... it openly and transparently, so people trust us, so we engender trust, so there is proof of what we do; that there is feedback for the people who have helped from the people that we have helped. Q: Why do you think that so few Russians give money to charities? (Editor's note: Russia came 130th out of 153 countries in a Dec. 2011 survey by the Charities Aid Foundation) A: The whole understanding of charities was discredited in the '90s because there was so much manipulation, so much dirtiness —...

Ksenia Chernyavskaya is the fundraising manager for Downside Up, a Russian charity providing support for children and families affected by Down syndrome. Ksenia Chernyavskaya is the fundraising manager for Downside Up, a Russian charity providing support for children and families affected by Down syndrome. The charity also works toward raising public awareness of Down syndrome with the aim of changing attitudes. As part of their efforts, Downside Up will host a charity...

... many expatriates working side by side with Russians at the Dr. Romanov Center in St. Petersburg. Founded in 1989, the charity offers free treatment and rehabilitation to children struggling with autism and other neurological disorders. Q: Of all the charities operating in Russia, what is special about the Dr. Romanov Center in St. Petersburg? A: I like the fact that the Dr. Romanov Center treats new children all the time. The team works with the relatives to help them help their children be integrated...

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. 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...

The Maritime Transportation Prosecutor's office is investigating a case in which Vladivostok Air refused to allow a disabled teen to board a plane over confusion about whether her condition permitted her to fly, news reports said Thursday. The Maritime Transportation Prosecutor's office is investigating a case in which Vladivostok Air refused to allow a disabled teen to board a plane over confusion about whether her condition permitted her to fly, news reports said Thursday. Marina Barlukova, 18...

It may not have been as momentous a victory as the legendary "Miracle on Ice," but for a group of New York City firefighters it was just as satisfying. It may not have been as momentous a victory as the legendary "Miracle on Ice," but for a group of New York City firefighters it was just as satisfying. After losing to Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry team in New York last year, the FDNY hockey team exacted sweet revenge in a rematch in Moscow on Friday, acing a hard-fought...

Modest Mussorgsky's opera "Boris Godunov," which has arguably become the most popular operatic piece by a Russian composer on the international stage in the past decade, has been revamped by renowned British director Graham Vick. The production, which will be staged Friday, Saturday and June 26, opens the 20th International Stars of the White Nights festival, which runs through July 15. ST. PETERSBURG — Modest Mussorgsky's opera...