Stories about Russia from December, 2006
Russia: Shpargalki
Lex Libertas compares U.S. and Russian education and writes about cheating and cheatsheets – shpargalki – in the former Soviet Union.
Russia: “The Dissenters’ March”
Marsh Nesoglasnykh (“The Dissenters’ March” or “The March of Those Who Disagree”) – screenshot from the rally's website, www.namarsh.ru According to news reports, over 2,000 people showed up at a “rare” anti-government rally in Moscow today. LJ user rifleman_sa has posted a photo report (RUS) from the Marsh Nesoglasnykh (“The...
Russia, U.S.: Medical Insurance; Paid Vacation.
Everybody I Love You seems to have found a way to get medical insurance for his Russian wife through Blue Cross of California – and have discovered that in Russia a four-week paid vacation is the law, while in the United States it is not.
Russia: Litvinenko's Poisoning an Accident?
Copydude believes that Litvinenko's lethal poisoning could have actually been “a smuggling accident.” Also, here's his overview of Russia's unfriendly relations with its neighbors and the West: “Poland has a beef ban and an energy problem. Poland has a port blockaded by Kaliningrad. The lifeline Odessa-Plok pipeline has just been...
Russia: Caucasus Hatreds, and Peace
The First Chechen War began twelve years ago, in December 1994; the Second Chechen War followed five years later. Still, Chechnya remains part of the Russian Federation. Timur Aliev – LJ user timur_aliev, a native of Grozny, an ethnic Chechen, a journalist, editor-in-chief of The Chechen Society newspaper, the Chechnya...
US, Russia: Medical Insurance (Lost in Translation, Sort Of)
Everybody I Love You reports on how difficult – or even impossible – it is for his Russian wife to get a Blue Shield of California medical insurance – because they require copies of her “medical records”: “And what, Dear Sir, Mr. Senior Underwriter, constitutes medical records? Can't say, can...
Russia: The Blogosphere
ZheZhe [dot] us – a blog run by people who position themselves as “neither Russophiles or Russophobes, but Russorealists” – has a lengthy review of the Russian blogosphere. It also welcomes translations and original English-language posts by Russian bloggers (see comments to this post at Siberian Light).
Russia: Putin's Reputation
A translation of an article by Aleksandr Osovtsev on the reputation of Vladimir Putin and other Russian “leaders” – over at La Russophobe.
Russia: Chechen War Anniversary
The war in Chechnya began on Dec. 11, 1994. David McDuff of A Step At A Time translates a Prague Watchdog anniversary article.
Russia: Anti-Estonian Protest
Itching for Eestimaa writes about a recent protest in front of the Estonian embassy in Moscow.
Russia: A Letter to Putin
It's a letter-writing season in Russia. LJ user yashin posted an appeal (translated here) to the judge who had given a harsh sentence to an activist for placing a banner saying “Putin, go away on your own” on Hotel Rossiya in Moscow. LJ user aneta_spb has come up with a...
Russia: Moscow Subway
The Turkish Invasion writes about the Moscow subway: “It is just like being married… You can't do with or without it.”
Russia: Deadly Hospital Fire
Andy Young has relaunched Siberian Light, a blog on Russia, and reports on a deadly fire at a Moscow drug rehabilition hospital, which killed 45 women last night.
Russia: Anti-Fascist's Murder Deemed ‘Hooliganism’
Sean's Russia Blog writes about a strange verdict in the antifa activist's murder case: the murderers have been convicted for “hooliganism.”
Russia: Litvinenko's Case
Attempts to untangle the details of Aleksandr Litvinenko's poisoning, from different perspectives: by a reader at La Russophobe – here, and by Copydude – here, here, and here.
Russia: Female Bodyguards
Copydude writes about Russian female bodyguards.
Russia: The “New Cold War”
A Step At A Time links to Edward Lucas’ piece on the “new cold war.”
Serbia: Kosovo's Future
Wu Wei links to “the most detailed and authoritative prediction of what Martti Ahtisaari is going to say about Kosovo's status.” Neretva River wonders whether Russia's veto would plunge Kosovo into violence.
Russia: Fortochka
The Turkish Invasion writes about the Soviet idea of air conditioner: fortochka.
Russia: “Poisongate”
An update on “Poisongate” at Sean's Russia Blog.
Russia: Litvinenko's Last Name
Very Russian explains the origin of last name ‘Litvinenko.’
