Evening Medusa

Is it true that the situation with covid in Russia is even worse than a year ago? Why was the rector of Shaninka Sergei Zuev detained? Why gas prices in Europe are breaking records

Good evening,

THIS MESSAGE (MATERIAL) WAS CREATED AND (OR) DISTRIBUTED BY A FOREIGN MEDIA PERFORMING THE FUNCTIONS OF A FOREIGN AGENT AND (OR) BY A RUSSIAN LEGAL ENTITY PERFORMING THE FUNCTIONS OF A FOREIGN AGENT

This is Meduza's daily newsletter about the most important things that happened that day. Today, for starters, we suggestshouting “Vale-e-era, Vale-e-era!” together with the players of the Russian national football team. Under Valery Karpin, the team won four out of five matches and beat the Croats in the qualifying group for the 2022 World Cup. And now the national team already has a new unofficial anthem!

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Pulse

The main thing for the day - point by point

• Shaninka rector Sergei Zuevwas detained on suspicion of theft. He was taken from the hospital and interrogated for more than 30 hours.
• Russia proposed to the United States to lift all restrictions on the work of diplomatic missions.
• The State Duma of the VIII convocation began its work . The first meeting was opened by Valentina Tereshkova.
• Apple and Google demanded that Telegram block the channel of the founder of the “Male State” Vladislav Pozdnyakov.
• In Russia, for the first time , administrative protocols were drawn up against people declared “by the media as foreign agents.”
• Stand-up comedian Ariana Lolaeva was forced to apologize twice for a joke about an Ossetian pie that was considered offensive.
• Mail.ru Group will change its name to VK.
• Former representative of the Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin has died. He argued with Medvedev and Surkov, hosted a TV show and acted in films. We have collected the most striking episodes from Markin’s biography .

Texts of the day

Why are gas prices in Europe breaking records? Analysis of "Medusa"

Last week, the price per thousand cubic meters of gas reached a record high of $1,969. Prices have been rising steadily since April, although before that gas rarely cost more than $250 per thousand cubic meters. Considering that 35% of natural gas is supplied to the European market by Gazprom, and it remains the largest supplier of this raw material, some European politicians and media blame the Russian company for the current crisis. But is it fair? Let's figure it out .

Why you shouldn't rely on technology to fight dictatorships

Apple and Google actually complied with the demands of the Russian authorities to block resources associated with Alexei Navalny. The Internet and social media did not provide salvation from the “strong hand,” and many opposition-minded people became disillusioned. Editor of the “Ideas” column Maxim Trudolyubov explains why the hope for the liberating potential of information technology is false - and, as always, recommends books about it.

Journalist of the Belarusian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda Gennady Mozheiko faces 12 years in prison for an article that was deleted immediately after publication. Here's his story

Mozheiko is accused of “inciting social hostility or discord” and “insulting a representative of the authorities” - because of his note about the shootout in which a KGB officer died. He was shot by a 31-year-old employee of the largest Belarusian IT company EPAM Systems, Andrei Zeltser. Mozheiko’s note was published under the heading “Andrei was always for the truth, he could stand up for himself” - and was deleted by Komsomolskaya Pravda itself a few minutes later. However, the publication's website was blocked. And the problems of Komsomolskaya Pravda and Mozheiko did not end with the blocking.

Coronavirus

Authorities say that the situation with Covid in Russia is now even worse than a year ago. Will the fourth wave be even more dangerous than the second? And when will this all finally end?

The short answers are: if we talk about Russia as a whole, there are indeed more cases now than last fall. But truly reliable data - the Rosstat report on mortality for September - needs to wait another month. But understanding how far we are from the end of the epidemic is now more difficult than ever. For more detailed answers to these and other questions (for example, what about herd immunity?) follow the link .

Podcast “What Happened”

VTimes, created by former Vedomosti journalists, closed after it was declared a “foreign agent.” Why do VPost now - and what are its chances of survival?

Former journalists from Vedomosti and the publication VTimes, recognized as a “foreign agent,” launched a new business media VPost. The project, created with money from investors from Russia, has a new, completely Russian legal entity. Why create a business publication in Russia in 2021 and why does the editors believe that the project can exist in the face of pressure on independent journalism? We asked VPost editor Kirill Kharatyan.

Listen to “What Happened” on Meduza and on YouTube , and also subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Castbox , Yandex.Music and other podcast services

Marathon of the day

“Agents of People” was running on Dozhd* all day

The “Agents of People” marathon was organized by Meduza, OVD-Info*, Dozhd, Mediazona*, Ekho Moskvy and Novaya Gazeta. This is an action demanding the abolition of openly repressive legislation on “foreign agents”. For more than six hours live, Vladimir Pozner, Leonid Parfenov, Dmitry Bykov, Alexander Dolgopolov and many others discussed the law on “foreign agents.” Musicians also took part in the marathon: for example, Boris Grebenshchikov, Yuri Shevchuk and DDT, Samsara and AloeVera. Watch the recording of the broadcast if you missed it - and be sure to sign the petition to repeal the illegal legislation.

*OVD-Info, Dozhd and Mediazona have been declared “foreign agents” in Russia

Together we will definitely achieve the repeal of the law on “foreign agents.” Your "Medusa"