Charismatic opposition leader Aleksey Navalny is on trial in the provincial capital of Kirov, 900km from Moscow. He is controversially accused of stealing timber worth 16 million roubles in 2009; if found guilty, he will spend his next few years behind bars. Local journalist Ekaterina Loushnikova met some of his supporters and opponents.
A concession or a ruse to ensure continued authoritarian rule? In the second of two articles examining changes in Russia's electoral architecture, Grigorii Golosov 
Recent protest rallies and continuing opposition sentiment have provoked the Kremlin into reform. The first part of the process sees the partial return of regional governor elections, abandoned nine years ago in favour of appointment by the president. Democractic Russia should be very wary of the changes, thinks Grigorii Golosov
Combatting child sexual abuse in Russia involves some unexpected players – on the
one hand, vigilantes who hunt down online child abusers, and on the other, the
Kremlin, anxious to discredit the opposition. Mikhail Loginov reports.
A disastrous fire in the 18th
century Lyadiny ensemble has resulted in the destruction of one of the two
churches and the belltower. Wooden churches are very vulnerable, but all too
often the situation is compounded by neglect and indifference, says Matilda Moreton
With his regime
running out of steam, Vladimir Putin is resorting to the rhetoric of the past
and traditional values. Marie Mendras
sees little future in it. 
Repressive laws, socialist icons, and the promotion of Eurasian identity amount to a regression to the Soviet past, says Daniil Kotsyubinsky. 
With
Aleksei Navalny on trial and other opposition leaders under threat, Vladimir
Putin is relying more on the stick than the carrot to shore up his regime.
Kirill Rogov points out the risks of this policy. 
There are few new ideas driving the Putin
regime forward. If the Kremlin has an ideology, it is a deeply conservative and miltaristic one, with no goals, vision or future.
However much the regime might try to plot a new political trajectory, its only success is in
intensifying a feeling of drift and improvisation. Unforced errors are
typical for the end of authoritarian regimes, says Daniel Treisman, so the
Kremlin should be extremely careful.
After being sidelined since December 2011, the Kremlin's once-mighty propagandist Vladislav Surkov was today 
How
should liberal Russians interact with an increasingly illiberal regime?
Writer and Putin critic Grigory Chkhartishvili (a.k.a Boris Akunin) delivered a simple message at yesterday's opposition rally in Moscow. This week's editor
Europe from the bottom up
European debate
Democratic Wealth
Nuclear non-proliferation
oDRussia at journalismfestival .com
Mali - the plot thickens
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Remote control war
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Conference coverage from 50.50
Articles exploring the themes of the fourth international Nobel Women's Initiative conference May 28-31. Jennifer Allsopp and Heather McRobie will be reporting for 5050
Articles exploring the themes of the fourth international Nobel Women's Initiative conference May 28-31. Jennifer Allsopp and Heather McRobie will be reporting for 5050
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Martin Rose Bliss Was It in that Dawn to Be Next Door
Vron Ware Up in Arms
Jim Gabour Sunday Comics
James Warner Standing Perpendicular, as books do
Markha Valenta Inter Alia: religion, politics, culture
Paul Rogers on Global security
Mary Kaldor on Human security
