United Russia: Ruling Party (Part III)
(Continued from Part II) United Russia came under fire after the October 2009 regional elections. Despite the sluggish economy and an uptick in public protests…
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United Russia: Ruling Party (Part II)
(Continued from Part I) After this, many independents flocked to join the party over the next year, despite Unity having no concrete policy agenda besides…
United Russia: Ruling Party
United Russia was founded in December 2001 primarily as a vehicle to support Vladimir Putin, who had assumed the presidency of Russia after Boris Yeltsin’s…
Right Cause, Wrong Path?
Established in November of 2008, Right Cause (Правое Дело) is one of Russia’s youngest political parties. Right Cause formed from a merger of three smaller…
The Chinese in Russia’s Far East: A Clash of Civilizations in Vladivostok
As an American of Chinese descent, I’ve always had an interest in China. In 2008, I lived in Beijing, China studying Mandarin Chinese and business….
Road Map to Solidarity: Part II
Continued from Part I. They have stated that their only criteria for membership or cooperation are opposition to Putin’s regime and the non-promotion of violence…
Road Map to Solidarity: Part I
The Russian liberal democratic organization Solidarity (Солидарность) was founded in December 2008 by a range of opposition activists. These included several members of the political…
The State of the Russian Navy: History and Prospectives
Russia has had a long historical tradition of a strong military and a special pride in its naval forces. From Peter the Great to the…
Right Cause Searches for Right Path: Part IV
Part I Part II Part III Part IV «Капитализм для всех»: предсказуемая внешняя политика “Capitalism For All:” consistent foreign policy Современная страна, национальная экономика не…
Right Cause Searches for Right Path: Part III
Right Cause’s problems started early. Shortly after it was formed, Yevgeny Chichvarkin, the flamboyant young founder of Russia’s largest mobile phone retailer, was accused of…
Right Cause Searches for Right Path: Part II
Continued from Part I. Right Cause has positioned itself as a pro-business party in favor of free market reforms, privatization, and protecting the interests of…
Right Cause Searches for Right Path: Part I
Established in November of 2008, Right Cause (Правое Дело) is one of Russia’s youngest political parties. Right Cause formed from a merger of three smaller…
Russians on Ice: A Brief Overview of Soviet and Russian Hockey
While Russia’s political history has been tumultuous and unpredictable, one thing has remained an unfaltering constant: Russians are good at hockey. While Brezhnev dealt with…
Russia in Space
Humanity’s space age had its beginnings in the Cold War rivalries between the US and the USSR. Both countries attempted to advance their own sciences…
President Obama’s NES Speech in Russian Translation
Simultaneous interpretation and written translation are two very different arts. A translator working on a text-to-text translation might take several days to complete and polish…
Russian MiniLessons: Ссориться по-русски – Fighting in Russian
The following bilingual Russian MiniLesson is meant to build your vocabulary by providing Russian phrases within English text. Hover over the bold Russian to reveal…
Chernobyl: A Short History of the Human Impact on Ukraine and its Neighbors
On April 26, 1986 the worst nuclear accident in history took place in Chernobyl, Ukraine as a result of an unnecessary safety test. Workers at…
Russian MiniLessons: Южная Осетия – South Ossetia
The following bilingual Russian MiniLesson is meant to build your vocabulary by providing Russian phrases within English text. Hover over the bold Russian to reveal…
Russian MiniLessons: Органы = Security Forces (FSB and Spies)
The following bilingual Russian MiniLesson is meant to build your vocabulary by providing Russian phrases within English text. Hover over the bold Russian to reveal…
Fantasy Islands: New Lands Built for St. Petersburg
On the tenth of September, a massive Italian ocean liner, the Costa Mediterranea, with seventeen decks, three hundred meters in length, and sixty meters high…