Accessibility links

Breaking News

SvobodaToday


Putin Vs. Lenin (RFE/RL Russian Service)

VIDEO REPORTS

Mariupol Marks One Year Since Deadly Shelling

Pro-Russian separatists shelled the city on January 24, 2015, firing more than 120 Grad rockets and leaving 31 people dead and more than 120 injured. (Ukrainian Service)

Protester Disrupts Graffiti Artists' Trial In Minsk

A protester shouting “No to political repression" and "Art is not a crime” disrupted the Minsk trial of three graffiti artists who are charged with property damage and hooliganism after painting political slogans on buildings.

Serbian Photographers Protest Copyright Changes

Serbian photojournalists destroyed their own prints in protest against government proposals to remove copyright protection from their work. (Balkan Service)

Kadyrov Berates Couple On Live Television

A video filmed before Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s recent verbal attacks against Russian opposition figures helps explain why his disfavor evokes terror. This is what happened when Ayshat Inaeva complained about her utility bills on WhatsApp.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Putin’s Selective Reading Of Soviet History

Speaking to pro-Kremlin activists in the southern city of Stavropol on January 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin again accused Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin of setting off the time bomb that blew the Soviet Union apart.

Security Fears Trumping Human Rights Protections, Says New Report

In its World Report 2016, Human Rights Watch has documented "the most intense crackdown on independent groups in recent times."

Roundtable: Central Asia And The Iranian Trade Route

Iran’s reentry into global trade could afford Central Asian states easier access to global markets, transport routes, and the Persian Gulf.

‘They Say Andropov Was A Jew’

The president of Russia’s Jewish Congress Yuri Kanner told RFE/RL that anti-semitism in Russia has dramatically decreased, and that Russia should prosecute those who deny crimes under Stalin, not the Holocaust. (In Russian)

‘You Have A Jewish Face’

Russian actor and director Konstantin Ratser was turned away after auditioning for a role in a movie about pre-Christian Russia because of his last name. (In Russian)

As Corruption Gains, Russians Fear Anti-Constitutional Coup

A Levada Center poll finds that 42 percent of Russian respondents believe that new laws protecting corrupt officials and increased prosecutions of whistle-blowers amount to a “silent constitutional coup.” (In Russian)

INFOGRAPHIC: Will Russia's Rainy-Day Funds Run Dry?

If oil prices don't rise sharply soon, Russia may have to dip further into these funds to plug its budget deficit.

MOST READ: Osokin Switched Off His TV Set

In a “most-read” interview on RFE/RL’s Russian Service website, prominent Russian TV news anchor Mikhail Osokin, most recently with Ren-TV and fired from Russia’s independent NTV channel several years ago, discussed demands on journalists in Russia and said that they and authorities should be subject to lustration. (In Russian)

About Svoboda Today

Svoboda Today is a quick guide to developments in Russia, Ukraine, and the region, delivered from our bureaus direct to your inbox.

Click here to subscribe to the Svoboda Today newsletter.

XS
SM
MD
LG