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Without a Team, Chinese Fans Still Flock to Russia's World Cup

China is second place behind Russia in the number of football fans attending matches, and many of those fans are also shelling out.

Football Supporters Hit the Pitch at the Fan World Cup

Football supporters from 16 countries will play and live together at the Fan World Cup, set to take place this weekend in St. Petersburg between June 29...

Meet the Brain Behind World Cup Mascot Zabivaka

"When I see people walking around with [Zabivaka], that probably means that they like him and I find that more touching."

School's Not Out: Students at Elite Russian University Take On the World Cup

Thousands of rowdy football fans will descend on the campus of Russia’s top university during finals.

Hundreds of Abandoned Children Meet in Russia for Street Child World Cup

The football tournament gathers together more than 200 children from 20 countries.

Moscow Hears Political Saber Rattling in Fresh U.S. Sanctions Vote

Top Russian officials on Wednesday slammed a U.S. House of Representatives vote in favor of fresh sanctions

Tatarstan, the Last Region to Lose Its Special Status Under Putin

Kazan looks on as a deal granting it special status expires

Let the Campaigns Begin! Putin and Navalny Tussle for Media Attention

“It is a politically hot summer in Moscow, despite the weather”

Russia’s Die-Hard Surfers Want to Be Olympians

Against a current of skepticism, Russian surfers are vying for recognition

Nemtsov Killers' Sentencing Brings Little Closure

The man who shot Boris Nemtsov in the back in 2015 has been given a 20-year sentence.

Tributes to Anton Nossik, Pioneer of Russia's Internet, Cut Across Divides

The Internet's 'Pushkin' died on July 9, just days after turning 51

Winzavod: 10 Years at the Cutting Edge

When the Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art opened to much discussion 10 years ago with its first exhibit, it looked destined to become a revolutionary...

Cashiers on the Front Line of Battle Against Teenage Alcoholism

University student Darya Kiriyichko has an allergy to alcoholic beverages. She had a drink during her coming-of-age birthday party and ended up in hospital...

Fairy-Tale Characters Celebrate Holidays in Belarus

Folk heroes and traditional figures from throughout the former Soviet Union gathered together in Belarus for a celebration.

Olympic Village Apartments Going on Sale

The Sochi Olympic Village, set to house athletes during the Games from January through March, will then morph into a premium-class residential resort...

Shake Shack Bets on Moscow in 'Unusual Expansion Plan'

It's unusual for a company to expand into a foreign country - perhaps especially Russia - before conquering its home market. But with Russians flocking...

New Signage Rules to Take Effect Next Year

If a bright advertising sign outside your window does not let you sleep or you find the oversized letters on store signs you pass on the way to work are...

Perceptions of Environmental Challenges Acute

More than a quarter of Russians consider the ecological situation in the country to be "close to catastrophic" and 59 percent said that there are...

Young Architects Visualize an 'Awesome' Moscow

Muscovites were asked to imagine what would make Moscow an "awesome" place to live and had their dreams visualized in 84 sketches by professional...

High-Tech Investors Say Accounting Rules Slow Them Down

Overly bureaucratic accounting rules are one of the biggest hurdles that Internet companies face when they try to start doing business in Russia, executives...

Suburbs Await Transformation Into Hubs in a New Polycentric Moscow

Moscow will get a new master plan by 2015 to reflect its forthcoming transformation into a polycentric city, in which peripheral areas become alternative...

Report Says Moscow Should Prioritize Quality over Cost to Attract Investment

It is hard for Moscow to compete for foreign investment with other metropolises because it offers below-average quality at above-average costs, according...

40 Years On, Polar Bears and Threats to Their Habitat are Multiplying

Environment ministers and delegations from the five countries bordering the Arctic met in Moscow on Wednesday to voice continuing support for polar bear...

Q&A: Oriflame CEO Says Conquer Fear and Take Risk

When Magnus Brännström was 12, he and his family, suppressing their fear, crossed the Iron Curtain for a vacation in the Soviet Union, their friends'...

Local Car Parts Manufacturers, Clustered With Foreign Firms, Face Annihilation

Russian auto parts manufacturers face complete disintegration if the government does not support them inside specialized automobile clusters, industry...

Young Entrepreneur Raises Houses and Business Out of Bottles

When a young Interior Ministry intern from Volgograd decided to build a house for himself, he chose unlikely construction materials - recycled plastic...

First Generation With Wealth Shape Philanthropy Culture

The first Russians to dispose of free wealth in nearly a century are putting down the institutional roots of philanthropy, but donations trail behind...

Russia Loses, but Proud to Host Miss Universe

Miss Venezuela, Maria Gabriela Isler, swept aside 85 contestants to give her country its seventh Miss Universe crown during the competition final in Moscow's...

Miss Universe 2013 Competition Kicks Off in Moscow

Miss Universe pageant's arrival in Moscow, the first time the contest has been hosted here in its 62-year history, brought out all the glitter and sequins...

Food Price Inflation Reaches Double Digits

Potatoes, eggs and caviar are among the food products that have seen double digit price growth in 2013, according to information released by the State...

Print Losing Out to Digital in Battle for Advertising Spending

Print media is being hit the hardest by a slowdown in advertising spending, as companies trim their marketing budgets and shift focus to digital platforms...

New Kempinski a Long, Quiet Effort

Moving to Moscow from Dubai, the general manager of the Nikolskaya Kempinski luxury hotel, Burkhard Wolter, was initially put off by what he saw as...

Putin Creates Construction and Utilities Ministry

President Vladimir Putin has created a new ministry for construction, housing and utilities, and appointed former Ivanovo Governor Mikhail Men as its chief...

Siberian Shoe Retailer Plans to Raise $63M in Local IPO

National shoe retailer Obuv Rossii, or Russian Footwear, plans to carry out an initial public offering on the Moscow Exchange by the end of the year, the...

Coastal Erosion Could Threaten Olympic Sites

Extensive construction that was carried out in preparation for the Winter Olympics in Sochi has led to coastal erosion, which increases the risk of damaging...

Sochi Risks Fumbling its Olympic Tourism Opportunity

With 100 days left until the Winter Olympic Games, tourism industry insiders fear that the country has missed its opportunity to capitalize on the...

Turkish Low-Coster Forces Rivals to React

Competitors' ticket prices are falling due to Turkish low-coster Pegasus Airlines' addition of Moscow and Sochi routes this month, the carrier's commercial...

Medvedev Talks Straight With Foreign CEOs

Russia's economy has hit a plateau and will grow 2 percent at best in 2013, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the heads of 48 global companies...

Car Ownership Easier, More Expensive

With new rules simplifying registration of automobiles going into effect Tuesday, the country's rapidly growing number of motorists will find the time...

Seagal to Promote Russian Rifle Model

American action film star Steven Seagal will become the face of a new Russian firearm, the actor announced at a Moscow news conference Friday.

Q&A: Bachurin and 'Stalingrad' Galvanize Russian Film

It takes Ilya Bachurin mere seconds to choose his favorite movie. But when asked to choose his favorite Russian movie, to say that it takes him a long...

Economy Faces Stagnation Unless Productivity Increases

The Russian economy will stagnate if companies do not increase their labor productivity, which currently averages at 40 percent of that of the Fortune...

Health Official Lambasts Lithuania

Chief Sanitary Inspector Gennady Onishchenko criticized Lithuanian officials for what he called "hysterical" statements about Russia's ban on the country's...

Circus Unveils World of Madness and Sport

Cirque du Soleil's "Kooza" is as close you can get to falling through a rabbit hole into a Lewis Carroll-like crazy world: either that or sitting in the...

Deputy Mayor Slams Affordable Housing

Deputy Mayor Marat Khusnullin spoke against building affordable housing in Moscow, arguing that expensive apartments are a key ingredient in controlling...

More Passion Than Financial Hardnoses at Moscow Cat Show (Photo Essay)

The hundreds of savvy entrepreneurs who descended upon Moscow over the weekend came equipped with all the essentials: market plans, business cards...

Female Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs Awarded

They can juggle the demands of work and family on a daily basis and, on special occasions, attend award ceremonies in their honor.

Eco-Consciousness Growing, One Package at a Time

Russian consumers have more interest and demand for environmentally friendly packaging than their counterparts in some developed countries, but still...

Demand for Real Estate Drops in Moscow Region

Demand for real estate in the Moscow region fell over the summer and this market stagnation is expected to continue until the winter months, according...

Q&A: Akimov Provides Good Food While Building Trust

The return of the artichoke to Russia was a personal triumph for Boris Akimov, a former journalist who serendipitously turned his passion for eating well...

Developers Face Green Building Certification

Real estate consultants predict healthy growth in the number of Russian properties that earn internationally recognized green-building certificates,...

For Regional Real Estate Investment Success is in the Niceties

In the midst of an exodus of foreign capital, Russia's regions are in a fierce competition to attract investors to their local real estate markets...

Pork, Tolstoy Latest Players in Potash Drama

Belarussian Prime Minister Pyotor Prokopovich said Saturday that "there is no politics" in the dispute between fertilizer producers in Belarus and Russia...

Ecologists Link Far East Floods to Global Warming

When President Vladimir Putin flew to the Khabarovsk region on Thursday to survey the damage from the record flooding in the area, ecologists said...

Walrus Study Seeks to Prove Family Ties

The 2,000 to 3,000 walruses living in the remote Laptev Sea could be threatened due to increased oil exploration in the Arctic, according to the...

Counterfeits Flood Antiques Market

At least half of the items in circulation on Russia's antiques market are counterfeits, which cost scammed collectors millions of rubles every year...

Moscow Region Invests in Amateur Athletes

When director Nikolai Lebedev decided to film part of "Legend No. 17," a well-received biopic about the legendary Soviet hockey player Valery Kharlamov...

Presidential Order Bans Protests in Sochi During the Olympics

Public protests in heightened security zones in Sochi will be prohibited during the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games next year, according to a...

Battery Recycling Project Launched

Waste recycling moved one step ahead in Moscow as the Krasnoselsky district launched a pilot project for the systematic collection of used batteries...

Onishchenko Seeks Quality Control System for Ukrainian Products

In the midst of an escalating trade war between the former Soviet republics, Russia's Chief Sanitary Inspector Gennady Onishchenko attributed the ban...

Iconic Luzhniki Gets Set for Makeover as Championships End

The stadium will be revamped to meet FIFA’s requirements for the 2018 World Cup, but residents fear it may lose its character.

Athletes Left Lonely as Championships Fail to Draw Big Crowds

A record number of delegations came out to compete at the World Athletic Championships in Moscow this week in what the organizers had hoped would...

Dutch Businessman Traces Footsteps of Amur Tigers

The tiger is the undisputed poster-boy of the animal kingdom. In terms of glitzy publicity and glamourous acquaintances — including President Vladimir...

WWF Says Red Tape Impedes Moscow's First Eco-House Project

The Russian branch of the World Wildlife Fund is ready to build Moscow's first eco-house, but red tape has been holding up the project for more than...

Crackdown on Artificial Food Additives Ineffective, Say NGOs

Non-profit organizations are accusing the government of not doing enough to protect consumers from potentially dangerous food additives despite a recent...

IAAF Athletes Have no Problems With Moscow's Air

Air quality in Beijing and London ruffled plenty of feathers among athletes and ecologists when the megapolises set out to host the Summer Olympic...

Private Raceway Set to Boost Motorsport

It's a sight that few will experience. Blazing through a Russian racetrack at more than 270 kilometers per hour, a local world-class driver comes to a...

Consumers Feel No Benefit From WTO, Producers Suffer

Russians were promised lower prices when the country joined the World Trade Organization, but one year on prices continue to rise — at least for consumers...

Jail Sentences Introduced for Illegal Hunting

If you have a polar bear skin in your house, get rid of it. As Russia toughens its hunting laws, this is the advice from Natural Resources and Environment...

Ukrainian Confectioner Suspends Exports to Russia

Ukraine's leading confectioner Roshen has suspended its exports to Russia after chief sanitary inspector Gennady Onishchenko banned the products, saying...

State Unveils $9Bln Program to Aid Countryside

The government and private investors will spend 300 billion rubles ($9 billion) to increase the investment potential of rural areas and make them...

Sharonov to Leave Moscow City Hall

Deputy Mayor Andrei Sharonov will leave his position after the city elections in September, Vedomosti reported Wednesday based on information from unnamed...

Moscow River Passing on Its Pollutants

The quantity of industrial pollutants in the Moscow River significantly exceeds safety standards, according to a study by Greenpeace Russia.

Children's Products Sector Set for Government-Sponsored Boost

The Industry and Trade Ministry wants to increase the share of locally made children's products on the domestic market from 20 percent in 2012...

Kazan Gives Sochi a Lesson in Transportation

As drivers in this city muddled through the winter months sitting in traffic jams and avoiding the multitude of streets under repair, many looked...

Georgian Wine Comes Back to Russia

It was meant to be a triumphant comeback that would patch up sour diplomatic relations between former Soviet republics and satisfy Russia's thirst for quality...

Illegal Logging Battle Puts Forests in the Red

Illegal logging costs hundreds of millions of rubles each year, but the offenders are difficult to catch and even more difficult to punish.

Vague Rules Spell Doom for Protected Forests

Tree cutting in formally protected forest areas has increased dramatically as timber companies look for new sources of the diminishing natural resource...

Hals Chief Synchronizes Personal and Professional Development

When Sergei Kalinin came to Moscow from Kazan in early 1992, he was much like Alexandre Dumas' mischievous musketeer, d'Artagnan, arriving to conquer...

Fairy-Tale Tourism Budding in Remote Places

If there is one social function you can't miss this year, make it Baba Yaga's birthday.

Onischenko Calls for Food Patriotism, Early Working Hours

Chief Sanitary Inspector Gennady Onishchenko implored Russians to temper their interest in exotic, foreign foods and instead, to stick to a "patriotic"...

Sky-High Apartments at Soaring Prices

A Saudi prince is considering Moscow as one of the possible locations for the tallest skyscraper in the world, and though it faces competition from Shanghai...

Ikea Growing Humility in Russia One Employee at a Time

With the coveted title of Russia's biggest shopping mall operator, Ikea Shopping Centres leads in a market that is expected to become Europe's second largest...

Hiring Professionals Challenged By Generation Gap

The current wave of young job candidates entering the labor market presents unique challenges to hiring managers, experts said at a forum dedicated...

Boutique Business Tests Entrepreneurs Stamina

French vendors of gourmet foods were eager to make a triumphant return to Russia almost a 100 years after the Bolshevik revolution swept out their...

Ministry Funding Healthy Lifestyle Advertisements

The Health Ministry is pushing ahead in its efforts to wean Russians off tobacco and drugs through a series of television advertisements that promote...

Businessmen Eagerly Await Recycling Law

Business is urging the government to expedite legislation that would introduce recycling fees for household waste to attract investments into the...

Entrepreneurs See Dollar Signs in Garbage Piles

The million tons of waste that lie in Russian landfills are an eyesore for ecologists and those who reside nearby, but some ambitious entrepreneurs...

'Smart' Solutions to Reduce Congestion

Cell phone warnings about traffic jams, a network management center to monitor all of Moscow's transportation activities in real time and metro passes...

Russia to Switch to Electronic Customs Procedures

The customs union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan plans to ease customs procedures in an effort to improve the investment climate.

Soviet Era Hotels Awaiting Capitalist Saviors

Hulking, bleakly grey and occasionally claustrophobia-inducing, Soviet-era hotels are ready to be spruced up - if investors will have them.

Russian Airspace a Greenfield for Budget Carriers

But even budget carrier veterans say it remains to be seen if their model can overcome local geography and mentality.

Arctic Activity Heating Up

When the virtual hammer came down on the country's Arctic real estate last week, state-controlled Gazprom managed to get the largest slice.

Candy Maker Ferrero Expects Russia to Become No. 1 Market

While the economic crisis has soured the European business climate, Russia's sweet tooth could be the perfect cure.

McDonald's Will Fuel Gold Medals in Sochi

Despite his best efforts, McDonald's Russia founder George Cohon did not manage to have his golden arches planted on Russian soil in time for the 1980...

Students Favor State Firms as Employers

When it comes to Russian college students' career aspirations, Gazprom's gas fields might as well be described as the fields of dreams, according to an...

Number of Dissolved Contracts Specified

The termination of land lease contracts freed up 600 hectares of land.

Environmentalists Cool on Arctic Council Results

The member countries of the Arctic Council have signed its second legally binding agreement, this time on combating oil spills in the region, and accepted...

Officials Gear Up for Wildfires Amid Record Temperatures

Over 50 wildfires have blazed through the Central Federal District since the beginning of this year, and with the current record-setting temperatures...

Real Estate Deals for 30 Million Square Meters Dissolved

Moscow authorities have dissolved real estate contracts totaling more than 30 million square meters since the end of 2010, Vedomosti reported, citing...

Moscow-Bound Bieber Wants Fans To Learn the Word 'Swaggy'

Wherever Justin Bieber goes, throngs of screaming fans follow. Now the potency of his magic formula is about to be tested in Moscow for the first...

Crowd-Funding Project Satisfies Foreigners' Curiosity about Russia

If you wonder why Russians don't smile in the metro, what they really think about corruption, how many of them fought bears and how many of these brave...

29-Year-Old Band Drinks From Fountain of Youth

In its first official concert, the rock-and-roll band Bravo got an ovation like no other.

Muscovites Get 8th Pedestrian Zone

In a city where traffic jams have taken over the streets and even sidewalks, any place where Muscovites could go without the fear of being mowed down...

Russian Pop Singer Powers Through On English Songs

The days when Soviet censors pored over musical compositions in search of something to delete or modify are long gone, but that does not mean that...

Italian Gestures Cut Through the Russian Language Barrier

What does it take to direct a play full of actors whose language you do not speak and who seem miles away from you in their theatrical traditions...

Media Revenue Streams Going Virtual, Regional

Print and television are still the leaders for attracting advertising spending but Internet media are quickly gaining ground, according to a new report...

EasyJet Starts Flights to U.K. From Domodedovo

With the inauguration of the first easyJet flights from Moscow to London on Tuesday, the fleet of aircraft adorned by orange winglets has opened...

No Revealing Outfits for 'Eurovision' Contestant

When it comes to stage outfits, Russia's upcoming "Eurovision" contestant has no plans to don Halloween masks, like previous contestants Finnish hard...

Theater Mafia Turns Audiences Into Investigators

"Nozhnitsy" is one of those plays where the theater critic is never afraid of giving away the ending. The reason is, no matter how many times you...

English-Language Theater to Start in Moscow

When Royal Shakespeare Company alum Jonathan Bex realized he was spending a lot of time in Moscow but had little hope of acting in any of the city's...

Maslenitsa Is a Week, Pancakes Are Forever

Get ready to butter a tower of blini, slather on the sour cream and dip them in caviar. Maslenitsa, a week of festivities and a healthy dose of gluttony...

Russia Crowns its Most Beautiful Woman

If the bickering jury is any indication, the Miss Russia contest is never easy to judge. This year the top prize went to an 18-year-old student from Mezhdurechensk...

Legendary Couturier Celebrates a Milestone

The guru of Soviet and Russian style Vyacheslav Zaitsev turned 75-years-old Saturday, marking the big anniversary with singing performances by celebrity...

A Frenchman in Moscow Tastes the Perfect Croissant

When French confectioner Laurent Bourcier first came to a Russian marketplace several years ago, he was shocked by what he saw there. Eclairs. Lots of them...

Art Pops: Russian Stars Dream of Foreign Awards

When it comes to awards, artists' wishes are fairly predictable. Which of them doesn't dream of the Oscars' golden statuette, Eurovision's silver microphone...

Teenage Designer Grows Up With Workaholic Superpowers

If Kira Plastinina could choose a superpower, a good option given her busy schedule would be to become an extremely efficient multitasker. At second...

Art Pops: Stars Set Diplomatic Missions to Music

Frodo came to Moscow while the Russians plotted to send their "Voice" to Sweden, in what was another week of diplomatic celebrity exchanges between...

Social Network for 'Kind' People Originates in Moscow

Type a letter, find a soulmate, become part of a society of good samaritans. Save the world.

Young Cancer Patients Draw Their Fantasy Worlds

Sick children illustrate a healthy dose of optimism, hope and imagination in their art in an anniversary charity exhibition.

Forbes List Businessman Makes Restoration Projects Trendy

Love for a fellow human being could lead someone to impulsively buy jewelry or expensive wristwatches. Love of architecture could get someone to invest...

Art Pops: Russian Celebrities Go On Sale

If you have ever wanted to own a piece of the glamorous celebrity world, now is your chance. Russian celebrities are going on the market, and at bargain...

Art Pops: Family Values Rethought

Traditional family values got some interesting interpretations from Russian celebrities this week. Those who don't think plastic surgery is the highest...

Veteran Expat Writes Employment Handbook for Novices

Bill Mayfield is utterly convinced Russia is ready to embrace more expat workers.

Gold Decor a Key Element for High-End Rentals

Renters of high-end apartments can now chose from offerings on a newly published list of the highest-priced properties in the city, though it might...

City-Funded Magazine Targets Foreign Investors

The Moscow city government is continuing its foray into media management with the publication of another English-language magazine targeted at foreign...

Socialite Sobchak Secretly Marries Opposition-Minded Actor

A wedding that could easily bid for the status of the most sensational — and unexpected — nuptials of the year took place over the weekend when...

Super Bowl Fans Set for 4 a.m. Party

When the Baltimore Ravens square off against the San Francisco 49ers at Sunday's Super Bowl, the first question on the minds of American football...

Art Pops: Abramovich Glitzes Up His Digs

Russian celebrities hustled to increase their assets this week, adding brand new award nominations to their resumes and filling their coffers with expensive...

Mosfilm Enters its 90s With Some Grump and a Limp

One of Russia's oldest and largest film studios will celebrate its 90th anniversary later this year, and befitting this hefty life experience, it is...

Boyz II Men Expect Muscovites to Bring 'A-Game' to Concert

President Vladimir Putin's crusade to raise the country's birth rate is set to get the support of three powerful voices on its behalf.

American Book Author Sends Cautionary Message from Barnaul

The new book by retired business executive Sandy Krolick sends a cautionary message about consumerism and economic expansion.

Art Pops: Arnie Will be Back for Olympics

From get well wishes to birthday greetings, this week was marked with multiple ups and downs for Russian artists.

Acrobats Catapult Kazan's Global Image

When it comes to picking Russia’s third “capital,” Kazan is not the obvious political or business choice, but thanks to a crew of leotard-clad acrobats...

New 'Anna Karenina' Irks Russian Traditionalists

Loudly and menacingly, the train on the large screen of a darkened cinema raced toward the audience in a foreshadowing that the lead character,...

Stars Dazzle With Absurdities Over Holiday Break

No New Year's celebration in Russia is complete without its most important guest: the television set. Although this year's holiday shows and music concerts...

Q&A: Meat-Maker Dymov Prefers People to Sausage

Come New Year’s Eve, Vadim Dymov’s dacha in Suzdal will be bustling with more guests than on most weekends. The house in the Golden Ring town is an...

Business Booms as Mayan Apocalypse Looms

Resourceful Russians choose to get on the Mayan wavelength and take advantage of the flourishing end-of-the-world market.

Hotels Lag, But Real Estate Boom Expected to Continue

Moscow's real estate market continued its steady recovery to pre-crisis levels in 2012 as developers rushed to start projects beyond the Moscow Ring...

Diaspora Youths Sold on Russian, but not Russia

Members of the diaspora who gathered in Moscow on Thursday for the Forum of Russian Compatriots welcomed President Vladimir Putin's recent edict to support...

Image of Ideal Personal Assistant in Flux

A little older, potentially less attractive and possibly male. This functional, though less glamorous, profile of the personal assistant of the future...

Idealists Eye Blossoming Art Hub in Moscow

As innovative as Skolkovo might be, it may not be unique for much longer. Professional artistic visionaries are summoning all their creative energies...

State Formulating Intellectual Property Rights Strategy

The Russian government does not easily let go of its assets, but one of the areas that it is planning to make an exception in is innovation.

Construction to Take Place in Expanded Moscow, Not Center

The mayor's office has called off hundreds of contracts with developers  for fear that their projects will overwhelm a city that is already in the  middle...

St. Petersburg VIP Island Could Get Protected Status

Senior officials and millionaires from St. Petersburg could be symbolically equated to endangered species if the local government pushes ahead with...

Chocolate Business Has Sweet Potential

The founders of the Korkunov premium chocolate boutique that opened in Moscow's AFIMALL City on Sunday hope to transform Russians into chocolate...

Price Differential Causing Airplane Travel to Overtake Rails

The romantic role of train travel in Russian culture is slowly being unseated by cramped airplanes as flight tickets become more affordable and government...

Rusnano Inspires U.S. Drug Company to Move to Russia

Decked out in a white lab coat and chatting freely with scientists, Rusnano chief Anatoly Chubais seemed particularly cheerful Wednesday as he welcomed...

Railway Stations to Get Movie Theaters

Russian Railways is giving its transportation hubs a glitzy makeover, with 40 movie theaters set to be created near train stations in the near future...

Q&A: Rosinter Chief Turns Deficit Into Opportunity

The call in 1984 from a Soviet commercial attache to a White Russian family came as a surprise, but the ambitious 25-year-old Venezuelan entrepreneur...

Organic Food Struggling for Identity

A carrot is an unlikely villain for a horror story, but for retailers promoting organic food here, a sweaty package of cut up orange-colored roots...

Investors Undecided on Belarus' Potential

The seventh Belarussian Investment Forum looked like a flashback to the post-Soviet auctions, where formal talk lauded privatization opportunities while...

Belarus Sees Itself as Commercial Gateway to the Customs Union

Any state-owned company can be privatized, said Belarussian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich at the opening of the 7th Belarussian Investment Forum...

Cyrillic Web Domain Ranked World's Largest

Russia may not be the world champion in terms of computer use or Internet access, but when it comes to non-Latin domains the patriotic .рф is the name...

City Sponsors Multilingual Business Magazine

Starting a small or medium-sized business in Russia is not for the faint of heart, but the Moscow government is funding a publication designed to provide...

City Hall Mulls Taxing Doubles of Tsars, Soviet Leaders

Tsar Nicholas II carries around a doctor's note that states he's not psychotic. Upon request, he also retrieves, from the inside pocket of his blue...

Almaty Blooms as Oasis of Luxury on Silk Road

A Friday-night traffic jam consisting of bumper-to-bumper German luxury cars and only one scratched-up Lada — with a hood that didn't fully close...

Portable Toilets Going Upscale

In case anybody has doubts about Muscovites' posh tastes, gold painted, high-comfort portable toilets will soon be springing up around the city. Moscow's...

Middle-Class Russians Settle in Spain

Russian property buyers are notorious abroad, but the new crop of clients in Spain is different from what the real estate agents are used to seeing...

English Improving but Teachers Scarce

Visitors will still need to pack their phrasebooks for some time to come as Russia ranked last among European countries in terms of English-language...

Bread Industry in Trouble as Flour Prices Rise

Bread prices in Russia are a historically touchy subject, one that politicians and businesses prefer to tread carefully.

Recycling Coming to a Garbage Pile Near You

Solnechnogorsk may not always live up to its sunny name in terms of weather. But even on a gloomy Tuesday morning while the clouds gathered for the impending...

Scientists Get Honor and Push From Above

Old is new again for the Russian government, which has renewed an old Soviet tradition in an effort to give new life to the country's crippled science...

Demographics and Careers Collide for Women Workers

Working women here may enjoy one of the more lengthy maternity leaves in the world, but labor experts caution that the three-year period is also a barrier...

U.K. Lagging in Special Economic Zone Presence

The Russian government has created special economic zones across the country to attract foreign investors, and although 46 foreign companies have already...

Moscow Offers Contest to Promote Image

You will probably never be the mayor of Moscow and may not even become the city's chief architect.

Investment and Business Climate Rankings Up

When Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev took the podium at the Customs and Business Conference on Tuesday, he spoke about tweaking customs rules as one...

Fashion Manufacturing Coming on Shore

While some Russians express patriotism by screaming at Luzhniki stadium, Russian designers, who are increasingly adopting domestic manufacturing, find...

Bill on Remote Work Falls Short

People who want to perform their job from home came one step closer to getting some legal protection this week, when the State Duma approved the first...

Retail Developers Begin to Ride Regional Wave

Moscow-based retail property developers are showing more interest in building shopping malls in regional capitals as well as next-tier cities with populations...

Bigger Is Not Better for X5

A customer who shot and wounded a security guard in a failed attempt to steal a bottle of vodka was probably the least of X5 Retail Group's worries...

Spanish-Designed City Project Canceled

A Spanish architecture firm has won a state contest to design a new, sustainable city on the banks of the Volga, but the designs won’t be realized since...

'Graf Orlov' Musical Goes for Glitz, Extravagance

There is nothing modest about the new musical "Graf Orlov."

Teachers Reveling in Growing Technology

Thousands of kilometers from the capital, a lone interactive whiteboard sits in a customs warehouse on Russia's southern border.

Ministry Mulls Quotas on Foreign Films

Foreign films could become a rare delicacy for movie lovers if the Culture Ministry approves proposals to impose quotas on such films in local theaters...

Russia Left Out of Top 200 Universities List

Russian universities once again failed to make the list of the top 200 universities in the world.

New Mortgages Estimated at Record $32Bln in 2012

The number of mortgages issued this year could reach record levels, with 933,000 deals worth 1 trillion rubles expected to be financed in the real...

Quality Interpreters Becoming Scarce

On a hot September day, 12 years ago, Andrei Tsybenko was ushered into a stuffy back room at the CNN studio in New York.

Public, Private Baby Business Booming

The hallways of privately owned Perinatal Medical Center in south Moscow are brightly colored and filled with cheerful pieces of artwork. Expecting...

North Caucasus Resorts Dazzle the Elite at Sochi

Tourism developments in the North Caucasus region got a boost of high-level support at the Sochi Investment Forum, which took place from Thursday to Sunday...

Agency Plans 56 Business-Travel Facilities

Russia will get 56 new business-travel-oriented hotels within three years.

Shoppers Complain of Artificial Food and Rickety Carts

Going shopping in Russia may no longer be as unpredictable as it was in the 1990s, but modern-day retail is also not immune from some of the Soviet-era...

Jumeriah Settles Near Kremlin

An Arab luxury-hotel operator will take the reins of the multifunctional Tsarev Sad complex, which is being built on Bolotny Ostrov opposite the Kremlin...

IT Sector Suffers from Brain Drain

Just as Moscow's weather started to improve, 47 young men and three women locked themselves into a small room Monday and sat staring intently at their...

Leadership 101: Learning to Talk Like Putin

Some government officials, particularly younger ones, and businessmen have a tendency to copy President Vladimir Putin's intonation and straightforward...

EasyJet Aims to Cut Fares for London-Moscow Flights

Travel between London and Moscow might soon get cheaper if easyJet wins the contest to become Britain's second operator for flights on this route...

Confectioners at Odds Over Soviet Chocolate Brand

The young girl on the cover of the Alyonka chocolate bar may look timid and sweet, but to Russian confectioners she is more dangerous than her namesake...

Russian Consumers Determined to Cut Spending

Retailers will need to take some creative strides this fall if they want to get consumers to part with their disposable income in the near term, as...

Children Lead in Corporate Social Responsibility

At first glance, the children's camp in Meshera National Park looks like any other. Children slip in and out of tents, sluggishly perform morning...

Preservationists Fight Arbat Building Demolition

In the middle of the Arbat, there is a crumbling wall behind a graffitied construction fence. The scene around the site seemed quiet Monday morning...

Foreign Manufacturers Onboard for Aeroexpress Double-Decker

Alstom, Siemens, Skoda and Stadler will compete to make double-decker railcars for Aeroexpress, the shuttle company announced last week.

Q&A: HP's Mikoyan Sees Benefits of a Borderless World

The local head of technology giant Hewlett-Packard easily bridges the generation gap between his venerable ancestors, who include powerful Soviet Politburo...

Prices for Moscow's Top Residences Fastest-Growing in Europe

Moscow has the fastest-growing prices for luxury residential property among European cities, according to a study international consulting company Knight...

Milner Prizes Illuminate Paradox of Russian Physics

Although a third of this week's winners of billionaire Yuri Milner's Fundamental Physics Prize began their careers in Russia, their victory sends a mixed...

Operator Invents New Way of Advertising

Channel flippers, beware. From now on, the more channels you flip, the more ads you will see — at least if you're a subscriber of Russia's largest...

Forget Batman. Russians Get Own Superheroes

Russia is a long — and often perilous — way to go from the Western world, so much so that even superheroes rarely make the journey.

Russians Want to Live Near Trees and Karl Marx

On one of the highest points of London, surrounded by serene ponds and historic architecture, is a real estate alcove for wealthy, and often secretive...

Half of Drivers Willing to Give Up Cars

Almost half of drivers in Moscow are willing to give up their wheels in favor of public transportation.

Media Subject to New Dry Law on Ads

Print media holdings and Internet portals will become a bit drier this year following the government's decision to prohibit them from publishing alcohol...

Ads Can't Park Here

Advertisers are running out of space where they can put their signs up in Moscow. City officials, who earlier announced their intention to cut the number...