Stories from RuNet Echo from December, 2016
Russia's Five Most Memorable Censorship Moments of 2016
As 2016 comes to a close, RuNet Echo looks back at the five most controversial, infamous, and even ironic actions this year by Russia's federal censors.
The 2016 Russian Words of the Year, Explained
Like many words in Russian, the 2016 words of the year can be explained but not quite translated.
Russia's Top Ten Memes in 2016
In the spirit of 2016, RuNet Echo risks spoiling everything in an effort to make sense of Russia's hottest Internet memes over the past year.
American Hockey Through Ukrainian Eyes: ‘Like Interrupted Sex’
A young Ukrainian man visits the wild world of American hockey, where he was treated to a show he didn’t expect (or entirely enjoy).
Spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry Accuses Facebook of Working With ISIS
Maria Zakharova, the colorful spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, accused Facebook administrators of working for the Islamic State, after the network temporarily unpublished one of her posts on Monday.
Educators Respond to Plans to Expand Orthodox Education in Russian Schools
The proposed course was designed to replace the existing religion curriculum entirely, leaving parents without control over their children’s religious education.
Syrian Women Thank Russian Soldiers in New Sexy Calendar Funded by the Kremlin
Thanks to Kremlin grants, there's now a glossy calendar featuring a dozen beautiful Syrian women, posing beside flirty captions that praise Moscow’s armed intervention in the Middle East.
Social Media Sites Blocked in Kazakhstan on 25th Anniversary of Independence
Activists reported that Facebook, YouTube, and other social media websites were inaccessible in Kazakhstan on Friday, the 25th anniversary of the country's independence from the Soviet Union.
Russian State-Run TV Network Refuses to Give Former U.S. Ambassador His Own Show
This Sunday, Michael McFaul proposed a novel idea: he reached out to the chief editor of Russia Today, offering to host his own television show on the network.
Belarus Moves to Block Tor in Fight Against Online Anonymity
Belarus is ramping up efforts to crack down on Tor. But does Minsk actually have the ability to block the anonymity network?
Russian Intellectuals Make Bolshevik Revolution a Virtual Reality, Repeating 100-Year-Old Mistakes
At a time when Russia favors smooth historical narratives, it's difficult to say how the Kremlin will apply a narratological suture over one of the most fractious moments in history.
Russian Students Create Programming Language to Help Their ‘Streetwise’ Peers Graduate
Students at St. Petersburg's College of Information Technologies have built a new programming language using the "gopnik" vernacular.
Russian Journalists Fired for Reporting About a Children's Art Project That Ended at the Dump
If reports about children finding their homemade New Year's tree ornaments at the dump aren’t enough to rob you of your holiday cheer, perhaps this next detail will...
Russian Blogger Launches Campaign to Annul Anti-Extremism Law He Was Convicted of Violating
Blogger Anton Nossik wants to annul Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code, a catch-all statute that prohibits "ctions aimed at the incitement of hatred or enmity."
Russian Media Regulator Backpedals on Google Pressure
Hours after Russian news outlets began reporting that state media regulatory agency Roskomnadzor had issued instructions forcing Google to re-register in Russia or face sanctions, an agency representative backpedaled, telling roem.ru that Izvestiya, the newspaper that broke the news, had misreported the story. Izvestiya quoted Vadim Ampelonsky in their initial report as saying that...
Russia Ratchets Up Pressure on Google
Roskomnadzor, the agency that regulates Russian media, has issued instructions that will force Google to change its registration by the end of March.
Russia, China, and the Push for ‘Digital Sovereignty’
Russia and China's cyber cooperation is a marriage of convenience that reflects a shared priority: regime stability.
