Stories about Russia from August, 2019
Moscow’s revolution will be memed, online and on canvas
An anonymous RuNet user has a found a creative way to criticise recent police violence in Moscow: photoshopping riot police into dozens of famous Russian and foreign artworks.
Videoblogging shaman walks to Moscow to ‘exorcise’ Putin
The 51-year old Yakut shaman calls his quest divinely ordained, insisting that Putin is a manifestation of dark forces which must be banished to save Russia from ruin.
In Prague, a bleeding monument reopens old wounds
The statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev is often targeted by protestors on the anniversary of the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, but this year the controversy is more heated than usual.
Who turned off Moscow’s internet during recent protests?
Evidence suggests that law enforcement agencies pressured mobile network operators to get part of the capital offline for the duration of the protests.
How protesters are ‘deanonymising’ Russia's riot police
Activists are identifying the men behind the helmets, truncheons, and riot shields, and sharing their names, dates of birth, and links to their social media profiles.
Russia's LGBTQ+ community reels after murder of activist Yelena Grigoryeva
Police say Yelena Grigoryeva died in the course of a “domestic dispute” with her killer, but activists dispute that account; her name had recently appeared on a homophobic hit-list.