Russia’s Constitutional Court considers extension of moratorium on death penalty

Russian court looks at death penalty ban extension

Russia tries to take the ‘nationalist’ out of new National Unity Day holiday

Russia stresses tolerance on national holiday

Putin says Russia will further delay introduction of wood export duty hike

Putin says Russia will delay wood export duty hike

Thousands of Russians rally in St. Petersburg to protest planned skyscraper

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — About 3,000 protesters rallied in Russia’s former czarist capital on Saturday to protest a plan to build a hulking skyscraper for state energy giant Gazprom.

Reports: Russian culture minister vows to fight St. Petersburg skyscraper plan

MOSCOW — Russian news agencies say Russia’s top cultural official has vowed to fight the construction of a glass-clad skyscraper in St. Petersburg.

Russian governor gives final approval to skyscraper for St. Petersburg’s historic center

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — The governor of Russia’s second city of St. Petersburg has signed a decree allowing the construction of a hulking skyscraper for state energy giant Gazprom in the city’s czarist-era center.

St Petersburg OKs plan by Russian gas giant to build skyscraper despite objections

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Preservationists and opposition politicians on Wednesday decried St. Petersburg’s decision to allow Gazprom, the state natural gas giant, to build a hulking skyscraper, saying it will ruin the city’s czarist-era aura.

Plan to rename Moscow’s Leningrad railway station causes ire, confusion, reflecting rifts

MOSCOW — Revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin may be losing another round in the fight over Russia’s history.

Moscow’s Leningrad railway station to get its pre-Revolutionary name back _ 18 years late

MOSCOW — Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin has lost another round in the fight over Russia’s history.

China will lead new global reserve currency, Russian minister says

ST PETERSBURG, Russia — The finance minister pulled back on Russia’s aspirations for the ruble to emerge as a regional reserve currency in the near future, saying Saturday it would likely first happen in China.

US: Lifting pork imports could boost Russia’s WTO talks

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk on Friday indicated that negotiations to bring Russia into the World Trade Organization would get a boost from Moscow lifting its ban on U.S. pork imports.

President Medvedev says worst of global economic crisis is over, but too early to celebrate

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that the world has escaped the worst of the global economic crisis but warned that Russia could face a second crisis if it fails to break free of its dependence on oil exports.

President Medvedev: greater state ownership in Russian economy inevitable, but short-lived

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday an increase in state ownership was inevitable in some sectors of Russia’s economy hurt by the global downturn, but promised it would be short-lived.

Russia’s Putin visits small town where protesting jobless workers blocked main highway

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Prime Minister Vladimir Putin traveled Thursday to a small Russian town where all three main factories were shut down and pushed through a deal to put residents back to work.

Nissan Motor Corp. opens first plant in Russia, its biggest market in Europe

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Nissan Motor Corp. president Carlos Ghosn presided over the opening Tuesday of the Japanese car maker’s first plant in Russia, banking on the revival of the country’s car industry despite the global financial crisis.

Russian navy ship accidentally shells village near St. Petersburg; no injuries reported

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — A Russian naval ship carrying out target practice off the Russian Baltic Sea coast accidentally rained shell fragments on a village near St. Petersburg, officials said Friday.

Gas explosion rips through Siberian housing block, killing 8; St. Petersburg gas blast kills 1

MOSCOW — A gas explosion tore through a Siberian apartment block early Sunday and sparked a fire that engulfed the building, killing eight people, including two children, Russian media reported.