Corey Flintoff http://news.stlpublicradio.org en Investigating The Boston Bombing ... In Southern Russia http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/investigating-boston-bombing-southern-russia The search for the motivations of the alleged Boston Marathon bombers stretches from New England to Central Asia, but a lot of attention has been focused on Dagestan.<p>The mostly Muslim republic is located in the southernmost part of Russia, and it's been the battleground in a low-level insurgency that takes lives nearly every day.<p>One of the suspects, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, traveled to Dagestan twice in recent years, and investigators want to know whether that experience led him toward a radical and violent form of Islam.<p>Tamerlan Tsarnaev's parents and other relatives lived in the republic' Wed, 01 May 2013 07:18:00 +0000 Corey Flintoff 25966 at http://news.stlpublicradio.org Investigating The Boston Bombing ... In Southern Russia Retaliating Against U.S., Russia Bars 18 Americans http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/retaliating-against-us-russia-bars-18-americans Transcript <p>DAVID GREENE, HOST: <p>Tensions have been increasing between the United States and Russia, and things unraveled even more over the weekend. Russia named 18 Americans who will be barred from entering Russia because of an alleged involvement in human rights violations. Here's NPR's Corey Flintoff.<p>COREY FLINTOFF, BYLINE: The Russian list includes prominent officials from the Bush administration who are accused of advocating torture during the interrogation of terrorism suspects. Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:42:00 +0000 Corey Flintoff 25430 at http://news.stlpublicradio.org Emigre Artist Sculpted Exquisite Gems Of Russian Folk Life http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/emigre-artist-sculpted-exquisite-gems-russian-folk-life A team of American researchers is on a treasure hunt for jewels — of both artistic and historic value.<p>This month, researchers from Denver were in Russia to document the work of Vasily Konovalenko, a former ballet set designer turned sculptor, who created scenes from Russian folk life in semiprecious stones.<p>In the 1980s, Konovalenko emigrated from what was then the Soviet Union in search of artistic freedom. Now, his legacy is divided between the U.S. Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:02:00 +0000 Corey Flintoff 25138 at http://news.stlpublicradio.org Emigre Artist Sculpted Exquisite Gems Of Russian Folk Life Ex-Diplomats: U.S.-Russian Relations Not As Dire As They Seem http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/ex-diplomats-us-russian-relations-not-dire-they-seem Relations between the United States and Russia are testier than they have been in years. The two nations are at odds over human rights, the civil war in Syria and even the adoption of Russian orphans by American families.<p>But former American diplomats say things aren't as bad as they may seem. They say the two countries should work together on economic and security issues.<p>Four former U.S. Wed, 03 Apr 2013 21:19:00 +0000 Corey Flintoff 25096 at http://news.stlpublicradio.org Ex-Diplomats: U.S.-Russian Relations Not As Dire As They Seem Once Championed By Putin, Medvedev Falls Precipitously Out Of Favor http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/once-championed-putin-medvedev-falls-precipitously-out-favor Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev appears increasingly isolated from the centers of power surrounding President Vladimir Putin.<p>Analysts say Medvedev is the target of a campaign to wreck his reputation and drive him from office. It's a risky situation for the former president, who was once regarded as Putin's partner.<p>The attacks have come from many directions. One of the harshest was an anonymous, documentary-style film that was posted on the Internet in January.<p>The film, <em>Game at Giveaway</em>, accuses Medvedev of betraying Russia's national interest. Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:13:00 +0000 Corey Flintoff 25050 at http://news.stlpublicradio.org Once Championed By Putin, Medvedev Falls Precipitously Out Of Favor