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Activists Protest 'Cruel' Animal Rights Bill

Dozens of opponents of an animal rights bill called "cruel" by activists gathered at the public reception office of the State Duma on Thursday to petition...

Thousands Protest Putin's Rule in Bolotnaya March

Thousands of Muscovites took the well-trodden path to Bolotnaya Ploshchad on Wednesday to voice their opposition to President Vladimir Putin's 13-year...

Livanov Promises Pay Raises for Professors

Embattled Education and Science Minister Dmitry Livanov said Monday that Russian professors would get a pay rise in September in a move seen as an attempt...

'Blasphemy Bill' Signals Return to 18th-Century Morals, Activists Say

Rights activists on Thursday ridiculed the notion that Russia is a secular state, saying draft legislation seeking tougher penalties for offending...

Putin Addresses Duma Leaders in Sochi

President Vladimir Putin held talks with the leaders of all four Duma factions at his Black Sea residence on Wednesday, telling them that Russia's...

FSB Detains U.S. Diplomat for 'Spying' (Photos)

The Federal Security Service said Tuesday that it had detained a CIA agent as he tried to recruit a member of Russia's secret services, dealing a fresh...

Homophobic Killing Sparks Outrage

The brutal killing of a gay man in the southern city of Volgograd has sparked outrage among Russia's LGBT community, with activists calling authorities...

U.S. and Russia to Organize Syria Conference

The development, announced late Tuesday night, came as John Kerry made his first visit as U.S. secretary of state and declared the start of “a good,...

Hunters Find Crash Site of Missing An-2 (Video)

A pair of hunters from the Sverdlovsk region has found the crash site of an An-2 biplane that went missing in the Urals almost a year ago with 13...

Tajik Embassy Decries 'Atmosphere of Intolerance' in Russia

The Tajik embassy in Moscow has set up a support group to protect its citizens from harassment on entering and exiting Russia, citing an "atmosphere...

Ex-Duma Ethics Chief to Sue Navalny

Vladimir Pekhtin, the State Duma's former ethics chief, said Friday that he would file a defamation lawsuit against Alexei Navalny over a blog post...

Navalny Calls Embezzlement Case 'Political Revenge'

Prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny refused to admit guilt on the second day of his embezzlement trial in the provincial city of Kirov on Wednesday...

Court Upholds Right to Appeal Election Results

The Constitutional Court has ruled that Russian voters should be allowed to appeal election results directly, overruling earlier judgments that permitted...

Dagestan Cancels Direct Gubernatorial Elections

The volatile republic of Dagestan became the first Russian region to cancel gubernatorial elections on Thursday, when its United Russia-controlled...

Duma Endorses Election Reform in First Reading

The State Duma on Tuesday passed in a first reading a bill that would reintroduce a mixed voting system for parliamentary elections, despite a heated...

UCP Buys 48% of Vkontakte Amid Raids

Private investment group United Capital Partners announced Wednesday that it had agreed to buy a 48 percent stake in Vkontakte, Russia's largest social...

Russia Should Redouble Efforts to Clear Jailed Arms Dealer, Wife Says

Russian authorities should redouble their efforts to clear the name of convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is currently serving a 25-year sentence...

Just Russia Chairman Signals Shift Toward Kremlin

Russian society is disillusioned with the wayward anti-Kremlin protest movement, and the center-left Just Russia party will not pander to self-proclaimed...

Duma Approves 'Blasphemy Bill' in First Reading

The State Duma on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed in a first reading a contentious bill that would radically toughen penalties for those who offend...

Britain's Thatcher, Dubbed 'Iron Lady' by Russia, Dies

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a defining figure in world politics who worked closely with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to end...

Court Sets Date for Navalny Embezzlement Case

A Kirov court on Wednesday set a date to begin hearing a criminal case against opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who describes as "absurd" the charge...

NGOs Facing Stiff Fines Amid 'Crackdown'

Nongovernmental organizations across the country are being threatened with fines stretching to $20,000 or more, as authorities press on with sweeping...

Putin Steps Up Support for People's Front

President Vladimir Putin is set to attend a forum organized by the All-Russia People's Front on Friday in a show of support for the movement he...

Senator Malkin Quits Federation Council

Senator Vitaly Malkin, one of Russia's richest lawmakers, resigned Tuesday over claims that he owns undeclared foreign real estate and holds dual citizenship...

Zhirinovsky Re-Elected LDPR Chief

Nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky was re-elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia on Monday, quashing speculation that he...

In Reversal, Duma Limits Gubernatorial Elections

Backtracking on a key concession made to anti-Kremlin protesters, the State Duma has passed in a third and final reading a bill that would grant...

Prosecutors Raid Memorial Rights Group

Prosecutors raided prominent human rights group Memorial on Thursday as part of a check into the group's activities, one of hundreds of raids at non-governmental...

Putin's Patriotism Campaign Gathers Momentum

Just over a year since his re-election as president, Vladimir Putin is putting increasing emphasis on patriotism as a national idea capable of consolidating...

Dependence on Western Medicine Worries Government

Health officials are complaining that Russia is becoming increasingly dependent on the West for medical supplies and top-flight treatment, as a growing...

U.S. Ruling Absolves Parents of Boy's Death

The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday lambasted a ruling by Texas authorities not to press charges against the U.S. parents of Max Shatto, an adopted Russian...

United Russia Warns Media Over Abusing Free Speech

Days after the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper published an article describing three female United Russia deputies as "political prostitutes," the party's...

Kremlin Rebuffs Report Questioning Duma Vote

Senior government officials on Wednesday rejected as pure fantasy a leaked report that cast doubt on the ruling United Russia party's victory in the...

Space Officials Discuss Earth Defense

Space officials, scientists and military personnel will combine forces to develop a strategy for detecting and countering threats from outer space...

One Year Before Paralympics, Support for Disabled Improving

With just less than a year to go before the Sochi Winter Paralympics, government officials are talking up the games as a celebration of disabled...

St. Pete Activists Questioned in Bolotnoye Case

Investigators questioned two prominent opposition activists from St. Petersburg on Wednesday as part of a criminal investigation into violence at an anti-Kremlin...

Communists Mark Anniversary of Stalin's Death

Hundreds of Communist Party faithful laid flowers and wreaths alongside the Red Square grave of Josef Stalin on Tuesday in a ceremony marking the 60th...

Putin Saw TV Parody Before It Aired, Spokesman Says

President Vladimir Putin's official spokesman said Monday that Putin had watched in advance a sketch aired Sunday night on NTV that mocked the president...

State Duma Backs Putin's Foreign Assets Bill

The State Duma on Friday unanimously passed in a first reading a bill submitted by President Vladimir Putin that would prevent government officials...

Why a Girl Tore Her U.S. Passport

A child custody battle between an American father and Russian mother heats up amid an upswing in anti-Americanism.

Belkovsky Stands by Criticism of Church

Outspoken Kremlin critic Stanislav Belkovsky said Thursday that he wouldn't retract his criticism of the Russian Orthodox Church, even though investigators...

Elections Observers Criticize Move Away From Vote-Counting Machines

The Central Elections Commission said Wednesday that regional authorities should be allowed to decide on an individual basis whether to use vote-counting...

Sobyanin Touted as Possible Putin Successor

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin is among the few politicians capable of appeasing warring factions within the ruling elite and becoming President Vladimir...

Meteor Strike Causes Panic, Injuries in Urals

A meteor with an explosive force of several kilotons crashed to Earth in the Chelyabinsk region on Friday, authorities said, causing a shockwave that shattered...

Putin Warns Against Foreign 'Interference' at FSB Meeting

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called on security service officers to shield Russians from an array of threats, including extremist groups,...

Constitutional Court Orders Changes to Rally Law

The Constitutional Court on Thursday ordered lawmakers to rework parts of a law toughening protest rules that was passed last year in response to a...

Putin Submits Bill Banning Officials From Holding Foreign Assets

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday submitted a bill to the State Duma that seeks to ban government officials from holding overseas bank accounts or owning...

NGOs Slam Volunteer Bill

Prominent nongovernmental organizations said Monday that a new bill on volunteerism would stifle their work through increased bureaucracy and unnecessary...

'Metro Terrorist' Killing Raises Questions

The National Anti-Terrorism Committee said Wednesday that special forces in Dagestan had killed an armed insurgent who organized dual terrorist attacks...

United Russia's Liberal Platform Seen as Ploy

Analysts denounce the ruling party’s establishment of a liberal platform as a ploy to lure new members and denounce critics.

Police Began Violence At Protest, Panel Says

Members of the Kremlin's human rights council believe that police, not activists, instigated violence at a May opposition protest, a council member...

Nonparliament Parties Debate Election Rules

Almost 30 nonparliamentary parties discussed electoral changes with lawmakers and elections commission members Tuesday, but few appeared convinced that...

Putin Ousts Dagestan Leader Magomedov

President Vladimir Putin on Monday dismissed Magomedsalam Magomedov as leader of turbulent Dagestan, a republic where authorities are fighting a militant...

State Duma Passes Anti-Smoking Bill in 2nd Reading

Lawmakers on Friday overwhelmingly voted in favor of legislation toughening rules for smokers and tobacco sellers, signaling that the bill could...

Countrywide Public Smoking Ban Looms

Suffocating bars, smoke-filled restaurants and ash-laden office stairwells could soon be a thing of the past if legislation aimed at banning smoking...

Hospital Plans Shelved Amid Uproar

St. Petersburg authorities said Wednesday that they had shelved a plan to transform a local hospital into a clinic for officials after a huge public outcry...

Rights Defenders Fear for Life of Arrested Activist

Rights defenders said Tuesday that they fear for the life of an opposition activist on hunger strike since a Moscow court extended his arrest over...

Putin Not Pictured With Reputed Crime Boss, Spokesman Says

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman denied that a photo widely circulated on the Internet showed Putin together with Aslan Usoyan, the reputed mafia...

Dagestan Judge Gunned Down in Apparent Revenge Killing

A top judge in the restive Dagestan republic was gunned down outside his home in what observers called revenge for rulings against local insurgents...

Former EBRD Official Charged With Bribery

The Interior Ministry on Tuesday formally charged Russia's former top representative at the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development with attempted...

Battle for Forestland Rages Outside Moscow

Around 50 local residents protested Monday at a construction site in the Selyatinsky Forest outside Moscow, where environmental activists and construction...

12 Prison Officials Punished Over Kopeisk Riot

Twelve prison officials have been punished over a riot in a Chelyabinsk region prison colony last month, the Federal Prison Service said Friday.

Investigators Open Criminal Case Against Navalny Brothers

Investigators on Friday opened a criminal case against prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, his brother Oleg and a group of unspecified suspects...

Foreign Ministry Denies Syrian Regime in Trouble

The Foreign Ministry released a statement on Friday denying that it had changed its stance on the Syrian conflict a day after a senior diplomat said...

Investigators Raid Home of Director Shooting Opposition Documentary

Law enforcement officials on Friday morning raided the flat of an award-winning director filming an ongoing documentary series about the lives of opposition...

Q&A: Economic Expert Mau Thrives in Crises

Nestled between stacks of books and a pair of elaborate paperweights, something stands out on Vladimir Mau's desk: a set of old-fashioned, rotary...

Online Medical Startup Attracts $2M in Investment

A Russian venture-capital fund and an American investor have agreed to invest $2 million in VitaPortal, an online medical startup aiming to improve...

Slain Kazan Gunmen Planned Terror Attack

Two Islamist gunmen killed in a special operation in Kazan were planning a major terrorist attack in the city on an upcoming Muslim holiday.

Udaltsov Rallies Supporters Over Aide's Arrest

Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov, whom investigators suspect of plotting mass riots across Russia, rallied supporters Thursday as a Moscow court authorized...

Archived Live Blog: United Russia Dominates Regional Votes

Russians went to the polls Sunday to vote in 4,866 elections across the country. As the official figures are published Monday, we take a look at the...

Putin's Cranes Rescued After Failing to Head South for Winter

Despite President Vladimir Putin's best efforts, five Siberian white cranes raised in captivity did not migrate south as scientists had hoped, and the...

Freak Explosions Rock Orenburg

Four kilotons of munitions, including shells, aerial bombs and Uragan missiles, exploded in three separate blasts on a train being unloaded at an Orenburg...

Putin's Birthday Marked With Praise and Protests

Senior government officials lavished praise on President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, his 60th birthday, paying tribute to his qualities as leader and saying...

Drunk Driver Kills 7 at Moscow Bus Stop

A drunk driver traveling at about 200 kilometers an hour plowed into a bus stop in Moscow’s southwest over the weekend, killing seven and injuring three...

Rostelecom Blocks YouTube in Omsk as Prosecutors Press for Restrictions

Federal prosecutors said that Internet providers could be breaking extremism legislation by failing to block access to an anti-Muslim video clip that...

Provocative Anti-Muslim Movie Should Be Banned, Russian Senators Say

Two Federation Council senators said Sunday that Internet providers should restrict access to websites hosting a trailer for the “Innocence of Muslims”...

Brit-Russian Stravinsky Set to Conduct With RNO

British-Russian conductor Marius Stravinsky has taken a circuitous route to take the baton at one of Moscow's premier classical venues via British...

'Militant Cyberdemocrats' Claim Cross Attacks

A little-known group of activists has claimed responsibility for chopping down four Orthodox crosses in two regions over the weekend, saying the acts of...

New Floods Strike Krasnodar Region, Killing 4

Floods swept through a Krasnodar region resort town early Wednesday, killing four people and swamping roughly 600 homes less than two months after flooding...

Medvedev Says He May Run for 2nd Kremlin Term

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview published Monday that he wants to stay in politics for the long term and that he hopes to run for a...

Injured Muslim Leader Forgives His Bombers

Tatarstan's top Islamic leader offered words of forgiveness and asked police to act objectively after attackers killed a colleague and bombed his car a...

Prisoners Strike en Masse to Protest Fellow Inmate's Death

Up to 900 prisoners are refusing food, and five slashed their forearms in a high-security prison in Bashkortostan after an inmate was beaten to death.

Aggrieved Siberian Sets Herself Ablaze

A 50-year-old woman set herself on fire in a United Russia office in Novosibirsk on Wednesday, dealing herself severe burns and setting a party employee...

Russia Expands Role in Global AIDS Fight

Russia is assuming a leadership role in the global struggle to combat HIV/AIDS, even while cases of new infection are on the rise domestically.

Former Cop Charged in Politkovskaya Murder

Six years after outspoken journalist Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in a Moscow apartment building, investigators announced Monday that charges would...

Putin Upbraided for Lateness, Rudeness by Ukrainian Minister

Ukraine's emergency situations minister accused President Vladimir Putin of rudeness and said he was left with gloomy impressions after a Russian-Ukrainian...

Ikea Sticks by Gudkov's Security Firm While Others Flee

Ikea does not plan to break its contracts with private security firm Oskord despite the legal problems of its founder, opposition politician Gennady Gudkov...

Gudkov Speaks From Heart About Loss of Company

State Duma Deputy Gennady Gudkov spoke to The Moscow Times while traveling home by car late Thursday, hours after he announced that a legal assault...

Fight Against TB Plagued by Shortfalls

Natasha takes a whole handful of pills every day — about 25 in total — as part of her treatment course at a tuberculosis clinic in St. Petersburg...

New Powers That Be

Take a look at the new government with this chart showing the composition of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's new Cabinet.

Volgograd, Veterans Savor WWII Victory

VOLGOGRAD — Every May 9, Alexander Ivanovich Kolotushkin dusts off his best suit, gets out his medals from the cabinet and heads to Volgograd's main...

Q&A: How a French Sugar Seller Became a Jeweler of Roses

Florence Gervais d'Aldin got hooked on Russia at an early age when the Soviet Navy dropped anchor in Cherbourg, a port in northern France.

Ozon Rides Wave of E-Commerce with 80% Growth

Online retailer Ozon Holding reached record turnover of 8.87 billion rubles ($300 million) last year, showing growth of almost 80 percent and outstripping...

Latest TB Statistics Inspire Optimism

Russia’s efforts to control the spread of tuberculosis may be yielding results.

Fresh Look at Wooden Churches of the North

"Wooden Churches: Travelling in the Russian North," a new book by photographer Richard Davies and artist and writer Matilda Moreton, is a cause for both...

Commuting and Content Driving E-Book Growth

The country's burgeoning e-book market is seeing dramatic growth rates, with an ever-increasing number of titles available in electronic format and e-readers...

HIV Prevention Falls Short as Funding Ends

Katya moved to Moscow seven years ago and three years later — when she was pregnant with her first child — discovered she was HIV-positive.

Moscow Takes Blake's Visionary Work to Heart

Moscow's Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is paying tribute to English romantic writer William Blake, the poet and artist famed for his florid imagination...

'Displacement' on the Silk Road

Moscow's Museum of Modern Art is currently hosting "Displacement," an exhibit by New York-based Italian photographer Giada Ripa that offers a glimpse...

Hackers Crash Site Promoting Putin's Election Web Cameras

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's project to install web cameras at polling stations nationwide in time for the March presidential election faced a setback...

Kudrin to Create Liberal Party

Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said he is ready to take part in the creation of a liberal political party and has consulted ousted Right Cause...