The situation around the European University in St. Petersburg is still uncertain. On February 8 most of rooms in the University were sealed up because of ‘preventive fire-fighting regulations violation’; and on February 21 the education licence was suspended, so that about one hundred and a half students can not start their studies. Attempts of the University administration to rent some building to resume the studies haven’t met the success yet. Potential renters avoid dealing with the University in disgrace. At the same time meeting of the rector of the University Nikolai Vakhtin with the governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matvienko that took place in Tuesday gives a new ray of hope.

Russia’s first vice-premier Sergei Ivanov attended by the minister of transport Igor Levitin and that of natural resources Yuri Trutnev landed on an ice airfield of Novolazarevskaya station in Antarctica. The purpose of the Antarctic assignment of the ministers was a solution of transport problem of Russian polar explorers and test of a Russian navigation system GLONASS. According to Cnews, Sergei Ivanov was accompanied either by the general designer of the GLONASS system Yuri Urlichich.

Russian delegation to Belgrade had to give commentaries on scandalous statement of a presenter of a state TV-channel ‘Rossia’ Konstantin Semin, who had approved during a live broadcast a murder of Serbian’s premier minister Zoran Djindjic. The management of the channel hasn’t apologized to Serbia yet. Russian officials persuaded Boris Tadic, that Semin’s statement didn’t reflect Russia’s position. Career future of an eloquent journalist is still unknown.

Complicated situation with the European University in St. Petersburg drew a wide response both in the media and the blogosphere. Great number of reports, from simple news with quotations of press-releases of the University administration to primitive analytics with attempts to find out deep causes of what had happened and to paragon, appeared in the press. The case becomes even more confused, as the administration of EUSP hardly contacts with the press.

Russia-Ukraine gas war is over. Vladimir Putin and Victor Yushchenko reached gas debt deal during the meeting in the Kremlin. New scheme of supplies and agreement on prices is quite favorable for Ukraine.

Arrangements with participation of the presents and the future presidents are to become main events of this week in Russia. On Monday, there will be a solemn celebration of the fifteenth anniversary of Gazprom, where Medvedev, Deep Purple, Vladimir Putin and Tina Turner are expected to appear.

The work of the university, which prepared election observers, was suspended.

In Russia the highest level of corruption is in taxation, juridical system, in law machinery, in public health services and by property disputes. Research 'Character and structure of corruption in Russia’ gives concrete figures and answer a question: 'How much does it cost?'

What will happen in the world within the next week? Forecast and analysis of transition processes in Russia and abroad.

After anxious Sunday Serbia and the whole world learnt the Serbians’ will. What did Serbia actually elect?

Business in Russia is trusted more than government; and media are trusted less than either business or government. Respondents from Russia participated for the second time in the Edelman Trust Barometer survey.

In Arbat Prestige it smells like Gazprom. In the very centre of Moscow an owner of a large cosmetics retail network Arbat Prestige Vladimir Nekrasov and a consultant of a firm called Evergate Ltd. Sergei Shnaider were detained on suspicion in tax evasion.

Moscow sovereigns began to bore a title 'tsar' ('autocrat', Russian cамодержец) in the second half of the XVI century. One Russian tsar, Ivan IV, called Ivan the Terrible, made much for it.

Russia continues putting pressure upon the British Council in spite of statements of official figures, which argues that this scandal that has been lasting since the end of the previous year, has no attitude to the policy. The ambassador of the Great Britain Sir Anthony Brenton received the note of protest concerning the activity of the Council in St. Petersburg and Ekaterinburg; after that the Russian side made series of rather harsh steps and statements.

The deposits of the Central Bank were frozen in France in response to a suit by the Swiss Noga Co. that has long-standing financial complaints against Russia.

The RF president Vladimir Putin appointed Dmitry Rogozin as Russia's permanent representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels.

Lately in the vicinities of Moscow an on-site training took place. The event was designed for making real leaders out of Russian women, that is to create smart, sharp, decisive, determined women, possessing of broad thinking and able to engage other people. In short to make them more similar to men.

Belarusian Finance Minister Nikolay Korbut was called to Moscow to be announced about Moscow's unexpected generosity. The total state credit Russia is promising to Belarus for 2008 has been raised from $1.5 billion to $3.5 billion, that is, 7 percent of the expenditures in the Belarusian federal budget for the year.

Names of all possible presidential hopefuls became known. Dmitry Medvedev will certainly fall in the list of candidates. A homeless Muscovite Ivan Sery didn't manage to collect 2 million signatures.

A journalist of The New Times magazine wasn't let into Russia because of her article on Kremlin's financial activity during the parliamentariam campaign

Dmitry Medvedev was announced to be the successor to the president Putin. It can hardly be said that it is a surprise: experts, which have commented the decision said that the figure of a ‘compromise liberal’ could suit both rights and lefts in the country, the East and the business society. But first of all it suits Putin whose image has been pretty spoilt by United Russia.

Vladimir Putin supported the candidacy of the first vice-premier Dmitry Medvedev as a candidate to succeed him in presidential elections scheduled for March 2. This became known at a meeting with leaders of four pro-Kremlin parties, i.e. United Russia, Just Russia, Civil Force and the Agricultural Party. These parties backed Medvedev as a presidential candidate.

Some analysts consider the past election to be unsuccessful for the president. Kremlin positioned the elections as a referendum on the confidence in Putin as a national leader. But this time the United Russia party supported by Putin garnered much less than 71%, which Putin got in 2004.

Russia is to face the ‘velvet re-privatization’, that is a voluntary-compulsory withdrawal of enterprises. This act will be executed by “600,000 people who just f*** about looking for where they can make some money” under the supervision of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Igor Sechin. Oleg Shvartsman, head of the Union of Social Justice of Russia, owner and president of little-known Finansgroup financial-industrial group gave in interview to "Kommersant business daily".

The Russian president Vladimir Putin described the passed elections as legitimate. "The legitimacy of the Russian parliament has undoubtedly grown", the president told journalists. “The previous membership of the parliament was supported by 70% of the electorate, the present one rests upon 90%; only 10% of voters have supported parties which haven’t entered the parliament. This is a high degree of the legitimacy of our Duma”, explained Putin.

The Russian business becomes even more open, transparent and efficient. Companies which are considered to be national champions tell about themselves. But there is quite no assurance that they tell the truth. This is symptomatic. When property belongs to some unknown owners, the government can hardly be open and responsible.

During the March of dissenters in St. Petersburg on November 25th Boris Nemtsov, Nikita Belykh and Leonid Gozman were detained. While arresting the leaders of the Union of Right Forces (SPS) on the Dvortsovaya Square policemen has broken Goizman an arm. In the result Goizman has his arm plastered, and Nemtsov and Belykh who are not injured, hold in Moscow a press conference and imparted details of the detainment to journalists.

In November automakers, dockers in Tuapse and St. Petersburg went on strikes; railroad men also plan for a strike. Workers of different areas demand advance of wages; they claim that they are paid not enough.

Vedomosti daily retold the speech of Vladislav Yu. Surkov, the deputy chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office, aide to the President. The official addressed the assembly of the Stolypin’s Club “Right Idea and Business”. He noticed that terms ‘right’ and ‘left’ concern the industrial society of the XIX century and that they can’t be applied to own times.