Seven days in photographs. 9 – 15 July 2011

On July 10 the cruise vessel Bulgaria, sailing from Bulgar to Kazan, sank on the Volga River near the village of Syukeyevo in the Kansko-Ustinsovsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan. 208 people were on board the cruiser; just 79 of them survived.

The death toll from the sunken Bulgaria cruiser has risen to 113 on July 15. The search for 15 people continues.

July 12 was declared a national day of mourning for the victims of the sunken Bulgaria cruiser.

The three-day visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the American capital concluded with signing of several documents, including an agreement on a new bilateral visa regime and declarations on both sides to increase cooperation in a number of fields, from fighting terrorism to working in the Arctic. Lavrov and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton also signed a child adoption deal. According to the document, adoptive parents will be obliged to work with only accredited adoption agencies, and will have to pass psychological testing.

Moscow’s Cathedral of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin, commonly known as St. Basil’s Cathedral, celebrated its 450th anniversary. Photo: exhibition The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin Seen through a Camera Lens