Latest posts by Kevin Rothrock
A Visit to a Moscow Mental Health Center
Vera Shengelia, a Russian journalist and a mental health activist, recently visited a young man at a residential care center for adults in Moscow. The experience shook her.
Russia Adds First-Ever Foreign Messaging App to Federal Registry
For the first time ever, Russia’s federal censor, Roskomnadzor, has added a foreign online messenger to its “Registry of Information-Dissemination Organizers,” targeting the Swiss company Threema.
Russian Socialists Celebrate International Women's Day With Guerilla Ads on the Subway
A group of socialist activists in St. Petersburg is using guerilla advertising to show the city a different way to acknowledge International Women's Day.
A 3-Year-Old Girl Is Reportedly Dying in Russia Because Her Mom Doesn't Believe in AIDS
About 1,300 miles east of Moscow, there’s reportedly a three-year-old girl dying of AIDS. Unfortunately for the child, her mother denies the existence of the human immunodeficiency virus.
Russian Ex-Mayor Campaigns to Create ‘Putin–Superhero’ Art Show
An ex-mayor ousted by one of Vladimir Putin’s close allies is now looking to crowdfund the creation of a museum called “Putin-Superhero.”
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.
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.
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 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.
Tabloid Tells Abusers How to Exploit Russia's Decriminalization of Domestic Violence
The pro-Kremlin tabloid “Life” shared a bizarre video, titled “He Beats You Because He Loves You,” reviewing the “top five ways to commit domestic violence” and get away with it.
Russian Police Lose an Easy Way to Trap ‘Internet Extremists’
On Tuesday, by revising one of its default privacy settings, the Russian social network Vkontakte significantly reduced the number of shared photographs publicly visible on individual account pages.
They’re Partying This Friday to Make America Great Again, In Russia
Invitations went out over social media this week, informing journalists about inauguration festivities organized by the “White Star” art collective, which includes several prominent figures in Russia’s pro-Kremlin youth movement.
Russians Are Hacking Your Beloved Fairy Tales. (LOL.)
It's not for everyone, but if you’ve got Russian and English under your belt, and you don’t mind a little obscenity, you’re liable to fall in love with this meme.
As Trash Piles Up in Russian Town, Mayor's Spokesperson Says Locals Are a Bunch of ‘Pigs’
There’s a quiet place called Yugorsk. Located in Russia's Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Yugorsk is a flat, forested, relatively affluent town. In Yugorsk, the people are as dirty as pigs.
A Young Russian Governor's Fascist Chic
The acting governor of Kaliningrad, 30-year-old Anton Alikhanov, has a winter coat with some unusual arm patches. Some unusual fascist arm patches.
The Weird and Wonderful Work of a YouTuber Stay-at-Home Dad
Today you can find dozens of music videos shared on YouTube by a channel called “Kids Learning Tube,” where an anonymous American man has spent years uploading educational singing cartoons.
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.