New Year and Orthodox Christmas combined make up the longest official holiday in Russia. One of the consequences of this is there's no newspapers until 10 January. But the long break allows news junkies to indulge in some serious magazine reading. This ed

Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes the main result of the year for Russia is Vladimir Putin’s decision to stay – not as President but as a national leader and probably Prime Minister. The paper gives two reasons for this. The first one is that Putin has been building up his Russia for eight years.  He hasn’t finished the job yet, so he is staying on to complete it. The second: it’s no secret that there are influential groups within the government and Putin is the only person who has proved he can keep them in check. 

Rossiyskaya Gazeta publishes a column by Mikhail Gorbachev. His advice for this country’s foreign policy is: whatever happens between us and our partners, we shouldn’t quit the dialogue.  

Vedomosti writes about the death of Boris Yeltsin. The author says: democracy consists of firm rules and procedures which cause an indefinite result. Yeltsin, by nature, was against all rules and procedures. However he succeeded in his mission – to destroy the Soviet Union as he knew it and build a democratic state on the ruins.   

Komsomolskaya Pravda writes that the consumption of Russian vodka has seen a sharp rise in Europe and America.  In 2007 it grew by 10%. The paper also publishes instructions for American tourists. Among them is how to stay alive at a Russian New Year party. Considering the facts mentioned above, this may come in useful for those who are staying home as well. You need to eat two boiled potatoes or two fresh eggs a couple of hours before the feast. You must eat as much as you can during the feast. You need a break after the third glass – no one will allow you a break before that anyway. And you need your dessert after the meal too. Acting in this manner, you may be able to consume a bottle (500 grams) of vodka without actually dropping dead. Still – have a chat with your physician before you follow these instructions.