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...
Archive - 2011
AndyOpposition 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...
Was Putin booed at Russian fight – or not?
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...
The going rate to bribe your way into a Russian Government job is…
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...
Russia is Europe’s largest internet market
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...
Post-Soviet Elections Roundup
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...
Bridgwater Carnival Overthrows the Tsar
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...
Putin: Confucius Peace Prize Winner 2011!
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...