Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin began collecting signatures for granting the ROC communities the right to elect clergy. The petition with the proposals of the archpriest is published on the website Change.org. At the time of writing the news it was signed by 250 people. According to Chaplin's idea, rectors, presbyters and deacons should be chosen at parish meetings, and the members of the community themselves should first propose candidates.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the autocratic head of Russia's Chechen Republic, has declared that representatives of Russia's protest movement—the so-called “extra-systemic opposition”—should be treated as “enemies of the people” and “traitors.” Kadyrov made these remarks at a press conference on January 12 dedicated to Russia's Press Day, which is observed on January 13.

The head of the department of trade and services of the Moscow government, Alexei Nemeryuk, denied the demolition of all theater box offices in Moscow. According to him, a number of ticket offices were temporarily removed from the territory of the metro due to repair work. “They were told to temporarily leave in order to repair and let them back in,” Nemeryuk said. The official also said that the number of theater box offices in Moscow has only increased in recent years, Dozhd reports.

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, said that representatives of the non-systemic opposition should be treated as "enemies of the people" and "traitors." His words were heard at a meeting with journalists timed to coincide with the Russian Press Day. According to Kadyrov, the oppositionists are "shamelessly trying to pretend to be people who are worried about the future of our country," while in reality they are "dancing to the tune" of Western intelligence agencies.

The opposition Committee of Protest Actions decided to hold a march in memory of Boris Nemtsov in Moscow. This was reported to Interfax by Alexander Ryklin, a member of the political council of the Solidarity movement. The action is scheduled for February 27, the first anniversary of the politician's death. “The application will be submitted for the route along which the march took place last year - along the embankment, with access to the bridge.

Rosselkhoznadzor specialists found in the ports of Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik two batches of Beijing cabbage from Turkey, infected with flower (California) thrips. The total weight of quarantine goods amounted to 39.39 tons. The cabbage was found in January 2016. The product is not included in the list of Turkish goods prohibited by Russian sanctions, the department stressed.

Vasily Utkin was suspended from work as a commentator on the Match-TV channel. He spoke about this while answering questions on the channel's official Facebook. In response to a question why he rarely comments on Real Madrid matches, Utkin said that the Match-TV management had suspended him from commenting. Why this was done, he did not explain. Utkin also stated that "until the day (or air) happened" when he "would be happy on Match-TV". Well, I don't comment at all now.

Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast / Ap / Scanpix The Los Angeles Times has made a simplified Powerball game simulator - a lottery in the USA, a jackpot in which has already reached one and a half billion dollars. The player needs to enter six numbers into the “lottery ticket” - the first five of them should be in the range from 1 to 69, and the sixth - from 1 to 29. If desired, you can click on “Quick Pick” and the numbers will be randomly set up.

Reviews for the new series "BBC" based on Tolstoy's novel Shot: BBC / YouTube In early January, on the BBC One channel, a show of the 6-episode film “War and Peace” began, launched into production in 2013. The film adaptation of the novel by Leo Tolstoy replaced the Sunday prime-Time series "Abbey Downton", which ended after the sixth season. Medusa talks about the new film and gives the first (and opposite) responses to the film adaptation both in Russia and in the UK.

Artistic director of the Alexandrinsky Theater Valery Fokin said that productions based on plays by contemporary authors must be coordinated with the Ministry of Culture. According to Fokin, the works of new authors are read by a public commission under the Ministry of Culture - it passes its opinion to officials who decide on the production. This procedure does not apply to classical works.

Doctor Ilya Zelendinov, who hit a patient in a Belgorod hospital, was taken into custody by a court decision until February 29. Investigators insisted on the arrest of the doctor. They believe that Zelendinov may hide in Uzbekistan, where his relatives live. The defense asked to put the doctor under house arrest or to take from him a written undertaking not to leave.

All those killed in the attack in Istanbul were foreigners, said Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Earlier it was reported that the explosion in the city center killed several German citizens. According to the latest data, 10 people died as a result of the terrorist attack; another 15 people were injured. On January 12, an explosion occurred at Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul. It was reported that among the victims there are citizens of Germany, Norway and Peru.

What is known about the citizen of the Russian Federation, anastasia Leonova, detained in Kyiv Photo: Personal page on Facebook In December 2015, the Ukrainian special services were detained by six people, three of whom are Russian citizens. They are accused of creating a terrorist group and the preparation of terrorist attacks. The creator of the group with the call sign was killed during the detention.

Russia's new national security strategy faces off against the US and threats to ‘spiritual values’ Photo: Alexey Druzhinin / TASS / Scanpix On December 31, 2015, Vladimir Putin approved Russia's new national security strategy—a document that reflects the country's fundamental plans for foreign and domestic state policy. Much has changed since the last draft of Russia's security strategy, which was signed by then President Dmitry Medvedev in 2009. Meduza summarizes the new edition's main points.

Photo: Drusillas Park A female bristly battleship named Gretel, who will turn two years old in March, was forced to sit on a diet due to problems with excess weight. More precisely, she had no choice: the decision for Gretel was made by the caretaker of the British zoo Dravillas Park Mark Kenoord. Kenoord monitors the diet of animals and makes changes to them when necessary.