Moscow Russia

In the snow-hushed woods on Moscow's northern edge, scientists are decades deep into research on bending the weather to their will. They've been at it since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin paused long enough in the throes of World War II to found an observatory dedicated to tampering with climatic inconveniences. Since then, they've melted away fog, dissipated the radioactive fallout from Chernobyl and called down rains fierce enough to drown unborn locusts threatening the distant northeastern grasslands.

There were rock stars and rappers, and there were nurses to take blood donations. Music boomed off the sides of skyscrapers for blocks around. In between patriotism-tinged performances, earnest announcers climbed onto a stage in a square, under a sign that read "Saving Lives," and told hundreds of cheering youths about all the good things that would be done with the donated blood. Monday was Generation Day in Moscow, an event of vague origin, organized by networks of pro-Kremlin youth groups apparently to drown out another event.

If there's a soft spot in a Stalinist's heart, it is for the old Moscow Hotel -- the looming gray hulk near the entrance to Red Square that played host to generations of Soviet luminaries and Politburo members in the kind of dilapidated luxury only a Communist could love. Service? Nyet. Plumbing? Leaky.

The suicide bombs that roared through Moscow subway cars Monday were almost certainly the latest salvo in a slow-moving war of attrition between the Russian government and militants in the restive, mostly Muslim republics of the Caucasus. Vladimir Putin has been trading blows with southern rebels ever since he rose to the presidency a decade ago. At times, violence has threatened to erode the social contract he's struck with the Russian public: Forgo some democratic rights in exchange for, above all, stability.

The billboard appears at mile 3 of the post- Soviet boulevard of big-ticket dreams that is the Rublyovka Highway. "Any house," the sign by a prestigious homebuilder proclaims. "Helicopter as a bonus." Only in the millionaire's suburb of Rublyovka are houses so pricey that a helicopter is thrown in like a carpet upgrade. How elite is Rublyovka?

Moscow's $4-billion Crystal Island development won preliminary planning approval during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, just as Russians were beginning to need a glittering distraction from short, bleak winter days. Eye-popping images of the hugely ambitious project, designed for a site on the Moscow River by the British architect Norman Foster, more than fit the bill.

A radiant image of the mother of God and her somber-faced child, so enchanting that it inspired Ivan the Terrible to build a monastery, has returned to its home in Russia, luring tens of thousands of people to stand in line for hours to see it.

Deep underground in a Cold War-era nuclear bomb shelter, guide Alexei Alexandrov did his best to set a spooky mood, starting with his 1960s Soviet army uniform. "Please don't split away from the group," he somberly warned visitors to the labyrinth of tunnels shaped into cavernous rooms and lengthy hallways, "or you may get lost in the dark and end up shot by a guard by mistake."

Explosions tore through two subway stations at rush hour on Monday, killing at least 37 people and wounding others, authorities and news agencies said. The first blast came just before 8 a.m. at Lubyanka station, the Emergencies Ministry said. The headquarters of the Federal Security Service, successor to the Soviet-era KGB, is just above the station. "The blast hit the second carriage of a Metro train that stopped at Lubyanka" at 7:56 a.m., ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said.

Tens of thousands of Muscovites turned out to scrub, paint or sweep Russia's capital in the annual subbotnik, or spring cleaning. The custom of giving up time one spring weekend to spruce up parks, streets and courtyards began in 1919. Like many aspects of Soviet life, it now has nostalgic appeal. This year's participants appeared to enjoy scrubbing Moscow, which is left covered with litter and mud when the snow melts after five months of fierce winter.

Explosions tore through two subway stations at rush hour on Monday, killing at least 37 people and wounding others, authorities and news agencies said. The first blast came just before 8 a.m. at Lubyanka station, the Emergencies Ministry said. The headquarters of the Federal Security Service, successor to the Soviet-era KGB, is just above the station. "The blast hit the second carriage of a Metro train that stopped at Lubyanka" at 7:56 a.m., ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said.

In the snow-hushed woods on Moscow's northern edge, scientists are decades deep into research on bending the weather to their will. They've been at it since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin paused long enough in the throes of World War II to found an observatory dedicated to tampering with climatic inconveniences. Since then, they've melted away fog, dissipated the radioactive fallout from Chernobyl and called down rains fierce enough to drown unborn locusts threatening the distant northeastern grasslands.

Further sanctions against Iran would be "counterproductive," Russia's top diplomat said today, pushing back pointedly against U.S. pressure for a tougher stance against Tehran's nuclear ambitions. The remarks from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, delivered at the side of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, appeared to undercut hopes that Moscow might agree to additional steps that would isolate Iran. "We believe that at this stage all efforts must be focused on supporting the negotiating process," Lavrov said.

The plainclothes security men came first, clustering in jeans, leather jackets and pointy black shoes. Then the policemen in gray uniforms and stiff hats; bulky men in dark suits who appeared to be in charge; a bus load of riot police in camouflage. A raw wind swept off the Moscow River on Saturday morning, past the souvenir peddlers with their tables of bright wooden matryoshka dolls and T-shirts emblazoned with Soviet iconography.

Moscow's $4-billion Crystal Island development won preliminary planning approval during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, just as Russians were beginning to need a glittering distraction from short, bleak winter days. Eye-popping images of the hugely ambitious project, designed for a site on the Moscow River by the British architect Norman Foster, more than fit the bill.

For centuries, Red Square and the Kremlin have been the heart of Moscow. But a 21st century downtown is rising, with skyscrapers set to reshape the image of Europe's largest city. The $10-billion "Moskva-City" complex of offices, hotels, apartments, restaurants, shops and entertainment centers will have about 25 high-rises, including at least seven buildings taller than any others now existing in Europe.

Russia and the United States have agreed on a new lease for the U.S. ambassador's lavish Moscow residence after Russia complained that he paid less than $3 a year for it, officials announced. The annual rent for Spaso House in central Moscow was set in rubles in 1985, but the currency's value plummeted 99.9% after the Soviet Union collapsed, making the rent nearly free, according to media reports. A U.S. Embassy spokesman declined to disclose the cost of the new 49-year lease.

A female suicide bomber wearing an explosive device stuffed with metal bolts killed at least nine people near a Moscow subway station Tuesday evening in a blast that also injured at least 51, authorities said. The woman was heading toward the station but two police officers were on duty at the entrance, Moscow Mayor Yuri M. Luzhkov told reporters at the scene. "She was frightened, turned around and decided to destroy herself in the thick of a crowd," he said.

Deep underground in a Cold War-era nuclear bomb shelter, guide Alexei Alexandrov did his best to set a spooky mood, starting with his 1960s Soviet army uniform. "Please don't split away from the group," he somberly warned visitors to the labyrinth of tunnels shaped into cavernous rooms and lengthy hallways, "or you may get lost in the dark and end up shot by a guard by mistake."