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Articles by Delphine d'Amora

Debt Crisis Looms as Putin's Pledges Bankrupt Russian Regions

Three years ago, President Vladimir Putin promised the Russian people a kind of utopia: salaries would grow by up to 50 percent, average life expectancy...

Russian Housing Construction Rises 30%, But Drop Is Coming

Residential construction in Russia has yet to be visibly hit by the country's economic turmoil, with nearly 30 percent more housing delivered in the...

Economic Crisis Bites Into Russia's Taste for Chocolate

Rather than turning to chocolate for consolation in these tough economic times, Russians are eating less and less of the classic comfort food as crises...

Distrust of Government Risks Sabotaging Russia's Capital Amnesty

With a revamped amnesty for  who declare their foreign assets just steps away from becoming law, the Russian government would offer a prodigious olive...

Kazakh President Proposes New High-Speed Link From Asia to Europe

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Friday proposed creating a transport corridor that would run from Asia to Europe across Kazakhstan.

Russia's Top 3 Obstacles to Economic Growth

The Russian economy has its fair share of problems, as the government knows all too well.

As Inflation Soars, One in Five Russians Can Only Afford Bare Necessities

Nearly 20 percent of Russians can now afford nothing more than the absolute necessities as double-digit inflation erodes their spending power, a survey...

Russia Declared Best of BRICS in Developing Human Capital

Russia on Wednesday claimed 26th place in a global ranking of countries' ability to foster human capital thanks to its highly educated populace, putting...

Russia’s Biggest Social Network VK Beats Television in Battle for Viewers

Russia’s leading social network VK has beaten the country’s biggest television channel in the battle for viewers’ attention, data from media research...

Q&A: Staying Positive in Construction Market Meltdown

French building materials company Saint-Gobain is braced for a tough two years, but still sees Russia as a rapidly developing market.

Russian Spacecraft Named 'Progress' Crashing Back to Earth

Russia on Wednesday struggled to restore contact with a cargo spaceship named "Progress 59," which by early afternoon was reported to be crashing back...

Ruble Rebound Slows Russia's Rampant Food Price Inflation

The ruble's rapid recovery in recent weeks has seen prices on some foods fall, easing months of spiraling inflation and softening one of the most...

Russia's Shrinking Services Sector Less Miserable Than Before

Cautious optimism is beginning to emerge in Russia's services sector, even as business activity continues to drop and the Russian economy veers toward...

Russian Government to Subsidize Auto Loans as Car Market Collapses


Russia's Industry and Trade Ministry has announced measures to support the struggling domestic car industry, including subsidies aimed at cutting...

Soviet Union's Top Toy Store Back in Business


The Soviet Union's biggest toy store reopened to a new generation of children on Tuesday with a burst of ceremonial pomp and patriotic fervor...

Russian Customs Duty Could Cause Massive Delays on International Deliveries


Russia's Federal Customs Service has drawn outcry from express delivery services after informing market players last week that all low-value shipments...

Russian Government Struggles to Check Surging Cost of Medicine

The cost of medicine is rising fast in Russia, hitting consumers and challenging a government that has made its reputation as a bulwark of social...

State Subsidies Offer Relief to Hard-Pressed Russian Developers

The Russian government on Monday announced that it will subsidize mortgage rates of 12 percent, a major step toward propping up an industry beset...

Where Russian Tourists Will (And Won't) Go in 2015

In any ordinary year, the resort towns of Spain, Greece and Italy would be looking ahead to a rising tide of Russians tourists and their typically...

Q&A: Are Top Executives Fleeing Russia, And Does it Matter?

As Russia's economy pays the price of Western sanctions and cheap oil, its top executives and entrepreneurs are looking to greener pastures.

Russian 'Anti-Crisis' Cow Can Survive Without Eating

As Russia's growing economic crisis weighs on farmers, some breeders appear to have found a miraculous solution — a new type of cow that doesn't...

India Pushes Russia Out of Third Place in Billionaire Ranking

India has edged out crisis-stricken Russia in a ranking of the world's billionaires, for the first time claiming third place behind the U.S. and China...

Falling Ruble Promises Renaissance for Russia's Tourism Industry

Russia is looking forward to a renaissance in domestic tourism as the ruble's devaluation scares Russians away from European destinations and makes...

Russian Deputies Complain About High Porridge Prices in State Canteen

As food prices soar around the nation, a lawmaker in Russia's lower house of parliament has spoken out on a deeply troubling issue: the rising cost...

Even Russia's Circus Animals Face Layoffs as Recession Strikes

How does a circus cut costs in an economic crisis? Answer: Find out which crocodiles are slacking, and fire them.

Pro-Kremlin Media Sees Cuts as Russian Economy Slows

Pro-Kremlin broadcaster RT and news agency Rossiya Segodnya will have to slash spending by 50 percent or more and likely give up on expansion plans...

A Tour Through Russia's Five Poorest Cities

While Moscow offers some wealthy residents a level of luxury on par with other world capitals, urban life in the dozens of other cities across Russia...

Gambling Zone in Russia's Far East Aims to Become Next Macau

A long-awaited gambling oasis designed to tempt wealthy Asian and domestic tourists into Russia's Far East is finally getting off the ground, with...

Russia's Response to Crisis Risks Cutting Off Future Growth

Although slashing economic development budgets may help Russia deal with its oncoming recession in the short term, the government should continue to spend...

Glossy Magazines Hit Hard by Russia's Ruble Collapse

As Russia marked its holiday honoring the press on Tuesday, the reality for most publishers was nothing worth celebrating.

How Far Will Russia's Recession Spread Beyond Its Borders?


As the clouds of recession gather over Moscow, Russia isn't the only one preparing for a storm.

Belarus Slaps Fee on Dollar Purchases to Prevent Currency Meltdown

Belarus has slapped a 30 percent commission on foreign currency purchases in an effort to rein in demand for dollars and euros and prevent a currency...

China Eclipses Europe on Russian E-Commerce Market

Europe is rapidly losing its share in the Russian e-commerce market to Chinese firms whose steady growth in the region has been fueled by this year's...

Finland's Sanoma Agrees to Sell Russian Cosmopolitan, Esquire

Top Finnish media holding Sanoma has agreed to sell its stake in Fashion Press, publisher of the Russian editions of such popular magazines as Cosmopolitan...

5 Things That Will Hit Russians' Quality of Life in 2015 (Video)

Russian consumers face financial trials and tribulations aplenty in 2015 as the ruble currency bleeds value and warnings of a deep recession mount...

Sense or Sabotage? Russia's Central Bank Takes Flak for Interest Rate Hike

The Central Bank's midnight decision to hike Russia's key interest rate to 17 percent set off clashing waves of support and opprobrium Tuesday as Russia...

Russian Firms' Lavish New Year's Parties Curtailed Amid Economic Woes

Russian companies are cutting back on the lavish New Year's parties that have become a hallmark of Russian corporate culture as falling oil prices and...

Russia Readies for Showdown Over Taxing Offshore Companies

Russia's lower house of parliament on Tuesday passed a bill levying new taxes on offshore companies owned by Russian nationals and companies.

Russia Tightens Control Over Foreign Ownership of Print Media

Foreign companies will soon have to seek government permission before buying a more than 25 percent stake in newspapers or magazines in Russia, extending...

Oil Falls to Price That Putin Said Could Cause Collapse of Global Economy

Brent crude oil fell to a four-year low of less than $80 per barrel on Thursday, descending to the point that Putin recently said could, if prolonged...

Russia's Small Farmers Struggle to Get Loans

Russia's economic turmoil has left small farmers increasingly unable to access financing, casting doubt on the state's ambitious plans to quickly replace...

Half of Russians Believe Support for Ukraine Separatists Will Cause Economic Crisis

A majority of Russians now believe that the annexation of Crimea and Russia's support for separatists in eastern Ukraine will lower their standard...

Q&A: Why Russians Haven't Bought Paris, and Other Real Estate Insights

Over recent decades, the transforming face of Moscow has become a vivid symbol of Russia's topsy-turvy economic growth. Booming and at times unruly...

Siberian Couple Creates All-Russian Goat Camembert and Roquefort

As most Russians make do with a life without the European cheese, residents of Siberia's Altai region won't have to thanks to a small agricultural...

Q&A: AEB Chief Says Put Business First, Ukraine 2nd (Video)

Philippe Pegorier describes himself as a "bridge" between Russia and the West, and in speaking with him it doesn't take long to see why.

Russian CEO Charged With Taking Bribes for Uranium Contracts in U.S.

The CEO of a subsidiary of Russia's state nuclear monopoly Rosatom has been charged in the U.S. with soliciting bribes in exchange for uranium contracts...

Foreign Companies Cut Production of Life-Saving Medicine for Russia - Report

Some foreign manufacturers are cutting production of life-saving medications for the Russian market as the rapid devaluation of the ruble and restrictive...

Russians Burdened by Less Debt Compared With U.S.

Despite concerns of a consumer lending bubble in Russia, relatively few Russians have any debt at all compared with residents of the U.S. and Europe...

Sanctions Cause Leadership Crisis as Foreign Directors Ditch Russian Firms

Western sanctions have forced some foreign directors to step down or curb their activities on the boards of publicly traded Russian companies, leaving...

Finance Minister: Russia Needs Backup Budget For Worst-Case Scenario

Russia must create a contingency budget to counter the threat that Western sanctions, economic stagnation and low oil prices will dash the country's...

Half of Russians Think Sanctions Will Cause 'Financial Crisis'

More than half of Russians believe that Western sanctions over Russia's role in the Ukraine crisis could bring about a "financial crisis" in the country...

As Sanctions War Rages On, France Seeks Closer Business Ties With Russia

Despite political tension over Ukraine, French business remains committed to exploring the Russian market, with the French-Russian Chamber of Commerce...

Demand for Warehouse Space in Moscow Nosedives

Demand for warehouse space is plummeting in Moscow amid widespread economic uncertainty, threatening the next few years of development in a traditionally...

Most Russians Think Western Sanctions Will Boost Nation's Economy

Despite an economic slump and rising inflation, the majority of Russians believe that Western sanctions and Russia's retaliatory ban on food imports...

Russians Lose Faith in Banks as Ruble Falls and Sanctions Bite

Consumer confidence in Russia's financial system is falling, with half of Russians saying they don't trust banks and are using such services less, in a...

Moscow to Get Exact Replica of Crimean Cathedral

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then Moscow certainly seems keen to boost the spirits of recently annexed and internationally spurned...

Empty Stores in Moscow as Falling Ruble, Inflation Take Toll

The vacancy rate in Moscow shopping centers nearly doubled in the third quarter of this year and will continue to rise as consumption slumps and retailers...

Critic of Russian Economic Policy Ejected From Influential Journal

Economist Sergei Alexashenko says that political pressure has forced him to surrender his post as editor and contributor to a macroeconomic bulletin...

Russia May Force Visa, MasterCard to Work Via State Company

Visa and MasterCard could soon be forced to process all their Russian transactions through the "national payment system," an unfinished state project...

How Russia Can Tackle Its Budget Crisis

Russia's budget is in a bind, as slowing economic growth and Western sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine turn the spending promises of yesterday...

Sberbank's Gref: Inefficiency Crippling Russia's Development Efforts

German Gref, head of Russia's biggest lender Sberbank, on Friday castigated systemic inefficiencies in the Russian government that, he said, waste trillions...

Rosneft Head Sechin Says Bashneft Is Not Yukos 2.0

Rosneft head Igor Sechin has rejected comparisons between the case against billionaire Vladimir Yevtushenkov and an earlier case ending in the imprisonment...

Curbs on Foreign Ownership Will Gut Russia's Media

An era in Russian media ends as a law limiting foreign ownership is passed, hitting global media companies and turning back the clock on an industry...

Moscow Expats Face Shortage of International Schools

For many foreign professionals debating a move to Moscow, the deciding factor is not the amount of money they'll make or even the career-boosting...

Russia Wants Say in EU-Ukraine Association Deal

Russia wants to propose amendments to the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU despite Ukraine and the EU maintaining that the bilateral...

Detsky Mir Opens Russia's Largest Toy Store in Moscow

The largest toy store in all of Russia opened to the public in Moscow on Wednesday with an explosion of golden confetti, as beloved Soviet, Russian...

EU Case Against Russia's Import Bans Would Unravel WTO

If the EU bites the bullet and challenges Russia's food import bans at the WTO, the bitter battle of sanctions could claim yet another, unexpected...

Russian Regulator Seeks Leverage Over Moody's, Fitch and S&P

As Russia continues its campaign to place financial services under its thumb, international ratings agencies may soon have to create Russian subsidiaries...

Crackdown on McDonald's Spreads Across Russia

Since Russia's health watchdog unceremoniously shut down four McDonald's in Moscow on Wednesday, the campaign against the iconic U.S. fast food chain...

Inflation Races as Russia's Food Bans Push Up Prices

Two weeks after their introduction, Russia's bans on Western food imports have sent prices skyrocketing in some far-flung corners of the country as...

Russia, EU Wage Phony War Over Sanctions at WTO

As the war of sanctions and trade bans between Russia and the West smolders, parties on both sides have brandished the World Trade Organization as...

Million-Man Army of Programmers Won't Free Russia From Western Software

Foreign software has become the latest target of Russian officials' clamorous calls for self-sufficiency, with plans to swiftly replace all foreign...

Cash-Strapped Russian Budget Plans Raid on Central Bank Profits

The Russian government may start helping itself to a bigger share in its Central Bank's profits, in the latest attempt to plug up holes in a federal...

Russian Farmers Will Need Years to Fill Gaps Left by Food Ban

Russian politicians have declared the recent bans on Western imports a golden opportunity for Russian agriculture — but farmers and economists warn...

Russia's Food Ban Strikes Its Own Consumers

On the orders of President Vladimir Putin, Russia on Thursday cut off over $9 billion in food imports to its market in the most aggressive response...

Putin Strikes Back Against Sanctions With Food Import Bans

Russia's President Vladimir Putin signed a decree banning or limiting imports of agricultural products from countries which have imposed sanctions on Russia...

Billionaire Demands More Money for World Cup Stadium Projects

As Russia's preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup kick into gear, the fate of the planned football stadiums in Volgograd and Nizhny Novgorod has...

VTB, Bank of Moscow, Rosselkhozbank Brush Off Sanctions

Russian bank VTB Bank on Wednesday declared U.S. sanctions politicized and "completely inappropriate" but said that they will not prevent the bank from...

As Crisis Deepens, EBRD Freezes New Investment in Russia

The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, or EBRD, on Wednesday froze financing of new projects in Russia amid escalating international...

Putin Signs Controversial Law Banning Advertising on Paid TV

Among about 40 bills signed by President Vladimir Putin in a marathon session on Tuesday was a widely lambasted law that will strip hundreds of independent...

Visa, MasterCard Must Find Russian Partner to Avoid Paying Security Deposit

The Russian government has officially declared the conditions that will allow international payment systems Visa and MasterCard to continue business...

Russia Tightens Control of Animal Product Imports Across EU

Russia on Monday toughened conditions for imported animal products that transit across the European Union, Interfax reported, citing a statement issued...

Death of Adopted Russian Boy in Italy Sparks Outrage

The alleged killing of a five-year-old Russian boy by his adoptive Italian father has been met in Russia with mourning and calls for adoption reform...

U.S. Sanctions on Russia More Shock Than Substance

As separatist insurgents and the Ukrainian army approach a final stand in war-torn eastern Ukraine, the U.S. struck Russia with its harshest round...

U.S. Defense Sanctions Toothless, But Europe's May Bite

As the U.S. and the European Union castigate Russia for allegedly aiding and abetting the violence in eastern Ukraine, the U.S. Treasury in its...

Russia Prepares Economic Retaliation Over Moldova's EU Deal

As Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova move ever nearer to Europe, the board of the Eurasian Economic Commission assembled with plans to discuss imposing...

Business Mood Brightens, But Won't Save Russian Economy, Study Finds

Economic sentiment among Russian businesses improved in the second quarter, but the effect was largely seasonal and shot through with troubling long-term...

Victims of Moscow Metro Crash Eligible for up to $58,000 Compensation

The victims of Tuesday morning's crash in the Moscow metro will be eligible for up to 2 million rubles ($58,000) in compensation.

Russian Government Sets Up Four-Year Plan to Boost Productivity

The government has unveiled a series of legal and financial measures aimed at fulfilling President Vladimir Putin's ambitious pledge to increase...

Billionaire Prokhorov Bids for 100% Stake in Russian Daily Vedomosti

Onexim Group, owned by billionaire and Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, has bid to purchase 100 percent of shares in the influential Russian...

Ruble Devaluation May Save Russian Car Production


While the ruble devaluation has devastated car sales and much else over recent months, it has simultaneously served one of the state's long-term aims:...

Gazprom's Gas Pipeline to China to Cost Up to $70Bln, Kremlin Says

The price tag for state-run energy giant Gazprom's forthcoming gas pipeline to China is estimated at between $60 billion and $70 billion, Kremlin...

Russian, Iran Holding Railroad Talks

State-owned monopoly Russian Railways is in negotiations with Iran to electrify 600 kilometers of railroads in the Islamic Republic at a price of up...

Housing Market Cools as Russians Stop Panic Buying


The buying frenzy that swept over the housing market in the first few months of the year has ended, with June by some accounts showing the least...

Duma Approves Abrupt Advertising Ban for Paid Television


The State Duma has rubber-stamped a widely censured bill banning advertising on cable and satellite television from the beginning of 2015.

Putin Signs Last-Minute Law to Satisfy FATCA

With just one day left before the Russian financial system was to fall foul of the U.S. Treasury, President Vladimir Putin has signed a law to appease...

Banks Wary of Construction Companies After Olympic Debacle

Construction companies are finding it increasingly hard to raise money as banks hike lending rates and cut back the share of real estate assets in their...

Russia Turns East, Belatedly and With Caution

Russia's growing focus on Asian relations were thrown into the spotlight Wednesday when state-owned energy giant Gazprom declared that construction of...

Ukrainian 'Black Hole' Weighs Heavy On European Business in Russia

Politics took front stage at the flagship conference of the Association of European Business, or AEB, on Tuesday, where foreign companies with committed...

Regions to Gain Control of Russia's Special Economic Zones

From next year, responsibility for Russia's special economic zones — key institutions that have proved an invaluable boon to domestic and international...

Finance Ministry Seeks to Unshackle Russia's Pension Fund Billions

The Finance Ministry wants to free the billions of dollars locked up in Russia's pension funds for investment in the economy from Jan. 1, a move...

Property Registries Thaw Out Crimea's Real Estate Market

For the first time since Crimea's annexation two months ago, property owners on the peninsula can officially register their properties with the Russian...

Tax Breaks May Not Be Enough to Jumpstart Crimea's Struggling Economy

In an effort to jumpstart Crimea's faltering economy, a government plan could offer tax breaks and other juicy business conditions on the peninsula...

Medvedev Plans to Restore Vineyards to Soviet Glory Days

The government plans to almost double Russia's wine-making territory by 2020, setting itself against foreign importers, local counterfeiters and almost...

Yandex Seeks Putin's Ear With German Gref Board Appointment

As the state takes an increasingly strong hand over the Russian Internet, German Gref, the chief of state-run Sberbank, was on Tuesday elected to the board...

Moscow Metro Gains Chinese Backers

In a symbol of Russia's recent economic pivot to the East, Chinese corporations have agreed to build a new line of the Moscow metro, and possibly...

Putin Pledges Recapitalization of Major Russian Banks

President Vladimir Putin and top officials have pledged to keep the costs of borrowing down by raising the capitalization of major Russian banks...

One Cycle Down, Russian Venture Capitalists Prepare For New Growth Spurt

Investment in Russian venture capital fell last year for the first time since the market's inception — but for once, this may actually be a good...

11 Years Late, Moskva-City Skyscrapers to Be Complete by 2018

Nearly 11 years later than initially planned, the glass towers of the Moskva-City international business center will finally be completed by 2018, Moscow's...

Crimean Hoteliers Fight to Save their Livelihoods at Moscow Tourism Show

While the West threatens Russia with isolation over its actions in Ukraine, Crimea is already dealing with the reality of severed links to the outside...

Visa, MasterCard Better Off Quitting Russia, Morgan Stanley Says

New legislation placing foreign payment service providers under the thumb of Russian regulators is so damaging to Visa and MasterCard that the two...

Six More Ukrainian Banks Expelled from Crimea

The Central Bank on Tuesday cemented the grip of Russian banks on Crimea by banning 6 more Ukrainian banks from operating on the peninsula, which Russia...

Government Slashes Red Tape to Unleash Housing Construction

The government is slashing red tape in residential construction by 40 percent within the year, promising much-needed relief to a sector hobbled by excessive...

Russians Rush to Ditch Ruble As Economy hit by Ukraine Backlash

Consumers' desire for dollars and euros soared in March this year amid Russia's annexation of Crimea and escalating political and economic tensions with...

Russians Rush to Ditch Ruble As Economy hit by Ukraine Backlash

Consumers' desire for dollars and euros soared in March this year amid Russia's annexation of Crimea and escalating political and economic tensions...

Internet Companies Gain Voice in Government

Internet companies have found a forum to defend their interests before the government following a meeting Wednesday with First Deputy Prime Minister...

New Law Curtails Widespread Temp Staffing

Major foreign and domestic companies across economic sectors could be hit hard by a new law that will restrict the use of temporary staffing agencies...

Microsoft, Oracle Likely to Stop Working With Russian Banks Over Sanctions

Leading U.S. IT companies Microsoft, Oracle, Hewlett-Packard and others may be cutting off services to Russian banks and companies to comply with Washington's...

Bill Fights Online Alcohol Sales

The Russian government's campaign to crush counterfeit and after-hours liquor sales has turned digital, with all websites that sell alcohol online to be...

Lawmakers Aim to Stop Officials Buying Protected Land Through Foreign Companies

In an unexpected strategy for protecting Russia's historical legacy, a group of Duma deputies have submitted a bill banning foreigners and foreign...

Medvedev Prepared to Lower Taxes to Save Russian Vodka

As the rising price of vodka drives Russian consumers toward illegal products and Kazakh imports to quench their thirst, the government may halt further...

Major Online Vendors Seek to Block Sites Peddling Illicit Goods

As small Internet companies with suspiciously low prices claim an increasing share of the market, Russia's largest retailers are turning to the law...

Luxury Phone Provider Vertu Takes Hold of Russian Market (Video)

Confident in the promise of Russia's appetite for opulence, luxury mobile phone producer Vertu is seizing direct control of its local boutiques in a...

Government Simplifies Hiring Foreign IT Specialists

In an attempt to fill the widening labor gap in the information technology sector, the government has submitted a bill to the State Duma that would...

Crimea Seeks to Become Next Las Vegas

Crimea's plans to become the world's next Las Vegas have received the blessing of President Vladimir Putin, who presented a bill to the State Duma...

Entrepreneurs Latch On to Crimean Occupation Internet Meme

The catchphrase "polite people," a term used to describe the unidentified but gentlemanly soldiers who occupied Crimea before the Russian annexation...

Mail.ru Begins Charging Video Viewers

The entertainment arm of Russian Internet giant Mail.ru on Thursday began charging viewers for video content, joining competitor Yandex in the quest...

Homegrown Films Beat Hollywood Imports in the Battle for Viewers

After a string of domestic blockbusters and the strongest first quarter in recent years, it seems fair to say that the Russian film industry is on the...

Finance Ministry Proposes Tax Hikes to Push Investors Out of Real Estate

In an attempt to hike government earnings and push capital into the shaky Russian stock market, the Finance Ministry has proposed amendments aimed...

Russian Retailers Accuse Yandex.Market of Enabling Sale of Fake Goods

Russian retailers and domestic e-commerce companies have accused online marketplace Yandex.Market of enabling and profiting off the online sale of fake...

Major Companies Boost Corruption Fight With Help of New Law

Large companies in Russia are taking vigorous steps against corruption under the threat of prosecution abroad, even as the domestic legal system veers...

Internet Titan Yandex Leads State-Owned Channel One for 2013 Revenue

State-owned Channel One failed to meet the promise of its name in 2013, as Internet titan Yandex leapt to first place by revenue volume in the Russian...

Russian Mikron Promises 'Safe' Homemade Bank Card Chips Next Year

Russia will receive its first domestically produced bank card chips in 2015, liberating Russian citizens from the threat of foreign surveillance —...

Extra Foreign Movie Levy to Give Little Help to Home Cinema

Government plans to popularize Russian films on the home market by introducing extra charges for Western movies and granting tax breaks to domestic...

Commercial Real Estate Market Freezes Over Ukraine

Foreign real estate investors have put even their most advanced deals on ice in fear of further sanctions over Ukraine, potentially opening the market...

Record Firms Sue Social Network VK for Piracy

Three of the world's largest record companies filed cases against leading Russian social media site VK on Thursday, accusing the Internet giant of profiting...

Confusion Reigns in Finance as JPMorgan Blocks Russian Embassy Payment

JPMorgan has incurred the wrath of the Foreign Ministry after blocking a payment from a Russian Embassy, in what may be only the first such episode...

Former Auditor Appointed Head of Troubled Property Registry Agency

A former auditor has been appointed head of the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography, or Rosreestr, an organization whose...

Q&A: Irina Prokhorova's Faith Drives Ethical Evolution (Video)

In 1992, as the remnants of Soviet society disintegrated around her, a woman with no business experience decided that the time was ripe to found...

Sanctions Disrupt Joint Efforts in the War on Drugs

U.S.-Russian cooperation in policing the international drug trade is suffering as sanctions over Russia's annexation of Crimea stretch taut relations...

Tycoon Building Digital Platform for Regional News Outlets

An Internet project to be launched this summer and funded by billionaire Maxim Nogotkov aims to pull Russia's regional media out of the obscurity...

Russian Stampede Into Crimean Real Estate Hits Legal Buffers

Wealthy Russians, eager for a holiday residence by the idyllic Crimean seaside, were burning up the phone lines of local real estate agencies even...

Regions Feeding E-Commerce Boom

As e-commerce continues to boom, online retailers are discovering a market in Russian regions that are hungry for options and patient when it comes...

Crimea Turmoil Derails Russian Companies' Multibillion Dollar Share Flotation Plans

Top Russian consumer goods companies have decided to delay their initial public offerings abroad, fearful of the economic repercussions of the political...

Ukraine Crisis and Economic Slump Rattling Foreign Real Estate Investors

After an explosion of investment in Russian real estate over the past decade, European and global funds, leery of sober economic forecasts and the...

City Hall Buys Weekly Paper to Extend 'Reach'

The Moscow government has purchased Russia's most popular weekly newspaper, Argumenty i Fakty, placing a hefty chunk of the nation’s reading public squarely...

Intellectual Property Rights Case Load Overwhelming Fledgling Court

Overworked and understaffed, Russia's fledgling Intellectual Property Rights Court is watching nervously as its case load continues to climb.

Ruble Fluctuation Boosts Moscow Property Sales

As the ruble falls and the Central Bank continues to revoke lenders' licenses, investors are safeguarding their savings in that most tangible of assets:...

Top Female Government Leaders Balance State and Family Obligations

As Russia celebrates its women with a profusion of chocolate and flowers this Saturday, The Moscow Times take a look at who represents the so-called...

Ruble and Stocks Tumble on Ukraine Turmoil

The ruble and equity market plummeted Monday morning following escalation in the Crimean crisis over the weekend, as rattled investors withdrew their...

Advertising Market Swells to $9Bln, But the Boom is Slowing

The Russian advertising market continues to swell, but at a more reserved pace than in previous years, a study released this week found.

Piracy Law Could Be Expanded to Books and Music

A law curtailing illegal distribution of video content online may soon be extended to all intellectual property, to the relief of industry associations...

Ukraine Awaits Economic Impact of New Government's Tension With Russia

As Russia ally and former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych fled and a new government took over in Kiev this weekend, Russia awoke to unpaid debts...

Banks Scramble for Clients as Mortgage Lending Takes Off

Mortgage lending is soaring as banks lower their rates, carrying with it both the benefits and potential drawbacks of a mortgage-greedy banking system...

Moscow Ready for Olympic Tourists. And Still Waiting

The Olympic Games seemed a golden opportunity for the Moscow tourism industry, with the majority of tourists bound to pause in the capital on their...

Logistics the Trump Card in E-Commerce (Video)

Overcoming Russia's logistical barriers has become the focus for many leading domestic e-commerce companies, who are less concerned with slashing prices...

Report on EU Corruption Could Spur Russian Recrimination

A report declaring that not a single member of the European Union is corruption-free will likely be taken as political vindication in Russia, a representative...

Moscow Metro Expansion Races Ahead

The already rapid expansion of the Moscow metro may be picking up steam, if a flurry of announcements in recent days is to be believed.

It's Been a Bad Week for the Ruble

It has been a punishing week for the ruble, and for many, the ghosts of previous crises feel all too near. Despite the Central Bank pouring more...

Ministry Mulls Tax Break for Landlords

An Economic Development Ministry proposal to halve the tax rate on income from apartment rentals is a step in the right direction, but still unlikely...

Battle Over E-Commerce Ejects Foreign Couriers

Consumers and industry insiders are blaming domestic e-commerce lobbyists for the customs clampdown that provoked several international shipping companies...

Ministry Wants to Protect Small Businesses From Anti-Monopoly Service

An Economic Development Ministry proposal to free small and mid-sized business from prosecution by anti-monopoly regulators has met with strong support...

Putin Touts Public-Private Partnership to Revive Health Care

President Vladimir Putin touted public-private partnership, as a means for revitalizing the threadbare public health care system at a meeting with...

Quantity, Not Size, Key Theme for Russian Real Estate Market in 2014

Despite lowered expectations for economic growth, Russian real estate remains attractive to foreign and domestic players with total investments expected...

Private Sector Seen as Solution to Run-Down Social Services

While the need to draw private business into the provision of Russia's often dilapidated and underfunded social services is now widely recognized...

Natural Gas Seen as Antidote to Warming

As a major exporter of fossil fuels, Russia may seem an unlikely candidate for global environmental champion, but macro-economic experts believe the country...

Ministry Proposes Nationalizing Unclaimed Property

The government could resort to seizing property from owners who fail to register their titles of ownership by March 2018, as part of an effort to fill...

Delayed Regulation Leaves Door Open to Corrupt Officials

Government delays have pushed back the full institution of controls on state purchases until 2016, leaving officials wishing to extract profit from their...

Khodorkovsky Thinks One Out of 10 Officials Should Be Fired

Former oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky has a tough-love prescription for Russian officialdom — decimation, in the classical sense of the word.

Spreading Malicious Rumors About Bank Stability Should be Punishable

A senior Central Bank official on Friday proposed criminalizing the dissemination of false information about banking institutions, responding to a recent...

Internet Extremism Bill Passes First Duma Reading

A bill enabling state prosecutors to immediately block websites containing illegal information, including summons to unsanctioned protests and "extremist"...

Bolotnaya Suspect Rejects Amnesty's Selective Prisoners of Conscience Status as 'Ugly and Cynical'

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has named the majority of the defendants in the ongoing Bolotnaya trial "prisoners of conscience," a title...

Russian Diplomats Accused of Healthcare Fraud to Leave U.S. in Near Future, Report Says

The Russian diplomats and their spouses charged with fraudulently claiming a total of $1.5 million from a U.S. government health care program are...

Roizman Backs Plans to Give Yekaterinburg Federal Status

Yekaterinburg Mayor Yevgeny Roizman has supported a proposal to seek federal status for his city, which would free Yekaterinburg from the jurisdiction...

Supporters of Ukraine Demonstrations in Moscow Released After Detention, Nemtsov Threatens to Sue


The 11 demonstrators detained Monday while picketing the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow have been released, protest participant and co-leader of the...

Putin Creates New Anti-Corruption Department

The Kremlin announced Tuesday that President Vladimir Putin had founded a new department in the presidential administration specifically devoted to fighting...

Religious Activists Gatecrash 'Blasphemous' Theater Performance

Orthodox Christian activists burst onstage during a rendition of Oscar Wilde's "The Ideal Husband" and berated the audience of Moscow theatergoers...

Veteran Bobsledder Set Alight by Faulty Olympic Torch

Olympics torchbearers are expected to be many things, but flame-retardant isn't one of them — or at least that was the case until a fiery accident...

E-Commerce Market Gets High Ranking

Russia was ranked thirteenth out of 30 developed and developing countries for its E-commerce market, but will have to resolve basic infrastructure...

Putin Blasts Officials Over Discussing Disagreement in Public

President Vladimir Putin has reprimanded officials for discussing government issues in the mass media and suggested that those who oppose government...

Politkovskaya Murder Trial Jury Disbanded

A Moscow City Court has dissolved the jury in the Anna Politkovskaya murder trial after three of its members failed to turn up for a hearing Thursday...

Peter I's Dutch Cabin Replica Opened to Public in Kolomenskoye Park

When Peter the Great traveled to the Netherlands in 1697 to study the nation's masterly shipbuilding, he could hardly have imagined that one day the small...

Former Finance Minister Kudrin Proposes Major Reform of Law Enforcement

Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin will present a proposal Monday to completely restructure Russia's law enforcement system through the creation...

Lawmakers Say Russian Courts Trump European Court in Parental Leave Case

Representatives from government agencies are in unanimous agreement that the rulings of Russian courts should take precedence over those of the European...

Business Leaders Ask Putin to Review Tax Case Authority

Prominent members of the business community have sent an appeal to President Vladimir Putin asking for a reevaluation of amendments to the Criminal...

Angered by Parody Prize, Lukashenko Bars Sobchak From Belarus

Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko was less than pleased by his nomination for "Plagiarism of the Year" in last week's Silver Galosh parody...

Kazan High Speed Rail Tender Delayed

The multi-billon dollar tender to design a high-speed rail line between Moscow and Kazan has been delayed, although two international consortiums have...

Lesin Drives Quest for New Rating System for Television

Recently appointed Gazprom-Media head Mikhail Lesin has united three of Russia's largest television companies to create a joint committee that will...

St. Petersburg Ballet Elite in Outcry Over Tsiskaridze Vaganova Role

Nearly 100 representatives of the St. Petersburg ballet community have spoken out against the unexpected appointment last week of former Bolshoi Theater...

Moscow Times Founder Derk Sauer a Possible Buyer of Sanoma Assets in Russia

Moscow Times founder Derk Sauer is in negotiations with Finnish media group Sanoma over the purchase of the newspaper's publisher Sanoma Independent...

Parliament Approves Tax on Commercial Property

The Federation Council has approved amendments to the Tax Code raising taxes on commercial real estate across Russia, despite cries from the business community...

Sanoma Media Shedding Publications and People

Helsinki-based media group Sanoma, parent company of Russian media holding Sanoma Independent Media, which owns The Moscow Times and more than 50 other...

Roizman to Be Questioned in Cathedral Damage Case

Investigators have called Yekaterinburg Mayor Yevgeny Roizman in for questioning this Saturday concerning damage supposedly inflicted on a cathedral...

LDPR Casts Doubt on Chechen Branch Head's Resignation

The Liberal Democratic Party said Tuesday that it is willing accept the resignation of Chechen branch leader Adlan Shamsadov, who decided to step down...

Former Makhachkala Mayor 'Plotted to Shoot Down Opponent's Plane'

A former mayor of Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, has been charged with illegal arms trafficking and planning to commit a terrorist act, with...

New iPhones Go on Sale in Russia

Sales of the souped-up new iPhone 5s and its low-end counterpart, the iPhone 5c, kicked off Friday in Russia and more than 30 other countries worldwide...

RDIF and Partners Join the Alrosa IPO Fray

The state-financed Russian Direct Investment Fund, or RDIF, has assembled a group of major international investors and plans to participate jointly in...

Yanukovych Proposes Joint EU-Customs Union-Ukraine Council

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych proposed Friday the creation of an advisory council with representatives from Ukraine, the European Union, and the...

Internet Company Launches Startup Investment Fund

Internet company Sape.ru is launching a comprehensive new investment vehicle aimed at developing the Russian startup scene, one of the company's founders...

Organizations Fighting Illegal Migration Could Get State Support

A bill submitted to the State Duma on Tuesday could add NGOs engaged in the fight with illegal immigration to the list of organizations that the government...