Institute of Modern Russia

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Analysis

Will Russia Survive as a State?

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13 November 2020

Dmitry Shlapentokh

Recent protests in the Russian Far East region of Khabarovsk reignited the discussions about separatist tendencies in the country and the tense relations between Moscow and the regions. The highly centralized government system constantly breeds local grievances and fuels resentment, with local identities in some regions becoming stronger than national or ethnic ones. The centrifugal forces in some parts of Russia are indeed strong, but scenarios of Russian disintegration become plausible only if Moscow’s grip on power is weakened.

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Opinions

The Magnificent Seven, or Why Russia Needs Lifetime Senators

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10 November 2020

Ekaterina Mishina

In late October, Vladimir Putin introduced to the State Duma a new bill on the formation procedure of Russia’s Federation Council. The amendments, introduced as part of the constitutional reform, will allow head of state to appoint lifetime senators. Legal scholar Ekaterina Mishina evaluated the key ideas of this proposal.

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News

IMR and СEPA hosted a virtual discussion on Russia’s civil society trends

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30 October 2020

On October 29, 2020, the Institute of Modern Russia (IMR) and Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) hosted a virtual discussion following the release of IMR's new report titled “Russia under Putin: 20 Years of Battling over Civil Society.” The report is the second in the series of IMR's project dedicated to Russia under Vladimir Putin's 20-year long rule. Participants in the discussion included civil society researcher Yana Gorokhovskaia, Miriam Lanskoy (NED), Denis Volkov (Levada Center), and Edward Lucas (CEPA). IMR's Olga Khvostunova moderated.

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Opinions

Sergei Davidis: “The Russian authorities aim at discrediting the entire human rights movement”

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30 October 2020

Olga Khvostunova

October 30 marks the Day of Political Prisoners in Russia. According to the latest data, there are currently 331 in the country. Sergei Davidis, Memorial council member and head of its political prisoners program, explains whom the Russian state is trying to repress.

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IMR-СEPA Virtual Event: 20 Years of Putin and the Battle for Russia’s Civil Society

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27 October 2020

On October 29, 2020, the Institute of Modern Russia (IMR) and Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) will host a virtual discussion following the release of IMR's new report titled “Russia under Putin: 20 Years of Battling over Civil Society.” The report is the second in the series of IMR's project dedicated to Russia under Vladimir Putin's 20-year long rule. Participants in the discussion include civil society researcher Yana Gorokhovskaia, Miriam Lanskoy (NED), Denis Volkov (Levada Center), and Edward Lucas (CEPA). IMR's Olga Khvostunova will moderate.

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Analysis

Why Russia Should Pay Attention to Kamala Harris

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27 October 2020

Dante Matero

If Joe Biden wins this November election, his VP Kamala Harris will likely take on a substantial foreign policy role in his administration. While she lacks international experience, Harris’s background and political views are good policy predictors. When it comes to Russia, she is expected to be tough on human rights violations and а staunch advocate for arms control.

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Russia’s pre-existing conditions

How will the regions weather the second COVID-19 wave?

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23 October 2020

András Tóth-Czifra

The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has reached Russia. While Moscow suffered the most in the first wave, almost two-thirds of the new cases are now registered in the regions. The situation may get worse, since the problems accumulated during the spring pandemic have not been resolved. Unless the Kremlin thoroughly rethinks its fiscal policy, the second wave may hit cash-starved regions even harder than the first.

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In Russia, Elections Are About More Than Just Winning

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16 October 2020

Yana Gorokhovskaia

Despite fraud and significant administrative barriers to participation for most candidates, elections continue to be a crucial battleground in Russia between the regime and the opposition. Anti-Kremlin forces have achieved some successes in unseating United Russia candidates, but in the long term, elections may undermine authoritarianism by engaging voters, not by ousting regime incumbents.

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IMR releases Katerina Gordeyeva's documentary on the 2019 summer protests in Moscow

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07 October 2020

This documentary by Russian journalist Katerina Gordeyeva tells the story of the 2019 summer protests that took place in Moscow in the run-up to the municipal elections..

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Analysis

• Longreads

Poisonous Maneuvers

Crucial facts about the politics of Navalny’s poisoning

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07 October 2020

Olga Khvostunova

The attempt on the life of opposition leader Alexei Navalny has become one of the central political events in Russia, but most Russians do not believe that the oppositionist was deliberately poisoned. Despite criticism from Western leaders, the Kremlin refuses to open a criminal investigation and continues to manipulate the facts. IMR’s analysis shows that the accusations made against the Russian state about the illegal use of chemical weapons are valid, but evidence is insufficient. International sanctions are imminent, as the West seeks to punish the Putin regime, but they will likely hurt less than the destruction of Russia’s special relations with Germany.