Institute of Modern Russia

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Opinions

• Discussion

Gleb Sitkovsky: ‘The Government Believes That If It Gives Money to Theaters, It Has the Right to Make Demands’

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18 August 2015

Polina Surnina

In recent years, the Russian government has begun to interfere more significantly in the work of cultural institutions. As part of the Institute of Modern Russia’s ongoing interview series, journalist Polina Surnina spoke with theater critic Gleb Sitkovsky about manifestations of patriotism in theater, anonymous zealots of morality, and attempts by the Culture Ministry to exercise control over the creative process.

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Media Must-Reads

Cold War Spy, Russian Startups, and Soviet War Myth Debunked

8–14 August 2015

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14 August 2015

In this week’s media highlights, writer David E. Hoffman tells the story of Adolf Tolkachev, who became one of the CIA’s most valuable spies in the Soviet Union. Also, journalist Aleksandr Gorbachev writes about the rising wave of Russian entrepreneurs coming to start businesses in the West.

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Opinions

• Discussion

Georgy Satarov: ‘The Opposition Needs to Put the Authorities in Zugzwang’

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12 August 2015

Olga Khvostunova

As part of the Institute of Modern Russia’s ongoing interview series with Russian and Western experts, imrussia.org editor-in-chief Olga Khvostunova sat down with INDEM Foundation president Georgy Satarov to talk about social discontent, the consequences of the law on ’’undesirable organizations,’’ the principle of simplification in Putin’s politics, and the chances for a real opposition to emerge in Russia.

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Nation

The Ebbing of the Patriotic Wave

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11 August 2015

Donald N. Jensen

President Vladimir Putin has seen his approval rating reach a record-high of 89 percent in recent months, riding a wave of so-called “patriotic mobilization” triggered by Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. But are Russians truly enthusiastic about Putin’s policies, or are they merely passive supporters? Donald Jensen, resident fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations, analyzes the situation and finds that public support for the Kremlin may be broad but not strong.

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Law

The Right to Total Lawlessness

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10 August 2015

Ekaterina Mishina

Police reform in Russia began in 2009 and in a sense is still underway, as is the discussion of its results and achievements. The latest set of draft amendments to the federal law “On the Police” may completely undo the attempts at reform, however. In the opinion of IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina, the proposed amendments could lead to the total failure of police reform and the triumph of the “police state.”

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Media Must-Reads

Media Must-Reads: Russia’s Brain Drain, Dashcams for Freedom, and ‘Putin Is a Dick’

1–7 August 2015

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07 August 2015

Commentator Georgy Bovt writes in The Moscow Times that Russia’s declining education system could cause a shortage of qualified workers in the country, while Nina Khrushcheva in Quartz tests the limits of political freedom in Russia by holding up a provocative sign on Red Square.

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Opinions

Patriots of Banning

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07 August 2015

Alexander Podrabinek

On July 7, a so-called “patriotic stop-list” was created in Russia, identifying twelve foreign non-governmental organizations whose activity has been deemed “undesirable” in the country. On July 22, the MacArthur Foundation, included in the stop-list, announced its decision to leave Russia. According to writer Alexander Podrabinek, this is only the beginning of a large-scale campaign against Russian civil society.

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World

Europe’s New Pro-Putin Coalition: the Parties of ‘No’

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03 August 2015

Péter Krekó, Marie Macaulay, Csaba Molnár, Lóránt Győri. Political Capital Institute (Hungary)

The recent creation of the Eurosceptic far-right faction Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) by Marine Le Pen, the leader of French party National Front, means there is a new and more powerful pro-Kremlin caucus in the European Parliament. ENF members consistently push Moscow’s interests in committees and plenary sessions, while masking their actions by saying they are lobbying the needs of interest groups.

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Media Must-Reads

Think Tank Controversy, Muslims in Moscow, and Travails of an Exiled Oligarch

25–31 July 2015

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31 July 2015

Reporter James Kirchick ignited an intense debate this week with an article in The Daily Beast that examined whether the Carnegie Moscow Center has lost its objectivity and become too friendly toward the Kremlin. Also, Catherine Belton of Financial Times interviewed exiled former oligarch Sergei Pugachev, who said he helped bring Vladimir Putin to power.

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World

What Will the U.S. Do About the Russian ‘Threat’?

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29 July 2015

Donald N. Jensen

The U.S. general likely to become the country’s top military officer recently called Russia the “greatest threat” to America, and a new U.S. military doctrine includes it on a list of global bad actors. But the government remains divided on how to respond to Moscow’s increasingly provocative behavior, writes Donald Jensen, resident fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations.