Tag: Slider

Russia’s in the red: As Russia’s personal debt crisis spirals out of control, collectors are turning to violence to ensure people pay on time. These stories aren’t for the fainthearted.

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

(opendemocracy.net – Sean Guillory – April 14, 2016) Sean Guillory lives in Pittsburgh, where he hosts the SRB podcast, a weekly podcast on Eurasian politics, history and culture, and blogs at seansrussiablog.org. You can follow him on Twitter @seansrussiablog. At this point, I should be numb to Russian horror stories. But several days ago, the following story struck a chord, […]

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Putin doesn’t expect Western sanctions to be lifted soon, says Russia to keep countersanctions in place

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Sanctions, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Truck at Russian Border Crossing

MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin does not expect the Western sanctions to be lifted from Russia in the near future. “I don’t think our partners will decide to lift the restrictions and limitations from our country in the near future,” Putin said during a Q&A session on Thursday. “Even though the Minsk Agreements on southeastern Ukraine […]

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Direct Line with Vladimir Putin (partial transcript)

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

(Kremlin.ru – April 14, 2016) Direct Line with Vladimir Putin was broadcast live on Channel One, Rossiya-1 and Rossiya-24 TV channels, and Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio Rossii radio stations. During the live broadcast that lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes, the President answered 80 questions out of the over 3 million that were received. Valeriya Korableva, reporter at Channel […]

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Russian State Duma hopeful about Groysman’s appointment as Ukrainian PM

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) – The appointment of Volodymyr Groysman to the post of Ukraine’s prime minister gives hope that actual steps will be taken to implement the Minsk agreements, and that the level of tension in Russian-Ukrainian relations will decline, Russian State Duma Deputy Speaker Alexander Romanovich has said. “Groysman has a record of work at the regional level, […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-70 :: Thursday, 14 April 2016

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's Domes

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#70 Thursday, 14 April 2016 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org – JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist – JRL on Twitter: @JohnsonRussiaLi Support for JRL is provided in part […]

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Five great new Russian films to watch online with the Dubl Dv@ festival

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
File Photo of Reel of Film

New Russian movies will be available for streaming online with English subtitles as part of the Dubl dv@ (Take Two) film festival from April 11-22. We have selected the five most interesting movies from the program. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ALEXANDER NECHAYEV, SPECIAL TO RBTH – April 11, 2016) Festival website: d2.rg.ru 1. ‘CH/B’ (‘Black/White’) After Nurik, […]

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Volodymyr Hroysman: Ukraine’s Likely Next Prime Minister Is Loyal Poroshenko Ally

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Maidan Square in Kiev, Ukraine

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Ron Synovitz – April 11, 2016) The man identified by Ukraine’s outgoing prime minister as his successor, Volodymyr Hroysman, is a 38-year-old loyalist of President Petro Poroshenko who was thrust onto the national scene after the Euromaidan unrest that toppled a government. Hroysman’s meteoric rise from mayoral upstart to speaker of a notoriously obstreperous parliament was […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Most Important Bank Needs a Bailout. VEB faces task of paying off about $20 billion in foreign-currency debt.” – Wall Street Journal

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

When the Russian government needed to build up infrastructure in … Sochi ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, it turned to Russia’s most important lender: Vnesheconombank, the country’s state-owned development bank. … eventually holding the equivalent of at least $2.9 billion in overdue loans. … the bill is coming due. VEB for years kept its books in balance by […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Russian shopping mall activity continues 2016 recovery” – Intellinews.com

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog
File Photo of Cash Register with Drawer Open and Hands of Cashier

Following a shaky start to the year – three of the first four weeks in 2016 saw annual decreases in footfall – activity in Russian shopping malls appears to have turned the corner, with the positive data of February continuing into March …. Click here for Intellinews.com: Russian shopping mall activity continues 2016 recovery [featured image is file photo, not […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-69 :: Monday, 11 April 2016

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's Domes

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#69 Monday, 11 April 2016 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org – JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist – JRL on Twitter: @JohnsonRussiaLi Support for JRL is provided in part […]

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Putin’s annual Q&A session set for April 14

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

(Interfax – April 11, 2016) The Russian president will hold his annual televised question and answer session officially known as “The Direct Line with Vladimir Putin” on April 14, the Kremlin press service said. President will speak directly with people from around the country and answer their questions on the country’s life and the international situation. People can also call […]

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On My Mind

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime
Hand Pulling Cash from Envelope

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Brian Whitmore – April 11, 2016) In many ways, corruption is the new communism. The Soviet Union sought to spread communism and establish a bloc of nations loyal to Moscow. Vladimir Putin’s Russia seeks to spread its corrupt business model to establish a bloc of nations dependent upon Moscow. The Soviet Union tried to co-opt Westerners […]

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Russians believe Belarus, China, Kazakhstan are the friendliest to them

China, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
Eurasia Map

(Interfax – April 9, 2016) As many as 68% of Russian respondents interviewed by the Public Opinion Foundation and asked to name three countries they believe are the closest and the friendliest ones to Russia mentioned Belarus, 56% China and 50% Kazakhstan. These very three countries have remained on top of the list since April 2014. The April poll of […]

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How Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Could Spark Major International Crisis

Armenia, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus
Map of Azerbaijan and South Caucasus Environs Including Portions of Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Iran, Caspian Sea

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – April 7, 2016) Springtime in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is predictable enough. As sure as the plane trees begin to flower, skirmishes break out between Azeri and Armenian troops. On April 2, however, the typically short-lasting, day-long ritual morphed into the makings of a serious international crisis. Armenia and Azerbaijan have […]

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Russia Wins Silent Victory Against Ukraine With Dutch ‘No’ Vote

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
EU Map

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Eva Hartog – April 8, 2016) The Netherlands on Thursday awoke to a post-election hangover dominated by questions over how to interpret the results of a plebiscite in which an overwhelming majority of voters opposed a trade deal between the EU and Ukraine that for years has been a source of conflict with Moscow. The […]

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Putin: Obama ‘Personally’ Invited Russian President to Nuclear Summit

Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear, Missile Defense
Russian Mobile ICBM Parade File Photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – April 8, 2016) Russian President Vladimir Putin said U.S. President Barack Obama had “personally” invited him to attend the nuclear summit held in Washington last week, but he declined over insufficient prominence offered to Russia at the event, and Moscow’s complaints about implementation of a disarmament deal. “Yes, I was invited, and […]

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TRANSCRIPT: [Putin at] Truth and Justice regional and local media forum

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

(Kremlin.ru – St Petersburg – April 7, 2016) Vladimir Putin took part in the third Truth and Justice regional and local media forum. The media forum is organised by the Russian Popular Front and focuses on topical issues in regional life, the development of independent Russian journalism, and international issues. The forum participants include journalists from all around Russia, bloggers, […]

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Six Russian writers to watch at the London Book Fair

Britain, UK, United Kingdom, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts
Bookcase file photo, adapted from image at nlm.nih.gov

A delegation of Russian authors is coming to London on April 11-14 for the city’s international book fair. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ALEXANDRA GUZEVA, RBTH – April 7, 2016) The Read Russia international project returns to the London Book Fair. Among daily meetings with award-wining contemporary writers, this year the Russian stand (5D169) at Olympia Exhibition Center […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-68 :: Friday, 8 April 2016

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's Domes

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#68 Friday, 8 April 2016 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org – JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist – JRL on Twitter: @JohnsonRussiaLi Support for JRL is provided in part […]

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RBTH: NATO reinforcement: Why turn Europe into a theater of potential war?

NATO
Europe Map

Washington and London have intensified their anti-Kremlin rhetoric with recent statements, followed by the announcement that the U.S. is to deploy three fully-manned military brigades to Eastern Europe to counter Russian “aggression.” Foreign affairs analyst Vladimir Mikheev says this is reckless and short-sighted action that only heightens the risk of conflict in Europe. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – […]

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RBTH: Putin announces creation of National Guard for Russia

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

A series of important changes has taken place within Russian security organs, with the most significant being the establishment of a National Guard, to be formed from Interior Ministry troops. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – IGOR ROZIN, RBTH – April 6, 2016) A reorganization of government bodies has seen Russian President Vladimir Putin place the Federal Drug Control […]

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TRANSCRIPT: Russian National Guard established

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Kremlin.ru – April 5, 2016) Vladimir Putin made the announcement at a meeting with Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Interior Ministry Troops Commander Viktor Zolotov, Federal Drug Control Service Director Viktor Ivanov and Federal Migration Service First Deputy Director Yekaterina Yegorova. Vladimir Putin announces the creation of the National Guard on the basis of the Interior Ministry Troops. On the right: […]

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Dutch Voters Snub Kiev, Not Brussels

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – April 7, 2016) It’s easy to discount the outcome of Wednesday’s Dutch referendum on Ukraine’s association agreement with the European Union as another sign of minority discontent with the European project. It has far more significance than that though, particularly for Ukraine: The faltering state has failed to gain support among ordinary Europeans, […]

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Interfax: Over 80% of Russians against Crimea’s return to Ukraine – poll

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

(Interfax – April 7, 2016) An overwhelming majority of Russians believe that Crimea should stay within Russia: this opinion is maintained by 87 percent of respondents, the same as in November. The percentage has sizably grown since March 2014 (64 percent), the Levada Center told Interfax. The respondents supported their opinion by saying that “Crimea had always been Russian” (64 […]

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Russia’s Inability to Deal with Its Past Imperils Its Future, Inozemtsev Says

History, Soviet Union, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Balaklava harbour, the cattle pier, Crimea, Ukraine, 1855; adapted from image at loc.gov; Fenton, Roger, 1819-1869, photographer;

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, April 7, 2016) Russians love to compare themselves and their country with others and especially with the United States and to ask why others have done better than they have, Vladislav Inozemtsev says; but in general, Russians focus on differences in economic, legal or belief systems rather than on the critical problem […]

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Panama Papers scandal: What was the reaction in Russia?

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Hand Pulling Cash from Envelope

Even though most Russian newspapers wrote about the discovery of the Panama offshore bank accounts belonging to politicians and businessmen close to Vladimir Putin, public reaction to the scandal was rather muted. Russians exchanged jokes and comments about the information policy of the main Russian TV channels, which, unlike the newspapers, did not report on the scandalous leak. (Russia Beyond […]

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Most Russians Think Government Corruption Is ‘Unacceptable’ – Poll

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Cropped File Photo of Two Men in Business Suits Shaking Hands and Passing Cash

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – April 7, 2016) The majority of Russians (62 percent) believe corruption in government is wholly unacceptable and a further 27 percent believe it can never be condoned, a poll released on Friday by the independent Levada center pollster indicated. On the number of top government officials involved in corruption, 44 percent believe that the majority […]

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Putin calls free press enemy of frauds, bribers, not administration

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Human Rights, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

ST. PETERSBURG. April 7 (Interfax) – The free press can be an enemy only for frauds and bribers, not the administration as such, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. “The free press can only be an enemy for frauds, bribers and criminals, but there can be no such situation for the administration as such, which is serving people,” Putin said at […]

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Direct Line with Vladimir Putin will take place on April 14 at midday

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

(Kremlin.ru – April 7, 2016) The 14th annual Direct Line with Vladimir Putin will start at midday Moscow time on April 14 and will be broadcast by television channels Channel One, Rossiya 1, Rossiya 24, and radio stations Mayak, Vesti FM, and Radio Rossii. Following the same format as previously, the President will speak directly with people from around the […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-67 :: Thursday, 7 April 2016

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's Domes

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#67 Thursday, 7 April 2016 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org – JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist – JRL on Twitter: @JohnsonRussiaLi Support for JRL is provided in part […]

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Russia’s Military Budget Ranks Fourth Worldwide – Report

China, Military, Saudi Arabia, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Russian Mobile ICBM Parade File Photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – April 5, 2016) Russia no longer ranks among the top three spenders on defense, dropping down to fourth place, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported Tuesday. The United States remained the leader by far, accounting for 36 percent of all military spending in the world, according to the SIPRI report. In 2015, Washington […]

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Russian Inflation Slows More Than Forecast as Ruble Shock Fades

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Anna Andrianova – April 5, 2016) Russian inflation decelerated to the slowest pace in almost two years as withering consumer demand continues to weigh on prices and stronger oil propels a rally in the ruble. Consumer-price growth eased to 7.3 percent from a year earlier in March, compared with 8.1 percent in February, the Federal Statistics […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE – Johnson’s Russia List table of contents :: JRL 2016-66 :: Tuesday, 5 April 2016

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's Domes

Johnson’s Russia List :: JRL 2016-#66 Tuesday, 5 April 2016 A project sponsored through the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs The contents do not necessarily represent the views of IERES or the George Washington University. JRL homepage: russialist.org – JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist – JRL on Twitter: @JohnsonRussiaLi Support for JRL is provided in part […]

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Russian Prosecutor General’s Office to Investigate Panama Papers

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Hand Pulling Cash from Envelope

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – April 5, 2016) The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office will investigate data contained in the Panama Papers about Russians involved in offshore companies, press secretary Alexandr Kurennoi said Tuesday, the Interfax news agency reported. “The main goal of the inquiry will be to find out if Russian nationals mentioned in the documents acted according to the […]

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De Waal: Kremlin ‘Not Primary Actor’ Behind Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Armenia, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus
Map of Azerbaijan and South Caucasus Environs Including Portions of Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Iran, Caspian Sea

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Arzu Geybullayeva – April 4, 2016) A noted Western expert on the Caucasus says tensions between Azerbaijanis and Armenians over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh make their dispute one of the most menacing unresolved conflicts from the time the Soviet Union was breaking up in the early 1990s. But Thomas de Waal, a senior associate with Carnegie […]

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Russian Prime Minister: Ukraine Has ‘No Industry, or State’

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Dmitri Medvedev file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – April 5, 2016) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev denounced Ukraine as having “neither industry, nor a state,” according to remarks published Monday on the Cabinet website. Medvedev was responding to a comment by an industry watchdog official, who compared mortality rates at Russia’s coal mines with those in Ukraine, in an attempt to defend Russia’s […]

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EPS special issue: Ukraine in Crisis

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

Subject: EPS special issue: Ukraine in Crisis Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2016 1 From: Nicolai Petro <nnpetro@gmail.com> This forthcoming volume has been mentioned in recent issues of JRL. I hasten to point out that it it not yet fully available, and will probably not be out until this summer, but each of the individual articles is already accessible online. They […]

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Russian expert: Karabakh conflict to go back to frozen state

Armenia, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus
Map of Azerbaijan and South Caucasus Environs Including Portions of Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Iran, Caspian Sea

(Interfax – April 5, 2016) The ongoing outbreak of tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh will not spark a full-scale armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and complex and problem-ridden negotiations in which Moscow traditionally plays a mediating role are likely to resume, Fyodor Lukyanov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, has said. “The transformation of current […]

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Putin’s a Pauper, His Friends Are Rich

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Putin Descending a Staircase

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – April 4, 2016) Recent reports by two consortia of investigative journalists purport to have exposed the dealings and offshore accounts of some of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest associates. They don’t name him as a beneficiary of any account, suggesting that Putin is as poor as a church mouse — or would be […]

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Panama Papers scandal: Who is Russia’s Sergei Roldugin?

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

One of the sections of the international journalistic investigation into corruption offshore networks used by the world’s rich and powerful is devoted specifically to Russia. It focuses on renowned cellist Sergei Roldugin, who is also godfather to one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughters. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – YEKATERINA SINELSCHIKOVA, RBTH – April 5, 2016) On Sunday […]

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RIA Novosti : Economic crisis is biting but Russians remain stoical, poll shows

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Diverse Paper Currency, Coins, Line Graph

(RIA Novosti – April 4, 2016) Russians are increasingly resigned about the state of the economy and do not think it will get better any time soon, according a new opinion survey. Pessimism grows A fraction over 37 per cent of respondents thought that the “crisis in the country” will extend beyond the next one or two years, according to […]

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