Navalny disappears PRO Members Public
Alexei Navalny has not been seen in court hearings for almost two weeks, triggering growing fears for the fate of Russia’s most prominent opposition leader. Navalny is currently serving a decades-long jail sentence on fraud and extremism charges rejected by him, his supporters and independent rights groups who have
How a TV show about street gangs captured Russians and put officials on edge PRO Members Public
It’s rare to see a contemporary Russian film or TV drama make the leap to becoming a real cultural phenomenon, one featured in the wider media discourse or discussed on social networks every day. But right now an eight-part series about teenage street gangs in the late Soviet era
Central Bank warns Russian economy running on borrowed time PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — brought to you by The Bell. This week we focus on the Central Bank’s decision to raise interest rates to within a percentage point of an all-time record, and how President Vladimir Putin’s view of the economy is
Propaganda in kindergartens PRO Members Public
Officials are so keen to ensure that Russian children receive a “patriotic” education that they are going even further than their Soviet predecessors. Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov has urged Vladimir Putin to extend the work of the “Russian Eaglets” movement to kindergartens. * While preparing for his trip to the Middle
Russia to confiscate passports of military and security personnel PRO Members Public
The state is continuing to make life difficult for anyone it does not want to see leaving the country — especially those eligible for military service. As well as being listed in a database of people banned from leaving Russia, those subject to travel bans will now have to physically surrender
Surrounded by Donbas veterans, Putin declares he will run for presidency again PRO Members Public
Vladimir Putin has finally announced his candidacy for next year’s presidential election in a vote which the Federation Council has set for March 17, 2024. Putin officially launched his campaign at a meeting with “heroes of the war in Donbas,” an event seen by political analysts as symbolic. Putin
THE BELL WEEKLY: Putin announces re-election campaign PRO Members Public
Hello. This week we look at Vladimir Putin’s announcement that he will run for re-election next year. We also report on a new travel ban and plans to bring propaganda into kindergartens. Surrounded by Donbas veterans, Putin declares he will run for presidency again Vladimir Putin has finally announced
The Russian economy is in good shape — if you cherry pick data PRO 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 PRO 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 PRO 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
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The Bell was founded in 2017 by journalists Elizaveta Osetinskaya, Irina Malkova and Peter Mironenko as a news outlet independent from the Russian authorities, after its founders have been sacked as top editors at the largest Russian news website RBC because of pressure from the Kremlin.
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