Russia(officially known as Russia and the Russian Federation) is a country in Northern Eurasia and is a Federal Semi-Presidential Republic comprising 83 Federal Subjects.
Russia is the largest Country in the World covering more than 1/8th of the Earth's Inhabited Land Area.Land Area 16,377,742 Sq Km - 6,323,482 Sq Miles
Russia extends across the whole of the Northern Asia and nearly 40% of Europe.
Russia is the largest Country in the World covering more than 1/8th of the Earth's Inhabited Land Area.Land Area 16,377,742 Sq Km - 6,323,482 Sq Miles
Russia extends across the whole of the Northern Asia and nearly 40% of Europe.
Capital Moscow
Currency Ruble
Population 143 Million (2011 Estimate)
Official Language Russian
Ethnic Groups 81% Russian and 19% Others
History
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 (was the first of two revolutions in Russian in 1917)centered on the then capital Petrograd (modern day St Petersburg) resulted in the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov Dynasty and the end of the Russian Empire
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The Tsar was replaced by a Russian Provisional Govt. under Prince Georgy Lvov.
October Revolution
The October Revolution (also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution ,Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution) was a political revolution, mass insurrection and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917. The October Revolution led by Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin in Petrograd overthrew the Russian Provisional Govt. and gave the power to the local Soviets dominated by Bolsheviks( a faction of the Marxist Social Democratic Labour Party(RSDLP) which ultimately became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union) and created the world’s first Socialist State.
Following the October Revolution,theBolshevik Party directed theRed Guard(armed groups of workers and Imperial army deserters) to seize control of Petrograd(St.Petersburg) and immediately began the armed takeover of cities and villages throughout the former Russian Empire.
In January 1918, the Bolsheviks dissolved the Russian Constituent Assembly and proclaimed the Soviets
(workers’ councils) as the new government of Russia.
Russian Civil War (1918-21)
The civil war occurred because after Nov 1917 many groups had formed that opposed Lenin’s Bolsheviks,These groups included monarchists, militarists, and, for a short time, foreign nations. Collectively, they were known as the Whites while the Bolsheviks were known as the Reds
Events of the Civil War (1918-21)
White armies led by Generals Yudenich and Denikin attacked Russia from the west, Admiral Kolchak from the east.
• The Tsar and his family were put to death in July 1918
• The Red Army defeated Kolchak in 1919 – after this the British, American and French armies went home.
• The civil war caused shortages,famine and disease -millions died. There were many cruel atrocities.
• The last White army in Russia was defeated in the Crimea in 1920.
• The Red Army invaded Poland in 1921, but was defeated and driven back.
2011 Russian Parliamentary(Duma) Election
Legislative election were held in Russia(officially known as Russia and the Russian Federation) on December 4, 2011 for the 450 seats in the State Duma - the Lower House of the Federal Assembly of Russia.
According to preliminary results, after around 95% of votes have been counted -
United Russia won the elections with a 49.54% share of votes (238 seats), down from 64.30% in the 2007 elections.The Central Election Commission said the PM Putin's United Russia Party was set to have 238 deputies in the 450-seat State Duma after Sunday's vote, compared with 315 seats in the current lower house..
Communist Party of Russia received 19.16% (92 seats);
CommunistParty Leader Gennady Zyuganov
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia(LDPR) got 11.66% (56 seats) and
LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky
A Just Russia (also translated as Fair Russia is a Social Democratic Political Party) got 13.22% (64 seats).
Leader of Just Russia Party Sergei Mironov
The result was Putin's worst election setback since he came to power 12 years ago.Putin defended the party's performance at a government meeting, saying a simple majority of 226 was enough to pass most legislation, and suggested this was sufficient to maintain stability
The result is a blow for President Dmitry Medvedev, whose legitimacy to becomePM in the planned job swap with Putin after the presidential vote could now be in question.
Rally Against Putin in Moscow
Several thousand protesters took to the streets on Monday to demand an end to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule after voters cut his party's parliamentary majority in an election that was condemned as unfair by European monitors.
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has said the election was "not the most honest."
Pro-Kremlin Nashi youth activists rallying on Manezh Square on Monday to celebrate United Russia’s victory in the State Duma elections.
Russian Communist Party supporters hold flags with the color and emblem of the Communist Party during a protest against the official results of the parliamentary elections in Moscow, Russia, on Dec. 5, 2011
Duma Vote 2011
President Dmitry Medvedev votes at a polling station in Moscow on Sunday December 04,2011
PM Vladimir Putin casting his ballot at a polling station in Moscow on Sunday December 04,2011
Soldiers waiting for their ballots at a polling station
Protest Rally to cancel election and rerun - Saturday Dec 10,2011
A woman carries a board displaying the portraits of Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a sanctioned rally on a bridge near Bolotnaya square to protest against violations at the parliamentary elections in Moscow December 10, 2011. The board (C, bottom) reads ''Where there is a sin, they laugh'
President Dmitry Medvedev ordered an investigation on Sunday Dec 11,2011 into allegations of fraud in Russia's parliamentary election, one day after tens of thousands of protesters demanded it be annulled and rerun.
Putin Registered as Candidate for Russian President
Russian election authorities officially registered Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday Dec 19,2011 as a candidate for president in next year's election(will represent his United Russia party) they announced on their website.Thousands Rally Against Vladimir Putin - Dec 24,2011
Protesters gather to protest against alleged vote rigging in Russia's parliamentary elections on Sakharov avenue in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011.
Despite a cold winter chill that sent temperatures below freezing, tens of thousands of people took to the streets and packed a broad street about two kilometres from the Kremlin, chanting "Russia without Putin" among other slogans. Many protesters clutched white balloons and banners with the slogan "For Free Elections".
Protesters marched to a stage at the end of the avenue that had placards with the words "Russia will be free" and "This election is a farce." Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov encouraged the crowd from the stage.
They passed a resolution "not to give a single vote to (PM) Vladimir Putin" at next year's presidential elections.Protest Leader Alexei Navalny told the crowd to loud applause that Russians would no longer tolerate corruption.
Opposition Leader Boris Nemtsov called on protesters to take to the streets again in January to continue to put pressure on the Kremlin.
At least 28,000 people turned out in the capital, according to the Russian interior ministry, but rally organisers said the true number was around 120,000.
Mikhail Gorbachev Urges Putin to Step Down
Mikhail Gorbachev, who resigned as Soviet president 20 years ago Sunday Dec 25,2011, has urged Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to follow his example and step down. Gorbachev says if Putin stepped down now he would be remembered for the positive things he did during his 12 years in power.he former Soviet leader spoke on Ekho Moskvy radio Saturday Dec 24,2011 after a demonstration against Putin drew tens of thousands in Moscow.
Russians protest against Vladimir Putin by forming human chain in Moscow
Tens of thousands of people turned out in Moscow on Sunday Feb 26,2012 wearing white scarves and ribbons, and carrying white balloons and flowers, the colour and symbols of the protest movement calling for Putin's removal from power.
Police said 11,000 people attended Sunday's protest, called the Big White Ring by its organisers, who said 34,000 were needed to hold hands along the length of the road .
Russia Offers Resumption of Relations With Georgia
Russia made an unexpected offer to Georgia on Friday March 2,2012 to re-establish diplomatic relations that were severed when the neighboring countries went to war in 2008.
2012 Russian Presidential Election - Sunday March 4,2012
Putin seeks a third presidential term amid declining public support, an advantage he enjoys is the weakness of the opposition candidates running against him
There is one new face among his rivals — Prokhorov — but the others are men who have spent much of their adult lives losing races to Putin and his allies.
Zhirinovsky has lost four presidential races; the Communist candidate, Gennady A. Zyuganov, 67, has placed second three times; Sergei M. Mironov, 59, ran against Putin in 2004, but he openly supported Mr. Putin as he did so, and won less than 1 percent of the vote
Zyuganov — who heads Russia’s Communist Party — nearly became president of Russia in 1996, when he forced Boris N. Yeltsin into a runoff. His voters are numerous and steadfast, but they are also dying off, and his share dropped from 32.2 percent in the 1996 presidential elections to 17.7 percent in 2008
Zhirinovsky,(whose ultranationalist party outperformed all other parties in 1993 parliamentary elections)in 4 runs has never won more than 9.3 percent
Vladimir Putin Wins Russia's Presidential Election
PM Vladimir Putin has won Russia's Presidential Election on Sunday March 4,2012 as he got 62 % of the 85 % votes counted, the Central Election Commission said.
Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov came second with over 17 per cent of the votes. The other three candidates polled less than 10 per cent each.
Exit polls conducted by two leading pollsters gave Mr. Putin 58-59 per cent. Mr. Putin needed to win more than 50 per cent to avoid a runoff.
Vladimir Putin tears rolling down his cheeks, called his victory a turning point that had prevented the country falling into the hands of enemies.
“I promised you we would win. We have won. Glory to Russia,”
Widespread Allegations of Fraud
The election was marred by reports of large-scale violations. Opposition activists and observers have reported thousands of violations that involved multiple voting, known here as “carousels” — voting without proper documents and non-admission of monitors to polling stations.
The elections watchdog agency Golos said it received more than 3,000 complaints of violations.
Vladimir Putin Declared President Elect
The Head of Central Election Commission declared Vladimir Putin the next President of the Country as he secured 63.7 % of vote in Russia's Presidential Election.
Gennady Zyuganov Secured 17.19 % of the votes.
Mikhail Prokhorov Secured 7.87 %of the votes
Vladimir Zhirinovsky Secured 6.23% of Votes and
Sergey Mironov Secured 3.85 % of votes respectively
Russian Court Dismisses Plea Seeking Ban on Bhagwad Gita
A Russian court on Wednesday March 21,2012 dismissed a petition seeking a ban on a translated version of Bhagwad Gita for being "extremist", bringing cheers to followers across the world.
"The court in the Siberian city of Tomsk has dismissed the plea," Sadhu Priya Das of Moscow ISKCON told PTI soon after the verdict was announced.
State prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk had filed an appeal against a lower court's dismissal of their original plea seeking a ban on "Bhagavad Gita As It Is", written by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
They claimed that the text was "extremist" literature full of hatred and insult to non-believers which promoted social discord.
The original petition seeking a ban on the translated version of the holy scripture was filed in June 2011 and the trial prompted sharp reactions from across the world.
Russia to Ease Law on Forming Political Parties
Responding to the outcry over disputed parliamentary elections in December and the huge street protests in Moscow that followed, Russian lawmakers on Friday March 23,2012 unanimously approved legislation to make it easier to form and maintain new political parties.
The bill, initially proposed in December by the departing president,Dmitri A Medvedev was passed Friday by the State Duma, the lower house of Parliament. It is expected to sail through the upper house, the Federation Council, and to be signed by Medvedev next week.
Registration Rules for New Parties
Russia's Federation Council, the upper house of Parliament, approved on Wednesday March 28,2012 a law easing registration rules for new parties, the first in a series of reforms outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev has promised to liberalise the country's political system.
The law, which will come into effect after Mr. Medvedev signs it on Monday April 2,2012, slashes the minimum number of members a new party needs to be registered from 40,000 to 500 and simplifies a few other procedures.
Vladimir Putin Sworn in as Russia's President
Vladimir Putin(DOB Oct 07,1952) has been sworn in as Russia’s president for a third term after four years as Prime Minister.
Vladimir Putin was first elected president in 2000 and the new six-year term will keep him in power until 2018.If he completes his six-year term, Vladimir Putin will be the longest serving Russian leader since Soviet supreme ruler Joseph Stalin
Vladimir Putin’s inauguration on Monday May 07,2012 comes a day after an opposition protest drew more than 20,000 people, fewer than the mass demonstrations that preceded his election but still a sign that the anger over Mr. Putin’s return to the Kremlin has not faded.
Vladimir Putin took the presidential oath at the Grand Kremlin Palace, in a hall that was once the throne room of the Russian tsars.
Vladimir Putin's Profile -
DOB Oct 07,1952
Born in the Soviet Russian city of Leningrad (now St Petersburg), Vladimir Putin studied law and joined the KGB after graduating from university.
Served as KGB agent in East Germany 1985-90
Elected President in 2000 and 2004
In 2008 Putin becomes Prime Minister after Dmitry Medvedev's landslide win in March Presidential Election
In March 2012 Wins a 3rd term as President
Russia Commemorate Victory Day with Military Parade - May 09,2012
Russia marked the 67th anniversary of victory over Hitler’s Germany in World War II(on 9 May 1945.) with military parades throughout the country.
Fourteen thousand troops marched through Red Square in Moscow followed by mile-long convoy of tanks and other military vehicles.
Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev stand among spectators in Red Square
Vladimir Putin and the Defence Minister, Anatoly Serdyukov, inspect army officersRussia Commemorate Victory Day with Military Parade - May 09,2012
Russia marked the 67th anniversary of victory over Hitler’s Germany in World War II(on 9 May 1945.) with military parades throughout the country.
Fourteen thousand troops marched through Red Square in Moscow followed by mile-long convoy of tanks and other military vehicles.
Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev stand among spectators in Red Square
Vladimir Putin speaks in Red Square before the parade
Russian Sukhoi Superjet Plane Crashes - May 9,2012
A Russian Sukhoi Superjet plane crashes into mountains in Indonesia after taking off from Jakarta airport. A total of 45 people are said to have been on board the aircraft. No survivors are immediately found.
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 vanished from radar screens 50 minutes after taking off from Jakarta for a brief demonstration flight.
The Superjet, a mid-range airliner that can carry up to 100 people, is military plane-maker Sukhoi's first commercial aviation plane.Sukhoi aimed to sell 42 of its planes to Indonesia, which has witnessed a fast-expanding aviation market to cater for a growing middle class in the world's fourth most populous nation.
Vladimir Putin Unveils New Russian Cabinet
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has unveiled his new government since returning to the Kremlin Putin removed several unpopular ministers but most other leading cabinet members retained their posts.
Sergei Lavrov remains Russia's long-serving Foreign Minister, while Anatoly Serdyukov stays at Defence. Anton Siluanov is still Finance Minister.
The interior minister Rashid Nurgaliyev – described in US diplomatic cables as a "pragmatic hardliner" – was replaced by Vladimir Kolokoltsev, the head of the Moscow police.
Putin met his new cabinet on Monday May 21,2012 He read out their appointments, with each minister standing up when his name was announced, and in some cases, bowing deferentially.
Vladislav Surkov, the powerful "grey cardinal" sometimes described as Putin's brain, kept his seat as Deputy Prime Minister.
Russian parliament passes bill which sharply increases fines for breaking laws governing protests - June 06,2012
Russia's upper house of parliament has voted through a controversial bill which sharply increases fines for breaking laws governing protests.
The bill boosts fines for violations from the current maximum 5,000 roubles (£99; $152) to 300,000 for participants and 600,000 for organisers.The legislation was backed by 132 senators on Wednesday June 06,2012, with one voting against and one abstaining.
The bill had already passed the lower house of Russia's parliament, the Duma, on Tuesday June 05,2012, after a long debate in which opposition lawmakers tried to submit nearly 400 amendments
'Draconian' bill'
Under the legislation, people could be fined for taking part in unsanctioned protests, or for violations during sanctioned ones.
Russia's WTO entry ratified by parliament - July 10,2012
Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been ratified by the country's lower house of parliament, the State Duma. The Duma(450-seat legislature) voted 238 to 208 to pass the bill, with one abstention.
The upper chamber is set to consider the bill on July 18 before it goes to President Vladimir Putin for his signature.The bill now needs to be signed by President Vladimir Putin and will pass into law 30 days after that.
Russia has been negotiating its entry for the last 18 years.
The Communist Party and the Just Russia opposition group organized protests outside the Duma today, saying the accession will hurt manufacturers and farmers. Activists carried banners saying “Joining the WTO is the path to the abyss,”
Russia's Parliament votes for internet censorship law
Russia's Parliament - Duma has voted to approve a law that would give the government the power to force certain internet sites offline without a trial .The Duma voted in favour of the bill despite calls for more time to consider the change.
Supporters of the amendment to the Act for Information say it will help the authorities block sites containing images of child abuse and other illegal material.But opponents have warned that censorship could later be extended.
The bill still needs to be signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law and it must also be approved by Russia's upper house, the Federation Council of Russia.
Anti-Putin protesters march in Moscow
Tens of thousands of people marched in central Moscow on Saturday Sep 15,2012 in the first major protest.The demonstration, which drew leftists, liberals and nationalists, showed that the protest movement that began nine months ago has not lost momentum since Vladimir Putin returned as President in May 2012.
For the first time Russian Communists, who earlier dismissed the new protest movement as “bourgeois”, joined the march.
In another first, the manifesto adopted at the rally, included social and economic demands, such as like a freeze in utility payments hikes and the right of trade union to strike.
Along with old rallying cries, such as “Russia without Putin,” demonstrators carried new slogans mocking Vladimir Putin’s recent flight in a motorised glider to lead a flock of young Siberian white cranes on their migration to the south.
“Putin’s flock has thieves, not cranes,” said one slogan.
“We will keep on marching as long as it takes for the Kremlin to heed our protest,” said Alexei Navalny, the most charismatic opposition leader.
Opposition activist Gennady Gudkov speaks at an anti-regime rally in Moscow on Saturday Sep 15,2012
Next protest is now planned for October 20, 2012.
The law was approved by both houses of parliament and signed by President Vladimir Putin in July 2012.
It will become law if President Vladimir Putin signs the bill.
Russia Internet Blacklist Law Takes Effect - Nov 01,2012
A law that aims to
protect children from harmful internet content by allowing the
government to take sites offline has taken effect in Russia.
The authorities are now able to blacklist and force offline certain websites without a trial.The law was approved by both houses of parliament and signed by President Vladimir Putin in July 2012.
Upper House Approves Ban on US Adoptions
Russia's upper house of parliament has unanimously backed a bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children.All 143 senators present at the upper house on Dec 26,2012 Wednesday voted in favour of it.
The bill also proposes to ban US-funded non-governmental organisations that do any political work in Russia.
It will become law if President Vladimir Putin signs the bill.
Note
Some 3,400 Russian children were adopted by foreign families in 2011, nearly a third of them by Americans
Russian Airline Red Wings Crashes -Saturday Dec 29,2012
A Russian passenger plane has crashed into a main road after overshooting a runway at a Moscow's Vnukovo airport, killing at least four people.Reports said there were between eight and 12 crew on board the Red Wings Tupolev-204, flight number RWZ9268, which was flying back from the Czech Republic without passengers to its home at Vnukovo Airport.(Vnukovo, on the southern outskirts of Moscow, is one of the Russian capital's three international airports)
The Red Wing Airlines Tu-204 aircraft split into three pieces after sliding off a runway and crashing into a main road.The plane had a crew of 12 aboard but was not carrying passengers.
Putin Approves New Education Law - Monday Dec 31,2012
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday Dec 31,2012 signed new legislation prescribing norms for all levels of education and setting new rules for teachers' salaries and school fees.
The new legislation brings about a number of changes for teachers, stipulating that the minimum salary for teachers will now be directly tied to the economy of the region where they work, with the salary required to be at least the average for that region.
The law makes a course on the fundamentals of religion mandatory in all schools.
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