All Articles - Institute of Modern Russia

Cold War Mistakes, Putin’s Next Conquest, and Nostalgia for the 90s

Details: Media Must-Reads

Cold War Mistakes, Putin’s Next Conquest, and Nostalgia for the 90s

3 – 9 October 2015

Details: 09 October 2015

This week, David W. Lesch writes in Foreign Policy that Russia risks repeating mistakes made by the Soviet Union when it meddled in Syria in the 1950s. Also, Peter Pomerantsev writes in Politico about a digital flashmob in which liberal Russians waxed nostalgic about the transformative 1990s.

Crisis in Emerging Markets: Why Is India Outperforming Russia?

Details: World

Crisis in Emerging Markets: Why Is India Outperforming Russia?

Details: 08 October 2015; Ezekiel Pfeifer

International investors have been largely bullish on the Indian economy this year, even as its BRIC counterparts have struggled amid a drop in commodity prices. Why is the country of 1.25 billion people doing better than Russia? In part two of a three-part series, IMR analyst Ezekiel Pfeifer compares Russia to India, which is growing apace but has a long way to go to become a developed nation.

Putin’s Fake Realism, Forgotten Ukraine, and Russia’s Mistake in Syria

Details: Media Must-Reads

Putin’s Fake Realism, Forgotten Ukraine, and Russia’s Mistake in Syria

26 September – 2 October 2015

Details: 02 October 2015

In Foreign Policy, Christian Caryl writes that Putin’s policy decisions are governed less by realism and more by his determination to retain power. Also, in Bloomberg View, Marc Champion writes that Ukrainian reformers have kept up their work even as the spotlight has shifted to Syria.

Constitutionalism vs. the ‘Russian Matrix.’ Part 2

Details: Law

Constitutionalism vs. the ‘Russian Matrix.’ Part 2

Details: 01 October 2015; Vladimir Pastukhov

In part one of his article on Russian constitutionalism, political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov, visiting fellow at St. Antony’s College of Oxford University, discussed the need to change Russians’ traditional mindset regarding what kinds of rules govern society. In part two, he explores the differences between Russian and Western views of the key constitutional ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity. This article is part of a periodic series on Russia’s Constitution.

Hasni Abidi: ‘By Supporting Assad, Moscow Will Create the Conditions for ISIS to Prosper’

Details: World

Hasni Abidi: ‘By Supporting Assad, Moscow Will Create the Conditions for ISIS to Prosper’

Details: 01 October 2015; Elena Servettaz

Last week, the Syria crisis became the central focus of the international agenda and was the key issue discussed at the 70th UN General Assembly. Just before Russia launched its first air strikes in Syria, journalist Elena Servettaz spoke with political analyst and Arab world expert Hasni Abidi, director of the Geneva-based Study and Research Center for the Arab and Mediterranean World, about the consequences of Moscow’s support for Bashar Assad.

Putin’s Fake Victory at the UN

Details: Politics

Putin’s Fake Victory at the UN

Details: 30 September 2015; Olga Khvostunova

On September 28, Vladimir Putin addressed the United Nations General Assembly for the first time in 10 years. The Russian president’s visit drew close attention from around the world and provoked intense media interest. The results of the trip, however, were quite modest. Imrussia.org editor-in-chief Olga Khvostunova examines the underlying reasons for Putin’s visit to New York.

Russia’s Heirs to Tolstoyevsky

Details: Nation

Russia’s Heirs to Tolstoyevsky

Details: 28 September 2015; Bradley Gorski

Casual observers of Russia often lament that the country’s once-vaunted culture no longer produces novelists of caliber equal to Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. But in fact, the world of contemporary Russian literature is vibrant and includes several novelists known for their grand realist works. These books are not only striking pieces of prose, but also valuable windows into modern-day Russian society, according to Bradley Gorski, a Ph.D. candidate in Slavic Studies at Columbia University.

Putin’s Plan in Syria, the Kashin Case, and Kadyrov’s Murderous Regime

Details: Media Must-Reads

Putin’s Plan in Syria, the Kashin Case, and Kadyrov’s Murderous Regime

19–25 September 2015

Details: 25 September 2015

In this week’s media highlights, Mitchell Orenstein writes in Foreign Affairs that the U.S. must be on guard when negotiating with Russia on Syria and Ukraine. Also, Andrew Roth of The Washington Post interviews Russian journalist Oleg Kashin five years after the brutal attack that nearly killed him.

Analysts Discuss Russia’s Regime and Opportunities for Opposition a Year Before 2016 Duma Elections

Details: News

Analysts Discuss Russia’s Regime and Opportunities for Opposition a Year Before 2016 Duma Elections

Details: 24 September 2015

On September 22, IMR and the National Endowment for Democracy co-hosted a panel discussion in Washington, D.C. titled “Russia One Year Before the Elections.” Russian experts Vladimir Kara-Murza, Lilia Shevtsova, and Sergey Aleksashenko discussed the current political and economic situation in Russia, with Carl Gershman moderating.

Protests in Moldova: Dignity and Truth vs. Euro-Imitators

Details: World

Protests in Moldova: Dignity and Truth vs. Euro-Imitators

Details: 23 September 2015; Vladimir Solovyev

In early September, a group in Moldova called Dignity and Truth led a protest of several thousand supporters of Euro-integration against the country’s ostensibly pro-Europe government. In the opinion of journalist Vladimir Solovyev, the protesters might be able to force early elections, but the true winners of the confrontation could end up being pro-Russian political forces.

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