27.01.2008
How Russians Live
December, 2007 - January, 2008The following resource is meant to quickly introduce the reader to everyday life in Russia: how Russians live, earn, spend, study, relax, and worship. This news review is part of SRAS's monthly "obzor" publications. For more reviews, see the newsletter for this corresponding month. To receive the free monthly newsletter and obzori by email, simply sign up. Sport, Art, and Culture Russian film "12" becomes Oscar nominee
"I am overjoyed that the movie has been noticed in the United States and, what’s more, was included in the shortlist of five nominees. This is a significant event for me." Russians Flock to Learn Fate of Zhenya and Nadya
"Continuation" of Beloved Soviet-Era Movie Irks Critics but Is a Hit at Box Office. At Last, Russia Flaunts Art Treasures in London.
There's no question about it. The Royal Academy's "From Russia" is the blockbuster exhibition of the season in London. Moscow's homeless stage art show
It seems an unlikely attraction, but an exhibition of paintings by homeless people in downtown Moscow is drawing media attention to the plight of some of Russia's most vulnerable and disenfranchised citizens. Silver and Bronze for Russian Skaters
...at the European Figure Skating Championship in Zagreb, Croatia, after the free program, for the second time in their careers. Letter from Russia
"Seventy-Five Years of the Moscow Union of Artists" celebrates an organization that once distributed work, money, and privileges to an army of loyal artists, in effect controlling Soviet Russia's artistic output. Ex-Chess Rival Kasparov Remembers Bobby Fischer
Former Russian chess champion Garry Kasparov said Fischer's conquest of the chess world in the 1960s was "a revolutionary breakthrough" for the game. Tennis in Russia: a popular national sport
Far from a recent fad, tennis in Russia has attracted followers from Tsar Nicholas II and Count Leo Tolstoy to the first Russian president, Boris Yeltsin. Soviet-era writer suffers severe stroke
(Entry 11) Vasily Aksyonov has been admitted to hospital. In Dark Winter, Chekhov Brings Comfort and Joy
The library, at least, was a warm place. That's where I found a collection of the short stories of Anton Chekhov. Kinokultura, Issue 19
A journal devoted to film from the former Soviet Union IFFHS Ranked Spartak Moscow Above Zenit St. Petersburg
Spartak Moscow with its 51st score was the best of Russia’s clubs, while Zenit St. Petersburg shared the 54th to 55th positions with Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds. The Tortured Voice of Russia's Lost Generation
Mr. Minaev is not just an overly introspective Russian yuppie, or a new style of dissident. He is a best-selling author whose two novels, first published on the Web, have now sold nearly a million copies in book form, almost unheard of in post-Soviet Russia for anything but mysteries. Demographics and Health Russia's population drops to 142 mln in Nov
An influx of migrants compensated for the population loss: the number of migrants increased 87.9% against early 2007, with the bulk of all migrants coming from former Soviet republics. Russia's birth, mortality rates to equal by 2011
In the first eleven months of 2007 the mortality rate in Russia was 14.7 deaths per 1,000 live births, and 15.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2006, the minister said. Speech at the Opening Ceremony for the Year of the Family in Russia
The newly-created Fund to help address the problems of children in difficult circumstances has work ahead of it, and it will carry out its work with dignity. Smoking rates have more than doubled in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union
The Bath University-led team said "aggressive targeting" of women by tobacco firms was behind the rise. Russia Moves towards Full Ban on Tobacco Ads
A new law drafted by the Russian cabinet could have serious implications for Russia's tobacco market, currently third largest in the world in terms of volume. Recent effort to deal with the tuberculosis epidemic in Russia
Progress is being made but it is slow. It is costly and requires staff retraining, as well as capital investments. HIV/AIDS, Drug Abuse and Street Youth in Russia
"Reaching at-risk populations is one of the greatest challenges for public health," she says. "I'm inspired by the variety of innovative approaches that Russian cities offer to a problem that many nations face." Drug Users Face Lonely, Uncertain Road To Recovery.
Eduard has been off heroin for nearly a year. He now works at Roza Vetrov, helping others to combat their own drug addictions. Self-Dependent Person
Russia-made prostheses help rather psychologically than in fact. They are clumsy and unreliable. Nation Celebrates New Year by Scuffles, Fires, Suicides
Long holidays in Russia are traditionally accompanied by hard drinking leading to the surge in suicides, fires and traffic accidents. Moscow witnessed a real battle with the fire-fight already in early hours of New Year. Xenophobia and Minorities Russia has fewer xenophobic cases in 2007
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR) says the number of cases of xenophobia and anti-Semitism has decreased in 2007, but it calls on the authorities to fight these cases more actively. Russian North Deserves Better Treatment and More Respect
Not only do the numerically small ethnic groups of Russia’s north suffer from poor services and the absence of links to the outside world, despite their region’s contribution to the economy, but they suffer from abuse in the post-Soviet media which appear to treat them all as one enormous and inappropriate Chukchi joke. A Better Class of Fascists
Extremist violence is on the rise in Russia, but don’t look for the culprits among the downtrodden. Russia's far eastern workers wary of Chinese migrants
Some executives of Russia's state-controlled enterprises apparently prefer to rely on imported labor in their Far Eastern projects, prompting loud complaints from local workers. History DNA tests finally solve the riddle of what happened to the last tsar's two children
"Once the genetic analysis has been completed in Russia, its results will be compared with test results from foreign experts." Publishing Stalin Becomes Profitable -- Again -- in Putin's Russia
Ruchenkov says that those devoted to Stalin’s memory are not doing so for the money but rather to ensure that everyone will be able to overcome the distortions of Stalin’s record that have been introduced by his detractors. Declasifying the Kremlin
A book of declassified documents reveals Stalin and his successors as trigger-happy liars who never saw a fact they couldn't twist. Only pawns in their game?
Steven Poole cautions against a cartoon view of Soviet grandmasters as mere political agents. Moving With the Times
A new book of photographs is part of a far-reaching project to chronicle Russia's history. Raising the red standard
A look at the Russian treatment of childhood impresses Jane Miller. Education Education Reform: School of Hard Knocks
In 2007, a host of laws were adopted that lay the legal groundwork for the so-called modernization of the education system. Spiritual and Moral Culture to be taught in Russian schools
The decision to introduce religious education in schools was made at a conference in the city if Kaluga held at the initiative of the Ministry of Education. British Council Closes Offices in Russia
The agency promotes the English language and education in Britain. Freedom under threat
At best, academics have been put under pressure to join the pro-Kremlin party, United Russia. At worst, they have been jailed on spying charges for their research in security-sensitive fields. Russia mulls library to preserve Putin legacy
A group of Russian lawmakers wants to give President Vladimir Putin a U.S.-style presidential library to perpetuate his legacy after he steps down next year. Science, Space, and Environment Kremlin Orders Russian Space Program to Become "More Ambitious"
Roscosmos has previously outlined long-term goals for missions to the Moon and Mars, plans for a new spaceport, and for a new generation of manned spacecraft. Russia can be the first to land astronauts on Mars
"It is prestigious and real and it is Russia's priority to land a cosmonaut on Mars. This task can be solved both economically and technically." Russia Thinks about Space
Russian and European scientists are preparing several craft for an expedition to Jupiter and its moon Europa. Russia President Putin Honors Scientists
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday granted "hero" awards to scientists backing Russia’s claim to a mountain range under the Arctic Ocean that is believed to contain huge oil and gas reserves. Manned expeditions to Mars should be international
"Such an expedition to Mars, not to speak about other planets of the Solar System will require a considerable amount of technical and financial resources." A cold spell soon to replace global warming
Earth is now at the peak of one of its passing warm spells. It started in the 17th century when there was no industrial influence on the climate to speak of and no such thing as the hothouse effect. Greenpeace Russia to concentrate on Kyoto Protocol in 2008
"This year will be crucial for the Kyoto Protocol. We will focus on the further promotion of this agreement in Russia." 2007 set to be warmest year on record for Russia.
"We are 99% sure that this will be the warmest year in the 150-year period in which accurate weather records have been kept," Roman Vilfand told a press-conference. Religion Atheism and Orthodoxy
A short history of atheism and Orthodoxy in Russia over the last century written by Orthodoxy's representative to the EU. Old Believers use new media to demand religious freedom
Old Believer communities in parts of European Russia are discovering that Internet publicity and associated lobbying can prove key to defending their freedom of worship. Chances of Pope-Patriarch Meeting Gain.
Chances of a meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the Russian Patriarch Alexy II at a neutral location are improving, a top official in the Russian Orthodox Church was quoted as telling a German magazine this week. Interview with Metropolitan Kyrill
Metropolitan Kyrill, foreign minister of the Russian Orthodox Church, discusses Christian values in the post-communist era, his relationship with the pope in Rome, Vladimir Putin the churchgoer -- and wrangles with SPIEGEL about homosexuality. Alexy II Congratulates Medvedev During Christmas Service
"May the joy of this holy feast give you strength and courage in your service for the good of our long-suffering people and Fatherland," the Patriarch said, addressing Medvedev who attended the service. A Cathedral Resists the Label "Property of Russia"
"We consider that the property and the church belong to Russia," said Sergei Parinov, the Russian Embassy spokesman. Moscow and Washington United by Concert
After its world premiere in the United States in December, the oratorio was performed Monday in Moscow, on the feast of Orthodox Christmas. Journalism Russian Academy of Press begins work
The Russian Academy of the Press is a "new independent public structure that is consonant with the present day. It will handle the matters of improvement of professionalism of journalist work and assistance to advancement of the contemporary experience, including of the foreign one." Kremlin eyes Internet control
The Russian government is looking to create a Cyrillic Internet, but is it just another case of Big Brother controlling its citizens? Lavrov says Chechnya still unsafe for foreign journalists
Lavrov was responding to a question at a press conference in Moscow as to why entry to Chechnya for foreign media representatives was still not permitted. Putin deploys a new weapon against hostile foreign press - his judo master
Putin has asked his long-time friend and judo guru Vasily Shestakov to head the National Information Centre - a new press and information centre in Moscow. Russian PM Congratulates Journalists On Professional Holiday
"In all times, Russia has paid special attention to the printed word. It has been trusted, the opinion of authors is heeded and the work of a journalist is respected and appreciated. Domestic press has always been and remains a sophisticated instrument of influencing public mood in society, a unique pitchfork for its spiritual and intellectual health," Zubkov said in his greeting. Russian NGO says journalists' work becoming more dangerous and difficult.
2007 was one of the worst years for journalists in post-Soviet Russia, according to a report released by the Glasnost Defense Foundation (GDF). Free press under siege in Russia
"Yes, but is there really a free press in Canada?" asked a young Russian student slouched in the front row of my journalism and public policy course at St. Petersburg State University. Un-Hollywood: In Russia, Films Promote the State
Mr. Bazhenov heads an organization called the Foundation for the Support of Patriotic Film, which raised $15 million to produce "The Apocalypse Code." Virtual Communities
Ignorance is never bliss in Russia and any foreigner hoping for a happy stay must be prepared to wage a grim battle with bureaucracy -- but a virtual community has formed to take up the challenge. Chechnya may shut TV channels that fail to explain Islam basics
Addressing local administration leaders and top television managers, Ramzan Kadyrov, 31, urged them to devote more air time to spiritual and patriotic programs that would keep youngsters away from the hard-line Islamic Wahhabi and other extremist movements.
« back to News archive
|
