The crackdown on Mikhail Khodorkovsy has many causes, not least Kremlin intrigue and public anger at the wealth of the oligarchs.
By Arkady Ostrovsky and Stefan Wagstyl, Financial Times (UK), July 31, 2003
The conflict between Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's richest businessman, and the Russian prosecutor's office has cast a shadow over the country's political and economic future.

Obituary: Yuri Shtshekotshichin
The Times (UK), July 30, 2003
Yuri Shtshekotshichin was Russia's unrivalled scourge of corruption in the new mafia as well as in the highest government circles around President Yeltsin and, later, President Putin.

Russian Official Says Probe Of Yukos Is Worrying Putin
By Gregory L. White, Wall Street Journal, July 29, 2003
President Vladimir Putin is concerned about the damage an intense conflict between prosecutors and oil giant OAO Yukos is doing to Russia's image and economy, but a resolution to the situation could take time, a senior Russian official said Tuesday.

"The Interests of These People Differ from the Views of the President"
Interview with Alexei Melnikov By Svetlana Borozdina, Gazeta.ru, July 14, 2003
"Someone would like to redistribute property in his interests. This would push us back".

On the closure of the NTV correspondents' office in Belarus
Statement, The Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO, July 8, 2003
The closure of the NTV television company correspondents' office in Belarus represents not only an action targeted at information isolation of the people of Belarus, but also another challenge to Russia from Lukashenko's regime.

YABLOKO forwarded an inquiry to the FSB on the Alexei Pichugin case
Polit.ru, July 25, 2003-07-30
Melnikov was concerned about the information on application of psychotrophic agents with Alexei Pichugin who works for YUKOS economic security service.

Yavlinsky again condemned the actions of the Prosecutor's Office against YUKOS
Grigory Yavlinsky, Gazeta.ru, July 23, 2003
"We assess the attack against YUKOS and application of repressions as useless and harmful measures from the point of view of the condition of Russian business,"

War Between the State and Oligarchs Is Destructive for Russia
Interview with Grigory Yavlinsky, La Stampa, July 22, 2003
...The medicine turned out to be more dangerous than the illness...

Russians complain about housing and utilities
ITAR-TASS, July 27, 2003
The All-Russia Public Opinion Foundation carried out a survey, revealing that 85 per cent of Russians pay for housing and utilities regularly and on time, but are dissatisfied with their poor quality.

Russia's living nightmare: Communal dwellings in St Petersburg bring together the most unlikely housemates
By Joseph Dunn, Sunday Times (UK), July 27, 2003
...She brought her entire family up in one room, and recalls washing her children in the communal kitchen sink.

The Drama Is Putin's, But so Are the Results
By Anders Aslund, The Moscow Times, July 25, 2003
Since July 2, a campaign has been pursued against Yukos, Russia's biggest private enterprise and one of its best managed. Several facts are evident. First...

Prime minister says Yukos probe hurts Russia's international image
Associated Press, July 24, 2003
Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov on Thursday said the probe into Russia's largest oil company, Yukos, is hurting Russia's image abroad and scaring away investors, the Interfax news agency reported.

Court Keeps Lebedev In Prison
By Catherine Belton, The Moscow Times, July 24, 2003
Prosecutors locked in a vicious, politically charged battle with the Yukos oil major played hardball Wednesday and emerged victorious from a closed-door hearing where judges ruled to keep core Yukos shareholder Platon Lebedev in prison while the fraud investigation against him rolls on.

Housing and Utilities Elections Russian Regions Vote for a Taming of Housing and Utilities Managers
By Natalia Ratiani, Izvestia, July 22, 2003
Today Russian voters are more concerned about the performance of the housing and utilities services rather than democratic liberties, and they will be more eager to vote for parties that propose a way out of the vicious circle in housing and utilities reform.

Who Has the Power
By Nikolai Popov, Novoye Vremya, No 28, July, 2003
As in the past 75 per cent of Russians believe that "the state should resolve all the country's problems."

To the Constitutional Court from YABLOKO
Selskaya Zhizn, July 17, 2003
This regards the problem that concerns most of our readers - pensions that render it impossbile to live a dignified life.

YABLOKO is going to defend pensioners' rights in the Constitutional Court
Anchor: Vsevolod Neroznak, Report by Margarita Bondarenko, "Russkoye Radio", News, July 16, 2003
The bureaucrats enjoy quite high pensions, but as for the so-called "labour pensions" the state guarantees only 400 roubles (Ed. About USD 13) and sets a lot of restrictions represented by co-efficient limits on the remaining part of the pension earned by an individual.

Flap Over Required School Reading
By Oksana Yablokova, The Moscow Times, July 23, 2003
The Education Ministry is drawing up a new list of required reading for schoolchildren that has a group of prominent writers steaming.

Italian Ambassador Predicts Visa-Free Travel Between EU and Russia
Rosbalt, July 18, 2003
He added that as the current holder of the EU presidency, Italy is 'ready to start talks on this issue very soon.'

YABLOKO and the European Commission will discuss the possible introduction of a visa-free regime between Russia and EU
Rosbalt, July 18, 2003
A joint working group of the YABLOKO party and the European Commission on the introduction of a visa-free regime between Russia and the EU will be created shortly.

Grigory Yavlinsky discussed with representatives of the European Union the measures to introduce a visa-free regime between Russia and EU countries
Press release, July 17, 2003
"We agreed to create a working group to develop further these proposals," said Grigory Yavlinsky to journalists after the meeting.

Pre-election Ratings Evoke No Trust
By Valery Vyzhutovich, Rossiiskaya Gazeta No. 143, July 18, 2003
The All-Russia Centre for Public Opinion Studies (VTsIOM) published the results of its latest opinion polls a few days ago, which show that 27 percent of the electorate are prepared to vote for the communists and 26 percent for United Russia.

Yabloko Still Counts On Khodorkovsky
By Francesca Mereu, The Moscow Times, July 16, 2003
The liberal opposition Yabloko party says it is not worried about losing the financial support of Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky, despite a sense that his political activities are one cause of his current conflict with the Kremlin.

Open season on Russia's tycoons As the Kremlin confronts big business, experts warn of the dangers in revisiting shady 1990s privatizations.
By Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, July 17, 2003
A Kremlin-ordered legal assault on Russia's largest business empire has upset the country's fragile political stability, and some experts warn that the confrontation could spiral into a major crisis.

The events connected with the YUKOS company will lead to a loss of Russia's investment appeal and economic instability.
Buro Pravovoi Informatsii, July 10, 2003
Yavlinsky noted that the recent drop of the rates at the stock market was the sharpest since the 1998 crisis.

The leader of YABLOKO: "The events around YUKOS undermine economic and political stability in the country"
Alliance Media, July 9, 2003
"We assess the events around YUKOS related to the arrest of one of the heads of the company and the Public Prosecutors' interrogation of the head of the company as absolutely unjustified from common sense or the legal point of view".

According to Yavlinsky, Putin thinks that it is wrong to impose extraordinary repressive measures to resolve economic disputes
RIA Novosti, July 11, 2003
According to Yavlinsky, the President said that "basic constitutional norms should be strictly protected."

YABLOKO nominates Mikhail Amosov as candidate for the post of governor of St. Petersburg
Press release, July 14, 2003
In addition, St. Petersburg YABLOKO proposed three candidates to the central part of the federal list of the YABLOKO party for the State Duma elections.

Anti-Presidential Plot Developing in Russia
By Alexei Bausin, pravda.ru, July 15, 2003
Experts think that one of the influential groups is making attempts to stop liberal modernization based on private business

YUKOS Case - new

Experts Expose: Conspiracy Against the President
By Alexei Bausin, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, July 11, 2003
Political experts gathered yesterday at an emergency meeting of the Open Forum Club and concluded unanimously that President Vladimir Putin rather than the oligarchs was the main target of the anti-YUKOS campaign.

Putin Slams Big Business Lobbyists
By Catherine Belton, The Moscow Times, July 15, 2003
"I am, of course, opposed to arm-twisting and jail cells. In general, I don't think this is the method to deal with economic crimes..."

Market Jittery Despite Rebound
By Igor Semenenko, The Moscow Times, July 15, 2003
The battered stock market on Monday recovered a bit of the billions of dollars it has lost since authorities first moved against Yukos, but with no resolution of the conflict in sight it could be weeks or even months before the full amount of the damage will be known.

A Master-Tinker's Nuclear Dreams
By Yevgenia Borisova, The Moscow Times, July 3, 2003
But nothing stirs up passions more than his nuclear devices, two of which -- a new kind of reactor and a new way to process spent fuel -- could eliminate most of the dangers associated with atomic energy and turn the industry on its head if widely adopted, he says.

An Inventor Tries to Save the World
By Yevgenia Borisova, The Moscow Times, July 3, 2003
Although not everyone takes his work seriously, many do, some so much that they've stolen his designs, his institute and nearly his life.

The Audit Chamber of the RF will conduct an audit into the Moscow State Linguistic University
Press release, June 30, 2003
The reason for the inquiry addressed to Chairman of the Audit Chamber Sergei Stepashin concerned the application to the Committee of the students who studied in the University on the basis of budget grants.

Alexander Shishlov: We managed to defend the rights of the students of the Moscow State Linguistic University, but we shall continue our work
Press release, June 26, 2003
"This is an example of how civil society should function: the students were active. Thanks to the support of deputies of the Duma - members of our Committee, the support of YABLOKO and attention of journalists to this issue, they won in a serious conflict with the administration of the university,"

Awfully Familiar The war in Chechnya - now sending suicide bombers to Moscow - is becoming Russia's version of Palestine
By Yuri Zarakhovich, Time Europe, July 12, 2003
"Now suicide bombers will start hitting Russia."

Illarionov Raises Fear of Civil War
By Valeria Korchagina and Lyuba Pronina, Staff Writers, The Moscow Times, July 15, 2003
If we start now to revisit privatization, it will not be easy to stop this process, and it is not inconceivable that such action will lead to a new civil war...

Obituary: Yuri Shchekochikhin
By Felix Corley, The Guardian (London), July 9, 2003
Campaigning Russian journalist and politician who opposed the Chechen war and publicised the Soviet labour camp system

Memories of Shchekochikhin's Early Days
By Alexei Pankin, The Moscow Times, July 8, 2003
He was always on the move, attending hippy gatherings; he knew all the leaders of all the youth groups and brought them to our editorial offices.

Russian Oil Executive Faces Questioning
By Mara D. Bellaby, Associated Press, July 4, 2003
Grigory Yavlinsky, leader of the liberal Yabloko party, called it a "political, pre-election mop-up operation that is being carried out to suppress political opponents," according to the Interfax news agency.

Head of Yukos: It's a Kremlin Struggle
By Simon Ostrovsky and Valeria Korchagina, The Moscow Times, July 7, 2003
Khodorkovsky described the arrest last week of Platon Lebedev, the head of Yukos parent company Group Menatep, as an attempt to force him into throwing his weight, and money, behind one of the factions.

Russian Oil Man Arrested; Allies Blame Politics
By Sabrina Tavernise, The New York Times, July 4, 2003
In a political wrangle of a kind not seen in Russia since the early days of Vladimir V. Putin's presidency, the authorities have arrested a top executive at the financial group that owns Russia's largest oil company.

Worries Linger as Shchekochikhin's Laid to Rest
By Oksana Yablokova, The Moscow Times, July 7, 2003
In accordance with his wishes, he was buried Saturday at the so-called writers' cemetery in the village of Peredelkino, in the Moscow region.

About the Truth
By Matt Bivens, The Moscow Times, July 7, 2003
Russia has lost many young public figures in recent tragedies -- Alexander Lebed, Artyom Borovik, Galina Starovoitova -- but personally, I'll miss Shchekochikhin most of all.

Russia's nuclear-waste gambit
By Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2001 (Archive)
The thicket of nettles is chest high as Vladimir Katzenbogen and Nikolai Popov force their way through, searching with Geiger counters and a gamma-ray detector for radioactive hotspots.

'Furniture scandal' masks a deeper reality: power struggle
By Fabian Adami, The NIS Observed: An Analytical Review, Volume VII Number 4, 27 February 2002 (Archive)
The collapse of the Soviet Union marked the beginning of a new era in Russian organized crime. Spurred on by the new economic openness, the Russian mafia spread its influence and money into almost every facet of Russian society.

The Communists Won Big In Russia'S Parliamentary Elections, But Some Reformers Also Plan To Shine
By John Kohan, Moscow, TIME International, February 12, 1996 Volume 147, No. 7 (Archive)
Strolling the labyrinthine corridors of the old State Planning Committee building near Red Square where the lower chamber of the Russian legislature has been housed since May 1994, the newly elected Shchekochikhin recognizes many faces from the era of Mikhail Gorbachev.

Yuri Schekochikhin died on July 3, 2003
Grigory Yavlinsky, Chairman of the YABLOKO party, July 3, 2003
He was an exceptionally brave man and a very good reliable friend. We all loved him for his frankness, noble heart, intelligence, warmth and openness. We deeply regret his death and express our condolences to the relatives and next to kin of Yuri Petrovich.

Yabloko Deputy Shchekochikhin Dead at 54
By Yevgenia Borisova, The Moscow Times, July 4, 2003
"This is a terrible and irreplaceable loss for all of us," the Russian Union of Journalists said in a statement. "A man has passed away whose name has long been synonymous with honest, brave and incorruptable journalism, civil courage and loyalty to professional duty."

Suspension of the operations of a copper-smelting plant is a powerful signal to environment polluters
Press release, June 27, 2003
Deputy of the State Duma Sergei Mitrokhin (the YABLOKO faction) stated that he was satisfied with the decision of the supreme state inspector for control over natural resources of the Ural Federal district Nikolai Krupinin who issued a warrant to suspend the operations of the Krabash Copper-Smelting Plant from June 27, 2003.

The last professional resigns from management of the nuclear power sector
Press release, June 30, 2003
"One the best qualified managers in the domestic nuclear complex is dismissed," said Deputy Head of the YABLOKO party, deputy of the State Duma Sergei Mitrokhin.