Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

RFE/RL Russia Report 18.09.2012 A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about domestic and foreign-policy developments in Russia. For more stories on Russia, please visit and bookmark our Russia page .

 

Moscow Shuts Down USAID Activities In Russia The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will end its activities in Russia following a decision by Moscow, according to U.S. officials. More   Climbing Kyrgyzstan's Mount Putin In 2011, Kyrgyzstan officially named a mountain after Russian President Vladimir Putin, then prime minister, in a bid to promote friendly relations between the countries. Putin is now scheduled to visit Kyrgyzstan on September 20. Although he has a history of publicity stunts demonstrating his love of nature, there has been no indication that the Russian president intends to climb his namesake peak. More   Madonna Being Sued In Russian Court For Expressing Herself The "Material Girl" herself seems unlikely to materialize, but that hasn't stopped a court in Russia's second city of St. Petersburg from agreeing to hear a $10 million lawsuit against Madonna. More   Touchdown! Soyuz Capsule Lands In Central Kazakhstan A Russian Soyuz TMA-04M capsule with two Russians and an American onboard landed safely on the cloudless Kazakh steppe on September 17 after 123 days at the International Space Station (ISS). More   As Computers Rise, Schools Witness The Slow Death Of Cursive For decades, cursive writing has been a standard -- if not always beloved -- classroom subject for children across the world. But as the use of computers spreads, come countries are beginning to drop cursive from their standard curriculum, saying children -- and future generations -- can live without it. RFE/RL talks to orthography experts about the slow death of the written word. More   Thousands March For Russian Reform Tens of thousands of opposition supporters turned out for a so-called March of Millions demonstration in the Russian capital to demand social and political reforms. More   Gudkov Ousted From Russian Duma Deputies in the Russian State Duma have voted to expel lawmaker Gennady Gudkov after prosecutors accused him of engaging in illegal commercial activity while in parliament. More   Podcast: The Left's Autumn Of Opportunity The addition of social issues to Russia's protest mix appears to present an opportunity for the country's left wing forces -- if they can seize it. More   Udaltsov Says Putin Needs To Start Dialogue 'Before It's Too Late' Sergei Udaltsov is a determined man. One of the lead organizers of the opposition March of Millions demonstration to be held on September 15, he is calling on the authorities to open a dialogue with the opposition and agree to early and fair elections. And he has no intention of backing down. More   Turkey's Delight: Vladimir Putin Inspires 'Flight Of Dreams' It seems that Russian President Vladimir Putin's escapades with some rare crane chicks inspired a group of young Russians to provide a chicken, a goose, and a turkey with an experience they will cherish for the rest of their lives. More   The Arms Race Gets Dirty: Russian Scientist Files Patent For New Biological Weapon Just a few short months after U.S. President Barack Obama indicated a willingness to negotiate with Russia on making further cuts to the two countries' respective nuclear arsenals, it now seems that Moscow could be well placed to open up a new front in the arms race. More   Gorky Park Renewal Reflects Revival Of Moscow's Spirit After years of neglect, Moscow's iconic Gorky Park is enjoying something of a resurgence More   Is Tajik Singer Putin Fan Or Kremlin's Man? Tolibjon Kurbankhanov, a singer from Tajikistan, has been churning out video clips praising Vladimir Putin. His latest composition, "Happy Birthday, Mr. President," is fuelling speculation that the songs are nothing more than a Kremlin PR stunt. More   Chechnya's Kadyrov Expands His Equine Empire A longtime horse-racing enthusiast, Chechnya's Ramzan Kadyrov has now expanded his equine empire to the Czech Republic. More   Iranian Film Wins Top Prize In Kazan A movie by an Iranian director has won the top prize at the Eighth International Festival of Muslim Cinema in the capital of Russia's Tatarstan Republic, Kazan. More   UPDATED: Abandon Ship! Democrats Torpedo Own Convention With Russian Gaffe The Democratic Party is now catching grief in the wake of a report in the "Navy Times" yesterday about a major gaffe that occurred at its own national nominating convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 6. More   Moscow Again Moves To Rein In Kadyrov Presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Aleksandr Khloponin has intervened to put a halt to the escalating war of words between Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and his Ingushetian counterpart over the disputed border between their respective republics. More   Interview: Does Revelation Of U.S. 'Cover-Up' Of Katyn Change Perception Of Massacre? New evidence appears to lend weight to the belief that the U.S. administration helped cover up Soviet guilt for the 1940 Katyn massacre of Polish officers. RFE/RL talked to George Sanford, a professor emeritus of East European politics at England's University of Bristol, about what effect the revelation might have. More   Czech Leader Draws Fire Over Pussy Riot, Dalai Lama Remarks Embattled Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas has ignited a firestorm with remarks belittling "Dalai Lama-ism" and Russian anti-Kremlin critics Pussy Riot and suggesting that principled stands in foreign policy create "artificial problems." More   Interview: Robert D. Kaplan On How Geography Affects The Fate Of Nations From Iran's glorious past as the ancient world's first superpower to Russia’s present and continuing obsession with protecting its territory, acclaimed American journalist and author Robert Kaplan’s latest book, "The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us about Coming Conflicts and the Battle against Fate" traces the history of the world's hot spots through their geographic advantages and disadvantages. More