All Articles - Institute of Modern Russia

Crimea Proves Difficult to Digest

Details: World

Crimea Proves Difficult to Digest

Details: 14 August 2014; Donald N. Jensen

Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula in February sparked a conflict between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists that has drawn in the international community. However, while international focus has shifted away from Crimea and toward the ongoing fighting along Ukraine’s border, Russia still faces challenges in integrating Crimea. Donald N. Jensen, resident fellow of the Center for Transatlantic Relations, discusses how Russia has confronted these challenges and the possible consequences of its responses.

Food Sanctions: Putin on Every Plate

Details: Opinions

Food Sanctions: Putin on Every Plate

Details: 14 August 2014; Olga Melnikova

Last week, the Russian government banned food imports from the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia, and Norway. This initiative has split the already-divided Russian society into two warring camps. Olga Melnikova, a Moscow-based journalist, sums up the discussion currently unfolding in the Russian blogosphere.

Russia vs. Ukraine: From Destabilization to Separatism

Details: Politics

Russia vs. Ukraine: From Destabilization to Separatism

Details: 12 August 2014; Alexander Podrabinek

At the end of July, Vladimir Putin signed a law toughening criminal punishments for calls for separatism. According to writer and analyst Alexander Podrabinek, the Kremlin in this way has revealed its fear that the achievements of the Ukrainian separatists might put in motion potentially threatening mechanisms in Russia.

Whose Feelings Did Marilyn Manson and Pussy Riot Hurt?

Details: Law

Whose Feelings Did Marilyn Manson and Pussy Riot Hurt?

Details: 07 August 2014; Ekaterina Mishina

In late June, rock musician Marilyn Manson, known for his flamboyant onstage persona, was supposed to take part in a rock festival in Moscow. The concert, however, was canceled due to an alleged bomb threat. His second scheduled concert in Novosibirsk was canceled at the demand of Orthodox Christian activists. IMR advisor Ekaterina Mishina and Skyline High School (Ann Arbor, MI) junior Alice Nikitinskaya draw parallels between this incident and the Pussy Riot case.

Putin Shows Off in Latin America

Details: World

Putin Shows Off in Latin America

Details: 06 August 2014; Donald N. Jensen

Dating back to the Cold War, Russian leaders have at times claimed illness or gone abroad even as they’ve carried out aggressive moves elsewhere. This tradition is alive and well today. As Donald N. Jensen, resident fellow of the Center for Transatlantic Relations, notes, when Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, Putin was in Beijing; and this July, as the Ukraine conflict was escalating, he happened to take a tour to Latin America.

Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova: What Threatens the Eastern Partnership?

Details: News

Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova: What Threatens the Eastern Partnership?

Details: 05 August 2014

On July 28, the Legatum Institute and the Institute of Modern Russia presented papers on transitional issues faced by Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. The forum featured the reflections of two British journalists, Peter Pomerantsev and Oliver Bullough, as well as those of IMR’s editor-in-chief Olga Khvostunova. Anne Applebaum, director of the Legatum Institute’s Transitions Forum, moderated the discussion. The event took place at the National Endowment for Democracy’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Crimean Tatars: Back to the Past

Details: Politics

Crimean Tatars: Back to the Past

Details: 04 August 2014; Alexander Podrabinek

In 1944, on Stalin’s orders, the Crimean Tatar people were deported from Crimea to Central Asia in the space of three days. According to analyst Alexander Podrabinek, seventy years later, the Russian authorities are still putting pressure, if not on the entire Crimean Tatar people, then at least on their most prominent representatives, by banning leaders of the Crimean Tatar assembly (or Mejlis) Mustafa Dzhemilev and Refat Chubarov from entering Russia.

The MH17 Crash: Putin’s Geopolitical Defeat

Details: Politics

The MH17 Crash: Putin’s Geopolitical Defeat

Details: 30 July 2014; Tatiana Stanovaya

On July 17, a Malaysian Airlines Boeing-777 was downed over eastern Ukraine, a region controlled by separatists. All 298 people on board were killed. It is still unclear who launched the missile, but the international community has blamed the tragedy on Russia. Political analyst Tatyana Stanovaya discusses the geopolitical consequences of the disaster.

IMR Launched an Interactive Website on Russian Patriotism

Details: News

IMR Launched an Interactive Website on Russian Patriotism

Details: 23 July 2014

On July 10, the Institute of Modern Russia hosted the launch of a new interactive website titled “Patriotism,” which features the work of photographer Misha Friedman on the meaning of patriotism in today’s Russia. The launch took place at Fridman Gallery, located in New York City, and introductory remarks were made by IMR President Pavel Khodorkovsky.

Russia’s Mistral Deal: Where the Wind Blows

Details: World

Russia’s Mistral Deal: Where the Wind Blows

Details: 18 July 2014; Elena Servettaz

Since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, the West has been increasingly concerned about the delivery of two French Mistral-class helicopter carriers to Russia. With the third round of sanctions on the way, Paris’s continued insistence on delivering the carriers has brought a note of discord to the West’s general strategy of countering Russian aggression in Ukraine. Paris-based journalist Elena Servettaz discusses the controversial deal.

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