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Bilateral Visa Waiver Announced for Indigenous Peoples of Alaska, Russia's Chukotka

As relations between Moscow and Washington scrape lows unparalleled in the post-Cold War era, the indigenous populations on either side of the Bering Strait...

MacArthur Foundation to Shut Moscow Branch, Cites Crackdown on NGOs

The MacArthur Foundation has announced that it will close its Moscow office following the introduction of several laws limiting the activities of nongovernmental...

Spate of Russian Road Accidents Claim Dozens of Lives, Leave Scores More Injured

Upward of 25 people died overnight and scores more were injured in a series of large-scale road accidents across Russia, the Interfax news agency reported...

Crimean Film Director Stands Trial in Russia on Terrorism Charges

A Ukrainian film director went on trial in southern Russia on Tuesday accused of terrorism in a case that he and his supporters say is political revenge...

Obama Effigy Suspended by Noose From Russian Bridge

An effigy of U.S. President Barack Obama was discovered hanging from a bridge Monday in the Ural Mountains region of Perm, its head covered by an executioner's...

Cocky Seal Freerides With Russian Fishermen for 8 Hours

A group of Russian fishermen picked up an unlikely hitchhiker on a recent expedition when a seal hopped into their boat and stayed with them for the...

Head of Russian State-Run News Agency 'Blocked' From Facebook, Instagram

Dmitry Kiselyov, the director of state-run news agency Rossiya Segodnya, opened accounts on popular social networks Facebook and Instagram over the weekend...

Russian Opposition Politician to Serve as Saakashvili's Deputy Governor in Ukraine

Russian political activist Maria Gaidar is set to become the new deputy governor of Ukraine's Odessa region, where she will work under former Georgian...

Russian Scientists Discover Mummified Child in Northern Siberia

Archeologists in the northern Yamal-Nenets autonomous district believe that a cocoon unearthed during a recent excavation contains the mummified remains...

One Year On, Russia Opposes Tribunal Into MH17 Airplane Tragedy

On the eve of the first anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over war-torn eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin...

Fabio Is Finally Gone – But Who Is Next for Team Russia?

Conflicting rumors were rife as to who would take on Russia's football team after Italian coach Fabio Capello's long-anticipated departure was announced...

Working Group Set Up for Remains of Russia's Last Royal Family

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has tasked a working group with studying and reburying the remains of two members of the Romanov royal family who...

Russian Bakers Sentenced to Hard Time for Selling Opium-Laced Buns

Four members of a family of bakers in the city of Voronezh have been sentenced to upward of eight years in prison each for having allegedly sold...

United Russia to Unveil 'Straight Flag' in Honor of Traditional Family

Russia's ruling political party has designed a “heterosexual flag” to honor traditional family values, the Izvestia newspaper reported Wednesday.

Ukrainian Pilot Faces Graver Charges Over Deaths of Russian Journalists

Investigators in Moscow have reclassified the charges against jailed Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko, whom they now accuse of direct involvement in...

Most Russians Not Interested in Football, Poll Shows

As the country gears up to host the next World Cup tournament, interest in football has hit an all-time low in Russia, with most people saying they...

Russian Politicians Launch Witch Hunt Against Founder of The Moscow Times

Derk Sauer, the Dutchman who founded The Moscow Times in 1992, should be forced to leave his current job as president of the RBC news agency, a nationalist...

Purges Signal End to Crimea's Special Status Under Russia

A recent spate of dismissals and criminal cases against high-ranking Crimean officials can be seen as the inevitable consequence of change as the Black...

Russian Orthodox Church Spokesman Lashes Out Over U.S. Gay Marriage Ruling

A spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church has called on all those who idolize the American democratic model to take a hard look at themselves...

Most Russians See More Enemies Than Friends Among International Community

Just 34 percent of Russians believe their country has a greater number of friends than enemies, with the United States and President Barack Obama viewed...

Most Russians Want State to Remain Secular

The majority of Russians want to live in a secular state but almost half of the population is happy for the church to influence societal morality...

Documenting Amateur Russian Football: From Cows to Closed Cities

From the grass-shy pitches in the north to fields in central Russia surrounded by churches, photographer Sergei Novikov's latest project offers a glimpse...

Former KGB Officer Wins Case Against Lithuania

A Lithuanian man who worked for the KGB when the Baltic state was part of the Soviet Union won his case against his country at the European Court of Human...

11 Russian Superstitions (Because We Were Scared to Do 13)

Russians are a superstitious lot. The Moscow Times highlights 10 of the most common superstitions travelers to Russia are likely to encounter.

Kamchatka Authorities Urge Caution as Bears Awaken From Hibernation

"If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise," goes the popular English-language nursery rhyme "Teddy Bears' Picnic," and for...

Nearly 90% of Russians Oppose Polygamy, Poll Shows

Weeks after a Chechen police chief took a 17-year-old local girl as his second bride, a state-run pollster has revealed that 87 percent of Russians...

Putin's Approval Rating Remains at 86% Unfazed by Economic Crisis, Ukraine Conflict

President Vladimir Putin continues to enjoy the approval of a staggering 86 percent of the Russian public, a poll revealed Thursday, indicating levels...

6 Places to Swim in Moscow This Summer

Those who haven't managed to escape the city for the dacha can take a break from the long hot summer days at one of the Russian capital's beaches...

Pussy Riot Appeals to European Court Over Russia's Failure to Punish Men Who Whipped Them

Two members of the female protest group Pussy Riot have appealed to the European Court of Human Rights after Russian police failed to prosecute a group...

5 Russian Artists Who Lit Up the Eurovision Song Contest

Big hair, outrageous costumes and cheesy dance routines — it can only mean one thing: Eurovision is back. The Moscow Times looks at five Russian artists...

Kiev Council Votes to Rid City of Soviet-Era Images of Lenin, Hammer and Sickle

The Kiev municipal administration has voted in favor of removing Soviet-era Communist emblems from all buildings belonging to the city council amid the...

Moscow Metro Celebrates 80th Birthday With 'Parade of Trains'

Passengers riding the Moscow metro Friday and Saturday will have the chance to take their journeys on historic subway cars as the underground network...

Pro-Putin Bikers Get 99.9% Rent Discount for 'Patriotic' Sports Zone

The Night Wolves pro-Putin motorcycle club has been allotted more than 250 hectares of land in recently annexed Crimea for the purposes of developing a...

How to Watch the Victory Parade in Moscow

The Moscow Times has compiled a definitive guide to making the most out of the Victory Day parade.

Four Celebrities Who Secretly Wish They Were Russian

The Moscow Times looks at four celebs who in another life would certainly have grown up to be proud Russian patriots.

Michelle Williams’ Dress Caught In Ukraine-Russia Propaganda War

Amid Kiev's standoff with Russia over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, even the latest spring fashion trend can find itself being used as a tool in the...

Russia Comes In Last in Gallup Global Leadership Survey

The Russian leadership has the lowest approval rating among the world's five major powers, a new poll said Wednesday, placing the country bottom of the...

Nearly Half of Russian Adults Are Chronically Ill, Health Ministry Says

The number of Russian adults who suffer from a chronic disease remains at 44 percent — the same number as last year — although fewer Russians are smoking...

5 Russian Products You Thought You'd Never Buy

The Moscow Times looks at five products you never thought you would put in your supermarket basket before moving to Russia.

6 Celebrities You Didn't Know Had Russian Roots

Dig a little deeper under the surface and it's surprising how many well-known celebrities and politicians have their ancestral roots in Russia.

Russia Leads Forestry Destruction Ranking

Russia is now the world leader in terms of forestry destruction, a new survey showed this week, with fires blamed for destroying hundreds of thousands...

Kremlin Denies Russia Gearing Up for Nuclear Showdown With West

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said reports that Russia would provoke a nuclear showdown with the West over Crimea or NATO's presence in the Baltics...

Russians Prepare for Evacuation from Yemen as Consulate Attacked

The Russian Consulate in the Yemeni port city of Aden has been attacked and looted by rebel fighters, a news report said Thursday, as the crisis in the...

Russians Love Cracking a Good Joke, Unless It's About Putin

One-quarter of Russians believe that jokes about President Vladimir Putin should be considered off-limits, state-run pollster VTsIOM revealed Wednesday...

Was Stalin's Terror Justified? Poll Shows More Russians Think It Was

Nearly half of all Russians think the sacrifices made under dictator Josef Stalin were justified by the Soviet Union's rapid economic progress during...

Russians Outraged as Teens Strip Down in Honor of Victory Day

A website promoting a competition to honor Victory Day through body art has been taken offline after the images of scantily-clad teens with patriotic...

Russian Orthodox Priest: Parental Violence Campaigns Are 'Anti-Family'

A Russian Orthodox archbishop has criticized advocacy campaigns against domestic violence, arguing that they constitute "anti-family propaganda" and pose...

Moscow Wins Spot on New Monopoly World Board

Moscow will be one of 20 world locations to feature in a special edition of the board game Monopoly where winning players will not be the most convincing...

5 Theories to Explain the Blinding Light Across Russia's Night Sky

Residents in the southern Russian city of Stavropol were left baffled earlier this week after a blinding light swept across the night sky before disappearing...

Russia Cracking Down on Human Rights in Crimea, Amnesty Reports

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said Wednesday that Crimean residents' rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly have all...

Russian Lawmaker Urges U.S. to Psychoanalyze Federal Employees

A Russian lawmaker has penned a letter to U.S. Ambassador John Tefft recommending that the U.S. State Department and other federal agencies conduct...

Navalny Detained in Moscow For Handing Out Opposition Rally Flyers

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny was one of several activists detained by police over the weekend for distributing flyers promoting an upcoming...

More Russians See Potential for Political Protests in Their Country, Poll Shows

The number of Russians who see potential for political protests to break out in their country has more than doubled in the past five months, a new...

The Internet's Favorite Russia Stories of 2014

To celebrate another crazy 12 months in Russia, The Moscow Times takes a look back at the stories that most captivated and amused us this year.

Report Says Russia Tried to Win FIFA World Cup Bid With Picasso Painting

UEFA president Michel Platini was allegedly given a Pablo Picasso painting by a member of Russia's World Cup bid team before a vote that awarded the country...

Images of Giant Russian Sinkhole Linked to Uralkali Mining Accident Published Online

Photos of a sinkhole that appeared in the Perm region after a mining accident this week have been published online, as local emergency services strive...

Weekend Health Warning as Moscow Sees Rise in Emissions

Municipal officials have advised residents to don face masks to protect themselves from impurities spewed out from burning woodland in the northeast...

Stem Cell Company Wins Biggest Damages in Russian Media History From Magazine

A Moscow court has ordered the media holding behind weekly magazine Russky Reportyor to pay nearly $1 million in compensation to a biotechnological company...

'Pride,' a Tale of Gay Rights and Miners, Makes Its Moscow Debut

A few hundred people packed a Moscow movie house to watch a film about a country where homophobia is the norm and a national tabloid can call homosexuals...

Public Transport Less Safe for Women in Moscow Than in New York

Russia's capital Moscow has ranked in ninth place on a list of the world's most dangerous transport systems for women while the United States' New...

Russia Denies U.S. Embassy Staff Are Being Deliberately Harassed

Russia's Foreign Ministry has issued an angry denial following a report that U.S. Embassy staff are facing increased harassment and psychological pressure...

Russian Football Fans Meet for 76-Man Brawl on Highway (Video)

In one of the more bizarre videos to go viral in recent days, two gangs of Russian football fans have been filmed beating each other bloody in a...

Russian Court Extends Arrest of 3 Suspects Held Over Total Plane Crash

A Russian court on Friday ruled to extend the arrest of three suspects held over the plane crash that killed Christophe de Margerie, the CEO of French...

Russian Lawmaker Wants Monument to Total CEO Killed in Plane Crash

A Russian lawmaker has written to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asking Moscow's Vnukovo Airport to erect a memorial to Christophe de Margerie, the CEO...

Ex-Soviet President Gorbachev Says 'Disunity' With Russia Weakens Europe

Former Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev has called on Russia and the West to put an end to their war of words and retaliatory sanctions over Ukraine...

Ukraine Rebel Leader Hospitalized After Assassination Attempt, Wife Says

One of the leading figures of the separatist movement in eastern Ukraine has been hospitalized following an attempt on his life, his wife said Monday...

Lavrov: NATO Needs Russia to Survive Identity Crisis

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has taken a swipe at NATO, claiming the alliance has lost its identity and is using the specter of Russia...

Russia Denies 'Provocative Maneuver' Over Canadian Warship

Canada's Defense Ministry has accused Russian military aircraft of flying over one of its frigates involved in a NATO mission in the Black Sea, in what...

Russian Football Fans' Interest Plummets After World Cup Fiasco

Russia's football team played out a 4-0 win over Azerbaijan on Wednesday evening in front of a crowd of just 3,500 spectators in the lowest turnout...

Man Throws Stone at Woman for Not Standing for Russian National Anthem

A beachgoer in southern Russia has faced a backlash of online criticism for reportedly throwing a stone at a woman for failing to stand for the...

Russian Hacker Group Denies Breaking Into Medvedev's Twitter Account

A group of anonymous hackers has denied hacking into the Twitter account of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday, but said it was possible that...

Russia's Maria Sharapova World's Highest-Paid Female Athlete

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has topped Forbes magazine's list of highest-paid female athletes for the 10th consecutive year.

Little Girl Survives 11 Days in Forest Thanks to Family Dog

A 3-year-old girl managed to survive alone in the Russian wilderness for 11 days by picking berries and drinking river water, thanks to a series...

Moscow Driver Fined Over Standoff With Official Vehicle on Rublyovka

A driver who refused to give way to a government-owned vehicle traveling on the wrong side of the road in Moscow has been fined $2,750 after being...

Russian Football Commentator Calls for No 2018 World Cup in Russia

While several Western politicians have voiced concerns over Russia hosting the 2018 World Cup, the country is now facing calls from within its own ranks...

Fake Twitter Account of New U.S. Ambassador Blocked

A Twitter account purportedly belonging to the new U.S. ambassador to Russia John Tefft has been taken offline after the social media giant unmasked...

Putin Attending World Cup Finale in Brazil

Russian President Vladimir Putin is attending both the final match and the closing ceremony of the World Cup in Brazil on Sunday, as his country prepares...

Maria Sharapova Beats Serena Williams in Forbes Celebrity List

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has ranked 63rd on this year's Forbes Celebrity 100 list, beating her fierce rival, U.S. player Serena Williams, by six...

Medvedev: U.S. 'Infinitely Cynical' to Suggest Ukraine Refugees Visiting Their Grannies

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has lashed out at a U.S. State Department spokeswoman for suggesting some of the supposed refugees fleeing war-torn...

Russia Blocks 'House of Cards' Episodes Filming at UN

Russia's UN delegation has blocked a request by the producers of "House of Cards" to use its New York headquarters as the backdrop to two episodes...

Russia Coach Capello to Testify Before Parliament for World Cup Blunder

Russia's football coach Fabio Capello will appear before a parliamentary hearing to explain his team's poor showing in this summer's World Cup, a news...

Russian Coach Capello Confident Ahead of Do-or-Die Match

As Russia prepares to take on Algeria in , players and fans alike know that nothing less than victory will assure their passage through to the next...

Historians Discover Plane of Soviet War Hero Viktor Talalikhin

As Russia commemorated the 73rd anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union on Sunday, historians confirmed the discovery of the plane of revered...

European Filmmakers Call On Putin After Crimean Jailed for Terrorism

About 20 European filmmakers have penned an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin demanding clarity on the fate of Crimean director Oleg...

Putin: Hillary Clinton Is a Weak Woman

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested the former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is "weak" in an interview with French media, but added...

Mediterranean Countries Listed as Top 3 Vacation Spots For Russians

Spain, Italy and Portugal have been named the top three tourist destinations for Russians traveling abroad this summer though Ukraine's Kiev has been...

British Journalist Says Detained by Ukrainian Troops

A British freelance journalist who contributes stories to Russian state-run news outlet RT has said that he has been detained in southeast Ukraine,...

Prince Charles 'Compares Putin With Hitler' in Off-the-Cuff Remark

A former Polish war refugee has said that Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, likened President Vladimir Putin to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler...

Lavrov Urges OSCE to Play Role in Release of Russian Journalists Detained in Ukraine

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has asked the OSCE to help secure the release of two Russian journalists who are reportedly being held by Ukrainian...

Police Investigate Football Hooligan Attack on Journalists at Zenit Game

Police on Friday opened a criminal case into an attack on journalists ahead of Zenit St. Petersburg Football Club's last-day victory over Kuban Krasnodar...

Tolokonnikova Joins Drive to Abolish British Prison Book Ban

Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has given her backing to a campaign to persuade the British government to overturn a ban on books being...

Vkontakte Founder Says Sold Shares Due to FSB Pressure

Vkontakte founder Pavel Durov said he sold his share in the social networking site because of a conflict with the Federal Security Service, or FSB,...

Moscow-Born Republican Runs for U.S. Congress Seat

A former Muscovite is hoping to become the first person born in the Soviet Union to win election to the U.S. Congress.

Russian Journalists Blocked From Entering Ukraine

Ukrainian border guards on Wednesday stopped four Russian journalists from traveling to Ukraine, saying they did not meet the financial requirements...

LDPR Advises Poland, Romania and Hungary to Divide Ukraine

Russia's Liberal Democratic party has advised the heads of Poland, Romania and Hungary to hold referendums in territories that border with, and fall...

Elderly Woman Shoved by 'Pro-Russian Activist' in Crimea (Video)

A video showing an elderly woman being pushed over by an allegedly pro-Russian activist in Crimea has gone viral on YouTube...

Lawmakers Push For 32 Russian Officials to Be on EU Magnitsky List

EU asset freezes and travel bans should be imposed on 32 Russian officials linked to the death of Hermitage Capital lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, the European...

Ukraine Opens Registration for Snap Elections

Ukraine has officially opened registration for snap presidential elections on May 25 after former President Viktor Yanukovych fled Kiev over the weekend...

Yanukovych Agrees to Early Vote in Bid to End Crisis in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has agreed to constitutional reform and early elections in an attempt to end the political standoff in Kiev...

Mexican Prince Brings Mariachi to Alpine Skiing

The men's alpine skiers will go for medals in Saturday's slalom event, with the oldest Olympian to compete at Sochi, Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe...

Extreme Skiers Ready for Women's Half-Pipe As Injuries Mount Up in Sochi

The inaugural women's halfpipe skiing competition takes place on Thursday, as Sochi's growing injury list serves to underline the risks associated...

Lipnitskaya Eyes Olympic Glory in Individual Figure Skating Event

Russian figure skating sensation Yulia Lipnitskaya will take to the ice on Wednesday evening as she looks to follow up victory in the team event with...

Russia's 6 Remaining Olympic Medal Hopes

With one week down and roughly one week to go, we take a look at the events -and stars- Russia has pinned its hopes on in its bid for more Olympic...

Hockey Fever Hits Russia as Men Open Olympic Bid

Russian hockey fans will have much to cheer for Thursday when their men's and women's teams take to the ice at the Shayba Arena.

Alpine Skiers Take to the Slopes For Women's Downhill Final

In the pick of the action on Wednesday morning, some of the world's finest alpine skiers will compete for medals in the women's downhill finals,...

U.S. Boarder Shaun White Looks to Defend Olympic Half-Pipe Crown

All eyes will be on U.S. snowboarder Shaun White when he takes to the slopes at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park to defend his Olympic half-pipe crown...

Man Attempts to Hijack Plane, Divert to Sochi

A passenger on a plane bound for Turkey attempted to hijack the aircraft and divert it to Sochi just as the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics got...

Russia Pins Its Hopes for Olympic Gold on Figure Skating

Russian figure skaters will take to the ice Saturday evening knowing their country sits atop the team figure skating table, with two of eight disciplines...

Writers Denounce Repressive Russian Laws in Open Letter

More than 200 writers from around the world have signed an open letter to the Russian authorities denouncing the introduction of gay-propaganda and blasphemy...

Outgoing U.S. Ambassador Reflects on Job With Russian Media

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul — who announced this week that he would return to California at the end of February — has opened up...

7 Ways to Brave the Cold (Photo Essay)

Winter arrived with a bang this week with temperatures in the Moscow region dropping to minus 30 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night. To help you cope, we've...

Action Star Seagal Plays Down Olympic Terrorist Threat

Action hero Steven Seagal has played down security fears ahead of the Sochi Olympics, equating the threat of terrorism with that of going out to buy...

Library Denies Conducting Plagiarism Check on Ombudsman's Thesis

The doctoral dissertation of children's ombudsman Pavel Astakhov was 99.32 percent plagiarized from other sources, news reports said Tuesday, though...

More Than 200 Injured in Violent Kiev Protests

More than 200 people were injured in clashes between anti-government demonstrators and Ukrainian authorities in Kiev on Sunday, as the U.S. reiterated...

8 Ways to Get Back Into the Work Groove After the Holidays (Photo Essay)

After all the merriment of Christmas and New Year — overeating, oversleeping and indulging in one too many shots of vodka — people are getting back...

British Indie to Take Over Moscow Club

If there is one thing that Brits have perfected over the years — besides football chants, queuing, and a good cup of tea — it's music. Chris Talbot...

London Set for the Opening of Russian Art Week

The gloom of winter may fast be approaching, but Londoners need not fear: Russian Art Week is set to bring more than a splash of color to the British...

Festival Brings New Films from UK To Moscow

Halloween may have come and gone, but the treats just keep on coming for fans of British cinema in Moscow. Formula Kino Gorizont is playing host...

Good Bars and Pubs For Expat Sports Fans

As the Red Sox and Cardinals face off in baseball’s World Series, American expats are hard-pressed to find a place to view the game. Indeed, any sport-loving...

Two New Exhibits Open at Tsereteli Arts Gallery

Speaking Friday at the opening night of "20 x 1," or "Venti Per Una" to use its Italian name, artistic director Martina Corgnati said she wanted to teach...

opinion Jennifer Monaghan

All Keyed Up About Russian Doors

For anybody who has lived in a Russian apartment, this is a familiar scene: It's mid-December, you're leaving the apartment early in the morning...

'Kostroma' Traditional Dance Show Captures Past

It is not without reason that the Russian National Ballet's performance of Kostroma — a two-hour celebration of Russia's cultural heritage — takes...

Historian Presents Plan for State Textbook

Prominent historian Alexander Chubaryan, who heads a working group to develop a standardized history textbook for secondary schools, said Wednesday...