 42, has spent several years living and paying tax in Germany rather than Ukraine. Last year, the world heavyweight champion […]

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Tensions in Kyiv high as Amnesty law deadline expires

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Maidan Square file photo

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – February 17, 2014) After two weeks of calm, tensions in Kyiv are high again as a 15 day deadline on the new amnesty law expires. So far the prospects for compromise seem good as both sides in the conflict made gestures that will deescalate tensions, the threat of renewed violence remains is again just […]

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Russia’s bank consolidation is going surprisingly smoothly

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Russian Central Bank file photo

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris in Moscow – February 17, 2014) Russia’s central bank moved in on its latest two victims on February 11, pulling the banking licenses from Moscow-based European Trust Bank (Eurotrust) and Link-Bank. Eurotrust was already a zombie. The bank stopped taking in new retail customers last November due to the tough economic conditions, […]

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Privatization deals could begin in Q2 2014 – Dergunova

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Empty Boardroom

GORKI. Feb 17 (Interfax) – Large-scale privatization deals could begin in the second quarter of 2014, the head of the Russian Federal Property Agency (Rosimushchestvo) Olga Dergunova told journalists on Monday. “Agents will be best prepared for deals such as that of Sovcomflot in the second quarter. We will answer questions concerning the deal’s structure and [share] placement location. The […]

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Russian Writers Call for Free Speech as Pasternak’s Birthday Celebrated

Human Rights, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – D. Garrison Golubock and Olga Chetina – February 17, 2014) Feb. 11 marked the 124th anniversary of the birth of Boris Pasternak, the famed Soviet author best known for his book “Doctor Zhivago,” which was published abroad after being banned in the Soviet Union. Pasternak’s birthday was celebrated with great fanfare by Russia’s literati, including […]

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Admiral’s suicide shakes Russia’s healthcare system

Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Human Rights
File Photo of Patient in Russian Hospital

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Natalia Antonova, Anna Arutunyan – February 17, 2014) The shocking suicide of a Navy admiral has prompted official investigations into the bureaucratic hurdles Russian cancer patients face when trying to obtain pain medication. According to the experts, administrative problems, a lingering Soviet mentality and a misguided drug policy are to blame for continued lack of […]

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RIA Novosti: Poll Reveals Widespread Intolerance for Gays in Russia

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

MOSCOW, February 15 (RIA Novosti) – The vast majority of Russians find same-sex relationships unacceptable, according to a survey published Friday by a state-run pollster. VTsIOM found in its poll that lesbian couples were deemed inappropriate by 78 percent of respondents, with only 3 percent answering that relationships between two women were normal. Relationships between men were even more unpopular. […]

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Putin Watches Russian Hockey Defeat

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Sochi 2014

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI – February 17, 2014) Political overtones reared their head at the Sochi Winter Olympics on Saturday night as Russia and the U.S. played each other in a tense hockey game. After the Cold War hockey rivals found themselves tied 2-2 at the end of overtime, the U.S. team won after eight […]

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Sochi Notebook: Russian vs. Western Styles of Talking

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

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI – February 17, 2014) Russians tend to become reticent when approached by reporters at the Winter Olympics. In contrast, North Americans and many Europeans show no qualms at all. They go up to reporters on their own initiative and are not wary about giving their last names. They also volunteer details […]

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Russia Heartbeat – Friday, February 14, 2014

Russian News
Stylized EEG Image Showing Heartbeat Pulse

Sochi Olympics Following an extravagant opening ceremony, with ticket sales reportedly exceededing one million … the Sochi Winter Olympics seem to be going smoothly, but controversy persists. Meanwhile Moscow is not seeing a hoped-for influx of tourist in connection with the Winter Olympics. Russians seem to be uniting around the Sochi Winter Olympics, producing political benefits for Russian President Vladimir […]

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Johnson’s Russia List with links :: 2014-#32 :: Friday, 14 February 2014

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

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#32 :: 14 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: Olympics-Tolstoy’s words ring true as Putin goes for Sochi […]

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NEWSLINK: Russia holds rate, warns of rises if inflation accelerates

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

[“Russia holds rate, warns of rises if inflation accelerates” – CentralBankNews.info –  February 14, 2014 – http://www.centralbanknews.info/2014/02/russia-holds-rate-warns-of-rises-if.html] CentralBankNews.info covers Russia’s Central Bank and its decision to maintain its key policy rate at 5.50 per cent.  The Central Bank cautions that it could raise rates if inflation exceeds the bank’s target, but asserts an expectation that inflation will be held in […]

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NEWSLINK: Russians hold outdoor kissathon in coldest city

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
Red Valentine's Heart

[“Russians hold outdoor kissathon in coldest city” – AFP – February 14, 2014 – news.yahoo.com/russians-hold-outdoor-kissathon-coldest-city-140334458.html] Russian couples in Yakutsk took part in a Saint Valentine’s Day kissing contest called “Love warms you up,” with the winners kissing for one hour and twenty minutes, the last 20 minutes spent with the man also picking the woman up and holding her in […]

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NEWSLINK: Russia, NATO plan joint operation on Syria’s chemical weapons

Chemical Weapons, Biological Weapons, ChemBio, Syria, WMD Proliferation
Syria Map

[“Russia, NATO plan joint operation on Syria’s chemical weapons” – Reuters – Gabriela Baczynska and Adrian Croft – February 14, 2014 – reuters.com/article/2014/02/14/us-syria-crisis-russia-nato-idUSBREA1D0Y120140214] Reuters covers plans for a NATO-Russian joint naval operation in the Mediterranean to protect a U.S. ship playing a role in the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons.  The mission would be a cooperative step even as Russian […]

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NEWSLINK: Putin and the media – Dreams about Russia – Beyond the spectacle of the Sochi Olympics is a crackdown on Russia’s media

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
File Photo of Russian Television Studio

[“Putin and the media – Dreams about Russia – Beyond the spectacle of the Sochi Olympics is a crackdown on Russia’s media” – The Economist – February 15, 2014 – economist.com/news/europe/21596580-beyond-spectacle-sochi-olympics-crackdown-russias-media-dreams-about-russia] The Economist reports on concerns over media freedoms in Russia, including actions taken in the lead-up to the Sochi Olympics: Just as Vladimir Putin’s greatest project [the Sochi Olympics] […]

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NEWSLINK: Russians use ‘love’ emoticon on Facebook more than any other

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
Red Valentine's Heart

[“Russians use ‘love’ emoticon on Facebook more than any other” – San Francisco Business Times – Steven E.F. Brown- February 13, 2014 – bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2014/02/russians-love-emoticon-facebook-berkeley.html?page=all] The San Francisco Business Times reports that the top emoticon for Russian facebook users is the love icon.  Yet researchers at Cal-Berkeley and Cambridge provide a mixed assessment of what that means: Russians choose an emoticon […]

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NEWSLINK: What the Papers Say, Feb. 14, 2014

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Russian News
Collage of Russian Newspapers

[“What the Papers Say, Feb. 14, 2014” – The Moscow Times/BBC Monitoring – themoscowtimes.com/news/article/what-the-papers-say-feb-14-2014/494555.html] The Moscow Times and BBC Monitoring parse the latest news from Russian print newspapers. Nezavisimaya Gazeta 1. Sergei Neverov article headlined “People’s support is priority” says that today the State Duma is to pass in the third reading a bill on elections to the State Duma […]

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NEWSLINK: Sochi Olympics – Tolstoy’s words ring true as Putin goes for Sochi gold

Sports, Olympics, World Cup

[“Olympics – Tolstoy’s words ring true as Putin goes for Sochi gold” – Reuters – Timothy Heritage – February 14, 2014 – http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/14/us-olympics-halfway-idUSBREA1D0VN20140214] Reuters covers the Sochi Olympics, commenting that at least some concerns voiced prior to the Olympics seemingly have been mitigated: For all the talk of war from Islamist militants before the Sochi Games started, the Russian organizers […]

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Most Russians pessimistic about improvement of their financial standing

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Cash, Calculator, Pen

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – February 14, 2014) Most Russians (60%) think that the financial standing of their families will not change during the nearest year, according to findings of a survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM). The Russian people have been in such downbeat mood over the past ten years 17% of respondents expect […]

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Moscow Ready for Olympic Tourists. And Still Waiting

Sports, Olympics, World Cup
Aerial View of Moscow From Beyond Stadium, file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Delphine d’Amora – February 14, 2014) The Olympic Games seemed a golden opportunity for the Moscow tourism industry, with the majority of tourists bound to pause in the capital on their way to Sochi. But the city has not been deluged with Olympic visitors. Those few who have stopped in Moscow have been quick to […]

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Experts Warn of Increase in Ethnically Motivated Attacks

Race, Ethnic, Extremism, Xenophobia
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Natalya Krainova – February 14, 2014) Russia has seen an increase in violence motivated by ethnic hatred and physical attacks on the LGBT community in the past year, experts said Thursday. The topic has taken on a new sense of urgency in light of Russia’s anti-gay propaganda legislation and the ongoing street protests in neighboring […]

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The Kremlin’s Interest in “Local Business”

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

(Institute of Modern Russia – imrussia.org – Tatiana Stanovaya – February 12, 2014) The question of whether or not the Kremlin will abolish direct mayoral elections in major Russian cities is likely to be one of the major political intrigues of 2014. Although the Russian Constitution prohibits cancellation of direct mayoral elections, as does the European Charter of Local Self-Government, […]

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RIA Novosti: Only One NGO Registered Under Russian Foreign Agent Law

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

MOSCOW, February 14 (RIA Novosti) – Only a single NGO has registered as a foreign agent under a hotly contested 2012 Russian law to regulate the activities of foreign-funded organizations, the Justice Ministry said on its website Friday. The law, widely denounced by human rights organizations as an attempt to suppress political opposition in the country, obliges organizations receiving foreign […]

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TRANSCRIPT: Meeting with Vladimir Lukin and Ella Pamfilova

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

(Kremlin.ru – February 13, 2014) Vladimir Putin met with Russian Human Rights Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin and Chairperson of the Presidium of the Civil Dignity national public movement Ella Pamfilova. Mr Lukin’s term of office as Human Rights Ombudsman expires on February 18, and Ms Pamfilova has been nominated to this post. The new candidate must be approved by the State […]

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Putin Formally Nominates Pamfilova as New Ombudsman

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

NOVO-OGARYOVO, February 13 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian president formally nominated an outspoken Kremlin critic as Russia’s next ombudsman on Thursday, saying he expected her to watch Russia’s political life with “a critical eye.” Vladimir Putin told rights activists on January 23 that he would formally nominate Ella Pamfilova, former head of the Kremlin human rights council, to the post […]

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