Georgia’s Messy Breakup

and why the August War was really a love story...

Meet the New Boss

Michael Idov loiters in Moscow on the eve of Dmitry Medvedev’s coronation

Pro-Kremlin youth group, Nashi (“Ours” or “Our Kind” if translated) has made headlines for everything from suspected fascism to confirmed synchronized breeding. Now, a disgruntled Nashi member admits to infiltrating an opposition group. In a tell-all with the Moscow Times, the disillusioned activist says she coordinated 30 young informers to join and subsequently rat out banned opposition organizations and their members. Yabloko had a feeling those new interns were too good to be true!

We’re going to put aside sarcasm for a minute and try feigned disbelief. Earlier today, February 4, Moscow’s Military Tribunal was scheduled to proceed with hearings in the murder trail of Anna Politkovskaya, the muckraking journalist, author, human rights activist and Kremlin critic shot dead on October 7, 2006. But a key piece of evidence — nay, the key piece of evidence — is missing. The prosecution has lost (lost!) a video presentation containing footage from the security camera above Politkovskaya’s apartment building. Footage which, apparently, contains a shot of the assassin.

In Moscow, Halloween is celebrated by exactly 4% of Russians and is usually a holiday for going to clubs while dressed in a ridiculous fashion, which is basically a holiday for people who would spend their Saturday nights going to clubs while dressed in a ridiculous fashion anyway.