All Articles - Institute of Modern Russia

Why the Kremlin Is Actually Losing the War

Details: Politics

Why the Kremlin Is Actually Losing the War

Details: 09 September 2014; Tatiana Stanovaya

In late August, the Ukrainian crisis entered a new phase. According to political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya, the freezing of the conflict in eastern Ukraine might seem like a victory for the Kremlin, but in a broader perspective, it means that Moscow is in fact failing to achieve its geopolitical goal of restraining NATO.

Minsk Summit: Breakthrough in Ukraine Crisis Unlikely

Details: World

Minsk Summit: Breakthrough in Ukraine Crisis Unlikely

Details: 09 September 2014; Donald N. Jensen

In late August the presidents of Ukraine and Russia, Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin, met in Minsk. Donald N. Jensen, resident fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Studies, overviews the issues that were left on the table as peace was whispered about in the capital of Belarus.

The Lessons of the First World War, or Why Putin’s Regime Is Doomed

Details: Nation

The Lessons of the First World War, or Why Putin’s Regime Is Doomed

Details: 05 September 2014; Alexander Yanov

Started 100 years ago, the First World War was one of the deadliest and most extensive military conflicts in the history of humankind. Tens of millions of people lost their lives, four empires ceased to exist, and new ones sprang into being in the aftermath of this war. Its echoes reverberate even to this day. The distinguished scholar Alexander Yanov reflects on the lessons of WWI.

The Premonition of War

Details: Opinions

The Premonition of War

Details: 03 September 2014; Alexander Podrabinek

In late August, Russian troops as good as started the invasion of the Ukrainian territory. Despite the Russians’ drastic escalation of the military conflict, the West has remained neutral with regard to Vladimir Putin’s aggressive policy. According to writer Alexander Podrabinek, the sooner Western leaders realize that this position is misguided, the lower the cost of reestablishing peace will be.

Russian Separatism: The Hotbeds of Tension

Details: Politics

Russian Separatism: The Hotbeds of Tension

Details: 29 August 2014; Alexander Podrabinek

The Ukrainian crisis has once again kindled the flames of Russian separatism—a problem that has plagued the authorities for many years. On August 17, 2014, the so-called “March for the Federalization of Siberia” was supposed to take place in Novosibirsk, but it was forbidden from occurring by the local authorities. All articles covering the issue were retracted upon the request of Roskomnadzor, the Russian state media watchdog. Writer and journalist Alexander Podrabinek discusses which Russian regions have the potential to become breakaways.

Soviet Nationalist Dissidents: The Drama of Veche Magazine. Part 1

Details: Nation

Soviet Nationalist Dissidents: The Drama of Veche Magazine. Part 1

Details: 29 August 2014; Alexander Yanov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles by well-known scholar Alexander Yanov on the history of Russian nationalism in the USSR. In this essay, which will be published in two parts, the author tells the story of a dissident faction of the opposition nationalist wing—represented by Veche, a samizdat magazine—and Nikolai Danilevsky, the Pan-Slavism ideologue who became the torch-bearer for this movement.

The Spread of Russian Chauvinism

Details: Opinions

The Spread of Russian Chauvinism

Details: 28 August 2014; Olga Melnikova

The most recent public polls in Russia show an unprecedented increase in patriotism and support for president Vladimir Putin’s policies. At the same time, there is growing intolerance toward the opposition and hostility toward Western counties. Olga Melnikova, a Moscow-based journalist, observes that, under the influence of propaganda, many Russians seem to have developed something akin to Stockholm syndrome in their relationship to the government.

The World Has Fallen Out of Love with Russia

Details: Nation

The World Has Fallen Out of Love with Russia

Details: 27 August 2014; Boris Bruk

The results of several recently published public opinion polls have shown that Russia’s reputation abroad has drastically worsened. According to sociologists, this change has been caused by Russia’s aggressive policies toward Ukraine. At the same time, IMR advisor Boris Bruk notes, public sentiment inside Russia has moved in the opposite direction.

How to Oppose the Kremlin’s Propaganda

Details: Nation

How to Oppose the Kremlin’s Propaganda

Details: 20 August 2014; Alexander Podrabinek

Since the beginning of 2014, the Kremlin’s campaign to put pressure on the country’s remaining independent media has picked up steam. The cancellation of the last relatively independent program on the Ren-TV channel, Week with Marianna Maksimovskaya, is the most recent example of this ongoing campaign. According to writer Alexander Podrabinek, the only way to oppose the Kremlin’s propaganda is by increasing access to alternative media and creating international TV channels that broadcast in the Russian language.

The Resurrection of “Cosmopolitanism” and the Consolidation of the Russian Party

Details: Nation

The Resurrection of “Cosmopolitanism” and the Consolidation of the Russian Party

Details: 18 August 2014; Alexander Yanov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles by well-known scholar Alexander Yanov on the history of Russian nationalism in the USSR. In this essay he writes about the consolidation of the right-wing opposition in its struggle against cosmopolitanism and its diminished enthusiasm as a result of the measures taken during the Brezhnev regime that followed.

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