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: Government trying to ease pressure on the ruble PRO Members Public
Hello! This week, our main story is another week of turbulence for the ruble, as the falling national currency can push the government into abandoning one of its key budget principles. We also look at the founder of Yandex rebrand himself as “an Israeli businessman, born in Kazakhstan” and explain
THE BELL WEEKLY: Ukraine’s counteroffensive and Russia's war economy PRO Members Public
Hello! This week, our main story is a raft of legislation predicated on a long-running war adopted by the Russian parliament. We also look at the Russia-Africa summit and explain what a ban on Dozhd says about the Kremlin’s tactics against independent media. Amid military escalation, Russia adopts laws
THE BELL WEEKLY: Why the nationalization of Danone and Carlsberg matters PRO Members Public
President Vladimir Putin has recently signed a decree nationalizing the Russian assets of French dairy producer Danone and the Baltika brewery, owned by Denmark's Carlsberg. One of them is now under the ownership of an old friend of Putin’s from 1990s St. Petersburg, while the other went
THE BELL WEEKLY: How Coca-Cola quit Russia, but stayed on the country's shelves PRO Members Public
Hello! This week, in our main story we explain how Coca-Cola remained the second most popular soda brand in Russia even after The Coca Cola Company has ceased operations in the country. We also look at the nationalization of the largest Western-owned consumer companies and witness the signs of inflation
THE BELL WEEKLY: Russian ruble woes PRO Members Public
Hello! This week, our main story is about the ruble's downturn amid Prigozhin’s mutiny. We also look at a new challenge for Russians in Germany, and we talk with demographer about whether Russia is dying out. Russian ruble plummets amid Prigozhin rebellion The Russian ruble has nose-dived
THE BELL WEEKLY: Prigozhin’s Patriot Media Group closes up shop PRO Members Public
Hello! This week, our main story is about the end of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s media empire. We also look into Bacardi’s ongoing business presence in Russia despite the company’s promise to halt all exports to Russia and freeze investments and advertising. Finally, we talk with political scientist Grigory
THE BELL WEEKLY: Prigozhin’s attempted mutiny exposes cracks in the Russian regime PRO Members Public
Hello! This week, our main story is the extraordinary attempted rebellion carried out by the Wagner mercenary group and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, against Russia’s military leadership. We also look at what could come next and the economic consequences of this crisis. Saturday was an almost unbelievable day in
THE BELL WEEKLY: Russia sends ‘nuclear’ signals to the West PRO Members Public
Hello! This week, our main story is a look into the expansion of a budget Russian supermarket chain in Europe despite the war in Ukraine. We also look at the return of nuclear threats to Putin’s rhetoric and Russian lawmakers’ latest efforts to pass draconian anti-LGBT legislation. Russia sends
THE BELL WEEKLY: Russia’s response to the Kakhovka catastrophe PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is Russia’s muted response to the catastrophe that has followed the Kakhovka dam’s destruction. We then break down the first week of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Finally, we speak with experts on the Kremlin’s silence toward drone attacks on Moscow and raids
Ukraine’s counteroffensive and economic scenarios for Russia PRO Members Public
Hello! This is Alexandra Prokopenko with your weekly guide to the Russian economy — brought to you by The Bell. This week we focus on Ukraine’s counteroffensive and what it could mean for the Russian economy. We also notica that Russian state spending is gradually slowing down. What could be
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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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