Talk of North Caucasus secession angers Putin Paid Members Public
Putin’s annual meeting earlier this month with members of Russia’s Human Rights Council led to an unexpected conflict. Prominent movie director Alexander Sokurov, who is known for his ties to Putin, unexpectedly suggested the president think about “letting go” of republics in the North Caucasus that do not
Coronavirus politics Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is about the power struggle that is causing delays to tough, new coronavirus restrictions. We also look at why ex-lawmaker Sergei Petrov was obliged to sell his top car dealership at a significant discount, and what happened when a top movie director told Putin
Putin and Biden hold talks as markets shrug off invasion fears Paid Members Public
Two hours of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on Tuesday appeared to satisfy the Kremlin. Russian markets took a neutral view of the discussions, remaining unconvinced about the prospect of a direct military conflict with Ukraine. * The White House was first to
CIAN bans ‘Slavs only’ ads for rental property Paid Members Public
Russia’s largest online real estate service, CIAN, announced last week that it was banning discriminatory listings — a month after its successful U.S. initial public offering (IPO). This means an end to the widespread practice of advertising property “for Slavs only”. * CIAN’s new policy is that: “advertising text
Ex-U.S. citizen turned Russia-cheerleader arrested for fraud Paid Members Public
The co-owner of one of Rive Gauche, one of Russia’s biggest cosmetics chains, was arrested Wednesday in St. Petersburg. August Meyer — the co-owner of now defunct online retail giant Yulmart — was born in San Diego and moved to Russia more than 20 years ago. He has since renounced his
Putin-Biden talks Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is talks between Putin and Biden and whether there is a real risk of Russia launching an invasion of Ukraine. We also look at why Russia’s biggest real estate listings service decided to ban xenophobic adverts, and the arrest of U.S.-born
Russia takes direct control of top social media networks Paid Members Public
Billionaire Alisher Usmanov announced Thursday the sale of his stake in internet holding company VK, which controls two major Russian social networks: Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki. The stake will pass to state-owned bank Gazprombank and insurance company Sogaz, which is controlled by Putin ally Yuri Kovalchuk and his family. The new
Jailed YouTube-blogger alleges threats against family Paid Members Public
Imprisoned blogger Yury Khovansky claimed last Monday that investigators were threatening his family in an effort to get him to give false testimony. “I’m scared and I don’t know what to do,” Khovansky wrote in an open letter that detailed the pressure he has faced since being arrested
