Month: February 2008

February 11, 2008

Gerhard Schröder’s Company and the Sect

We’re big fans of the investigative journalism of Stern’s Hans-Martin Tillack, and have posted numerous translations of his work in the past. Here Tillack takes a look at some of Nord Stream’s odd partners and practices. Gerhard ...
February 11, 2008

Khodorkovsky Calls Off the Hunger Strike

Below is a statement from Mikhail Khodorkovsky. 11 February 2008 An announcement by Mikhail Khodorkovsky The tragic situation surrounding Vasily Aleksanyan, my gravely ill former colleague and lawyer, has shown that there are a great many people i...
February 11, 2008

Headbashers’ Ball

The following article was sent to me from a regular reader who wishes to remain anonymous. There may be Smoke on the Water in Moscow, but the only fires burning in many Russian towns are in wood stoves. It has been reported in the press that Russi...
February 11, 2008

Our 2,000th Post

I’m pleased to announce that my blog has reached another milestone with the publishing of our 2,000th article in English. Just last August we hit 1,000, so it looks like things are speeding up – no doubt thanks to our new daily news bl...
February 11, 2008

Energy Blast, Feb. 11, 2008

President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Gazprom on its 15th anniversary, saying that “the history of the company is a history of great, hard and coordinated work of a team of the like-minded”. “There is a depressing sense of déjà vu about the l...
February 11, 2008

Today in Russian Business

Sergei Ivanov, speaking at an international conference on security, held in Munich, said that Russia needs $1 trillion in investment to modernize its economy. The chief executive of Norilsk Nickel, Denis Morozov, has flown to London to persuade in...
February 11, 2008

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – Feb. 11, 2008

TODAY: Putin declares onset of new arms race; Sergei Ivanov gives “conciliatory” speech. Putin’s Playground? Human rights issues; Aleksanyan moved to a specialized clinic. Russia to write off Iraqi debt; Japan angry over violation of airspace. Pre...
February 9, 2008

Le Monde: Putin’s Vindictiveness

The following is a translation from the French newspaper Le Monde: Le Monde, Editorial February 8, 2008 Putin’s Vindictiveness The vindictiveness of Vladimir Putin knows no bounds. In 2005, he went after Mikhail Khodorkovsky, one of the Yeltsin er...
February 9, 2008

Bolivarian Bourgeoisie and Kremlin Kleptocrats

Both have considerable oil resources, both are ruled by dictators and thieving cliques, and both are experiencing increasing instability. I’ve spoken often about the parallel political convergence between Russia and Venezuela as well as thei...
February 9, 2008

Addressing the Misuse of Law in Russia

There’s a great opinion article about the tragedy of Vasily Alexanyan by Trudy Rubin of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Rubin argues that even after the Yukos affair, “this blatant manipulation of courts and laws seems to have been insuffic...