How the News is Reported in Russia
December, 2008 - January, 2009
by Andrei Nesterov

Russians Celebrate Main Holiday Of The Year

There were many reports on Russian TV about how the New Year was celebrated across Russia. Russia Channel reported that probably the tallest Christmas tree in the country was on the central square of Krasnoyarsk. The artificial tree is 50 meters (164 feet) high and weighs 30 tons. The tree has 15,000 branches and was decorated with 5,000 light bulbs.

In St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, and many other cities, theatrical performances were organized on central city squares with music and fireworks.

Thousands of people gathered on Red Square in Moscow, where concerts, contests, and shows were held and the skating rink, constructed each winter and taken down in the summer, was open all night. Central Moscow was closed to traffic and made a pedestrian zone for the New Year celebration. Entertainment was available on Tverskaya, Teatralnaya and Lubyanskaya Squares, as well as other places around the city.

On the evening of December 31, Orthodox services were held under the leadership of Metropolitan Kirill in the Bogoyavlensky Temple in Moscow. The Metropolitan conducted the services as the "Patriarchal Locum Tenens," while the church elected a new Patriarch. Patriarch Alexei II died in December of 2008. Russia Channel quoted Metropolitan Kirill as saying during the course of services, "Let no rumors about economic crisis and approaching trouble disturb our calm Christian outlook having faith and hope for God's omnipotence and grace."

There were also reports of holiday-related accidents. Thirty-one people in Moscow got burns from fireworks in the period from December 31 – January 3, with twenty seven of them having been hospitalized. On January 2, First Channel reported that a fire had destroyed a nightclub in downtown Moscow.

Inauguration of Barack Obama

Russian TV channels reported about the popularity of the new US President, Barack Obama, and about how people hope that Obama will "make improvements." First Channel emphasized that the entire world followed the inauguration since the changes promised by Obama would affect not only America, but also most African and European countries.

First Channel called the era of President Bush "an era of failures, disappointments, September 11, two wars, and crisis." The channel called Barack Obama "a symbol of success" for the young people of color who gathered on the Mall in Washington DC to watch the inauguration ceremony.

Reports on Russian TV were quite forgiving about the Chief Justice's misspeaking the words of the presidential oath. First Channel called the mistake simply "unfortunate."

However, First Channel finished its report by saying that it is difficult for a person to be a symbol of hope and an official at the same time, especially when it is time to "move from making promises to implementing them."

How the Gas Crisis Was Reported to Russians

On December 15, First Channel stated in a report that Ukraine had neither paid its gas debt owed to Russia, nor signed a contract for gas supplies for 2009. First Channel quoted Ukrainian experts, such as Director of The Center for Power Energy Research Konstantin Borodin and a Deputy of Ukraine's Supreme Rada, Inna Bogoslovskaya, as saying that this could result in a "restriction of gas supplies."

On December 21, First Channel broadcast a statement by Ukrainian President Victor Yushenko that Ukraine had paid Russia 800 million dollars and that it would pay 200 million more for the gas supplies received during the summer and autumn of 2008. The channel also commented on this, saying that 800 million dollars was only one third of Ukraine's total gas debt.

On December 24, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview on national TV that Russia's relations with Ukraine were currently "the worst in the recent years." The president mentioned two problems – Ukraine's alleged supply of weapons to Georgia and failure to pay for the gas it had received. "If Ukraine doesn't pay, we will use our entire arsenal of possibilities. It goes without saying that we will execute all our obligations toward the consumers in other countries, including those in Europe," said Medvedev.

On January 1, First Channel reported that Gazprom had held a press conference where the company announced that "the supply of gas to Ukraine has been reduced by 11 million cubic meters per day, that is by 100%" because no new contract had been signed. At the same time, gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine were reported to have been increased by 20 million cubic meters – up to 326 million cubic meters – "in accordance with consumers' demands." Gazprom Chairman Aleksei Miller said in a TV interview that the Ukrainian national oil and gas company Naftogaz had rejected Russia's initial proposal to raise the price for gas for Ukraine to 250 dollars per one thousand cubic meters and withdrew from the negotiations.

On January 4, First Channel stated that Ukraine was taking 25 million cubic meters of gas a day from the transit pipelines, and quoted Gazprom's press secretary Sergey Kupriyanov as saying that Gazprom had asked the European Commission to organize an independent team to monitor gas transit through Ukraine.

On the morning of January 7, Russian TV channels stated that Ukraine had completely blocked the transit of Russian gas to Europe and repeatedly implied that Ukrainian officials had admitted to shutting down the pipeline. However, TV also broadcast a statement by an official at Gazprom saying that Gazprom had shut off gas supplies "until Ukraine provides guarantees of transit to Europe for the full volume of Russian gas exported."

On January 11, reports emerged that an agreement had been signed by Russia and Ukraine to allow the international monitors Gazprom had said were need to resume shipments, but that Ukraine had added amendments and the handwritten words "with attached declaration" next to the signature. Gazprom press secretary Sergey Kupriyanov was shown saying that Ukraine had "opted for a destructive position" and that the added declaration was "pure provocation." Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called the agreement "void" because of Ukraine's attachment to it. On January 12, both sides again signed an agreement, this time without any amendments.

However, on January 13, when Russia attempted to restart transmissions of gas, it found the pipeline still non-functioning. Russian TV quoted Deputy Chairman of Gazprom Aleksandr Medvedev as saying that Ukraine hadn't opened the export valves and was not admitting Russian observers to the gas transmission stations. Russia Channel reported that Ukraine said that Russia's transmission attempt had been "unilateral, without preliminary agreement."

On January 14, Ukraine again refused to provide the transit of the Russian gas through Sudzha station, this time offering to deliver the gas through Pisarevka and Valuiki stations (which are intended for Ukraine's domestic consumption of gas). In addition, Ukraine claimed that its state gas company Naftogaz required 140 million cubic meters of gas from Gazprom to restore pressure in the pipelines. Gazprom was quoted on TV as saying that this was proof that Ukraine had previously siphoned gas from the pipelines without notifying Russia.

First Channel labeled Ukraine's actions as "incomprehensible and cynical, taking into account that every day the gas supply is absent only deepens the raging crisis in Europe."

Russian TV reported on January 14 that Ukraine had restored gas supplies to Moldova after Russia and Moldova agreed to "exchange transaction." Gazprom agreed to supply Ukraine 20 million cubic meters of gas, and Ukraine supplied the same amount of gas from its storage facilities to Moldova.

On January 14, First Channel reported that Ukraine was demanding "unreal conditions" for resuming the gas supply to Europe. The channel broadcast a meeting of President Medvedev with Gazprom Chair Aleksei Miller who said that Naftogaz Ukraine was asking for 300 million cubic meters of gas from Gazprom in January, 600 million in February, and 600 million in March – free of charge. This so-called "technical gas" was required to power the gas transmission centers. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin offered to establish an international consortium from the European countries to buy the technical gas for Ukraine calling a "risk" that all countries should share.

Finally, the Russian gas supply to Europe was restored on January 20 after an agreement was reached by Prime Ministers Vladimir Putin and Yulia Timoshenko after a 10-hour negotiation. Television reported that the basic price of gas for Ukraine would be 450 dollars per thousand cubic meters, with a 20% discount, and Ukraine would not raise the fee for the Russian gas transit, leaving it at the level of 1.7 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters for 100 kilometers.

After the crisis ended, leading Russian politicians made a series of televised statements, saying that the construction of alternative gas pipelines that would not pass through Ukraine should be accelerated.

How Much Gas Does Ukraine Have?

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on January 8 at his press conference to foreign reporters that Ukraine had about 22 billion cubic meters of gas in storage, while Naftogaz Head Oleg Dubina said to Ukrainian reporters on January 6 that Ukraine had 16-16.5 billion cubic meters of gas stored. However, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko asserted during the gas crisis that Ukraine had enough gas in storage to last a full year. The International Energy Agency estimates that Ukraine currently uses 85 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

Metropolitan Kirill Elected Patriarch

On the evening of January 27, the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church elected Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad to the office of Patriarch. Earlier, one of the two other candidates for the post, Metropolitan Filaret of Belarus, withdrew his candidacy in support of Metropolitan Kirill.

First Channel quoted the newly-elected Patriarch as saying that he is ready to carry "the great cross of the patriarchal service with full responsibility." The channel also broadcast interviews with people on the street, who said that "a worthy choice" had been made, and expressed support of the new Patriarch.

Russia Channel quoted Boris Yakimenko, the leader of the pro-government youth movement Nashi, as saying that the election of Patriarch is a symbolic event for young Orthodox believers, and that Kirill had, in the past, discussed founding an Orthodox youth movement, and may do so now.

Human Rights Lawyer Murdered in Moscow

Russia Channel called the murder of human rights activist, lawyer Stanislav Markelov Margelov and reporter of Novaya Gazeta Anastasia Baburova a "defiance of society." The murderer approached Markelov from behind on Prechistenka Street in downtown Moscow on the morning of January 26 and shot him in the back of the head. A young reporter who had been walking with Margelov allegedly tried to detain the criminal, and was also fatally shot.

Russia Channel stated that the "execution" had damaged Russia's reputation. The channel suggested three possible motives for the crime: Nazis seeking revenge because Merkelov had participated in trials against skinheads; supporters of Colonel Budanov (convicted of raping and killing a Chechen woman) seeking revenge for Marelov's opposition to his parole; or those involved in the "shady deal" to build a highway through Khimki Woods, which has been opposed by environmentalists, local residence, and Marelov, seeking revenge.

Conflict in the Gaza Strip

Russian television media criticized both sides of the military conflict in Gaza Strip for their "unwillingness to make peace." First Channel reported that the leaders of Israel and Hamas made tough statements rejecting the idea of negotiations. Russia Channel in its report denounced Hamas for its calls to overthrow Mahmoud Abbas, who is the leader of the PLO and whom the Russian channel referred to as a "national leader." At the same time, both First and Russia Channels reported on major anti-war demonstrations that occurred in Europe and the US where the participants were critical of Israel. For example, First Channel reported that the authorities of Egypt requested the USA, France and Russia to exert pressure on Israel to stop the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip.

First Channel broadcast a statement made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni that "the use of force in Gaza Strip should be ceased immediately" to provide safety for civilians, both Palestinians and Israelis.

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