One of the things that I love about journalism is that I am always learning new things. And yesterday morning, I got an especially big dose of learning.

Like most people, I have always thought of the word "Kremlin" in the singular, with a capital K. I believed that it referred solely to the giant walled complex at the center of Moscow, and I used "Kremlin" as being synonymous with "government" since the Moscow site is where Russia's president... more

Where is it? Astrakhan Oblast is located in the southwestern corner of Russia on the Caspian Sea. It shares a long border to the east with Kazakhstan; Vologda to the north. Astrakhan is in the Moscow time zone, and you can find the local time here.

What's the biggest city? Astrakhan, whose population includes 504,501 of the region's 1,005,276 million people, according to the 2002 census. Because of its location on the Volga River,... more

When I read on Friday that the BBC was being knocked off the FM airwaves in Russia, I was puzzled. What was it about the British broadcaster's work that had caused its Russian distributor to deem it "foreign propaganda"?

OK, I'll concede that I may not be the most impartial person to render such a judgment. I love the Beeb. When I moved to Belgium, I walked my radio around the apartment until I found the spot that got the clearest BBC reception. That became... more

Here's some good news potentially for everybody who must fly across Russia for an adoption journey: Russia has announced plans to repair and improve 16 regional airports.

According to a report earlier this month in Kommersant, the Moscow regional government has earmarked up to 55 billion roubles ($2.13 billion) for the upgrades and plans to begin work almost immediately. Almost all of the airports to be affected are in western Russian and the plan seems tied to the overhaul... more

There were no more accreditations announced this week, which is not entirely surprising since August is traditionally a slow month for government work in Russia. Instead, this week's news is all business and politics.

The latter first. On Friday, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is reviving long-range patrols by bomber aircraft. Reuters said the move, which was a Soviet-era practice, was in response to "security threats". A White House spokesman... more

Where is it? Ulyanovsk Oblast is a region in southern part of western Russia. It is bordered by Chuvashia (also known as the Chuvash Republic); Samar, Saratov and Penza Oblasts; and the republics of Tatarstan and Mordovia. It is in the Moscow time zone, and you can find the local time here.

What's the biggest city? Ulyanovsk, whose population includes 635,947 of the region's 1,382,811 million people, according to the 2002 census. It... more

You might remember that, when I wrote the story on Russia's expedition to claim the Arctic as its own early this month, I noted that August is known in the news business as the "silly season". And while I doubted that Russia's efforts to lay claim to oil and gas resources was anything but serious, I have now found a story that truly qualifies as a silly season entry.

Yesterday, the Associated... more

I did a bunch of interviews yesterday to catch up on several issues surrounding Russian adoptions now. A point that one of them made has been bothering me, and I wanted to share it with you.

This individual was of the belief that the slowdown in adoptions caused by the new accreditation procedures has cost many children their chance to be adopted. "The children who lost their opportunity lost it forever," this person said.

Forever? No, I don’t think so. There are only a few times in life when I accept finality, and the current state... more

Back in the early days of this blog, I wrote about what to pack when you bring your newly adopted child home from Russia. The fifth item on that list was infant's Benadryl.

Diphenhydramine hydrochloride has a role in your travel kit because it is an antihistamine. As I learned about 10 days ago when my little guy was stung by a bee, it can be a key help in calming an allergic... more

Valdivostok, a destination for fine dining?

So says Saveur magazine, which does not dole out food compliments lightly, in its September issue.

In a story entitled "Land of Plenty", writer Sharon Hudgins takes readers to the biggest city in Russia's Far East, a place she last visited in 1993-1994. Back then, she and her husband were teaching economics and communications at a university there. Now, she is astounded by the changes: modern buildings, new roads, and most of all: lots and lots of food and beverage options.... more