Russia’s billionaire Hairspray King PRO Members Public
Before 2022, the name Alexei Sagal meant little to anyone in Russia outside the domestic cosmetics industry and residents of his native Stavropol Territory in the south of the country. That has changed completely since Russia invaded Ukraine as Sagal swooped to take control of Heineken’s Russian businesses. That
Opposition leaders, newly freed, stoke controversy with first public comments PRO Members Public
The biggest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since Soviet times has freed two of Russia’s leading liberal politicians — figures with genuine ambitions to lead the opposition in exile. Tet far from garnering sympathy for the more than two years they spent in Putin’s prison system, their
THE BELL WEEKLY: Historic prisoner swap highlights rifts in Russian society PRO Members Public
Hello. This week we look at the controversy surrounding the historic prisoner exchange between Russia and the West. We also bring you a snapshot of our investigation into Russia’s “Hairspray King” — a little-known billionaire and major winner from the exodus of Western firms. Opposition leaders, newly freed, stoke controversy
The Western banks are not leaving Russia yet PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — written by Alexander Kolyandr and Alexandra Prokopenko and brought to you by The Bell. This time we take an in depth look at the two biggest European banks in Russia – Austria’s Raiffeisen and Italy’s UniCredit. Why are they
Russia’s new elite being pushed into politics PRO Members Public
Russian soldiers who have fought in Ukraine have become a powerful new social class in Russian society. They get state subsidies, extra welfare payments, career boosts, and, for some, a fast track to power. President Vladimir Putin often calls veterans and soldiers Russia’s “new elite,” asserting that the leadership
Russian propagandists slam Olympics opening ceremony PRO Members Public
The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics — which attracted criticism for its apparent reinterpretation of the Last Supper featuring drag performers — proved a gift for Russian propagandists. They jumped on the opportunity to rehash one of their favorite talking points — the decadence of a liberal Europe that has no
Divorce, Kadyrov and corporate raiders: The blockbuster saga at Wildberries PRO Members Public
Online shopping has belatedly become a major industry across Russia over the last five years. After a slow start, online marketplaces are thriving and pick-up points can be found all over the country, even in the smallest remote villages. But market leader Wildberries hit the headlines last week for something
THE BELL WEEKLY: Primetime scandal at Russia’s Amazon PRO Members Public
Bonjour ! Cette semaine, nous nous penchons sur un scandale retentissant au sein de Wildberries - la réponse russe à Amazon - et sur la manière dont l'homme fort tchétchène Ramzan Kadyrov s'est retrouvé impliqué dans le divorce de la fondatrice. Nous évoquons également les propagandistes russes qui s'en donnent à cœur joie lors de la cérémonie d'ouverture des Jeux olympiques et les vétérans de guerre qui sont poussés à la faute.
Preparing for new ‘confiscation wars’ PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — written by Alexander Kolyandr and Alexandra Prokopenko and brought to you by The Bell. Our top story this time is the discussions underway in Russia about a legal tool to allow the state to seize the frozen assets of foreign
Another Kremlin appointment at Moscow’s once-famed independent university PRO Members Public
Vladimir Putin’s notorious former economic advisor Sergei Glazyev is now a research fellow at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics — the latest sign of the Kremlin’s control over what used to be Russia’s leading liberal university. * Economist Sergei Glazyev was appointed chief researcher at the Higher School
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The Bell a été fondé en 2017 par les journalistes Elizaveta Osetinskaya, Irina Malkova et Peter Mironenko en tant que média indépendant des autorités russes, après que ses fondateurs ont été limogés de leur poste de rédacteurs en chef du plus grand site d'information russe, RBC, en raison des pressions exercées par le Kremlin.
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