The year is coming to an end and we can begin to take stock.
So what was popular this year?
1. Art therapy
Treatment method using artistic creativity. Art therapy today is considered one of the softest, but effective methods, used in the work of psychologists and psychotherapists, and it smoothly flowed into our everyday life.
Buns have been popular for a long time, but the loose bun has become a hit this year.
3. Brooches and badges
Once upon a time there was already a fashion for round badges of favorite musical groups and TV series, and again, the fashion for them has returned, albeit in a slightly modified form.
4. Nose piercing
Previously, it was popular to pierce the wing of the nose, but this year piercing in the middle of the nose became a hit.
5. "Funny videos"
“Funny videos” - as they call them themselves, from girls who know how to laugh at themselves and others. Some do it pretty well, some do it not so well, but these vines have become a symbol of 2016
6. Crazy Cakes
Vintage berry cakes are a thing of the past. This year, absolutely cosmic cakes ruled the roost, and you don’t even know how to approach them.
Snapchat, popular abroad back in 2015, became the scourge of Russian Instagram in 2016.
8. Dmitry Medvedev
And finally, “there is no money, you stay here, all the best to you, Have a good mood and health."
What do you remember about 2016?
Updated 28/11/16 13:28:
Gossip Girl, thank you for reminding me. This game seems to have driven many people crazy.
The editors of mger2020.ru sum up the results of 2016: we will be reminded of it by the first launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome, the launch of an energy bridge to Crimea, the restoration of relations with Turkey, and the victory in the competition for the right to host the World Festival of Youth and Students in 2017.
Unfortunately, speaking about the past year, one cannot help but recall the terrible plane crashes, terrorist attacks and other tragedies in Russia, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, and the USA, in which hundreds of innocent adults and children died.
Introducing the selection key events, which influenced both domestic policy Russia, and changed the situation in the world.
Russia strengthens its position in international rankings
In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin topped the ranking of the most influential people in the world according to Forbes magazine. The head of state is the leader of this list for the fourth year in a row. “Both in our homeland, and in Syria, and in presidential elections in the United States, the Russian leader continues to achieve everything he wants,” Forbes notes.
Meanwhile, in Russia, 86.8% of citizens approve of the President’s activities – this is the annual maximum recorded by sociologists from VTsIOM in December. “I think people see that I work hard, openly, honestly and sincerely strive to achieve the results that the country needs. I believe that they also see that not everything can be done - our people are smart and observant. But I believe that the main thing is a sincere desire for the maximum result, for the country to feel safer and for people to live better,” said Vladimir Putin, commenting high level trust.
Russia's suspension did not go unnoticed at the Paralympics itself. At the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, member of the Belarus team delegation Andrei Fomochkin carried the Russian flag as a sign of solidarity with Russian athletes. The leadership of Belarus supported the position of the country's Paralympic delegation.
Preliminary voting for United Russia
This year, ahead of the elections in State Duma « United Russia" became the only party that held a preliminary vote. In total, 2,781 people took part in the primaries, of which 43% were non-party members. 1,171 people were nominated according to party lists, and 2,107 people were nominated in single-mandate constituencies. The final turnout on April 22, the day of preliminary voting, exceeded 10 million people.
On November 14, a telephone conversation took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and American leader Donald Trump. The head of state wished him success in implementing his election program and noted his readiness to build a partnership dialogue with the new administration on the principles of equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
Europe's migration pain and the fall in Merkel's rating
For the second year, Europe has been gripped by a migration crisis. Almost every month, the countries of the “Old World” come up with new methods to combat the consequences of the endless flow of refugees from the Middle East: they close the borders of their states, spend billions of dollars to return permanent control of border zones, and contribute fabulous amounts of money to the fund for refugees.
Over the course of a year, every European has formed their own opinion about the causes of the second largest migration crisis since World War II. The vast majority of Europeans believe that migrants are seeking asylum because of threats from terrorist groups, including ISIS (banned in Russia), government military action and poor social conditions in the refugees' home countries. Another common opinion about the causes of the migration crisis is the military intervention of the United States and the EU in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa.
A poll conducted by the German broadcasting company ARD showed that if elections to the Bundestag were held on April 24, only 33% of voters would vote for the bloc of conservative parties consisting of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union, and 21% of voters would vote for the Socialist Party. the democratic party, which is a partner of the ruling coalition.
Nevertheless, German Chancellor Angela Merkel remains confident in the correctness of migration policy and refuses to tighten or partially change relevant legislation in order to increase the safety of Germans from the massive influx of migrants.
By the way, in June, British residents made a resonant decision in the referendum on the country’s exit from the European Union. According to official data, about 52% of the population voted for Brexit. According to British political scientists, the outcome of the referendum indicates a major split in British society. Prime Minister David Cameron, who opposed Brexit, was forced to immediately resign after the referendum results were announced. The referendum on Britain's membership in the EU became the first sign of the collapse of the European Union: for example, after Brexit, other European states began to think about leaving the EU.
Europe is against sanctions and for constructive relations with Russia
This year in European countries continue to talk about the lifting of economic sanctions against Russia.
At a meeting with the President of Russia, Fischer said that “those who are interested in relations with Russia are not happy about the existence of sanctions.”
French research center specializing in the field international economy, assessed the losses of Western countries from the introduction of sanctions against Russia, and most of the losses are a consequence of the actions of the West, and not the retaliatory measures of the Russian side. The economic study said the loss was estimated at $60.2 billion between 2014 and July 2015.
Serbia, Italy, Cyprus, and the Netherlands oppose the sanctions. In addition, representatives of Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic advocated the abolition or easing of sanctions in one form or another.
Tragedies
In the past year, we have had to endure many tragedies that have claimed the lives of hundreds of people.
On March 19, a Boeing 737-800 passenger airliner crashed in Rostov-on-Don. The plane crash of flight 981 Dubai - Rostov-on-Don occurred presumably at 3.40 Moscow time at Rostov-on-Don airport during a re-entry into landing in difficult conditions. weather conditions. There were 62 people on board, all of them died.
December 19 in Ankara at the Gallery contemporary art At the exhibition “Russia through the eyes of the Turks”, the Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov was wounded. The diplomat died from his injuries. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to Andrei Karlov’s family and instructed to introduce the diplomat to state award. The head of state said that Moscow must know exactly who is behind the murder of the Russian ambassador to Turkey.
On the morning of December 25, a Tu-154 plane crashed over the Black Sea in Sochi. There were 92 people on board, among them were artists of the Academic Song and Dance Ensemble named after. Alexandrova, journalists from the Zvezda TV channel and Channel One, NTV, as well as the head of the Fair Aid charity foundation, Elizaveta Glinka, known as Doctor Lisa. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree declaring December 26 a day of mourning. As a sign of solidarity with Russia, Belarus has declared a Day of Mourning in connection with the plane crash. Citizens of the Republic bring flowers and candles to the building of the Russian Embassy in Minsk and leave entries in the book of condolences. On instructions from President Alexander Lukashenko, state flags were lowered at half-mast over government buildings across the country and entertainment programs on radio and television.
A series of terrorist attacks that occurred in Belgium on March 22 shook up the entire international community, forcing everyone to think about the need to unite to fight the main global threat - terrorism. According to the latest data, during the monstrous explosions, 34 people were killed and 135 were injured.
On the evening of July 14, a truck drove at full speed into the crowd on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, where at that moment there were thousands of people leaving after the Bastille Day celebrations. According to the latest data, 84 people were killed as a result of the terrorist attack. More than a hundred people were injured.
Vladimir Putin especially emphasized that “the recent terrorist attacks committed in various regions of the world once again show that terrorism can only be countered together, based on norms and principles international law, with the coordinating role of the UN.” "It shouldn't be here double standards, terrorists cannot be divided into “good” and “bad”. And, of course, it is unacceptable and extremely dangerous to try to use terrorist and radical extremist groups for political or geopolitical interests,” says the President of the Russian Federation.
Russian military power in Syria
A year ago, the Russian Aerospace Forces began a military operation to combat terrorists in Syria. As a result of intensive military aviation operations, it was possible to seriously undermine the positions of IS and other groups, destroy the terrorist infrastructure and prevent the collapse of the Syrian Republic.
Russia announced the organization of a humanitarian pause in Aleppo from September 18 so that everyone could leave the city and receive the necessary help, but militants are preventing civilians from leaving.
On December 22, the command of the Syrian army announced that Aleppo had been completely liberated from terrorists and had come under the control of the country's government forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the day before, on December 29, that agreements had been reached on a ceasefire in Syria and readiness to begin peace negotiations. Three documents were signed: the first was between the Syrian government and the armed opposition on a ceasefire in Syria, the second was a set of measures to monitor the ceasefire, and the third was a statement of readiness to begin peaceful negotiations on a Syrian settlement.
Activities of collectors
In January, a debt collector threw a Molotov cocktail through the window of a house. The two-year-old child and his 56-year-old grandfather suffered severe burns. A man who repeatedly threatened to kill the baby’s parents was sentenced to eight years in a maximum security colony. After a series of similar incidents, a law regulating the activities of debt collectors was adopted and signed by the president in July.
Trade pavilions
On the night of February 9, demolition of shopping pavilions began in Moscow, which were recognized as unauthorized construction. The townspeople dubbed the event “The Night of the Long Buckets.” In the morning, mountains of construction waste appeared on the site of hundreds of buildings. Tents near most central metro stations were demolished, including shopping arcades at Kropotkinskaya and Chistye Prudy, a round pavilion near Sukharevskaya, and the Pyramid shopping center on Pushkinskaya. Initially, the demolition of the buildings caused violent public outrage - the owners tried to challenge the decision of the capital's authorities in court. Later, the authorities initiated two more waves of demolition of unauthorized buildings, and businessmen were offered compensation for do-it-yourself dismantling pavilions. As a result, about several hundred catering and retail outlets were razed to the ground. Instead, flower beds, open areas and public gardens appeared.
Invincible
On February 9, a murder occurred in Moscow, shocking in its cruelty. In the morning, a woman in Muslim clothing appeared near the Oktyabrskoye Pole metro station. In her hands was the severed head of a four-year-old girl. The killer shouted “Allahu Akbar” and threatened to blow herself up. After some time, she was neutralized by the police. Gulchekhra Bobokulova, who worked as a nanny for a disabled child, was detained. During the interrogation, the woman behaved inappropriately; she was sent for a psychiatric examination, as a result of which she was declared insane. Previously, she was diagnosed with an “acute schizophrenic episode” and therefore she was registered with a psychiatrist in her native Samarkand. The court sent Bobokulova to compulsory treatment. This decision caused controversy in the community, as many believed that the murderous nanny deserved stricter punishment.
Pilot error
On March 19, a passenger Boeing 737-800 of FlyDubai airlines, flying from Dubai to Rostov-on-Don, crashed. The airliner crashed during landing. There were 62 passengers and crew on board, all of whom died. Final conclusions about the causes of the disaster have not yet been made. Presumably, the crash occurred due to the fault of the pilot, who switched the stabilizer to dive mode. The Federal Air Transport Agency does not rule out that he had a false feeling of a sharp climb while the plane was landing.
Children of oligarchs
On May 23, in Moscow, police chased a Gelandewagen car, which was moving along Leninsky Prospekt towards an area with gross traffic violations. The young people in the car broadcast the race on Periscope, commenting on what was happening and insulting the law enforcement officers. It turned out that Abduvahob Majidov was driving the car, and the son of Lukoil vice-president Ruslan Shamsuarov, street racer Mara Bagdasaryan and Viktor Uskov were driving with him. It was possible to initiate a criminal case against the “majors at Gelandewagen” on the third attempt. However, they all escaped real punishment. Two suspects Shamsuarov and Uskov were found guilty of insulting traffic police officers and were sentenced to 300 hours each. compulsory work. Majidov was completely acquitted. The court decided to confiscate a car belonging to the son of a top manager in favor of the state as a crime weapon. The prosecutor's office considered the sentence unreasonably lenient and appealed it to the appellate instance.
Illegal graffiti
In June, the governor of St. Petersburg signed a decree naming one of the city bridges after Akhmat Kadyrov. Not all residents of the northern capital liked the authorities’ decision. Dissatisfied people collected signatures, organized pickets, and deputies and cultural figures sharply criticized this decision. However, the city authorities did not make concessions and did not reverse their decision. This sparked several spontaneous protests: graffiti appeared near the bridge with the image of Colonel Yuri Budanov, and a few weeks later a poster was hung on the bridge itself with the phrase “Kill as many Russians as you can,” which was attributed to the elder Kadyrov.
Distress call
On the evening of June 19, a distress signal was received at the control panel of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Republic of Karelia - three boats, in which there were a total of 47 children and four adults, had disappeared. A tourist group from a children's health camp went on a water route along Syamozero the day before. The group got caught in a storm, the boats capsized and the children swam to shore. As a result of the emergency, 13 children drowned. The leadership of the Park Hotel Syamozero camp was blamed for their deaths. The counselors were student trainees who did not have the necessary skills. In the dock were the director of the company that owns the camp, his deputy and the head of the Karelian department of Rospotrebnadzor. After the tragedy at Syamozero, mass inspections began in all children's camps in Russia.
Education in a new way
On August 19, President Vladimir Putin dismissed Education Minister Dmitry Livanov, who had held the post since 2012 and was one of the least popular officials in the government. He was replaced by Olga Vasilyeva, a former official of the presidential administration, who worked as a teacher in her youth. After her appointment, many were concerned about the strengthening of the religious component in Russian schools due to scientific interests minister. She is the author of over 150 works on the history of Russian Orthodox Church, and the relationship between church and state during the Soviet period. However, Vasilyeva herself hastened to refute these speculations. Having headed the department, she proposed returning astronomy lessons to school, teaching schoolchildren to clean the territory, and also returning written exams for admission to universities.
Holidays in Turkey
At the end of August, the authorities lifted the ban on flights to one of the most popular destinations among Russian tourists - Turkey. The order canceling the decision to suspend charter flights was signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The first flight from Moscow departed for Antalya on September 2. Just a month later, Russia took second place in the number of tourists at Turkish resorts. During this time, almost 223 thousand of our tourists vacationed at the country's resorts.
Said without thinking
On September 9, Pavel Astakhov, who held the post of Commissioner for Children's Rights for almost seven years, resigned. This happened after a conversation with President Vladimir Putin. Astakhov’s resignation is associated with a careless phrase: “Well, how was your swim?”, said by the ombudsman during a visit to children who survived the tragedy on the Karelian Syamozero. He himself calls this phrase taken out of context. However, the Ombudsman has repeatedly published harsh and reckless statements on his Twitter. His successor was Anna Kuznetsova, a mother of six children, the wife of a priest, and the head of the Penza executive committee of the All-Russian Popular Front. Over the course of several months in this post, she was remembered for a number of high-profile statements. For example, the Ombudsman supported the ban on abortion, and also called for the establishment of a “family way of life” in the country.
The first swallows
On City Day, September 10, traffic was opened in Moscow after a global reconstruction. passenger trains along the Moscow Small Ring railway. It changed its name to MCC - Moskovskoe central ring and became part of the capital's metro as the second ring line. Vladimir Putin and Sergei Sobyanin came to the opening. The ring received 31 stations. During the reconstruction, the tracks were completely renewed, and modern high-speed trains of the “Swallow” type entered the line. The first month of travel around the ring was free.
Child pornography
At the beginning of September, a photo exhibition by photographer Jock Sturges “Without Embarrassment” opened at the Lumiere Brothers Center. In total, about 40 works were brought to Moscow, mostly depicting naked people. Despite the fact that none of Sturges’s scandalous photographs of naked teenage girls were presented among the exhibits, the exhibition was criticized by “attentive” bloggers who guard family values. Some argued that the exhibition was nothing more than propaganda for child pornography. Then social activists, led by the “Officers of Russia”, came forward and tried to block the exhibition. One of the guardians of morality snuck into the exhibition and doused the photographs with a liquid similar to urine. After his arrest, he explained his action by saying that the exhibits “offend family values and provoke pedophilia.”
Khabarovsk knackers
At the end of October, the whole country was rocked by the story of two minor girls from Khabarovsk, who killed stray animals with particular cruelty. They killed at least 15 dogs, cats and pigeons in an unfinished house, and filmed everything that happened and posted it online. Cases of cruelty to animals occur every now and then in different parts of the country; as a rule, these acts remain unpunished. It turned out differently with the Khabarovsk knackers: a criminal case was opened against the girls, as well as their accomplice-operator, under four articles at once. All accused are in custody. The case of the Khabarovsk knackers raised the issue of animal protection to a new level - President Vladimir Putin called on deputies to hurry up with the adoption of a bill that would increase liability for knackers.
The long-awaited monument
On Russia Day, November 4, a monument to Prince Vladimir was solemnly opened on Borovitskaya Square in Moscow - one of the most discussed monuments in history. last years. Representatives from all over the world came to the opening of the 17-meter monument to the Baptist of Rus' religious denominations, President Vladimir Putin, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky. Initially, the sculptor Salavat Shcherbakov planned to make the statue 25 meters high and place it on the Sparrow Hills. But after long discussions, including in the expert community, the installation site was moved, and the author had to reduce the height of the pedestal due to the fact that Borovitskaya Square is located in security zone UNESCO monument.
Total negligence
On the evening of December 4, a major accident occurred near Khanty-Mansiysk. A bus transporting a children's acrobatics sports team from Khanty-Mansiysk to Nefteyugansk collided with an oncoming truck. The accident claimed the lives of 12 people, 10 of them children. 11 young athletes are still in intensive care. Initially, the blame for the incident was placed on the bus driver, but then the investigation established that both participants in the accident were to blame for the incident. Cases have been filed against both drivers for violating traffic rules that resulted in the death of two or more people.
"Healing properties"
On December 17, more than 100 residents of Irkutsk ended up in hospitals due to poisoning with the Hawthorn bath concentrate. More than 70 of them died. The examination showed that the composition of the perfume instead of ethyl alcohol indicated on the label contained poisonous methanol. As part of a criminal case initiated due to mass poisoning, 12 people were detained. After the tragedy, Vladimir Putin instructed the government to tighten the rules for the production and circulation of alcohol-containing products. In addition, the Ministry of Health proposed limiting the sale alcohol tinctures- no more than two bottles per person.
Whoops and a year has passed
The US presidential elections, the Rio Olympics, the doping scandal, terrorist attacks in Brussels, Nice and Turkey, the crash of a Tu-154 in the Black Sea - these and other main events of the year in Russia and the world in the RBC review.
The first meeting of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Pope
On February 12, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' and Pope Francis met in Cuba. This was the first meeting in history between the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and the pontiff.
Explosions at the airport and metro in Brussels, Belgium
On the morning of March 22, two explosions occurred in the passenger check-in area in the departure hall of Brussels Airport. Later, another explosion occurred at the Maelbeek metro station near the European Quarter. The terrorist group “Islamic State” (banned in Russia) claimed responsibility for the attacks. The reason was the revenge of the alleged organizer of the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015. More than 30 people were killed as a result of the terrorist attacks in Belgium. The suspects were detained.
Aggravation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh
On the night of April 2, Nagorno-Karabakh resumed fighting. The unrecognized republic and Azerbaijan accused each other of provocations. Over the four days that the conflict lasted, Azerbaijan's losses amounted to more than 30 military personnel, Nagorno-Karabakh admitted the death of 20 military personnel, and another 26 military personnel are listed as missing. According to the UN, as a result of the escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, 33 people were killed and more than 200 were injured.
"Panamagate"
On April 3, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), together with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and several global media outlets, published documents from the so-called Panama Archives. The archive of 11.5 million documents is named so because the company Mossack Fonseca, the leak from which formed the basis of the investigation, is registered in the Panama Islands. According to ICIJ, the company built a business on creating shell companies and corporate structures to hide the ultimate beneficiaries of assets.
The archive revealed data on offshore and foreign companies of Russian officials or members of their families, as well as on companies whose beneficiaries are the now former minister economic development Alexei Ulyukaev, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, former deputy manager of the presidential affairs Ivan Malyushin, Moscow vice-mayor Maxim Liksutov, cellist Sergei Roldugin and the main owner of Rossiya Bank Yuri Kovalchuk.
Shooting at the Pulse club in Orlando, USA
On the night of June 12, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, a resident of Port St. Lucie, Florida, broke into the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando and went on a shooting spree, holding more than 300 people hostage for an hour and a half. 49 people were killed and more than 50 were injured. Mateen was shot dead during the assault. The attack on the club was classified as a “domestic terrorist attack.” Matin’s direct connection with the Islamic State, banned in Russia, was not established, but during the attack on the club, he called the rescue service and stated that he had sworn allegiance to the terrorist group.
Death of 14 schoolchildren from the camp on Syamozero, Russia
On the evening of June 18, 14 children from the health camp “Park Hotel “Syamozero” in Karelia died after being caught in a storm during a rafting trip. The Investigative Committee opened criminal cases against the director of the park, Elena Reshetova, and her deputy, Vadim Vinogradov.
Brexit, UK
On June 23, British residents voted in a referendum for the country to leave the EU (Brexit). The country's Prime Minister David Cameron resigned, his successor Theresa May promised that the procedure for leaving the EU would be launched before March 2017. Brexit led to a sharp collapse of the pound and a decrease in the attractiveness of the country for doing business.
Photo: Press service of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation/TASS
Arrest of Nikita Belykh, Russia
On June 24, in the restaurant of the Lotte Plaza shopping and office center on Novy Arbat, Nikita Belykh, Governor of the Kirov Region, was detained while receiving a bribe of €400 thousand. According to investigators, in exchange for this amount he promised to help the companies JSC Novovyatsky Ski Combine and LLC Forestry Management Company» when implementing investment projects. Belykh himself did not admit the charges, saying that this money should have gone to the needs of Kirov. The investigation continues, Belykh was dismissed and is in a pre-trial detention center.
Terrorist attack at Istanbul airport, Türkiye
On June 28, a terrorist attack occurred at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul near the security checkpoints at the entrance to the passenger arrivals area. The attack involved three suicide bombers who arrived at the airport in a taxi. The attackers first opened fire with weapons and then blew themselves up. More than 40 people were killed and more than 200 were injured. It was later established that the terrorist attack was carried out by persons with citizenship of Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan; Turkish authorities linked the attack to the activities of the Islamic State banned in Russia.
Terrorist attack in Nice, France
On July 14, during the Bastille Day celebrations, on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, 31-year-old Mohamed Boulel drove a truck into a crowd of vacationers and drove almost 2 km before the police managed to shoot him. Five suspects were detained in connection with the terrorist attack. The Islamic State terrorist group, banned in Russia, claimed responsibility for the crime. More than 80 people were killed and more than 300 were injured.
Coup attempt in Turkey
On the night of July 15-16, a military coup was attempted in Turkey. As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, the coup was initiated by supporters of Fethullah Gülen, a preacher, philosopher, former supporter of Erdogan, who fled persecution in the United States in the 1990s. The country introduced state of emergency, more than 40 thousand people were detained, many media outlets and schools financed by Gülen were closed.
Doping scandal
In July and December, an independent commission to investigate doping in the Russian athletics, created by WADA, published two parts of the report on the results of its work. She came to the conclusion that over the past six years the Russian Ministry of Sports has created a system for falsifying doping tests of Russian athletes.
The first report led to the disqualification of the Russian team for the 2016 Paralympics, the suspension of the track and field and weightlifting teams from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the cancellation of international tournaments planned in Russia, and the revocation of international licenses from Russian anti-doping structures. After the publication of the second part, Russia was deprived of the right to host the bobsleigh and skeleton world championships, which were to be held in Sochi, and also lost several major competitions in biathlon and speed skating. Investigations into most Russian athletes are ongoing.
Earthquake in Italy
On the night of August 24, one of the most destructive earthquakes in recent years occurred in Central Italy. A shock of magnitude 6.2 was recorded at the junction of the regions of Umbria, Lazio and Marche, several cities were completely destroyed. More than 240 people died, several thousand people lost their homes.
Rio Olympics and impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff
In August, the Summer Olympic Games were held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Russia took fourth place in them, receiving 56 medals, of which 19 were gold.
August 31, a few days after closing Olympic Games, the Brazilian Senate voted for the resignation of President Dilma Rousseff. The reason for impeachment was Rousseff's accusation of budget fraud: allegedly the government, at the initiative of the president in 2014-2015, used the so-called fiscal pedaling - planned spending on social programs authorities moved to the next financial period to improve performance in the current period. Rousseff denies the allegations.
Arrest of Colonel Zakharchenko, Russia
On September 10, Interior Ministry Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko was arrested. He was accused of accepting a bribe, abuse of power and obstruction of proceedings preliminary investigation. According to the investigation materials, in December 2015 he received 7 million rubles. for "general patronage" from former leader and co-owner of the Rusengineering company Anatoly Pshegornitsky. In recent years, this company has been one of the major contractors of the FGC UES company and has carried out a number of government orders for laying electrical networks.
Another episode is related to the investigation into the theft of funds from Nota Bank. According to the case file, in January 2016, Zakharchenko warned the sister of one of the leaders of Nota Bank about the impending search and summoning of Galina Marchukova for questioning. In the fall of 2015, a financial hole was discovered in the bank’s budget, as a result of which the Central Bank revoked the structure’s license. Now a criminal case has been opened regarding the theft of money, and Nota Bank itself is in the process of bankruptcy.
In addition, during a search in the apartment of Zakharchenko’s sister and in the car he used, an unprecedented amount of money was found - almost 9 billion rubles.
Exploding scandal Samsung Galaxy Note 7
At the beginning of September, Samsung suspended sales of a new smartphone Galaxy Note 7, after it became known that phones can overheat during use and explode. The cause was a defect in batteries produced by one of the suppliers. This led to the fact that in November the company's shares fell by 30% in the third quarter, and management announced its readiness to consider a proposal to split the company.
US presidential election
On November 8, the US presidential elections took place. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was ahead of eccentric billionaire Donald Trump. His election sparked protests across the country, but in the end Clinton accepted the election results, and Trump began to assemble a team. The inauguration will take place on January 20.
Arrest of the Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukaev, Russia
On November 15, Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukaev was placed under house arrest. Previously, he was detained while accepting a bribe of $2 million at the office of the Rosneft company. According to investigators, he received money for a positive assessment of the transaction for the acquisition of Bashneft by this company. Ulyukaev, who was later dismissed, denies the charges. The investigation is ongoing.
OPEC decision to cut oil production
On November 30 in Vienna, representatives of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed to reduce oil production for the first time since 2008. They decreased by 1.2 million barrels per day, to 32.5 million barrels. Indonesia, not agreeing with this decision, suspended the action in the organization.
Russian oil workers agreed to reduce production following the OPEC decision. As a result, by the end of the year the cost of a barrel of Brent oil increased from $50 to $55.
Privatization of Rosneft and Bashneft
In early October, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on the sale of a 50.08% stake in Bashneft to Rosneft. The transaction amount amounted to 329.69 billion rubles.
How the privatization of Bashneft was prepared
On December 7, Rosneft Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin informed President Putin about the completion of the transaction to privatize a 19.5% stake in Rosneft. Investors included Glencore and the Qatari sovereign wealth fund, which received 50% stakes in the consortium that is acquiring the shares. The transaction value was €10.5 billion.
The situation in Syria and Iraq
Throughout the year, the fight against the terrorist group “Islamic State” continued in Syria and Iraq. By the end of the year, the coalition had lost Aleppo to the militants, but Palmyra had been recaptured by terrorists again in December. Iraqi Mosul.
On December 29, it became known that the Syrian government and the armed opposition had signed a ceasefire agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin that we're talking about on a ceasefire, a set of measures to monitor the ceasefire and a statement of readiness to begin peaceful negotiations to resolve the situation in the country. According to him, the signing of the agreements was the result of Russia’s work with Turkey and Iran.
Murder Russian Ambassador in Turkey
On December 19, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov was killed during the opening of an exhibition at the Center for Contemporary Art in Ankara. The shooter, 22-year-old former Turkish police officer Mevlut Altintas, was killed. The Russian Foreign Ministry and the UN Security Council qualified the incident as a terrorist attack, and Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the ambassador to be nominated for a government award.
Tu-154 crash in the Black Sea
A Tu-154 Ministry of Defense plane taking off from Adler crashed on the morning of December 25. The airliner disappeared from radar screens in the second minute of the flight and fell into the Black Sea near Sochi. The aircraft was heading to Syria, with 92 people on board: military personnel, artists from the Alexandrov Ensemble, journalists, and the head of the Fair Aid Foundation, Elizaveta Glinka.
Investigators are considering several versions of the tragedy, including pilot error and technical malfunction. The possibility of a terrorist attack has not been completely ruled out, although it is certain that there was no explosion on board the plane. Preliminary examination data will become known in January, and final conclusions about the causes of the disaster will be made after the flight recorders are deciphered.
Obama Administration's New Sanctions
On December 29, US President Barack Obama signed a decree expanding sanctions against Russia in connection with the investigation into hacker attacks on political parties in USA. The list included federal Service Security, Main Directorate of the General Staff, ANO " Professional association designers of computer science systems", LLC "Special Technology Center", LLC "Digital Weapons and Protection".
List of sanctions against individuals expanded by six surnames. It includes the head of the GRU of the General Staff Igor Korobov, his first deputies Igor Kostyukov and Vladimir Alekseev, as well as Korobov’s deputy Sergei Gizunov.
On the same day, the US State Department announced the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from the country, who must leave the United States within 72 hours.
In a VTsIOM survey, Russians named the main event, the politician of the year, as well as the rating leaders in sports, cinema, music, literature and TV
Moscow. December 26. website - The All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM) presents survey data on how Russians remember 2016 and what they expect from 2017.
Events 2016
33% of Russians consider the war in Syria to be the main world event of 2016 (in 2015, this topic was also in first place - 43% named it).
In third place are sporting events (13%).
Resonant events on a national scale for our fellow citizens were, first of all, (10%), stories involving Russian athletes (7%), corruption (4%), and Syria (4%).
Ratings 2016
Policy. Russian President Vladimir Putin remains the politician of the year for Russians. It was named by 64% of respondents. Next, by a large margin, are Sergei Lavrov (18%), Vladimir Zhirinovsky (8%), Sergei Shoigu (8%), Dmitry Medvedev (7%) and others. In the ranking of the Russian elite, the president also holds first place (77%).
Music. For several years in a row, Philip Kirkorov (7%) has been most often named Musician of the Year (7%), followed by Grigory Leps (4%), Nikolai Baskov (4%), Sergey Lazarev (4%), Alla Pugacheva (4%).
Literature. The writer of the year is still the hardest for Russians to choose: all meaningful answers receive no more than 3%: Daria Dontsova (3%), Tatyana Ustinova (2%), the rest - 1% or less.
TV. The most popular TV programs were again the projects of Channel One: talk show “Let Them Talk” (11%), “The Voice” (8%), “News” (6%). In the rating of TV series, “Major” (8%) is in the lead; less frequently mentioned are “Secrets of the Investigation” (4%), “Sled” (4%), “Univer” (4%), etc.
In general, it can be noted that among the stars of sports and show business, television and film premieres, our fellow citizens have no clear favorites: none of those presented in popular rating"hero", series or film could not get more than 10% of the votes of respondents.
Estimates for 2016 and expectations for 2017
Russians are seeing off 2016 with slightly more positive attitude than 2015: the corresponding VTsIOM index increased over the year from 60 points to 63 points (a new historical maximum). 45% of Russians see off the outgoing year with optimism, while only 12% are pessimistic, another 42% experience neither growth nor negative emotions. Unrest has become noticeably less over the past two years (from 21% in 2014 to 7% in 2016).
For themselves and family members, Russians estimate the results of 2016 on average the same as last year. 52% called this year “good” or “successful” for themselves and their family, and 47% said that their lives were more likely to be dominated by difficulties or that the year was very difficult.
Citizens have much greater hopes and expectations for changes for the better in 2017 than they did in 2016 a year ago. About a quarter of respondents believe that 2017 will be successful (27% for them personally, 24% for the country as a whole).
