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Kristyna Foltynova

Kristyna Foltynova is a data and visual journalist in RFE/RL's Central Newsroom. She produces a wide variety of data-driven content, including infographics, animated videos, and interactive multimedia features. She is passionate about the topics of gender equality, climate change, and data privacy.

Also by Kristyna Foltynova

October 10, 2024
Fit For A King: Authoritarian Leaders And Their Huge Palaces

What do Ukraine's Mezhyhirya Residence, Turkmenistan's Oguzhan Palace, and Turkey's Presidential Complex have in common? All were built at enormous expense, flaunting lavish amenities and sprawling grounds -- monuments to the wealth and power of authoritarian rule.
June 12, 2024
Nice Work If You Can Get It: Putin's Protectors Promoted

Getting a plum government gig in Russia is a lot easier if you’ve served in the Kremlin’s presidential bodyguard agency, the Federal Protection Service (bonus points if you’ve saved Vladimir Putin from a bear). At least seven former Putin bodyguards now hold various top jobs in government.
May 22, 2024
Knives Out: Russia’s Military Command

The upheaval in Russia's military leadership continued as a top general was arrested shortly after the appointments of a new defense minister and a new deputy.
August 14, 2023
Draconian Decrees: The Taliban's Restrictions In Afghanistan

Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban has imposed restrictions on every aspect of Afghans’ lives. Those who violate the hard-line Islamists' morality laws can be subject to public floggings, jail, or even death.
June 21, 2023
The Soviet Blockade And The Berlin Airlift, 75 Years Later

Seventy-five years ago – on June 24, 1948 – the Soviet Union began its 11-month blockade of Berlin. Moscow cut off road, rail, and water access to its Western sector. Food and electricity would soon run out. The Allies began a massive undertaking that would become known as the Berlin Airlift.
December 24, 2022
Protecting The Skies: How Does Ukraine Defend Against Russian Missiles?

Over the past several months, Russia has launched multiple waves of missiles and drone attacks across Ukraine. The heaviest attack so far came on November 15, when more than 100 missiles targeted a dozen cities and districts, as well as the country’s critical energy infrastructure.
October 25, 2022
Will New Pipelines Get Russian Oil To Serbia?

In less than two months, the European Union is expected to cut about 90 percent of oil imports from Russia as a part of sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. While Serbia has not joined these sanctions, this measure will likely have an impact on its oil supplies as well.
October 13, 2022
Closing Doors: How Europe Is Restricting Russians From Traveling

The EU last month fully suspended its visa-facilitation agreement with Russia as part of sanctions imposed due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Travel to the EU thus became more difficult and costly for Russian tourists. Let's look at what the data tells us about Russians traveling to Europe.
September 01, 2022
Russia's Stranglehold On The World's Nuclear Power Cycle

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, several packages of sanctions targeting Russia’s lucrative energy industry (mostly oil, gas, and coal) have been introduced by the United States, the European Union, and other Western nations.
December 08, 2021
How Have The Lives Of Russians Changed Since 1991? Take A Guess!

In 1991, the year the Soviet Union collapsed, the average Russian got married between the ages of 18 and 24, had one or two children, and was expected to live to the age of 69. How have the lives of Russians changed since then?
October 29, 2021
Weapon Of Last Resort: How The Soviet Union Developed The World's Most Powerful Bomb

On October 30, 1961, the Soviet Union tested the largest nuclear device ever created. The "Tsar Bomba," as it became known, was 10 times more powerful than all the munitions used during World War II.
October 04, 2021
Animated Graphic: Coronavirus Deaths Week By Week

Charting the locations with the most confirmed COVID-19 deaths over time
October 04, 2021
Animated Graphic: Coronavirus Infections Week By Week

Charting the locations with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases over time
October 03, 2021
The Undoing Of The U.S.S.R.: How It Happened

On December 25, 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist as a sovereign state. Its collapse was gradual and, some would say, even inevitable. Here are some major milestones in the dissolution of the U.S.S.R., which put 15 new countries on the map.
September 20, 2021
The Untouchable: How Chechen Strongman Ramzan Kadyrov Maintains His Tight Grip On Power

What makes Kadyrov's rule so unique in Russia? And how does the Chechen leader continue to act with such impunity?
June 23, 2021
Russia Flexes Its Regional Muscle As Arctic Ice Melts

Due to climate change, the Arctic is becoming more accessible and therefore more attractive for the countries that encircle it. Which countries have claimed parts of the Arctic? What do they need to enforce these claims? And what does Russia hope to achieve in the region?
May 21, 2021
Anatomy Of A Hunger Strike: Why Is It Done And What Does It Do To The Human Body?

Why do protesters put their lives in danger and use hunger strikes as a form of protest? What happens to the human body when it doesn't have enough nutrients for such a long period of time? And what sparked the first major hunger strike believed to have been held in Russia?
April 28, 2021
What Barriers Do Journalists Still Face?

May 3 marks World Press Freedom Day. So what is the state of press freedom around the world? What barriers do journalists still face? And what do people in different countries think about the restrictions and liberties they are confronted with every day?
April 13, 2021
The Rocky Road To Gender Equality: Are Women Better Off Now Than In 1970?

Over the past few decades, many countries have made reforms toward greater gender equality, but despite this progress, women still face regulations that restrict their economic opportunities. Let's have a look at what has changed from 1970 till today.
March 15, 2021
5 Things To Know About The Jehovah's Witnesses In Russia

Since being outlawed by Russia as "extremist" in 2017, more than 50 Jehovah's Witnesses have been imprisoned in Russia and the occupied Ukrainian region of Crimea for up to 7 1/2 years. Here's what you need to know about the challenges facing the denomination, which has about 8 million followers wor

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