(C) Meduza This story was originally published by Meduza and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The Real Russia. Today. Wednesday, June 26, 2024 — Meduza [1] [] Date: 2024-06-26 The latest in Russia and Ukraine 💸 As the Chinese yuan gains prominence in Russia’s economy, are ordinary Russians ready to abandon the dollar? (12-min read) After the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Moscow Exchange and its subsidiaries this June, the exchange had to stop all trading in dollars and euros, effectively shifting these transactions to the over-the-counter market. Russians have traditionally used foreign currency for savings; at the beginning of the year, the population had accumulated nearly $100 billion in cash. In its March report, Russia’s Central Bank noted that 81 percent of the foreign currency bought by the public was in dollars and euros. Though the Central Bank has stopped publishing this data, preferences seem to be shifting in favor of the yuan, especially as the latest sanctions only strengthen the Chinese currency’s reliability in the Russian context. Meduza explains whether the yuan can replace the dollar for ordinary Russians and how safe an option it is for savings. 🗳️ Anti-Putin activist Pavel Kharitonenko on his plans to run for local office on a pro-democracy platform (9-min read) Pavel Kharitonenko has long been an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime. Since 2019, the activist has organized numerous demonstrations and pickets in his hometown of Irkutsk, protesting official corruption, Putin’s presidential term “reset,” and the imprisonment of opposition politicians in Russia. Unlike many opposition figures, Kharitonenko chose to remain in Russia following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In mid-June of this year, the 38-year-old announced his candidacy for the Irkutsk City Duma elections slated for September. The independent Siberia-based outlet People of Baikal spoke to Kharitonenko about his political career so far and his ambitions to empower democratically inclined Russians in Irkutsk and beyond. Meduza shares an English-language summary of the interview. 🌐 Ukraine makes English an official language of international communication Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law on Wednesday making English one of Ukraine’s official languages of international communication. Among other changes, English proficiency will now be a requirement for certain officials, including military officers, customs officials, heads of healthcare institutions, and state prosecutors. The law also requires preschools to provide compulsory English lessons. ✍ As censorship tightens in Russia, some journalism students at St. Petersburg’s top university still find ways to write about the war (8-min read) Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, the Kremlin has intensified its crackdown on independent media and tightened censorship across the country. Nevertheless, some Russian journalism students are still managing to write about the war, protests, and “foreign agents” in their theses. The St. Petersburg outlet Bumaga investigated how the war has influenced the topics students choose for their research, how they and their academic advisors navigate censorship, and the risks students face defending their theses before committee members who have helped put anti-war activists behind bars. Meduza shares an abridged English-language version of the outlet’s reporting. 🏛️ U.S. journalist Evan Gerskhovich’s closed-door trial begins The trial of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia’s Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip for the Wall Street Journal in March 2023, began behind closed doors on Wednesday. The Russian authorities formally charged the 32-year-old with espionage last month, with state prosecutors alleging that he gathered classified information about a Russian arms factory under the direction of the CIA. Gershkovich has spent most of the last 15 months in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years behind bars. 🏳️‍🌈 Weeks after Duolingo deleted LGBT references in Russia, a popular romance game takes the opposite approach (4-min read) On June 24, the creators of the popular mobile game Romance Club announced that they had removed the game from app stores in Russia. In their statement, the developers said the decision was a response to a demand from Russia’s federal censorship agency, Roskomnadzor, to remove all references to LGBTQ+ people from the game. Nonetheless, they said, they will continue to release Russian-language updates and to “support” their Russian-speaking players. Meduza explains what Romance Club is and why it drew the Russian authorities’ attention. We got The Beet. Don’t miss Meduza’s weekly newsletter (separate from the one you’re reading here)! As the world turns 🇦🇫 Afghan journalist who was denied asylum in Russia reportedly returns to Afghanistan, where she could face death penalty Afghan journalist and women’s rights advocate Kobra Hassani, who fled Afghanistan and applied for asylum in Russia after the Taliban came to power, flew from Moscow to Kabul on Tuesday, Fontanka reported. In May 2023, a Russian court ordered for Hassani to be deported from Russia. Later, she was charged with attempting to illegally leave Russia for the E.U. as part of a group and by prior conspiracy. In January 2024, Hassani’s asylum application was denied. According to her lawyers, there were a number of countries where she could try again to obtain asylum, “from Albania to Germany,” but they all would have required “effort, time, and money.” Hassani previously said that she would face “death and persecution by the Taliban” if she returned to Afghanistan. 🇦🇲 Top Armenian official blames Moscow for loss of Nagorno-Karabakh and 2020 war with Azerbaijan Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan accused Russia on Wednesday of facilitating Azerbaijan’s takeover of the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023. “This happened when we depended completely on Russia,” he said at a press briefing. “Russia came, took Nagorno-Karabakh from us, handed it over to Azerbaijan, and then left — that’s the reality. I’m asserting that Russia took Nagorno-Karabakh.” Grigoryan went on to say that the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War would not have broken out “without Russia’s permission.” Earlier this month, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that his country would leave the Moscow-led CSTO military alliance. No country can be free without independent media. In January 2023, the Russian authorities outlawed Meduza, banning our work in the country our colleagues call home. Just supporting Meduza carries the risk of criminal prosecution for Russian nationals, which is why we’re turning to our international audience for help. Your assistance makes it possible for thousands of people in Russia to read Meduza and stay informed. Consider a small but recurring contribution to provide the most effective support. Donate here. 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