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Federal and regional maternity benefits such as 'maternal capital', larger child allowances, and other measures introduced since 2007 to improve the country's demography have led to more births, but have not yet contributed to effective fertility rates in Russia. A paper bySergey Zakharov and Thomas Freyka in the HSE's new Demographic Review journal examines Russia's reproductive trends over the past half-century in an attempt to make projections concerning the future effects of the country's demographic policies.

On September 30, Yaroslav Kuzminov, rector of the Higher School of Economics, and representatives of the HSE met with a delegation from Japan’s Tohoku University led by the university’s president, Susumu Satomi. Both sides signed university-wide agreements on cooperation and academic and students exchange between the universities in the fields of linguistics, economics and management and other areas of mutual interest.

After the Russian Unified State Exam (USE) was introduced, additional exam preparation did not lose its popularity. While there was previously a preference for tutors from the university a student had selected, now students are finding instructors ‘off the street’ to prepare them for the USE, Ilya Prakhov, Research Fellow in HSE’s International Laboratory for Institutional Analysis of Economic Reforms (LIA), uncovered in his study, ‘The Dynamics of Investment and the Return on Additional Pre-entry Coaching’.

of concentrated agricultural and forest waste are produced by Russian industry each year. Refining and using this waste as energy would allow Russia to hold a respectable place in the emerging markets of biotechnology products and bioenergy.

of Russians believe that fake alcohol products are widespread in Russia. About half of respondents believe that more fakes have appeared over the last 2-3 years.

Building No. 12 on Malaya Pionerskaya Ulitsa has a complicated history. Residents of neighbourhoods and even some university staff members believe that a women's prison once stood here. This is not true. Before the revolution, it was the Olovyanishnikov merchants’ factory, which produced expensive church vessels. In the 1920s, the Geodesy Optical and Mechanical Plant had already found a new home at this location. This is where the first Soviet model camera Leica was manufactured, which was to become the best in the world, although that never came to be.

of Russian company heads believe that the ability to solve work-related problems without help is acquired by employees only with experience in working independently. Various training courses are ineffective in this area.

This house was rebuilt first by merchant Old Believers, who owned the largest optical workshop in Russia, then by former peasants who made their fortunes selling houseware. The original appearance of the building changed with time: during the war, the front lost a part of its sculptural decorations and recently an attic floor was added which broke with the initial architectural concept. Even so, number 18 is one of the most remarkable buildings on Myasnitskaya Ulitsa.