Russia to use hi-tech against terror

May 19, 2013 Boris Egorov, RIR

“Killer robots" and other high-tech antiterror equipment are being developed in Russia and other countries. They have already received criticism from Human Right Watch

Gorodki: traditional Russian folk game

May 19, 2013 Darya Kalikina, specially for RIR

A popular 19th-century backyard game that became a sport and then all but died out is enjoying a renaissance. What on earth is gorodki? Why is it so addictive? And what skills does it develop?

Why Putin wants U.S. bases in Afghanistan

May 19, 2013 Michael Bohm, The Moscow Times

The security that the U.S. provides to Russia’s southern borders is so important to the Kremlin that Putin is willing to refrain from his trademark, overblown anti-U.S. rhetoric

Moscow, Washington downplay scandal involving US “spy”

Moscow, Washington downplay scandal involving US “spy”

May 18, 2013 Ivan Sukhov, ITAR-TASS

The Cold War era is long gone, but it might be useful to architects of bilateral relations to keep in mind key priorities and not to let the excesses, such as the latest spy scandal, wreck their strategic plans

Museum Night set for Saturday

Museum Night set for Saturday

May 17, 2013 Kevin O’Flynn, The Moscow News

Museum Night is in its seventh year and more than 200 museums are participating

Road trips off the beaten track

May 17, 2013 Viktoria Golovkina, Strana.ru

Driving across the vast landmass of Russia in places such as the Arctic Kola Peninsula and the Kalmyk Steppe can be a magical experience

Politics
Fading away into oblivion

Fading away into oblivion

May 13, 2013 Stanislav Kuvaldin, specially for RIR

The most vocal opponents of the Russian president have not been able to gather the kind of mass support that they had hoped for since they started protesting last year’s election

12 months of Putin’s presidency

May 12, 2013 RIA Novosti

Vladimir Putin’s first year in his latest term as president has been highly eventful. Here is a look at the most notable facts and quotations of the past 12 months

Kremlin’s long term ideologue Surkov leaves government

May 8, 2013 Anna Arutunyan, The Moscow News

The news comes soon after a publicised dispute broke out between Surkov, widely seen as the creative force behind the Skolkovo innovation hub, and Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin

Special projects
Top Russian Startups

Top Russian Startups

Karma Bhoomi

Karma Bhoomi

Russian flavours

Russian flavours

Education in Russia

Education in Russia

Economics

Russia looks to boost domestic auto production

May 16, 2013 Fyodor Kikta, specially for RIR

For the last decade the government had skillfully been using a carrot-and-stick approach to get major auto giants to produce cars (and eventually – car parts) in Russia

Carmakers turn to BRICS for growth

May 16, 2013 Alexander Panin, The Moscow Times

Despite a moderate downturn in car sales seen in Russia from the beginning of the year, the country is a critical automobile market, which is projected to surpass Germany in the future

5 questions on Russian S-300 missile system sales to Syria

May 15, 2013 Alexey Eremenko, RIA Novosti

If fresh media reports are true, Russia may soon provide Damascus – or already has – with advanced S-300 air defense systems, tipping the balance in the devastating 26-month conflict. But the “if” is a big one

Opinion
Alexei Kudrin, Kommersant

A thorough approach to changing economic policy

April 30, 2013

Russia's former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin explains why injections of money into mega modernisation projects are not enough, and how the country can change its business climate and motivate the entrepreneurial class

Yevgeny Shestakov, specially for RIR

Russia’s Afghanistan conundrum

April 29, 2013

The defence and foreign ministries deny reports of Moscow sending troops to the war-ravaged country but Russian economic contributions could create welcome changes in Afghanistan

Society
Hardships of growing up in the USSR

Hardships of growing up in the USSR

May 15, 2013 Elena Revinskaya, specially for RIR

Bangalore-based Elena Revinskaya reflects on the difficulties she faced in Soviet Siberia just before the fall of the communist regime

Volgograd: When gay bashers kill

May 14, 2013 Natalya Antonova, The Moscow News

The brutal murder of a gay man in Volgograd over the weekend has caused an outrage in Russia with some pointing fingers at politicians behind anti-gay legislation

Shaking off the Gulag legacy

May 11, 2013 Daria Zagvozdina, specially for RIR

Calls are growing from human rights activists and government officials to reform the Russian prison system.

Culture
Visa-free entry for Sochi Olympians

Visa-free entry for Sochi Olympians

The Russian government will allow 3-month visa-free travel for athletes, coaches, referees and foreign delegations taking part in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games

Travel
Summer treat for heritage-lovers

Summer treat for heritage-lovers

May 13, 2013 William Brumfield, specially for RIR

One of the largest open-air museums in the country, Malye Korely is located on high bluffs overlooking the Northern Dvina River some 15 miles south of Arkhangelsk

The Moscow Zoo: good for the kids, good for the mood

May 5, 2013 Natalya Antonova, The Moscow News

Moscow's 21-hectare zoo, the largest in Russia, somehow manages to fit into the city centre, while at the same time providing a decent, respectable environment for both the animals and the visitors

Sport
Visa-free entry for Sochi Olympians

Visa-free entry for Sochi Olympians

May 17, 2013 Roman Vorobyov, RIR

The Russian government will allow 3-month visa-free travel for athletes, coaches, referees and foreign delegations taking part in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games

Indian boxers to take part in Khabarovsk tournament

May 14, 2013 Alexander Korablinov, specially for RIR

After serving an AIBA suspension, a ten-man squad looks to gain much-needed international exposure in the Konstantin Korotkov Memorial International tournament

Successful test run held for Sochi 2014

May 9, 2013 Rossiyskaya Gazeta

Russia’s deputy prime minister, Dmitry Kozak, and president of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, Dmitry Chernyshenko, talks about the results of test competitions for next year's Winter Olympics

CSKA at 90: Storied past, bright future

May 7, 2013 Timur Ganeev, specially for RIR

The Central Army Sports Club (CSKA) has won major international championships in the widely popular sports of soccer, basketball and hockey. Legendary Russian athletes tell RIR why they feel they owe their success to this long-lived club

Blogs
It’s all about Soft Power

It’s all about Soft Power

May 14, 2013 Ajay Kamalakaran

To take Indo-Russian relations to the next level, both countries need to harness their soft power and reach out to the masses

Foreign policy and jingoism don’t go together

May 13, 2013 M K Bhadrakumar

The underlying criticism that India is ineffectual in imposing its will on the international community is untenable in the prevailing international system characterized by growing “multipolarity”

Reflections on Victory Day

May 9, 2013 Ajay Kamalakaran

In Russia, May 9 is a day to reflect on the great sacrifices committed by the brave men and women of the Soviet Union, who fought till death to defeat Nazi Germany

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