Will Webster
Oblast resort
An isolated chip off the old Russian bloc surrounded by EU nations, Kaliningrad’s future is anyone’s guess. Military outpost or beach resort? With wise investment, its remoteness could work.
Dark horse in the east
It’s a vital military outpost, dogged by organised crime. However, with huge Chinese, Korean and Japanese markets on its shores, Vladivostok could become Russia’s Far Eastern giant.
Rapid relief
Until Russia’s Sapsan high-speed train arrived, the only practical way to travel between Moscow and St Petersburg was by plane. Monocle hops on board to try out the service in our monthly benchmark test.
Baku
Baku’s skyline is marking out the Azerbaijani capital as a city for the 21st century, with its five-star hotels and Zaha Hadid-designed arts centre, but there’s still much work to do to combat its…
Baku to the future
Baku’s skyline marks it as a city for the 21st century, with five-star hotels and a Zaha Hadid-designed arts centre. But there’s still much work to do to combat its 20th-century problems.
Life on the edge
This remote corner of Russia is a land of fire, ice and earthquakes. But with stunning scenery and vast salmon reserves, a seismic shift in its fortunes could be about to happen.
Fresh Minsk
Often called Europe’s last dictatorship, Belarus has embarked on a PR mission to fix its image. With its strong-armed leadership still in place, are the changes anything more than cosmetic?
Uphill struggle
Sochi, a Black Sea resort popular with Putin, was a surprise choice to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. To prepare for one million visitors, the region needs new roads, hotels and infrastructure.
Presenting the nation
A boom in state-funded English news channels aims to transmit a country’s brand alongside the news. We report on these new broadcast empires and ask if it's propaganda disguised as programming.
