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Far East Court Acquits Human Rights Activist of ‘Discrediting’ Army Charges

“This is an absolutely unexpected victory,” activist Nadezhda Nizovkina told independent media.

‘They Are Just Humans’: Exiled Lama on Why Russia’s Buddhist Clergy Support the War

Lama Baldan Bazarov is one of only a few Russian Buddhist clerks to have condemned the invasion of Ukraine publicly.

Russian Regions Cancel New Year’s Office Parties to Support Soldiers in Ukraine

Extravagant New Year’s celebrations, a staple of the Russian holiday season, have already been scaled back or canceled across much of the country since...

opinion Maria Vyushkova

Putin Pulls From Stalin’s Playbook in Sending North Koreans Disguised as Buryats to Ukraine

Buryats' role in the Korean War and the Russian invasion of Ukraine are two episodes of the same story: an Indigenous minority being exploited in imperial...

Russia’s Buryatia Scraps Mayoral Elections in Capital City

Instead of being elected in direct municipal elections, the mayor of Ulan-Ude will now be selected by a local council.

Russian Court Fines Activist for Interview With ‘Undesirable’ Media

Activist Nadezhda Nizovkina was fined 5,000 rubles for appearing on air with the independent TV channel Dozhd.

Head of Russia's Buryatia Moves to Scrap Mayoral Elections in Regional Capital

Instead of direct elections, Buryatia’s head Alexei Tsydenov proposed that the mayor of Ulan-Ude be elected by the city council.

Plans to Fell Forest for Mega-Prison in Siberia’s Ulan-Ude Roil Public

Experts warn the prison, which will see 80 hectares of forest cut down in what locals call "the lungs of the city," will harm residents' well-being.

Kyiv Says Sabotaged Russian Railway in Siberia

A Ukrainian source claimed Kyiv was responsible for an explosion on Wednesday involving a train transiting the Siberian republic of Buryatia.

Russian Man Who Faked Death to Avoid Ukraine War Handed 5-Year Sentence

Zorigto Arabzhaev was found guilty of deserting a military outpost at a time of mobilization.

Russia Jails Buryat Activist 7 Years in Absentia for ‘War Fakes’

Authorities accused activist Alexandra Garmazhapova of spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian Armed Forces.

Art and Music of Russia’s Indigenous Peoples Comes Into Spotlight in Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s bustling Red Light District has plenty to offer to visitors on a Saturday evening, but a showcase of art and music of Russia’s...

Russia Bans Minority Advocacy Group Free Buryatia

The NGO was created in March 2022 and focuses on the rights of mobilized Buryats — an ethnic minority in Siberia — and provides them with legal advice...

Russia Pulls Thousands of Soviet-Era Military Vehicles From Major Storage Facility

The military equipment depot outside of Ulan-Ude has seen over 40% of its Soviet-era tanks and armored vehicles removed since the start of the war in Ukraine...

Languages in Russia Disappearing Faster than Data Suggests, Activists Warn

While Russia's 2021 census might help identify linguistic trends, experts argue it fails to capture the real number of active language users.

Russia Places Leading Buryat Activist On Wanted List

The Russian authorities have placed Alexandra Garmazhapova, the head of the Free Buryatia Foundation, on its wanted list, independent news website Mediazona...

opinion Dina Toroyeva

How the Pope's Racist Comments Parrot Russian Propaganda

In an interview with America Magazine published on Monday, Pope Francis off-handedly disparaged Russia's Buryat and Chechen ethnic minorities, characterizing...

150 Siberian Soldiers Refuse Ukraine Deployment, Activist Says

“You made the right choice: you saved your lives and the lives of others!”

‘This War Is a Vampire’: Buryat Activists Protest Ukraine Invasion

“When Ukrainians talk about Russian troops, they always mention Buryats and Chechens,” one activist said. “We do not want this reputation.”

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