A modest proposal to kick-start the economy — bring back the gulag PRO Members Public
The ongoing ‘Sovietization’ of the Russian economy is not just reflected in price caps on food. This week the government — which is struggling with a chronic labor shortage due to border closures — revealed it is looking to bring back Soviet-era gulag prison camps to provide the manpower for large-scale infrastructure
Ryanair scandal sends Lukashenko running back to Putin PRO Members Public
Russia continues to position itself as the only remaining friend of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, sacrificing significant tranches of Russian money and even its own citizens. The reason is obvious: only with Lukashenko in power can the Kremlin ensure Belarus remains economically dependent on Russia. The expected Western sanctions after
Abramovich and VTB step in to help ‘Russia’s Netflix’ resolve its problems with the government PRO Members Public
Russia’s leading IT companies — like their counterparts around the world — frequently face government pressure. However, they are generally not suspected of infringing user rights or monopolistic behavior like in the West. In Russia, the government’s big concern is ensuring that these companies remain under the control of Russian
Reviving the gulag PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is on moves to create a modern counterpart for the gulag prison system to accelerate infrastructure development and compensate for a fall-off in migration caused by coronavirus border restrictions. We also look at the negotiations that saw state-owned bank VTB and Roman Abramovich given
How Elon Musk accepted the Kremlin's invitation PRO Members Public
This week, Sergei Kiriyenko, Kremlin eminence grise and deputy head of the presidential administration, announced that Elon Musk would speak at a state-sponsored education forum. At first, it looked like a weird PR stunt. But, against all expectations, Musk actually gave a speech via a video link and spent 40
Retail acquisition frenzy boosts market consolidation PRO Members Public
Russia’s second biggest retail chain Magnit announced Tuesday it was buying the country’s fifth-biggest grocery chain, Diksi. Two days later, retailer Lenta acquired the country’s network of Billa stores, allowed their owners – German supermarket chain Rewe – to exit Russia. Magnit and fellow leading retailer X5, are now
The tale of Valery Pshenichny: the 3D submarine modelling scientist found dead in prison after a business dispute PRO Members Public
Businessman and scientist Valery Pshenichny died in mysterious circumstances in 2018 at a detention center where he was being held on charges of embezzling state funds linked to a defense contract. This week saw the start of a court hearing into his case. The Bell looked into his tragic story.
Retail deals galore PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is over $1 billion worth of major acquisitions in the grocery retail sector as market consolidation gathers pace. We also look at Elon Musk’s speech to an organization set-up by Stalin, the case of a successful businessman who died in prison, and why
Kazan school shooting sparks gun control debate PRO Members Public
Mercifully, school shootings are rare in Russia. But a 19-year-old student went to a high school in the city of Kazan with a gun Tuesday and killed nine people, most of them children. President Vladimir Putin immediately called on officials to come up with proposals to tighten the requirements for
Russia mulls how to boost inward investment via taxation PRO Members Public
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will soon have been in office for 18 months. His government was preoccupied with the pandemic for much of its first year, but now it can return to its main task – making President Vladimir Putin’s long-term goals a reality. One of these goals is an
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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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