There was more unrest and behind the scenes politicking in South Ossetia today, following the Supreme Court’s decision yesterday to annull the results of the election and ban Alla Dzhioyeva – the opposition...
Archive - November 2011
AndyA coup in South Ossetia?
The South Ossetian Supreme Court has dramatically and controversially annulled the results of its Presidential election. In announcing its verdict, it also banned Alla Dzhioyeva – the opposition candidate who...
British court: “Zatuliveter not a Russian spy”
In an embarrassing setback for the British Government, a British court has today ruled that Ekaterina Zatuliveter is not a Russian spy, and that she should be allowed to remain in the UK. The British Government had been...
Russia sends aircraft carrier to Syria
The Russian Navy has confirmed that its aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, will visit the Syrian port of Tartus, where Russia has its only Mediterranean naval base. The Kuznetsov and its small supporting battle...
South Ossetia election descends into chaos
The South Ossetian Presidential election looks like it will descend into bitter recrimination as both candidates have claimed victory. With more than 85% of the votes counted, opposition candidate Alla Dzhioyeva is...
This Week in Russia Blogs #1
Now that I’m back to blogging more regularly, I thought it was about time to resurrect the weekly roundup of my favourite posts from around the Russia blogs. Rather than keep calling it by its original dull name...
Russian Serfdom
It’s impossible to ignore the fact that there have been some extremely bleak periods in Russian history and while living memory exists to put the grim, Stalinist regime at the forefront of our minds, the era of Russian...
Opposition to Russia’s ‘Anti-Gay’ bill gathers pace
Opposition to legislation designed to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality to minors is gathering pace, both around the world and in Russia itself. The bill, which would punish any “public activities promoting sodomy...
Tupolev Bear – Linchpin of Russia’s Air Force
Outside of Russia and the former Soviet Union, the name Tupolev is probably more widely connected with commercial, passenger aircraft. However, the company has always played a vital role in Russia’s overall defence...
Transnistria leader’s daughter in law barred from standing in Russian Duma election
In an odd piece of news, Marina Smirnova, a candidate for the A Just Russia party, has been barred from standing as a candidate in this year’s Russian Duma elections. The story is notable because Smirnova is the...