THE BELL WEEKLY: Russia wants to seize assets from anti-war activists Paid Members Public
Hello! This week we cover a new proposed law that would allow Russian authorities to confiscate property and assets from those who oppose the war. We also look at Russian anti-Kremlin performers having their concerts canceled abroad and a record long prison sentence for a woman charged with killing a
Political divisions in Russia over whether to prop up the ruble Paid 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 top story this week is about the argument raging among Russian officials about whether to extend a set of extraordinary measures to support the ruble.
Russia invests in a homemade Wikipedia, in the hope of blocking the original Paid Members Public
Russia launched the Ruwiki platform this week, the latest Wikipedia clone it hopes will secure an audience at home. The success of the project may determine the fate of Wikipedia itself inside Russia. The authorities would like to block the site, but can’t while it remains overwhelmingly popular throughout
Kremlin-approved liberal candidate becomes opposition hero Paid Members Public
Only one anti-war candidate is vying for the right to get on the ballot paper for the March 2024 presidential election — Boris Nadezhdin, a veteran of second-tier Russian politics who served as an aide to Kremlin insider Sergei Kiriyenko 25 years ago. Everybody understands that Nadezhdin is a Kremlin spoiler,
THE BELL WEEKLY: Russia’s unlikely opposition hero Paid Members Public
Hello! This week we look at the Kremlin-approved liberal presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin who suddenly became a hero for the Russian opposition. We also explore Russia's investment in a homemade Wikipedia. Kremlin-approved liberal candidate becomes opposition hero Only one anti-war candidate is vying for the right to get
Russian banks squeezed as Washington tightens sanctions Paid Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — written by Alexander Kolyandr and brought to you by The Bell. Our top story this week is about how U.S. efforts to ramp up sanctions have caused some Chinese and Turkish banks to stop working with their Russian counterparts.
Pro-war opposition activist arrested on terrorism charges Paid Members Public
Russian authorities arrested left-wing politician and opposition activist Sergey Udaltsov last week, with prosecutors accusing him of promoting terrorism. Udaltsov had made posts in support of other left-wing figures who are under investigation for creating a terrorist organization. Udaltsov’s arrest is the latest example of how Moscow’s judicial
Russia’s “lottery king” buying up Western assets Paid Members Public
The departure of Western firms from Russia has created a new cadre of Russian business elite, as previously little-known figures snap up lucrative assets at cut price assets. The Bell investigated the case of one such figure, Armen Sarkisyan, who has bought a string of Western companies over the last
