Chinese automaker becomes the largest foreign company in Russia Paid Members Public
The exodus of Western companies sparked by the Russian invasion and subsequent sanctions has completely changed Russia’s corporate landscape. New research into the top foreign companies active in the Russian market reveals the extent of that overhaul over the last two and a half years. * Of the 50 biggest
Russian army movie causes a scandal at Venice Film Festival Paid Members Public
At last week’s Venice Film Festival, Russian-Canadian director Anastasia Trofimova premiered her latest work, “Russians at War”, a documentary following the lives of Russian soldiers serving at the front. Its inclusion in the program caused a scandal, with Ukrainian politicians criticizing it as pro-Kremlin propaganda — claims dismissed by Trofimova
Russians calm in the face of Ukraine’s counter-offensive Paid Members Public
It has been more than a month since Ukrainian forces crossed the border into the Kursk region, launching a surprise offensive into Russian territory. In that time they have captured hundreds of Russian prisoners of war and occupied more than 1,000 square kilometers of land in the first invasion
THE BELL WEEKLY: How Russian society ignores Ukraine’s Kursk incursion Paid Members Public
Hello. This week we talk to a top sociologist about why Ukraine’s surprise counter-offensive into the Kursk region has not shocked Russian society. We also cover the scandal surrounding a film about Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, and how a Chinese carmaker became the largest foreign business in the
The value of a Russian life Paid 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 time our top story is an analysis of the value of a Russian life – both according to economists, as well as wartime compensation payments. We
‘Putin could fall if he loses the support of a few hundred people’ Paid Members Public
The Bell editor Viacheslav Dvornikov spoke to political scientist Marcel Dirsus, author of the acclaimed new book, "How Tyrants Fall," about what his study of dictatorships and autocrats suggests is in store for the Putin regime — and how his demise could come about. The full interview is available
Pavel Durov opposed strict moderation — it could cost him his freedom, and his company Paid Members Public
Telegram founder and Russian tech icon Pavel Durov spent just 96 hours in a French jail. Released on house arrest, the case is far from over, and will have repercussions way beyond him and his platform. The saga looks set to go a long way towards shaping the future relationship
THE BELL WEEKLY: How Telegram’s hands-off approach backfired Paid Members Public
Hello! This week we again look at the case against Telegram founder Pavel Durov — how the site’s lax approach to content moderation put the service at the heart of the online gray economy, and landed Durov in a French jail. We also spoke to an expert on autocratic regimes
