Soviet dissident pursued by Putin in the Soviet Union arrested Paid Members Public
A St. Petersburg court has detained Soviet dissident Alexander Skobov on charges of “justifying terrorism”. Skobov is a Soviet dissident who was twice committed to psychiatric hospitals for enforced treatment over his anti-communist stance. Vladimir Putin, then a young KGB officer, was involved in the cases against him in the
The state’s flagship patriotic video game flops Paid Members Public
The much-heralded launch of a state-funded patriotic adventure video game — set in 1612 and based on resistance to Polish forces waging war against Russia — has fallen flat. Critics said the game, The Time of Troubles, was boring and failed to compete with others on the market. * The game is based
Russia hit by wave of xenophobia after biggest terror attack in 20 years Paid Members Public
Central Asian migrants are facing a new surge in xenophobia after the Crocus City Hall attack. Gunmen, identified by Russian prosecutors as Tajik citizens, opened fire on concert-goers before setting the building ablaze in the worst terror attack in the country since 2004. More than 140 people were killed, including
THE BELL WEEKLY: Xenophobia takes hold after Moscow terror attack Paid Members Public
Hello! This week we look at a rise in xenophobia after the Moscow terror attack. We also cover a state-funded patriotic video game that became a multi-million dollar flop and a new case against an ailing Soviet dissident. Russia hit by wave of xenophobia after biggest terror attack in 20
How a car salesman became the biggest winner of the corporate exodus from Russia Paid Members Public
The Bell has published a major investigation into Alexander Varshavsky — a car dealership owner who now controls the Russian assets of Volkswagen and Hyundai and is one of the biggest winners of the mass departure of foreign firms from the Russian market. * Alexander Varshavsky and his business partner Kamo Avagumyan
Russian officials target Telegram over Moscow concert hall attack Paid Members Public
Russian officials spent the first week after 144 people were killed in the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack looking for links to Ukraine and debating how to censor the Telegram messaging app, which has long served as a substitute for state news media in Russia. Among the ideas were proposals
THE BELL WEEKLY: Will Russia block Telegram, again? Paid Members Public
Hello! This week we look at Russian officials’ attempts to get more control over Telegram, the most popular messaging app in the country. We also provide a snapshot of a new The Bell investigation into one of the major Russian winners from the mass departure of foreign firms. Russian officials
The opposition’s approach Paid Members Public
The Russian opposition saw its organizational structures demolished even before the war. As a result, there weren’t many options for what they could do during this contest. They adopted two main tactical approaches. * The first, backed by Alexei Navalny’s supporters, called for a significant election-day quasi-protest. Called “Noon
