Tag: Maidan

Assimilation of Russians by Other Nations ‘Not a Myth,’ Nationalist Says

April 14, 2014

Staunton, April 13 – For the last several years, many Russian commentators have talked about Russians who have converted to Islam and thereby become even more anti-Russian than ordinary Muslims. Now, a Russian nationalist is focusing on the reality that at least some ethnic Russians are assimilating to other nations and following the same path. […]

Russians Back Putin on Crimea but Aren’t Ready to Suffer the Consequences, Gudkov Says

April 10, 2014

Staunton, April 10 – The majority of Russians support the annexation of Crimea but do not understand the implications of that action and are “not willing to suffer the consequences,” according to Lev Gudkov, the head of the Levada Center, the leading independent polling group in the Russian Federation. In a report issued this week, […]

Neither Putin Nor Obama Wants to Be Known as the One Who ‘Lost’ Ukraine, Mirsky Says

April 9, 2014

Staunton, April 9 – A major reason the crisis in Ukraine is now so dangerous, Georgy Mirsky says, is that “neither [Russian President Vladimir] Putin nor [US President Barack] Obama wants to go into history as the politician who ‘lost’ Ukraine, although [that country] does not belong to either the one or the other.” Crimea […]

Sources of Russia’s ‘Eternal Return’ to Past Patterns Examined by Moscow Sociologists

Staunton, April 6 – Ten days ago, the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences hosted a symposium on “Russia’s Paths: The New Old Order – an Eternal Return,” a subject this institution has examined before but one that, according to a report published at the end of last week, has acquired new importance. The […]

Day 41: Russian-Trained Snipers Killed Maidan Protesters

March 30, 2014

Exclusive photos and videos obtained by the Daily Beast expose the Russian-trained state killers behind the sniper deaths on Maidan. Vitali Klitschko has announced he will not run for President as Ukraine continues to plan for increased Russian military intervention. Yesterday’s liveblog can be found here. For an overview and analysis of this developing story […]

Russia This Week: Distorting the News (March 24-28)

March 28, 2014

Russians continue to protest the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine following a mass march against Putin’s forcible annexation of Crimea last week. (Go here and here for the last weeks’ news.) Defendants in the Bolotnaya Case charged with “instigating riots” remain on trial. The Russian government continues to make moves to suppress dissent, chiefly by blocking […]

Inside Russian Federation, Russians Upset About Cost of Crimea; Non-Russians Angry about Rights

March 27, 2014

Staunton, March 27 – Even though polls show Vladimir Putin’s approval rating close to its highest level ever, his Anschluss of Crimea is upsetting many citizens of the Russian Federation, with ethnic Russians at least so far concerned mostly about its cost and non-Russians upset about the rights Moscow says it is defending in Crimea […]

Major Role of Protestant Christians in New Ukrainian Government Disturbs Russians

March 25, 2014

Staunton, March 25 – Members of Protestant Christian denominations are playing a major role in the new Ukrainian government, from acting president Aleksandr Turchinov, who is a Baptist, on down, a development that these denominations are celebrating but that some Russians see a threat to what they call “the Russian world.” Ukraine sits astride cultural […]

Ukraine Liveblog Day 27: Referendum Day

March 16, 2014

Crimea has gone to the polls today to decide, nominally at least, between joining the Russian Federation or reverting to the 1992 Crimean consitution (a declaration of independence from Ukraine in all but name). The referendum has been condemned by both the Ukrainian government and almost all foreign states bar Venezuela, Syria and North Korea. […]