Stories from RuNet Echo from February, 2012

Russia: Great Lent Has Begun

Citizen media outlets have captured the multidimensional essence of the Russian Orthodox Lenten season, which began on Monday, including issues such the religiosity of post-USSR Russia, the liturgical calendar, the peculiarities of the Orthodox traditions and fasting rituals compared to those observed in the West, and the public statements made by prominent church officials.

29 February 2012

Russia: The “Big White Circle” Protest in Moscow

On Sunday, Feb. 26, thousands of people gathered in central Moscow for the Big White Circle protest, forming a human chain along most of the length of the Russian capital's 15.6-kilometer/9.7-mile Garden Ring, protesting against corruption and demanding a fair presidential election, which is to take place in one week, on March 4.

27 February 2012

Russia: Bloggers’ Photo Reports and Reflections on Pro-Putin Rally in Moscow

On Thursday, February 23, ten days before the March 4 presidential election, the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin addressed thousands of people at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. A number of Moscow-based bloggers attended the event, too. Below is a selection of their photo reports and observations, along with some of the remarks from their audiences.

25 February 2012

Russia: Pro-Putin Rally in Vladivostok Causes Controversy

Pro-Putin rallies, also known as Putings, took place in many Russian cities last weekend. One such Puting caused a scandal in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, which is renowned for its strong support of the opposition and for anti-Kremlin moods in general. Masha Egupova reports.

23 February 2012

Russia: Navalny vs Kadyrov

At Jamestown Foundation Blog, Valery Dzutsev reports that Ramzan Kadyrov, the President of Chechnya, has called politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny “a real chatterbox” – and Navalny retaliated by...

22 February 2012

Russia: Dmitry Rybolovlev, the Quintessential ‘New Russian’

Billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev serves as an example of the quintessential 'New Russian' through his controversial activities during the Yeltsin era, his modern business practices, and his extravagant international spending - he has just purchased the most expensive New York City apartment to date.

20 February 2012

Russia: Day of Protests Divides Citizens

Despite temperatures of -20 degrees, thousands of Russians went out to the streets to participate in election manifestations. Some, organised online, were protesting against the elections and possible re-election of prime minister Vladimir Putin. Others, partly organised by pressure and bribes as well as fear of possible revolutions manifested that Putin should stay.

5 February 2012

Ukraine: Ex.ua is Back Online

Ex.ua, a file-sharing site that the authorities shut down two days ago, is now back online [uk], though its content is still inaccessible. @bl4ka tweets [ru]: “The DDoS revolution has...

3 February 2012

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