Institute of Modern Russia

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Economics

Putin’s Six Tricks

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31 July 2012

Igor Booth

A popular belief among the political observers skeptical of Russia’s stability is that if oil prices fall below 60 USD per barrel and remain there for more than a year, Putin’s regime will fall. However, IMR's economic advisor Igor Booth argues that the Russian government has a significant arsenal for fighting the potential economic crisis, no matter how serious it becomes. Only a small number of critical mistakes in economic policy could destabilize the country sufficiently to force the regime out of power.

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Nation

HIV/AIDS and TB: IMR Against Social Indifference

A Tribute to Vasily Aleksanyan

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30 July 2012

As part of IMR's AIDS and tuberculosis advocacy project, we present a tribute page for lawyer Vasily Aleksanyan, formerly the head of the Yukos legal department and briefly the company's executive vice president. Aleksanyan died from AIDS-related tuberculosis and lymphoma in 2011. Our tribute page includes the harrowing video of Aleksanyan's last interview with leading Russian newspaper "Kommersant" and the English transcript of his few but impactful words. On July 23rd, at the XIX International AIDS Conference of 2012 in Washington, DC, IMR presented Misha Friedman's photography exhibition and conducted a panel discussion on HIV / AIDS and TB in Russia, in order to continue raising international awareness of the worsening epidemic. On Wednesday, August 1st we will publish a summary account of our exhibition and panel discussion by IMR Director, Lidiya Dukhovich.

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World

The Home Stretch: the Magnitsky Act in Congress

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27 July 2012

Vladimir Kara-Murza

On July 26, 2012 the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee approved the repeal of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, which had been passed in 1974. Last month, key Congressional comittees had unanimously passed the Magnistky Act, a law imposing severe sanctions on those who have violated human rights in Russia and elsewhere. Vladimir V. Kara-Murza, a leading Russian journalist, activist, and, until recently, the RTVi Washington Bureau Chief, reports on the repeal of the historic amendment and the passage of the Magnitsky Act. As he explained to IMR, Kara-Murza was forced out of his position at RTVi because of his participation in the preparation and advocacy for the expansion of the Magnitsky Act.

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Politics

Why Russia Can't Have a Public Television Network

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25 July 2012

Tatiana Stanovaya

The first two months of Vladimir Putin’s latest presidency have effectively ended the dialogue between the authorities and opposition forces. Putin’s administration has passed stringent new legislation on non-profit organizations; imposed de facto censorship on the Internet; and publicly persecuted opposition leaders and demonstrators, among other anti-democratic offenses. Against this backdrop, the state is also finally creating a public television network. Presumably, this new outlet will be another tool the government uses in to attempts to turn public opinion in its favor instead of a forum for building a healthy media environment Tatyana Stanovaya, head of the Center for Political Technologies analytics department, explains why public television as it is understood in the West won't thrive in Russia.

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Nation

My Perestroika DVD Now for Sale at myperestroika.com

Tracking Classmates From Soviet Childhoods To Putin's Russia

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24 July 2012

After festival screenings in over 30 countries, 'My Perestroika' has finally arrived on DVD. The film premiered at Sundance, was broadcast nationwide on PBS on the POV series, and received the prestigious 2012 Peabody Award. To purchase it, please visit 'My Perestroika' website, where the DVD is sold for purposes of both institutional/educational and home use. The DVD includes over an hour of deleted scenes and interviews. All DVDs are Region 0, and can be shipped overseas. "This is a small independent film, supported by grants and donations from individuals. Purchasing your DVD via myperestroika.com ensures that maximum assistance is provided to alleviate the production and distribution costs we’ve accrued", Hessman explains.

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Politics

The Krymsk Syndrome

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23 July 2012

Olga Khvostunova

This month's flooding in the southern Russian town of Krymsk, which left 172 dead, have illustrated two important new realities of Russian politics. First of all, public trust in the government has reached the point of no return as, by and large, statements issued by government officials are now seen as lies by many in Russia. Secondly, due to the ineffectiveness of government measures, growing numbers of citizens’ groups have appeared in order to fill the gap, effectively creating alternative agencies of self-government.

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Nation

Debunking Putin's Newest Myth

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18 July 2012

Alexander Yanov

There is an unspoken consensus in contemporary Russian political discourse that 'Putinism' does not constitute an ideology. However, this consensus may blind political observers to the emergence of a new approach of legitimizing Putin's regime, namely, a mythology of the unique nature of the Russian civilization. Historian Alexander Yanov discusses the philosophical foundations of this approach, decisively demonstrating that Putin's new ideological project has more bark than bite.

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Economics

Oases in the Investment Desert

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17 July 2012

Igor Booth

Although this June’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was intended to make Russia more attractive to foreign investors, it instead revealed that promises from Russian officials no longer hold water in the international business community. According to independent economic analyst Igor Booth, in order to successfully promote investment growth, Russia needs to better adapt to the post-crisis economic climate.

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Nation

Staggering Facts about Russian Corruption

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12 July 2012

The idea of Vladimir Putin as the safeguard of economic and political stability is deeply embedded in the Russian psyche. This groundless perception emerged during favorable economic times, and was used by the political elite to manipulate the public. Uncovering and publicizing the truth about the current situation has proved an essential and effective means of fighting corruption. IMR presents the latest fact sheet from Good Propaganda Machine, a project recently launched by opposition leader Alexei Navalny. This fact sheet features some of the most shocking numbers related to the current regime's corruption and the country's general deterioration.

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Nation

Russians Demand Change; Study Foresees Crisis

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11 July 2012

This May, the Center for Strategic Research (CSR) published a report entitled "Society and the Government During Political Crisis" The controversial document asserts that the full-scale political crisis in Russia is only escalating and presents scenarios for its further development. Overall, the CSR's prognosis for the current regime is unfavorable. IMR analysts detail the report's key provisions and review responses to it in the Russian media.