Adam "The Beard" Yandiev in a fight YouTube Complimenting your spouse on social media might seem like a nice gesture. But in Ingushetia, it can end in a shootout between members of local clans, the Yandievs and the Belkharoyevs. The conflict began when Adam “The Beard” Yandiev, a well-known Ingush mixed martial arts fighter and friend of Chechen Leader Ramzan Kadyrov, decided he wanted the world to know that he really loves his wife, Aisha.

Half of Russians believe that they are poor — even though under 15 percent officially qualify as impoverished, a new study has concluded. Researchers at Russia's Higher School of Economics found that 50.4 percent of Russians think that they are living in poverty. That number is three times higher than the actual poverty statistics. The Federal State Statistics Service estimates the number of Russians living in poverty at 13.5 percent.

If you’ve ever wandered around central Moscow, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered one of the men dressed up as a Russian icon or even a beloved cartoon hero. This Thursday, a tourist visiting Moscow from Ulyanovsk ran into just such a group of costumed characters, and she jumped at the chance to take some group photos. These Kodak moments aren’t free, however, and she had to pay for the pictures.

Winzavod When the Winzavod Center for ContemporaryArt opened to much discussion10 years ago with its firstexhibit, it looked destined to become a revolutionaryforce on the Russian arts scene. It was.With its mission fulfilled and marking its 10thanniversary, Winzavod continues to push forwardwith an ambitious agenda and is hintingat more innovations to come.

Katerina Tikhonova in rock 'n' roll dance competition. September 2013. RosFARR TV / YouTube The center run by Katerina Tikhonova, the 30-year-old woman widely believed to be Vladimir Putin’s younger daughter, spent more than half a billion rubles last year, according to an annual report published by the Justice Ministry, discovered on Thursday by the BBC Russian service. The foundation’s spending has exploded in the past several years.

Moskva News Agency The most important political issue in Moscow this spring is the authorities’ plan to demolish thousands of 50-year-old, five-story buildings. On one hand, the Khrushchevka apartments—built at the behest of Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev—are increasingly dilapidated and depressing. Who wouldn’t want to move from a crumbling apartment and into a modern replacement on the city’s dime? Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin was certain Muscovites would embrace his proposal.

Dmitri Lovetsky / AP For the third year in a row, Russians are quite proud of their military. This conclusion comes from a new poll released by the independent Levada Center on May 4. According to the survey, 75 percent of Russians are proud to be citizens of Russia. Their top three sources of pride are the country's natural resources (40 percent), its history (40 percent) and its armed forces (37 percent). On the whole, this picture has remained largely the same over the last five years.

The Russian Ministry of Sport wants to simplify official legislation on the import of champagne into the country in time for next year's FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Russia. A proposal to amend the law on imports has already been drafted. The ministry says the legislation needs to be simplified since FIFA will have to import champagne from foreign sponsors for the championship's events. Russian-made sparkling wine will not be an acceptable substitute, according to ministry.

Russia, Iran, and Turkey have signed a memorandum on the establishment of "de-escalation zones" in Syria during talks in Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Foreign Minister announced Thursday. "During the past two days, participants in the Astana talks reviewed the implementation of the ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities agreements," Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said in Astana.

Alexei Navalny / Instagram Russian police are investigating a series of attacks on opposition figures, including the April 29 assault on Alexei Navalny, which left the politician partially blinded. According to the newspaper Vedomosti, police opened an assault case against Navalny’s attackers within two hours of the incident.

Ilnar Salakhiev / AP It looks like Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny won’t be allowed abroad for medical treatment, after all, according to his lawyer, Vadim Kobzev. Earlier on Thursday, Navalny reported that he has been issued a passport that would allow him to travel outside Russia for the first time in five years. Navalny said he planned to seek medical help abroad for an injury sustained last month, when a man attacked him outside his office in Moscow, spraying antiseptic in his eye.

Pixabay When Vladimir Putin inevitably prevails in the March 2018 presidential elections, he is expected to have a readymade plan for improving Russia’s economy. This month, former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin will unveil a new “Strategy for Modernizing the Economy and Social Institutions” in a meeting with President Putin. The plan’s stated aim — GDP growth rate of 3.5 percent or higher — has been shaped by Putin himself.