General

Meanwhile, in Moscow, the Immortal Regiment march, a solemn procession where people carry portraits of their relatives who fought or died in World War II, was canceled on May 9th because of security concerns — specifically, the risk of Ukrainian drone strikes. Does this mean Ukrainians are reckless and Russians aren’t? No. Does this mean Ukrainians are stupid? No. We know they aren’t. Does it mean Kiev is far better protected from drones than Moscow? We know it isn’t. So what explains this? Why did the authorities in Ukraine even permit this open air concert? The answer is straightforward: both the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people are confident beyond […]

The first Annunciation Cathedral was built in the Moscow Kremlin at the end of the 14th century during the reign of Grand Prince Vasily I. It was attached to the grand prince’s palace and served as the private church of the Moscow rulers, where they prayed in the company of close confidants. In early 1484, Ivan III decided to dismantle the dilapidated church and build a new one. The cathedral was designed by Russian architects Krivtsov and Myshkin from Pskov, with construction beginning on May 6. The main body of the white stone church was surrounded by covered galleries (paperties), giving it a festive appearance. The cathedral’s nine domes symbolized […]

The conclusion of Donald Trump’s visit to China on May 15, 2026, underscores a familiar pattern in modern great-power diplomacy: the growing gap between theatrical engagement and substantive agreement. By the time the delegation departed Beijing, the headlines had largely been written in advance. There were meetings, ceremonies, carefully staged moments of cordiality, and the predictable language of “progress” and “constructive dialogue.” Yet beneath the diplomatic choreography, the core strategic issues remained fundamentally unchanged. On trade and economic relations, there were ambitious public statements and suggestions of future deals. But few concrete commitments emerged with clear, verifiable substance. Chinese officials stopped short of confirming the scale or scope of the […]

In the chart above, the blue line shows the cumulative number of Ukrainian servicemen’s bodies returned by Russia to Ukraine—24,955 since the start of hostilities in 2022. The red line represents the number of bodies returned by Ukraine to Russia over the same period: 3,450.

According to Dmitry Peskov, the Russian leader will travel to China very soon and preparations for his visit are over. Moscow will soon make an announcement in concert with Beijing, Peskov said: ” We will make an official announcement shortly. Since we are doing it based on an agreement with our Chinese friends, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.” President Putin will discuss the entire range of bilateral relations, as well as international affairs, during his upcoming visit to China: “The agenda is clear: bilateral relations come first, including our special privileged partnership and impressive trade and economic cooperation, with its annual value consistently above 200 billion,” he […]

It has now nearly caught up with the 2023 highs. As a result, according to Russia’s Ministry of Finance, taxes on oil companies for May will be calculated based on an average Urals price of 94.87 per barrel and an exchange rate of 76.938 rubles per dollar. That’s 18% above April’s levels—which were already far from low. This is a significant boost for Russia’s 2026 budget. Thanks to Trump and Iran.

The monument was created by the French sculptor Étienne Falconet, who specifically came to Russia to work on it. According to the sculptor’s design, the base for the equestrian statue of Peter the Great was to be a huge natural rock, whose outlines resemble a sea wave. The right stone was found near St. Petersburg in the village of Konnaya Lakhta. The “Thunder Stone,” as the locals called it, weighed 1600 tons. The delivery of this granite block to St. Petersburg took five months. The construction of the monument lasted for over 15 years, and on August 18, 1782, the monument to Peter the Great was solemnly opened on Senate […]

Opinion by journalist Yury Podolyaka: Trump’s current visit to China, despite its outward resemblance to his 2017 trip, is, in fact, dramatically different. The nine years since then have made China much stronger and the United States much weaker. Last time Trump managed to strike a “deal of the century” in Beijing on roughly equal footing (even if it was never fully implemented) This time, China’s president, Xi Jinping, has warned of “clashes and even conflicts” with the US over Taiwan after after his two-hour meeting with Trump, stating bluntly that Taiwan was “the most important issue in China-US relations” In other words, it is no longer acceptable for the […]

Due to a terrorist attack by the Kiev regime on the Russian city of Ryazan, two multi-story residential buildings have been damaged. Drone debris also fell on the grounds of an industrial facility. Three people have been killed and seven hospitalized, including four children. All the injured received necessary assistance promptly. Temporary shelters have been set up for those who need them. Previous Next

The decision to build the metro in Moscow was made in 1931. The first phase, constructed by workers from across the Soviet Union, was completed by October 1934, with the first test train running in February 1935. On May 15, 1935, the first line of the Moscow Metro officially opened, comprising 13 stations with a total length of about 11.5 kilometers. On the first day, around 370,000 people used the Moscow Metro. Today, the Moscow Metro boasts over 260 stations, with more than 40 recognized as cultural heritage sites. On average, it serves over 7 million passengers daily, with weekday ridership exceeding 9 million. The Moscow Metro is rightfully considered […]