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Heineken Bar Moscow Kickstarts the Summer

Heineken Bar Moscow only had its official opening a week ago but it's already become the newest "it" place in Moscow. The line for the opening party...

Live Blog: Pilot Nadiya Savchenko Returns Home to Ukraine

Following months of negotiations, Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko is on her way back to Ukraine as part of a dramatic prisoner swap, media reported Wednesday...

Moscow Restaurants: News & Openings

A selection of restaurants, cafes and bars opened in Moscow this week.

Muchnik's Picks: Emir Kusturica and More Music in Moscow on the Weekend

Spring's last weekend is upon us and the weather is positively summer-like. At the end of the season there are a few precious gifts for music fans...

Moscow to Build Monuments to Poet Pasternak and Weapon Designer Kalashnikov

Monuments to Soviet-era dissident writer Boris Pasternak and rifle designer Mikhail Kalashnikov are to appear on the streets of Moscow, the Interfax news...

Putin Blesses First Oil Shipment From Russian Arctic Terminal

President Vladimir Putin has overseen the first shipment of oil from a new terminal in the Russian Arctic.

Moscow Music Festivals Attract Top Talent

Summer is right around the corner, and so are the music festivals. Moscow became a major European festival destination about three years ago and there's...

The Timeless Cool of Soviet Film Posters, on Show in Moscow

Bold and experimental, the designs currently on show at the Central Manege Exhibition Hall have none of the romanticism of the Hollywood silver screen...

Suicide Watch: Why Russian Teens Are Killing Themselves

Over the course of six months, 130 teenagers were reported to have killed themselves under the influence of suicide masterminds operating within the social...

A Fixer-Upper The Russian Way

Russia and Russians have a reputation for doing things big: big land, big hearts, big feats — the biggest, tallest, largest, longest whatever, from aquariums...

Investigative Journalist Khadija Ismayilova Freed by Azeri Court

An Azeri investigative journalist jailed last year after writing on corruption in the country has been freed, Radio Free Europe reported Wednesday.

Live Music to Take the Stage on Moscow's Metro

Officially approved musicians have started to perform in special concerts on the Moscow metro, the TASS news agency reported Wednesday.

Was Russia's First Bond Sale in 3 Years a Success?

Bidding opened suddenly on the morning of May 23. After a three-year absence from international markets, and with very little warning, Russia announced...

Why Are Cossacks Making A Comeback in Russia?

At Moscow's Kazachya Lavka, or Cossack Store, you don't need to be rich to be a Cossack. Their fake-fur version of the famous red papakha hat will...

Taking War Seriously: Russia-NATO Showdown No Longer Just Fiction

NATO’s former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, General Sir Richard Shirreff’s new book, “2017: War With Russia,” is a work of fiction. But its...

Is a New Iron Curtain Falling Over Russia?

The fall of the Soviet Union gave Russians a taste for several freedoms. Some, like freedom of expression and assembly, are no longer taken for granted...

Why Savchenko is Less Havel than Malcolm X

The receptions could not have been more different. In Kiev: crowds of well-wishers, multiple TV livestreaming, press conferences. In Moscow: out of public...

20th Annual Ice Cream Fest Comes to Moscow

Want to celebrate your sweet tooth with a quirky outdoor festival? Head down to Sokolniki park this weekend where an ice cream extravaganza of desert-defying...

Estonia Calls for Permanent NATO Battalions as Protection From Russia

Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas has called for one NATO battalion to be permanently stationed in each Baltic nation in an interview with the German...

Russian Ruble Hits 5-Month High As Oil Prices Rise

The Russian ruble reached its highest point against the U.S. Dollar since the beginning of the year on Thursday morning thanks to a surge in oil prices...

Moscow on Verge of Migrant Uprising, Warn Police

Sandwiched by low wages, predatory gangsters, and general discrimination, Moscow’s migrant communities are reportedly on the verge of armed resistance...

Most of Moscow’s Salmon Not Fit for Purchase Says Watchdog

Ninety percent of sliced salmon on Moscow shop shelves does not meet quality standards and 58 percent of it is not safe, the Vedomosti newspaper reported...

Hackers Who Insulted Putin on Crimean Ministry Website Remain at Large

Hackers who infiltrated a Russian government website to create an announcement titled “Putin is a D*******” remain at large, Crimean government spokesperson...

Greece and Russia to Sign New Oil Supply Deal

State energy company Rosneft is to sign a new deal supplying Greece with oil, the RBC news outlet reported Thursday.

Freed Savchenko to Start Work in Defense Committee

Former Ukrainian military pilot Nadiya Savchenko has been appointed to the Ukrainian parliament's Committee on National Security and Defense, Ukrainian...

Russia Mulls Special Prisons for Terrorists

The establishment of special prisons for terrorists is currently under discussion by members of the Russian Security Council and other agencies, the RIA...

Top EU Politicians Say Russia Sanctions Will Likely Be Extended

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that it is “too early” to discuss lifting the European Union's sanctions on Russia, the Reuters news...

Putin Calls Off Elton John Meeting

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not meet pop singer Elton John in the near future despite an earlier agreement, the TASS news agency reported Thursday...

Patriarch: English Words in Russian Language a 'Very Bad Sign'

Russian Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill has denounced the “unwarranted” use of English words in the Russian language, describing it as a “very...

Russian Post Delivers Letter 40 Years Late

When a schoolboy from a village in Russia's Tomsk region wrote to his sister asking to send him a compass (drawing tool), he couldn't possibly imagine...

Kremlin Says Russia 'In Favour' of Returning Donbass to Ukraine

The Kremlin is ready to support the return of Ukraine’s troubled eastern regions to Kiev government control, according to President Vladimir Putin's...

Top Cop Says Russia Needs 'National Idea' Underpinned in Law

Russia’s top investigator has proposed changes to legislation that would underpin state ideology in law, the Interfax news agency reported on Thursday...

Gorbachev Banned From Ukraine Over Support for Crimea Annexation

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev has been banned from traveling to Ukraine for five years due to his support for the Russian annexation of Crimea...

Chechen Court Hands Ultra-Right Ukrainians Long Prison Sentences

The Chechen Supreme Court has sentenced two members of the Ukrainian ultra-right organization UNA-UNSO — Nikolai Karpyuk and Stanislav Klykh — to 22...

G7 Leaders Agree to Prolong Anti-Russian Sanctions

The G7 has agreed to extend sanctions imposed on Russia for its role in the Ukraine crisis, the Interfax news agency reported Friday.

Ombusdman: Russian Pro-Suicide Sites Must Be Treated as Extremism

Russia's children's ombudsman Pavel Astakhov has set forward new proposals to tackle teenage suicide in the country, the Izvestia newspaper reported Friday...

10,000 NATO Soldiers to Take Part in Baltic Military Exercises

Some 10,000 soldiers from 12 countries are to take part in NATO military drills across the Baltic today, the Interfax news agency reported Friday.

Russia Refuses to Pay Khodorkovsky Compensation Says Lawyer

The lawyer of former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky has filed a complaint to the European Council about unpaid compensation from Russia, the Kommersant...

Russian Tourist Numbers to Greece Up More Than 500 Percent

The number of Russian tourists visiting Greece has skyrocketed by more than 500 percent, the Russian Tour Operators Association announced Friday.

Russia Considers Secondary Offering of Eurobonds

Russia's state development bank Vneshekonombank (VEB) is considering a second offering of Russian eurobonds amid high demand from international investors...

Savchenko Ready to Become Ukrainian President

Ukrainian military pilot Nadiya Savchenko, who was freed this week after two years in a Russian jail, has announced her readiness to become Ukrainian President...

Corruption Fatigue Turns the Tide in Petro-States, But Russia Defiant

One of the first decisions of Brazil's new interim cabinet was to create a Ministry of Transparency and Oversight and reopen an investigation of 31 engineering...

Man and Woman Killed for Refusing to Load Wood in Russia’s Far East

Four people in Russia’s far eastern Primorye region are accused of kidnapping and murdering a man and a woman after they refused to load wood into a...

Breakaway Abkhazia Republic to Host World Football Championship

The breakaway republic of Abkhazia is to host a football tournament for fellow unrecognized states, Radio Free Europe reported Friday.

Not Investigating Attack on Activist Kalyapin Illegal Says Prosecutor

Chechnya's Prosecutor Office has ruled that the refusal of police to open a criminal investigation into an attack on a top human rights activist was illegal...

Alleged Arson at Home of Russian Teacher Accused of Abusive Homework

A Russian elementary school teacher who was investigated for child abuse after assigning difficult homework has accused arsonists of setting fire to her...

Russian Space Industry Nine Times Behind U.S. Says Rogozin

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has been left red-faced after telling reporters that “Russia will never catch up to the United States in the space...

Medvedev Wants Russia's Food Ban Extended

Russia may extend its embargo on many Western food products until the end of 2017, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced Friday.

Welcome to the Festival of Lights! October 28, 2016, St. Petersburg

The Festival of Lights will take place on October 28, 2016, in St. Petersburg. For several days, various city sites – St.Isaac's Cathedral, the Academy...

Russia To Spend $1.5 Billion on New Planes For Domestic Airlines

Russia is allocating 100 billion rubles ($1.5 billion) from the state budget for the construction of Il-114 and Il-96-400 planes, the Meduza news agency...

Opposition Activist Flees Russia After Threat of Arrest

Russian opposition activist Dmitry Nekrasov has fled the country after hearing he was to be arrested on charges of financing extremism and terrorism.
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War in Eastern Ukraine Brings Lasting Misery for Elderly (Op-Ed)

The armed conflict that swept eastern Ukraine in 2014 and is still ongoing displaced close to a million people, who fled the fighting.

Relatives of Gyumri Massacre Victims Sue Russia

The relatives of a family killed by a Russian soldier in the Armenian city of Gyumri have filed a lawsuit against Russia, the Armenia Today news website...

Off-Beat Films at Moscow's Beat Film Festival

Over the last seven years, the Beat Film Festival has grown from a series of low-key events to a large festival that lasts more than a week. Originally...

Kudrin Urges Putin to Ease Geopolitical Tensions For Economy

Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin has urged President Vladimir Putin to reduce geopolitical tensions for the sake of the Russian economy, the Vedomosti...

Proposals to Ban Russian Officials From Western Messaging Apps

Russian officials could be banned from using Western online messengers and email services under new proposals from the country's Ministry of Economic Development...

Russian Opposition Primaries Undermined by Website Hacks

Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) has ruled the final results of the Democratic Coalition's online primaries void after their website came under...

Kiev Wants Return of Ukrainians in Crimean Prisons

The Ukrainian authorities have announced their readiness to have all inmates of prisons situated in Crimea returned to Ukraine, the local media reported...

More Russians Booking Expensive Package Tours

Demand for package tours worth more than 500,000 rubles ($7,500) among Russians has surged between 8 to 29 percent in spring this year compared with the...

Juncker to Meet Putin at Russia's St. Petersburg Economic Forum

Both Moscow and Brussels have confirmed that the European Commission's President Jean-Claude Juncker will attend Russia's St. Petersburg Forum next month...

SWAT Teams Called to Roma Protest in Russian Village

Riot police were called to break up an unsanctioned protest in a village in Russia's Tula region, a local news website reported Monday.

Russian Artist Pavlensky Appeals Sentence That Resulted in No Jail Time

The lawyers of controversial performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky have appealed the sentence of a St. Petersburg court that saw him escape jail, the Interfax...

Residents of Russia's Chita Outraged by Chinese Songs on City Day

Residents of the Siberian city of Chita have expressed their indignation over a City Day fireworks show that was accompanied by Chinese songs, the Baikal...

Suicide Alarm System Installed on Moscow Bridge

A computerized suicide alarm system has been installed on Moscow's Krymsky Most bridge, the Interfax news agency reported Monday.

Jailed Ukrainians Soloshenko and Afanasyev Ask Putin For Pardon

Yury Soloshenko and Gennady Afanasyev, Ukrainian citizens convicted in Russia on terrorism and espionage charges, have filed a petition for clemency with...

Kremlin Rejects Working Group to Mend Russia-Turkey Relations

The Kremlin has rejected the creation of a dedicated working group aimed at normalizing relations between Russia and Turkey, the Interfax news agency reported...

European Court of Human Rights to Hear RBC Journalist Case

The European Court of Human Rights is to hear the case of a Russian journalist arrested for extremism, the TASS news agency reported Monday.

American Student Deported From Russia for Private Tutoring

Yan Bonner — an American citizen studying in Russia — has been deported from the country for tutoring a without special license, the Interfax news...

Polish Lieutenant Colonel Gets Six-Year Sentence for Spying for Russia

A Polish lieutenant colonel, named as J. Zbigniew, has been sentenced to six years in prison for spying for Russia, the RBC news website reported Monday...

Commission Chooses Late Chechen Leader Kadyrov as Name for St. Petersburg Bridge

The St. Petersburg toponymic commission has agreed on proposals to name a city bridge after Chechenya's first president Akhmad Kadyrov, the local Fontanka...

NATO to Increase Defence Spending Due to 'Russian Aggression'

NATO's European states are to increase defense spending as a result of Russian aggression, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.

Man Whose House Was Torched Apologizes for Criticism of Kadyrov

A man who saw his house burnt down after he criticized the authorities in Russia's Chechen Republic has publicly apologized for making the complaints.
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Google Overtakes Yandex as Russia's Most Popular Online Service

Google is now reaching more Russian Internet users each month than any other online service, the Vedemosti newspaper reported Tuesday.

Soviet-born Putin Ally Becomes Israeli Defense Minister

Soviet-born politician Avigdor Lieberman has officially taken his post as Israeli Defense Minister, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday. He is the...

Russia and China Agree to Target $200Bln Bilateral Trade

Moscow and Beijing have agreed to increase bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2020, the TASS news agency reported Tuesday.

American Appeals to ECHR Over Deportation From Russia

American citizen Wyatt Gerard Ford has sent a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over his deportation from Russia, the Kommersant newspaper...

Russia's Federation Council Head Wants Children's Media

The head of Russia's Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko, has suggested creating media for children in Russia.

Defendant in Nemtsov Case Claims Not to Understand Accusations

A defendant in the murder trial of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov has told his lawyers that he does not understand any of the charges against...

Moscow Police to Interrogate Ekho Moskvy Editor for Publishing Navalny Blog

Alexei Venediktov, editor-in-chief of the Ekho Moskvy radio station has said that police will interrogate him after a blog post by opposition leader Alexei...

Over 1 Million Russians Are Modern Slaves — Report

More than one million people in Russia today are living as modern-day slaves, Australian-based human rights group the Walk Free Foundation reported Tuesday...

Russian Woman Gets One-Year Sentence for Criticizing Police

A resident of Russia's southern city of Taganrog, Yelizaveta Tsvetkova, has been sentenced to one year of corrective labor for distributing leaflets criticizing...

Lavrov: Recognizing Separatist Ukrainian Republics 'Counter-Productive'

Recognizing the separatist republics of Lugansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine would be “counter-productive” for Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei...

Kremlin Experts Blame Condoms for Russian HIV Epidemic

Kremlin-backed experts have described condoms as the main cause of Russia HIV epidemic, the Kommersant newspaper reported Tuesday.

Russian Airstrike Kills 23 in Syria — Reports

A Russian airstrike left at least 23 people dead in the rebel-controlled Idlib province in Syria, the BBC Russian Service reported Tuesday, citing the...

Why Greece Is Fighting Russia's Corner

The arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Greece on May 27 to meet with the Greek leadership and visit Mount Athos was not at all accidental....

Moscow Concerts at the Ends of the Musical Timeline

This week Moscow offers some rare pleasures for music lovers whose tastes are a bit outside of mainstream.

Russian Performance Artist Pavlensky Nominated for FSB Prize

Controversial performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky has been nominated for the Russian Security Services' Prize for Literature and the Arts for the artistic...

Swimming Season Officially Opens in Moscow

Swimming season has officially kicked off in Moscow with the arrival of June 1 and the first day of summer.

Russian Medicine Sales Down Amid Economic Crisis

Medicine sales dropped ten percent in the first three months of 2016 as Russians continued to feel the pinch of the economic crisis, the Vedomosti newspaper...

Fifty Russian Hackers Arrested for Stealing $25.5M

Fifty members of a Russian hacker group have been arrested on suspicion of stealing 1.7 billion rubles ($25.5 million).

Putin Named Honorary Citizen of Crimean Sevastopol

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been named an honorary citizen of the Crimean city of Sevastopol in thanks for his work in returning the city to Russia...

Moscow Tourist Police Dabbles in Spanish, Chinese (Video)

For non-Russian speaking tourists, finding your way around Moscow is challenging at the best of times. If you don't speak English, it can be practically...

Two Russian Athletes Hand In Olympic Medals After Being Caught Doping

Two Russian athletes have been stripped of their medals from the London 2012 Olympic Games after failing doping tests, the Interfax agency reported Wednesday...

Russia's Vladivostok Mayor Charged With Misusing More Than $2.3M in Funds

The mayor of Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok is to face charges of misusing public funds to the sum of more than 160 million rubles ($2.3 million)...

Russia Awards First Free Plots of Land in Country's Far East

The Russian government has approved the first applications under the country's free land scheme, the Interfax news agency reported Wednesday.

One NATO Battalion Enough to 'Deter Russian Aggression,' Poland Says

A single NATO battalion inside Poland would be enough to deter Russian aggression, Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz said in an interview Wednesday...

Putin's 'Personal Chef' Sues Yandex and Google Over Search Result Links

St. Petersburg restaurateur and billionaire Yevgeny Prigozhin has filed to sue online giants Yandex, Google and Mail.ru over their refusal to remove information...

Turkey Should Start With Apologies, Kremlin Says

The Kremlin is waiting for an official apology from Ankara for downing its warplane before Russian-Turkish ties can improve, the RIA Novosti news agency...

Twitter Suspends Russian Satirical Accounts, Raising Free Speech Questions

A move by Twitter to delete several Russian accounts satirizing Kremlin politics has sparked protests and raised questions about where the technology...

A Russian Rich Kid's Joyride to Jail

When the son of a top Russian oil executive recorded a multi-hour chase with Russian traffic police, he thought it would bring him social media stardom...

The Curse of Vladivostok's Crooked Mayors

Igor Pushkaryov had just under nine hours to contemplate his sudden change in fortune — the time it takes to fly to Moscow from Russia's Pacific...

Russian Official Arrested for Negligence After Karelian Boat Tragedy

The head of Karelia's consumer rights watchdog has been arrested following a boating accident which resulted in the deaths of 14 children.