Corey Flintoff

Russian Lawmakers: Don't Criticize Soviet Actions In WWII

Corey Flintoff — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:07:00 +0000

World War II remains a monumental event in the collective Russian mind. It's known as the "Great Patriotic War," and Russians believe no one made greater sacrifices than the Soviet Union when it came to defeating Nazi Germany.

The end of the war is celebrated with a huge military parade in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, commemorating the millions of men and women, military and civilian, who died during the struggle.

Any criticism of the Soviet war effort is rare.

Gerard Depardieu To Star In Two Chechnya-Based Films

Corey Flintoff — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:32:00 +0000

Actor Gerard Depardieu is reportedly set to begin filming a new thriller with British actress-model Elizabeth Hurley, to be set in Moscow and Grozny, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.

Depardieu accepted Russian citizenship in a special dispensation from President Vladimir Putin last January, after the actor denounced a proposed new tax on the ri

Investigating The Boston Bombing ... In Southern Russia

Corey Flintoff — Wed, 01 May 2013 07:18:00 +0000

The search for the motivations of the alleged Boston Marathon bombers stretches from New England to Central Asia, but a lot of attention has been focused on Dagestan.

The mostly Muslim republic is located in the southernmost part of Russia, and it's been the battleground in a low-level insurgency that takes lives nearly every day.

One of the suspects, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, traveled to Dagestan twice in recent years, and investigators want to know whether that experience led him toward a radical and violent form of Islam.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev's parents and other relatives lived in the republic'

Suspects' Chechen Roots Draws Eyes In Russia

Corey Flintoff — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:37:00 +0000

The Boston Marathon bombing suspects are ethnic Chechens with links to the volatile North Caucasus region of Russia. Moscow's reaction to that fact appears to be as complex as the region's turbulent history.

So far, official reaction to the story has been muted. State-run news media show clips of President Vladimir Putin condemning the bombings and offering condolences to the people of Boston.

Retaliating Against U.S., Russia Bars 18 Americans

Corey Flintoff — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:39:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Tensions have been increasing between the United States and Russia, and things unraveled even more over the weekend. Russia named 18 Americans who will be barred from entering Russia because of an alleged involvement in human rights violations. Here's NPR's Corey Flintoff.

COREY FLINTOFF, BYLINE: The Russian list includes prominent officials from the Bush administration who are accused of advocating torture during the interrogation of terrorism suspects.