For several years now I’ve had to make repeated trips, back and forth, on the same road in Vladimir Oblast. Over the years the road has gone from lousy to perilously unnavigable. Deep ruts, craters, obstacles, potholes, and huge puddle...
Our friend and colleague John Lough has a letter published in the Financial Times: Sir, Vladimir Putin’s taut upper body has indeed become a sad symbol of Russia’s increasingly limited ability to impress its neighbours and internationa...
Before watching this speech, I recommend reading the Richard Pipes piece from over the weekend (which may merit a second posting and commentary as it features great lines such as “One unfortunate consequence of the obsession with “grea...
This is from a pretty interesting piece by James Marson in the Guardian: There are three ways that people justify Stalin. First, he was a “successful dictator” in the second world war and the industrialisation drive; second, his record...
TODAY: Ingush President returns to work; concerns about dam surfaced decade ago; Georgian minister retracts comments on US aid; Medvedev in Mongolia. TB alert; anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact sees debates resurface.President Medve...
One can appreciate Vladimir Putin’s genuine efforts in response to the tragic accident at the hydroelectric dam in Sayano-Shushenskaya. He’s ordered a probe into the state’s infrastructure, and promised to boost much needed...
TODAY: Putin orders infrastructure overhaul; blogger charged; Rogozin praises cooperation with NATO. Abkhazia warns Georgia over blockade; criminal charges for ‘negligent’ Ingushetia police; fire at rights organization HQ. Medved...
Here is the beginning of the latest excellent column by Philip Stephens in the Financial Times: The conventional story about Russia has been one of power reclaimed after the fall to chaos during the 1990s. Oil, gas and autocracy have restored it t...
Poor Joseph Stalin. Sure, he personally signed orders to kill hundreds of thousands, but why can’t the media leave the poor guy alone? Efforts in Russia to rejuvenate his image have been creative… We had the RussiaTod...
Registan.net has posted up a nine-page executive summary of a long report compiled by John Bumgarner of the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit. Steve LeVine at Oil and Glory talked with and analyzed the results… which show that complic...
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