In the New York Times Ellen Barry writes about the outcry among academics St Peterbsurg University (alma mater of Putin and Medvedev) who are concerned about new legislation that may require their work to be submitted to the authorities before it can be published overseas.  Whilst defenders of the order, such as the university's rector, Putin-Medvedev friendly Nikolai M. Kropachev, say it is a standard move to defend intellectual property, detractors claim that the project recalls the Soviet-era censorship program and suggest that those interested in controversial topics, such as human rights, will be the first to suffer from its restrictions.In an interesting footnote, under the rector's leadership, the University has, says Barry, strengthened in the league tables, ...

Tracing the policy movements of Presidential power-handler Vladislav Surkov is rather like witnessing a three-point turn in a dark alley - as a piece in the Power Vertical points out today.  Whilst transparency is the last thing once can expect from the Kremlin's shadowy ideologue, his moves of late are dizzying analysts.  Brian Whitmore identifies some of Surkov's recent twists - from the motives for his alleged involvement in the Duma walkout - to the matter of his oscillating stance on liberalizing political structures to aid economic development.Whitmore quotes from a Stratfor.com analysis, which suggests that Surkov's maneuvring is underpinned by a familiar motive: power rivalry.  In a recently published four-part series titled "The Kremlin Wars," Stratfor.com offers up one possible answer.According to Stratfor, the Kremlin is divided into two roughly ...

An interesting opinion piece today by Vladimir Ryzhkov in the Moscow Times sees one of the last bastions of media freedom - Ren TV - looking like it may have to fight for its independence.  The increasingly popular station, the only one in Russia to offer a critical interpretation of the Sayano-Shushenskaya dam disaster and cover the Dissenter's Marches in Moscow and St Petersburg, may be fettered by management 'restructuring'.Controlled by National Media Group, owned by Putin ally Yury Kovalchukm, Ren will have a new Director General and will find new lodgings alonside state-controlled RIA-Novosti and the tow-the-line RT.  Ryzhkov recollects Gazprom's Media's overhaul of NTV which followed similar lines: could this be another nail in ...

The Gazprom tower, which threatens to imperil St Petersburg's UNESCO heritage status, has been the subject of several public protests of late and, as you may remember, some imaginative headlines.  Now the  project seems to have encountered a new adversary.  An article in today's Moscow Times reports that two state channels have offered contrasting opinions on the potential new HQ, which could signal a government rift.  A Channel One report harshly criticized the plans.  Interviewee Valentina Matviyenko, St. Petersburg Governor and tower approver, seemed to backtrack with a suggestion that the plans would have to wait for 'serious government assessment' before going ahead.  Meanwhile Gazprom's media organ NTV heartily endorsed the project (no surprises there).  Conservationists have noted ...

Gazprom's plan to build a 400-meter skyscraper in St. Petersburg is reportedly causing a government split, with many ministers stepping up vocal opposition to the tower.  Central Bank First Deputy Chairman Alexei Ulyukayev wants state-controlled companies and banks to limit their foreign borrowing, as fears that lack of funds could drive pre-crash practices that could hamper the road to recovery. It is expected that the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi will receive over $1 billion of sponsorship money, having reportedly raised $850 million thus far from just seven sponsors.  Endemol, the television company behind Big Brother, has announced its first third party distribution deal in Russia.  Despite having received $853 million in emergency loans from the government and made heavy job and salary cuts, AvtoVAZ may be forced to file for bankruptcy. ...

TODAY: United Russia sweep polls at regional elections; accusation of vote-rigging fly.  Mitvol receives unusual delivery.  Medvedev had no time for Yushchenko at CIS summit; positive on Obama's peace prize; Ecuador looking for weapons deals?; Russia bids to host World CupWith almost 90% of the votes counted in Moscow, the city's election Committee has reported that the United Russia party has garnered 66.10% of the vote, with the Communist Party coming in second at 13.28%, sufficient for three seats in the 35-member chamber.  Vladimir Putin's party is apparently likely to have dominated in other regions.  The Guardian reports on allegations of vote-rigging; talk of which has seen leading opposition candidates scorn Medvedev's promise to uphold ...

TODAY: Russia keeps its voting rights in Council of Europe; Lavrov says Russia wants unbiased discussions about human rights; French Foreign Minister argues Russia flouting ceasefire; Israeli diplomat makes swift exit; UK Foreign Secretary visit to ease tensions?; Scientology 1- Russia nil.At a meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Sergei Lavrov has asserted that the Kremlin has not avoided discussing human rights issues with other European states, 'but that dialogue should not be politicized, it should be concrete'.  According to Bloomberg, Kouchner has said that Russia is not honoring the terms of the 'Sarkozy-Medvedev' ceasefire agreement.   Ex-Georgian parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze has blamed President Mikheil Saakashvili for last year's conflict with Russia and has affirmed ...

TODAY: Russia relenting on Iran sanctions; calls missile defense decision constructive; arms reductions talks are apparently progressing apace; Medvedev urges for Middle East arms cuts too.  Island cooperation for Japan and Russia; Georgia undecided on Guantanamo guests; Poland - officially - condemns Soviet invasion. Moscow mayor doesn't take criticism lightly. President Medvedev has apparently agreed following talks with Barack Obama to consider sanctions if Iran does not agree to transparency about its nuclear program. 'Sanctions rarely lead to productive results but in some cases are inevitable', the Russian president has said.  'The sanctions Medvedev has in mind might fall far short of those that the White House are thinking of', suggests a piece in the Guardian.  The ...

Two interesting pieces of news coincide today from the sordid world of Russian energy politics.  First, permissions to build the 403-meter "Gazscraper" tower in St. Petersburg were muscled through local government by Valentina Matvienko over the protests of preservationists, while hours later news came down that Italian firms Eni and Enel had finalized the sale of $1.6 billion worth of former Yukos assets back to Gazprom, which it had originally acquired in a controversial rigged auction. Back when the auctions of Yukos assets were taking place (which was illegal in the first place under Russian bankruptcy law, which calls for non-core assets to be sold first), it was alleged that the ...

TODAY: US missile defense in Eastern Europe plans officially scrapped in favor of 'more efficient' new program.  A matter of concession or conviction on Obama's part; mixed reaction from former would-be host countries fearful of Russian dominance; is the US expecting Russian cooperation in Iran in return wonders media - and will it get it?  NATO to have increased involvement in new plans. Georgia and Russia to negotiate.  Gapzrom may get its tower. The US plans to build missile defense bases in Poland and the Czech Republic have been binned; the Moscow Times reprints President Obama's speech on the decision here.  'This is not about Russia',  White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has said.  According to the ...