Russia blocks the only anti-war candidate from running against Putin Members Public

Russia's Central Election Commission has finally blocked Boris Nadezhdin — the only anti-war campaigner to make it this far — from registering as a candidate in next month's presidential election. * Nadezhdin's campaign submitted 105,000 signatures in  support of his candidacy, giving them a possible 5%

The Bell The Bell
Politics

Yandex: the end of independence Members Public

For the past 25 years, Yandex, arguably Russia’s most innovative company, has struggled to preserve its independence from the Kremlin. The announcement of a planned $5.2-billion deal to sell the company’s Russian businesses to a consortium of investors brought an end to that era, raising questions over

The Bell The Bell
Business

How Russia fell in love with Tucker Carlson Members Public

Conservative journalist Tucker Carlson’s visit to Moscow prompted an unprecedented furore among Russian propagandists. Carlson, an active supporter of Donald Trump and an enthusiastic promoter of conspiracy theories, became the first Western journalist to interview Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine. Putin told him nothing new, but the

Peter Mironenko Peter Mironenko
Politics

THE BELL WEEKLY: Tucker Carlson – A Russian Love Affair Members Public

Hello. This week we look at how Russia fell in love with controversial American TV figure Tucker Carlson. We also go deeper into the $5.2-billion Yandex deal and cover anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin being blocked from the presidential election. How Russia fell in love with Tucker Carlson Conservative journalist

The Bell The Bell
Russia, Explained

Yandex: The end of an era for Russia’s most innovative firm Members Public

It’s not a stretch to say that Yandex has a claim to be Russia's most successful and innovative company. Even Google's founders were interested in buying it at one time. The company strove to preserve its independence for 25 years, but now that part of

Peter Mironenko Peter Mironenko

Russia’s self-inflicted banana problem Members Public

Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — written by Alexander Kolyandr and Alexandra Prokopenko and brought to you by The Bell. Our top story is about Moscow sanctioning Ecuadorian banana exports, and the knock-on effect it will have on the Russian consumer. We also look at Russia’

Peter Mironenko Peter Mironenko
Inside the Russian Economy

The plot to extort the biggest bribe in Russian history Members Public

Russian investigators are currently probing a case related to the biggest attempted bribe in recorded Russian history. FSB officers and officials from the Investigative Committee are said to have fabricated a murder case then tried to use it to extort 15 billion rubles ($200 million) from the alleged suspects, the

The Bell The Bell
Business

Authorities prepare to stop Boris Nadezhdin running for president Members Public

On Feb. 7, the Central Electoral Commission will rule on whether to allow Boris Nadezhdin, the only anti-war candidate in the mix, to run in March’s presidential election. Their decision is already becoming clear as the body claimed to have found significant flaws in the signatures backing Nadezhdin’s

The Bell The Bell
Politics

Yandex gets a new set of owners Members Public

The two-year saga surrounding the sale of Yandex’s Russian assets is nearing its end. Russia’s leading internet company announced Monday that it is dividing its business in two. Founder Arkady Volozh, who lives in Israel and has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, will keep hold of a

The Bell The Bell
Business

THE BELL WEEKLY: Yandex’s $5-billion break-up Members Public

Hello. This week we cover Yandex’s deal to spin-off its Russian assets — and its new, more loyal owners. We also look at how the Kremlin is preparing to ban Boris Nadezhdin from running in the presidential election and unpack a major bribery scandal. Yandex gets a new set of

The Bell The Bell
Russia, Explained
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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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