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Trendswatcher: An education. The foreign kind

Weekly column by Natalia Antonova

An amusing macro recently made its way around the Russian blogosphere - it showed a group of students lying down on the quad of some stereotypical Western university, and saying the following: “We are the children of Russian bureaucrats. And you all are agents of the [U.S.] State Department, traitors to that faraway [Russian] land.”

Transmissions from a Lone Star: Learn Japanese the World War II Way!

Weekly column by Daniel Kalder

Recently I was browsing in a used book store when I stumbled upon a soldier’s Japanese phrasebook from World War II. Between faded orange covers I found a treasure trove of fascinating words and phrases- certainly it’s the most useful text published by the U.S

Uncertain World: What Russia thinks of Syria

Weekly column by Fyodor Lukyanov

Russia has announced the signing of yet another contract with Syria – this time for the delivery of Yak-130 training aircraft. The move caused an uproar in the West and the Arab world against the backdrop of mounting political tensions around Damascus.

Due West: Scarlet Skies Over Baghdad

Weekly column by Konstantin von Eggert

A few of weeks ago at a dinner party in one of the Western embassies in Moscow I had a very interesting conversation with the ambassador of an important Arab country. The conversation turned to the “Arab Spring” and especially Russia's stance on Syria. When I asked my neighbor why does he think the Kremlin is so staunch in its defense of Bashar al-Assad's regime, I got a somewhat undiplomatic reply.

Will Russians Ever Become Orderly?

Weekly column by Svetlana Kolchik

During my recent trip to Asia, I observed a rather peculiar scene on the newly built Bangkok subway.

Features, Opinion & Analysis »

High oil prices open “window of opportunity” for Russian economy

RIA Novosti economic commentator Vlad Grinkevich

IMF experts believe that high oil prices will allow the Russian government to take measures to strengthen, protect and reform the economy. Russia is benefiting from the rising tensions in the Middle East, which are driving up the price of a barrel of oil, but experts believe this geopolitical factor will soon subside. Moreover, expensive oil is slowing down Russia’s economic growth, and without economic reforms even expensive oil cannot guarantee economic stability.

Egypt’s Year Without a Pharaoh

Political commentator Andrei Murtazin exclusively for RIA Novosti

On January 25, 2011 mass demonstrations began in Cairo and Alexandria, leading to the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February and the transfer of power to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) headed by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi.

A Bit of Green Among Moscow's Red

Alexei Korolyov for RIA Novosti

It used to accommodate a giant Soviet hotel. Then they pulled it down. For years, this vast vacant lot just off Red Square has been an embarrassing eyesore in the heart of Moscow, but it may now finally be put to good use after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proposed making it into a park.