Sociologist Denis Sokolov, an anthropologist and senior researcher for the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, has traveled to the Russian Caucasus and the Donbass to interview warlords to find out what factors sustain them. He finds not so much confirmation of the poverty theory of the “root causes of terrorism” but […]
Due to the high price of the construction at Sochi, some investors are worried that they will not be able to recoup their costs. In order to avoid default, some have advocated for the construction of casinos and the creation of a “gambling zone.” However, President Putin is against the idea. — Ed. Russian President […]
This article in Forbes Russia predates yesterday’s surprising news that Ukrainian President Yanukovych has signed a $15 billion deal with Russia that has Russia buying Ukrainian government bonds and has Russia slashing the cost of natural gas from $400 per 1,000 to $268.5 per 1,000 cubic meters. As the BBC notes, this will not be […]
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, an independent Russian daily newspaper, shines a spotlight on another one of Russia’s neighbors, Belarus. – Ed. Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko has acknowledged the woeful state of the national economy, but stopped short of admitting his own complicity in it. Experts regard the failure of the current president’s socio-economic policy as the cause of […]
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, an independent newspaper, publishes this analysis by the FBK Institute of Strategic Analysis, a pro-business financial analysis company. They argue that Russia’s deepening economic crisis has forced the government to debate moving to a progressive tax, which could hurt Russian business interests. It’s an interesting read, though there may be problems with the […]
In recent months, the Russian Far East has been devastated by historic floods in recent months, and authorities have only allocated 6 billion rubles (about $188 million) to help relieve more than 25,000 households that have been affected and nearly 600,000 hectares (about 2300 square miles) of destroyed farmland. Now, the weather is dropping below […]
A prominent Russian businessman and former State Duma deputy Konstantin Borovoy writes this editorial for Echo Moskvy, a liberal online newspaper. At face value, it is an apocalyptic scare piece, but there is also insight about the geographical integrity of Russia. With the Russian economy sagging, there are now significant structural problems in many of […]
Interfax has published an article suggesting that despite the fact that the Russian economy could be sliding into recession, the Russian people are generally more upbeat about the situation. The cite a study done by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM). However, looking at VCIOM’s latest data from September (see graph below) it is […]
The pro-Kremlin “Kommersant” publishes this assessment of the latest stalemate in the World Trade Organization, which suggests that the WTO is in a stalemate and is at risk of falling apart because of the policies of the European Union and the United States. This is in direct contrast with the assessment of Business News Europe which blames […]
A bill has been submitted to the State Duma that proposes to provide education to children of migrant workers only if their parents submit a certificate from the tax authorities that they are residents for tax purposes and have paid taxes in Russia for at least one year prior to their child enrollment in a […]
