Meet the New Boss

Michael Idov loiters in Moscow on the eve of Dmitry Medvedev’s coronation

Georgia’s Messy Breakup

and why the August War was really a love story...

Tomorrow, Mikhail Khodorkovsky will take part in a bizarre online interview. On his fifth birthday spent in prison, he will answer all Gazeta-reader submitted questions - nearly a thousand of them.

Thousands across Russia braved sub-zero temperatures and took to the streets this weekend. Many did so to protest the government’s irresponsible spending policies in light of the global economic crisis. But most came out to protest the protesters for being, like, so negative and critical. What's with that? As usual, the degree to which the protesters were disorderly and the extent to which police reacted with fists and blunt objects have been exaggerated and diminished with aplomb. RUSSIA! now finds itself in the cozy position of judging whose coverage was best.

It can’t be called good news, but it’s certainly noteworthy. The Russian court has rejected the sexual harassment charge against imprisoned oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The dubious case was filed by Khodorkovsky’s former cellmate, Alexander Kuchma — the same Alexander Kuchma who slashed Khodorkovsky’s face with a knife in 2006. But another of Khodorkovsky’s ex-prisonmates, Denis Yurinsky, rushed to his defense, stating publicly that the allegations were a smear ghostwritten by the authorities. Is this small victory a sign of hope for Khodorkovsky? Not likely.