RFE/RL Russia Report
11/30/2010 5:51:56 PM
A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about domestic and foreign-policy developments in Russia.
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Bella Akhmadulina's Poetics Of Survival
Mikhail Berg says the poetics of Bella Akhmadulina, who died on November 28 in Moscow at the age of 73, clearly shows how hard it was to live and breathe if one remained inside the Soviet space and didn't allow oneself any indulgences. More 
Russia Downplays Sochi Boycott Call
The head of the Russian Olympic Committee says Georgia's call for a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi will fail. More 
Medvedev's Speech Sets Priorities
In his annual speech to parliament, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called for a closer partnership with the West, pledged to improve the lives of the nation's children, and vowed to combat corruption. More 
Leaked Diplomatic Cables Show 'Steely-Eyed' U.S. View Of Russia
Vladimir Putin is an "alpha dog" struggling to rule a "virtual mafia state." Dmitry Medvedev is "pale and hesitant" and plays "Robin to Putin's Batman." This is the image of Russia that emerged from leaked diplomatic cables disclosed on November 28 by the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks. What do the revelations mean for the rapidly changing Russian-U.S. relationship? More 
Russian Journalist Undeterred By Savage Beating
Russian journalist Oleg Kashin has vowed to continue writing despite being assaulted and seriously injured earlier this month. More 
Russian President Office To Sue Paper
Russia's Presidential Affairs Department says it will sue "Novaya gazeta" for a report the newspaper published about the alleged misuse of funds in building a government retreat in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. More 
Suspected Islamists Killed In Tatarstan
Interior Ministry officials in Tatarstan say three armed men have been killed in a shootout in the Russian republic. More 
Russia's Opposition Still Faces A Hard Road
Few opposition activists in Russia will be naive enough to think that the recent sanctioning of the Strategy 31 meeting is anything other than a very small opening of the door to further protests. More 
EU MPs Eye Sanctions Over Magnitsky Death
A European Parliament committee has unanimously approved a motion for sanctions to be imposed upon Russian officials deemed to be responsible for the prison death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. More 
Shanghai Group Pledges Cooperation
Prime ministers from Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states have wrapped up an annual meeting by vowing to strengthen ties. More 
In Video Address, Medvedev Warns Of Political “Stagnation” in Russia
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned that the dominance of the country's ruling United Russia party and the lack of political competition is leading to "stagnation." Speaking in a video message posted on his website, Medvedev said that such a state was dangerous not only for the opposition, but for the ruling party as well. Opposition leaders were quick to question the president’s sincerity. More 
Russian Lawmaker Sought For Fraud
The Russian Prosecutor-General's Office has issued a search and arrest order for Duma Deputy Ashot Yegiazarian for alleged financial crimes. More 
Interview: Romanian Foreign Minister Says Russian Troops In Moldova An 'Anachronism'
Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi says he hopes Moldova will maintain its course toward closer EU integration after the November 28 parliamentary elections and he promoted greater European involvement in negotiations to settle the Transdniester dispute. More 
Kremlin Replaces Kabardino-Balkaria Interior Minister
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has fired Kabardino-Balkaria Interior Minister Lieutenant General Yury Tomchak, replacing him with Sergei Vasilyev, a career Russian police officer from Kemerovo with no previous experience of the North Caucasus. More 
India Offers Glimmer Of Hope For World's Largest Cat
Due to increasing pressures on tiger habitats and continued poaching, the current outlook for wild tiger populations may appear bleak. But on-the-ground work in southern India demonstrates that a brighter future for the animals is also possible. More 
Russian Official Arrested Over Corrupt Meat Deals
The head of the Russian Interior Ministry's technical and material provisions department has been arrested over what police say are corrupt deals involving meat purchases. More
Russian Real Estate Investors Protest
More than 100 protesters have rallied in central Russia to demand that the money they invested in new apartments be paid back to them. More
Beaten Russian Journalist In New Surgery
Russian journalist Oleg Kashin, who was severely beaten earlier this month, has undergone further surgery. More 
Saakashvili, At EU Parliament, Calls For Dialogue With Kremlin
Seven years to the day after the Rose Revolution, the bloodless uprising which brought Mikheil Saakashvili to power in Georgia, the Georgian president delivered an impassioned speech in front of the European parliament in Strasbourg, in which he offered the Russian leadership a "deep and comprehensive dialogue." More 
Documents Indicate Russian Role In Litvinenko Poisoning
London's "Sunday Times" newspaper reports that documents acquired from an unnamed source by Litvinenko's widow, Marina, appear to show the FSB obtained polonium from a Russian nuclear power station in 2006. If real, the evidence would be the strongest to date that Russian special forces were behind the murder of the former intelligence agent turned staunch Kremlin critic who died four years ago. More 
CPJ Honorees Awarded For Courageous Reporting In Face Of Oppression
This year's International Press Freedom Awards seek to honor four journalists who have shown exceptional courage defending press freedom in the face of attacks, threats, or imprisonment. More 
NATO Prepared For 'Global Threats and Challenges'
Following the Lisbon summit, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder spoke with RFE/RL about NATO's new mission statement and the beginning and meaning behind of its new relationship with Russia. More 
Halal Food Facility Opens In Tatarstan
The first halal food-production facility has started operating in the Russian republic of Tatarstan. More 
Census Excludes 1 Million Russians
Russian officials say more than 1 million people refused to take part in the census held in mid-October. More 
Rights Court Agrees To Hear Russian Policeman's Case
The European Court of Human Rights in France has agreed to hear a case filed by a whistle-blowing policeman in Russia. More |
