The Moscow Times

Sergei Udaltsov and Alexei Navalny emerged from prison Thursday, while a dramatic standoff erupted at a State Duma hearing over a bill that would hike fines for illegal demonstrations.

Continued protests in Russia will likely lead to violence or chaotic change, according to a new study ordered by the former finance minister.

The Soviet maxim "initiative is punishable" is only half true for actress Chulpan Khamatova.

A United Russia parliamentarian has asked investigators to check opposition leader Alexei Navalny's Yandex.Money accounts for evidence of money laundering.

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday defended a bill introducing fines of $30,000 or more for people who organize or participate in unauthorized rallies.

President Vladimir Putin's regime is clearly going through hard times. Russia hasn't seen anything close to the massive anti-Putin rallies of the past six months since he came to power in 2000. Nor has it seen round-the-clock opposition camps that, like the monster in "Terminator 2," have the frightening ability to reassemble themselves no matter how many pieces they are broken into.

The former head of the Federal Youth Agency said Tuesday that the government has financed a liberal-leaning news outlet founded by Ilya Varlamov, one of the country's most popular bloggers.

Socialite and opposition figure Kseniya Sobchak offered authorities 100 square meters of grass to compensate the city for damage done by long-term demonstrators at Chistiye Prudy, but authorities refused to accept it.

In a close vote, State Duma deputies on Tuesday gave tentative approval to a bill that would sharply increase fines on protesters who participate in illegal rallies, even as police detained opposition activists for protesting the legislation outside.

Around 50 demonstrators were reportedly detained overnight from Sunday to Monday at two opposition encampments at  Arbat and Kudrinskaya Ploshchad.

Vladimir Kolokoltsev, named as interior minister on Monday, has drawn criticism for supporting Soviet-era residency registration rules and overseeing crackdowns on anti-Kremlin protesters during his two years as Moscow’s police chief.

Vasily Yakemenko, the founder of the pro-Kremlin youth group Nashi, announced plans Monday to create a new political party designed to attract the young, disaffected, middle-class voters who were drawn to the opposition protests.

Foreign investors praised the new Cabinet on Monday as a sign of economic stability, but said it reflects that Vladimir Putin is firmly in charge and no significant policy changes are in the offing.

The highest-ranking woman in the new government spent eight years working for billionaire former presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov, sparking speculation — in lieu of his absence — that she might be his "representative" in the government.

Sending a clear signal that loyalty will outrank experience in making government appointments, President Vladimir Putin has nominated a tank factory employee who once promised to target opposition protesters in Moscow as his new envoy to the Urals Federal District.