Biggest interest rate hike in 7 years as inflation bites Paid Members Public
The Russian Central Bank raised interest rates Friday by a whole percentage point, the biggest upward move in seven years as officials seek to stop price increases spiraling out of control. There are growing worries that — as people anticipate price rises — they will opt to spend rather than save and
Investigation suggests officials hiding real COVID-19 numbers Paid Members Public
Journalists from three independent media outlets — Meduza, Kholod and Mediazona — published an investigation Tuesday alleging the Ministry of Health has a secret record of 29 million cases of coronavirus in Russia. That’s almost five times higher than the official figures and would mean Russia ranks third in the world
Corrupt cops and crimes against good taste Paid Members Public
The extravagantly tasteless mansion belonging to the head of a regional traffic police outfit was the butt of endless jokes on social media this week. The officer in question was accused of stealing $270,000 and is under investigation. The size of the haul — and the preposterous architecture — led to
The politics of inflation Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is Russia’s biggest interest rate hike in 7 years amid growing fears of an inflationary spiral. We also detail a bombshell media investigation suggesting officials hid four out of every five COVID-19 cases, and why details of the gaudy mansion of an allegedly
Russia seeks closure of top investigative outlet Proekt Paid Members Public
The Russian authorities this week dramatically escalated their assault on independent journalism. Until now, the most repressive tactic has been to designate independent journalists and media outlets as ‘foreign agents’ — affecting their financial viability and complicating. But this changed Thursday when investigative outlet Proekt was branded an ‘undesirable organization’. This
Putin’s new historical interest: Russians and Ukrainians Paid Members Public
President Vladimir Putin has a new historical focus. In a 5,000-word article published Monday, he looked at the historical ties between Russia and Ukraine, criticizing recent Ukrainian laws on indigenous peoples, and the distribution of agricultural land. There are, in fact, similar laws in Russia — something conveniently omitted by
Private healthcare provider EMC valued at $1.1 billion in IPO Paid Members Public
The European Medical Center (EMC) — the hospital of choice for many foreign visitors to Moscow — was valued at $1.1 billion Thursday in its initial public offering. One of Russia’s largest healthcare providers, EMC raised $500 million as investors were drawn to its three-decade transformation from a group of
‘Major Grom’ brings Russians and American together Paid Members Public
A Russian action film with coded references to Russian politics became Netflix’s most-streamed film this week. ‘Major Grom: Plague Doctor’ is about an incorruptible cop facing off against a mass-murdering IT billionaire who bears an uncanny resemblance to Telegram messaging service founder Pavel Durov. * Netflix released ‘Major Grom: Plague
