As one of the negotiators on the Russian side, DECR Secretary Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, told the magazine, in addition to agreeing on work plans for the near future, mission issues in a rapidly secularizing world were discussed. There is not a word about the recent indignation of foreign hierarchs over the intention of Patriarch Alexy II to secure plots in the Holy Land as the property of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The article was written on the basis of a report read 18.01. 2005 at the colloquium “Religious practices in modern Russia” (the organizers are the Franco-Russian Center for Scientific Relations on Public and Humanities; Center for the Study of Religions of the RSUSU).

Yuri Mikhailovich wrote a letter to Vladimir Vladimirovich. It seems like a cry of the soul. Say, the country rolled downhill, and I can’t calmly look at this fall into the abyss. In his message, the Moscow mayor criticized the law on monetization of benefits and new principles of distinction between the authority between the center and the regions, which entered into force from the beginning of this year.

Yuri Luzhkov committed an offensive act against the head of state. One might think that when the government made decisions on the monetization of benefits or when new principles for the division of powers between the center and regions were introduced - and it was these norms that the Moscow mayor challenged in his message - Vladimir Putin was either not in the country, or, for some reason, he could not make responsible decisions.

As expected, the signing by Russia on February 27 of the Agreement on the supply of nuclear fuel for the nuclear power plant under construction in the Bushera caused a sharp reaction of the United States. Senator John McCain once again called for excluding our country from the Big Eight. “The last step of Russia towards Iran should cause a tough reaction on our side,” he said.

Speaking at a press conference, Sergei Mironov said: “We should take the socialist idea and build socio-humanism in the country.” It should be noted that this original politician has made a huge step forward. Just recently, his soul was rooting for the muskrat, but now he decided to turn his attention to the man. The only thing left to do is to find out the difference between the concepts “social” and “socialist”. However, this doesn’t matter either.

Vladimir Volfovich openly admitted that he doesn’t even count on a gold medal in the upcoming presidential race - a silver medal, they say, is enough for him. But, according to Zhirinovsky, an honorable second place in 2008 will give him a real chance of winning in the next cycle. Such self-confidence and ability to predict one’s political future can only be envied.

The head of state once again called the officers the backbone of the army. At a meeting with senior generals, he demanded to “consistently work on developing a system of social guarantees for officers, primarily for junior and middle command.” One problem: Vladimir Putin did not say when and with what result this work should be completed. In the meantime, the officers are trying to leave the army as quickly as possible. Every year, up to 15 percent of officers leave the Army.

On February 24, 2005, the European Court of Human Rights announced its decision on the first six “Chechen” claims against the Russian Federation, relating to three episodes: rocket attack from the air on a column of refugees on the Rostov-Baku highway near the village of Shaami-Yurt on October 29, 1999, the killings of residents occupied by federal troops of the Staropromyslovsky district of Grozny in January 2000 and the death of residents of the village of Katyr-Yurt during bombing and