Politics
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,
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
Kremlin steps in as local heating systems collapse Paid Members Public
Even by Russian standards, it’s a particularly bleak midwinter, with unusually low temperatures sending the mercury below -30°C in places. Across many Russian regions, creaking utility networks have seen central heating systems fail, leaving tens of thousands of people without heating or hot water supply to their homes.
Navalny disappears Paid Members Public
Alexei Navalny has not been seen in court hearings for almost two weeks, triggering growing fears for the fate of Russia’s most prominent opposition leader. Navalny is currently serving a decades-long jail sentence on fraud and extremism charges rejected by him, his supporters and independent rights groups who have
How a TV show about street gangs captured Russians and put officials on edge Paid Members Public
It’s rare to see a contemporary Russian film or TV drama make the leap to becoming a real cultural phenomenon, one featured in the wider media discourse or discussed on social networks every day. But right now an eight-part series about teenage street gangs in the late Soviet era
Propaganda in kindergartens Paid Members Public
Officials are so keen to ensure that Russian children receive a “patriotic” education that they are going even further than their Soviet predecessors. Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov has urged Vladimir Putin to extend the work of the “Russian Eaglets” movement to kindergartens. * While preparing for his trip to the Middle
Russia to confiscate passports of military and security personnel Paid Members Public
The state is continuing to make life difficult for anyone it does not want to see leaving the country — especially those eligible for military service. As well as being listed in a database of people banned from leaving Russia, those subject to travel bans will now have to physically surrender
Surrounded by Donbas veterans, Putin declares he will run for presidency again Paid Members Public
Vladimir Putin has finally announced his candidacy for next year’s presidential election in a vote which the Federation Council has set for March 17, 2024. Putin officially launched his campaign at a meeting with “heroes of the war in Donbas,” an event seen by political analysts as symbolic. Putin
