Russia: Assessing Predictions About the Coordinating Council Election

As RuNet Echo readers know well, the Coordinating Council's elections took place last week, and that body has already convened virtually through Facebook and once again in person. Weeks in advance of the vote, Global Voices offered projections based on Yandex's blogger rating index. Here, we've assessed those predictions against the actual results and another forecast model

Central Asians Treated ‘Like Crap’ at Moscow Airport

I realized that once you find yourself at [the Moscow airport] Domodedovo, you start feeling like you are [crap]. And you feel so not because you are actually [crap], but because the personnel at the airport treat you this way.

Russia: the Scuffles of the Moscow Literati

Most online conflicts in the RuNet remain virtual. Sometimes, however, members of the Moscow creative class feel that fisticuffs are their only recourse, as a recent Twitter spat between blogger Maksim Kononenko and Pussy Riot lawyer Mark Feygin demonstrated.

Russia: Facebook Insults Lead to a Fight at the Bolshoi

Earlier this week, an online spat between the chief editors of Russian GQ and Russian Tatler magazines came to physical blows on the steps of the famous Bolshoi Theater. First,...

Russia: Cryptanalytic Vulnerabilities in the Opposition's Online Elections

The opposition's Elections Commission accidentally leaked personal voter data to one of its most dangerous enemies, Sergei Mavrodi's MMM group. How avoidable was this mistake, and does the fact that it happened indicate more serious vulnerabilities in the protest movement's digital self-defense?

Russia: With Opposition's Online Elections Over, Scandals Plague Results

The Coordinating Council elections are finally over. Now that the final tally is in, it’s time to look more closely at what happened. Scandals and provocations have led to results with more than a few critics among and outside the opposition.

New Realities of the India-Russia Defence Partnership

India has traditionally enjoyed warm defense ties with Russia. However, New Delhi’s recent tilt towards Washington has prompted Moscow to enhance its defense and diplomatic states with other South Asian countries, most notably Pakistan.

Russia: DDoS Attacks Cripple Opposition's Online Vote

Eight hours after online voting for the Russian opposition's “Coordinating Council” began, unknown assailants launched a sustained Denial-of-Service attack against the Election Commission's website, disabling the primary voting portal.

Russia: Opposition Distracted by Virtual Elections, Loses Real Elections

In August, Global Voices reported on several activists from Russia’s protest movement running for office in local elections. They hoped it would be easier to win these small-scale contests, which took place last weekend. They were wrong, and the Coordinating Council election might be partly to blame.

Russia: A Ponzi Scheme to Destroy the Opposition's Coordinating Council?

There are storm clouds rolling in for the Coordinating Council's coming elections, and the promise of a democratic triumph for the protest movement could be faltering, thanks mainly to the unsavory scheming of one of Russia's most infamous and odious characters: Sergei Mavrodi, the founder of the MMM series of pyramid schemes

Russia: Regional Governor Holds Twitter Q&A

Two days ago Alexander Tkachev, governor of the the southern Kradnodarskiy Krai (one of Russia's 87 federal regions), announced a “twitter-conference” [ru], soliciting questions from his followers. Today he spent a...

Russia: Candidates Drop Out of Opposition Elections

On October 16 two high profile candidates in the opposition's Coordinating Council elections announced they are withdrawing from the campaign. Economist Irina Yasina and writer Liudmila Ulitskaya published a statement [ru]...

Russia: Lawmaker Wants to Regulate Social Networks

A few days ago several Russian bloggers were incensed by the idea that a Duma committee responsible for legislating the internet was going to propose a new law requiring passport identification for users of social networks.

Russia: Getting It Wrong on the Pussy Riot Prisoner's Dilemma

Reactions to the release of Yekaterina Samutsevich have generally been myopic and misleading. The popular "insight" is that the authorities are maneuvering to "divide and conquer" the punk rocker trio. That is undoubtedly part of what's happened, but it isn't the whole story.

Russia: Winners & Losers in Round 1 of the Opposition's Debates

The first stage of the Russian opposition's Coordinating Council debates has ended. So who has advanced to the next round of debates? Who among the candidates is best winning the hearts and minds of the opposition's voters?

Russia: Politics of the Nobel Peace Prize Nominations

On September 27th the three imprisoned members of Pussy Riot wrote a letter [ru] which registered their desire to nominate their lawyers for the Nobel Peace Prize. This predictably caused outrage [ru] from pro-government...

Russia: Crowdmapping Corruption with Bribr Mobile App

Bribr is a newly-launched iPhone/iPad app that allows anonymous users in Russia to submit the locations and the amounts of the bribes they pay. Later, it will be possible to report on the bribes taken as well.

Russia: The Opposition Coordinating Council's Great Debates, Day 1.0

"What should the next Duma adopt as its first new law?" "Does Russia have any friends?" Just some of the questions thrown at the candidates for the upcoming elections of the first Coordinating Council of the Russian Opposition. Read the debate transcripts here.

Russia: A Schism Between Pussy Riot Member and Defense Team?

One of the imprisoned members of Pussy Riot has decided to change her lawyers and defense strategy. Her lawyers have reacted by claiming she is being pressured.

Russia: Apple Logo Branded As Unchristian by Orthodox Activists

Interfax new agency reported [ru] today that a fringe group of Russian Orthodox activists (including some priests) has “on a number of occasions” staged public protests against the maker of the...

Russia: Echo of Moscow Pokes Fun at Environmentalist Dissident

Earlier today, oppositionist blogger Oleg Kozyrev took issue [ru] with an apparent gag that graced the website of Echo of Moscow. In an article titled “Leader of the Khimki Ecologists and...