The Trial of Suspects Believed to Have Partaken in Politkovskaya’s Murder Attests to the Prosecutors’ Inability to Get to the Bottom of the Case

The trial for the killing of Anna Politkovskaya, which took place in October 2006, has opened with the suspected killer still at large, the press excluded from the proceedings, and an apparent attempted poisoning of the prosecution’s lawyer. But even if the three existing defendants are found guilty, the actual masterminds of the murder have little to worry about.
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Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: Time for a New Global Leader?

In a twist of fate, Russia is now emerging as a country that is ready and willing to resume the responsibilities of global leadership. In recent weeks, the Russian leadership has increasingly come to recognize its dependence on the world economy. The global financial crisis has had an impact on the Russian economy, with the Russian stock market losing more than 60 percent of its value since last May. Is President Dmitry Medvedev showing global statesmanship? Is Russia trying to position itself as a responsible global player that has the ideas and the will to lead?
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Russian and Georgian Civic Communities Try to Help Refugees to Re-Claim Their Homes in South Ossetia and Abkhazia

Just like the past conflicts, the recent war in the Caucasus produced a vast number of refugees—people who were forced to abandon their property and look for shelter in Georgia and Russia. But with the military action a thing of the past, most of the South Ossetian refugees have been able to return home, while their Georgian counterparts are still reluctant to come back, fearing retribution.
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Medvedev’s New Anti-Corruption Measures Leave Too Much to the Imagination

<img hspace=”5″ border=”1″ align=”left” src=”http://russiaprofile.org/media/small-images/FrontCurrency2.jpg” alt=”" />President Dmitry Medvedev has finally introduced a set of long-awaited bills on fighting corruption. At first, the public&rsquo;s reaction was quite benevolent: many experts did not try to conceal the fact that they expected something on a much &ldquo;smaller scale.&rdquo; However, this does not mean that the draft laws are flawless.
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A New Festival Aims to Revolutionize Art

The arrival of yet another festival into Russia’s simmering ferment of creativity might not be anything to remark upon. But in its scope, substance and ambition, the Territory International Festival is – or at least seeks to be – something special.
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The Bubble Called Russia

Statistics show that compared to the overall population, the percentage of Russians who have traveled outside of the former Soviet Union is negligible. Because people have little first-hand knowledge of other cultures and ways of life, Russia remains an ignorant and stagnant country that perceives the world outside its borders as mysterious and hostile, further crippling its ability to integrate into the global community.
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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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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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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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As the Russian Economy Crumbles, the Country’s Leaders Turn to Familiar Faces in Caracas and La Habana

On Thursday morning, reports on the flights of two TU-160 strategic bombers returning from Venezuela to Russia following a weeklong stay at a base near Caracas preceded the news on the developments on Russian financial markets. While the Russian financial markets search for ways to cope with the crisis, state television appears to be trying to draw the viewers’ attention away from the domestic calamity.
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