The Moscow Times
Early Wednesday police ordered opposition protesters camped out on Chistoprudny Bulvar to leave the area, ending a week-long occupation by the demonstrators.
Half a century ago, this town on the White Sea coast was a supply mecca for residents of the nearby metropolis Arkhangelsk, who regularly made the 35-kilometer trip just to buy sausage, which was usually available in the well-stocked stores of strategically important defense industry centers.
Ill-tempered air travelers might want to think twice before throwing a fit at 35,000 feet on Aeroflot. If the airline gets its way, they could be blacklisted.
A religiously themed art exhibition organized in Krasnodar by a prominent patron of the arts has sparked a flurry of protest from activists and even a fake bomb threat, despite being supported by a senior Russian Orthodox Church official.
After days of speculation, riot police swooped in and dismantled the opposition's Occupy-style encampment in a central Moscow park early Wednesday morning, detaining more than 20 exhausted activists and hustling the others into a nearby metro station.
Russia will confront a persistent protest movement and a steady decline in oil revenues over the coming years.
The Central Bank has not ruled out selling a 7.6 percent stake of financial giant Sberbank this year.
The Moscow Times
Television humorist Mikhail Zhvanetsky criticized President Putin's inauguration motorcade on state television, saying it looked "disinfected" and "wiped with alcohol."