The Sochi Winter Olympics have been plagued by corruption, which is helping to drive the price of the game up. An investigation led by Boris Nemtsov found that the Olympic price tag could top $50 billion, though there are likely many more hidden costs like security. In comparison, the total cost of the Winter Olympics […]
On 23 December, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was freed. This morning Mariya Alyokhina was also released from the Nizhegorodskaya Colony. Both members of the punk group Pussy Riot were sentenced for an action at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Tolokonnikova announced in particular that she would provide every support to those who are imprisoned. Earlier, Mariya […]
This is the first part of Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s first interview after his pardon. Read part two — Khodorkovsky: Putin Sent a Message That He’s Stable and Not Afraid Black polo neck shirt, jeans – a change from the prison trousers, a gray “hedgehog” [short prison haircut], glasses in thin frames, a marked stoop, and on […]
This article was originally published in Kommersant, originally titled “Mikhail Khodorkovsky Surrenders to Pardon.” It reports on what was happening behind the scenes when Mikhail Khodorkovsky made the decision to ask for a presidential pardon. The claims have not been verified, but in an official statement, Mikhail Khodorkovsky wrote, “the issue of admission of guilt […]
The Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ahmed Üzümcü, issued a statement saying that Russia will provide a large number of armored trucks to participate in the operation to remove Syrian chemical warfare agents. The operation to transport chemical weapons to the port of Latakia will involve, inter alia, […]
This article in Forbes Russia predates yesterday’s surprising news that Ukrainian President Yanukovych has signed a $15 billion deal with Russia that has Russia buying Ukrainian government bonds and has Russia slashing the cost of natural gas from $400 per 1,000 to $268.5 per 1,000 cubic meters. As the BBC notes, this will not be […]
The state-owned oil giant, Gazprom, will host its holiday party at an Olympic facility, paid for by Gazprom. Other state-owned corporations have not pay for holiday parties. This was originally published in the state-owned RIA Novosti, which is soon to become “Russia Today,” or Russia Segodnya. — Ed. The gas monopoly will time its Christmas corporate […]
The liberal magazine Snob.ru has collected quotes on today’s amnesty bill from various thinkers across the political spectrum. Note that some of the differences in numbers and facts can be attributed to the fact that the full effects of the amnesty bill are not yet known. See our liveblog for updates and additional details. — […]
The man recently installed to head Chechnya’s Investigative Committee — a body tantamount to Russia’s FBI — has been sacked by Vladimir Putin in a high-profile embarrassment for the Committee’s overall head, Alexander Bastrykin. It appears that Sergei Bobrov has been relieved of his duties for attempting to do his job properly in Kadyrov’s murky […]
This editorial ran in Vedomosti, a Russian business news agency started by the Dow Jones, the Financial Times, and the owners of the Moscow Times. — Ed. The upcoming Olympics in Sochi creates new opportunities for the struggle for political influence and financial flows in the North Caucasus. In addition to the usual news about […]
