Populist vacations Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our main story is about why Russians have extra vacation days this May and who will pay for President Vladimir Putin’s ‘gift’ to the nation. We also look at a political crackdown that gathers pace with each passing day, and the story of Xsolla, a company
Crisis recedes as troops withdraw, Navalny ends hunger strike Paid Members Public
Fears of a geopolitical showdown faded this week as Russian troops withdrew from the Ukrainian border, opposition leader Alexei Navalny said he was stopping his hunger strike and President Vladimir Putin’s annual state-of-the-nation address was notably light on saber-rattling. In the space of just three days tensions that had
‘Foreign agent’ label given to top independent media outlet Meduza Paid Members Public
The authorities are stepping up their attack on independent media. The Ministry of Justice announced Friday that Meduza, Russia’s most popular independent media outlet, has been designated a ‘foreign agent’ (a Soviet-era term implying espionage). Theoretically, this has no impact. However, in reality, it limits Meduza’s ability to
Meet the Siberian brothers who built a ‘cut-price Walmart’ Paid Members Public
Even today, there are huge Russian companies about which there is almost no public information. This week, The Bell published a long article telling the story of one of them: a Russian Walmart copy-cat known as Svetofor. With 2020 revenue of about $2.5 billion, this Siberian company recently became
Geopolitical tensions fade Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is an analysis of why strained relations between Russia and the U.S. appeared to ease, and what the two sides were trying to get out of an escalation. We also look at what might happen now top independent media outlet Meduza has been
Half a million Russians lose out on a Turkish beach holiday Paid Members Public
Moscow announced a ban on flights to Istanbul last week due to the deteriorating coronavirus situation in Turkey, ruining the holiday plans of hundreds of thousands of ordinary Russians. Turkey has always been one of the most popular destinations for Russian tourists and, during the pandemic, it has been one
New U.S. sanctions on Russia are mostly symbolic Paid Members Public
In the week after a phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Putin, Russia-U.S. relations continue to oscillate wildly. New U.S. sanctions on Russia imposed Thursday were mostly symbolic, but Washington has kept the door open to new restrictions. Meanwhile, preparations for a face-to-face meeting between
Political repression intensifies as Navalny supporters plan new protest Paid Members Public
A police crackdown against opposition activists and independent media dramatically gathered pace last week. Not only has the health of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny reportedly deteriorated to a point at which his life is now in danger, but law enforcement took unprecedented steps to shut-down his political organization and
