Russia

November 24, 2009

The Russia Repetition Syndrome

Say what you will about the Putin-Medvedev diarchy, but there’s no doubting the success they have had in keeping the media running circles around their own script.  In fact, reading this CSM editorial (and many others), I get that famil...
November 24, 2009

Practicing Legal Nihilism

From the Washington Post editorial page: Dmitry Medvedev keeps giving speeches about ending the lawlessness and corruption that have overtaken his country. That would be encouraging — except that Russians who try to act on the president̵...
November 24, 2009

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – Nov 24, 2009

TODAY: Medvedev meets with his human rights council, but there is nothing to report; Putin promises housing to retired military officers including WW2 veterans; media corruption; Amur tigers dying out; Russia’s misbehaved ‘golden youth...
November 23, 2009

Grigory Pasko: Yuri Luzhkov’s Water Grab

Water – the oil and gas of the not-too-distant future What’s news is this: «The world community is hoping that Russia will soon become a supplier to the countries of Europe not only of energy inputs, but of fresh water as well. About t...
November 23, 2009

Who Helps Russia’s Corrupt Get their Money Out?

Despite hearing quite a few nice speeches about the Kremlin’s commitment to fighting corruption, 2009 was most definitely a boom year for graft in Russia. Earlier this month Transparency International released its Corruption Perceptions Inde...
November 23, 2009

Sergei Magnitsky’s Final Petition

Hermitage is sending around another press today with regard to the recent death in Russian custody of their lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.  Apparently five days before his death due to untreated illness, the lawyer had filed a complaint denouncing ...
November 23, 2009

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – Nov 23, 2009

TODAY: Medvedev issues ‘dressing down’ for United Russia at annual congress, Putin doesn’t disagree; funeral held for Sergei Magnitsky, second autopsy request denied; Litvinenko anniversary; Russia’s school for tabloid jour...
November 20, 2009

Grigory Pasko: Journalists Are Fleeing Russia

Если Вы хотите прочитать оригинал данной статьи на русском языке, нажмите сюда. A well-known Russian journalist, head of the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations  Oleg Panfilov in early November moved for permanent residency from Mosco...
November 20, 2009

Evgeny Lebedev and the Londongrad Blues

This week’s lunch with the FT features Peter Aspden sitting down for some sushi and a harmless bit of obsequiousness with Evgeny Lebedev, the son of Alexander Lebedev.  The conversation has some interesting points … such as his po...
November 20, 2009

The Obstacle of Pride

I like Michele Berdy’s columns in the Moscow Times.  Who knows how many times inaccurate translations have skewed our understanding of Russia in the mass media: Надувать щёки is not, as the otherwise brilliant Kremlin translators would ...