The Russia Blog
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 strategy and the Tupolev bear is ageing, but still shining star of the country’s military fleet.
Early Origins
The Tuploev Bear… Read the rest
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 daughter in law of Igor Smirnov, the leader of Transnistria (the breakaway Moldovan republic that has,… Read the rest
The Western press has been gleefully reporting that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was booed when he addressed the crowd after Russian Fyodor Emelianenko beat American fighter Jeff Monson.
US paper the Washington Post called it a “rare show of public disapproval”, while British paper the Daily Mail explained the event as an… Read the rest
I was amused to see RIA Novosti reporting the arrest of a con-man who had attempted to sell government posts to gullible businessmen.
In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that: “the suspect offered to sell senior government posts to interested parties, such as the post of deputy governor of St.… Read the rest
After a slow start, Russia has now officially got the largest number of web users in Europe.
According to the latest Comscore report, 50.8 million Russians have access to the internet through either a home or work connection. This means that, for the first time, Russia has more internet users than Germany, which… Read the rest
While everyone’s focus is on the Russian Duma elections (due in December 2011) and the Russian Presidential election (due in March 2012), I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of the other election news from around the former Soviet Union.
From what I can tell, there are elections taking place,… Read the rest
A couple of weeks ago I went back to my home town to watch the annual Bridgwater Carnival.
For the uninitiated, the Carnival is a massive procession of illuminated floats, each carrying enough lightbulbs to be seen from space and blasting out music loud enough to wake the dead. Atop each float (known… Read the rest
Vladimir Putin, Russia’s premier pacifist, has racked up yet another global accolade – the world renowned Confucius Peace Prize.
The organisers awarded the prize to Putin for his outstanding contribution to world peace – namely opposing the bombing of Libya. Qiao Damo, a member of the organising committee told reporters that “this April or… Read the rest
Russia’s Soyuz rocket blasted off today, with a crew of two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut, to resupply the International Space Station (ISS).
Unusually even for Russia, the launch took place in blizzard conditions – you can see more in the video to this post.
Russia today condemned the Arab League’s decision to suspend Syria’s membership. Even China has now moved to support the League, though, leaving Russia as one of the isolated regime’s few remaining supporters.
In a startling display of sycophancy, the Russian Defense Ministry has just announced that it will buy 10,000 badminton rackets and shuttlecocks – all because Russia’s President loves the game.
“Playing badminton uses the same muscles as throwing grenades, knives or other objects,” said Colonel Alexander Shchepelev.
Russia’s World Trade Organisation entry has been all but guaranteed after the WTO’s Working Party on Russian membership agreed the precise rules and obligations that Russia will have to meet as a member of the global trading body.
The news comes almost immediately after a customs and trade monitoring agreement between Russia and Georgia which… Read the rest
Russia’s unmanned Phobos-Grunt mission to Mars has hit trouble, just minutes after launch.
“It looks like the engine system has not worked,” Vladimir Popovkin, the head of Roscosmos (the Russian Space Agency), told reporters. Read the rest…
It has emerged that Katia Zatuliveter, who has been accused of spying for Russia and is currently fighting deportation from Britain, not only had an affair with British MP Mike Hancock, but also had affairs with a senior German diplomat working at NATO and a Dutch diplomat.
A clear pattern is emerging – Zatuliveter has,… Read the rest
Rumours have been swirling around runet for years about how some Russian political bloggers are being offered payment to write posts that are supportive of the Russian Government, or of a particular politician. There are similar rumours about blogging in China.
Global Voices this weekend reports on a Georgian blogger, Yuri Yakunin who was… Read the rest
Russia has criticized a US court’s decision to convict Russian arms dealer Victor Bout, and resolved that it will do all it can to persuade US authorities to hand him over to Russia.
“Our goal is to achieve his return to the motherland,.” said Alexander Lukashevich, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign… Read the rest
Georgia led this match by seven points to five at half time but ultimately couldn’t contain the superior quality of their opponents. For long periods of time this was a physical encounter where both teams cancelled each other out until the Pumas’ backs were allowed to dominate in the last period.
The game was scoreless… Read the rest
Russia’s rugby union heroes departed from the 2011 World Cup with a stunning performance against Australia in Nelson. At one stage it looked as if the Bears would be heading for their record defeat but tries from Ostroushko, Simplikevich and Rachkov kept the score to a respectable 68 – 22 to Australia at the end… Read the rest
Having overcome early pressure to record an emphatic win over Romania in Palmerston North, Richie Dixon’s Georgian side will be approaching their last game of the 2011 World Cup with renewed optimism and the feeling that if they play to the top of their game, there is just the chance of an upset.
Despite Georgia’s… Read the rest
