Category talk:Russia

Disclaimer

 * "Умом Россию не понять,
 * Аршином общим не измерить:
 * У ней особенная стать —
 * В Россию можно только верить".


 * Ф. И. Тютчев.


 * You will not grasp her with your mind
 * Or cover with a common label,
 * For Russia is one of a kind –
 * Believe in her, if you are able...
 * (translated by Anatoly Liberman) --Resup (talk) 13:44, 7 March 2015 (UTC)




 * I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia.
 * It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma;
 * but perhaps there is a key.
 * That key is Russian national interest.


 * Winston Churchill

-- Petri Krohn (talk) 18:53, 7 March 2015 (UTC)

Short Stories
Film director Pavel Lungin (PL) recalls meeting dissident writer Andrei Siniavskii, who was imprisoned in Gulag, than emigrated to France. Siniavskii, sitting in a bar in Paris, sipping some wine: now listen Pavel, -- the happiest time I ever had, it was in Gulag.
 * (PL) how come ???
 * (S) we were really happy there, everything was so pure, like no moneys, no women ... --Resup (talk) 04:56, 16 March 2015 (UTC)

National Idea?
After the fall of socialism (which followed the fall of traditional society and tzarism), there was no replacement; and extreme Russian version of capitalism has not become a unifying idea. Lack of national idea was mentioned and discussed by members of Yeltsin government, but no serious suggestion was made. In that background, Putin explicitly offered patriotism as (a/the) 'national idea' (the national unifying "-ism") at a meeting with entrepreneurs from the so called 'Club of Leaders'. TASS, Feb. 3, 2016.
 * The previous, pre-socialist one was "Православие, самодержавие, народность", proposed by Uvarov during the reign of tzar Nicolai 1. This translates as "Orthodoxy (Russian Christian O.), autocracy (tzarism), nationalism" (народность here means being close to people and traditions).
 * --Resup (talk) 01:02, 4 February 2016 (UTC)

Geopolitics
Marianna Belenkaya -TASS attempts to explain lifting of S-300 sales to Iran, and abstention vote on Yemen, from geopolitical perspective; "multi-vector" and "..openly against policies of Washington..." are key words used in the article. --Resup (talk) 13:42, 19 April 2015 (UTC)

26.11.15 Hollande to arrive to Moscow on Thursday after visiting Obama, presumably in an attempt to bring about a broad anti-IS coalition. Tuesday presser with Obama, however, suggests that the US does not see a need for a new coalition, and that while the existing one is open to Russia, she needs to change her behavior (dropping support for Assad, or making sure that he chooses not to run in the elections). Such line is clearly not going to work, as this would be politically suicidal. There is nowhere remotely near the level of pressure to bring about a harakiri of such sort (and it is impossible to have required levels). On the other hand, the Western coalition is not prepared to do the job itself, as airstrikes cannot possibly reverse vast territorial gains in a land with significant number of civilian inhabitants. Only President Putin and the Supreme Leader Khamenei have the actual presence on the ground.

So apparently the real plan of the Empire is Chaos. Hollande may try, and succeed, to have an appearance of a broad coalition. There is good chemistry and strong cultural connection. But at this point, the players are too preoccupied with their own interests to really work together as one team for a common good. --Resup (talk) 00:43, 26 November 2015 (UTC)

Lavrov says, in essence, that EU foreign policy is under US control (and that he would wish it to be otherwise) RIA. (Graphics show results of Sputnik/Populus poll, showing that respondents believed that ordinary people have no or little influence over their country foreign policy.) --Resup (talk) 19:44, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

Ukraine and Syria

 * Telephone call, Obama-Putin, Feb 14, 2016 Kremlin read-out, translation. Syria (support Munich decisions) and Ukraine (fulfill Minsk) were discussed.
 * --Resup (talk) 12:03, 14 February 2016 (UTC)


 * (Of all places), Steinmeier is to meet Kerry in Moscow, and hopes to have a meeting wiht Putin as well, according to TASS--Resup (talk) 09:15, 23 March 2016 (UTC)


 * Kerry interview to TASS (Eng) (provides 'distorting mirrors' description on Ukraine, Poroshenko troops are fired on, etc). --Resup (talk) 11:44, 25 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Kerry claimed that Kiev is doing things and passed laws on amnesty and special status. Well, Rada did pass  some amnesty law (September 2014), but that law only covered period from 22 February 2014 to 16 September 2014. I am not aware that another amnesty law was passed after Minsk 2 was signed.  Of course it is insufficient, in law and in practice (which as we know is bad).  Passing another law is required in item 5 of Minsk-2 agreement, that was not done as far as I am aware. Regarding special status, there was a law of temporary nature pre Minsk 2, but constitutional amendments required in part 11 of Minsk-2 were not fulfilled.  (Strange that TASS interviewer just nodded in agreement throughout. That was before meeting with Putin, so it was like, well, whatever you say, or something). --Resup (talk) 12:13, 25 March 2016 (UTC)

Belarus

 * All top Russian leadership gathered in Minsk. Putin -Lukashenko joint press conference describe talks and decisions of a 'supreme council of a Union State' (Russia and Belarus), and (double-labeling?) inter-state cooperation agreements, economic, military, political --RT report and video--Resup (talk) 16:51, 25 February 2016 (UTC)

Turkey
Aug. 9, 2016. Putin and Erdogan met in St. Petersburg. Relations normalized after an apology by Erdogan, Russian support after the coup, and some back channel diplomacy. According to İbrahim Kalın, the spokesman for Erdoğan, businessman “Cavit Çağlar played a very important role” in solving the crisis, as well as Kazakhstan leader “Nursultan Nazarbayev, who showed great friendship to Turkey” and “the patriotic initiative taken by Gen. Hulusi Akar, the Chief of General Staff despite the area being out of his responsibility". At the press conference, big economic projects (Northern stream, Akkuyu nuclear power station ) appear back on track. Syria was to be discussed after the press conference, with difference of approaches remaining but a common solution sought, according to statements made. --Resup (talk) 23:28, 9 August 2016 (UTC)

Russia/USA
A bit more interaction as both are involved in Syria.

Chances of Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko ( Russians extradited and sentenced to prison terms in USA on weapons/drugs trafficking charges) being released in a swap deal involving Savchenko, Erofeev, and Alexandrov are discussed in Russian sources, Interfax, Apr. 22, 2016. Previously, some talk on that by Russian FM spokeswoman, and in (overall critical of the government) comments by the opposition. Unsure how realistic is such swap; but seems plausible that Russia is trying to have it; and remains to be seen how it turns out. Russia never clearly stated that releasing Savchenko is going to happen, but appears to be open for some sort of bargain, at least. Can be a broader trust-building step, if it happens (though unsure it will)--Resup(talk) 12:23, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

One more visit of Kerry to Moscow on 14-15 July 2016, Ukraine and Syria. For one thing, Ukraine can be solved, -by putting really harsh pressure on UKRAINE to fulfill Minsk agreements. It is really no mystery who is not following agreements, yet for as long as it is more politically profitable to keep blaming Russia nothing good will come out. It is not happening because there is no political will in the US to do it in the first place. So what's the point for yet another visit to Moscow? As they say, empty talk is not taxed. With Syria, it's more complicated. With Aleppo rebels surrounded, some tactical advantage on Russian side, but that's about it, and unlikely a solution in a near future. --Resup (talk) 21:57, 12 July 2016 (UTC)
 * 'Unable to stop Syria’s war, US offers Russia new partnership', Washington Post, 14 July 2016.
 * Kerry and Lavrov meetings lasted over 10 hours in total. At present, USA taken a pause for consultations (TASS)., 15 July 2016.  --Resup (talk) 18:48, 15 July 2016 (UTC)
 * Lavrov press conference comments after the meeting- (TASS) (full). Mostly on Syria; direct negotiations advocated for both Syria and Ukraine, with the role of other parties is to press for this to happen. Indirect talks on Syria described as insufficient (on Ukraine, Moscow always tried to have direct dialog, but so far without success). Synchronization of Ukrainian formats advocated (i.e contact groups with participation of DPR/LPR. Normandy format, and direct USA-Russia contacts). Meeting appears to be about agreeing various steps to be done without expectation of those steps leading to a breakthrough.--Resup (talk) 10:41, 16 July 2016 (UTC)
 * Kerry comments on video (12 min). Talks on measures from around 7:00 time stamp, and that those will not be made public in full details, need further work, and not expected to give immediate results --Resup (talk) 10:41, 16 July 2016 (UTC)

Putin signs decree suspending Russia-US deal on plutonium disposal over hostile US actions, RT. Oct.3, 2016
 * Recalling earlier interview, April 7, 2016, St, Petersburg, agreement called for both sides having a plant to do disposal irreversibly, but it was said that this was only done by Russia and not implemented by USA, where dilution is used instead.  Back than, no steps were taken, but it is done now.  The response came in he context of Russia not attending nuclear security summit hosted by Obama. --Resup (talk) 18:28, 3 October 2016 (UTC)

Russian trumpism after Shayrat -APN, 29 May 2017. Covering evolution of grass-root and officialdom 'Trumpism' in Russia (in Rus.) --Resup (talk) 08:11, 30 May 2017 (UTC)

Russian Fighter Intercepts US Aircraft (8 photos), published by United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany on Jun 23, 2017 --Resup (talk) 18:51, 23 June 2017 (UTC)
 * A U.S. RC-135U flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea was intercepted by a Russian SU-27 Flanker June 19, 2017.

First personal Trump-Putin meeting, 7 July 2017. Kremlin release, White House (pending). It is understood that meeting lasted longer than planned, over 2 hours instead of 40 minutes, and both sides made very emotionally positive statements afterwards. Good 'chemistry' is important, for the good of the world, and with previous admin it was quite terrible. It is also worth mentioning that in terms of actions, not words, it was not very much. Some cessation of hostilities in SW part of Syria was worked out before the meeting. A channel on Ukraine existed with the previous admin and is not by itself a breakthrough (stopping shelling, killing, and return to normality and peace on the ground would be). US statements and actions leading into the meeting were quite uniformly negative, more sanctions, troops, 'Russia a destabilizing force, etc. More on that line eg in 2 articles in Saker. Criticism of that is (1) personal chemistry is important, only time can tell what it leads too, and best for that is to stay open-minded and optimistic (2) on Russia's side, too much fixation on the issue. Russia on one hand tries to keep independence and geopolitical weight comparable to USSR. On the other side, de-industrialization, weak non-supply + non-military economy, flashy but less sustained R&D apart from those (and few selected areas like chips, finance), no viable non -Western alternative value system and strong drive and economic reason to be part of the West --contradictory to attempted geopolitical attitude. In a well-functioning on all levels Russia, quality of reproach with USA would be a lesser issue for Russia; that cannot be replaced by personal contact, as the systems and ways and means are too different. --Resup (talk) 11:19, 8 July 2017 (UTC)

Kremlin/Peskov: seized by Obama admin Russian diplomatic property must be returned without preconditions, talks -TASS -Eng. --Resup (talk) 23:54, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

US consulates in Russia suspend issuing of non-immigrant visas till 1 September, will restart afterwards but only in Moscow, not at other consulates. It was motivated by Russia telling to cut consulates headcount, however according to Kislyak interview on his return to Russia US and Russian consulates issue comparable number of visas (180 thousand visas issued by USA, some 90 thousand, down from peak 134 thousands, by Russia), and it does not take too many people, few dozens maybe. While much smaller European consulates issue about twice more visas (16 consular officers of Italy issued 478 thousand visas, 5 Spanish officers- 877 thousand visas, according to Russian FM/TASS) Lavrov comments on the development is at the bottom of his translated press-conference transcript. --Resup (talk) 08:59, 22 August 2017 (UTC)

Epiphany ice-hole bathing of the US ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman, 21 January, 2018 (Will not redirect the runaway train, but may be among the best efforts so far...) --Resup (talk) 07:00, 22 January 2018 (UTC)

Unconfirmed
This is known to be a work of fiction. (A user discussing the issue above, Oct. 1995, suggested that it can be a modified version of the 'Dulles' Plan'). One of the places the alleged 1995 plan was published was a literary journal, which may well be publishing fiction. --Resup (talk) 13:59, 19 October 2017 (UTC)
 * Alleged speech of Bill Clinton before the Joined Chiefs of Staff, Oct. 1995
 * -Wikipedia/Talk
 * russway.narod.ru, and many similar blog posts in Russian
 * Latest mentioning, Oct. 17, 2017, Yelena Ermakova at the Permanent meeting of the People's Patriotic Forces of Russia (members includes Strelkov) tells us that it was a shocker to Boris Yeltsin and contributed to him later stepping down (with Putin as a replacement); source of Yeltsin claim is unknown. The context of this remark is to argue for some positive sides of Putin, to an audience who is in opposition/identifies as an independent third force.
 * Alleged speech cannot be easily traced in daily schedule for October 1995. There are some redacted items, and Truman institute meeting on October 25, but no known evidence. Non-existence and an invention from thing air is a possibility. At least it firmly exists as a folklore. --Resup (talk) 04:35, 19 October 2017 (UTC)
 * 'Dulles' Plan'.

Russia/NATO

 * Kommersant.ru, 7 March 2000. Putin in interview to BBC  stated that he does not exclude a possibility of Russia joining NATO.
 * At an economic forum in St. Petersburg in June 2017, Putin reminded the story of him telling Bill Clinton that Russia might join NATO, to a diplomatic nod of approval by Clinton and alarm of Clinton's entourage.


 * BBC, Breakfast With Frost Interview: Vladimir Putin, March 5, 2000


 * Putin's Labyrinth, Steve Levine, Bloomberg Businessweek, July 1, 2008
 * ''By the beginning of 2000 the NATO expansion was well under way. Putin met with President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and National Security Adviser Samuel Berger, and floated a question: What would be the West's attitude toward Russia's applying to join NATO? Berger suddenly found a fly on the window to be extremely intriguing. Albright looked straight ahead. Clinton glanced at his advisers and finally responded with a diplomatically phrased brush-off. It was something on the order of, If it were up to me, I would welcome that...


 * US permanent representative to NATO Ivo Daalder: it is possible for Russia to join NATO, but such a decision needs to be taken by Russia, as quoted by  RIA, 22 Sept. 2010


 * Putin: Russia will consider tackling NATO missile defense threat, RT, 13 May, 2016 --Resup (talk) 01:11, 14 May 2016 (UTC)


 * Frants Klintsevich, the first deputy head of the Russian Federation Council Defense and Security Committee: "The deployment of NATO battalions in the Baltic States and Poland and the fact of bringing the NATO missile defense system to the initial level of readiness are the obvious acts of aggression if things are to be called by their names." TASS, July 8, 2016.--Resup (talk) 14:45, 9 July 2016 (UTC)

Japan

 * Kuril Islands Dispute, en.wikipedia
 * TASS dossier, 2013: Following the meeting in St. Petersburg, the leaders agreed that the peace treaty problem can be solved only on the basis of the principle of "Hiki-wake" - "no victor, no vanquished".
 * Japanese Prime Minister offered cooperation with Russia at a summit in Sochi, his 8 items plan is mentioned, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, 07.05.2016
 * Putin and Abe agreed on new (economic) projects, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, 2.09.2016
 * FM of Russia and Japan will 'take under control' recent agreements of Putin and Abe, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, 12.09.2016
 * When is peace with Japan, Kiselev on Rossia 1 TV, 11.09.2016
 * some of the Russian 'patriotic opposition' figures, after watching their TVs, expressed concern, interpreting this as plans to transfer islands sovereignty to Japan.
 * --Resup (talk)17:51, 16 September 2016 (UTC)

Various scenarios of signing peace treaty with Japan, possibly transferring to their sovereignty two (or different number) of the 4 disputed islands, possibly after a period of joint economic activity, under conditions not yet agreed, are now openly discussed in the Russian press. Russian 'patriotic opposition' is strongly against. --Resup (talk) 13:59, 14 December 2016 (UTC)

Klintsevich: Russia made a decision to establish a Navy base on Kuril islands. --Resup (talk) 16:02, 26 October 2017 (UTC)

UN
Vitalii Churkin, Russia representative at the UN, has died in New York. He was 65.
 * Samantha Power: 'devastated'. Long article in NY Times (maybe she thinks it makes Churkin appear human--but it's rather herself, to a degree. With all that human touch, why all that nonsense she was channeling at the UN? --If she is not vile, it then borders on incompetence.
 * --Resup (talk) 23:46, 20 February 2017 (UTC)
 * abs.cbn-tv, a Filipino network (???), made a claim that Churkin 'had poison in his kidneys', presents part of a medical report (with nothing on kidneys in it; liver necrosis mentioned). Report may well be false (any Filipino-Ukrainians?) Russian liberal media cite this as 'US report', point out that Churkin had diplomatic immunity and autopsy is not supposed to be done in US. US reports say that further study needed to determine the cause, it may involve toxicology, but this may well be routine; there were no toxicology results at that point.  Churkin was buried in Moscow on 25 February. --Resup (talk) 07:39, 28 February 2017 (UTC)

Israel/Palestine

 * Meeting with President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, kremlin.ru, 11 May 2017
 * With whatever said there, this is something more difficult to resolve than the issues we cover. However, historically big part of the problem is artificial, divide-and-conquer first, cold war, bone-of-contention logic to follow. All of that was ingrained in lives, blood, and the beliefs, and not easily reversible. What humans did, humans can undo, but only if everybody is in the same direction and at full throttle. In principle, it may be the time. There is a reason for why Putin is on good terms with Netanyahu, and a reason for a different type of leadership in Washington. For the moment, however, with bacchanalia in the US and Byzantium ways in Moscow, quite hard to see it coming in real terms. Who knows.--Resup (talk) 15:28, 11 May 2017 (UTC)

...and Iran
Moldova president Igor Dodon confirmed a planned meeting in Tehran with Russian vice-PM in charge of defense industry Dmitry Rogozin who was recently declared persona non-grata by Moldova parliament after a row when a regular-scheduled plane with Rogozin on board was disallowed to Moldova by Romania. --Resup (talk) 05:29, 3 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Rogozin and Dodon met in Iran - TV Zvezda, 5 August, 2017

NATO expansion

 * Declassified documents show security assurances against NATO expansion to Soviet leaders from Baker, Bush, Genscher, Kohl, Gates, Mitterrand, Thatcher, Hurd, Major, and Woerner, National Security Archive, released 12 December 2017.

Afghanistan

 * 27 December 1979, one of the first operations of 'Alpha' and 'Vympel' units, a success. Soviet invasion of Afghanistan followed. Eventually, combined effects of invasion, with the other side backed by the West; cold war, economic, ideological wars; and internal rot of the system resulted in withdrawal from Afghanistan (15 February 1989), collapse of the USSR (1991).  --Resup (talk) 05:36, 8 January 2018 (UTC)
 * Life, Rusvesna Ideal operation: how Soviet spetznaz stormed Amin palace in Afghanistan (photo), 7/8 January, 2018

Government
In an unexpected move, chief of presidential administration and power structures (FSB, MOD) veteran Sergei Ivanov is replaced by a young assistant, Anton Vaino, a diplomat, from a family where grandfather was a first secretary of communist party of Estonia (1978-88). Ivanov remains on Russian security council  (and Vaino added, too). Move was explained by Ivanov desire to serve no more than 4 years as administration chief; he served since 2011. His new role is presidential special representative for nature preservation, ecology, transport. Video of transition announcement meeting appeared, with Ivanov feeling very comfortable with the development. --Resup (talk) 10:31, 12 August 2016 (UTC)
 * Some Russian commentators note that Ivanov son has died in a swimming accident in UAE in November, 2014, possibly contributing to Ivanov wish to step down from his current post--Resup (talk) 13:48, 12 August 2016 (UTC)

Ivanov was interested in nature preservation for a long time. He was on the board of a nonprofit entity to preserve leopards since 2011. In his 2013 interview, he said "with age, you come to a sad conclusion that with cats and dogs it is more comfortable than with some people"; also saying that nothing is really being produced in Moscow, there are just some cleaners, drivers, 'office plankton', journalists  + bureaucrats (added in response to further question). He spent considerable portion of the interview on leopards and gepards. However, there is a ministry of natural resources and ecology, and a ministry of transport in the Russian government, so impact of a single presidential representative without staff and resources in uncertain. It seems to be an open-ended appointment, where one can do little on officially declared issues and have the ministries as a fall back option; or can be a pioneer/at the frontier, as large portions of the country territory are not developed, largely because of lack of roads. Ecology issues are important in deciding what territory should or should not be developed. It may be also a position on a 'reserve' bench but he can be quickly deployed to a front role if the need arises, say if sanctions and economy pain is suddenly too much to keep Medvedev. This is such a reshuffle where no new independent face has entered the scene (and nobody really left it). --Resup (talk) 13:32, 13 August 2016 (UTC)

Peskov 'has not seen or heard' that Russian officials were 'recommended' to bring their children studying abroad and family members back to Russia -TASS. Nobody else heard about that, either.--Resup (talk) 17:39, 11 October 2016 (UTC)

Duma
According to media reports, "United Russia" recommended ex-Crimea prosecutor general, now Duma deputy (and eye-candy)  Natalya Poklonskayaa to avoid further media activity, after a sequence of her controversial pronouncements in media. That started with her supporting a request to investigate a new, not yet released movie 'Matilda', about the last Tsar and his love interest, ballerina Matilda Ksehinskaya, on the accusation of 'anti-religious propaganda'. (That would go against artistic freedoms of the film director (Uchitel- a well-known established director), and reflects general trend of tightening liberties gained after the USSR collapse, and increased role of the Christian Orthodox church in the society. Tsar Nikolai II and his family were executed by Bolsheviks in 1918, and quite recently, 2000, were declared saints by the Russian Christian Orthodox church). Poklonskaya misadventures were followed by a mis-attribution of a quote from Griboedov's "Woe from Wit" (that used to be part of a school program in Russia, --but her education was in Ukrainian system). It was followed by her calling Lenin in addition to Hitler as villains of the century (attitudes towards Lenin differ but equating Lenin to Hitler would be a controversial public comment in Russia). Those statements interfered with her previous image of pretty but tough prosecutor, with some cult following (in Japanese anime art, references in recent Russian movies, etc)--Resup (talk) 18:43, 7 November 2016 (UTC)
 * Update: "United Russia" denied Poklonskaya media ban report--Resup (talk) 21:57, 7 November 2016 (UTC)

Territorial Concessions

 * Amur river islands Tarabarov, Great Ussuriisk, around 337 km^2 given to China in 2004, and following Gorbachev signing treaty on demarcation line by Amur river waterway in 1991 and subsequent Chinese irrigation/engineering project changing river flow
 * 175,000 km^2 shelf zone given to Norway in 2010, half of disputed, oil ans gas rich area.
 * Proposed by Putin 'Khikivake' (no winners or losers- judo) explored by Russia and Japan regarding Kuril islands; the latest is Japanese business delegation visiting Kuril islands (Jun. 2017), to report on possible business development projects. The whole issue is warily watched by Russian 'patriotic opposition' vigorously opposed to further territorial concessions.
 * --Resup (talk) 11:26, 29 June 2017 (UTC)

Economy
Financial Times: EU blocked nuclear deal between Russia and Hungary FT, 12.03.15. --Resup (talk) 23:37, 12 March 2015 (UTC)
 * EU: we did not (this is 'only' about fuel, not the whole project) --Resup (talk) 12:48, 13 March 2015 (UTC)

Greece and Russia plan to sign an agreement, with Moscow providing 3 to 5 bln euro financing to Greece, said to be for building gas network hooking up to Turkish stream, with repayment from transit feesTASS-Quoting Spiegel. --Resup (talk) 02:07, 18 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Peskov denied the story (the way it was reported at least) --Resup (talk) 13:17, 19 April 2015 (UTC)

7.7.15 Saudis to invest up to 10 bln $ into a joint investment fund with Russia. Earlier reports described Saudi interest in the Russian ' Iskander' missile system. --Resup (talk) 00:40, 7 July 2015 (UTC)

Turkey is to invest 12 bln $ in Crimea-construction, tourism, agriculture industry --Resup (talk) 18:44, 7 July 2015 (UTC)

Negotiations on Turkish gas stream were suspended for a while; but now a discount sought by Turkey was agreed. Another reported earlier disagreement is that Russia seeks to have 4 lines built, while Turkey is said to favor just one, leading to Turkey. --Resup (talk) 15:56, 31 July 2015 (UTC)

Oil goes towards $ 30 a barrel... Reuters: 10 % budget sequestration planned. --Resup (talk) 22:24, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

RBK learned details of anti-crisis plan of the government, lenta.ru, 27.1.16. 737 billion rubles for structural changes in the economy. Budget and Russian anti-crisis fund money will be used.

Russia mulls introducing own crypto-currency (non anonymous unlike bitcoin, for one thing) --Resup (talk) 13:50, 27 May 2016 (UTC)

Opinions
Dmitriy Potapenko interview, lenta.ru, Jan. 20, 2016. Briefly, talks about general problems of running business in Russia. That includes tight dependence of business from government, starting from the early days when oligarchs were 'appointed' by authorities; those were able to privatize major assets, and only small chips were left. Such sort of relations between government and business largely remained, in his opinion. He also highlights problems such as racketeering, tax avoidance, public funds mis-allocation, lack of legal protection for business, and lack of open popular discussion of those issues,-- saying he is essentially alone raising all that publicly. --Resup (talk) 01:36, 20 January 2016 (UTC)
 * But there are some successes not from the 'appointed', in technology (e.g. Milner ); some successful farmers; etc. --Resup (talk) 02:15, 20 January 2016 (UTC)

Economist Sergey Gubanov interviewed by Marat Musin: "Fourth Industrial Revolution: a myth or reality?"
 * Advocates (re) industrialization, as opposed to monetarism /finance-based economy. By 4th industrialization he means technologies and, more or less, automation of production and de-assembly, running full closed cycle. Critical of current government policies, such as proposed privatization of state assets and budget sequester, saving on most vulnerable population groups, science, education, health, culture.  Highlights  that (1) according to official statistics for 2015, effectiveness of capital investment is (-16) % (definitions =?) (2) net export of goods is about 13 % of GDP --which he links with overall inflation of about 15 %
 * Conjectures that recent Kissinger visit to Moscow could be to offer increase in oil price in exchange for compromises on Syrian ceasefire
 * --Resup (talk) 19:43, 24 February 2016 (UTC)

[http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2016/09/28/can-russia-learn-from-brazils-fate-paul-craig-roberts-and-michael-hudson/ Can Russia Learn From Brazil’s Fate? — Paul Craig Roberts and Michael Hudson], 28 Sept. 2016
 * ''There is a huge difference between the money created by the central bank and the money created by foreign creditors. Money lent by foreign banks in the form or US dollars or euros must be repaid with interest in the foreign exchange in which the money was lent. Money created by the central bank to finance public infrastructure projects does not have to be repaid at all, much less with interest and in foreign exchange earned by exports.
 * Noted: Russian central bank interest rate makes business loans (too) expensive.--Resup (talk) 15:47, 10 October 2016 (UTC)

Yukos
Yukos vs Russian Federation, In The Matter Of An Arbitration Before A Tribunal Constituted In Accordance With Article 26 Of The Energy Charter Treaty And The 1976 Uncitral Arbitration Rules, 18 July 2014 (and currently under appeal?)
 * Yukos (Khodrkovskii) and Rosneft (Government is majority holder, Sechin is director) have reached a settlement of all of their disputes. It  is said that the settlement is payment-free. Yukos-Russia case is separate from this. --Resup (talk) 13:28, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Kremlin says measures are being taken in response to attempts to arrest Russian property, TASS (Eng.), Dec 22, 2015. 'Former Yukos shareholders achieved arrest of payments by launch services provider Arianespace and satellite operator Eutelsat addressed to their Russian counterparts'.
 * Investigators say Tuesday's searches are part of Yukos money laundering probe, TASS (Eng.), Dec 22, 2015.
 * Russia reopens a criminal case, declares Khodorkovsky arrested in absentia, Dec. 23, 2015.


 * Russia wins Hague court appeal over $50bn Yukos judgement, RT, Apr. 20, 2016 (on the basis of lack of jurisdiction).
 * Financial Times report

Programs
Several programs of economic development, 2018-2025 were proposed, includingg
 * 1) Liberal/globalist Kudrin program 1 2 has austerity (raising retirement age) and technology development items
 * 2) Businessman Titov program draws attention to stagnation/contraction, calls for financial and legislative support of business.
 * 3) Program by Medvedev government sees return to GDP growth above world average in the future.

Economic situation is indeed difficult; some, including economist Mikhail Khazin(about), & Strelkov,  'panick' a bit raising potential of non-evolutionary or catastrophic change, with little room (or even no chance) to avoid it. It is likely over-panicking; sky is rarely falling down and life goes on. Despite problems, suddenly low oil price, ridiculous situation with credit, etc. agriculture is OK and prosper, so there should be food at least; and buildings and utilities are already there. With non-evolutionary change, what that will look like? Some militarized, neo-Stalinist (at least non-globalist) regime? No good alternative for having an evolution. -Yet something happened suddenly in Venezuela; so, bad scenarios are not impossible in principle; those guys seem to be taking a largely emotional ride with those. --Resup (talk) 09:29, 12 June 2017 (UTC)

Re-industrialization?
Many plants were closed, sold for scrap, past 1991; there are long lists on the web, discussed and lamented. (In the West, de-industrialization too, perhaps smarter, with biggest money-makers kept, or invented, but still a lot of real things are produced in China, or Mexico. With huge capital rather sitting in unreal things like iphones or internet shopping or google). There is Russian patriotic opposition talk on re-industrialization. Unclear how it can come about though, with no capital or enough highly motivated idealists to bring it about. Prevailing mode on the top of food chain is still natural resources based. Evolution towards industrial self-sufficiency?--Possibly, but not great deal of momentum going there right now. Oligarchs are into natural resources mostly, and bureaucrats do not make industrial output either. Small business, mostly re-selling, services, or agriculture. Stalinist methods of industrialization are not readily available, even if still imagined. But there are some signs of evolutionary industrial progress, with more things starting to get produced. --Resup (talk) 16:56, 14 June 2017 (UTC)

Nord Stream 2
Constructing the Pipeline -Nord Stream 2. --Resup (talk) 16:33, 26 July 2017 (UTC)

Technology

 * NYT - Russia Wants Innovation, But It’s Arresting Its Fraudsters -Moon of Alabama, 10 August, 2017
 * It's quite refreshing to see a not uniformly critical article on Russian affairs. What happened in reality is probably messier than a partisan narrative. This company is said to change filter type, from photo-catalyses based (that requires electricity) to adsorption-catalyses based (that does not, or requires less). The company believed their new filter is OK, and did tests to confirm; regulators thought it's not properly approved; but the approval process may be not very mature; and a legal assault by competitors is not out of question too. Some, not unreasonable, article, here (some strange Honk Kong based media company with a Russian-speaking editor...Funding, backers--no clue. )--Resup (talk) 05:24, 12 August 2017 (UTC)

Stats

 * Russian exports, 2016 data, Harvard atlas, Growth Lab @ Center for International Development at Harvard University --Resup (talk) 23:22, 5 December 2017 (UTC)

Arts & Sciences
"On Ukrainian Independence" by Joseph Brodsky
 * video, 1992-likely recorded in the US.
 * Quite untranslatable--Heavy, pro-Russian,  linguistic firepower ... --Resup (talk) 22:22, 10 April 2015 (UTC)

Very different stuff, Sergei Lavrov-poems about foreign lands...
 * Kind of nostalgic, as if he emigrated ... --Resup (talk) 22:31, 10 April 2015 (UTC)

Maya Plisetskaya (20 November 1925 – 2 May 2015), prima ballerina assoluta -Bolshoi
 * Johann Sebastian Bach, Prelude
 * Debut-Black Swan, 1947. Dying Swan,  1959.
 * Bolero (choreography by Maurice Béjart)
 * --Resup (talk) 01:23, 10 May 2015 (UTC)

Northern Palmyra
Norther Palmyra, in Russian literature from the end of 18 century, is a name for St Petersburg, which was compared by richness and beauty with an ancient city of Palmyra in Syria. modern Encyclopedia online (Russian) --Resup (talk) 14:07, 15 May 2015 (UTC)

St Petersburg International Economic Forum ended, over 200 contracts signed. Carla Bruni (here with Medvedev, 2010), wife of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, gave a concert, followed by a midnight dinner. --Resup (talk) 21:17, 20 June 2015 (UTC)

Literature
"Authorities do not need un-manageable friends.  Authorities need manageable enemies". Victor Pelevin, Lamp of Methuselah or the final battle of the Chekists and Masons, 2016. --Resup (talk) 18:10, 7 October 2016 (UTC)

Censorship and state control
Konstantin Raikin on censorship in art -Radio Svoboda, October 25, 2016
 * There is constitutional ban on censorshop in Russia. However it is resurgent in the form of 'groups of citizens whose feelings were hurt' (several closures of controversial theater productions, exhibitions, etc). Raikin makes passionate appeal for freedom or art and 'industry solidarity'. His talk proved to be controversial and quite widely discussed, including a reply by Peskov (no censorship, but 'if state funds a production it has a right to designate a topic'...), and from ministry of culture ('funding of Raikin's 'Satirkon' increased, but attendance is lowest among federal theaters'...).  --Resup (talk) 23:43, 27 October 2016 (UTC)

Cultural precursors to war in Ukraine?
Crimea was always present somewhere in the consciousness (72 meters movie, for one example), yet in general before it happened it was quite impossible to imagine. Belovezh agreement trio could not foresee that coming--known from recent interviews (Burbulis for Russia; with English translation). Yet strangely movies "Brother" and "Brother 2" captured some mood in the air back in 1997, time when disappointment in Yeltsin was setting in yet it was very far from a new chapter. Featuring turf violence, strive for truth yet reliance on strength of arms (+ money), nationalism (at expense of 'non-Russian Russians', some more than the others). 'Russians do not leave theirs behind', 'Are you Bandera?', 'and you will still have to answer for Crimea/Sevastopol !' is all there already, with plenty of shooting in all directions too. Strange feeling from seeing that thing from the 90's now ('Brother' in there is more like organised crime/street toughs salutation than when used for brotherly 'non-brother' nation of Ukraine, yet it's the same word). Sergey Bodrov, playing the main character, was a rising film star before he died in avalanche filming in the mountains for another movie. Two short music video clips, perhaps conveying some of the spirit; Brother (St. Petersburg, to the music of "Nautilus' band, mysteriously worded -some Animal hidden by night-possibly either demonic or suicidal in undertones, according to various commentators); Brother 2 (visit to USA here-and a fair amount of pointed. if quite stereotypical, mockery)--Resup (talk) 05:17, 25 November 2016 (UTC)

Science/math/Social Science
Not the focus of this shoutwiki

Mathematician, algebraist and controversial author Shafarevich died. Apart from algebra, for a long time spoke on social concepts ('small nation within bigger nation'; 'Russophobia'). Early on, that was understood to be anti-Semitic; in the last linked video he argues along the lines of that being russophobic part of intelligentsia. --Resup (talk) 00:17, 21 February 2017 (UTC)

Ludvig Faddeev, died 26 Feb. 2017.

Antisemitism
No systematic coverage planned, but once happened to be on this topic now, --it's on the rise, and quite a lot of it in patriotic opposition/Russian world social media. Even those quite rational like Strelkov puts some muted versions once in a while (no clue why, and what to make of Kolomoiskii claim that he 'knows' him to be Jewish--in exact sense unspecified). Mozgovoi also had some of it once in a while; both him and Strelkov in rather mild/muted way, more like anti-oligarchy and pro-patriotism. But there are bad and very bad versions of that too, and volume is on the increase. Some aggressive comments in pro-Russian English-language media are clearly seen. Saker among the leaders here. Recent example, was wondering what that diatribe means
 * ''End what I would call the “dictatorship of the minorities” and replace it with a restoration of the sovereignty of the majority of the American people over their country. The “Rachel Maddows” who used to be the “ideological masters” of the AngloZionist regime would be gently ushered towards the doors and replaced by people most Americans could identify with.

Like, who the hell is 'Rachel Maddows'. On inspection, that refers to an annoying lefty talk show host on one of the US MSM channels (MSNBC). On further inspection, she is Jewish, according to wikipedia ... --Resup (talk) 00:52, 21 February 2017 (UTC)

Social Life
Former holiday of the Great October Socialist Revolution (Nov. 7)
 * The Russians had more important things to do than follow the iPhone and the tales of Navalny ..., by teenage girl weightlifting champ Maryana Naumova, Echo Moskvy, 6 Nov. 2017
 * 7 November, by Alexey Navalnyi, Echo Moskvy, 7 Nov. 2017
 * ...great and terrible day...


 * --Resup (talk) 15:35, 7 November 2017 (UTC)

On this day of 7 November, 2017, Vladislav Surkov (presently soft power adviser to the Russian president, formerly into theater, business PR, and some army service) writes a piece for RT [https://russian.rt.com/world/article/446944-surkov-krizis-licemeriya Crisis of hypocrisy. "I hear America singing"]. With a plug for US metallic rock group 5FDP and their 'Wash away', a revelation that when old hypocrisy language/mode becomes overused, a new hypocrisy dawns, and a vision of 'the Roman Republic' (='the West') replaced by a 'Roman Empire', with some 'Tsar' taking over. (No smoking choice details provided, and with Strelkov among dedicated readership). --Resup (talk) 23:41, 7 November 2017 (UTC)

Non-System opposition
Discussed elsewhere

Novodvorskaya video appeal to 'Donbass militants'. Had an allergy to her (considering erratic/illogical/flaky). But this appeal is among the strongest of all. "My dear and darling, what is that you are planning to die for? ". June 19, 2014. She was a dissident, starting from the Soviet times, never ending. Died recently. --Resup (talk) 03:04, 21 February 2017 (UTC)

April 4, 2017. Some turbulence ahead? Khodorkovskiy; anti-Putin themed protests planned on 29 April (#надоел; Engl. version on FR.), following anti-corruption meetings in march targeting PM. Authorities are said to plan anti-terrorism meetings in earlier protest places (media reports, 4 April). Strelkov warns on social media, 'in the coming month, I expect very serious events with completely unpredictable consequences. Have reasonably firm grounds for it. No further comment will be made'. --Resup (talk) 08:17, 5 April 2017 (UTC)

Right Wing

 * BORN group.
 * Novia Gazeta, 24.7.15, TASS-English : Ilya Goryachev was given a life sentence in a colony with special regime. He was found guilty of forming an armed gang, the creation of an extremist community, illicit arms trafficking, as well as complicity in five murders: antifascists Fyodor Filatov and Ilya Japaridze, lawyer Stanislav Markelov (who was involved in Budanov murder case blamed on Chechen extremists), migrant Salohiddin Azizov and a member of the gang "Black Hawks" Rasul Khalilov. Other members of the gang have been convicted: Nikita Tikhonov, Maxim Baklagina and Vyacheslav Isaev were also sentenced to life terms, Mikhail Volkov sentenced to 24 years of strict regime.
 * Rossiiskaia Gazeta-Markelov murder investigation
 * Igor Krasnov was chief investigator. Subsequently the first investigator of Nemtsov murder; later promoted to the Head of 'a new structure of the Investigation Committee, which will include the best investigators'.
 * --Resup (talk) 02:38, 26 July 2015 (UTC)


 * NOD (National Liberation movement)
 * Apparently, supported by Duma deputy Evgenii Fedorov.
 * Poster girl: Marina Katasonova: rookie reporter-failed video; at the Turkish Embassy;Navalnyi, interrupted ; in a locker with Graham Phillips -Nemtsov sightseeing tour.

Dugin

 * Recent piece translated at Fort Rus. Clearly bright and original, but this is an example of excessive theoretical superstructuring going pretty much nowhere and offering no solution. Do not see why is that differences between hawks and doves in Russia are intrinsically much more antagonistic than in the West. Nothing really preventing hawks and doves in Russia to work on a common goal, apart from some constructs in (his) philosophy. Do not think the West is the united land of liberalism, as he describes. People are the same everywhere, and all the issues  have their parallels, East or West. Including what he (too briefly) describes under 'bureaucracy', which is of concern, in the new republics and in Russia proper (but not uniquely just over there...). --Resup (talk) 14:29, 23 November 2015 (UTC)

'Patriotic Opposition'
Mostly critical of the Russian involvement in Syria, as continued violence in Donbass and other real problems of Russia will not be solved there --Resup (talk) 09:20, 4 October 2016 (UTC)

Strelkov
Briefly, compares/sees parallels of developments in present day Russia with those leading to World War I. Critical of at least some parts of the current political establishment in Russia; expresses serious concern, and proposes World War II type steps as a fix... Critical of Russia opening a 'second front' in Syria, while problems in Donbas remain--Resup (talk) 18:28, 27 November 2015 (UTC)

28 March, 2016, right after Kerry visit to Moscow, Strelkov reads on lenta.ru an article with Peskov discussing planned personal media attack on the Russian president. He than relates the famous, nearly-untranslatable piece from novel 'It's difficult to be Gods', by Russian sci-fi authors, brothers Strugatskii,  the one about  Don Reba meeting His Excellency Vaga, all observed by Don Rumata... --Resup (talk) 22:33, 3 April 2016 (UTC)

Interview to a lady coordinator from the so called 'National Liberation Movement (NOD)', made two days prior to elections. On a long side; entering some bits. Strelkov received education at a history and archive work institute, and he takes the view that Russian history is continuous and consistent, from some 6 century C.E. to present day. Main goal of his "Novorossia" movement is to make sure some historic line is continued, and not become extinct  like Byzantine Empire, remaining of relevance for only some dozen of experts. (He fears that current developments are leading towards collapse or Latin American scenarios; accepts there may be good present day developments yet considers only the Russian language as an undamaged heritage). Priorities, top to bottom, are people, nation, state. There are considerable differences in his movement on a particular model of state to admire, with unifying theme of the people/nation (noted: this may be from vague all the way to very controversial notion in a multi-ethnic multi-religion country; exact details are not very clear but policy documents talk about "Russian World" and that the majority are followers of the Russian Orthodox Church; 'historic union with other major religious confessions' is acknowledged). He also recalls Zemskii Sobor (approx. "Land/grass-root assembly") structure in Tsarist Russia, in existence until mid-17 century, as an alternative to Western-style democracy. In Zemskii Sobor, representatives from different society classes were sent, and as a result, it was not a Western 1 person=1 vote. To illustrate, he makes a point that e.g. voices of academics should be higher than bums from across his street, etc. (Interviewer asks, like Trade Unions?-Yes.). He does not support or plans to take part in present elections, believing it's a show run from the top; in particular links sudden rise of Maltsev with Kremlin internal policy chief Voloshin. "It is like in the Soviet days with one CPSU party, just now split into several factions", "whoever you choose, you vote for Putin", etc. --Resup (talk) 22:03, 18 September 2016 (UTC)

In a rare occasion, Russian prime time TV show talked about Strelkov, to attack him, on Vladimir Soloviev program, with guests Sergey Kurginyan and Alexander Kofman (wiki Ger. Russ ). Kurginyan accused him of running away from Slavyansk; Kofman, essentially of causing the war with Ukraine. Strelkov, on insistence of a media personality friend, recorded a video response, telling that Kiev would have started a war (Donbass or Crimea) anyway; and that Slavyansk did not have military significance, while saving the major portion of fight-capable opolchenie from death in cauldron did. He also reminded that other places (Mariupol, border with Russia, etc) were given to Ukraine by others, not him; and that Zakharchenko and Khodakovskiy battalions were not in real fight or unsuccessful prior to his escape from Slavyansk and arrival to Donetsk. He attributed sudden appearance of the topic on prime time TV to failures of the leadership (Surkov), and what he described as failure of Minsk agreements (and, according to him, unavoidable return to major fighting). Because of those failures, somebody had to be found to blame. (As a side angry comment, the issue of all 3 critics 'being of a particular nationality', = Jewish, came up as well, followed by a play-down). --Resup (talk) 13:42, 4 March 2017 (UTC)

Strelkov-Navalnyi debate

 * Live streams: Roy TV; Navalnyi-Live, Dozhd'-VK
 * Backroom photos (Feldman).

Strelkov issues a debate challenge to Navalnyi. Issues raised in the challenge: oligarchy (in the context of anti-corruption drive); Western partners relations; fate of Donbass and Crimea; Navalnyi's questions and format choice encouraged -Roy TV, youtube, 5 July, 2017--Resup (talk) 20:48, 8 July 2017 (UTC)
 * The challenge was accepted by Navalnyi ('I always support open discussions and debates'). Strelkov: according to the latest info, the debate will be held on July 20 on Thursday evening. Specific time will be determined later. The site and the host are selected by the called party (Navalnyi)- they are not yet determined. --Resup (talk) 11:50, 16 July 2017 (UTC)
 * Navalnyi's own 3 debate questions: why Strelkov ever supported Putin and the government; why he repeats thesis that the West is the main threat; who shot down the Boeing (Strelkov provided several times nearly identical answers blaming Ukraine for not closing the airspace).
 * My 2pence on Navalnyi questions: (1) For a military person, unlike a politician, not supporting the president and commander-in chief is not an option--but a retired military like Strelkov has a choice; (2) is fairly obvious, and mutual,-- isn't the West considering Russia a threat, in real geopolitical terms, too? An answer made unforgettable in 1990 in Zinoviev-Yeltsin debate may still apply here--with the USSR replaced by Russia: what do you think, the goal of the West is for (Russians) to have a wonderful life, be well fed and so on? Nothing can be further from truth! The goal of the West is to cause (Russia) to fall apart! (3) he gave his answer, see above. Can't help but notice that Navalnyi gives better performance presentation style-wise, good gesticulation, voice modulation, well-paced, staying positive, hammering his points, flattery to doubters, etc... (clean pronunciation, better hair, lean bodywork, etc...) --Resup (talk) 04:57, 19 July 2017 (UTC)


 * Strelkov not OK with proposed by Navalnyi debate format, with several 3 min long statements on topics and 30 sec questions. 'This is a format of a talk show, not a debate. It allows somebody with well-trained tongue to pronounce few learned beautiful words, and receive back equally demagogic response. We will insist for longer debate format.--Resup (talk) 14:04, 19 July 2017 (UTC)
 * Several videocameras were planned, however Navalnyi insisted on the only video feed provided by his crew @ Navalnyi-live --Resup (talk) 11:53, 20 July 2017 (UTC)

Strelkov Boeing answer: 'opolchenie did not shoot down the Boeing, for the lack of means to shoot it down. All air defense weapons which I had in my disposal included five MANPADs Igla and one Strela-10, which at the time of Boeing shoot down was in Zugres and protecting Zugres. Therefore, oplochenie under my command could not shoot down the Boeing, as in the phrase of 'no way'. I cannot and will not provide other comments, for one simple reason that I did not take part in the investigation, and not even interested in it in principle. (-29 m in this stream as seen now)--Resup (talk) 18:40, 20 July 2017 (UTC)
 * Mixed feeling from the debate overall, may post more later, basically little move from known in advance positions; one not 100% expected is that Strelkov prefers Putin to Navalnyi for the sake of Crimea and Donbass. Navalnyi essentially saying that (if) he is president he will have to solve real problems and the state of affair is such that there is no money for war. He would follow normal Western route, elections, courts, to fight corruption which takes a significant part of overall budget, etc. Navalnyi will follow Minsk to give border control to Ukraine; Strelkov considers current Ukrainian regime a sort of 'nazi-light', hopes for eventual unificiation of separated Rus' branches; argues that fate of Donbass is linked to that of Crimea, following his usual lines expressed in interviews elsewhere.   --Resup (talk) 18:40, 20 July 2017 (UTC)

Committee of 25 of January

 * 'Committee of 25 of January' is created. Strelkov, El Murid, E.Prosvirnin ("Satellite and pogrom" -(wth?)) K.Krylov, A.Kungurov, Eduard Limonov, M.Kalashnikov, and others. Positions itself as a third force to save the country, when the crash occurs. Warns about danger of a big two-front war.
 * --Resup (talk) 21:28, 12 February 2016 (UTC)

Criminal Cases against activists and bloggers

 * Aleksey Kungurov, charged under Russian criminal code article 205.2-1, 'supporting terrorism', after blog posts vigorously criticizing Russian involvement in Syria. Some "experts" used by the court concluded that blog posts are supportive of IS, which is banned in Russia, so, by that logic, anything about it outside the official line may be called supporting terrorism. The blog posts were strongly critical, but not supporting terrorism, in the common sense of what 'supporting' will look like. Do not know much about Kungurov apart from him being a 'Committee of 25 of January' member; a blogger/activist from Tyumen.

--Resup (talk) 14:06, 29 December 2016 (UTC) --Resup (talk) 04:58, 30 December 2017 (UTC)
 * 'Mukhin group', Alexandr Sokolov, Vladimir Parfenov, Yurii Mukhin. The first two are in preliminary detention; Mukhin is possibly released under house arrest. From what is known, this is a group of activists trying to have a referendum on a law 'On responsibility of highest authorities'. This group was called extremist, and charged under article 282.2 of the criminal code. Yurii Mukhin appears to have some background of engineering or industrial sort, then turning to journalism. His former public statements (around 2011-2014) were not crazy and had some logical basis, but were controversial. Truing to look up info, I found him discussing NASA moon landing (not unreasonable criticism of photo visuals, but also making a further step and concluding that this was definitely fake. That would be going too far for my taste; but not a criminal offense, I gather. On another video, he was doing 9/11 presentation, in a similar mode: after raising not unreasonable questions, going for a definite conclusion that it was staged). That would be among the strangest cases if the Western human rights orgs will pick up on this; do not know that they did, but possibly. --Resup (talk) 13:43, 29 December 2016 (UTC)
 * Kirill Barabash is also in the referendum activist group, but his case may be different. Here is his attorney presenting his case, in Russian.
 * Активный гражданин За что осудили журналиста РБК Александра Соколова -lenta.ru, 10 Aug. 2017
 * Sentenced for extremism.
 * lenta:  "В диссертации журналиста РБК говорится об огромном перерасходе бюджетных средств при подготовке к Олимпиаде в Сочи, об использовании офшорных схем в «Роснано» и так далее. «Работа получила большой резонанс. На нее Немцов ссылался и другие», — отметил Соколов" 
 * Boldyrev interview, 29 Dec. 2017 (a similar statement, Sokolov is on the CP & nats-patriotic forces team list)

Sanctions
...seems to be no end in sight...
 * US adds 5 people to Magnitskii list, -investigators linked to his case, Feb 1, 2016.
 * Russia bars 5 Americans from entry in tit-for-tat response

June 16, 2016. Sarkozy, at a press conference at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, calls for lifting of sanctions, changing negative dynamics, -as well as common space founded by European Union, Russia, and Turkey (TV Rain; TASS; RT). Presumably, Russia is to make the first step and hope for the best according to his follow-up answers.

June 18, 2016. Sergei Ivanov (Chief of the Presidential Administration of Russia) prefers for sanctions to lasts long as possible since '2/3 of budget income, not oil and gas but other sectors such as chemical industry,  experience rapid growth,  up to 30-35 % per year',  as a result. Article continues to say that counter-sanctions are to be lifted at once if the Western sanctions are lifted.

CAATSA list of senior political leaders and oligarchs (unclassified part), US Department of the Treasury, 29 January 2018
 * Includes top political leadership and (some?) oligarchs worth over 1 bln USD (compare with Russians on Forbes list)
 * Asterisk marks those already sanctioned
 * Venedictov of Echo Mosckvy believes that the unpublished secret part includes names nominated for sanctions (unclear why he thinks so)
 * No journalism bigwigs on the list (unlike European sanctions which include e.g. Kiselev)
 * --Resup (talk) 12:23, 30 January 2018 (UTC)

US Treasury secretary Mnuchin signals new sanctions on Russia -Financial Times, 30 January, 2018 --Resup (talk) 21:06, 30 January 2018 (UTC)
 * ''In a hearing before the Senate banking committee, Mr Mnuchin said it was only a matter of time before the US imposed new sanctions on Russia, indicating that a classified annex to the report could serve as a road map for those new measures.

Duma Elections, 2016



 * "United Russia" pre-election congress is opened by its chairman, Dmitry Medvedev- TASS, 5 Feb. 2016.

At present, 10 parties have their registration to stand in elections officially approved. According to the latest opinion poll, the ruling party "United Russia" is leading, with 57% of committed voters /39 % of all voters. PARNAS (of late Nemtsov) is approved to stand in elections; however based on latest poll results,  only 1.3 % are "definitely" voting for their candidates, while another 5.7  are "possibly" voting. A party gets seats if it receives more than 5% of the vote.--Resup (talk) 16:19, 5 August 2016 (UTC)

19 Sept., 2016. Preliminary results, 99% counted
 * Ruling United Russia received 54% of vote, and 76% of Duma seats, vastly dominating in single-mandate districts. 4 mainstream parties are above 5% threshold on party lists districts; no opposition party is over this threshold, moreover even the best among them are below 3% required to qualify for federal funding. All opposition altogether will have only 2 seats, gained in single-mandate districts. (One more self-nominating candidate is said to be of United Russia). PARNAS is getting 0.7 % of the vote. 47.8% of eligible voters actually voted. --Resup (talk) 17:21, 19 September 2016 (UTC)
 * ...and Kadyrov is getting 98% of the vote in Chechnya. --Resup (talk) 17:21, 19 September 2016 (UTC)

Presidential Elections, 2018
Polls: VTSIOM(official); Cassad(unofficial). Levada center not publishing results due to 'foreign agent' status. Grudinin (presumed second runner) needs to make it to the second tour (ie Putin below 50 % of those who cast the vote in the first round) to have a chance. There is no low participation threshold for elections to be valid. --Resup (talk) 13:16, 18 January 2018 (UTC)


 * Putin is running for President -TASS (after hinting earlier)--Resup (talk) 14:51, 6 December 2017 (UTC)


 * Medvedev: not me --Resup (talk) 21:15, 30 November 2017 (UTC)


 * Earlier:
 * Peskov: Putin has not decided yet whether he will run for President in 2018- TASS. Too early for such a decision.--Resup (talk) 11:38, 29 January 2016 (UTC)
 * According to Peskov, it is yet undecided whether Putin or somebody else (e.g. Medvedev) will run, as it is too early to tell--Resup (talk) 09:31, 10 February 2016 (UTC)


 * Navalnyi effectively banned from running. Election committee chairman Ella Pamfilova: by law, because of his criminal conviction he cannot be registered (unless there is some miracle and he manages to appeal the court decision). Navalnyi himself still behaves as a contender, issues a program, has internet media appearances, etc; claims that European human rights court decision was not fulfilled and so his reinstated conviction is not legal. --Still, the state of play is as Pamfilova says. --Resup (talk) 14:02, 15 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Navalnyi and Panfilova seen in a live video feed of election committee considering whether to register him as a candidate. --Resup (talk) 14:05, 25 December 2017 (UTC) His registration was denied by election committee, the debate/questions and answers, and committee voting is on video. (Time shown on a clock above the committee was consistent with the feed being live . At the same time, I saw some sources reporting that his registration was denied already. That may have to do with resolution to deny was introduced, but it was then discussed and voted on, as seen on video).  --Resup (talk) 14:44, 25 December 2017 (UTC)


 * Unified candidate of the communists and 'patriotic opposition' .
 * 23 Dec. 2017. Pavel Grudinin became the nominee, with Zyuganov his election HQ chief. Here is press conference video, with Boldyrev, Zyuganov, Grudinin. Boldyrev talk at the plenum here, about common platform of diverse forces. --Resup (talk) 08:18, 25 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Left forces candidate, Pavel Grudinin, is a fairy-tale-success agricultural director of ex-Soviet sovkhoz named after Lenin. His sovkhoz is profitable and he uses moneys to build high rise housing for workers, kindergarten, playground popular Moscow-region wide, a futuristic high school built using models from Finland, UK, and their own; visited by gov official, who ordered the school planing to be copied midway through his visit. Videos 1, 2. Communist leader Zyuganov apparently supported Grudinin as a joint candidate of left, patriotic, and communist forces, but their is no decision yet, decision will be taken at CP plenum on Saturday, 23 December. --Resup (talk) 09:07, 22 December 2017 (UTC)
 * May, 2017. Gennady Zyuganov, long time communist leader, may run again. Announcement is significant since Yuri Boldyrev was hoping to have a unified candidate --Resup (talk) 10:17, 5 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Zhirinovskii will run for the 6th time, offers a sly inside that Putin may not run and name a successor -'being decided by 10 people but no decision yet'.
 * Entertainer-in-chief has lots of prime TV time courtesy of Vladimir Soloviev et al; here losing a TV debate battle to a geophysicist-turned-to-drama-theater politologist Sergey Kurginian ( = Nationalsozialismus vs drama-enhanced soft power).


 * --Resup (talk) 10:16, 5 May 2017 (UTC)


 * Ksenia Sobchak announces plans to run for president, and positions herself as 'a candidate against all' ('against all'- an option on old election ballots, subsequently removed) video, October 18, 2017
 * Comments by: Vladimir Putin (politically correct), Vladimir Zhirinovsky (negative), Alexey Navalnyi (strongly negative, both for political disagreement --she is said to advocate paid education and health care, raising retirement age, and, maybe his  main real reason, --for being the 'elections spoiler') ; + a businessman Evgenii Chichvarkin  (politically incorrect) . --Resup (talk) 14:26, 20 October 2017 (UTC)
 * Off to a bad start, all but eliminating chances (if there were any to begin with). Answering on Crimea, question, "according to international law, Crimea is Ukrainian. Anything else, let's discuss it'. The answer was heavily criticized, contrasted with Anatoly Sobchak much sober and nuanced answer. She keeps behaving as in show-biz, throwing out controversial assertions, like more NATO and sanctions please, without any reverence to her supposed subjects standing on this, which may be at some 80% against; just running with her different views, she does not even attempt to convince others to change theirs,-- an affront but not a leadership. That may raise her show-womanship ratings but is not something you do to get elected. At the same time, lots of her earlier, Paris Hilton-style naughty video episodes became abundant--not something likely to be viewed positively for a real presidential candidate in Russia. --Resup (talk) 03:51, 26 October 2017 (UTC)

Ksenia Sobchak walks in Grozny, Chechnya. Some local men are telling her that they are not happy to see her coming ('coffee is not good for horses' comment made, etc)- (video). --Resup (talk) 01:44, 29 January 2018 (UTC)


 * Yavlinsky (Yabloko) is running, as usual. Pro-Western type, and in practice centered around Yavlinsky in person (whose last name is rooted in appearance, like in Appearance of the Christ to the People). Attempts of other pro-Western liberal parties to have a coalition with Yabloko so far all failed, as Yavlinsky wants to run for president all by himself, so far getting somewhere in the few percents of the vote scale, just marginally better than his potential pro-Western allies--Resup (talk) 23:25, 15 December 2017 (UTC)


 * 'National Patriotic forces of Russia' jointly with 'People's Leaders' (Strelkov among those) announced 5 candidates, and expressed some hope of having a joint candidate with communists (Kvachkov among the 5 is a mistake, as some of them themselves admit). --Resup (talk) 10:44, 17 November 2017 (UTC)
 * (Grudinin, above): Not in opposition enough for Strelkov, who suspended his membership in People's Leaders till full clarification of Grudinin & co standing, complaining that Boldyrev and Grudinin talks at the CP plenum were not discussed with him and that he does not share stated positions. Believes that his decision would not be too much of a loss to the People's Leaders. --Resup (talk) 21:13, 25 December 2017 (UTC)

Chechnya Elections
Kadyrov term is set to expire in April, 2016. New elections will be held on the national election day, 18 Sept. 2016. In the meantime, it is believed that Kadyrov will be appointed acting head, but that was called too early to discuss by Peskov. Kadyrov stated that future Chechnya leadership is up to the President of Russia to decide first.
 * It is said in the news that the leader of Chechnya will be again called Chechnya president, back from the current head of Chechnya; head of Chechnya is the term used in the current constitution of 2003.

Mixed message from Kadyrov so far, ready to serve if ordered to do so, but time may be up and another person needed, saying that 'my time has passed. There are so many successors in the team, there are very good specialists'. --Resup (talk) 12:46, 27 February 2016 (UTC)

Putin appointed Kadyrov acting head of Chechnya, till elections in September 2016, expressing hope that Kadyrov will participate in those elections and that voters in Checnya will appreciate what he has done for the Checnya republic -TASS--Resup (talk) 12:16, 25 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Echo Moskvy copies, not providing an immediate comment ...

Tula region
Alexey Diumin (Hero of Russia, leutenant-general, said to organize Yanukovich extraction and Crimea operation-which he denies) was appointed acting governor of Tula region. Some speculated that he may be groomed for a future leadership role (also rfe/rl).
 * --Resup (talk) 09:31, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

Local Elections

 * Early election in a small, elitist village of Barvikha, in Moscow region, was cancelled after a protest by Alexey Navalnyi anti-corruption foundation candidates. They complained (video ) that there was an unusually high volume of outsiders casting early vote, about 1/4 of total expected number of voters a few days prior to the voting itself (just 189 such early votes were cast, but the number of voters is small as well). It was said that absentees votes were cast by migrants, multiply registered at the same addresses shortly before the vote. New Russia's elections committee head Ella Pamfilova, formerly Russia's Commissioner for Human Rights, was sharply criticized by Navalnyi and opposition for her handling of election complaints; but eventually she sided with the opposition in cancelling early election. New election will be scheduled in about half a year time.--Resup (talk) 13:47, 20 April 2016 (UTC)
 * Alexey Navalnyi, 'why the hell we need such elections?' - youtube, 19 July, 2017 (with English subs, multimedia-enhanced). --Resup (talk) 12:01, 20 July 2017 (UTC)

Sci-Tech
(Occasional rare entries only)

Proton launch, Mars mission, Russia -EU live recording --Resup (talk) 09:02, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

Soiuz 2.1a rocket launched satellites from a new space launch site "Vostochnyi", just build recently despite difficult economic conditions, and located in Russia, as opposed to Baikonur, located in Kazakhstan. (Launch was delayed by a day; Putin stayed) --Resup (talk) 12:03, 28 April 2016 (UTC)
 * Video 1, video 2.

In the news
Lesin:
 * (1) died of blunt blow to the head :(2) according to a friend had previous serious spine injury and many follow-up surgeries as a  result; and is said to have a drinking bout on the eve of his death- Kommersant.ru
 * (3) also, according to lenta.ru and Navalnyi, border control records appear to show that somebody used Lesin passport to leave USA 40 days after his reported death (as there is departure entry on December 15, 2015, while the death occurred on November 5, 2015).
 * However, it was explained that the departure record was made by the authorities to close non-immigrant visa (said to be a standard practice), and does not mean physical departure
 * --Resup (talk) 13:31, 12 March 2016 (UTC)

30.3.2016 IS claimed responsibility for IED explosion in Dagestan, Russia. Two Russian MOI trucks were hit, one policeman was killed, two were wounded.--Resup (talk) 11:44, 30 March 2016 (UTC)

FlyDubai crash.
moved

Media

 * Russia Today: NatWest 'freezes bank accounts' in UK-BBC, October 17, 2016
 * ''Margarita Simonyan tweeted: "They've closed our accounts in Britain. All our accounts. 'The decision is not subject to review.' Praise be to freedom of speech!"


 * RT bank accounts blocked in UK – editor-in-chief-RT, October 17, 2016
 * ''Our accounts in Britain have been blocked. All of them. ‘Decision not to be discussed’. Hail to freedom of speech!” RT's editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan said on her Twitter account.


 * What? Mutiny on that ship? OK, they will close their bank account in that one particular bank group (they posted it) in 2 months from now, and return the money by check if alternative banking is not found. So good for them, means they got some money, and are not about to loose them as a result of whatever is going on here. (What's 'freedom of speech'?)--Resup (talk) 12:52, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

Journalists
Vladimir Vladimirovich Pozner, of Donahue-Pozner fame, has a largely independent 1-on-1 talk show on the main TV Channel 1.
 * Here on 24 March 2010 he interviews Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during her visit to Moscow to see Pres. Medvedev. Part 2 of 5 video starts with her answering viewer question on comparing media in USA and Russia.
 * (2015) Interviews mainstream conservative (aka 'reactionary') Russian MP Irina Yarovaya, a prosecutor by background, and an author of several controversial laws seen as limiting civil liberties and public discourse (wiki). In the interview, she goes on offensive, denies information of Pozner sources and denies and clarifies wiki account of her election history (she was in the top 3 on United Russia party list in Kamchatka, but only her out of those 3 ended up becoming MP; the top of the list was the governor of Kamchatka). They go on to discuss defamation law, with Yarovaya attacking Pozner for statements made in his book (and outside of Pozner line of questioning), essentially claiming that those are russophobic. Pozner points out that Yarovaya in one of her statements blamed political opponents for being akin to terrorists and funded from the same source; Yarovaya counters that her statements is an opinion, not defamation, while those of Pozner are disrespectful of Russia and Russian Christianity (implying that those are unacceptable). Interviews turns nasty at this point, with Yarovaya raising the issue of Pozner having foreign citizenships, and not an ethnic Russian (Pozner is Jewish). --Resup (talk) 15:33, 7 January 2017 (UTC)

Terrorist attack, St. Petersburg, Apr.4, 2017

 * Breaking, and footage from the scene (Rusvesna)(Interfax-more photos)(Cassad-photos).
 * 11 killed, 45 wounded (TASS).
 * Second attack is said to fail or was prevented (media reports)(said to be disarmed IED photo)
 * Interfax: Islamist suicide bomber from a Middle Asian republic is a suspect. Another bearded man whose photo appeared in the media turned up at a police station to claim his innocence.
 * It is said that services had information on IS-linked attack being prepared, but information was incomplete.
 * Rumors on social media on Ukrainian connection: likely fake.
 * --Resup (talk) 22:24, 3 April 2017 (UTC)

Rosoboronexport delegation chief robbed in France
But his woman bodyguard single-handedly gets his bag back from 50 assailants. Or is it other way around? But eventually they got the bag; police showed up and saved them, or maybe the attackers from them as Russian users think. 4 attackers were arrested.
 * Seine-Saint-Denis: un officiel russe agressé - Le Figaro.fr avec AFP, 21 June, 2017
 * Saint-Denis : une garde du corps russe tient tête à 50 jeunes de cité - Le Point.fr, 21 June, 2017
 * Двое против пятидесяти: французов шокировала погоня русских за напавшими на главу «Рособоронэкспорта» -Rusvesna, 22 June, 2017
 * --Resup (talk) 15:33, 22 June 2017 (UTC)

Legal

 * "Factbox: Who's who on the U.S. Magnitsky list", Reuters, Apr 12, 2013.
 * 8 names out of 18 on the list explained; the last two are not related to Magnitsky case.


 * "A guide to the Russian officials on the U.S. Magnitsky list", by Elias Groll, Foreign Policy, April 13, 2013
 * At the bottom of the list, one "foot soldier" -"Interior Ministry operative who participated in the raid", and four "judges tasked with ruling on the Magnitsky case."


 * "Bill Browder (bio) Forces Cancellation of Film Critical of Him Minutes Before Screening in Brussels", by Gilbert Doctorow, Russia Insider, 29 April 2016
 * No comment on the film before seen the film. Serious evidence is good enough in PDF or MS Word, does not have to be in video format. Andrei Nekrasov has talent, had important and emotionally powerful documentary footage in the past, on the side of opposition. --Resup (talk) 10:09, 29 April 2016 (UTC)

Corruption cases

 * Dmitri Zakharchenko, a high-ranking official from the anti-corruption department of Russia’s Ministry of Interior Affairs, was arrested in September, 2016 Large sum of money was found and confiscated, which some media sources (referred to by TASS) put at 475 mln USD in total, It was discussed that this large amount possibly belong to several people (obshak, in Russian criminal lingo).--Resup (talk) 14:34, 15 November 2016 (UTC)
 * 15 Nov. 2016. One of highly visible and important ministers, minister of economic development of Russia Alexey Ulyukaev (wiki, Rus., wiki, Eng.), was arrested for allegedly receiving a (staged by investigators) bribe of 2 mln $ from the oil company Rosneft (majority government owned, Igor Sechin is CEO). The payment is said to be for a positive evaluation of Rosneft acquisition of 50% share of another oil company Bashneft'.
 * Ulyukaev denied charges. Ulyukaev has academic distinctions (doctor of economic sciences -awarded in Russia and France, professor. He started work in the government with Yegor Gaidar team in 1991, Yeltsin-Bill Clinton era, and so is viewed to be in the pro-Western globalists camp; while Sechin is in the conservative, 'siloviki' (security and military) camp. Uliukaev was involved (Sputnik; wiki) in negotiations on economic issues related to economic consequences of Ukraine association agreement with EU and Russian objections raised.
 * Insiders expressed surprise and questioned the developments, e.g. Alexander Shokhin, president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, pointed out that the acquisition of Bashneft was approved a month ago and it would be insane to demand money after that from one of the most powerful figures in Russia, Igor Sechin. Economist Alexey Kudrin stated without going into details that there are many questions and an objective investigation is necessary. PM Dmitriy Medvedev called for a careful investigation too. --Resup (talk) 14:34, 15 November 2016 (UTC)
 * Russia’s Supreme Court overturns sentence against opposition activist (Alexei) Navalny, "the case will be reviewed by the Leninsky district court of Kirov due to the new circumstances". "The court's presidium initiated the checks into the case after the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, which said that Navalny’s rights to have a fair trial had been violated". If Navalny is cleared, he may run for Russian president office in 2018; Kremlin does not comment on such possibility.
 * Navalny on Ulykaev: "He is 100% a crook but this is not why he was imprisoned" (says that his anti-corruption foundation uncovered suspicious details like off shore account and high reported income, but that reported details of Ulykaev arrest do not appear sensible).
 * --Resup (talk) 16:16, 17 November 2016 (UTC)

Sports Section
Normally not commenting, but this is curious: 'Why Russia Makes the Olympics Better', WSJ, July 22, 2016. My point here is that Olympics were supposed to prevent wars, not create them. It is very clear that a forceful reaction from Russia to Maidan came in the footsteps of Western leaders boycotting Sochi Olympics; if they would all cosy up there, maybe no overreaction and less tragic Maidan. Don't want to discuss all other aspects involved,-hopefully it's clear where I am getting.-- In Russia, calls to slam the door, remember mass sport (and Stalin), and so on --Resup (talk) 09:36, 23 July 2016 (UTC)

Beslan Mudranov, from Kabardino-Balkaria, wins under-60 kg judo gold for Russia, in a match against an opponent from Kazakhstan-video. Awarded waza-ari by the referee for a throw in Golden Score time. Commentator shouts "Yuko!" , as the opponent appears to land a bit on the side, yet it's close to a clean throw, and Golden Score applies (it appears) in any case. Waza-ari that will be. --Resup (talk) 12:55, 8 August 2016 (UTC)
 * Street celebrations in Kabardino-Balkaria. Congratulated by the Kremlin.

Aug. 9, 2016. Khasan Khalmurzaev from Ingushetia won another Olympic judo gold with the highest score, Ippon, over Travis Stevens, USA in under 81 kg category.--Resup (talk) 23:28, 9 August 2016 (UTC)

Wars during Olympics

 * Georgia, August 2008.
 * Ukraine Maidan, January/February 2014
 * Donbass and Aleppo, August 2016
 * --Resup (talk) 23:40, 9 August 2016 (UTC)

2018 winter olympics
Russia is banned and fined. Some announcement or comment by Putin is expected (various discussions in Russian media included boycott, critical comments on the process -of blaming the whole group without individual evidence sort, and criticism aiming to undermine character of the whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov). No systematic coverage planned, at least for now --No independent info or insight --Resup (talk) 19:43, 5 December 2017 (UTC)


 * Kadyrov: "No athlete with a Chechen residence will participate under a neutral flag. And those Chechen athletes, who by all criteria should be on the national team and go to the Olympics, we will honor them as winners! " --Resup (talk) 23:14, 5 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Олимпиада 2018. Позор или бойкот? -Cassad, 5 Dec. 2017
 * A choice between the bad and the worst, but going for the boycott; 90 % of around 300 responders so far for boycott too.

Some (el-Murid; Sobchak) say, athletes first/fat cats last, go. What about home games as partial replacement? Not ideal of course (less competition, etc), but perhaps some advantages too, more local athletes taking part (more like mass sport), moneys spent inside, may still give prizes, with some adjustments perhaps. --Resup (talk) 00:46, 6 December 2017 (UTC) Or leaving it undecided, for the committees to figure? It's all quite tricky, potentially interferes with elections --a point made already in the discourse. --Resup (talk) 00:46, 6 December 2017 (UTC)

According to TASS, by IOC rules a state cannot influence decision of athletes; Putin stated that a boycott will not be announced and there will be no obstacles if some athletes will decide to participate in a private capacity (so consistent with the rules, as presented, and leaving it open for the athletes to decide). On 12 December there will be a meeting of athletes on the issue. What remains at stake, apparently, is level of support provided to those going in a 'private capacity', any legal challenges to the decision, commercial aspects like broadcasting. etc.--Resup (talk) 15:28, 6 December 2017 (UTC)