Despite the stable growth of the Russian economy, social inequality in the country remains very high. Experts predict that Russia’s GDP will increase by 1.8 percent this year but such economic stability doesn’t translate into improvements of the welfare state nor does it guarantee any social sustainability. As a journalist […]

  Russia’s steady growth in GDP and its 5% unemployment rate could make countries like Greece and Spain green with envy. The Russian economy surged ahead from the mid-2000s, seemingly immune to the shocks of the 2008 economic crisis. Foreign corporations kept pumping money into a country whose high levels […]

  ‘Where are you from?’ is the first question everyone asks you. It’s a question I can’t stand. Explaining my origins and identity takes a long time. Why? Well, I was born in Vladivostok, a small city in the far east of Russia. I’ve lived in Tel Aviv, Budapest, Cairo […]

  Only once a year do all the major news sources, magazines and TV programs talk about women. On March 8, many Russian women will be excused from household duties. This day men storm flower stores and buy other presents for their ladies. It’s very unfortunate that people discuss the […]

  I dread the moment I need to see a doctor in Russia because I know that seeing a doctor in Russia is not a pleasent experience. The prospect of crass bureaucracy coupled with idiotic rules and endless waiting in line forces me to turn around and take the same […]