Ingush NGOs’ Critique of Russia’s Actions Is Indicative of Dangerous Tendencies in the Greater North Caucasus

On Sunday, a letter to President Dmitry Medvedev signed by the leaders of 13 non-government organizations (NGOs) from the autonomous republic of Ingushetia was published on the Internet and broadcast by the Moscow-based Ekho Moskvy radio station. The letter dismisses Moscow’s policy in neighboring South Ossetia, a separatist region of Georgia that Russia recognized as an independent state in August this year, after a brief armed conflict with Georgia. In fact, this letter was one of the first organized public protests against Russia’s campaign in South Ossetia.
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Freedom from Propaganda that Comes With Digital Technology Is Illusory

As technological advances allow salesmen to track down their consumers and bombard them with targeted advertising, very little information about private individuals remains confidential. Alexander Arkhangelsky argues that in this era of the seemingly harmless, omnipresent tracking devices, the state and the secret services can take advantage of the available technology in order to unobtrusively infiltrate hearts and minds with their propaganda and ideology. Unless, of course, people retain their freedom of choice.
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Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: Immunizing Russia from U.S. Economic Contagion

Last week, Russian leaders took sweeping measures to insulate the Russian economy from the financial contagion that is now sucking the United States into an economic black hole. Will Russia manage to steer clear of the U.S.-led financial meltdown? Is investing government money into the Russian stock market a good idea? Will the crisis reshape the international economic system in favor of Russia?
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Falling Oil Prices and the Plummeting Dollar Concuss the World’s Financial Safe Haven

Just six months ago, Russian financial workers complacently watched the credit crisis unfold in the West, but they are now laughing on the other side of their faces. The supposed security turned out to be chimerical, and even the country’s biggest and strongest institutions, such as the leading investment bank Renaissance Capital, appear to be struggling to stay afloat. Alexey Kudrin’s “island of stability” turned out to be not much of an island, as it shares long borders with the tumbling global economy.
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Yamadaev’s Gangster-Style Murder a Show of the Ongoing Power Struggle in Chechnya

The recent murder in the center of Moscow of Ruslan Yamadayev, an influential Chechen warlord turned colonel of the Russian army, marks an important threshold for Chechnya. Yamadayev, 46, was the head of an influential clan seen as one of the very few remaining challenges to the virtually unbound power of Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya’s controversial president.
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As Loans Become More Expensive, Salaries Freeze, and Small Business Struggles, Ordinary People Bear the Consequences

By pumping money into the economy, the Russian government moved quickly to resolve the deep economic crisis that struck the country in mid-September. A $44 billion safety package was provided to ensure the liquidity of the cash-stripped banking system. These measures appeared to have been effective, as the stock market slowly began recovering and, after the dust settled on the Russian-Georgian conflict, it seemed that a financial catastrophe had been avoided. However, in view of the ravaging financial crisis in the United States, such an assumption seems premature, and the damage that has already been done is going to have long-lasting consequences.
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Despite Russia’s Increased International Isolation, Israel Is Still Looking to Dig Into Russian Tourists’ Pockets

A new visa-free regime that took effect between Russia and Israel is intended to bolster the Israeli tourist industry. But some Israelis are skeptical of this measure, noting the dangers that such openness might bring with it. So how easy will it really be for Russians to travel to Israel?
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Despite Perturbations on the Foreign Policy Front, Medvedev Continues Pushing His Modernization Agenda

It is no secret that Russia’s recent foreign policy deeds have taken a heavy toll on the country’s economy. Given these unfavorable circumstances, it is becoming ever more difficult for the authorities to implement any kind of economic reforms—increased isolation and the absence of any significant allies on the global arena are bound to obstruct domestic modernization efforts, especially those that require a greater degree of intellectual freedom.
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As Skinheads Organize Into “Communities,” Racially-Motivated Killings Become Routine

In the last few years, Russia has come to house ever more immigrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus. But as the number of migrants grows, so does the number of fascists, the latter becoming more aggressive and impudent. It took the death of a famous chess player at the hands of the racists for the authorities to take note, but they now seem to be retaliating with tougher prison sentences even for underage criminals.
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Russia Plans to Become the Global Leader in Digital Broadcasting With Its Patented Set-Top Device

Russia’s leading source of information is finally going digital. Having watched other countries switch to digital television, the government, together with the broadcasters, has been taking careful steps toward implementing this technology at home, aiming to reduce high content production expenses and the low accessibility of analog television around the country. This process will be lengthy, but by the time it’s finished, Russia aims to become the global leader in digital technology.
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