... of the technical team building the stage were arrested along with their materials and equipment. They were taken to the Basmannaya court and later released. It so happened that at this time my wife and I made the fortuitous decision to duck into a coffee house for a cappuccino. We had been on our feet for six hours and wanted a rest. No sooner did we sit down than my wife looked up and asked, "Where is everybody going?" I looked out the door and saw hundreds of individuals walking briskly...

... Prudy. However, we were able to solve the problem quickly: after an hour they brought new ones," Solidarity opposition group co-leader Ilya Yashin said in Twitter. At least 150 protesters made it through the entire night with sandwiches, tea and coffee, waking up to morning exercises and a clean-up of the territory, Interfax reported. A bulletin board with notices and schedules for chores was also erected, and protesters passed the night with songs and power provided by a portable generator,...

... country into George Orwell's "1984." It is Orwellian for Putin to pledge in his inauguration address that Russia should be a democracy while heavily armed police are roughing up people for merely taking a walk with a white ribbon or drinking coffee in a cafe. It is Orwellian to nominate as the country's next prime minister the man who has just failed as president and rush his nomination through parliament, disregarding the due deliberation process that underpins the real separation of powers...

... camp, but it immediately popped up again at Chistiye Prudy by the statue of Kazakh poet Abai Qunanbayuli. The choice of venue was purely practical: The headquarters of the opposition movement Solidarity is close, giving the protesters access to hot coffee and tea. Within just a few hours, news of the event — already dubbed #OccupyAbai — had spread and was drawing participants. The camp quickly became a "democracy preserve," where every day hundreds of people from every political...

... fleeing persecution, while all young Mormon men are sent on a two-year "mission." Half go abroad, where they must learn the language, and then work six days a week trying to convert skeptical foreigners to a faith that bans not only alcohol but coffee, too. As many Mormon businessmen have noted, this is excellent preparation for business — and especially international business. L. Todd Budge, the first foreign chief executive of a Japanese bank, was once a Mormon missionary in Japan. In...

... in all of Murmansk. Its close proximity to the Meridian Hotel makes it ideal for business lunches. A New York-style steak costs 1,060 rubles ($33). Cafe Leto (61 Prospekt Lenina; +7 8152-45-96-06, cafeleto.ru ) is a clean, modern cafe, great for a coffee break or a longer meal. A visit to the dessert counter is a must for anyone with a sweet tooth. Try the yogurt mousse with fresh berries for 170 rubles ($6). Where to stay The Meridian Congress Hotel (5/23 Ulitsa Vorovskogo; +7 815-228-8800; meridian-hotel...