The Moscow Times is covering Saturday's rallies in Moscow. The first event of the day, an opposition march, is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. local time. Four demonstrations are planned in Moscow on Saturday: an opposition march and rally ending at Bolotnaya Ploshchad; a pro-Putin rally at Poklonnaya Gora; a rally organized by liberal activists at Prospect Sakharova; and an event hosted by the nationalist Liberal...

Over 100,000 demonstrators took to the bitterly cold streets of Moscow on Saturday to rally at competing events both for and against longtime leader Vladimir Putin. Archived Live Blog: Rallies in Moscow Over 100,000 demonstrators took to the bitterly cold streets...

... thousands in your native city of Moscow in December. I say "by the thousands" and that's just the problem. The police and other state officials always tend to lowball the number of demonstrators. Dear Sergey, As you no doubt noticed, protesters took to the streets by the thousands in your native city of Moscow in December. I say "by the thousands" and that's just the problem. The police and other state officials always...

Unprecedented protests have been held across Russia in recent months at which tens of thousands of demonstrators have been allowed to verbally lambaste the government. Unprecedented protests have been held across Russia in recent months at which tens of thousands of demonstrators have been allowed to verbally lambaste the government. ...

Besides the bitter cold, demonstrators and observers at Saturday's opposition rally could once again be facing quality issues with telecommunication services. Besides the bitter cold, demonstrators and observers at Saturday's opposition rally could once again be facing...

... and the improvement in Putin's approval rating could have thwarted a lot of people from showing up, Alfa Bank said in a note to investors Monday. Instead, both official and independent estimates of the turnout exceeded the record set at the previous demonstration. "This creates a risk that protest activity will persist even after the presidential election," the bank said. Officials said 36,000 people marched in central Moscow, up from 25,000 that protested on Dec. 24. The rally's organizers...

Moscow's first large demonstration of the year is planned for Thursday in commemoration of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova, who were shot dead in 2009. Moscow's first large demonstration of the year...

... to attend a rally supporting Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that is planned for the same day as an opposition march, Gazeta.ru reported Monday. The administration of school No. 590 received an order "from on high" to send 15 teachers to a demonstration sponsored by the pro-Putin All-Russia People's Front, a teacher from the school told the news site. The demonstration is scheduled to be held at Poklonnaya Gora in western Moscow on Feb. 4, the same day as a sanctioned opposition march and...

... to all citizens," Putin said at a meeting of university rectors. Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park is famous for having hosted public meetings and orators, among them Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. It occupies a plot of land where in the 19th century demonstrators gathered in support of the rights of working-class citizens, including the right to free assembly. Former Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov proposed a similar idea in 2009. The opposition has in the past fought to hold demonstrations in highly visible...

... Russia's economic productivity, attract investors and build brand equity. Since then, an unprecedented number of citizens, many of whom have benefited from Russia's dynamic market economy, have participated in mass street demonstrations in Moscow and other cities. In October, I argued in a Moscow Times comment that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has evolved from a tough-talking politician to a corporate executive looking to increase Russia's economic productivity...

A Moscow court fined the organizer of Saturday's "anti-orange" demonstration at Poklonnaya Gora 1,000 rubles ($33) for having more people than they had agreed upon with City Hall. A Moscow court fined the organizer of Saturday's "anti-orange" demonstration at Poklonnaya Gora 1,000 rubles ($33) for having...

Russia isn't in danger of a revolution from demonstrations against alleged fraud in parliamentary elections last month, and the government is "on the right track" in responding to them, Sberbank chief executive German Gref said. Russia isn't in danger of a revolution from demonstrations...

Kazakhstan's new parliament reinstalled a close ally of President Nursultan Nazarbayev as prime minister, demonstrating loyal backing for the veteran leader after elections criticized by the West as falling short of democracy. ASTANA, Kazakhstan — Kazakhstan's new parliament reinstalled a close ally of President Nursultan Nazarbayev as prime...

The main lesson from the rival anti-Putin and pro-Putin demonstrations held on Feb. 4 is that both civil society and the authorities are walking down a dangerous path of escalation. The main lesson from the rival anti-Putin and pro-Putin demonstrations held on Feb. 4 is that both civil...

... Braving temperatures of minus 19 degree Celsius, as many as 200,000 people turned out in Moscow alone. At Bolotnaya Ploshchad, protesters called for political liberalization and for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to resign, while others at Poklonnaya Gora demonstrated their support for the country's leadership. Besides Moscow, demonstrations were staged in Russia's regions. The reasons for the protests were varied. In Perm, the people were upset with the governor and his policies. In Krasnoyarsk, people...

... business daily Vedomosti. The opinion that Russia seeks strict control over the Internet is inaccurate, the communications minister said. He added that the government is not considering the step of closing access to Twitter and Facebook in case of public demonstrations. Last month's demonstrations protesting the recent State Duma elections were organized in part with the use of Facebook. Last month popular social network Vkontakte received a request from the Federal Security Service to shut down groups...

The demonstrations in December were middle-class phenomena, but estimates vary as to just how big Russia's middle class is. The demonstrations in December were middle-class phenomena, but just how big is Russia's middle class? Citi strategist Kingsmill...

Opposition protesters announced plans to gather on the Garden Ring Road in central Moscow later this month, in the latest in a series of events calling for political change. Deputy mayor Alexander Gorbenko said Friday that opposition demonstrators do not need City Hall approval to hold their “Big White Circle” event on the Garden Ring Road, as long as attendees do not block car or pedestrian traffic. The opposition announced plans Thursday to gather on the Garden Ring...

... Bolotnaya Ploshchad. Another liberal flank of the opposition movement will hold a rally at Prospekt Akademika Sakharova starting at 2 p.m. The organizers, Konstantin Borovoi and Valeria Novodvorskaya, said they decided to split from the main opposition demonstrations because they want a rally “without Nazis and Communists.” More than 1,500 people had signed up on Facebook to join their protest as of Thursday afternoon. Putin supporters are meeting in Poklonnaya Gora in southwestern Moscow...

... Moscow on Feb. 4. After weeks of haggling, City Hall and the opposition struck a compromise deal early Thursday that would allow tens of thousands of protesters to march in central Moscow on Feb. 4. But the event might face competition from other demonstrations, including a pro-Kremlin counter-rally. The opposition demonstration, which comes six weeks after the last rally and will likely take place in the freezing cold, will test enthusiasm for the movement, whose leaders have taken steps to organize...