Russia, Explained
Pyotr Mironenko, co-founder of The Bell, and Denis Kasyanchuk, our economics editor, take a closer look at the week's top Russia stories, and explain why they matter. An in-depth look at how Russia works, what is bothering the elite, how public opinion is changing, and how to read between the lines of state propaganda.
THE BELL WEEKLY: Russia’s worst terror attack in 20 years PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we look at the worst terror attack in Russia for two decades. We cover what happened at Crocus City Hall on Friday evening and how the authorities are responding. The shadow of the 1990s looms over concert hall massacre In the late 1990s and early 2000s, terrorist
THE BELL WEEKLY: Putin’s implausible landslide PRO Members Public
Hello. This week we dig into Vladimir Putin’s inevitable election victory. We cover the official results, claims of manipulation and how the Kremlin orchestrated the “record” figures. We also look at an escalation in Ukrainian attacks on the eve of the poll and analyze the opposition’s attempts to
THE BELL WEEKLY: Russia’s new business elite PRO Members Public
Hello! Apologies for the late arrival of this week’s newsletter. This time we are presenting The Bell’s latest project — a ranking of the new Russian business elite, the winners from the exodus of Western firms. We also cover how Putin’s friends are trying to use the election
THE BELL WEEKLY: Russia targets foreign agents’ advertising income PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we cover a new law designed to strip critical independent media of a key revenue stream. We also look at how Russians bid a final farewell to Alexei Navalny, and analyze more problems for the aviation industry. New Russian law robs critical independent media of income Russian
THE BELL WEEKLY: Navalny’s body released PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we look at the unsavoury battle to secure the release of Alexei Navanly’s body. We also cover an escalation in raids against the LGBT+ community and how Moscow largely ignored the second anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine. Alexei Navalny’s body handed over after public
THE BELL WEEKLY: Opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in prison PRO Members Public
Hello! Instead of the usual economic analysis, our newsletter this week is devoted to the announcement Friday of the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. We look at what we know so far about his death, how events unfolded after the announcement, and what the reaction has been among world
THE BELL WEEKLY: Tucker Carlson – A Russian Love Affair PRO 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 WEEKLY: Yandex’s $5-billion break-up PRO 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 WEEKLY: Russia wants to seize assets from anti-war activists PRO 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
THE BELL WEEKLY: Russia’s unlikely opposition hero PRO 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
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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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