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Articles by Matthew Kupfer

Mutually Assured Distraction

Russia has proposed a “road map” amid growing tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. Spoiler: It’s not going to work.

How the European Court Undermined Russia's Gay Propaganda Law

European Court of Human Rights ruled against the infamous gay propaganda law, sending a bold sign to Russia is on the wrong side of history.

After 'Hurricane,' Muscovites Ask Why They Weren't Warned

A fatal storm that swept Moscow caught residents off guard. Now they want to know why they weren't warned.

Hot Air, Cold War: How Russia Spooks Its Arctic Neighbors

Russia’s military build-up in the Arctic has polar countries on edge. But don’t worry — bullets aren’t flying yet.

For Russia, Oil Pact Extension Falls Short of a Home Run

Russia wants to extend oil production restrictions to drive up prices. In reality, it has few other choices.

Russia Turns to Old Security Toolbox for World Cup

A new order by Putin calls for increased searches, stricter residency rules and restrictions on protest before, during, and after two major sporting events...

After Metro Bombing, Russia Confronts New Terror Challenges

The threats facing Russia may be diversifying. Can security services keep up?

Someone Is Blinding Russian Opposition Activists With Chemicals

A caustic green antiseptic has recently become the preferred weapon against Russia's opposition. But the latest incidents suggest attackers are moving...

Why Putin is Getting Nervous About His Chechen Proxy

Putin's latest meeting with Chechnya's Ramzan Kadyrov will be interpreted as a show of support. But many believe Moscow’s patience for its Chechen proxy...

After Metro Blast, Racial Profiling Is on the Rise in Russia

The St. Petersburg terror attack is drawing attention to a long-standing problem in Russia: racial profiling

Detained, Tortured, Killed: How Chechnya Cracked Down on Gays

Activists struggle to overcome a North Caucasian cultural taboo and help gays in Russia's most repressive region.

Controversial New Film Examines How Jews Became Russians

A top Russian journalist takes on the Soviet transformation of Russian Jewry, but not everyone agrees with his view.

Russian Media Distorts Comments by Alaska State Official

The Moscow Times contacted Alaska’s senior advisor for Arctic policy, Craig Fleener, and learned that the Russian media misrepresented his comments.

How Russia and WikiLeaks Became Allies Against the West

Some claim WikiLeaks is working for the Kremlin. The reality is hardly so simple.

How Russia Turned on a Teenage Rape Victim

17-year-old Diana S was raped at a party. But much of the Russian public believes she brought it on herself.

Russia Eyes Reforms to 13% Flat Income Tax

A tax reform under discussion in Russia's state ministries may erode Russia's famed 13 percent flat income tax.

Russian Tsar's Love Life Sparks Cinema Censorship Row

Even before its release, a film depicting romantic liaisons between Nicholas II and a Polish ballerina has provoked an angry response from religious activists...

How Russia Is Responding to Trump's 'Muslim Ban'

Despite significant anti-migrant sentiment in Russia, not everyone agreed Trump was "making America great again."

Moscow's Foodies Look East

After years of bland sushi and pasta, Moscow’s restaurant scene is opening up to innovative, foreign cuisine.

Russia Tries to Remember the Holocaust

The government supports Holocaust commemoration, but Soviet war narratives die hard.

Trump’s Fans in Russia Welcome Him to Power, But the Buzz Is Fading

With Donald Trump’s presidency now a cold, hard reality, it is almost as if Russia's ultra-patriots suddenly recognize how bizarre it is to celebrate...

Spy Games: How The Spectre of Surveillance Impacts Moscow’s Foreigners

High-profile allegations of Russian surveillance have Moscow’s foreign population asking themselves: am I being watched? Some are. But perceptions often...

Hacked Off: The Cyber Scandal Will Undermine Trump's Russian Reset

Both the president-elect and the Kremlin want the hacking issue to die. It won't.

Fathers and Sons: How Trump Split America’s Russian Immigrant Families

An increasing number of Soviet and Russian-speaking immigrants are speaking out against a president-elect the majority of their community enthusiastically...

In Name Alone: Russia's Fake Privatization

It was supposed to be a simple transaction: The government would sell shares in key state companies to private investors and fill state coffers. But there...

Live Blog: President Putin's 2016 End of Year Press Conference

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual press conference kicked off at noon today. A record number of journalists – 1,437, both domestic and foreign...

Profit in Mind: Why a Proposed Mental Health Database Has Russian Psychiatrists Worried

A private company in Russia has outlined its plans to create a unified registry of all Russians suffering from psychiatric illnesses. Mental health specialists...

Russia's New Economic Development Minister is the Status Quo Candidate

Russia's new economic development minister is a smart, deeply knowledgable technocrat. These positive traits raise questions about his potential effectiveness...

The Russian Fidel: How the Cuban Leader Defined an Era

In the course of his 47-year rule, Fidel Castro converted Cuba into a one-party, pro-Soviet socialist state that outlasted the Soviet Union by 25 years...

Reports Show Russia's Illegal ‘Pharmacy-Alcohol’ Industry Is Booming

It isn't formally a beverage, but one of the most popular intoxicating drinks in Russia is "medicinal alcohol" — and million of people use it as surrogate...

Don't Tell Depardieu: Russia Might Scrap Flat Tax Rate

A popular maxim states that only two things are certain in life: death and taxes. In Russia, the second has always been more of a question. On Nov. 22...

A Short-Lived Honeymoon: Russia Curbs Its Enthusiasm For Trump Presidency

Given Russia's well-documented affinity for the American president-elect, the celebration should be going strong only a day later. But it appears the honeymoon...

Doing the Boss a Favor: Lukoil May Help Privatize Rosneft

On Oct. 31, at the opening ceremony for the Filanovsky oil field in the Astrakhan region, President Vladimir Putin invited Vagit Alekperov, director of...

LinkedIn Under Attack in Russia: What's Next?

In China, LinkedIn was the only major social network not banned by the Chinese government. The company’s management agreed to play by the rules and censor...

Pornhub Hubbub: Russia Attempts to Police Sexuality Online

This month Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor blocked Pornhub and YouPorn, two of the world’s most popular pornography sites. When Pornhub set up a...

Forgotten in Moscow, Deadly Fire Still Resonates 3,700 km Away

Of 17 Victims, 14 Were from Kyrgyzstan. Authorities Add Print House Owner and Engineer to Wanted List.
opinion Matthew Kupfer

De-Communization Won't Help Ukraine

Ukraine's new 'de-communization laws' do nothing but distract and divide a country which is facing much bigger problems, writes columnist Matthew Kupfer...
opinion Matthew Kupfer

Where Was Putin? Does It Matter?

President Vladimir Putin's recent 10-day disappearance from the public eye may have been good for Internet memes, but it also raised some interesting...
opinion Matthew Kupfer

Specter of Anti-Semitism Hangs Over Ukraine

As the conflict in eastern Ukraine continues to escalate, one doesn't have to look far to find proof that the Ukraine crisis is a mass of contradictions...
opinion Matthew Kupfer

Language Continues to Divide Ukraine

One of the most awe-inspiring aspects of the Euromaidan revolution was the unity of diverse people in support of democracy. In a stark repudiation...
opinion Matthew Kupfer

Ukraine's Struggle Endangers Its Democracy

Authoritarian laws threaten Ukraine's democracy just as much, if not more than pro-Russian separatists, writes Matthew Kupfer.