THE BELL WEEKLY: Yandex’s $5-billion break-up Paid Members Public
Hello. This week we cover Yandex’s deal to spin-off its Russian assets — and its new, more loyal owners. We also look at how the Kremlin is preparing to ban Boris Nadezhdin from running in the presidential election and unpack a major bribery scandal. Yandex gets a new set of
Russian lawmakers move to confiscate property of anti-war campaigners Paid Members Public
Russia’s parliament last week backed measures that would allow the confiscation of property and assets from political activists, independent journalists and opponents of the war. The potential new penalties do not go as far as the Soviet practice of stripping convicted dissidents of all their items and property. However,
Russia invests in a homemade Wikipedia, in the hope of blocking the original Paid Members Public
Russia launched the Ruwiki platform this week, the latest Wikipedia clone it hopes will secure an audience at home. The success of the project may determine the fate of Wikipedia itself inside Russia. The authorities would like to block the site, but can’t while it remains overwhelmingly popular throughout
Kremlin-approved liberal candidate becomes opposition hero Paid Members Public
Only one anti-war candidate is vying for the right to get on the ballot paper for the March 2024 presidential election — Boris Nadezhdin, a veteran of second-tier Russian politics who served as an aide to Kremlin insider Sergei Kiriyenko 25 years ago. Everybody understands that Nadezhdin is a Kremlin spoiler,
THE BELL WEEKLY: Russia’s unlikely opposition hero Paid Members Public
Hello! This week we look at the Kremlin-approved liberal presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin who suddenly became a hero for the Russian opposition. We also explore Russia's investment in a homemade Wikipedia. Kremlin-approved liberal candidate becomes opposition hero Only one anti-war candidate is vying for the right to get
Pro-war opposition activist arrested on terrorism charges Paid Members Public
Russian authorities arrested left-wing politician and opposition activist Sergey Udaltsov last week, with prosecutors accusing him of promoting terrorism. Udaltsov had made posts in support of other left-wing figures who are under investigation for creating a terrorist organization. Udaltsov’s arrest is the latest example of how Moscow’s judicial
Russia’s “lottery king” buying up Western assets Paid Members Public
The departure of Western firms from Russia has created a new cadre of Russian business elite, as previously little-known figures snap up lucrative assets at cut price assets. The Bell investigated the case of one such figure, Armen Sarkisyan, who has bought a string of Western companies over the last
Kremlin steps in as local heating systems collapse Paid Members Public
Even by Russian standards, it’s a particularly bleak midwinter, with unusually low temperatures sending the mercury below -30°C in places. Across many Russian regions, creaking utility networks have seen central heating systems fail, leaving tens of thousands of people without heating or hot water supply to their homes.
