Tag: Travel

RUSSIALINK: “Russia Seeks to Revive Coronavirus-Hit Tourism Industry by Cutting Visa Red Tape” – Moscow Times

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
Truck at Russian Border Crossing

Russia’s Federal Tourist Agency (Rostourism) wants to help the industry recover from the coronavirus crisis by relaxing visa rules after the country reopens its borders, the RBC news website reported Friday. (Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – April 24, 2020) Russia grounded international flights, except those that return its nationals from abroad; closed border crossings; and suspended issuing visas and e-visas […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russia’s Aeroflot Cancels International Flight Sales Until August” – Moscow Times

Aviation, Coronavirus, Health, Alcohol, Smoking, AIDS, Epidemics
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – April 17, 2020) With uncertainty over when the government ban on international travel will be lifted, Russia’s largest airline stops selling tickets. Aeroflot has suspended ticket sales for all international flights departing before August, as Russia’s coronavirus cases continue to rise at one of the fastest rates in the world. A message on the ticket […]

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RUSSIALINK: “No plans to create system for tracking tourists in Moscow – mayor’s office” – Interfax

Coronavirus, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

MOSCOW. April 9 (Interfax) – There are no plans to create a system that will track tourists in Moscow, the press service for the Moscow information technologies department said on Thursday. “The Moscow information technologies department currently has no plans to create a system for tracking tourists in Moscow,” the department told Interfax. The Kommersant newspaper reported on Thursday, citing […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Russia’s Aeroflot Still Flying Limited International Routes Despite Virus Grounding Order” – Moscow Times

Aviation, Coronavirus, Health, Alcohol, Smoking, AIDS, Epidemics
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 27, 2020) Russia’s state carrier Aeroflot is continuing to operate a limited number of flights abroad despite the Russian government’s order to ground all international flights that took effect at midnight Friday. The government decree published Thursday orders aviation authorities to halt all regular and charter flights to and from other countries, with the […]

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COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Update

Health, Alcohol, Smoking, AIDS, Epidemics, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Coronavirus File Photo adapted from image at cdc.gov

Subject: COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Update Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2020 From: Josh Wilson <jwilson@sras.org> COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Update SRAS.org SRAS Updates on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update as of March 10, 2020 Russia, including the city Moscow where elevated precautions are being taken, has not yet applied any restrictions to US citizens traveling to Russia. US citizens arriving to Moscow or any […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Denies Visas for Teachers at Anglo-American School in Moscow” – New York Times/ Andrew E. Kramer

Children, Adoptions, Orphans, Education, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of U.S. Embassy Moscow, with Russian Foreign Ministry Building in Distance

“Russia’s Foreign Ministry has … denied visas for teachers at a [Moscow] school … run by Western embassies … American officials suggested [the action] was an effort to exert political pressure on the United States by curtailing schooling for the children of diplomats. It is not clear why the Russian government denied entry to 30 teachers, about one fifth of […]

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Landing At Pushkin: Putin Decree Assigns Russian Airports The Names Of Cultural Figures

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Theater, Music, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Regions, Cities, Municipalities, Transportation
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

(Article text ©2019 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – May 31, 2019 – article text also appeared at rferl.org/a/landing-at-pushkin-putin-decree-assigns-russian-airports-the-names-of-cultural-figures/29974519.html) It’s already pretty hard to travel to Russia without hearing the name of the beloved 19th-century poet Aleksandr Pushkin. Now it may be impossible, if you fly into Moscow. President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree attaching the […]

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Andrei Liakhov: “RE: FT Article on Sheremetievo disaster (JRL May 22)”

Aviation, Disasters, Transportation
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

Subject: RE: FT Article on Sheremetievo disaster (JRL May 22) Date: Thu, 23 May 2019 From: Andrei Liakhov <gaffriloff@yahoo.co.uk> I am a certified aircraft accident investigator. I have read all reports about the Sheremetievo crash which were published in the Russian press and a fair number of professional and not very much so commentaries. I have also watched three videos […]

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Sharon Tennison: “Russia: Travel with a Purpose”

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Russian and U.S. Flags, 200, 1807-2007

“… Never has up-to-date data about Russia been more crucial. … Join a delegation of 100 Americans … who will question Russian VIPs in Moscow, travel in two or three-person mini-groups to 30 Russian cities across 11 time zones …. as ‘citizen diplomats’ listening, learning, collecting impressions to bring back to city/state officials and to the U.S. Congress. ….”

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Russian town that might save the world; Torzhok is experiencing a resurgence because of one woman’s activism” – Christian Science Monitor/ Mark Sappenfield

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections

“… Before Ms. Sokolova intervened, why had Torzhok been forgotten? The simplest answer is that it had grown mentally stale. … Sokolova’s ideas for new festivals and civic renewal projects were not rocket science. Yet they have begun to push Torzhok into an entirely new orbit, symbolized by restored train service from Moscow and St. Petersburg. …” Click here for: […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Curious Story of an American Arrested by the Kremlin” – Stratfor/ Scott Stewart

Human Rights, Spy Allegations, Spies, Security Agencies
Kremlin and River

“Highlights Russia has arrested an American corporate security director, Paul Whelan, but he doesn’t have the profile befitting a non-official cover intelligence officer, even though there are elements in his background that would bring him to the attention of the Kremlin’s security services. Russian authorities arrested Whelan not long after Russian citizen Maria Butina pleaded guilty in a U.S. court […]

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RUSSIALINK: “U.S. State Department Upgrades Russia in Travel Advisory System” – Moscow Times

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Terrorism, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
State Department Building and U.S. Flag

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – December 11, 2018) The U.S. State Department has moved Russia out of a list of countries to which “travel should be reconsidered” in an updated travel advisory published on Monday. In January 2018, the State Department listed Russia as one of the most dangerous countries for travelers in a new four-tier advisory system, along with […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Court in Kirov finds ban on Navalny’s international travel unlawful” – Interfax

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Alexei Navalny Marching on Street with Others in Background; adapted from image at commons.wikimedia.org with credit to Evgeny Feldman, subject to Creative Commons license; original image at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FEV_1795_(cropped1).jpg, with license information at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en and creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode

KIROV. Dec 7 (Interfax) – The Oktyabrsky District Court in Kirov has partially granted the claim of opposition activist Alexei Navalny against the Federal Bailiff Service that banned his international travel. “The claim has been partially satisfied,” a court representative told Interfax on Friday. He added that the hearing was held on December 6. Navalny confirmed the partial satisfaction of […]

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NEWSLINK: “3 Days Stranded in Siberia? Flight Delays Don’t Come Much Worse Than This” – New York Times/Sophia Kishkovsky

Aviation, Europe, EU, Far East, Siberia, APEC, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, France, Newslinks
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

“Pretty much all seasoned travelers know the frustration of flight delays — the time wasted puttering in an airport, waiting in a hotel room or, perhaps worst of all, stuck on the tarmac in an idled plane. But how about three days stranded in Siberia? That was the nightmare experienced by the passengers and crew of Air France Flight 116 […]

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Applications open – American Councils Russian study abroad programs + financial aid

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Russian Orthodox Church at Kremlin, adapted from defense.gov Image

Subject: Applications open – American Councils Russian study abroad programs + financial aid Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2018 From: Elliott Kaduck <EKaduck@americancouncils.org> Program website: http://acstudyabroad.org/rlasp/ Dear Colleagues, American Councils for International Education is currently accepting applications for Spring 2019 semester Russian language study-abroad programs. The application deadline is October 15, 2018 for the following programs: Applications: https://americancouncils-horizons.symplicity.com/index.php?s=programs&mode=form&id=bb7e0d8cd1ba264823238be9da64773d&au=&ck= Advanced Russian Language […]

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NEWSLINK: “Saint Petersburg, Russia, Wins The World Cup Of Condensed Guides To European Culture” – Forbes/Gil Press

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Theater, Music, Newslinks, Regions, Cities, Municipalities
St. Petersburg

:… Shamlikashvili … [is] the owner of Indigo Hotel which opened in 2014 as the first of InterContinental Hotels Group’s Indigo brand of boutique hotels in Russia. Like many entrepreneurs in the U.S., Shamlikashvili is an outsider and has arrived at her venture in a circuitous way. She grew up Jewish in Tbilisi, Georgia, and received both an MD from […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Why are Russians so stingy with their smiles?” – The Conversation/Samuel Putnam

JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Theater, Music, Sports, Olympics, World Cup
File Photo of Russian Crowd, with Russian Flag Being Waved

“… In our psychology research, we’ve noticed a striking difference in how often people smile in the United States when compared to Russia. To Americans, it might be easy to assume that this says something about Russians – that they’re an unfriendly, callous people.  … that’s not the case ….  there are two likely explanations …. Different cultures have different […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russians taught how to smile ahead of World Cup” – The Telegraph (UK)/Alec Luhn

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Theater, Music, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Image of Soccer Ball, Field, Stadium with Lights, adapted from image at fbi.gov

“Russia has spent $12bn building stadiums, airports and roads in 11 cities for the World Cup, but it may be just as big of a challenge to put a smile on … faces …. [T]housands of volunteers and public transportation employees have been undergoing special lessons about smiling, being polite and saying key phrases in English. The results have been […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “World Cup to Have Little Impact on Russia’s Economy: Moody’s” – Reuters

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Regions, Cities, Municipalities, Sports, Olympics, World Cup
File Image of Soccer Ball, Field, Stadium with Lights, adapted from image at fbi.gov

“The 2018 soccer World Cup will have little lasting impact on the Russian economy … Moody’s Investors Service said …. Russia will host [the tournament] … in 11 cities … having spent billions of dollars on preparations. … Moody’s finding is at variance with an assessment … by former deputy prime minister Arkady Dvorkovich …. [S]ectors expected to benefit most […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Frustrated at visa holdup, Russians give up on American vacations” – Washington Post/Amie Ferris-Rotman

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, JRL NewsBlog, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

“… Escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington are putting a damper on Russians’ vacation plans, catching ordinary people in a diplomatic crossfire …. A year ago, obtaining a U.S. tourist visa could take less than a week. Now, it comes with an eight-month delay. * * * The Kremlin may be delighted that fewer of its citizens are being exposed to […]

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NEWSLINK: “Stanford suspends all undergraduate programs in Russia” – The Stanford Daily/Nicholas Midler

Education, Newslinks, Terrorism, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

“Stanford suspended all undergraduate study abroad programs to Russia, including a summer internship at the Carnegie Moscow Center, after the Department of State issued a Level Three travel advisory for the country. … the University prohibits undergraduates from participating in Stanford-sponsored or Stanford-organized trips to regions that have been issued an official travel advisory of Level Three or Level Four, […]

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RUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: [Putin at] Meeting with Government members – KremlinRu

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Kremlin and River

(Kremlin.ru – January 16, 2018) Vladimir Putin held the first meeting with Government members this year. Minister of Transport Maxim Sokolov reported to the meeting participants on passenger air and rail transportation volumes during the New Year holidays and over 2017. Head of the Federal Agency for Tourism Oleg Safonov reported on the growth of domestic, inbound and outbound tourist […]

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U.S. Urges Travelers To Reconsider Visiting Russia

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Terrorism, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
State Department Building and U.S. Flag

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – January 11, 2018) The U.S. State Department listed Russia as one of the most dangerous countries to visit in a new travel advisory system released Wednesday, together with states including Sudan, Pakistan and Niger. The new four-tier advisory replaces the State Department’s travel warnings and alerts system and is based on seven risk factors including […]

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NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Soccer Defeat Is a Loss for Russia. In place of a flood of U.S. travelers for next year’s World Cup, a trickle of Panamanians.” – Wall Street Journal

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, JRL NewsBlog, Sports, Olympics, World Cup, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Image of Soccer Ball, Field, Stadium with Lights, adapted from image at fbi.gov

“… a fresh setback for U.S.-Russia relations: The U.S. men’s soccer team fell to Trinidad and Tobago … and … failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in three decades. For Russia, hosting the quadrennial event in 2018 … missing out on an influx of rich American tourists …. [A past study by two economists suggests] the tourism boost from […]

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Travel Barriers Are the Worst of the New Cold War; Why is the U.S. squandering its soft-power advantage on petty tit-for-tat?

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of U.S. Embassy Moscow, with Russian Foreign Ministry Building in Distance

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – September 1, 2017) Leonid Bershidsky is a Bloomberg View columnist. He was the founding editor of the Russian business daily Vedomosti and founded the opinion website Slon.ru. The latest loop in the escalation of U.S.-Russia hostilities is probably the dumbest and the most damaging: The two countries are introducing de facto travel restrictions […]

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Interfax: U.S. consulates general in Russia technically incapable of issuing visas for now – diplomat

United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Artist's Rendition of U.S. Embassy, Moscow, with the Russian Foreign Ministry in the Background

MOSCOW. Aug 31 (Interfax) – A number of technical problems need to be dealt with before U.S. consulates general in Russia begin to issue visas, head of the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section Laurence Tobey told reporters on Thursday. The capping of diplomatic personnel heavily impacted the capacities of consulates general, which had to reconfigure their activity, Tobey said. He noted […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s TB problem is ticking time bomb for Europe; Controlling the airborne disease takes on additional urgency this year as the country seeks to integrate into EU with a new visa-free regime” – Politico/ LILY HYDE

Europe, EU, Health, Alcohol, Smoking, AIDS, Epidemics, JRL NewsBlog, Ukraine
Medical Symbol with Pole, Serpents, Wings, adapted from image at lanl.gov

“… Odessa has the highest rate of TB in Ukraine, with 110 cases per 100,000 people in 2016, and rising fast. Closely linked with migration, instability and poverty, controlling this airborne disease takes on additional urgency this year as Ukraine seeks to integrate into Europe thanks to a new visa-free regime. Part of a migration corridor from Central Asia and […]

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Russians’ Tolerance for Foreigners at All-Time High

Migrants, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Population Disaster, Demographics, Race, Ethnic, Extremism, Xenophobia
Russian Migrant Workers file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 24, 2017) Negativity towards foreigners in Russia has reached an all-time low, according to the results of a new poll produced Levada Center. Russians who said they’d like to restrict one or more nationalities from the country fell to its lowest level ever at 54 percent, down from 70 percent in 2016, and an […]

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Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Lands in Barcelona for Treatment

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Health, Alcohol, Smoking, AIDS, Epidemics, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Medical Symbol with Pole, Serpents, Wings, adapted from image at lanl.gov

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – May 8, 2017) Russian opposition leader and presidential candidate Alexei Navalny landed in Barcelona Sunday to receive medical treatment, the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper reported, citing unidentified sources. On May 4, Navalny said he had received a passport for foreign travel. But his lawyer later Tweeted that a probation officer had informed Navalny that he shouldn’t […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Kremlin Critic Navalny Says Russia Stops Him Traveling Abroad” – Reuters

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said … authorities in Russia were stopping him [from] going abroad to seek urgent medical treatment after an attack that left him mostly blind in one eye.  … authorities … unexpectedly issued … an international passport … [giving] the impression he could fly to a foreign clinic to get treatment …. But he said a senior official from the country’s prison […]

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TRANSCRIPT: [Putin at] Working meeting with Natural Resources and Environment Minister Sergei Donskoy

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Environment
Russia Map

(Kremlin.ru – March 20, 2017) Mr Donskoy briefed the President on measures to enhance the efficiency of subsoil resource use, develop a system of protected natural zones, and support eco-tourism. President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Donskoy, we discussed with you on many occasions the question of effective subsoil use. I know the Ministry has prepared a roilange of instruments, […]

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Russia may take asymmetric measures against U.S. in response to ‘Magnitsky list’ expansion – Russian MP Slutsky

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Human Rights, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Memorial Flowers and Photo of Sergei Magnitsky

MOSCOW. Jan 10 (Interfax) – Moscow may asymmetrically react to Washington’s decision to expand the ‘Magnitsky list’ – similarly to Russia’s response to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the United States, Russian State Duma International Affairs Committee Chairman Leonid Slutsky said. “I would like to remind you that Russia has a law on measures of response to the Magnitsky […]

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Medvedev opens Moscow’s fourth airport Zhukovsky

Aviation, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

Zhukovsky. May 30 (Interfax) – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has opened the Moscow aviation hub’s fourth international airport, Zhukovsky, an Interfax correspondent reported. One of the first airlines to begin scheduled flights from Zhukovsky will be Kyrgyzstan’s Air Kyrgyzstan. The first flight is scheduled for June 20, a representative of the carrier told journalists on Monday. At the opening […]

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Five foolproof ways to identify Russians on holiday abroad

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Theater, Music
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

I will not waste your time describing boring images of Russians squandering money and wearing tawdry outfits on vacations abroad. You have probably already read such tropes a million times. Here I’d like to discuss the not so obvious, but no less true, signs that a tourist is from Russia. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – ELENA POTAPOVA, RBTH […]

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Defender of Putin, Detained in Russia: American Activist Deemed U.S. ‘Agent’

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Human Rights, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

(RFE/RL – rferl.org –Carl Schreck – February 17, 2016) For a person who has dedicated her life to improving ties between Moscow and the West — and who has passionately denounced what she calls the “demonization” of President Vladimir Putin by Western media and officials — Sharon Tennison has gotten a strange reception in Russia. Tennison, an American activist whose […]

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Weak Ruble Draws Foreign Tourists to Russia for Summer Vacations

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

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 18, 2016) The number of foreign tourists booking summer vacations in Russia has risen by 30 percent amid the weakening of the ruble, the Kommersant newspaper reported Wednesday, citing a study by the Momondo online reservation system. Demand for trips to Russia during the summer months among German travelers – who made the most […]

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52% of Russians favor open borders with Ukraine, without visas or customs

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Ukraine
Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(Interfax – February 3, 2016) Half of Russians (52 percent) believe that Russia and Ukraine should be independent countries but friends, with open borders and without visas or customs, Levada Center told Interfax. The opinion was held by 52 percent of respondents in 2015, and 59 percent in 2014, the sociologists said. A third argue that Russia-Ukraine relations should be […]

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Moscow’s 5 most interesting mobile apps for tourists

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Media, Internet, Social Media, Television
iPad file photo

Foreign travelers can now get to know Moscow better thanks to some new mobile apps for those that love museums, architecture and even making random new friends in the metro. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Kira Egorova, RBTH – January 18, 2016) Moscow, Russia If digital detox while on holiday is not one of your goals and you […]

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NEWSLINK Christian Science Monitor: “Kremlin’s beef with Turkey hits Russians at home – and on holiday”

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Mideast, North Africa, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Military, Newslinks, Turkey
Turkey and Environs Satellite Image

The acrimony between Moscow and Ankara over the downing of a Russian bomber in Syria has cut Russians off from Turkish produce, and reduced their vacation options to boot.

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Russia-Ukraine flight ban: A month in

Aviation, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Ukraine
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

In the days since direct flights between Russia and Ukraine ended, frequent travelers between the neighboring countries have had to spend more time and money going back and forth. (Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – VLADIMIR KOZLOV, SPECIAL TO RBTH – November 25, 2015) Air travel is the latest industry to fall victim to tensions between Moscow and Kiev […]

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Russians Find New Holiday Spots After Egypt, Turkey Bans

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Mideast, North Africa, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Military, NATO, Turkey

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Joanna Kozlowska – December 4, 2015) Russian tour operators have seen increasing demand for tours to India, Thailand, and the UAE following restrictions on travel to Egypt and Turkey – Russians’ two preferred destinations in the first half of 2015, Russian media reported on Friday. At the same time, officials’ attempts to revive interest in […]

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NEWSWATCH Wall Street Journal: “Russians Seeking Winter Retreat Are Stopped Cold. Moscow’s travel bans to Egypt, Turkey amid diplomatic crises force tens of thousands to adjust or cancel vacations”

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, JRL NewsBlog, Mideast, North Africa, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Turkey

The Wall Street Journal covers disruptions to Russian travel plans, amidst travel bans imposed by the Kremlin following Turkey’s shoot-down of a Russian military jet and a suspected terrorist downing of a Russian airliner in Egypt. Turkey and Egypt were popular destinations, offering hotels and services far better than Russian equivalents at a reasonable price. Six million Russians visited Turkey […]

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Russian Tour Agencies Cancel Turkey Trips Amid Fury Over Downed Warplane

Aviation, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Mideast, North Africa, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Military, NATO, Syria
Turkey and Environs Satellite Image

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – November 26, 2015) Turkey is a hugely popular vacation spot for Russians, almost 3.3 million of whom holidayed there in 2014, according to official figures. Russian tour agencies have canceled flights to Turkey and suspended sales of new tours a day after the downing of a Russian fighter-bomber by the Turkish military, Russian media reported […]

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Downing of Russian Plane has Serious Consequences for Putin at Home, in Central Asia, and in Ukraine

Aviation, Europe, EU, Mideast, North Africa, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Military, NATO, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Syria, Turkey
Vladimir Putin file photo with VOA logo; screen shot from video still

(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, November 25, 2015) The shooting down of a Russian military plane by Turkish forces after Kremlin ignored repeated warnings from Ankara not to violate Turkey’s airspace not only increases the risks of a clash between Russia and the West but has serious consequences for Putin at home, in Central Asia and the […]

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Russian Students to Get Paid Foreign Education – If They Return Home Afterward

Education, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Population Disaster, Demographics
Columbia University Campus with Main Building

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – November 9, 2015) Russia will pay for its students to study at elite foreign universities, provided they return home to work after graduation, Education and Science Minister Dmitry Livanov was cited as saying by news agency TASS. The program, titled “Global Education,” was signed into force in June 2014 and is designed to send 1,500 […]

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