Institute of Modern Russia

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Media Must-Reads

Stalin’s Revival, License to Kill, and Can Russia Survive Cheap Oil?

23 – 29 January

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29 January 2016

In this week’s media highlights, Hannah Thoburn analyzes in the Foreign Policy the reasons for Stalin’s resurrected cult of personality. In Foreign Affairs, Edward Lucas argues that despite the findings of the Litvinenko inquiry Russia and the United Kingdom will continue business as usual. And Nicolas Gvosdev in his commentary for the National Interest discusses the effect of low energy prices on the Russian companies.

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Media Must-Reads

The Case of Alexander Litvinenko, Putin’s Pointers for U.S. Democracy, and How the West Misjudged Russia

16 – 22 January

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22 January 2016

In this week’s media highlights, Luke Harding details in The Guardian the story of a former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned in 2006 in London. In The American Interest, Lilia Shevtsova takes on the mistakes of the expert community that focuses on Russia both inside the country and in the West. And Maxim Trudolyubov in his commentary for the Wilson Center discusses the drawbacks of the Russian state.

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World

Putinism and the European Far Right

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19 January 2016

Alina Polyakova

It was recently reported that U.S. intelligence agencies will conduct a major investigation into how the Kremlin is infiltrating political parties in Europe with the goal of exploiting European disunity and undermining NATO. While the official results of this investigation are still long in the making, Russia's influence in Europe has already been thoroughly researched in the think-tank and academic world. As part of IMR's research series, we are publishing a paper that focuses on the relationship between the Putin doctrine and Europe's far-right parties. The paper, authored by Alina Polyakova, Ph.D., deputy director of the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council, was originally presented at the 2015 ASEEES Annual Convention.

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Media Must-Reads

Navalny’s Strange Freedom, Russian Cyberwar Against Ukraine, and Why Putin Loves Trump

9 – 15 January

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16 January 2016

In this week’s media highlights, Masha Gessen writes in The New Yorker about Alexey Navalny’s special place in both the opposition movement and the Kremlin’s politics. In The New York Times, Ivan Krastev explains Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy and enthusiasm for Donald Trump.

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Book Reviews

Who Will Win in the New Cold War?

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11 January 2016

Daniel Frey

Over the last few years, debates on whether Russia and the West are engaged in a New Cold War have intensified. Some analysts argue that the standoff is only a matter of rhetoric, while others, like Edward Lucas, author of the aptly named volume The New Cold War, believe that the global confrontation is real, and if the West doesn’t act soon, it is already lost.

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Media Must-Reads

IMR’s Best Analysis of 2015

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29 December 2015

As 2015 draws to a close, IMR offers you a great holiday reading—top-10 analytical pieces that were published at our website throughout this year.

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News

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2016!

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24 December 2015

The Institute of Modern Russia wishes you happy holidays!

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Media Must-Reads

Putin’s Presser, Kremlin Caricature, and Gas Wars with Turkey

12 – 18 December

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18 December 2015

In this week’s media highlights, Leonid Bershidsky discusses in Bloomberg View Vladimir Putin’s annual press-conference, arguing that his loyalties may be in fact the president’s biggest weakness. Also, in the National Interest, Paul Starobin writes that current U.S. reports and analysis on Russia lacks depth and understanding.

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Opinions

Who is to blame for what happened to the Russian Constitution, and What do we do about it now?

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17 December 2015

Mikhail Khodorkovsky

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, founder of the Open Russia movement, discusses why the Russian Constitution is “no more than a piece of paper—a sham symbol of federalism, freedom and democracy.”

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World

Crisis in Emerging Markets: Is China’s Model Better Than Russia’s?

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16 December 2015

Ezekiel Pfeifer

In recent decades, China and Russia have both experienced ample economic growth, but have achieved it via diametrically opposed paths. Whereas China has pumped spending into infrastructure and investment, Russia has fed export revenues into wage growth. Now that Russia has entered a deep recession, is China winning? In the concluding installment of a three-part series on the BRIC nations, IMR analyst Ezekiel Pfeifer compares the economic prospects of China and Russia.