In comparison to the rest of Russia's underfunded and poorly staffed hospitals, the affluent Moscow is faring much better in response to the new surge of coronavirus cases. This difference reveals the problematic wealth disparity between Moscow and the rest of Russia.
Patriarch Kirill and his family have millions of dollars in real estate. This hints at potential misuse of church funds or financial misbehavior in general on the Patriarch's part.
On Thursday, November 5th, Pavel Krisevich, a Russian activist famous for his symbolic protests, performed a ‘mock crucifixion’ outside of Moscow’s FSB headquarters. His use of art combined with the motto “Down with the police state!” speaks to the ways in which the power dynamic between the police and the people in Russia maintains the authoritarianism that marks the region, as well as the potential for change towards liberal democracy.
In response to a resurgence of COVID-19 within the city, Moscow officials have imposed a spate of new regulations, including requiring restaurants to move 30% of their employees to remote work. The article tracks the unclear boundaries and uneven enforcement of this new regulation, which stands to impact small business and the direct service industry the most.
EU and UK officials have announced sanctions against six Russian officials and one scientific research institute as a result of Alexei Navalny's poisoning, which has been blamed on the Russian government. The sanctions demonstrate a downturn of bilateral relations between Russia and the EU.
As protests against the Lukashenko regime continue in Minsk, President Vladimir Putin of Russia made the decisive choice to officially express Moscow's support for the maintenance of Alexander Lukashenko's power. Though Russia initially had a "wait-and-see" stance on the protests, it appears that Putin's position has changed due to Russia and Belarus' interdependence for military supplies, monetary support, and political outreach.
The article describes the protests that took place in Belarus on the 18th of October 2020 and their relation to previous statements by Belarusian government agencies and foreign countries
Due to a second wave of coronavirus, schools in Moscow, Sakhalin, and the Ulyanovsk Region have started traditional mid-autumn breaks earlier, and it is unclear whether schools will open again after the break.
This article details the struggles of Russian citizens and hospitals in procuring COVID-19 treatments during the spring of 2020. As a second wave of COVID-19 appears on the horizon, these struggles implicate issues to be aware of in planning for and projecting the severity of the wave.
Moscow is experiencing a spike in coronavirus cases and has responded by increasing hospital capacity and implementing new stay-at-home restrictions. However, the city will not consider closing businesses at this time, which might extend the severity of the spike.
This article reports on the sanctions placed on Belarus by the EU and America because of election protests as well as the retaliation by Belarus and Russia.
Coronavirus clinics in Moscow and Russia as a whole run out of beds for patients in the midst of a second wave of COVID-19. In response, Russia has started imposing new restrictions to prevent further infection
Moscow’s health department has expanded its list of people that are required to stay home and self-isolate as the number of new daily coronavirus cases has risen in Russia. Now, this list includes pregnant women and women who have recently given birth because they are at a higher risk of suffering from severe cases of COVID-19. While this recommendation is founded on good intentions, the Russian government and healthcare system need to take more concrete action in resolving other issues directly affecting women's health and safety.
In a Moscow court ruling, Irina Zhivova was ordered to pay her ex-husband approximately 10,000 rubles for using the words "inflict a beating" in a Facebook post about domestic violence. This court order set a precedent that victims of domestic violence cannot speak out about their experience until a judicial decision has been reached. In Russia, there no law defining domestic violence, making it difficult for survivors to obtain protection. This court ruling further silences women, illustrating the dire need for change in how domestic violence is viewed and dealt with.
Russia has approved a Covid-19 vaccine called Sputnik V and will start mass vaccinations in October. However, this vaccine does not meet scientific standards and ethical standards, and also has a lack of transparency. If Russia were to release this vaccination in an attempt to "win the vaccine race" and achieve global supremacy, it could greatly worsen the effects of the corona virus
The history of drug activism in Russia following the fall of the Soviet Union is one of great significance and turmoil, spanning over twenty-two years and a variety of movements. While calls for the humanization and medical treatment of drug-users in Russia have been persistent, victims of the country's opioid epidemic are continually oppressed by law enforcement, as civil dissent is increasingly prohibited. As Russia's opioid epidemic worsens, and more individuals fall victim thereof, many aspects of the calls for change in the country are strikingly familiar to social justice movements globally.
