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Articles by Justin Varilek
Will Smith Slaps Man for Trying to Kiss Him
21 May 12
Love can take over, overwhelm the senses and cause a person to act unceremoniously.
Nationwide Hunt Begins for Business Angels
04 May 12
This week’s $75 million injection into classifieds advertising site Avito.ru is further proof of the investment attractiveness of Russian startups, which are a key element in the government’s push for diversifying the country’s energy-dependent economy.
E-Commerce Prospering as New Regulations Come Online
11 April 12
Despite 80 percent growth in domestic electronic payment transactions to 125 billion rubles ($4.2 billion) in 2011, the industry is jostling to maneuver through the changes it faces when regulatory legislation goes into effect on June 30.
Technology in Business Undervalued but Promising
04 April 12
Only 54 percent of Russian and Eastern European executives responsible for information technology believe that investments in technology facilitate decision making.
Skolkovo's MIT Seeks to Stop Brain Drain
17 February 12
"I'm probably not going to move back for a couple of decades," said Yekaterina Paramonova, a third-year undergraduate majoring in nuclear science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, echoing the sentiment of many Russians who have tasted life outside the motherland.
Wine Culture Takes Root
22 December 11
Finding good wine at a reasonable price in Russia is like finding a needle in a haystack, while limited growth in demand, new alcohol consumption rules and even the changing winds of international politics have all complicated the import industry.
Observation Wheel Could Tower Over Moscow
13 December 11
While $300 million has been pledged by investors, the design completed and a construction firm selected, the creation of what could be the world's largest observation wheel is stalled by the absence of City Hall's approval.
$27Bln IT Sector Could Help End Traffic Jams
09 December 11
Charging ahead at breakneck speed, Russia's IT industry grossed $26.9 billion in turnover this year, growing 20 percent over last year, according to the research firm IDC.
Dutchman, 23, Rowing Across Atlantic for Orphans
06 December 11
There are few things more challenging than scaling Mt. Everest or flying into space. A 23-year-old Dutchman who has lived most of his life in Russia is going to tackle one of them: rowing a small boat 4,720 kilometers across the Atlantic Ocean.
Little Partying for Opposition, But Plenty of Work
05 December 11
With Yabloko expected to win less than 3 percent of Sunday's vote, there was little talk of election results at the liberal party's headquarters, and Yabloko leader Sergei Mitrokhin told The Moscow Times the atmosphere there was "business-like."
$2.7Bln Book Market Also Hit by the Crisis
02 December 11
Against a backdrop of two years of declining book sales in Russia, 250 publishing companies and literature unions from 20 countries have assembled in Moscow this week for the 13th International Book Fair Non/fiction.
Apple Co-Founder Gives Innovation Pep Talk
30 November 11
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak visited Moscow on Tuesday for the fourth annual Innovation Convention to inspire a room overflowing with young, aspiring entrepreneurs to abandon their fears and think "outside the box."
Qiwi Teams With Visa for Card
16 November 11
Electronic payments using a Qiwi account have gone global now, thanks to a project announced by the local terminal provider and Visa — called Qiwi Visa Plastic, which will provide rechargeable plastic cards to the low-end segment.
Sberbank's Data Center Is the Biggest In Europe
14 November 11
During an opening ceremony Saturday, Sberbank flaunted the 16,500-square-meter data center Yuzhny Port — the largest of its kind in Europe, demonstrating its latest capabilities through centralizing programs.
U.S. Ambassador Touts War Veterans, Dad
11 November 11
Move over stuffed turkey. The U.S. Thanksgiving favorite was replaced by butorbrody transfigured with turkey and cranberry to act as the unlikely symbol of U.S.-Russian friendship at a Moscow celebration of the U.S. holiday Veterans Day, which falls on Friday.
New Site Rents Apartments to Tourists
08 November 11
With the number of tourists growing at 11 percent per year, web site RentHome.ru aims to lock in its position in the tourism industry by linking travelers with available apartments and houses.
Mariinsky Theater Complex to Cost $629M
08 November 11
St. Petersburg is making its own response of sorts to the reopening of Moscow's Bolshoi Theater by launching a cultural complex, set for fall 2012. Part of the complex will consist of the historic Mariinsky Theater.
Housing Prices to Rise as City Shifts Priorities
01 November 11
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin's emphasis on developing infrastructure rather than the housing market could lead to significant price increases for residential real estate in Moscow, according to a recent realty agency estimate.
Nanotech Enthusiasm Peaks
28 October 11
In nanotechnology, size matters. But federal funding for the high-tech field has tapered off in Russia, flattening out at $1.88 billion per year through 2015 and losing ground in the race against the United States and Germany.
Nanotech to Play Big Role in Modernization Plans
26 October 11
President Dmitry Medvedev's modernization committee will review the status of the nanotechnology sector during its meeting on Wednesday.
Fairmont to Renovate the Hotel Pekin
25 October 11
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, known for iconic accommodations such as The Plaza in New York, said it will restore Moscow's historic Hotel Pekin. It has signed a deal with Hals-Development for the project.
Transparency Sees Progress and Issues With Rosatom's Purchasing
24 October 11
The purchasing practices of state nuclear corporation Rosatom leave something to be desired, according to the local chapter of Transparency International, following its analysis of tenders by the company in the first quarter of 2011, including one to purchase a Lexus automobile with a starting price of 9.3 million rubles ($290,000).
Police Cut Short PETA Strip Stunt
20 October 11
Two American animal rights protesters were detained at the World Trade Center while attempting to strip down to bikinis on a cold October day in central Moscow to drive home PETA's message, "Leave animal skin to animals."
Kudrin Publishes Manifesto
19 October 11
Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin systematically laid out the potential pitfalls of Russia's economic policy and described his own 5-point plan in an open letter Tuesday carried by Kommersant newspaper.
Watchdog Could Ban Transdnestr Cognac
17 October 11
On the heels of Kremlin statements against the extended rule of Igor Smirnov — leader of the breakaway Moldovan republic of Transdnestr — Russia's consumer protection chief Gennady Onishchenko has announced a possible ban on imports of cognac from the region.
Wooden Homes Rely on Tradition and Technology
11 October 11
The classic Russian izba, or log house, is holding its own in the post-Soviet construction boom, with nearly 40 percent of single-family houses being made of logs. But contemporary construction methods aim to make building the traditional dwelling more efficient.
Young Entrepreneur Up for Global Award
10 October 11
A business plan to create rehabilitation devices for cerebral palsy sufferers, created by Perm's Denis Kashin, won first place at a ceremony at Skolkovo and will be Russia's entry at the international finals for young entrepreneurs in New York.
Q&A: Experience, Energy and Instinct in Film and Games
07 October 11
Springing from her desk, Blanche Neumann, the petite managing director of Moscow-based Fetish Film, leaps forward from her desk and frenetically engages her team members, organizing their activities to achieve the immediate task.
Secure Data a Key Element of Financial Center Ambition
07 October 11
An iris scanner and biometric hand reader might not be the first things that come to mind when considering the requirements for fulfilling Moscow's ambition to become an international financial center.
Dozens of Volunteers Look for Missing Woman
23 September 11
Volunteers took to the streets to look for a missing student, combing streets, distributing posters and questioning taxi drivers on the whereabouts of Irina Artyomova.
