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Articles by Natalya Krainova

Protesters Storm Buildings in Ukraine as West Ponders Next Move

A day after European Union leaders met to discuss taking a firmer line on Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region, pro-Russian demonstrators...

NASA Hit by U.S.-Russia Ukraine Spat

Space cooperation takes a hit over the crisis as NASA was added to the U.S. list of entities forbidden of cooperating with Russian agencies, and a Russian...

St. Pete Organization Adopts Baby Crocodile

A baby African crocodile discovered in a St. Petersburg yard in early March may be adopted by organizations tied to the local government, the head...

Dozhd Gets 50-Day Lifeline After Telethon

Independent television channel Dozhd has extended its operation for at least 50 days in a fundraising campaign launched to save the channel after major...

Kerry and Lavrov Meet on Ukraine

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were set to meet late Sunday as Russia sought to play down Western fears...

Dozhd Fights to Save Independent Reporting

While most international media attention is focused on Russia's actions in Crimea and the fate of Ukraine, the fate of one of Russia's only remaining...

NATO Alarmed by Russian Troops After Crimea Annexation

As President Vladimir Putin finalized the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia on Friday, European officials voiced concerns that...

U.S. Goes After Putin Allies, 'Key Sectors' of Economy

As Russia's State Duma on Thursday ratified the annexation of Crimea and the Black Sea port of Sevastopol to Russia, the U.S. kept good on a promise...

To Be Russian, or Not to Be Russian? Crimea Residents to Decide on Citizenship

Among the many thorny issues facing Crimea's residents following Russia's annexation of the region this week is whether or not to become citizens of their...

Russia Not Planning Sanctions Against Western Officials, Rogozin Says

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin denied Tuesday that Russia was contemplating sanctions against U.S. and European officials to retaliate for banking...

U.S. and EU Impose Sanctions Over Kremlin Actions in Ukraine

The European Union and the U.S. on Monday imposed travel bans and asset freezes on more than a dozen Russian and Crimean officials involved in staging...

Russia Refuses to Budge Despite Warnings

Russia has blocked the United Nations Security Council from declaring invalid Sunday's referendum on the fate of Ukraine's pro-Russian region of Crimea...

Janitors Find Baby African Crocodile in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg janitors have discovered a baby African crocodile beside garbage cans in a local yard.

Russia Preparing Response to U.S. and EU Sanctions

The Federation Council is drawing up a bill that would allow the government to confiscate the property of U.S. and European companies in the event of Western...

Journalist Organizations Urge End to Harassment of Media in Crimea

International media rights advocates say independent journalists are getting attacked and harassed while trying to cover events in the autonomous republic...

Russia's Move to Send Troops to Ukraine Spurs Talk of War

Russian lawmakers have given President Vladimir Putin the go-ahead to use Russian troops in Ukraine, a move that has thrown the international community...

RIA Novosti Employees Await Word on Fate of News Agency

Less than two weeks ahead of the deadline set by the Kremlin for the abolishment of major state-funded news agency RIA Novosti, its employees say they...

Bolotnoye Suspects Get Prison Time

A Moscow court on Monday issued seven prison terms and one suspended sentence in the high-profile Bolotnoye case over alleged anti-Kremlin riots in May...

Russia: Don't Trust Ukraine's Opposition

Russian officials have warned that the political opposition that has taken power in Ukraine consists of "illegal extremist groups" that do not represent...

Bolotnoye Case Sentences to Come Monday

A Moscow court on Friday convicted eight people of participating in riots and violence against police at an opposition protest on Bolotnaya Ploshchad...

Critics Fear Post-Sochi Crackdown (Video)

With three days to go until the Winter Olympics in Sochi draw to a close, fears are growing among many Russians that the apparent tolerance of President...

Udaltsov and Razvozzhayev Riot Trial Begins

Opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov and his aide Leonid Razvozzhayev appeared in court Tuesday to face charges of staging riots at an anti-Kremlin protest...

Experts Warn of Increase in Ethnically Motivated Attacks

Russia has seen an increase in violence motivated by ethnic hatred and physical attacks on the LGBT community in the past year, experts said Thursday...

Ryzhkov Quits RPR-Parnas Opposition Party

A leader of Russia's main liberal opposition party, RPR-Parnas, quit over the weekend with a group of senior supporters in a move that some say could...

Rescuers Catch Condemned Sochi Dogs and Bring Them to Moscow (Video)

Three well-groomed mongrels follow Igor Ayrapetyan, 41, around his home in the Moscow region, wagging their tails and jumping to lick his face.

Prosecutors Initiate Check of Dozhd TV

Prosecutors on Thursday said they were examining embattled Dozhd television for possible extremism charges related to a viewer poll about World War...

Cable Providers Drop Independent Dozhd TV Amid Pressure

A wave of intense political pressure on opposition-leaning Dozhd television, the country's most prominent privately owned television outlet, resulted...

Khodorkovsky Partner Lebedev Walks Free, Hints at 'Surprise'

Platon Lebedev, the one-time business partner of former Yukos owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky, walked free on Friday night from a penal colony in northwestern...

Environmental Groups Lobby for Jailed Activist Ahead of Games

Four high-profile environmental and human rights groups held a news conference Wednesday in a bid to help a jailed activist who criticized construction...

Human Rights Watch Slams Sochi 'Abuses'

Leading international rights group Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused Russian authorities of committing numerous abuses in their preparations for the...

Domestic Adoptions Policy Showing Results, Astakhov Says

The number of Russian orphans and abandoned children has dropped from 140,000 to a little under 107,000 in the past five years, due to state policies...

Putin Hits Back at Critics of Olympics

President Vladimir Putin on Friday said there would be no discrimination against gay athletes at the Sochi Olympics and apparently sought to dispel...

Duma Considers Anti-Terrorism Bill for Online Payments

The State Duma will consider a package of anti-terrorism bills that would oblige websites to inform authorities about its users and restrict anonymous...

Spring Duma Session Aims To Revive Economy

The State Duma in the coming months will focus on legislation that will provide "stability" for businesses at a time of "extremely challenging" economic...

U.S. Cautions Sochi Travelers Amid Threats

The U.S. State Department has issued a travel alert for Americans traveling to Sochi for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics as security threats...

5 Things You Didn't Know About Kalashnikov (Photo Essay)

Everyone remembers Mikhail Kalashnikov as the designer of the world-famous AK-47 assault rifle that bears his name. But here are five facts about Kalashnikov...

Pussy Riot Members Slam Amnesty That Freed Them

Two Pussy Riot members were released from prison on Monday under President Vladimir Putin's amnesty, but both derided the move as a PR stunt ahead of the...

Khodorkovsky Says No Plans to Return to Russia

Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was released Friday after a presidential decree ended his 10 years of imprisonment, said from Germany on Sunday...

4 Bolotnoye Suspects Released on Amnesty, Pussy Riot Waits

A Moscow court released on amnesty four defendants in the so-called Bolotnoye case, while people targeted in other high-profile criminal cases, including...

There Were No Bolotnaya Riots, International Experts Say

An international public commission declared Wednesday that there were no "riots" at the May 2012 opposition protest on Bolotnaya Ploshchad in Moscow...

Krasnoyarsk Governor Attacked and Robbed in French Villa

Two masked burglars stole jewelry worth 200,000 euros ($275,000) from a Siberian governor's French villa over the weekend, lightly wounding the governor...

Check Reveals Violations in University Dismissals

Federal labor inspectors say numerous legal violations were uncovered in dismissals of Moscow State University professors, ostensibly linked to a Kremlin...

Golden Gun Interrupts State Duma Fistfight

A disagreement about a statue in a State Duma deputy's native republic of Chechnya led to two lawmakers from the ruling United Russia party getting involved...

Bolshoi Dancer Gets 6 Years for Acid Attack

Former Bolshoi Ballet dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko was found guilty on Tuesday and sentenced to six years in a high-security prison for last January's acid...

Former Prosecutor Details Violations in Magnitsky Case

A former senior federal prosecutor has accused her one-time colleagues of illegally intervening in the probe into the 2009 death of Hermitage Capital...

Giant Louis Vuitton Suitcase on Red Square Causes Outrage

A massive pavilion shaped like a Louis Vuitton suitcase that has been erected on Red Square for a suitcase exhibition has angered State Duma deputies...

Tsiskaridze Defends Suspect in Bolshoi Acid Attack in Court

Prominent ballet dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze on Monday defended the suspected mastermind of the acid attack on the Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director...

Ukraine's Shift Toward Moscow Sparks Protests, Accusations

Russia and Lithuania traded accusations of blackmail and foul play over the weekend in an apparent tug-of-war over Ukraine, while tens of thousands...

Stavropol Prosecutors Seek to Ban Nabokov in Schools

Prosecutors in Stavropol region demand that schools dispose of books by revered early-20th-century poet Sergei Yesenin and author of the novel "Lolita...

Putin Meets for First Time With Nonparliamentary Opposition

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday met with leaders of major nonparliamentary parties for the first time in his 13 years in power, to discuss...

Mizulina's Surrogacy Ban Idea Ridiculed

The latest idea of infamous State Duma Deputy Yelena Mizulina to ban surrogate motherhood for fear that it "threatens mankind with extinction" amused...

Nationalist Suspected in High-Profile Killings Extradited

Serbia has extradited a Russian nationalist leader to Moscow on charges of setting up a gang accused of committing at least a dozen high-profile...

Gay Activist Rejects Idea of Dutch Asylum

Russia's top gay rights activist has rejected the Dutch offer to grant asylum to harassed Russian gays, saying there is no mass discrimination against...

Two Local Officials Fired Over Biryulyovo Riots

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has fired two district leaders in connection with the mid-October anti-migrant riots in Biryulyovo over the murder of a local...

Corruption Checks Result in 200 Firings

Some 200 officials, including eight unidentified senior officials, have been fired for "loss of confidence" over information in their income declarations...

Suspected Organizer of Bolshoi Acid Attack Pleads Not Guilty

Two defendants in the trial over the January acid attack on Bolshoi Ballet artistic director Sergei Filin, including the suspected organizer, pleaded...

Police Raid Giant Sadovod Market, Detain 1,000 Migrants

Police on Monday raided the sprawling Sadovod street market on the southeastern outskirts of Moscow, detaining about 1,000 migrants from former Soviet...

Mironov Regains Just Russia Chairmanship

A Just Russia reshuffled its leadership over the weekend, a move that analysts said signaled the party's desire to assuage some members' discontent...

New Way of Teaching History to Be Finalized by Next Month

Government officials, lawmakers and education officials will finalize changes to the way history is taught in schools by Nov. 1, State Duma Deputy...

Start of Bolshoi Attack Trial Draws Media Swarm

A Moscow court Tuesday postponed the first hearing in the trial of the three suspects in the January acid attack on Bolshoi Ballet artistic director...

FSB Seeking to Expand Online Surveillance

A draft government order may allow the Federal Security Service, or FSB, to access all Internet communications without court permission, a policy that...

Police to Raid Migrants' Apartments Every Friday

In the latest step by authorities to fight unlawful immigration following an anti-migrant riot earlier this month, the city's police chief said that...

Navalny Gets Suspended Sentence

A Kirov court Wednesday issued suspended sentences to opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his business partner Pyotr Ofitserov, in a move some analysts...

Terror Attack on Chemical Arms Facility Thwarted, Investigators Say

Law enforcement officers have prevented a bomb attack on a chemical weapons facility in the Kirov region, detaining two North Caucasus natives on suspicion...

380 Detained in Moscow Riot, Situation 'Stabilized'

Police have detained about 380 people while more than 20 were injured amid anti-migrant riots that broke out on Sunday in Moscow's southern district of...

Nobel Peace Prize Decision a Nod to Putin, Analysts Say

Senior Russian lawmakers and pundits have accused the Nobel Committee of bias for failing to grant this year's Nobel Peace Prize to President Vladimir...

Top Clinic Denies Return to Soviet-Era Punitive Psychiatry

Russia's top psychiatric institution held an open house Wednesday in an attempt to popularize its work, amid speculation about a revival of Soviet-style...

Russia Seeks Answers In Diplomat 'Attack'

President Vladimir Putin and the Foreign Ministry demanded explanations from Dutch authorities Tuesday after reports surfaced that a Russian diplomat was...

Domestic Adoptions Expected to Double

Ten months after the government banned adoptions of Russian children by U.S. citizens, authorities say the number of children adopted domestically...

Only One Russian University Makes Latest World Rankings

Russian universities have fallen on a renowned list of the world's top 400 universities to be published Thursday, with the country's most famous school...

Fall Military Draft Begins With Warnings of Hazing

The Defense Ministry is expected to call up about 150,000 young men for military service during the fall draft that begins Tuesday, amid contradictory...

Russia Sees Victory in UN Syria Resolution

The UN Security Council late Friday unanimously adopted a resolution obliging Damascus to hand over its chemical weapons, though it requires another...

Despite U.S.-Russia Tensions, Visa Deal Called a Success

As U.S. and Russian officials enter the umpteenth month of wrangling over Syria, one of their last agreements is celebrating its first anniversary...

Greenpeace Activists Face Piracy Charges for Arctic Protest

At least 25 Greenpeace activists, most of them foreigners, face up to 15 years in prison on what many consider dubious piracy charges over a stunt...

Opposition's Council Left in Limbo

An alliance of Russia's nonparliamentary opposition that was formed at the peak of large-scale street protests in Moscow last year has seen an exodus...

Duma Passes Science Reform Bill in Final Reading

Federal lawmakers on Wednesday passed a controversial bill reforming the Russian Academy of Sciences in second and third readings while hundreds...

Duma to Consider Science Reform Amid Protest

The State Duma on Wednesday is set to review a controversial reform of the Russian Academy of Sciences in a key second reading amid a flurry of scandalous...

Landmark U.S.-Russia Deal on Syria a 'Diplomatic Victory'

Russian officials have praised their diplomatic victory in "knocking the military trump card out of U.S. hands" in Geneva on Saturday by securing...

Russia's Disabled 'Face Uphill Battle'

With the upcoming Paralympic Games in Sochi set to laud disabled athletes for their accomplishments, ordinary members of Russia's disabled population...

Roizman's Victory a Blow to United Russia, Analysts Say

Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, elected outspoken opposition politician Yevgeny Roizman as its mayor on Sunday, in a move that dealt a blow...

Observer Groups Report Few Major Violations

Election observers registered few grave violations at Moscow polling stations for the mayoral vote  Sunday before the end of voting hours, marking...

Mayoral Hopefuls Make Final Push

The six Moscow mayoral candidates entered their final 48 hours of campaigning on Thursday ahead of Sunday's election, meeting with journalists, voters...

Putin Sees U.S. 'Snobbery' in Snowden Affair

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday accused U.S. intelligence services of a lack of professionalism for their failure to round up NSA leaker Edward...

Navalny and Sobyanin Campaigns Trade Accusations Ahead of Elections

In the latest bout of bickering ahead of Moscow's mayoral elections, acting Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and opposition candidate Alexei Navalny on Tuesday denied...

Lavrov Says U.S. Proof of Sarin Attack in Syria 'Unconvincing'

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday joined the chorus of Russian officials challenging Washington's argument for military intervention in Syria...

With New Law, Free Education Could Become Thing of the Past

In the Soviet Union, you couldn't pay for schooling even if you wanted to. After the fall of the socialist empire, private education appeared, but...

U.S. Says It Has Proof of Gas Attack in Syria

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday said the case for military intervention in Syria was getting "stronger and stronger" as Washington had...

Policeman Detained as Raids Continue

Moscow investigators Tuesday detained a deputy district police head on suspicion of extorting bribes from a businessman at Matveyevsky Market, where a...

Farber Case to Get Review by Council

The Kremlin human rights council is set to review the sentence handed down to Ilya Farber, a Moscow designer turned rural schoolteacher who was convicted...

U.S. Rock Group Ignites New Tensions

The performance of popular U.S. rock band Bloodhound Gang was canceled over the weekend after one of its musicians shoved a Russian flag into his...

Investigators Launch Check Into Corruption at Markets

Investigators have launched nationwide inspections of markets for corrupt ties to law enforcement after President Vladimir Putin criticized Moscow police...

Market Gets the Ax After Mob Attack

Authorities on Wednesday announced the impending demise of Moscow's Matveyevsky market, where migrant workers from the North Caucasus brutally beat a policeman...

Police Vow Renewed Fight After Attack

Moscow police on Tuesday conducted a second day of inspections at the city's open-air markets as the fall-out of Saturday's brutal attack on a policeman...

Illegal Migration Declines, But Problems Persist

Illegal migration has declined slightly in Moscow amid reinforced control by authorities and harsher penalties, but unregistered migrants are still...

Putin's Latest PR Stunt Comes Under Fire

State television on Friday showed President Vladimir Putin catching a 21-kilogram pike in a Siberian lake and kissing it, in what analysts say was...

Experts Say Upcoming Elections More Competitive

The upcoming Sept. 8 regional elections across Russia will be more competitive than the previous ones, amid declining public support for the pro-Kremlin...

Serdyukov Refuses to Testify in Ongoing Probe

Former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has refused to testify as a witness in the ongoing criminal probe into fraudulent land sales at the Defense Ministry...

In Surprise Ruling, Navalny Released From Detention

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his co-defendant, businessman Pyotr Ofitserov, were unexpectedly released by a Kirov court at the request of prosecutors...

Navalny Gets 5 Years, Altering Political Landscape

A Kirov court on Thursday found opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his co-defendant guilty of embezzlement and sentenced Navalny to five years in prison...

Military Holds Largest Maneuvers Since Soviet Era

President Vladimir Putin observed the Armed Forces perform the largest military exercises since Soviet times Tuesday, the latest in a series of surprise...

After Deadly Crash, Lawmakers Propose Harsher Punishment for Road Violations

In the wake of the deadly bus crash outside Moscow over the weekend, which has tentatively been blamed on a truck driver who repeatedly violated traffic...

18 Killed, Dozens Injured in Bus Crash

Eighteen people were killed and more than 60 injured Saturday in a bus crash outside of Moscow that police say was caused by a truck driver who had...

Corruption in Armed Forces Climbs Fivefold

Corruption in the armed forces cost the state budget more than 4.4 billion rubles ($135 million) in the first six months of the year, showing a 450...

Poll Shows Sobyanin With Huge Lead in Mayoral Race

Less than two months before the Moscow mayoral election, an independent public opinion poll shows acting Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin with a double-digit...

Ex-Official Detained in France on Charges of Stealing Millions

Investigators on Monday said they had seized property of former senior Moscow region official Alexei Kuznetsov, who was arrested by French police over...

Navalny Defiant in Closing Remarks

Prosecutors on Friday asked a Kirov court to sentence political opposition leader Alexei Navalny to six years in prison and a $30,000 fine on charges...

Case Against Yaroslavl Mayor Looks Legitimate, Rights Activists Say

Investigators officially charged Yaroslavl Mayor Yevgeny Urlashov and a group of his subordinates with attempted bribery Thursday as members of the...

Yaroslavl Mayor Who Quit United Russia Arrested on Bribery Charges

The mayor of a Central Russian city who quit pro-Kremlin party United Russia was detained late Tuesday on suspicion of extorting hundreds of thousands...

Scientists Slam Academy Reform

Researchers demand more time for discussion of a government-backed bill that would enact major reforms at the Academy of Sciences.

Embattled Navalny Kicks Off Mayoral Run

Anti-Kremlin leader Alexei Navalny rolled out his Moscow mayoral campaign at a downtown hotel on Monday in the company of hundreds of supporters,...

Meningitis Cases Seasonal, Not Sign of Epidemic, Doctors Say

At least 120 new cases of meningitis, mostly in children, were reported this week in eight cities, including Moscow, but doctors said that the incidence...

Khodorkovsky Marks 50th Behind Bars

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former owner of defunct oil giant Yukos, spent his 50th birthday Wednesday behind bars after spending nearly 10 years in prison...

12 Suspects Deny Charges as Bolotnoye Trial Begins

A Moscow court on Tuesday opened the trial of 12 people suspected of taking part in "riots" and clashing with police at a now-infamous anti-government...

Duma Passes Anti-Piracy Bill in Final Reading

The State Duma on Friday passed a bill combating film piracy on the Internet in the crucial second and final third reading.

Long List of Suspects in Yakunin Hoax

Russian Railways chief Vladimir Yakunin on Thursday attributed rumors of his voluntary resignation to a fight for control over large-scale projects...

Navalny Defiant in KirovLes Testimony

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny took the stand in court on Monday, denying charges that he stole 10,000 cubic meters of timber from KirovLes in 2009...

Navalny Tries to Boot Judge From KirovLes Trial

The trial against opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his business partner Pyotr Ofitserov on embezzlement charges entered its 12th day on Monday, with...

Mayoral Vote Set for Sept. 8 as Candidates Rush to Prepare

Opposition leaders Alexei Navalny, Sergei Udaltsov and businessman Mikhail Prokhorov are left with little time to prepare campaigns.

Exam Leaks May Lead to Inquiry

The Education Ministry has asked law enforcement agencies to examine a leak onto the Internet of answers to the Unified State Exam currently being...

Kasparov 'Refrains' From Returning to Russia Over Bolotnoye Case Fears

Garry Kasparov, the world chess champion-turned-political-opposition-stalwart, told a news conference in Geneva that he would not return to Russia...

Court Extends Detention of Drivers' Rights Activist

A Moscow region court on Friday extended the detention of a drivers' rights defender who failed to yield on a packed highway to the car of a senior...

Mammoth Corpse and Blood Found on Arctic Island (Photo)

A well-preserved mammoth corpse and a sample of mammoth blood found recently on an Arctic island have given Siberian scientists hope that they may be able...

Zhirinovsky Warns Children Against Homosexuality

Flamboyant politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky gave a lesson to Moscow teenagers Wednesday on how to lead a proper sexual life, warning them against homosexuality...

Strict Measures in Works to Boost Population

Senior federal officials on Tuesday discussed at the Kremlin the country's draft plan for the next 12 years to support families with children and ultimately...

United Russia Conference Lauds Results of Party's Work

The ruling United Russia party kicked off a massive two-day forum with members from regional branches in Moscow on Friday, where it lauded its social...

Witness in Navalny Trial Backs Prosecutors' Allegations

A witness in the trial on large-scale embezzlement charges against opposition blogger Alexei Navalny testified Thursday that the defendant had offered...

Putin Gets Helicopter Landing Pad at Kremlin

President Vladimir Putin will soon start arriving at the Kremlin by helicopter in an attempt to appease drivers who blame his motorcade for creating...

80 Kilograms of 'Heroin' Seized on Dushanbe-Moscow Train

Eighty kilograms of presumed heroin has been found packed in plastic bottles aboard a train traveling from the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, to Moscow...

YouTube Loses Lawsuit Over Blacklisted Video

A Moscow court on Monday upheld a November order of the Federal Consumer Protection Service to ban a YouTube video based on allegations that it...

City Hall Official Killed in 'Contract-Style' Hit

A senior Moscow official was found dead Friday on the stairs of his apartment building in the town of Oryol, the victim of what investigators called...

International Commission to Probe May 6 Violence

Several international human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have created a commission to investigate the violence...

Witnesses in Navalny Trial Say No Coercion

Four prosecution witnesses in the embezzlement trial against opposition leader Alexei Navalny told the court Friday that they had not been pressured...

Police and 'Masked Men' Triggered May 6 Bolotnaya Violence, Inquiry Says

A public inquiry has vindicated the protesters at an authorized anti-Kremlin rally on Bolotnaya Ploshchad last May and accused police and unidentified...

Sochi Volunteers Revving Up for Olympics

Ten months before the start of the 2014 Winter Games, the 25,000 people who will volunteer in Sochi are starting their training.

Medvedev Defends Heavily Criticized Education Policies

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the State Duma on Wednesday that he would not fire Education and Science Minister Dmitry Livanov in response to fierce...

Officials' Income Declarations Released

Income declarations for 2012 for the president, members of the presidential administration, government officials and Federation Council officials were...

Orthodox Church Teams Up With State to Teach Migrants Russian

The Russian Orthodox Church and the Federal Migration Service have joined forces to teach migrants Russian language and culture in what could be an attempt...

Governor's Favorite Declared Mayoral Vote Winner

Governor Andrei Vorobyov's preferred candidate was on Monday declared the winner of a small town mayoral election marred by allegations of widespread...

Litmus Test Election Reveals Flaws

This town of 100,000 people, 25 kilometers southeast of the capital, elected its mayor on Sunday in an election marred by numerous reports of falsifications...

Unannounced Checks of NGOs Persist

Prosecutors on Wednesday continued performing unannounced inspections of nongovernmental organizations, checking the Moscow offices of three prominent...

Accusations of Plagiarism Become a Political Weapon

Members of the political opposition often accuse state officials of grandiose misdeeds, such as falsifying election results, stealing millions from state...

Prosecutor General Chaika Picks Presumed Successor

Prosecutor General Yury Chaika has chosen a former St. Petersburg chief prosecutor, who until Monday served as the presidential envoy to the Northwest...

Dmitrichenko Was 'Coerced,' Source Says

Bolshoi Ballet dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko could have been "physically coerced" into confessing that he ordered the acid attack on the theater's artistic...

Dancer Confesses in Bolshoi Acid Attack

Bolshoi ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko and two accomplices have partially confessed to organizing the January acid attack on Bolshoi ballet director...

Life Expectancy in Russia Is Stagnant, Study Says

Russia saw virtually no increase in life expectancy from 1990 to 2010 and lagged behind more than 100 countries in the key health statistic over that...

Moscow State University's Reputation Back in Top 50

Moscow State University regained a spot among the world's 50 most reputable institutions of higher learning, according to Times Higher Education magazine's...

Russians Savor Kerry's Description of 'Stupid' Americans

A first meeting between new U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov might have been a key development in tense U.S.-Russian...

Re-Elected, Zyuganov Defends Stalin's Grave

Gennady Zyuganov, re-elected Saturday as leader of the Communist Party, a position he’s held for 17 years, said Tuesday that public calls to remove Stalin’s...

Child Welfare Bill Sparks Fears Among Parents

A bill redefining the conditions under which children can be seized from so-called "socially vulnerable families" has provoked fear among critics that...

U.S. to Assist in Probe of Adopted Russian Boy's Death

The U.S. State Department will assist in Russia's probe into the January death of a 3-year-old Russian boy adopted by an American woman, a spokesman...

Rogozin Tasked With Meteorite Prevention

In light of the meteorite blast that sent shock waves through the Ural Mountains city of Chelyabinsk on Friday, leaving more than a thousand people injured...

Opposition Leader Udaltsov Put Under House Arrest

A Moscow court on Saturday placed outspoken leftist opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov under house arrest in connection with criminal charges that he...

Population Declines for 20th Straight Year

The government reported on Wednesday that there were around 2,500 more deaths than births in Russia last year, representing a steep decline in the natural...

Liberal Activist Slams Investigators in Written Testimony Ahead of Questioning

Former liberal opposition leader Leonid Gozman was questioned Monday as part of the criminal case against outspoken opposition leader and corruption...

Stalingrad Victory Commemorated

Russia on Saturday celebrated the 70th anniversary of the decisive Soviet victory over the Nazis in the Battle of Stalingrad amid talk of the revival...

After Attack, Rivalries at Bolshoi Draw Scrutiny

Ballet may be high art onstage, but last month's acid attack on Bolshoi Ballet chief Sergei Filin has drawn attention to the fact that it's a dirty...

Bolshoi Director Describes Bid to Flee Attacker

In his first comments since a horrific acid attack, Bolshoi Theater artistic director Sergei Filin described how he tried to flee but was overpowered...

Deputies Argue Over Adoption Ban on First Day of Session

On the State Duma's first day back to work this year, deputies sparred over whether to abolish a ban on adoptions of Russian children by American...

Putin Intends to Sign Adoptions Ban

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said he intends to sign a controversial bill that would ban U.S. adoptions of Russian children for the indefinite...

3 on Hunger Strike Over School Merger

Students and professors barricaded themselves inside a Moscow university on Wednesday, with three teachers declaring a hunger strike, after the government...

Acquittal Nears for Magnitsky Suspect

A prosecutor on Monday requested that the only remaining defendant in whistle-blowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky's death be acquitted of criminal negligence...

Building and Utilities Agency Head Resigns With 5 Deputies

Deputy Regional Development Minister Vladimir Kogan, the head of the Federal Agency for Construction and Utilities and a close ally of President Vladimir...

Coping With Cancer: Russians Show Generosity to Sick Compatriots

When classmates of 17-year-old Rita Alkayeva found out she had been diagnosed with bone cancer and needed millions of rubles for treatment, they were...

Coping With Cancer: Desperate Patients Seek Care Abroad

Maria Gritsai had run out of options. Having been diagnosed with late-stage cervical cancer, treated with chemotherapy, and told by her Russian doctors...

Coping With Cancer: Patients Struggle in Faulty State System

When Maria Gritsai was diagnosed with late-stage cervical cancer, she didn't spend much time grieving. She knew she had to act fast.

Experts Dismiss Population Rise as Momentary Blip

In his first address to parliament as president on Wednesday, Vladimir Putin is likely to reiterate that improving Russia's demographic situation will...

TV News Anchor Shot Dead in Nalchik

A popular local TV anchor was shot dead in the North Caucasus republic of Kabardino-Balkaria in what investigators and observers interpreted as a warning...

Jail Revolt Prompts Call for Punishment

Staff at Kopeisk's Penal Colony No. 6, where hundreds of prisoners revolted for two days last month over inhumane treatment and extortion, should be...

Big Traffic Jam Has Officials Pointing Fingers

A 70-kilometer traffic jam that crippled a major highway over the weekend leads to top officials playing the blame game.

City Criticized as Snow Paralyzes Traffic

Moscow traffic was crippled for a second consecutive day Friday, as freezing rain added to the difficulties caused by Thursday's massive snowfall, feeding...

European Court to Question Russia Over Razvozzhayev

The European Court of Human Rights has asked Russia and Ukraine to provide information about the criminal case against opposition activist Leonid Razvozzhayev...

Former Agriculture Minister Figures in $16M Fraud Case

The Interior Ministry on Wednesday named former Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik as a witness in a criminal investigation into a $16 million fraud...

Mirzayev Freed on Time Served

Mixed martial arts fighter Rasul "Black Tiger" Mirzayev, who fatally struck a man who ostensibly made a pass at his girlfriend outside a nightclub...

Hundreds of Inmates Strike at Chelyabinsk Prison

At least 250 prisoners were on strike in the Chelyabinsk region for a second day Sunday, demanding a more relaxed prison regime.

NGOs Preparing Bills to Address Domestic Violence




A package of bills that would protect women, children and the elderly from domestic violence is being drafted, activists said at a...

Samutsevich Threatens Past Pussy Riot Lawyers

Yekaterina Samutsevich, the Pussy Riot rocker released from jail last month, is thinking about requesting that three of the band's former lawyers be stripped...

Pussy Riot Lawyers Quit Rockers' Case

The lawyers for two jailed members of punk band Pussy Riot announced Monday that they would no longer be representing the women, saying they believed...

Pilot Sentenced for Crashing Accident-Prone Plane

A Far Eastern court on Wednesday sentenced a former IrAero airline pilot to 1 1/2 years of travel restrictions for violating air safety rules when crash-landing...

Physicist Convicted of Espionage Gets Parole

Valentin Danilov, a Siberian physicist jailed on charges of espionage and treason amid a spying frenzy that swept the country in President Vladimir Putin's...

'Adaptation Center' to Help Migrants Integrate

Russia’s largest association of migrants opened an “adaptation center” in Moscow on Monday that will help workers from other countries learn Russian...

Gerasimov New Head of General Staff

Recently appointed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday named Colonel General Valery Gerasimov the new head of the General Staff, which wields operational...

Putin Fires Defense Minister Amid Scandal

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday fired Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov in connection with a corruption scandal and appointed Moscow Governor Sergei...

Putin Endorses Plan to Create Super University

President Vladimir Putin has agreed to create a new university capable of securing a spot in top international rankings by merging two existing universities...

3 Moscow Policemen Accused of Stabbing Azeri Man 77 Times

Three Moscow police officers and an unemployed associate have been detained on suspicion of killing a Caucasus native by stabbing him at least 77 times...

Corruption Risk Seen in State's Funding of Nonprofit Groups

Transparency International, an anti-corruption watchdog, said Thursday that a government program to distribute funds to socially oriented nonprofit...

Opposition Governor Questioned in Moscow

Moscow authorities have questioned Kirov Governor Nikita Belykh on suspicion of misappropriating more than $3.5 million from a now-defunct opposition...

Investigators Open Criminal Case Against Udaltsov

Investigators opened a criminal case Wednesday against opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov and several other activists on suspicion of plotting riots, an...

United Russia Heavily Favored in Regional Votes

The first popular gubernatorial elections since 2005 were held Sunday in five regions, with the ruling party's candidates expected to win in all of them...

One Pussy Riot Member Freed by Moscow Court

A Moscow court on Wednesday released one member of punk band Pussy Riot and upheld two-year prison terms for the other two members convicted of hooliganism...

Putin Signs Law Creating Single Voting Day in September

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed a law introducing a single voting day for regional and federal elections, a measure that opposition politicians...

Pussy Riot Hearing Delayed After Rocker Fires Lawyer

One of the three Pussy Riot rockers convicted of hooliganism in mid-August fired her lawyer, delaying an appeal hearing, in what could be the result of...

Investigators Grill Pussy Riot Painters

Organizers of a pro-Pussy Riot art show faced questioning Tuesday, as pressure grew against supporters of the punk band.

Ponomaryov Barred From Speaking in Duma for a Month

The State Duma on Friday voted to suspend the right of an opposition lawmaker to speak in parliament for a month and named the head of a newly formed committee...

Chemist Caught Up in Poppy-Seed-Trafficking Case

A Moscow court on Tuesday freed a chemist from pretrial detention who is accused of assisting importers of allegedly drug-containing poppy seeds...

Ponomaryov Faces Voting Suspension

The State Duma's ethics commission on Monday recommended that Deputy Ilya Ponomaryov's right to speak in parliament be suspended for one month after he...

Russia Puts Renewed Hope in Repatriation Program

President Vladimir Putin has revised the state's repatriation program, simplifying the process for former compatriots to move back to Russia and bring...

MMM Founder Mavrodi Creates Political Party

The creator of the MMM financial pyramids, Sergei Mavrodi, has created a political party with the bizarre and grandiose goal of causing a "world...

Medvedev Calls for Pussy Riot Release

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday called for the early release of jailed members of the Pussy Riot punk band.

Claim of Lost An-2 Signal Prompts New Search

A radio hobbyist's claim to have recently captured distress signals from an An-2 biplane that went missing in the Ural Mountains three months ago prompted...

Pentecostal Church Looted, Razed

A telephone call woke up Natalya Cherevichnik, 25, a parishioner of a Moscow Pentecostal church, at about 3 a.m. A fellow worshipper told her that...