Stories about Russia from February, 2017
Daughter of Slain Russian Opposition Leader Writes Him a Letter Two Years Later
On the second anniversary of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov's assassination, Zhanna Nemtsova published a letter to her late father on Facebook.
911 for Donbass: Meet the App That Will Keep Ukrainians Updated About Military Attacks
"Active Citizen" will inform users about military attacks in seconds and, the app's creators hope, help reduce casualties among civilians in the war-torn regions of eastern Ukraine.
St. Petersburg Stands up for St. Isaac's Cathedral
Despite a variation of the blood libel against protest organizers and pressure from authorities to stand down, St. Petersburg activists continue to stand up for St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Russian Government Youth Group Wants to Make Wikipedia More Patriotic
A clumsy new campaign called “Virtual Front” is coming to Russia next month, led by a government youth group that aims to make Wikipedia’s Russian edition more “truthful and patriotic.”
Russia's Censor Suddenly Wants to Know More About Channels on Telegram
With help from a Putin-launched political movement, Russia's federal censor met on Tuesday behind closed doors with the authors of several popular Telegram channels. And nobody knows why.
The Strange Death of Russia's Closest Alliance
Almost three years ago, President Alexander Lukashenko suddenly realized that his country's weak sense of national identity was a serious problem. It's been odd times for Belarus ever since.
Twitter Walks a Fine Line in Russia
Why does Twitter comply with Kremlin requests to censor Tweets inside Russia? It's complicated.
Whale-Themed ‘Suicide Groups’ Present Opportunity for Internet Crackdown in Central Asia
Despite no clear link to actual suicides in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, authorities are dreaming up restrictions.
What It's Like to Drive for Uber in Russia
Last month, writing for the popular news site TJournal, Denis Gavrilov interviewed several Uber drivers in Russia, learning about their work, their habits, and of course their passengers.
Russian Censor's Warning to Radio Station Raises Alarm, Briefly
Alarm about another crackdown on Russian media spread quickly—and briefly—yesterday, when news broke that the state media censor had warned radio station Ekho Moskvy that it could be shut down.
Travel Blogger Faces Eight Years in Azerbaijan Prison Over Nagorno-Karabakh Visits and Posts
One blogger, three passports and the intricate international relations of the Caucasus region. This gets pretty complicated.
The Unofficial Mascot for Russia's Government Censor Is an Erotic Anime Character
The dominatrix anime figure “Roskomnadzor-chan,” named after a federal agency and known for her role in an erotic online comic, has somehow become the unofficial mascot for Russia's state censor.
Ukrainian Social Media Users Get Five Years in Prison For ‘Supporting Separatism’
The two men were sentenced to five years in prison by a Sloviansk city court for threatening the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Russian Political Panic Returns, As Putin Ponders Reelection in 2018
With Russia's next presidential election now just a year away, expect lots of strange, staged viral videos depicting a nation desperate to squeeze another term out of Vladmir Putin.
Russia's Latest Internet Meme Is a Friendly Dutch-Designed Abomination
If you spend too much time browsing the Russian Internet, you’ve definitely encountered a bizarre-looking walrus thing sitting on a chair, clasping his hands in quiet anticipation. That's Zhdun.
