Russia

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Latest Russia News

Rosneft Signs Deal With ExxonMobil

The agreement, signed on February 13, gives ExxonMobil access to seven Arctic fields in return for Rosneft's possible share in an energy project in Alaska. More

Tatar Blogger Accused In Navalny Case

Prominent Tatar blogger Irek Murtazin has dismissed warnings by Russian investigators that he could face criminal charges for disclosing information on a probe against opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and his brother Oleg. More

Militant Killed In Ingushetia

A suspected militant has been killed in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Ingushetia. More

Former Police Officers Sentenced For Torture in Russia

A court in Russia's Stavropol Krai region has sentenced four former police officers convicted of torturing a suspect. More

Russia's state arms exporter director Anatoly Isaikin

Russia To Continue Syria Arms Supply

Russia’s state arms exporter says Moscow is still delivering weapons to Syria and has no intention to stop, despite the country's civil war. More

More Russia News

Latest Blog Posts

Legendary Russian opera singer Fyodor Chaliapin, February 13, 1873-April 11, 1938

Fyodor Chaliapin: The Man Whose 'Melodious Thunder' Wooed The World

February 13 marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of Fyodor Chaliapin, a Russian opera singer whose legacy and influence still endure to this day. More

After Putin

Is Putin's inner circle thinking about life after Putin? More

Blog Archive

Features & Commentary

Volunteer patrols, which hark back to Soviet times, have seen a revival in recent months in the Russian capital. Moscow

Volunteer Squads Chase Illegal Migrants In Russia

Moscow authorities have announced the creation of a volunteer squad to help track down illegal migrants, a move human rights advocates say opens the door to abuse and violence.

A Sukhoi Superjet 100 has suffered a string of setbacks since its maiden commercial flight in 2011.

Critical Report Adds To Russian Superjet's Woes

Russia's troubled Superjet suffered another blow this week with the publication of a report detailing numerous malfunctions linked to the aircraft, the first produced by Russia since the Soviet collapse. The report by Aeroflot, leaked to the media, follows a string of glitches and a deadly crash during a promotional flight last year. It comes on the eve of Aeroflot's 90th birthday.

People buy plush toys in Shanghai to mark the upcoming Year of the Snake. It

In Russia, Reasons To Fear Year Of The Snake

The Chinese New Year, which begins on February 10, marks the start of the Year of the Snake, one of 12 zodiac symbols on the Chinese astrological calendar. The new year is raising alarm in Russia, a country where many turbulent moments in the country's history have consistently occurred during so-called snake years.

Kendra Skaggs and her husband, Jason, pose on Red Square with 5-year-old Polina, now known as Polly.

U.S. Families Rejoice As Some Pending Adoptions From Russia Go Through

A Russian ban on U.S. adoptions went into effect on January 1, but Moscow has quietly allowed some pending cases to go through. RFE/RL speaks with two American families whose worst fears didn’t materialize.

Following the December 2011 State Duma elections, tens of thousands of Muscovites poured into the streets festooned in white ribbons.

Moscow Official's Comments Prompt Defense Of White Ribbons

Since mass protests against President Vladimir Putin's rule broke out in late 2011, the white ribbon has been the symbol of the opposition's call for change. With the symbol under attack by some Moscow officials, the opposition has declared February 5 White Ribbon Day.

U.S. Photographer Travels The 'White Road'

"White road" -- the words offered to travelers throughout much of Central Asia as they embark upon a journey. American Ivan Sigal, 43, was bid "white road" countless times between 1998 and 2005, as he and his camera crisscrossed the steppe. He knew the region well, having worked for years to help design and establish local media outlets in the former Soviet Union and Afghanistan. Thousands of photos later, the result is an ambitious project of the same name, as black-and-white images from the Central Asian republics, Russia, and Afghanistan are coupled with a travelogue written in stream-of-consciousness style. The viewer finds scenes of joy, scenes of gloom, and the shades in between that make this presentation of the region, as least as far as Sigal is concerned, a metaphor "about living." (12 PHOTOS)

A Day In The Life Of An Adoptive Family

Ileshea and Arthur Stowe adopted Mishka, an orphan from Vladivostok in the Russian Far East, four years ago. Mishka is now 5 years old and lives with his parents and their two other children, 11-year-old Mary Claire and 9-year-old Michael, in Maine. Families like the Stowes have been thrust into the spotlight in recent months as Russia imposed a ban on the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens, effective from the beginning of the year. RFE/RL's Russian Service asked Ileshea Stowe to describe an ordinary day with Mishka.

Soviet Tourism Posters Of The 1930s

Intourist, the Soviet travel agency, was established in 1929 to attract foreign visitors to the U.S.S.R. Using the classic elements of early communist graphic design, Intourist managed to entice tens of thousands of foreigners (many from the United States) to special tourist sites set up for them in the Soviet Union.

Russian Orphan Joins U.S. Family Amid Adoption Ban

Denis, a 3-year-old Russian boy, has joined his new adoptive parents from the United States. He is one of the last Russian orphans to go to an American family after a new law banning U.S. adoptions was signed by President Vladimir Putin.

About RFE/RL's Russian Service

RFE/RL's Radio Svoboda is the leading international broadcaster in Russia. As Russia witnesses increasing control of the media by state authorities, Radio Svoboda has become a key forum for those who lack access to other means of free expression.