On Thursday morning, the Dmitrovsky Pogost psychoneurological boarding school caught fire in the Shatura district of the Moscow region. In total, at the time of the fire, there were 55 people in the medical institution - 53 disabled people and two staff members. The name of the boarding school turned out to be prophetic: 7 people died in the fire. One of the main versions of the fire is deliberate arson.

In society Mikhail Bulgakov as a fan of Satan and fascism (regarding the article by Leonid Radzikhovsky) December 29, 2005 Alexey Makarkin Li Mikhail Bulgakov with Satan and fascism "flirted"? It seems that such a conclusion would be at least clearly hasty. Yes, in Master and Margarita we are talking about the visit of Satan to Nepovskaya Moscow. But who else could come to the country left by God, if not the devil? Recall how Bulgakov portrays Moscow.

Alexei Kudrin, speaking at a government meeting, said that by 2008 Russia will reach the highest GDP in history. He added that in 2007 the volume of GDP will exceed the volume of 1990 within the borders of Russia. What exact factual basis the minister has for such forecasts is not reported. But it is certainly known that on New Year’s Eve no one skimps on joyful promises.

The position of director of TVC turned out to be vacant after the resignation of Oleg Poptsov, who had worked at the channel for six years. Until today, Alexander Ponomarev headed the Kultura TV channel. However, it is not yet known who will take the post of the resigned chairman of the board of directors of the channel, Valentin Lazutkin. The new general director of TVC will begin his duties on January 16.

The decision on extradition was made by the Swiss Federal Court in Lausanne after considering a petition from the Russian prosecutor's office and an appeal from the former minister's lawyers.

Russian-Ukrainian gas negotiations are already shaping up to be a good political thriller. Moreover, it is already obvious that they will not end in anything constructive. By the end of December they had entered a phase when the parties made their proposals through the press, accompanied by mutual threats. Moreover, the Ukrainian side is especially zealous: Gazprom put forward a tough ultimatum and firmly stands its ground, without making any concessions.

Russia has decided to take upon itself the resolution of the Ukrainian gas crisis it provoked. As Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with participants in Russian-Ukrainian gas negotiations, the authorities are ready to “provide a commercial loan directly to Naftogaz under guarantees from one of the first-class international banks.” But the countries have not yet agreed on the volumes and prices of Russian gas supplies. Gazprom offers a purchase price of $230 per thousand cubic meters.

The mayor of Moscow, summing up the results of the year, clearly outlined his political preferences. Yuri Luzhkov remembered his longtime enemy Anatoly Chubais, calling the actions of RAO UES “seriously threatening the national security of Russia.” Having complained that his powers as head of the capital were expiring, Luzhkov did not fail to call the work of the current president, whose term was also coming to an end, extremely useful.

The consideration of the case on its merits will begin on January 10. There are three accused in the dock - Moscow notary Fail Sadretdinov and two natives of Chechnya - Musa Vakhaev and Kazbek Dukuzov. The state prosecution in court is supported by prosecutor Dmitry Shokhin. He participated in the trial of the former head of YUKOS Mikhail Khodorkovsky, supported the state prosecution in the trial of the murder of State Duma deputy Sergei Yushenkov.

When the Federation Council discussed, or rather, approved the law on non -governmental organizations, I remembered the good old Soviet comedy. I won’t entrust the absolute accuracy of quotes, but there in the Soviet store, buyers habitually stood in line and waited for the bow. And when one was already tired of waiting, he went to the back room with the words: "Tell me, will there be a bow?" - "Who are you?" - “I am from the line” - “We do not have such an organization“ turn ”.