Mikhail Fridman, arguable Russia’s richest man at the moment, walked across the flat, grassy field 415 kilometers east of Moscow accompanied by two people giving him – seemingly – an update on the electronic dance music (EDM)... Continue reading →

On a quiet street eight kilometers south of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg stands the sprawling, red-brick, six-story Victoria Shoe Factory, which looks like so many pre-revolutionary factories around Russia. Built in 1914 during Czarist... Continue reading →

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Rostov Meat Market Visit Outdoor and indoor markets tend to be colorful places no matter what country you are in – China, Russia or the USA. Moscow used to have plenty of them, but with... Continue reading →

Eight Shades of Putin Grey You can’t escape seeing images of Russian President Vladimir Putin around Moscow, be it shirts with his portrait, refrigerator magnets, iPhone covers, plastic or metallic busts. Outside the TASS news... Continue reading →

  Moscow IKEA: No Russia Recession Here…Yet There are plenty of signs Russia’s economy is heading toward a recession. Aside from the quickly falling ruble, companies are trimming headcount and advertising expenses, restaurants aren’t packed,... Continue reading →