RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Russia and The West's Facebook Wall - ‎March ‎12, ‎2012

Monday, ‎March ‎12, ‎2012, ‏‎1:14:04 PM | Russia and The West

What Putin's Latest Win Means for Russia
www.youtube.com
With a 64 percent landslide, Vladimir Putin claimed his third term as Russia's president Sunday, prompting celebrations, protests and accusations of voting f...

‎Monday, ‎March ‎12, ‎2012, ‏‎12:25:30 PM | Russia and The West

Немецкие СМИ: плацебо вместо реформ
www.youtube.com
Путинская Россия все ощутимее теряет влияние в мире. Предвыборные обещания Путина заставляют вспомнить Хрущева. "Бурановские бабушки" едут на "Евровидение". ...

‎Sunday, ‎March ‎11, ‎2012, ‏‎2:07:29 PM | Russia and The West

Старая новая экономика России
www.youtube.com
Старая новая экономика России В гостях: Михаил Делягин, директор Института проблем глобализации; Глеб Павловский, президент Русского института. Страница прог...

‎Sunday, ‎March ‎11, ‎2012, ‏‎12:53:46 PM | Russia and The West

Pavel Tikhomirov's Photos
WARNING!

‎Sunday, ‎March ‎11, ‎2012, ‏‎10:38:01 AM | Russia and The West

Кто виноват и что делать
yablor.ru
Почему снижается численность участников протестных акций? Почему требования оппозиции, выдвинутые беспрецедентно масштабными предыдущими митингами, были демонстративно проигнорированы властями? Кто в этом виноват и что делать? Мнения о ...

‎Sunday, ‎March ‎11, ‎2012, ‏‎10:25:15 AM | Russia and The West

Russia Seeks Trial of Browder With Dead Hermitage Lawyer for Tax Evasion
www.bloomberg.com
Russia plans to try William Browder, head of London-based Hermitage Capital Management Ltd., for tax evasion, along with Sergei Magnitsky, the fund’s lawyer who died in custody in 2009, RIA Novosti said.

‎Sunday, ‎March ‎11, ‎2012, ‏‎10:22:27 AM | Russia and The West

Russia's Saint Petersburg governor signs 'anti-gay' law - The Times of India
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
The governor of Russia's second city Saint Petersburg signed a new law against "homosexual propaganda", in defiance of protests that it discriminates against gays, the city said on Sunday.

‎Sunday, ‎March ‎11, ‎2012, ‏‎9:37:05 AM | Russia and The West

https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/370748_100002239566301_1557711508_q.jpg

Ирина Шадрина
Юрий Хейфец 11.03.2012 Выбирали мы не Президента - Выбирали мы себе хомут, Что с учётом сложности момента Мог бы также действовать, как кнут...

‎Sunday, ‎March ‎11, ‎2012, ‏‎9:35:50 AM | Russia and The West

Ilya Yashin's Photos
После задержания на Пушкинской площади в понедельник меня и других демонстрантов доставили в ОВД "Войковский". Полицейские уселись оформлять административные протоколы на активистов оппозиции прямо под доской с надписью "Они позорят полицию". Очень символично :)

‎Sunday, ‎March ‎11, ‎2012, ‏‎9:14:01 AM | Russia and The West

В конце эпохи Медведева
russ.ru
Пятилетнее правление Медведева заканчивается возникновением нового общественного ландшафта. Имеется «большое меньшинство», как новый феномен российской политической и культурной жизни.

‎Saturday, ‎March ‎10, ‎2012, ‏‎11:45:31 AM | Russia and The West

Ирина Шадрина's Photos
Есть фотографии, не имеющие подписи автора, как только узнаю чья - обязательно подпишу. Откройте любую фотографию и посмотрите на то, что пишут люди. Ссылки под фото открываются сами по себе! потом надо просто еще раз нажать на фото.

8:35 AM 3/9/2012: Russia Blogs: “As Putin celebrated six more years in office af...

‎Friday, ‎March ‎09, ‎2012, ‏‎9:00:18 AM | Russia and The West

8:35 AM 3/9/2012: Russia Blogs: “As Putin celebrated six more years in office after his electoral victory on March 4, he thanked supporters for backing a "Great Russia." The U.S. State Department responded by choosing not to congratulate him and calling for a "credible" investigation into allegations of electoral fraud.”

8:35 AM 3/9/2012: Russia Blogs: “As Putin celebrated six more years in office after his electoral victory on March 4, he thanked supporters for backing a "Great Russia." The U.S. State Department responded by choosing not to congratulate him and calling for a "credible" investigation into allegations of electoral fraud.”
Mike Nova's starred items :: Putin Design for Russia May Intensify Tensions With West - via Russia Blogs's Facebook Wall by Russia Blogs on 3/8/12 :: Putin Design for Russia May Intensify Tensions With West -:: Putin Design for Russia May Intensify Tensions With West -:: Putin Design for Russia May Intensify Tensions With West - RUSSIA, U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONS,cdi.orgVladimir Putin reclaiming Russia's presidency will probably exacerbate tensions with the U.S....

‎Friday, ‎March ‎09, ‎2012, ‏‎8:10:50 AM | Russia and The West

http://www.facebook.com/russialist/posts/224425477655079
www.facebook.com

7:59 AM 3/9/2012: “Хлев наш выбрал не зазря В скотоводы упыря: Слышу в каждом сл...

‎Friday, ‎March ‎09, ‎2012, ‏‎8:04:55 AM | Russia and The West

7:59 AM 3/9/2012: “Хлев наш выбрал не зазря В скотоводы упыря: Слышу в каждом слове я Симптомы полнокровия...” http://newtimes.ru/articles/detail/50510/

7:59 AM 3/9/2012: “Хлев наш выбрал не зазря В скотоводы упыря: Слышу в каждом слове я Симптомы полнокровия...” http://newtimes.ru/articles/detail/50510/
Mike Nova's starred items (title unknown) via Russia and The West's Facebook Wall by Russia and The West on 3/9/12 Ирина Шадрина's PhotosЦелься-а-а-а!!!Есть фотографии, не имеющие подписи автора, как только узнаю чья - обязательно подпишу. Откройте любую фотографию и посмотрите на то, что пишут люди. Ссылки под фото открываются сами по себе!...

‎Friday, ‎March ‎09, ‎2012, ‏‎7:48:57 AM | Russia and The West

Ирина Шадрина's Photos
Целься-а-а-а!!!

Сегодня в Сочи прошел Чемпионат России по биатлону и лыжным гонкам среди спортсменов с поражением опорно-двигательного аппарата и нарушением зрения, который посетил избранный президент Владимир Путин.

http://www.ridus.ru/news/25050/
Есть фотографии, не имеющие подписи автора, как только узнаю чья - обязательно подпишу. Откройте любую фотографию и посмотрите на то, что пишут люди. Ссылки под фото открываются сами по себе! потом надо просто еще раз нажать на фото.

‎Friday, ‎March ‎09, ‎2012, ‏‎7:48:03 AM | Russia and The West

Ирина Шадрина's Photos
Теперь правительство в кармане)))

как раньше президент)))

Нужны не дела , а видимость!!!
Есть фотографии, не имеющие подписи автора, как только узнаю чья - обязательно подпишу. Откройте любую фотографию и посмотрите на то, что пишут люди. Ссылки под фото открываются сами по себе! потом надо просто еще раз нажать на фото.

‎Friday, ‎March ‎09, ‎2012, ‏‎6:06:03 AM | Russia and The West

Илья Яшин - Почему надо идти на митинг 10 марта
www.youtube.com
Лига избирателей http://www.facebook.com/ligaizbirateley What Can I Do? http://www.facebook.com/WCIDRU

‎Friday, ‎March ‎09, ‎2012, ‏‎6:03:15 AM | Russia and The West

Газета.Ru - 10% сверху
www.gazeta.ru
«Лига избирателей» не признала итоги президентских выборов легитимными и подсчитала, что реальный результат Владимира Путина - 53%, а не 63,6%, как утверждает ЦИК. Организация наблюдателей, которая была образована после протестов в декабре, пришла к выводу, что нарушения на выборах были «широкомасшт...

‎Friday, ‎March ‎09, ‎2012, ‏‎5:52:48 AM | Russia and The West

BBC Russian - Россия - Правозащитники возмущены словами Клинтон о выборах в РФ
www.bbc.co.uk
Российские правозащитники сочли оскорбительными слова госсекретаря США Хиллари Клинтон, которая назвала Владимира Путина "очевидным победителем президентских выборов" в России.

‎Friday, ‎March ‎09, ‎2012, ‏‎4:22:37 AM | Russia and The West

Посольство США в Москве начало выдавать туристические визы россиянам
news.yandex.ru
Обама обязал госдепартамент и министерство внутренней безопасности США упростить процесс выдачи виз и ускорить обработку запросов на выдачу неиммиграционных виз. Приоритетными странами в этом отношении для США являются Китай, Бразилия и Индия.

‎Friday, ‎March ‎09, ‎2012, ‏‎4:04:06 AM | Russia and The West

Russian Activists Win Local Office
online.wsj.com
A coalition of independent and opposition activists in Moscow won 71 seats on the capital's district legislative councils, a modest step toward gaining power from the ground up.

‎Tuesday, ‎March ‎06, ‎2012, ‏‎1:26:45 PM | Russia and The West

Political uncertainly hits Russian shares - FT.com
www.ft.com
Vladimir Putin’s re-election may have been a foregone conclusion but political uncertainty over what he will do now contributed to a sharp fall in Russian shares on Tuesday. Russia’s RTS index lost 4.4 per cent after police in Moscow arrested

‎Tuesday, ‎March ‎06, ‎2012, ‏‎1:22:04 PM | Russia and The West

Protests following the 2011 Russian elections - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org
The protests following the 2011 Russian elections began as a response to the 2011 Russian legislative election process, which many Russian and foreign journalists, political activists and members of the public considered to be flawed,[9] and the protests continued after the Central Election Commissi...

‎Tuesday, ‎March ‎06, ‎2012, ‏‎1:20:56 PM | Russia and The West

Сергей Колесников: Путин навсегда
www.vedomosti.ru
Хотелось бы ошибиться в реальности силового пути, но представить, что Путин выберет путь в тюрьму, не получается

‎Tuesday, ‎March ‎06, ‎2012, ‏‎1:19:43 PM | Russia and The West

Россия в 1912 году, в цифрах и картинках - История - Малина MIX
www.malina-mix.com
Россия в 1912 году, в цифрах и картинках

‎Monday, ‎March ‎05, ‎2012, ‏‎8:57:45 PM | Russia and The West

Video of Anti-Putin Protests in Russia
thelede.blogs.nytimes.com
Thousands rallied in Moscow's Pushkin Square on Monday to condemn the election of Vladimir V. Putin as illegitimate, before the riot police made hundreds of arrests.

‎Monday, ‎March ‎05, ‎2012, ‏‎8:33:02 PM | Russia and The West

Russia: U.S. Ambassador’s Fake Twitter Account Wreaks Havoc During Sunday’s Vote · Global Voices
globalvoicesonline.org
A fake Twitter account of the US Ambassador to Russia briefly disrupts US-Russia relations during the March 4 Russian Presidential Election. Donna Welles reports.

‎Monday, ‎March ‎05, ‎2012, ‏‎7:30:20 PM | Russia and The West

Russia now is no better than under the Communists
www.express.co.uk
Express Comment :: Russia now is no better than under the Communists - Breaking news, sport, showbiz, pictures and video from the Daily and Sunday Express newspapers - updated 24/7

‎Monday, ‎March ‎05, ‎2012, ‏‎1:27:44 PM | Russia and The West

Nasha Canada's Photos

‎Monday, ‎March ‎05, ‎2012, ‏‎1:25:02 PM | Russia and The West

Ирина Шадрина's Photos
Мы знаем, как выбрали президента...

Юрий Хейфец
Хлев наш выбрал не зазря...
Сепия
5 марта, 21:11
Хлев наш выбрал не зазря
В скотоводы упыря:
Слышу в каждом слове я
Симптомы полнокровия...

http://newtimes.ru/articles/detail/50510/
Есть фотографии, не имеющие подписи автора, как только узнаю чья - обязательно подпишу. Откройте любую фотографию и посмотрите на то, что пишут люди. Ссылки под фото открываются сами по себе! потом надо просто еще раз нажать на фото.

‎Monday, ‎March ‎05, ‎2012, ‏‎1:23:51 PM | Russia and The West

Ирина Шадрина's Photos
И спрыгнуть нельзя... и стоять страшно,

поневоле заплачешь...

http://newtimes.ru/articles/detail/50725/
Есть фотографии, не имеющие подписи автора, как только узнаю чья - обязательно подпишу. Откройте любую фотографию и посмотрите на то, что пишут люди. Ссылки под фото открываются сами по себе! потом надо просто еще раз нажать на фото.

‎Monday, ‎March ‎05, ‎2012, ‏‎1:15:00 PM | Russia and The West

Рустем Адагамов's Photos
Без комментариев

Фото: Алексей Дружинин/РИА Новости

‎Saturday, ‎February ‎18, ‎2012, ‏‎8:20:45 AM | Russia and The West

One Russian Teenager's Disillusionment
www.rferl.org
"Putin's Kiss," a critical documentary about the Russian pro-government youth organization Nashi, is told through the story of teenage leader Masha Drokova.

‎Saturday, ‎February ‎18, ‎2012, ‏‎7:40:37 AM | Russia and The West

Nasha Canada's Photos

1:05 PM 3/17/2012

Russia and The West's Facebook Wall

‎Today, ‎March ‎17, ‎2012, ‏‎5 minutes ago

Today, ‎March ‎17, ‎2012, ‏‎5 minutes ago | Russia and The West

RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: News Review – Обзор Новостей – Links - 2
east-and-west-org.blogspot.com
Видео-Новости - Видеоновости Uploads –2 - Видео – Ссылки - Видео – Оппозиция в России

‎Today, ‎March ‎17, ‎2012, ‏‎7 minutes ago | Russia and The West

Глеб Павловский
news.google.com
Comprehensive up-to-date coverage for Глеб Павловский, aggregated from news sources all over the world by Google News.

Today, ‎March ‎17, ‎2012, ‏‎49 minutes ago | Russia and The West

Ilya Yashin's Photos
На Пушкинской площади сегодня собрались сотни людей. Это был стихийный народный сход: граждане пришли, чтобы выразить протест против приговора Алексею Козлову и пропагандисткой кампании против оппозиции на НТВ. Митинг власти запретили, к площади стянули десятки автозаков и грузовиков с солдатами. Впрочем, с офицерами удалось договориться: разгона не было, задержанных в самом начале акции активистов отпустили. Очень важно сегодня держать твердую линию и проявлять солидарность. Спасибо всем, кто пришел! Будем приходить, пока он не уйдет.

Mike Nova shared Ilya Yashin's photo.

Wall Photos

By: Ilya Yashin

Юрий Хейфец - 17.03.2012

…из глины нас лепили,
... Глотнуть давали пыли,
У старой коновязи
Валяли в море грязи,
В пелёнки дикой стужи
Завёртывали туже,
И в огненной купели
Безжалостно вертели,
И на ветрах свинцовых
Под градом слёз перцовых
Столетьями держали –
И, наконец, дожали,
И стали наши рожи
На морды не похожи,
Мы встали с четверенек –
И по горбам ступенек
Пошли на двух ногах,
И даже впохыхах
И речью овладели,
И на себя надели
Тряпья на вкус любой –
Но если нас с тобой
Лишить привычной пайки,
На сон грядущий байки,
Любимой побрякушки
Да обжитой избушки,
То мы ответим разом
Тем, что утратим разум,
И мигом в нас, поверь,
Восстанет дикий зверь,
И тот, кто век за веком
Считался человеком,
Предстанет перед Богом
Свиньёй и носорогом,
Гадюкой и хорьком,
Разграбленным ларьком,
Лавчонкою сожжённой
Да свалкою прожжённой,
Ну, то есть, тем, в натуре,
Чем, безо всякий дури,
Любой из нас является,
Когда не притворяется
Посланником свободы,
Венцом самой природы
И духом во плоти,
И даже, мать ети,
Самим небесным светом,
Не помнящим при этом,
Что вышел он из тьмы…
Так разве люди мы?!

Yuri Heifetz-17.03.2012 * …

We formed from clay, a SIP of dust, the oldest was given for tethering horses by Played in sea mud, wild cold Zavërtyvali same nappies and fiery fonts Mercilessly, and the winds were puzzled by the lead Under a hail of tears Capsicum Century kept – and, finally, the dožali, and were our faces to The muzzle are not similar, we got up with četverenek – and gorbam steps Walked on two legs, and even vpohyhah and speech have masteredand to put a "rag-picking" the taste either – but if we deprive the usual rations with you, a dream coming tales, Favorite playthings Da obžitoj huts, we will respond after that lose mind and MIGOM in the US, believe, Stand the wild beast, who century after century was considered the man to stand before God and rhinoceros hunting Pig, Serpent and hor′kom, had been looted, Lavčonkoû sožžënnoj Da lar′kom svalkoû prožžënnoj, well, that is, those in kind than without any Duri, any one of us is not pretending to be a Messenger of freedom, the crowning of the very nature and spirit in the flesh, and even the children's mother, Himself a celestial light, Not remembering that came out it from the darkness ...
So do we people?!

(Translated by Bing)

Ирина Шадрина

*

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

2:50 PM 3/14/2012

Mike Nova shared Dmitry Utukin's photo.

Wall Photos

Халку дали штраф за неповиновение! Уронить в грязь замначальника полиции региона... стоит всего 1000 рублей! Защищал адвокат Шпилевский Дмитрий. Спасибо Общественному Вердикту.See More

By: Dmitry Utukin

Mike Nova via Ирина Шадрина

Наш «источник» в Белом доме

www.novayagazeta.ru

Вокруг «дела ЮКОСа» вновь разгораются скандалы и ведутся пропагандистские кампании: власти не хотят платить гигантские компенсации, а Мосгорсуд слушать Верховный суд и президента...

Mike Nova shared a link.

Russia’s risky political experiment - FT.com

www.ft.com

Moscow’s pro-democracy street protests are losing momentum. But the country’s political reawakening is not over – it will simply take on different forms. And in this next stage, Russia’s regions may start to play as important a role as the capital’s

Mike Nova's starred items

Russia says it won't intervene militarily in Syria - Boston.com

via Russia - Google News on 3/14/12

Boston.com

Russia says it won't intervene militarily in Syria
Boston.com
By Vladimir Isachenkov AP / March 14, 2012 MOSCOW—Russia is providing Syria with weapons to fend off external threats but has no intention to use military force to protect Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Russian foreign minister said Wednesday.
Moscow providing Syria with weapons to fend off external threats, Russia's FM saysWashington Post
all 7,870 news articles »

Russian FM: US to use Russian air base for military transit to Afghanistan under new deal

via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 3/14/12

MOSCOW - The Russian foreign minister says a new deal allowing the United States to use a Russian air base for transit of troops and military cargo to Afghanistan will help ensure Russia's own security.

AP Interview: Ukraine links Tymoshenko to murder

via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 3/14/12

A top Ukrainian prosecutor charged Wednesday that a firm controlled by jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko paid for the contract-style killing of a lawmaker and two others in 1996, adding to a slew of accusations and charges against the country's top opposition leader.

US Asks Russia to Warn Iran of 'Last Chance,' Kommersant Says - Bloomberg

via Russia - Google News on 3/14/12

Haaretz

US Asks Russia to Warn Iran of 'Last Chance,' Kommersant Says
Bloomberg
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has asked her Russian counterpart to warn Iran that it has one “last chance” to reach a negotiated settlement over its nuclear program and avoid military action, Kommersant said. Clinton delivered the message at a ...
Report: US asked Russia to warn Iran of 'last chance' to avoid military strikeHaaretz
Russia told to warn Iran of 'last chance' before war: reportAsiaOne
Diplomats: US issued ultimatum to Iran via RussiaYnetnews
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty -Tehran Times
all 51 news articles »

Azerbaijan Arrests 22 For Allegedly Plotting U.S., Israeli Attacks

via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on 3/14/12

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of National Security has announced the arrests of 22 people on suspicion of plotting attacks on the U.S. and Israeli embassies in Baku.

Secret Data Offered for Missile Shield Approval

via The Moscow Times Top Stories by Reuters <moscowtimes@themoscowtimes.com> on 3/13/12

The Obama administration is leaving open the possibility of giving Moscow certain secret data on U.S. interceptor missiles due to help protect Europe from any Iranian missile strike.

Lavrov Says Russia Defending 'Justice' in Syria Conflict, Not Assad

via The Moscow Times Top Stories by The Moscow Times <moscowtimes@themoscowtimes.com> on 3/13/12

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Russia aims to defend not the regime of Bashar Assad but the right of Syrians to choose their own leader and stability in the Middle East.

Doctor Arrested After Demanding Bribe for Care

via The Moscow Times Top Stories by The Moscow Times <moscowtimes@themoscowtimes.com> on 3/13/12

A Kaliningrad doctor has been arrested after forbidding his staff to provide medical care to a patient whose daughter refused to pay a bribe.

Russia Could Provide Air Base To U.S.-Led Coalition

via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty on 3/14/12

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the Russian government will discuss a proposal that for the first time would permit the U.S.-led coalition to use a Russian air base to transit troops and military cargo from Afghanistan.

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Mike Nova's starred items

Russia to offer air base to US for Afghan transit

via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 3/14/12

A new deal allowing the United States and its NATO allies to use a Russian air base for transit of troops and military cargo to Afghanistan would help ensure Russia's own security, Russia's foreign minister said Wednesday.

U.S. asks Russia to warn Iran ahead of new talks-paper

via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 3/14/12

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The United States has asked Russia to inform Iran's leadership that forthcoming talks with six world powers over its nuclear program represents Tehran's "last chance", a Russian daily reported on Wednesday. "The Israelis are de-facto blackmailing (President Barack) Obama. They put him into an interesting position: either he backs the war or loses the support (of the U.S. Jewish lobby)," the well-connected Kommersant newspaper quoted a Russian diplomatic source as saying. Speculation has been growing in recent months that Israel, with or without U.S. ...

Russia refuses to release anti-Putin punks

via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 3/14/12

Russia on Wednesday refused to free from pre-trial detention two members of female opposition punk rock group Pussy Riot who face up to seven years in jail for performing in a church.

Assad must leave to halt civil war: top dissident

via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 3/14/12

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria has plunged into civil war and only the departure of President Bashar al-Assad can prevent the country from being torn apart, a veteran opposition figure said. Najati Tayyara, 67, is a Sunni Muslim liberal who fled Syria to Jordan last month after the authorities bowed to pressure from Arab neighbors and released him from prison. One of Syria's most respected human rights campaigners, Tayyara was jailed in May 2011 after warning that the crackdown against protesters and the recruitment of minority Alawites into government militia was a recipe for sectarian disaster. ...

Russia's Vekselberg may sue RUSAL in oligarch row - Reuters

via Russia - Google News on 3/14/12

Independent Online

Russia's Vekselberg may sue RUSAL in oligarch row
Reuters
RUSAL's shares slide in Hong Kong * Fight escalates with lawsuit threatened * RUSAL says its claims are accurate * Board member says there's no crisis at RUSAL By Polina Devitt and Megan Davies MOSCOW, March 14 (Reuters) - Russian billionaire Viktor ...
Russia's Vekselberg may sue RusalIndependent Online
Bitter war of words breaks out between two of Russia's richest men as ...Washington Post
Vekselberg slammed over resignation from RusalThe Seattle Times
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Pop musik: the sound of the charts in … Russia

via World news: Russia | guardian.co.uk by on 3/14/12

Andrew Khan explores the gangster aspirations and gay culture references of the Russian pop music scene

Pussy Riot's anti-Putin agit-punk may have temporarily made them international stars, but explicit political messages are a rarity in the Russian charts, irrespective of whether they're aimed at the ruling party or country's powerful business elite. That may not be entirely unconnected to the fact that most of the major outlets for music, including the ubiquitous Muz–TV television station, are owned by oligarchs. Emulation is far more common than confrontation, with the luxurious lifestyle of the nation's rich a constant source of material for aspirational music videos.

The Tony-Montana-meets-Donald-Trump aesthetic has always had a home in American hip-hop, and it's unsurprising to see it replicated in the music of a country where billionaire gangsters are a reality, rather than a romantic fiction. Leading the pack is Timati who has become the first Russian act since Tatu to make the top 10 across Europe.

His single Welcome to St Tropez features Kalenna Harper of Diddy Dirty Money and is the latest in a series of releases to have seen the rapper lining up with heavyweights from the US, including Snoop, Busta Rhymes and Diddy himself. It's difficult not to wonder whether, as with Arnold Schwarzenegger and his Japanese energy drink commercials, the participants expected the results to remain an embarrassing secret only to be viewed by a domestic audience.

Party politics may be off the agenda, but Russian pop has long been engaged in a war of attrition with social conservatism. As in many other countries in central and eastern Europe, a sexually liberal youth culture butts heads with the church and sections of the older generation. The faux lesbianism of Tatu may have prompted eye-rolling in some parts of the world but it's easy to underestimate how transgressive it could appear in a nation where the battle for recognition of gay rights has further to go.

Irrespective of the orientation of the singers, disco and high-camp techno pop have done more to shape the Russian charts than any other influences – a situation that hasn't changed significantly since the mid-1990s. Openly gay stars may be thin on the ground but, from Ruki Vverh's video for On Tebya Tseluet to Mitya Fomin parading around Havana to the backing of Pet Shop Boys' Paninaro, gay culture is central to Russian music.

The exuberant bounce of 2011's biggest hit, Mama Luba by Serebro, whose gleefully silly zero-budget video has become the most parodied clip in recent memory, showcases one side of that debt. It is, perhaps, the marriage of wistful Russian lyricism and melancholy Italo-disco that has traditionally been responsible for the most distinctive and compelling singles, however.

The reigning queen of the darker side of dance-pop is Moscow's Nyusha – a 21-year-old singer-songwriter who, like Taylor Swift in the US, has won the grudging respect of curmudgeonly critics. Her hits Vibirat Chudo and Vishe have been hailed as a return to the spirit of a putative turn-of-the-millennium "golden age" when the tear-stained electro of stars such as Tatiana Bulanova ruled the airwaves.

An even more striking exploration of similar territory is the superb Derevya by Vintazh, which swaps synths for Eastern instrumentation and boasts an extravagant video decried by bonkers internet site The Vigilant Citizen as occult propaganda for the new world order. It's not necessary to subscribe to outlandish conspiracy theories to find either the single, with its lyrics about being beaten by satyrs, or the visuals unsettling. As attempts to wind up the religious right go, it's more interesting than anything Lady Gaga has been up to recently.

There may be little appetite to take on President Vladimir Putin, who remains far more popular than most of his foreign critics are willing to accept, but there's too much independence within Russian youth culture to cede ground on the social battles. With cities across Russia following St Petersburg's lead in introducing laws to censor "immoral" content, primarily relating to homosexuality, it's a fight that's likely to intensify in the immediate future. Not for the first time, the old capital's lawmakers might find themselves on the wrong side of history.

Azerbaijan arrests alleged Iran-hired terrorists

via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 3/14/12

Security services in Azerbaijan have arrested 22 people they say were hired by Iran to carry out terrorist attacks against the U.S. and Israeli embassies as well as Western-linked groups and companies.

Russia and U.S. Spar Over Syria

via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 3/14/12

The ongoing violence by Syrian forces against its citizens is threatening to cause a serious diplomatic rift between Russia and the U.S., according to AFP. The ongoing disagreement at the United Nations has seen China and Russia twice veto resolutions on Syria.

Kobzon Ready to Take One Last Crack At the U.S.

via The Moscow Times Top Stories by By Alexander Bratersky <moscowtimes@themoscowtimes.com> on 3/13/12

A crooner adored by millions around the former Soviet Union, seasoned politician Iosif Kobzon was once called "Russia's Frank Sinatra."

Антон Крапивенски

фото дня от Адагамова .)))) Председатель комитета Государственной Думы РФ по культуре Станислав Говорухин, член комитета Госдумы по культуре Мария Максакова-Игенбергс и первый заместитель председателя комитета Государственной Думы РФ по культуре Иосиф Кобзон (слева направо) на пленарном заседании Государственной Думы.

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Obama warns Iran window of diplomacy 'shrinking'

via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 3/14/12

US President Barack Obama on Wednesday warned Iran that the window for diplomacy to solve a nuclear showdown was "shrinking," stiffening his rhetoric ahead of looming talks on the issue.

Moscow says ally Assad too slow at reforms

via Russia News Headlines - Yahoo! News on 3/14/12

Russia's foreign minister on Wednesday showed irritation with its longtime ally Syria, saying Bashar Assad has been slow to implement long-needed reforms and warning that the conflict in the Arab state could spiral out of control.

Russia says Syria's Assad too slow on reforms, warns of spreading conflict - Washington Post

via Russia - Google News on 3/14/12

Russia says Syria's Assad too slow on reforms, warns of spreading conflict
Washington Post
MOSCOW — Russia's foreign minister on Wednesday showed irritation with Moscow's longtime ally Syria, saying Syrian President Bashar Assad has been slow to implement long-needed reforms and warning that the conflict in the Arab state could spiral out ...
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