Personal Security 04 May, 2009

Virtual Insanity

By Alexei Pankin

In modern Russia, people have no trouble bringing up one segment of the younger generation—¬pets, and in the case of our family, a dog. In the Soviet Union, the first six months of raising a puppy turned into tedious labor. There was no dog food and the supplements necessary for healthy growth—¬for example, bone meal, a source of calcium¬—were very hard to come by.

Personal Security 24 April, 2009

The Ombudsman Reports

By Natalya Lebedeva

The Human Rights Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin has delivered his annual Russian Federation Human Rights Ombudsman's Report for 2008 to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Personal Security 18 December, 2008

Battling Russophobia

By Anna Matveeva

A Russophobia virus has infected the air. What is it? It is when an English literature teacher in a good school, explaining how to answer an exam question on comedy, tells your daughter: "Don't worry, simply write – I am Russian, I do not have a sense of humour."

Personal Security 29 May, 2008

Fighting Dog Is Street Robber's Weapon

The cases of fighting dogs being used by criminals in Russia are ever more frequent. Many argue the rules of owning them should be identical to those the holders of firearms have to abide by.

Personal Security 21 April, 2008

The Watchword Is Vigilance

What could be more commonplace than producing an ID for inspection by some person in authority or other functionary? We think nothing of using a credit card with certain “interested individuals” getting a glimpse of the PIN number.

Personal Security 04 September, 2007

Restoring People's Volunteer Guards

Citizens' patrol: the Interior Ministry (MVD) is preparing to bring back the volunteer guards and endow them with some of regular police officers’ powers

Personal Security 08 August, 2007

Tourist Trip More Like a Survival course

Russian schoolchildren were treated like criminals in the USA

Personal Security 19 June, 2007

The Value of Russian Life

Compensation for violent deaths much lower in Russia than Western countries

Personal Security 20 March, 2007

Belarus Intent on Doing Away with Human Trafficking

Official statistics suggest that in the period between 2001 and 2006, some 2,600 Belarusian nationals were confirmed to be victims of human traffickers.

Personal Security 15 November, 2006

Self-defense in Moscow

Makarovs are as recognizable as Kalashnikovs: In Russia, the police, the army, the bodyguards, not to mention the Mafiosi, all carry them, so all you have to do to scare away some obnoxious hoodlums is produce it. An air gun that is an exac ...