Russian Riviera (La Riviera russe/ Русская Ривьера) is a Russian high-end life-style magazine, published between 2011 and 2015 in France. The publication enjoyed a reputation of an intellectual magazine for the Russia’s rich. It was praised for its quality by many media commentators, including Russian social columnist and opposition figure Bozhena Rynska.
Originally Russian Riviera was a tourist publication, providing practical information to the Russian-speaking visitors in France and Monaco. However, in its second issue it began publishing interviews with opposition figures, short stories and articles that otherwise couldn’t be published in Russia.
"Russian Riviera" featured interviews with high-profile figures including anti-Putin activist and billionaire Bill Browder, Soviet defector and author Viktor Suvorov Putin spiritual mentor Tikhon Shevkunov, politician Irina Khakamada, and dissident artists Eric Bulatov and Mikhail Roginsky. The magazine had a literary section and regularly published short stories by authors including Zakhar Prilepin, Lev Timofeev, George Kopelian and Lera Tikhonova. Its photography and illustrations and featured people including Gueorgui Pinkhassov, Stanley Green, Urs Bigler, Peter Lindbergh, Neo Rausch, and Stephen Shanabrook.
Natalia Garilskaya Incident
In May 2014, Russian Riviera correspondent Natalia Garilskaya, known for her active pro-Ukrainian position, was arrested in Moscow during an anti-Putin rally. She was later expelled from the country.