Russia’s budget: Paper tiger or invincible bear? PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy, written by Alexandra Prokopenko and Alexander Kolyandr and brought to you by The Bell. This week we analyze Russia’s draft budget plans for 2026, which show neither the “paper tiger” economy portrayed by Donald Trump nor the invincible “bear”
Russia's Eurovision rival PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we look at Intervision, the revived Soviet-era song contest designed to rival Eurovision that was light on the camp and heavy on the propaganda. Intervision, Moscow’s propaganda-filled song contest Russia staged the Intervision music contest over the weekend, a Vladimir Putin-ordered Eurovision clone, designed to show
Top businesses face debt crisis PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy, written by Denis Kasyanchuk and Alexander Kolyandr and brought to you by The Bell. This week we dig into Russia’s corporate debt crisis, highlighting the 13 businesses with massive debt piles that have the central bank worried. War, sanctions
Yandex founder's $20 billion comeback PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we look at the comeback of Arkady Volozh, the Yandex founder who has struck it rich—again—thanks to a mega deal for his new AI infrastructure startup. From startup to sanctions and back again Last year, Arkady Volozh, one of the founders of Russia’s most
Russia prepares tax hikes. Again. PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy, written by Alexandra Prokopenko and Alexander Kolyandr and brought to you by The Bell. This week we report on the government’s plans to raise taxes and cut spending to keep the state’s finances on track and make sure
Propaganda in Russian schools PRO Members Public
Hello! As a new school year kicks off in Russia, we dig into how the authorities are pushing propaganda into Russian schools and glorifying the invasion of Ukraine in lessons for children as young as three. Instilling ideology: How the Kremlin raises young loyalists Much like during the Soviet era,
Does Russia’s economy have a China problem? PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy, written by Alexandra Prokopenko and Alexander Kolyandr and brought to you by The Bell. Our main story this week covers how Vladimir Putin’s trip to China laid bare Moscow’s reliance on Beijing. We also analyze growing calls for
Russia’s digital Gulag PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we look at Russia’s plans to significantly tighten control and surveillance on the internet through a spate of new laws, restrictions and punishments. Online crackdown looms Russia’s parliament has spent all summer passing a raft of prohibitive legislation to give the authorities more control and
Russia’s investment climate is still getting worse PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy, written by Alexandra Prokopenko and Alexander Kolyandr and brought to you by The Bell. This week our top story is a look at what Exxon Mobil’s possible return to Russia, and charges against a billionaire food manufacturing tycoon, tell
Russia's fuel crisis PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we analyze Russia’s domestic fuel crisis, what it says about the war, the state of the economy and how it could affect peace negotiations. Ukrainian strikes hit Russians at the pump A new wave of Ukrainian long-range drone attacks on Russian oil refineries has triggered the
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The Bell was founded in 2017 by journalists Elizaveta Osetinskaya, Irina Malkova and Peter Mironenko as a news outlet independent from the Russian authorities, after its founders have been sacked as top editors at the largest Russian news website RBC because of pressure from the Kremlin.
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