Michael Scollon is a senior correspondent in RFE/RL's Central Newsroom in Prague.
A pair of marmots at a St. Petersburg zoo surprisingly rolled out of hibernation in Russia this week, confirming predictions of a way-too-early spring made earlier in other parts of the country by several other animals that should be in deep slumber for at least another month.
Dim the lights and cue the revisionism. Russia's latest effort to rewrite the historical narrative of World War II was on a global stage at the World Holocaust Forum, leading organizers to issue a belated apology for films that left out crucial developments, such as the Nazi-Soviet pact to carve up Poland and the Baltics.
Depending on what you are reading, newly appointed Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova is a former acid-taking, arts-hating homophobe who is unfit for the position, or a film buff who offers transparency and a welcome change from the cultural men's club.
A look at the fallout from the resignation of Abkhazia's leader, Raul Khajimba; the reasons for the political crisis in the Georgian breakaway republic; and Moscow's role behind the scenes.
Russia has resolved to "adapt" to climate change in the new year by steaming ahead with development plans.
As the world looks ahead to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Team Russia appears to be headed for a seat on the sidelines. But the fight isn't over yet.
Russia's Investigative Committee has concluded that all materials submitted to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) this year regarding athletes' drug tests were genuine, contrary to WADA's determination that the copy it received of a database from Russia's national drug-testing laboratory was intentionally altered.
The Moscow City Court has upheld a lower court's decision to release U.S. citizen Gaylen Grandstaff from custody until the Prosecutor-General's Office clarifies its arguments in the drug-smuggling case against him.
A transgender woman in Russia finds herself facing three years in a men's prison after a court determined that anime images she posted on social media were pornographic.
The dismissal of a Russian surgical team renowned for performing kidney transplants on children has left tens of young patients in a critical situation.
A Russian teacher was giving lessons in life safety when he snapped and began hitting his student, opening a debate about the pros and cons of using old-school violence to deal with unruly pupils.
As the deadline for Moscow to explain "inconsistencies" in data sent to the World Anti-Doping Agency approaches, Russia's own regulatory bodies are exchanging barbs and bracing for the worst -- a possible ban from the 2020 Olympic Games.
Who can Russians turn to at night when they don't know what to believe? The Evening Bullshitter, that's who.
With an eye toward increasing production and leisure time, Russia's prime minister has ordered labor officials to explore the possibility of implementing a four-day workweek. But economists see Dmitry Medvedev's initiative as a populist measure amid more pressing issues and note there is nothing stopping Russian companies from changing policies on their own.
In the aftermath of a deadly radioactive incident in Russia's Far North, many have suggested the culprit was the testing of a nuclear-propelled missile capable of flying at hypersonic speeds. But others say the case is far from closed.
A Russian Orthodox priest has been banned from the clergy after video showed him using force while baptizing an infant boy.
An American prisoner's creation of Bear -- a lovingly drawn cartoon character who is also behind bars in Russia -- helped him bypass jail censors and give outsiders a truer picture of his ordeal.
Norwegian researchers have returned from the site of a Soviet-era nuclear submarine wreck with stunning video footage and evidence of radiation levels of up to 1 million times greater than normal.
Uranium-235. 3.67-percent enrichment. A 300-kilogram cap. Paragraph 36 of UN Resolution 2231. There are a lot of numbers flying around when it comes to Iran's nuclear program, but what do they say about the country's capability to develop a nuclear weapon?
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a presidential visit abroad that Ukraine's women were "beautiful" and served as a good "brand" for the country. Now they are letting him have it under the hashtags #Iamnotyourbrand and #Iamnotyourtourismbrand.
Load more
