Russia Archive

A new Russian epic film that tells the story of the emergence of the Romanov czarist dynasty is widely seen as the latest move in the campaign to keep President Vladimir Putin in power after his second and final allowable term ends in May 2008. “1612,” which is said to have been produced by a friend of Putin, recounts how the Russians “drafted” Mikhail Romanov to save the country during a dark period of its history, thus paving the way for imperial Russia. The film’s director is quite open about its contemporary message. “I’m convinced . . . that Russians […]

Trying to understand Russia through the prism of the British and American news media these days can be a real headache. On one hand, if you read the business pages of the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times lately, you will learn that Russia is now one of the world’s leading emerging markets, and the Russian economy has grown at an average annual rate of 7 percent since 2000. On the other hand, if you turn to the international headlines or the editorial pages, you will read that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been busy crushing democracy and […]

At the end of October, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan signed several controversial amendments to the country’s Law on Subsoil Use. The new legislation permits the government to unilaterally change contracts for companies involved in extracting the country’s mineral resources if Kazakh officials deem such alterations necessary to uphold their nation’s economic and security interests. On Oct. 8, President Nazarbayev had reassured visiting Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi that his government would honor the original terms of its contract with the ENI SpA-led consortium that was developing Kazakhstan’s offshore Kashagan oil field — providing its members did likewise. On Oct. […]

MOSCOW — After 26 years of serving as a captain in the Soviet Army, Nikolai Petrovich never imagined he’d be selling mushrooms past dark on a cold Moscow street corner. Petrovich, 75, says he remains a fervent supporter of President Vladimir Putin and that his $350 monthly pension check would normally suffice, if not for price hikes that have made this capital the most expensive in the world. “The government gives me some money, but prices have gone up so much, it’s not enough,” he says. “We must make some extra on our own.” Nearby about a dozen fellow retirees, […]

During his Oct. 30 visit to Tehran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow’s opposition to imposing any additional sanctions against Iran without the specific approval of the U.N. Security Council, where Russia enjoys the right of veto. Lavrov’s trip occurred as the six countries involved in negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program — China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — are debating whether to impose a third round of sanctions against Tehran. The Iranian government has resisted demands to curb its uranium enrichment program, which could provide the basis for manufacturing nuclear weapons. […]