From Monday, July 21, all post offices in Russia are obliged to provide "special facilities" for members of the security services to inspect - and open - letters and parcels. The move, embodied in an internal memo from the Ministry

Last week, the human rights activist and an employee of Memorial Natalya Estemirova was murdered and buried in her native village. Everyone feels compassion toward the victim and sympathizes with her loved ones; many pose painful questions for themselves and

It's been another bad week for President Dmitry Medvedev's drive to bring an end to legal nihilism in Russia, and introduce fair courts and faith in the legal system among the population. Not that this was ever going to happen

Eighteen rubles to the dollar sounds like a dream to anyone being paid in Russian currency, if not for the country's exporters. And according to the Economist's Big Mac Index, which compares the prices of the ubiquitous burger to workout

Georgia and Ukraine eagerly awaited the arrival of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden this week. They hoped that he would use his visit to signal support for their post-colored revolution yet troubled governments. And, even more importantly, that he would

The last three weeks have been rich in developments in the unfolding "battle of the pipelines" to supply natural gas to Europe. Russia, the EU and the United States are locked in a tough struggle to secure domination over the

On Monday, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia began a visit to Ukraine, unprecedented both in its scale and symbolical significance. Its results will greatly influence both the future of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine and, to some extent,

Washington and Moscow continue to mull over the U.S. missile defense shield plans, which involve a radar station in the Czech Republic and ten interceptor missiles in Poland. A U.S. missile defense delegation is visiting Russia this week for another

One of Russia's greatest 20th century writers, Vladimir Nobokov, left one wish. On his deathbed in 1977 he made his wife Vera promise that she would burn his last and unfinished work, "The Original of Laura." But his wife could

The young generation stared in the festive show. VLADIVOSTOK, July 27, vladivostoktimes.com On Sunday, July 26, the Navy Day celebration was held at Water Station of the Pacific Navy in Vladivostok. This time the Primorye capital where the Pacific naval

Russian and foreign representatives of authorities, business and scientific community discussed prospects of Russia in Asian markets. VLADIVOSTOK, July 27, vladivostoktimes.com Development of investment, manufacturing and trade cooperation of Russia with states of the Asian-Pacific region, strengthening of role of

Russian sportsmen to clash with Harbin city team. VLADIVOSTOK, July 27, vladivostoktimes.com Far Eastern Federal District fencing team will workout in Nakhodka before taking part in the fourth Russian Students' Olympics. They are to face Harbin City team in a

The Khabarovsk Territory Governor met delegation from the PRC. VLADIVOSTOK, July 28, vladivostoktimes.com The Chinese party offers their participation in construction of the infrastructure of Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. The press-service of the regional government reported to RIA PrimaMedia. A part

I don't know what's the matter with people: they don't learn by understanding, they learn by some other way—by rote or something," physicist Richard Feynman once said. "Their knowledge is so fragile!"Maybe Feynman's brain was big enough to simply "learn

The first stage of new sea trials of Russia's Nerpa nuclear attack submarine, which was damaged in a fatal accident in previous tests, has been successfully completed, the Amur shipyard said on Monday.

1974, he did army service, after which he became a secretary of the Young Communist League branch in Dagestan's Gumbet district, his native place.