http://rbth.ru/rubrics/society.html Russia Beyond the Headlines en http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/09/03/competition_launched_for_sochi_2014_mascot04927.html Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/09/01/the_cost_of_a_russian_education04922.html A favorite character in “Our Russia,” one of the most popular comedy shows on Russian television, is a provincial school teacher named Snezhanna Denisovna. Throughout the season, she invents new schemes so her pupils can make money for her. Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/31/the_endless_summer04919.html I was recently invited to lecture at Georgetown University on U.S.-Russia relations. As a group of young students in their L.L. Bean and designer backpacks spoke about their upcoming trip to Russia, I felt a rush of memories — of my own experiences in Russia as a twentyish legal exchange student from Hawaii in the summer of 1997. Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/31/russian_society_wins_khimki_battle04920.html The Internet, the principal forum for Russian social debate, was awash in stories of how President Dmitry Medvedev brought the confrontation surrounding the construction of the first highway through Khimki forest to an end. Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/30/fifa_would_be_wiser_betting_on_the_new04912.html When Russia made public its desire to host the 2018 World Cup, the idea struck many as more fanciful even than holding the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. But the success of the bid by Russia’s famous resort city in the south has inspired the powers that be to new achievements. Now, with only months remaining until the host-country is chosen, Russia is running neck and neck with England. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/30/sport_cant_succeed_without_business04914.html Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/25/kremlin_in_the_caucasus_pushing_for_a_moderate_islam04898.html The Russian government will spend $13 million each year to support education. Critics are unsure of the impact on the conflict-torn region. Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/12/the_secrets_that_drowned_with_kursk04874.html Today marks 10 years since one of the most tragic catastrophes in Russia’s modern history. On August 12, nuclear submarine missile cruiser Kursk, with 118 crew members on board, perished in the Barents Sea during exercises of the Northern Fleet. Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/12/dmitri_medvedev_wants_to_police_the_militia_with_the_internet04875.html Since August 7, Russians have been able to access zakonoproekt2010.ru, a website that enables them to post comments and criticism of the bill to reform the militia (militsiya in Russian), the country’s civilian law enforcement, which could soon be renamed the “police.” Even though the initiative is being billed as an exercise in transparency, the project still has the population and human rights defenders worried. Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/10/vox_populi_04873.html Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/09/police_to_get_new_name_04867.html Medvedev rolled out his much-anticipated bill to reform the Interior Ministry on Saturday, but it remained unclear whether the legislation would bring about any change more substantial than a name change. Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/08/05/to_ban_or_not_to_ban04863.html Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/07/29/the_russian_bear_suffers_through_a_heat_wave.html As 23 different regions declare states of emergency, the great drought of 2010 has far surpassed the definition of historic. With temperatures soaring as high as 40° in the shade, the heat wave is making headlines in Russia as it breaks one record after another. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/07/23/30th_anniversary_of_moskovskiye_novosti_weekly.html Vitaly Tretyakov, editor-in-chief of the Russian version of the Moskovskiye Novosti weekly from 1988 through 1999 and 2006 through 2007, looks back on the paper’s history and the part he played in it. Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/07/21/Russia_investigates_super_donkey.html Animal rights activists have called for the prosecution of those responsible for flying a donkey over the Sea of Azov. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/07/20/memorial_activist_nataya_estemirova_was_killed_one_year_ago.html Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/07/14/south_african_fever_in_russia.html Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/07/13/a_three_day_window_to_europe.html St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko proposed amendments to federal legislation that would allow foreigners arriving at Pulkovo airport to spend up to three days in Russia without a visa. Experts welcomed her initiative, saying this would attract tourists accustomed to visa-free travel. They estimate that European tourists alone could bring in some $17 billion to Russia. Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/07/06/a_growing_class_of_workaholic_russians.html Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/07/01/010710_kamaz.html Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/29/a_stringers_life.html While researching images for the June issue of Russia Now, photo editors came across a compelling image of an American adoptive family with their new daughter in Moscow. The editors soon discovered that the anonymous photo was the work of acclaimed Russian photographer Dmitry Chebotayev, who took this intimate photo of Cathy Taylor and Greg Farrell, and their daughter Irina. Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/28/290610-xfighters.html Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/23/a_far-flung_gamble.html Could gambling in exile pay off? Kevin O'Flynn explores the special gambling zone on the Azov Coast, and finds there are signs of positive growth. But it's not exactly Las Vegas. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/23/health_food_on_the_horizon.html With shortages a thing of the past, Russians are paying more attention to the food they consume. What’s on offer leaves much to be desired. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/23/plotting_urban_gardens.html A group of Muscovites are planting vegetable gardens in a former industrial zone near Kursky Station, not far from the Kremlin. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/23/saving_foreign_adoption.html Negotiaters met in Washington last week to advance the bilateral adoption treaty, offering new hope for foreign adoptions. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/01/world_cup_fever.html A recent scandal in Britain is drawing much attention to Russia’s ambitious bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022. Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/06/01/strife_in_the_beautiful_game.html Russian football clubs are increasingly well-funded, but have not yet learnt to live by the rules of market economics. Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/28/in_search_of_serenity.html Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/27/the_struggle_from_stair_to_door.html Individual Russians have started grassroots organizations to open doors for the disabled, but progress is achingly slow. Some hope that Sochi's Paralympics will provide a model of access. Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/24/embassy_hosts_opera_ball.html It was snowing outside the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Washington, D.C. last Friday night, and sylph-like dancers were playing in it, pushing around a large orb in the snow. Once inside the embassy, guests waded through a Narnia-like entrance of white birch trees with fake snow and clear beads until they noticed—could it be?-Boris Gudonov on the steps. Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/11/russian_duma_votes_against_freezing_us_adoptions.html The vote comes after 7-year-old Artyom Savelyev was sent back to Russia alone on a plane last month when his adoptive U.S. mother no longer wanted him. He arrived at Moscow's Domodedovo airport with a note claiming that he was violent, had severe psychological problems, and that the orphanage had lied about his condition. Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/06/russia_fears_crackdown_freedom.html A new law that would give the FSB the power to warn people that their actions could lead to extremist activity has prompted fears it could cause further abuse when coupled with an already vague extremism law. With protesters already subject to detention for follies as random as walking on the grass or cursing in public, corruption and various poorly-worded laws create the perfect environment for intimidation, human rights activists say. Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/05/04/medvedev_orders_probe_after_2nd_jail_death.html Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/04/12/americans_in_the_caucasus.html In March 2010, an American “landing force” invaded the city of Nalchik, the very heart of the Caucasus and the capital of the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic. A team of America’s strongest wrestlers came to the Caucasus to participate in an epic struggle between the top wrestlers from Russia and the US – the second such event in the history of the sport. American freestyle wrestlers faced the team from the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic (KBR). Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/04/07/medvedev_takes_fight_against_graft_to_a_new_level_with_new_anti-corruption_national_strategy.html Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/04/02/immigrants_make_up_10_of_work_force.html Foreign workers make up as much as 10 percent of the country's work force, a report published by the United Nations said Wednesday. Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/04/01/old_traditions_for_a_new_generation.html Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0400 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/24/240310_downsh.html Russians who have had it with upward mobility are heading to Goa for peace of mind. India appears underwhelmed by the Russians who put out a shingle and sit in lotus on the beach. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/24/240310_life.html Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/24/240310_vancouver.html Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/24/240310_piracy.html Vedomosti has learned that authorities are planning to punish Internet providers for the transfer of illegal content that is downloaded and distributed by their customers. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/23/230310_rt.html Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/08/8310women.html March 8 is Women's Day. Not just a chance to give flowers and chocolates, but also a reason to celebrate the achievements of some of Moscow's many great women: Poets and politicians, saints and sculptors. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/03/02/2310games.html State Duma deputies want to promote the production of patriotic computer games to attract players away from the "harmful" games produced in the West. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/02/26/22610olympics.html There’s no avoiding the fact: The 2010 Winter Olympics did not go as planned for the Russian team. Official predictions of as many as 40 medals – including up to 12 golds – were optimistic in the extreme from the start, but by the end came across almost as a joke. However, in the long run, this is only likely to boost the drive towards success on home soil at the XXII Winter Games in Sochi. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/02/23/230210_olympic.html Sochi is a construction site of chaos and disruption as the city prepares for the Olympics, but still many hope the Games can boost tourism and upgrade decaying infrastructure, as long as graft does not get in the way. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/02/23/230210_hiddink.html Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/02/18/180210_gulag.html President Dmitry Medvedev announced the prison reform in response to the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who entered pretrial detention healthy and died in pain 11 months later. Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0300 http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/02/17/170210_david.html Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0300