Word: russia
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...Barvikha to unwind. You go there to experience life as it is lived by Russia's élite. This is where today's boyar and his 20-year-old girlfriend get facials and hydro-massages and sip lemon water in fluffy robes while having their toenails buffed. This is where you pay top-tier prices - say, $250 for a 21/2-hour treatment - simply to be with other members of Russia's ruling class...
...That said, it's not all pretense at Barvikha. The facilities comprise a series of rectangular glass buildings with striking wooden slats on the exterior. The black-brown-ecru lobby is filled with recessed lighting and features a first-rate bar and restaurant. Service, which is never reliable in Russia, is as good as it gets in Moscow. Plus there's the spa, which is run by an English-speaking staff and seems to be permanently infused with the scent of jasmine and a soft, very hip soundtrack that will make you feel younger than you are - which would seem...
...appointment of Andrei Turchak, 33, who was named governor of Pskov region in mid-February, has aroused claims of nepotism from critics, because Turchak's father is said to be a good friend of Putin's. (Turchak got his start as head of the youth wing of United Russia, which happens to be Putin's party.) In fact, nearly two-thirds of the first 100 already work in the country's federal and regional bureaucracies or have senior posts in state-owned companies. Because of this, says Khramchikhin, "it is not understood how much independence these people will have from...
...Medvedev, says talk of a split is nonsense. "My understanding is that that is an absolutely irrelevant point of view," he says. The reserve "will operate like a team" and have a "mixture of people, liberal and conservative. My only thought is that I hope we can help Russia during the crisis...
...Maybe there is a small break between Putin and Medvedev, but it is slight," says Khramchikhin. "Regarding a new openness, it may be accepted - but only if Medvedev begins a fight with Putin ... will [it] have a purpose." See pictures of Victory Day in Russia...