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Byline: Darko Volkov When three WPI students began a project in the fall of 2022 to understand how fracking to extract oil in a village in Albania is affecting the [...]

Byline: DMITRY VOLKOV MOSCOW -- Within the last two months, a pair of dancers from Russia's Bolshoi Ballet were denied American visas because there was a small mistake in their [...]

Byline: Pavel Volkov;Amanda Erickson;Chloe Coleman For centuries, Russia's pagans practiced their faith on the fringes. But lately, the community of rodnovers, or neopagans, is growing -- and finding a home [...]

Byline: Lisa Volkov Toronto -- The incredible double standard being applied to the characterization of Hillary Clinton's behaviour continues to demonstrate that few things in male-dominated society are as prohibited [...]

From Mr Yuri Volkov. Sir, I regret to say that Prof Daniel Tarschys (Letters, July 19) is wrong in saying that the claim that the Russian constitution prevents the extradition [...]

The life of George Balanchine, the greatest ballet master of the 20th century, his personality and passion for ballets are presented. His works on art has deep ethnic roots and is not confined within the narrow boundaries but open to the outside world.

Aram Khachaturyan was a pianist and violinist whose outstanding works are discussed. He was composer himself and was associated with Socialist Realism both in the Soviet Union and in the West.

It is almost certain that the toppling yesterday of Saddam Hussein's giant statue in the center of Baghdad will be considered in retrospect as one of the iconic images of […]

Byline: Matthew Volkov UR launched its 2012 United Way Campaign this week, a subsidiary of the campaign begun by the United Way of Greater Rochester. The United Way campaign collects [...]

Byline: Matthew Volkov Courtesy of sa.rochester.edu UR's Students' Association is nearly finished making amendments to its election policies and procedures manual. The SA's electoral process is governed by a set [...]

Byline: Matthew Volkov Drue Sokol, Photo Editor On Jan. 19, Apple, Inc. released a new version of its iBooks digital bookstore, the latest in a recent surge of new technologies. [...]

Last week, Russia decided to bring back the old Soviet national anthem, which was first broadcast nationally on Jan. 1, 1944. The melody, by court composer Aleksander Aleksandrov, was chosen […]

'This article first appeared in the 4th edition of The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Merger Control; published by Global Legal Group Ltd, London (www.iclg.co.uk)' 1 Relevant Authorities and Legislation [...]

All parties in Bosnia must share the blame for the conflict, and the economic sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro must be lifted before a political solution can be found. The NATO threat of air strikes against the Serbs will intensify the conflict besides empowering the Moslem forces. The Serbs are under pressure from the NATO and the European Union after the mortar shell blast at Sarajevo which killed 70 people, though there is evidence to prove the complicity of Moslems in the tragedy.

Americans responded to the Yugoslav crisis by viewing the entire area comprising former socialist nations in the Eastern Europe as a power vacuum, but are ambiguous as to the course of action in filling this void. They are yet to formulate foreign policies on Russia and Yugoslavia. Also, NATO's European policy, after the reunification of Germany, remains unresolved. The actions of the Economic Community have aggravated the situation in the former Yugoslavia, especially after German support for Slovenia, and Croatia's separatist actions.

The Rachmaninoff Festival in New York took place at a crucial time for the composer's reputation. While always popular with general music lovers, connoisseurs tended to disparage him. Over the last quarter century Western critics have changed their opinion to reserved praise from reserved censure. They are now ready to take the next step and admit that his work is among the most sublime achievements of the 20th Century.

Choreographer George Balanchine is interviewed about Tchaikovsky's biography and about the mystery of his death. Particular attention is given to events in Tchaikovsky's life which are related to his works and which might have influenced Balanchine in his choreography.

The writer of the book 'Testimony: Dmitry Shostakovich's Memoirs, recorded and edited by Solomon Volkov' published in 1979, describes the difficult political circumstances under which the book was written.

Economic policies during the first 100 days of Russian Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko contributed to strengthen the national economy. Finance official Anatoly Chubais claims that the threats of a currency devaluation have been contained. Furthermore, additional tax revenues are expected to boost financial support for the economy. However, the business sector is still unconvinced that the trend guarantees stability. The International Monetary Fund is also dissatisfied with how the Russian government handled financial issues.

The auction to sell 75% of the shares in Russia's Rosneft remains unsettled. Despite the seemingly correct estimation of its value by foreign valuer Kleinwort Benson Ltd, some potential buyers, including LUKoil, Yuksi, British Petroleum and Gazprom, claim that the oil company is overpriced at $2.5 billion. However, the State Property Ministry and the Russian Federal Property Fund, which is selling the share package, insist that the property is priced accurately. On the other hand, the State Duma believes that Rosneft should not be sold at all as it is grossly underpriced.

Electricity would be made available on the wholesale market in Russia resulting in benefits to majority of consumers in terms of more readily available supply and lower costs. This development would bring producers and consumers closer together and lead to negotiations over prices. Such would transform electricity as a market commodity instead as a privilege of bureaucrats and the upper class.

Treasury agencies in Russia are spread out in 86 different regions. Beginning 1997, all the budget-financed organizations must be funded via the treasury system in order to curtail stealing and borrowing from the state budget. The ultimate aims in transferring budgetary accounts is to make the relevant transactions transparent, and to send funds from the budget directly to the end recipients such as schools, hospitals, mining and other enterprises.

Yukos First VP Victor Ivanenko believes that Russian oil companies should participate in modernization programs to avoid environmental disasters. He claims that the Russian government need not finance these programs itself but merely grant the petroleum industry investment and tax credits so that they could allot part of their earnings to ecological projects. Ivanenko's own company is implementing an experimental program which allows it to spend part of the ecological funds traditionally remitted to the state budget on environmental initiatives.

Ukraine has initiated a restructuring program for its coal mining industry with the help of a World Bank loan. The international bank has granted a repayable 'coal' loan of $300 dollars to provide compensation to profitable mines for cuts in government subsidies. The Ukraine coal industry experienced major labor and production problems in the period between 1994 and 1996. The government plans to end subsidies to non-profitable mines and give budgetary loans to promising enterprises at market interest rates.

Private persons are misusing public funds for personal gain and robbing Russia of extra budgetary and targeted budgetary funds. Many public funds have diverted trillions of rubles into banks that charter huge capital to industries. Although the auditors have gained information about the violations of regulations, the defaulters are not subject to persecution under embezzlement. The government can control this misappropriation only by legalizing securities and foreign exchange transactions.

The World Bank's managing director in charge of Russia, Caio Koch-Weser, has promised to increase the bank's project portfolio in Russia, despite the failure of the first tranche of a $500 million loan to reach the coal-mining sector. Koch-Weser is satisfied with the progress of the bank's various projects, including a housing construction project in St. Petersburg, a project to install modern medical equipments at hospitals, and another to improve the public transport system. The bank has hiked its monthly monetary commitments in the projects from the initial $25 million to $70 million.

Russian State Duma Chmn. Pyotr Romanov believes that the state should issue policies to increase industrial production. The government should freeze the industrial sector's huge public debts and require payment only of current debts. Incentives, such as tax incentives and customs duties exemption, should also be introduced. Other strategies to increase production include redistribution of tax payments to federal and local budgets, introduction of new technology and increase of investments.

Privatization of pharmacies in Moscow has been put off for another year as the authorities are still exploring vaious options. The authorities cite the importance of pharmacies for the people, and fear that they will be misused for profits if handed over to private agencies with out proper legislation. However, that the government intents to transfer the pharmacies to the priviate sector is evident from its proposal of various schemes.

Russia's participation in the international weaponry and equipment exhibitions in Latin America and Asia confirms its decision to enter the arms trade in these territories. It is planning to enter the trade in a big way with negotiations with several South American and Asian countries likely to succeed. Although it may face stiff competition from the U.S. when it explores the relatively new markets in Latin America, its circle of clients are increasingly putting more pressure on U.S. Moreover, Russia enjoys a favourable market in India, its principal client for decades.

The reshuffle of staff at the Russian Foreign Ministry by the minister Evgeny Primakov hints at the new priorities of Russian foreign policy. He insists on utilizing the capabilities of the old, more experienced diplomats for pursuing national objectives. A series of dismissals may follow the reshuffling, as many outsiders recruited by the former minister still hold a few key positions. A new appointment integral to Russia's new foreign policy is the promotion of Boris Pastukhov to first deputy minister.

The dispute between the directors of the Lebedinsk Integrated Ore-Concentration Plant Co. and its outside shareholders has resulted in the attachment of the plant's shares belonging to outside companies for alleged violation of the anti-monopoly law. The day before a scheduled shareholders' meeting, the plant's directorate filed a suit with the arbitration court of Belgorod for the attachment of shares. It also sought an invalidation of transactions, particularly purchase/sale deals, made with outside shareholders. 'Outside' investors, meanwhile, filed a countercharge to invalidate the results of the voting during the shareholders' meeting.

The release of seven Russian pilots held hostage by Talibs in Afghanistan will test newly installed Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov's diplomatic mettle. The Taliban movement is demanding the release of more than 6,000 Afghans who were missing since the Soviet invasion in exchange for the release of the pilots being kept in Kandahar. The Talibs had earlier agreed to release the pilots, but postponed it at the last minute, a development attributed to dissonance within the ruling council or shura, comprised of 12 religious authorities.

The government has placed the coal-mining sector on a shareholding basis. The coal-miners have taken interest and have become stockholders. The coal-mining sector has received more than 500 independent joint-stock companies into which vocational schools, quarries and mines have been transformed. Majority of the participants in the auctions were outsiders instead of investment companies. The Interdepartmental Commission on the Coal Sector will be tasked to formulate development strategies.

The three-month freeze on electricity prices imposed by the Russian government had a disastrous effect on the energy industry. The resolution was brought about by the Antimonopoly Committee which claimed that the energy sector was a monopolist. Outstanding payments have reached 32 trillion rubles due to the resolution. The ban on powercuts has further aggravated the situation.

The Russian Almazy Rossii-Sakha (ARS) diamond company has better prospects of controlling the diamond export market at the lapse of the Russian agreement with De Beers in December 1995. The government is planning to reconstruct the Russian diamond and gems industries after the lapse of agreement. ARS says that Russia could control 30% of world diamond market instead of 20% after reconstruction. The Israeli diamond market will benefit the most with the proposed changes of Russian diamond industries since this will secure their supply of raw materials.

The Lebedinsky ore-riching complex in Russia is the subject of an intense dispute between the complex's directors and the Russian Credit Bank, which holds a majority stake in the complex. In particular, the Russian Credit Bank has been trying to elect its own nominee to the complex's board of directors, a move which is being opposed by the present board on the grounds that the bank is not an investor but a creditor of the complex.

Boris Vukobrat, a French businessman born in Yugoslavia, propounds the idea of a new Yugoslavia to be composed of a commonwealth of former republics. Regional states have a long and successful history in Yugoslavia and may prove the best way of protecting civil and national rights. Contemporary states basing themselves on ethnic identity have not been able to maintain peace.

The Russian public is concerned about corruption and low standards of living. The government is characterised by elitism and nationalism. A dictatorship can be seen as an efficient means of tackling violent crime and restructuring the Russian economy. Banking groups are co-operating with the government. There may be no move to a liberal democracy, but it is also unlikely that Russia will revert to being a totalitarian state. Corruption is unlikely to be eradicated but may be contained.

Russia's trade and economic cooperation with India will be beneficial as India offers high quality goods in cheaper prices, as was revealed in the exhibition of Indian goods in Moscow's All-Russia Exhibition Centre. Apart from traditional items such as tea and textiles, India also exports computers, household electronics and an economy car 'Maruti' to several western countries. The number of offices representing Indian firms in Russia has increased.

US Secretary of Commerce Ronald Brown's visit to Russia may lead to increased US investment in Russia, especially in the Urals and Siberian regions, and greater access for both nations to each other's markets. US exports to Russia will not, however, include high technology items governed by the export control regime. US investment in Russia totals only $1 billion in comparison with the $239 billion it has invested in Europe, $68 billion in Canada, $26 billion in Japan and $13 billion in Mexico.

Nikolai Devyanin believes that Russia's nuclear briefcase 'Kazbek' is redundant in modern military strategy since an adequate defense can be organized even without it in the event of a major nuclear missile attack. The nuclear control system has thus only deterrent and psychological value and does not imply superior nuclear defense capability. The technology used in the system can be profitably applied to warn the authorities of emergencies such as border conflicts and oil pipeline accidents.