The General Russia Thread

@Luninosity/Behoderess: Well, that depends on what you are hoping for. Russia will surely weather the current economic crisis. The price of oil will almost certainly recover, probably within the next twelve months. So the state supported pensions and wages are probably pretty safe over the next few years, at least (although the employment rate might not be). After that? Say 3-5 years down the road? I would say all bets are off. If Russians are willing to live at a lower standard of living, the current system could last quite a long time. I'm a little concerned that Russia is becoming the new Cuba.

By the way, the official trailer for the press conference is pretty awesome.

Well, the Kremlin has a fine communications & PR department, that's for sure.

He sounds so sensitive and reasonable! Even I feel reassured, and I dont even speak Russian!

Nissan CEO says suspending some Russia car orders in 'bloodbath' for automakers - (Reuters) - Japan's Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) and French partner Renault SA (RENA.PA) have stopped taking orders for some cars in Russia and could raise prices on others if the ruble's plunge continues, alliance Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said on Friday.

Russia's parliament rushes through bill boosting banking capital - (Reuters) - Russia's lower house of parliament passed a draft law that would give the banking sector a capital boost of up to 1 trillion rubles ($16.5 billion) on Friday, part of measures to shield banks from Western economic sanctions.

Ruble firms as government steps up verbal support - (Reuters) - Russia's ruble strengthened on Friday after Finance Minister Anton Siluanov confirmed his ministry had sold foreign currency and on expectations that exporters will step up dollar sales.

Throw money at banks!

Because that worked so well for America.

You'd be surprised how many things here are the same as in America, the weird obsession of one-upping the USA is expressed... weirdly.

edited 19th Dec '14 8:52:42 AM by Luminosity

They want to beat the US at their own game?

You need more farmlands to do that. And more access to the sea. And better movies. Especially better movies. And more friends.

A capital boost is technically beneficial I think, it's a situation like if you have a leaky pipe, you pump more water though it and you can ensure you're getting enough at the other end, but it would be much simpler to just fix the pipe.

Guys, that's exactly what I predicted. They are planning to do that until the price of oil recovers. They'll probably succeed, although the effects on the average Russian wont be pretty.

Since when have they cared about those?

Never?

Well, Catherine tried?

Problem may be that the average Russian is willing to make the sacrifice.

Vicarious self-actualization through the greatness of the Nation?

edited 19th Dec '14 3:08:34 PM by TheHandle

Yes (otherwise known as "Patriotism").

Catherine II is my favourite historical figure ever, followed closely by Oda Nobunaga.

I first found out about him and the Sengoku Era thanks to Sengoku Basara. The actual Nobunaga was even cooler: he won Japan through The Power of Friendship and Teamwork! I don't get why he was considered evil, though; if the monks start waging war, they and their temples become fair game. How did the Papacy get beaten out of trying to be a territorial Great Power in Italy, again?

Although killing all the women and children and elderly was too much.

edited 19th Dec '14 4:11:59 PM by TheHandle

Derail.

Meanwhile, Putin has invited Kim Jong-Un for the 9th May Victory Parade.

I wonder whether anyone could hack a digital billboard in the area to play The Interview while Kim Jong Un is there. It's been done with porn before...

Wow, Putin really is casting about for any ally he can get, isn't he? Considering that China is growing more and more exasperated at North Korea's shenanigans (and saying so publicly, while the Chinese internet delights as much as their global counterparts in mocking Emperor Fatty Kim the Third, which tells you just how much the Chinese think of their alliance "as close as lips to teeth"), it'd make sense for Russia to pull closer with North Korea for a stunt or two. Pyongyang would undoubtedly be delighted if it got the chance to replay the Cold War days and play Russia and China off against each other, although given the relative strengths, that seems unlikely.

I suspect Putin is inviting KJU to the Parade to piss in the USA's campfire rather than because he needs him. It's also worth noting that Korean exiles did fight for the USSR during the German-Soviet War, like Nam Il, who was a divisional chief of staff at Stalingrad.

Putin urges Russia's secret services to tackle 'modern challenges' - (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Saturday for improvement of Moscow's secret services to tackle "modern challenges and threats" amid his country's standoff with the West over the Ukrainian crisis.

Russia calls new sanctions on Crimea 'collective punishment' - (Reuters) - The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced new Western sanctions against Ukraine's Crimea region on Saturday as a "collective punishment" on local residents who voted in a referendum last March to join Russia.

edited 20th Dec '14 4:39:51 AM by Krieger22

OpenRussia publishes names of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine.

There are 227 names in all, and the list is not exhaustive. It seems likely Russia has now lost more soldiers in Ukraine than the Coalition forces did in the Gulf.

EDIT: Direct link.

edited 24th Dec '14 9:23:08 AM by Achaemenid

As the country hosting Edward Snowden, Russia clearly has a deep respect for openness and transparency, so I'm sure the government will be perfectly fine with information like this being compiled and released...

:)

edited 24th Dec '14 12:04:15 PM by betaalpha

Ah, about that.

Aleksei Navalny is going to hear the decision of the judge in the Yves Rocher case on the January 15th. The Russian liberals decided to gather in protest on the Manezhnaya Square on the same day, and made a FB page about it. A few hours later, it was blocked by Roskomnadzor (officially - because the meeting is "unsanctioned", although it can only be sanctioned 15 days before it happens). This unleashed a small internet war on Runet, with a race between the liberal activists trying to spread the news about the protest, and Roskomnadzor trying to block them. Facebook, meanwhile, complied with Roskomnadzor, and blocked the original page for all FB users registered as originating from Russia.

Right now, it's at the stage where the opposition is using an old Russian pop song about "a meeting on the Manezhnaya" to spread the news, and creating this page, which is ostensibly perfectly legal (though Roskomnadzor blocked it, too).

There's already a Zen counter for it, too.