All Articles - Institute of Modern Russia

Smoke and mirrors: Western misperceptions of Russia in Ukraine

Details: Opinions

Smoke and mirrors: Western misperceptions of Russia in Ukraine

Details: 11 February 2022; Ofer Fridman, Vera Michlin-Shapir

The consensus among Western politicians and experts is that the Kremlin is gearing up for war, which could be prevented by either deterrence or negotiations. However, recent research shows that policymaking discourse in both Russia and the West is “full of mutual misperceptions, mirror imaging, and attribution of non-existent intentions and capabilities.” One of the main reasons for possible misinterpretation of the Kremlin’s intentions in Ukraine is rooted in differences between the U.S. and Russian strategic cultures.

How the Kremlin is preparing for war

Details: Opinions

How the Kremlin is preparing for war

Details: 09 February 2022; Michael Wasiura

Since March 2021, when the first reports of a military buildup at the Russia-Ukraine border appeared, the Kremlin has continued taking steps to shape the battlespace, both in physical reality and in the information sphere. While Western observers seem to view a Russian invasion as almost inevitable, Ukrainian officials call for a toning down of the incendiary rhetoric. In his op-ed for IMR, Michael Wasiura, a U.S. political analyst based in Moscow, explains why there are reasons to believe that the Kremlin is preparing for war.

How to establish a state ideology incognito

Details: Analysis

How to establish a state ideology incognito

Details: 06 February 2022; Ekaterina Mishina

In January, a draft document titled “Foundations of state policy on the preservation and strengthening of Russia’s traditional spiritual and moral values” (to be confirmed by presidential decree) was released for public discussion. Legal scholar Ekaterina Mishina analyzes the document and notes that its authors attempt to establish a state ideology in Russia by manipulating terminology in the hope that their efforts go unnoticed.

How to be a successful region in Russia: the case of Tatarstan

Details: Analysis

How to be a successful region in Russia: the case of Tatarstan

Details: 01 February 2022; András Tóth-Czifra

According to official data, in 2021, the number of Russia’s so-called “donor” regions—that is, not requiring subsidies from the state—stood at 12 out of 83, which is roughly half the number there was in 2006. Among all Russian regions, Tatarstan has always been among the leaders and enjoyed special status in its relationship with Moscow. But, in recent years, with the Kremlin’s push for centralization, the Tatar success story has been gradually fading away.

Russia’s negotiations with the U.S., NATO, and the OSCE: “The window of diplomacy” remains open, for now

Details: Analysis

Russia’s negotiations with the U.S., NATO, and the OSCE: “The window of diplomacy” remains open, for now

Details: 21 January 2022; Mykola Vorobiov

Russia’s negotiations on security guarantees with the U.S., NATO, and the OSCE took place on January 10-13, in Europe. After three rounds of talks, the parties’ positions remained unchanged—disagreement on key issues persists, and if they are not resolved, no significant results can be expected. Yet, at this point, the very fact that the negotiations took place and did not lead to outright failure could be a sign of progress.

How Kremlin propaganda distorts reality inside Russia

Details: Analysis

How Kremlin propaganda distorts reality inside Russia

Details: 19 January 2022; Michael Wasiura

In recent weeks, the Kremlin has staged an elaborate diplomatic circus—from mid-December, when the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published its proposals for a new security architecture in Europe, through mid-January, when they were rejected by representatives of the United States and NATO. The abortive negotiations, however, can be seen as a success for Moscow: the West’s refusal to discuss the Kremlin’s ultimatum helped further propaganda messages at home and prepare TV audiences to accept Vladimir Putin’s next policy moves.

Sergei Davidis: “The human rights violations in Russia is fraught with instability in the West”

Details: Opinions

Sergei Davidis: “The human rights violations in Russia is fraught with instability in the West”

Details: 12 January 2022; Diana Fishman

ВIn late December, Russian courts ruled to liquidate International Memorial and its human rights center, allegedly due to a systematic violation of the law on “foreign agents.” The IMR spoke with member of the Memorial Human Rights Center council and head of the political prisoners program Sergei Davidis about why this decision has been made right now, what will happen to the Russian human rights movement, and how the West should respond to repressions within Russia.

What went wrong in Kazakhstan: a legal scholar’s point of view

Details: Analysis

What went wrong in Kazakhstan: a legal scholar’s point of view

Details: 11 January 2022; Ekaterina Mishina

In early January, Kazakhstan saw large-scale protests, which initially started due to a hike in gas prices. Very quickly, the protesters turned to political slogans, demanding that ex-president Nursultan Nazarbaev, the untouchable “Leader of the Nation,” leave his position of power. Legal scholar Ekaterina Mishina analyzes Kazakhstan’s experience of autocratic constitutional development and concludes that an endless strengthening of the power vertical is impossible.

CEPA–IMR joint event: COVID-19 and information warfare

Details: News

CEPA–IMR joint event: COVID-19 and information warfare

Details: 22 December 2021; Liya Wizevich

On December 15, the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), in collaboration with the Institute of Modern Russia (IMR), hosted a panel discussion on the findings and lessons learned from the recently released reports “Jabbed in the Back” and “The Rise and Fall of Sputnik V.” Dalia Bankauskaitė, Ben Dubow, Olga Khvostunova, and Vera Michlin-Shapir shared their views on how Russia and China engaged in information warfare during the COVID-19 pandemic. James Lamond moderated the discussion.

New scholarship on Russia presented at the 2021 Virtual ASEEES Convention

Details: Analysis

New scholarship on Russia presented at the 2021 Virtual ASEEES Convention

Details: 17 December 2021; Liya Wizevich

The virtual sessions of the Annual Convention of the Association of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) were held on December 1-3, 2021. To understand the current state of scholarship in the field, we review five panels that shared the latest research on Russia: the law on foreign agents, elections and protests, propaganda, and the factors leading to legitimization and support of Putin's rule.

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