The Russian economy is in good shape — if you cherry pick data Paid Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — brought to you by The Bell. This time we focus on what Putin said at a major economic forum in Moscow. In our top story, we look at how the president’s economic optimism relies on a selective reading of
Loyalty test for foreigners entering Russia Paid Members Public
The Russian authorities have figured out how to force foreigners living in Russia to comply and abide by Moscow’s worldview — a loyalty pledge. The Interior Ministry wants to force foreigners to sign a “loyalty agreement” when they enter the country, agreeing to obey Russian laws that “protect national interests”
Outlawing Russia’s LGBT+ community and its advocates Paid Members Public
The Russian authorities have been persecuting and discriminating against the country’s LGBT+ community for many years. Last week that campaign escalated once more, as the LGBT+ community and their supporters were effectively outlawed under repressive legislation against “extremist” movements and organizations. It was the biggest blow since Russia introduced
Kremlin delays Baring Vostok’s exit as it eyes billion-dollar stake in ‘Russia’s Amazon’ Paid Members Public
The Baring Vostok investment fund, set up by American investor Michael Calvey and partners, was one of the first to specialize in direct investment in Russia. It’s no exaggeration to say that without Baring Vostok, some of the most iconic Russian companies that dominate the domestic market today might
THE BELL WEEKLY: The tussle for a billion-dollar stake in ‘Russia’s Amazon’ Paid Members Public
Hello. This week we reveal that the tussle for a major stake in “Russia’s Amazon” is preventing one of the most important investment firms in Russian history from leaving the country. We also look at the LGBT movement being labeled “extremist” and plans to make foreigners sign a loyalty
Russia tries to trigger a migration crisis on its border with Finland Paid Members Public
Russia has belatedly responded to Finland’s accession to NATO by attempting to engineer a migration crisis along the two countries’ shared border. Russian border guards have begun to allow hundreds of refugees from the Middle East without proper documentation to cross the Russian border with Finland. Helsinki responded by
How Putin's economic aide cherry-picks data for his reports Paid Members Public
Maxim Oreshkin, Vladimir Putin’s economic aide, gave a major interview to the Moskovsky Komsomolets tabloid last week, in which he spouted figures showing that all is well in the Russian economy. He rarely resorted to using outright lies to make his argument, but he did cherry-pick and manipulate some
Russian authorities forced to save money on video surveillance Paid Members Public
As a result of the government’s budget deficit, the Russian authorities are keen to save money on anything they can that isn’t connected to the war effort or defense industry. This includes the creation of a national system of surveillance cameras, new plans show. Initially, Russia wanted to
