... prompted him to lead P&G on a daring foray into the vast and all-but-empty market in the Soviet Union's waning years. Pepper, who quit the maker of the Tide detergent and Gillette razors in 2002, recounted the "roller-coaster" journey in a book, Russian Tide, he unveiled — where else? — in Russia on Thursday. Yevgeny Yasin, economy minister in the 1990s, supported the company's endeavor, Pepper said in a speech at the Higher School of Economics, where Yasin is now one of the...

Sberbank posted a 14 percent increase in four-month net profit under Russian accounting standards, with gains partly offset by a rise in bad loan provisions that followed rapid growth in the lender's loan book. Sberbank posted a 14 percent increase in four-month net profit under Russian accounting standards, with gains partly offset by a rise in bad loan provisions that followed rapid growth in the lender's loan book. The bank said Thursday that net...

After the end of World War II, Paul Sadler returned home to Chicago with three German books and a photo album from the Dachau concentration camp. After the end of World War II, Paul Sadler returned home to Chicago with three German books and a photo album from the Dachau concentration camp. It was the photo album that caught...

... both have their own logistics and retail networks. According to the SPARK database and Unified State Register of Legal Entities, most of the companies in AST Group, which total more than 100, are owned by the Cyprus-registered AABP Advanced Achievement Books Publishers. According to the Cypriot registry, Andrei Gertsev and Yakov Khelemsky each own 33.35 percent of shares in that company. Eksmo is owned by Oleg Novikov and Andrei Gredasov. Together, Eksmo and AST control up to 20 percent of book sales...

... has drowned while vacationing in Indonesia with his family. A respected Russian political journalist who exposed the rise of modern Russian Nazi movements has drowned while vacationing in Indonesia with his family. Mark Deutsch, 67, known for his book about the rise of the Russian far-right movement, ran into trouble while swimming with the daughter of a friend. He was able to push her closer to the beach, saving her life, before being swept away by a wave himself, Russian News Service radio reported...

... actually turned out, but it was clear that the number was close to 15,000. On Sunday, I arrived at the Pushkin monument by noon and tried unsuccessfully to locate Bykov or Akunin. Before I could take another step, I was mobbed by people proffering books for me to sign. I at last struggled free to look for Bykov on the steps of the nearby movie theater, but he wasn't there. People once again came running from everywhere asking me to sign their books. One even held out a copy of "Atlas Shrugged"...

... Considering his checkered past, this may not be far from the truth. At the top of Medinsky's patriotic agenda is his battle against what he believes to be widespread Russophobia — both from foreigners and Russians. He is the author of a series of books on the most common "myths" about Russia — above all, a belief that Russians are historically inclined toward alcoholism, laziness, corruption and strong leaders. In the preface to each book, he explains that the series was not written...

... 1/2 Solyanka. M. Kitai-Gorod. Mon. to Thurs. 2 to 10 p.m., Fri. noon to midnight, Sat. and Sun. noon to 10 p.m. 621-5672, solgallery.ru/exhibitions NB Gallery: New Soviet Kindergarten: paintings, graphics, photographs, posters, toys, children’s books and other items, Fri. to June 30. Located at 6/2 Sivtsev Vrazhek, entrance 1, 2nd floor, Apt. 2, code 002. M. Arbatskaya. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sun. noon to 6 p.m., closed Mon. Free admission. 697-4006, 737-5298, www.nbgallery.ru/en New Tretyakov...

... drawings from the Prague collection, to Wed. Located at 6/7 Ul. Lenivka. M. Kropotkinskaya. Noon to 8 p.m., closed Mon. 495-691-1160, www.nalenivke.com NB Gallery: Soviet Kindergarten: paintings, graphics, photographs, posters, toys, children’s books and other items, to June 30. Located at 6/2 Sivtsev Vrazhek, entrance 1, 2nd floor, Apt. 2, code 002. M. Arbatskaya. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sun. noon to 6 p.m., closed Mon. Free admission. 697-4006, 737-5298, www.nbgallery.ru/en New Tretyakov Gallery:...

Like the EU sanctions against Belarus, which included visa bans and asset freezes on 220 senior Belarussian officials, the Magnitsky act hits Russian officials where it hurts the most - their pocket books. This targeted approach is much more effective than broader sanctions. U.S. Representative Jim McGovern introduced an expanded Magnitsky act to Congress last week. The focus of the bill goes beyond the original legislation sponsored by Senator...

One of my favorite new language toys is Google's Ngram Viewer, which lets you — in highly technical Googlese — "search lots of books" to find the frequency of a word or phrase. This is a helpful tool for translators who are trying to choose a word in English that matches, more or less, its Russian equivalent in frequency of usage...

New Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, a historian distant from the cultural world, is perhaps best known for writing a series of pro-Kremlin books called "Myths about Russia" — a role that is prompting calls his title be changed to propaganda minister. Vedomosti Medinsky New Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, a historian who has kept a distance from the cultural...

... with investors from May 9 to gauge demand for a eurobond issue, a banking source said in May. Rosselkhozbank had hoped to benefit from positive risk sentiment toward emerging markets. "The bank had held investor meetings but did not even open the book. … Markets are not very favorable, [it] will wait till conditions improve," the source said Monday. (Reuters)

... multiple cities in one trip, maximizing the potential for business travel and tourism."   Cities included in the discounted fare include St. Petersburg, Surgut, Tyumen, Nizhny Novgorod and Vladivostok. Aeroflot joined SkyTeam — which eases bookings involving more than one airline and offers members a system of bonuses — in 2006 after four years of negotiations. One stipulation for membership was that Aeroflot upgrade its hub at Sheremetyevo Airport by October 2007. After extensive...

... hosts Blagomarket. Check out a high-class flea market this Saturday and help others as Alive, a charity that helps adults pay for much-needed medical assistance, hosts Blagomarket. The market will sell clothes, shoes, accessories, home furnishings, books and cosmetics. Each donated item has had to meet strict quality criteria, organizers say, but will cost between only 200 and 1,000 rubles ($6 to $33). Designer items will also be sold at special prices.   The idea for the market came from...

... Orthodox Banner Bearers group lined up in front of the cathedral, shouting obscenities at Dobrokhotov and Baronova. The group is known for dispersing gay rallies and for protesting against pop star Madonna's shows in Russia and burning Harry Potter books. Hours later, when Dobrokhotov was leaving a police station where he was held, seven men assaulted him, damaging his ear, he said. "They looked like football fans," he said in an interview, referring to burly and aggressive young men...

... began in April as it benefits from a weaker yen and higher expected vehicle sales. The forecast is lower than the average projection of 35.3 billion yen profit in a poll of 21 analysts by Reuters, but would mark a return to profit after the automaker booked an operating loss of 38.7 billion yen in the year that ended in March. 179738

... several million Swiss francs." The report did not specify when the accounts were frozen. Following its takeover, Bank of Moscow received a $14 billion government bailout loan after VTB said it had discovered a huge black hole in the bank's loan book. "The initiators and organizers of … the seizure of Bank of Moscow are trying to manipulate the judicial systems of states that function on a principle of law for the malicious prosecution of my defamation," Borodin said in a statement...

... journalists get a bus laid on to take them from the start of the pier to the press center — it's that far away — but the organizers cunningly mollify them with free chicken drumsticks and pakhlava. Rights, what human rights? Plus there are free books about carpets. Compared with Moscow's bleak Olympic stadium, the Crystal Hall is an extremely plush venue and the most- favored contestants, including those from Britain, France and Azerbaijan, are luxuriating in suites at the Hilton. With high...

... ÷åìîäàí (a heavy suitcase), the bane of my existence when I am traveling. It might also be used to describe something that doesn't weigh a lot, but more than expected — like the small traveling purse that I pack to the brim with electronics and books. This äàìñêàÿ ñóìî÷êà (ladies' purse) may look like it's only filled with lipstick and lace hankies, but when porters try to pick it up, they exclaim: Óô! Òÿæ¸ëàÿ! ×òî ó âàñ â ñóìêå — êèðïè÷è? (Yikes! That's heavy. What have you got in your...