Russia

When the Muppets went on a mission to Moscow in the 1990s, things didn’t go according to plan

She was that rarest of dancers, one who could apparently transcend physics and the limitations of the human body

After decades of success in the US and Europe, the Russian composer suffered an ignominious demise in 1950s Moscow

Xi and Putin thought they could shatter the post-1945 world. They were wrong

Svetlana Alexievich’s books chart the horrors of history through witness testimony rather than fiction

The Master and Margarita author loved the Ukrainian capital, yet today attracts fierce opprobrium

War and a devastating earthquake have put Putin and Erdogan under pressure but can they ride out these crises in an increasingly authoritarian world?

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has brought shame on Russia, yet there is still no big internal push for his removal. Will the anniversary change that?

Russia’s biggest airline is marking its centenary. But is there much to celebrate?

The former Belgian prime minister was wrong to claim Russia might not have invaded Ukraine if Britain had remained in the EU

The biggest enemy of “Global Britain” is its economy

The Kremlin is using history to justify its war in Ukraine. But Putin’s version could disappear with the flick of a switch

The Russian always insisted she could never envision a life without dancing

Jailed for being too political, Mikhail Khodorkovsky says it will take a generation for Russia to recover from his former friend’s vicious and disastrous rule

He used to organise Vladimir Putin’s meals. How did he become such a threat to Russia's dictator?

In death as well as in life, the Rasputin story is shrouded in an awed mythology

The deflated dictator is playing mind games with the west as his war in Ukraine lurches into a stalemate

The thought of appeasing Putin is terrible - but the men who could replace him might be even worse

The strange allure of the old communist states remains strong today

The lives of the early 20th-century gentry who fled to safety – but also to poverty – in Paris

Named after its creator, the theremin became one of the sounds of the 20th century, from The Day the Earth Stood Still to Scooby Doo

Russian draft-refusers crossing the Georgian border are bringing back uncomfortable memories for locals

The former Soviet Union countries are full of Russian speakers… surely they don’t all need Putin’s protection?

For all the remarkable events and achievements of his life, Brynner was always content for mythologies to propagate around him

Whatever comes next for Russia, it will not be liberal democracy

Putin's aggression is not just aimed at Ukrainians, it's aimed at the West too. But, time is on our side

Having spoken out against the war in Ukraine, Alla Pugacheva could influence the next chapter in Russian history

We need to tell Putin that if he uses nukes, the West will destroy Russia's military in Ukraine

Politicians love them, but they don’t work and unless you’re a tyrant, they’re unenforceable

His sabre-rattling is a sign that the invasion of Ukraine has misfired - but what happens next could be even worse

Mary Dejevsky, who wrote a piece in The Independent headlined “Putin should have been invited”, believes so

The Kremlin has been meddling in Italian politics and will be pleased with what it sees