Davos to Raise Awkward Questions

File Photo of "World Economic Forum" Display at Davos from Past Session

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anatoly Medetsky – January 20, 2014) Russian delegates at this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos could have to field uneasy questions about the country’s economic slowdown at a time when Western economies are regaining their confidence. Russia’s economic aid to Ukraine is also likely to surface during discussions at the Swiss alpine resort, in […]

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Put Putin on your fridge door

File Photo of Vladimir Putin Sitting at Desk

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Vladimir Kozlov, special to RBTH – January 19, 2014) From portraits to fridge magnets to video games, Putin’s image has become a commercial venture. Portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin are staples in the offices of state officials of various ranks across the country. But his images can be also found on various […]

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More Than Half of Russians Against Anti-Putin Slogans, Poll Says

Kremlin and St. Basil's

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – January 17, 2014) More than half of Russians do not support slogans directed against President Vladimir Putin, a Levada Center poll shows. Twenty-four percent said they always disapprove of slogans like “Putin must go!” and “Russia without Putin!,” and 32 percent said they were more likely not to support them, according to the poll, published […]

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Upsurge in Terrorism in Russia ‘Not Just about Sochi’ and Won’t End with Olympiad, Analyst Says

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

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, January 20, 2104) Most commentaries in Moscow and the West have argued that the recent terrorist actions in Volgograd were undertaken to disrupt the Sochi Olympics, a suggestion that some in the Russian capital have invoked to justify even tighter security for that competition. But even if those behind the attacks are […]

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‘Against All’ ­- disdain as it’s meant to be

Arm and Torso of Person in Brown Sweater Placing Paper Ballot into Ballot Box

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Natalia Antonova, Acting Editor-in-Chief – January 17, 2014) The Russian State Duma currently appears to be keen on returning the “against all” option on all election ballots, except for presidential elections ­ and this is a good thing. Critics say that reintroducing the option will only benefit the ruling United Russia party, by chipping away […]

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TRANSCRIPT: [Putin] Interview to Russian and foreign media

File Photo of Vladimir Putin Speaking with Flag Behind Him and Microphones in Front

(Kremlin.ru – January 19, 2014) Ahead of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the Russian President gave an interview to reporters from BBC, ABC News, CCTV, Rossiya-1, Channel One, and Around the Rings. The interview was recorded in Sochi on January 17. PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: It seems to me that you know everything about the coming Olympics and I […]

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Russia Beyond the Headlines: Putin says Sochi visitors will see a new Russia

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

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Nikolay Surkov, RBTH – January 20, 2014) Russia will welcome all participants and guests of the Sochi Olympics irrespective of their sexuality, President Vladimir Putin has said to domestic and foreign media President Vladimir Putin is promising that Sochi’s Olympic Games will be a success and the world will see what a great […]

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RIA Novosti: Putin: Holding on to Power By All Means Would Be Unwise

File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Valdai Club 2013 Meeting, Adapted from Screenshot of Valdai Club Video at youtube.com

MOSCOW, January 19 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was too early to speak on whether he would run for his fourth term in 2018, but clinging to power by all means would be unwise. “It’s only 2014 and we will have elections in 2018. What we need to do now is work, and then we will […]

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Riots sweep Ukraine capital as frustrations boil over

Maidan Square file photo

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – January 20, 2014) Months of frustration in the opposition protests against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych boiled over as a leaderless mob fought police and took control of the streets. Tens of thousands of protestors rallied in Independence Square on January 19 in defiance of a set of anti-protest laws that the administration rammed through […]

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U.S. Congressman Alleges Snowden May Have Worked With FSB

Edward Snowden file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – January 20, 2014) The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate intelligence committees will investigate suspicions that intelligence leaker Edward Snowden might have already been in touch with Russian security services while working as a defense contractor on U.S. soil, the committees’ leaders said. Representative Mike Rogers, a Republican from Michigan and head […]

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EU Links Easing of Visas to Russia’s Rights Record

EU Map

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Yekaterina Kravtsova – January 20, 2014) An official from the European Union spoke out about several concerns over Russia during a visit to Moscow on Friday, warning that plans for a visa-free regime would be put on hold until issues of corruption and human rights are addressed. The meeting came shortly after the EU decided […]

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Trial of Politkovskaya murder case postponed again

File Photo of Mourners with Photo of Anna Politkovskaya

(Interfax – January 20, 2014) The Moscow City Court has postponed until January 27 the trial of the criminal case involving the killing of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Thus, the court has granted a request filed by one of the defense lawyers, who needed more time to read the case materials, an Interfax correspondent has reported. The prosecutor was […]

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#11 :: 17 January 2014

St. Basil's file photo

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#11 :: 17 January 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. New York Times: Tom Marshall, Behind the Olympics: Teaching About […]

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Interfax: Head of human rights council calls to leave Lukin in his post for third term

Mikhail Fedotov file photo

MOSCOW. Jan 17 (Interfax) – Vladimir Lukin should stay in the post of federal ombudsman, Mikhail Fedotov, the head of the presidential human rights council, told Interfax on Friday. “The right thing to do will be to keep Vladimir Petrovich Lukin in this post. He is ideal for this job,” Fedotov said. Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin earlier told […]

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‘Not a Single Complaint’ About Sochi Preparations

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

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Yekaterina Kravtsova – January 17, 2014) Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said Thursday that there had been no misuse of funds allocated for the upcoming 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, with only 99 billion rubles from the overall price tag of 214 billion rubles taken out of the state budget. News reports had earlier put […]

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Russia makes slow progress in improving economic freedom

Empty Boardroom

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – January 17, 2014) Russia is making slow progress in improving economic freedom, according to the “2014 Index of Economic Freedom” report released January 15 by the conservative US think-tank, the Heritage Foundation. Since reassuming the presidency in 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin has launch long-delayed structural reforms to make Russia a more attractive place […]

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Foreigners Optimistic at Gaidar Forum

File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Panin – January 16, 2014) It became apparent that foreign economists and captains of industry view Russia’s economy more positively than the country’s officials, as they mingled and orated during the opening day of the Gaidar Forum in Moscow on Wednesday. However, participants agreed that interdependence in the global economy is unavoidable. Angel Gurria, […]

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Interfax: Foreign direct investment in Russian companies jumps 80% to $78 bln in 2013

File Photo of Outdoor Electronic Sign with Russian Exchange Data

MOSCOW. Jan 17 (Interfax) – Foreign direct investment in Russia’s non-banking sector surged 80% to $78.4 billion in 2013 from $42.8 billion in 2012, balance of payments estimates published on the Central Bank of Russia’s website show. FDI totalled $14.9 billion in the fourth quarter, $13.4 billion in the third quarter, $14.3 billion in the second quarter and $35.8 billion […]

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Hue and cry as US journalist barred from Russia – or was he?

Truck at Russian Border Crossing

(Business New Europe MOSCOW BLOG – bne.eu – Ben Aris – January 15, 2014) The international press threw up a hue and cry on January 14 after it emerged a US journalist David Satter had been barred from re-entering Russia. Superficially, it appears the Kremlin has banned a western journalist because he was critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime. […]

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RIA Novosti: US Condemns Ukraine’s Anti-Protest Laws as ‘Undemocratic’

Maidan Square file photo

MOSCOW, January 17 (RIA Novosti) ­ The United States on Thursday condemned the parliament of Ukraine’s decision to pass wide-ranging laws severely restricting the right to protest as undemocratic. The measures were stiffly resisted by outraged opposition deputies in a testy, and sometimes violent, session in the Rada, but were nonetheless pushed through by the ruling pro-presidential Party of Regions. […]

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Ukraine democracy seen under threat as Rada passes “dictatorship bill”

Ukraine Map and Flag

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris in Moscow – January 17, 2014) With a show of hands that took less than five seconds to count, the deputies of Ukraine’s Rada passed into law a package of bills on January 16 that has already been dubbed the “dictatorship bill”. Scuffles broke out on the Rada floor and punches were […]

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Terrorism Legislation in Russia Prompts Call for Review

Russian State Duma Building file photo

MOSCOW, January 16 (RIA Novosti) ­ Sweeping anti-terrorism legislation presented to Russia’s parliament this week is expected to undergo a first reading in February, but a government-linked rights watchdog called Thursday for a comprehensive review to ensure it does not violate any constitutional principles. Bills presented Wednesday to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, include measures to broaden […]

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Putin Says State History Textbooks Will Not Impose Ideology

File Photo of Vladimir Putin Sitting at Desk

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Oleg Sukhov – January 17, 2014) President Vladimir Putin on Thursday defended planned standardized history textbooks, lashing out at some current teaching materials that he said criticize the Soviet Union’s role in World War II. The state textbooks, proposed by Putin last year, are expected to replace many alternative editions that exist now and will […]

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Russia Dying Off in the Center

File Photo of Crowd of Russians with One Waving Russian Flag

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, January 15, 2014) For the first time since the end of the USSR, there were more births than deaths among Russian citizens during the first 11 months of 2013. While the difference was small, 23,000, compard to the number of births 1.753 million and deaths 1.730 million, many commentators were celebrating what […]

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Interfax: Over 65,000 children were adopted in Russia in 2013 – Astakhov

Pavel Astakhov file photo

MOSCOW. Jan 16 (Interfax) – The number of children adopted in Russia went up almost 7% in 2013, Russian presidential children’s rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said. “In 2013, 65,600 children were adopted, which is a 6.7% increase from the previous year,” Astakhov told a press conference. At the same time, Astakhov said there were no special financial incentives for people […]

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White ribboners and tandemocracy: Russia’s new political vocabulary

Kremlin and St. Basil's file photo

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Alexey Mikheev, special to RBTH – January 16, 2014) Anti-Kremlin protest movements add new trends to Russia’s colloquialisms. In December 2011, a series of antigovernment protests were held in Moscow, giving rise to a protest movement that has since significantly replenished the Russian political vocabulary. The opposition movement chose the white ribbon as […]

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RIA Novosti: 15-20% of Russians Work in Shadow Economy

Hands Opening Envelope Containing Cash

MOSCOW, January 17 (RIA Novosti) ­ Up to a fifth of Russians work in a shadow economy that does not generate adequate tax payments, the country’s labor minister said Friday. “Fifteen to 20 percent of citizens” work jobs that do not provide proper tax and social security payments to the government, Maxim Topilin told an economic forum in Moscow. “I […]

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Duma considers expanding security agencies’ surveillance tactics on the web

File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Marina Obrazkova, RBTH – January 17, 2014) Russian MPs want to step up counterterrorism measures to include more control over what the Internet. The powers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) will be expanded, electronic payments in the Russian segment of the Internet will come under stricter regulations and, overall, state control […]

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Natural Gas Seen as Antidote to Warming

File Photo of Blue Flame from Natural Gas

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Delphine d’Amora – January 17, 2014) As a major exporter of fossil fuels, Russia may seem an unlikely candidate for global environmental champion, but macro-economic experts believe the country can play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions and the impact of climate change. This uncommon view of the country’s potential to support ecological improvement […]

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U.S.-Russia Relations in 2013: A Year of Living Ambiguously

File Photo of Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama Seated Before Russian and U.S. Flags

(Institute of Modern Russia – imrussia.org – Donald N. Jensen – January 15, 2014) The year 2013 was not an easy one for the United States, and Russian President Vladimir Putin used the situation to strengthen his position both on the world stage and in the post-Soviet space. Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at […]

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Journalist’s Expulsion Reveals Visa Quagmire

Kremlin and St. Basil's file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – January 16, 2014) As pundits speculated about possible political repercussions of Russia’s decision to bar U.S. journalist David Satter, the country’s often cumbersome and conflicting visa application process came into the spotlight on Wednesday. While for some observers the visa bureaucracy was seen as a tool to cushion the state’s political decisions, […]

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McFaul: Happy New Year: Looking Back, Looking Forward [excerpt]

Ambassador Mike McFaul file photo

(U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul – http://m-mcfaul.livejournal.com/ – January 15, 2014) [excerpt; complete text here http://m-mcfaul.livejournal.com/17235.html] January is always a good month to assess the accomplishments of the previous year and look forward to progress in the new year. This month marks not only the end of my second year as the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation but also the […]

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Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#10 :: 14 January 2014

St. Basil's file photo

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#10 :: 14 January 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. Interfax: Duma may consider daylight savings bill early next week […]

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RIA Novosti: US Team Looks to Continue Resurgence at Sochi Olympics

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

WASHINGTON, January 13 (By Carl Schreck for RIA Novosti) ­ The United States is a serious contender to top the medals table at the Winter Olympics in Sochi next month after a record-setting performance in Vancouver four years ago, but its prospects on Olympic snow and ice weren’t always so promising. Following a dismal performance at the 1988 Winter Games […]

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Interfax: Moscow expects explanations from Brussels regarding talks on South Stream – Chizhov

File Photo of Blue Flame from Natural Gas

BRUSSELS. Jan 14 (Interfax) – It is necessary to carry out eliminations and exceptions in the European Union law for the South Stream transborder pipeline, Russia’s envoy to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said. Moscow expects EU Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger to elaborate on the way in which Brussels will hold talks on the South Stream on behalf of the […]

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The Price of One Day in Russia’s Summer Capital

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

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI, January 14, 2014) Standing on Sochi’s Kurortny Prospekt, the city’s main avenue, Sochi’s status as the Nice of Russia is immediately clear; it is not only the site of the upcoming Winter Olympics, but also a place for national celebrities to see and be seen. It is perhaps due to this […]

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Now I’m a union man

Kremlin and St. Basil's file photo

(opendemocracy.net – Grigory Tumanov – January 13, 2014) Grigory Tumanov is a Moscow based journalist and blogger. He is a staff correspondent for Kommersant daily, one of Russia’s most respected publications. In both Soviet and more recent times, Russia’s trade unions have tended to be an arm of the regime, but Grigory Tumanov argues that a growing independent movement is […]

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Putin Overhaul of Science Risks Final Blow to Soviet-Era Machine

File Photo of Test Tubes with Algae Displaying Different Colors, Part of U.S. Energy-Related Research; from nrel.gov

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Oliver Staley, Henry Meyer and Stepan Kravchenko – January 14, 2014) Yulia Nelyubina is an internationally recognized chemist at the Russian Academy of Sciences. An overhaul of the academy pushed through by President Vladimir Putin may leave her homeless and further damage the country’s already bruised science establishment. The changes mean the academy will lose control […]

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RIA Novosti: Investigators and Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Clash Over Travel Ban

File Photo of Alexei Navalny Being Grabbed by Police at Protest

MOSCOW, January 13 (RIA Novosti) ­ Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny rejected an allegation from investigators Monday that he had breached a court order not to leave Moscow. The Investigative Committee threatened Monday to seek tighter restrictions on Navalny, who is facing embezzlement charges, if he again violated an alleged undertaking not to leave Moscow. It claimed that he had […]

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RIA Novosti: Russia’s Defense Tsar Wants ‘Optimistic News Factory’

Dmitry Rogozin file photo

MOSCOW, January 14 (RIA Novosti) ­ The Russian defense industry will create its own “news factory” to offset the “Russophobic” produce of state-owned television channels, a senior official said. Russian television revels in vulgarity and sensationalism, and its makers show “disdain for everything created by domestic labor and Russia’s great culture,” said Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who is responsible […]

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Interfax: Russia-EU summit may become a “suitable moment” for progress on visas – Russian envoy

EU Map

BRUSSELS. Jan 14 (Interfax) – A Russia-European Union summit, due to open in Brussels on January 28, could be a “suitable moment” to sign an agreement to further simplify visa rules, while the launch of talks on visa-free travel could send a favorable signal for further promoting the sides’ strategic partnership, Russia’s envoy to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said. “The […]

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Moscow has Lost Ukraine, Gromov Advisor Says

Maidan Square file photo

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, January 14, 2014) Despite Vladimir Putin’s success in getting Kyiv not to sign a European Union association agreement and constant Russian media claims that the Euro-Maidan is about to collapse, Ivan Nikashin says, “the Kremlin has lost Ukraine” this time around in because of problems having to do with the still-Soviet nature […]

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Delayed Regulation Leaves Door Open to Corrupt Officials

Cropped File Photo of Two Men in Business Suits Shaking Hands and Passing Cash

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Delphine d’Amora – January 14, 2014) Government delays have pushed back the full institution of controls on state purchases until 2016, leaving officials wishing to extract profit from their positions an extra year to take advantage of lax oversight. State purchases are now essentially unregulated, and procurement by government bodies at inflated prices cost the […]

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Spring Duma Session Opens With Call to Support Economic Growth

Russian State Duma Building file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Natalya Krainova – January 14, 2014) The State Duma in the coming months will focus on legislation that will provide “stability” for businesses at a time of “extremely challenging” economic circumstances in Russia, Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said Tuesday. “Today, almost in every strategic direction of the country’s development there are additional risks. They stem […]

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Translation challenges the brightest minds

Leo Tolstoy file photo

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Phoebe Taplin, special to RBTH – January 14, 2014) Top translators of Tolstoy and Pelevin talk to RBTH about misunderstandings, cultural differences and how not to get lost in translation.   Each year scores of books are translated from Russian to English. This year has seen publications in a range of genres, from […]

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Familiar Questions to be Posed at Gaidar Forum This Week

File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Panin – January 14, 2014) The recurring question “What is to be done?” posed by Chernyshevsky and Lenin, will again be posed this week as government officials and international economists gather at the Gaidar Forum in Moscow on Wednesday to find ways out of the ongoing global crisis. The world’s economy is still crawling […]

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Duma may consider daylight savings bill early next week – health committee head

Analog Clock Artist's Rendition

(Interfax – January 14, 2014) Duma deputies are ready to vote for the re-introduction of daylight savings time even if the decision is not backed by the government, the Russian State Duma said. “Since the government is not in a hurry, it means there will be the law aiming to bring all constituent regions of the Federation as close as […]

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Which Russian Cities are Withering Away?

File Photo of Crowd of Russians with One Waving Russian Flag

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, January 14, 2014) Russia’s demographic decline is taking many forms ­ the disappearance of villages, the hollowing out of the countryside and difficulties with meeting draft quotas and having enough working age people to support an aging population ­ but perhaps the most dramatic is the predicted disappearance of relatively large cities […]

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Ahead of Olympics, Russians Urged to Help Prevent Attacks

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

(Moscow Times – moscowtimes.com – January 14, 2014) Less than a month before the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russian investigators appealed to civilians on Tuesday to be more vigilant and help avert the threat of “terrorist” attacks. Insurgents who want to create an Islamist state in the North Caucasus mountains have threatened to attack the Games, and suicide bombers killed […]

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HIV Epidemic Plagues Russia as Government Rejects Prevention Methods

HIV Infection Microscopic Photo of Cells

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Simeon Bennett and Stepan Kravchenko – January 13, 2014) On a chilly September evening in Novogireyevo, a Moscow suburb of concrete apartment blocks about 16 kilometers east of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin compound, a young woman in an orange hoodie approaches Sasha Mazay with an offer that might save his life. Mazay, 33, is one […]

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