All Articles - Institute of Modern Russia

A Rubik’s Cube from the Russian Constitutional Court

Details: Law

A Rubik’s Cube from the Russian Constitutional Court

Details: 30 December 2013; Ekaterina Mishina

In December, the Constitutional Court of Russia issued a ruling in the Markin case that was supposed to settle the question of Russia’s obligation to implement decisions of the European Court of Human Rights on its territory. IMR Advisor Ekaterina Mishina, a prominent legal scholar, notes that the Constitutional Court has dodged the principal question—but still made sure to show “who is the boss.”

Restrained Priorities

Details: Politics

Restrained Priorities

Details: 23 December 2013; Tatiana Stanovaya

Contrary to the forecasts, the general tone of Vladimir Putin’s 2013 annual address to the Federal Assembly was rather restrained. According to political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya, the Kremlin has paused its program of repressions in the run-up to the Sochi Olympics.

2013: A Good Ending for Russia

Details: Nation

2013: A Good Ending for Russia

Details: 23 December 2013; Vladimir Kara-Murza

It is customary before the New Year to take stock of the year that has gone by. Days before the end of 2013, several political prisoners have been released from Russian jails. One of those who regained their freedom was Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia’s most prominent prisoner of conscience, who has spent more than a decade behind bars. IMR Senior Policy Advisor Vladimir Kara-Murza contends that, given the events of the last few days and their political context, Russia greets the end of 2013 with a glass half-full.

Why Russia Needs Egypt

Details: World

Why Russia Needs Egypt  

Details: 23 December 2013; Daria Mattis

This November, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and defense minister Sergei Shoigu visited Egypt to meet their Egyptian counterparts. The holding of bilateral talks on military and technical cooperation intensified earlier speculations about the renewal of Russian military assistance to Egypt. Daria Mattis reviews the Russia–Egypt rapprochement.

The Revival of Serfdom in Russia

Details: Politics

The Revival of Serfdom in Russia

Details: 20 December 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

In December, the Russian State Duma adopted a law reviving the Soviet rule of propiska—official residential registration. A key feature of the new law will be administrative and criminal liability for violating registration rules. According to author and analyst Alexander Podrabinek, this is another step toward transforming Russia into a country with a repressive system of ideological control.

First Statement By Mikhail Khodorkovsky After His Release

Details: News

First Statement By Mikhail Khodorkovsky After His Release

Details: 20 December 2013

On December 20, 2013, Mikhail Khodorkovsky was released from prison following a presidential pardon and arrived in Berlin, Germany. Below is the first statement by Mr. Khodorkovsky after his release.

The 2013 Tauride Readings in St. Petersburg

Details: News

The 2013 Tauride Readings in St. Petersburg

Details: 19 December 2013

On December 11 and 12, 2013, the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg hosted the annual Tauride Readings, an international academic conference on parliamentary history. Among the presenters at the forum was Vladimir Kara-Murza, senior policy advisor at the Institute of Modern Russia.

Will the Prodigal Son Be Forgiven?

Details: Politics

Will the Prodigal Son Be Forgiven?

Details: 18 December 2013; Donald N. Jensen

Presidential amnesty project passed by the Russian State Duma on December 18th will likely pardon former defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov who has been recently charged with negligence. As Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations notes, recent developments are a part a political maneuver by Putin to find an acceptable way out of the much criticized Oboronservis affair.

The Symbol of an Era

Details: Nation

The Symbol of an Era

Details: 16 December 2013; Boris Bruk

December 14 marked the anniversary of death of Andrei Sakharov, a world-known human rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and a man who became a symbol of his era. Over the years, his life remained an example of courage, nobility, and humanity for many people. IMR Advisor Boris Bruk highlights some of the details of Sakharov’s extraordinary life and discusses his intellectual and moral heritage.

Ukraine Goes to the West

Details: Politics

Ukraine Goes to the West

Details: 12 December 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

Mass protests in Ukraine, provoked by President Viktor Yanukovich’s rejection of the EU association agreement deal, are about to enter their third week. As some policy experts speculate on potential developments in the standoff situation, writer and publicist Alexander Podrabinek discusses what the Ukraine protests mean for Russia.

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