Institute of Modern Russia

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New books offer insights into power, narratives, and opposition in Putin’s Russia

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04 June 2021

Liya Wizevich

On May 21, the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia (PONARS Eurasia) hosted an event titled “Putin’s Strengths and Vulnerabilities: Three New Books.” The authors, Regina Smyth, Timothy Frye, and Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, shared new perspectives on Russian society, opposition, and Putin’s presidency in the last twenty years, taking academic concepts and putting them in context for a broader audience. IMR has summarized these three authors’ arguments, highlighting new perspectives on existing narratives and the reasons why these books are relevant to understanding Russia today.

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How the Russian government uses anti-extremism laws to fight opponents

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04 June 2021

Igor Slabykh

The Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), and other organizations established by opposition politician Alexei Navalny, have recently fallen victim to attacks by the Russian government and will no doubt be recognized as extremist. The Putin regime has been using anti-extremism legislation against its opponents—ranging from religious organizations to journalists—for years. The latest attack, however, could affect thousands of Navalny’s supporters.

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Limitations of electoral rights, extremism, and terrorism: what is wrong with this bill?

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25 May 2021

Elena Lukyanova

In early May, a group of Russian deputies submitted to the State Duma a new package of repressive amendments, including a bill that would limit the right to be elected for individuals connected to extremist or terrorist organizations. This initiative has already caused a great stir among legal scholars. Elena Lukyanova, doctor of law and professor of the Free University, explains why the bill contradicts the Russian Constitution and other legislative acts.

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How the Kremlin changes the terms of engagement with regional elites

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12 May 2021

András Tóth-Czifra

As highly important September elections in Russia draw nearer, the Kremlin is trying to shore up its positions, using the usual tacks—from vague promises of additional spending to growing crackdowns on opposition. The late Putinism’s “offers” to Russian elites—especially those outside the highest echelons and tightest circles of power—are also changing. A closer look at recent developments reveals some awkward contradictions.

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It’s Time to End the Bacchanalia of Lies

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11 May 2021

Vladislav Inozemtsev

In late April, Russia’s Federal State Statistics Service published new COVID-related mortality data. The figure of 249,700 deaths unexpectedly compromised the previous official tally of 110,000 deaths reported by the Russian government to the WHO. Analysis of the new data shows that the country’s epidemiological situation is far from favorable despite official claims: the real number of new cases is clearly growing.

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Is Moscow Playing a Double Game in Iran?

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05 May 2021

Vera Michlin-Shapir

A recently leaked interview with Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has potentially offered damning evidence of Russia’s role in the region—as a disruptor conspiring with Iran’s most radical forces to undermine the nuclear deal. While Zarif’s comments should be taken with a grain of salt, his take on Russia should be given serious consideration.

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How the West reacted to Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly

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04 May 2021

Liya Wizevich

On April 21, Vladimir Putin delivered his annual address to Russia’s Federal Assembly. Instead of making a big announcement (like in his 2014 Crimea speech) as was predicted by many experts against the backdrop of Russian military buildup at Ukraine’s border, the Russian president mainly drew upon domestic and social affairs. IMR has rounded up how Western observers reacted to the speech and its lack of foreign policy bombshells.

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Opinions

• Longreads
• 30 Years of the USSR's Dissolution

Lev Gudkov: “The unity of the empire in Russia is maintained by three institutions: the school, the army, and the police”

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03 May 2021

Olga Khvostunova

December 26, 2021, will mark 30 years since the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. As such, the Institute of Modern Russia is launching a series of interviews with experts to discuss the post-Soviet decades, identify the key issues of the Russian transition, and their impact on the political system and society today. In the first interview, the head of the Levada Center, Lev Gudkov, spoke about Russia’s conservative revanche, the reproduction of Soviet myths, the stability of authoritarian power, and the “double consciousness” of the Russian people.

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Analysis

How Russian authorities use selective law enforcement

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27 April 2021

Igor Slabykh

It has been repeatedly observed both in Russia and beyond that one of the key principles of the current regime’s modus operandi is “for friends, everything; for others, the law.” The already dire situation with the country’s adherence to the rule of law is further exacerbated by arbitrary law enforcement. As numerous cases have shown over the course of the last two decades, the government tends to use the law selectively to punish critics and protect loyalists.

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Back to the Russian Path

What Vladimir Putin really said in his address to the Federal Assembly

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23 April 2021

Vladislav Inozemtsev

On April 21, Vladimir Putin delivered his 17th address to the Federal Assembly, devoting it mostly to the issues of overcoming poverty and economic development. However, an analysis of the measures he laid out once again confirms the fact that the president is not interested in economic growth if it requires structural and institutional reforms, more freedom, or an adjusted foreign policy.