Russian online giants plot U.S. IPOs Paid Members Public
Russian online giants plot U.S. IPOs This unpredictable year could be set to end with something of a sensation for the Russian business world — not one, but two major Russian firms are planning U.S. IPOs in the coming months. After a series of juicy IPOs in the early
Sberbank vs. Yandex Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is about the big changes for Russia’s online services sector as internet giant Yandex and banking giant Sberbank go head-to-head. We also look at the beginnings of a coronavirus second wave, and the architecture of a radical new approach to economic policy that
What sanctions might Russia face? Paid Members Public
What sanctions might Russia face? The Navalny affair: what sanctions might Russia face? Joe Biden’s possible election to the White House has, for months, been the main sanctions risk for Russia. But now there are at least two more: the protests in Belarus, where Moscow is President Alexander Lukashenko’
Basic instinct diplomacy Paid Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is on high-level damage control by the Kremlin after a crude online joke by a Russian official outraged the Serbian government. We also look at how Russia is supporting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as opposition protests enter their second month, and why ex-PM Medvedev
Serbia unfriends Zakharova in ‘Basic Instinct’ Facebook row Paid Members Public
There was a certain inevitability about a diplomatic scandal that erupted this week when a mocking Facebook post by Russia’s freewheeling Foreign Ministry spokeswoman caused outrage in Serbia — a close ally. President Vladimir Putin himself was forced to make a personal apology to smooth over the row and keep
Beyond PR: how Tatiana Bakalchuk really created the ‘Russian Amazon Paid Members Public
Mother of four and former English teacher Tatiana Bakalchuk has set-up a Russian version of Amazon. She triumphed where many could not: both Sberbank, Russia’s biggest bank, and Yandex, the ‘Russian Google’ failed to replicate the success of the U.S. online retail giant. All the reporting on Bakalchuk
Why Navalny’s poisoning didn’t lead to street protests Paid Members Public
There’s been little change in opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s condition this week. He remains in an induced coma on a ventilator after being taken ill in what almost everyone believes to be a case of poisoning. He is now being treated in a German hospital. Despite the dramatic
The future of Belarus’ IT sector hangs in balance amid protests Paid Members Public
Tens of thousands of people protested Sunday across Belarus against President Alexander Lukashenko, the third consecutive week of demonstrations following heavily rigged elections. The country’s IT sector — famous for nurturing companies like World of Tanks and Viber — has traditionally kept out of politics, but they are now openly supporting
