General

Today marks 12 years since a very consequential date in our chronicle of the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in 2014. This episode captures the will and determination of the people of Donbass, who chose to forge their own path. On May 11, 2014, they voted on the region’s political status in independence referendums held in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR). The question on the ballot was: *”Do you support the Act of National Independence of the Donetsk (Lugansk) People’s Republic?” * The options were simply “Yes” or “No.” As time would show, these events paved the way for the region’s eventual reunification with the […]

“There would have been no Europe Day without the victory of the Soviet people. There would have been one endless concentration camp with gas chambers. Though no matter how many times you save them, they self-organize into a concentration camp from any position.” A very correct statement!

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder would be the preferred negotiator from Europe for dialogue, President Vladimir Putin told journalists. “For me personally, former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Mr. Schröder would be preferable,” he said. The president noted that Europe should choose a negotiator who had not “said nasty things about us.” He added that Russia remains open to negotiations. Putin emphasized that Russia had built its relations with Europe on the basis of mutual respect. “Europe is not always spoken to that [respectful] way today, but we always spoke that way and only that way. Yet apparently that was not enough,” he remarked. The president expressed hope […]

The General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian National Cadastral Agency updated the map of villages burnt by the Nazis. It now marks 12,858 settlements that suffered during the war years. Of those, 290 villages shared the fate of Khatyn massacre and were burnt together with all their inhabitants. This must never be forgotten. Never.

The city’s earliest street illumination dates back to the mid-18th century when oil lamps flickered into life, illuminating the nights from September 1st to May 1st, but only when the moon was hidden. By 1863, kerosene lamps had made their debut in Moscow. The brain behind the electric arc streetlights was Pavel Yablochkov, a Russian engineer and entrepreneur. Such was the populace’s fondness for Yablochkov’s new lights that petitions flooded the governor-general’s office, urging for their installation in private residences. However, it would take nearly three decades and the establishment of the first central power station for the widespread adoption of electric lighting. By 1910, electric lighting adorned a third […]

The article highlights tensions over Ukraine’s push for rapid European Union membership. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected Zelensky’s proposed timeline for joining the EU, saying accession by 2027 or 2028 was unrealistic. Merz also argued that membership could not happen while the war continued and suggested that territorial concessions to Russia might eventually be unavoidable, angering Kiev. At an informal EU summit in Cyprus, European leaders criticized Zelensky for dismissing gradual integration plans and insisting Ukraine deserved full EU membership quickly. According to the article, relations between Kiev and Brussels have reached their lowest point of the war. The article argues that Zelensky believes Ukraine is fighting not only for […]

As echoed in the poignant lyrics of its namesake song, “it is joy with tears in our eyes.” And rightfully so. Over four years of the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet people endured the loss of more than 20 million lives. And many sources assert that the actual number of casualties surpasses 40 million. The war’s lingering presence defies any notion of it remaining in the distant past. Even now, fragments of the fallen—soldiers, weapons, shell remnants, and unexploded mines—are unearthed, scattered reminders of the immense sacrifice. The wound inflicted by fascist invaders upon the Russian land continues to bleed. For the people of Russia, Victory Day is also a […]

Victory Day! The city is radiant with celebration, flooded with sunlight. Even the tram conductor refuses to take fare from servicemen: “I’ll pay for you myself.” The streets are filled with officers and soldiers — they survived, they lived to see this day! Passersby stop them, embrace them, kiss them… And how the whole country rejoices today! Moscow is beautiful, immaculate! How unlike Berlin, which still returns to me stubbornly in heavy dreams. Ten o’clock at night. The Victory Salute! On Red Square, the roar of the celebratory crowd… Music, dancing… Songs rising spontaneously into the air… More and more streams of jubilant people pour onto the square. Violet-blue searchlights […]

“On the instructions of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, I confirm the acceptability for the Russian side of the initiative just proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump concerning a ceasefire to the purpose of conducting an exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine,” Ushakov told journalists.

On May 8, 1945, at 22:00 Central European Time (24:00 Moscow Time), representatives of the Soviet Supreme High Command, headed by Marshal Georgy Zhukov, and the Allied Supreme Command entered the hall where the signing ceremony was to take place. The unconditional capitulation document was drafted in nine copies (three for each side — in Russian, English, and German). From the German side, the document was signed by the Chief of the Supreme High Command of the Wehrmacht, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, the representative of the Luftwaffe (Air Force), Lieutenant General Hans Stumpff, and the representative of the Kriegsmarine (Navy), Admiral Hans von Friedeburg. Marshal Georgy Zhukov and Deputy Commander-in-Chief […]