Institute of Modern Russia

Vladimir Bukovsky: “The more protests there are, the more likely political prisoners will be released”

08 November 2019

Olga Khvostunova

In memory of the legendary Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, IMR re-publishes his 2014 interview, in which he spoke on the differences between the political prisoners of Soviet times and those of today’s Russia, and shared his insights on the methods of struggling against political repressions.

Andrei Pivovarov: the Victim of Kostroma

25 September 2015

Ezekiel Pfeifer

Russia’s liberal opposition knew the chips were stacked against it in recent elections in the conservative Kostroma region. What opposition leaders did not expect was that their campaign manager and fellow politician Andrei Pivovarov would be suddenly arrested on trumped-up charges. In the latest installment of its ongoing series profiling Russia’s political prisoners, IMR examines Pivovarov’s case.

The Curious Case of the Soviet Star Painter

27 August 2015

Alexander Podrabinek

On August 17, Moscow’s Tagansky District Court initiated proceedings on the so-called “roofers’ case”: Last year, roofer Pavel Ushivets scaled the golden pinnacle of a Stalin-era skyscraper and painted half of it blue to resemble Ukraine’s national colors, then planted a Ukrainian flag on its spire. Instead of arresting the roofer, though, police arrested four base-jumpers who happened to climb the building that same day. According to writer Alexander Podrabinek, the vandalism case initiated against the base-jumpers is ridiculous both in form and in content, and the accused are essentially being held hostage.

Russia’s Political Prisoners: Yevgeny Vitishko

28 January 2015

Boris Bruk

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles dedicated to Russian political prisoners. This article is dedicated to the Krasnodar environmentalist Yevgeny Vitishko, who in 2012 faced charges in the “Tkachev’s dacha” case.

Russia’s Political Prisoners: The Updated List

10 December 2014

The Institute of Modern Russia publishes the updated list of persons recognized as political prisoners by Russia’s Memorial Human Rights Center, as it stands on October 30, 2014.

Russia’s Political Prisoners: Alexei Polikhovich

10 December 2014

Boris Bruk

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles dedicated to Russian political prisoners with a profile of Alexei Polikhovich, a student at the Russian State Social University (RSSU) and a defendant in the “first wave” of the Bolotnaya trials. He is currently being held in penal colony in the Ryazan region.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky Speaks in Oslo in Defense of Russia’s Political Prisoners

23 October 2014

On October 22, founder of the Open Russia movement Mikhail Khodorkovsky spoke at the 2014 Oslo Freedom Forum. His speech was dedicated to Russia’s political prisoners, in particular the “Bolotnaya Case” prisoners. The highlights of his speech are summarized by IMR.

Russia’s Political Prisoners: Yaroslav Beloussov

04 September 2014

Boris Bruk

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles dedicated to Russian political prisoners with a profile of Yaroslav Beloussov, a political science student at Moscow State University and a defendant in the “first wave” of the Bolotnaya trials. On September 8, 2014, after two years and three months of imprisonment, Beloussov is due to be released.

The Bolotnaya “Justice”

20 August 2014

Dmitry Borko

On August 18, 2014, the Moscow City Court convicted four defendants in the “second wave” of the Bolotnaya Square case. Alexei Gaskarov and Alexander Margolin each received three and a half years in prison colonies; Ilya Gushchin received two and a half years of imprisonment; and Elena Kokhtareva, who pled guilty, was sentenced to three years and three months suspended. In a special article for IMR, social defender and journalist Dmitry Borko summarizes the results of this politically motivated criminal case.

The Bolotnaya Case: Another Guilty Verdict

25 July 2014

Julia Polukhina

On July 24, two activists from the Left Front, Sergei Udaltsov and Leonid Razvozzhaev, were found guilty of organizing mass disorder on May 6, 2012. The defendants in this politically motivated case were sentenced to terms of 4.5 years each. Julia Polukhina, the Novaya Gazeta correspondent who covered this trial, summarizes the results of the latest episode of the Bolotnaya cases specially for IMR.

Russia’s Political Prisoners: Ilya Gushchin

09 July 2014

Boris Bruk

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles dedicated to Russian political prisoners with a portrait of Ilya Gushchin, opposition activist, member of the National Democratic Party, and defendant in the “second wave” of the Bolotnaya trials.

Russia's Political Prisoners: Daniil Konstantinov

28 May 2014

Boris Bruk

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles dedicated to Russian political prisoners with a portrait of Daniil Konstantinov, a civil activist and leader of the nationalist League for the Defense of Moscow movement. New court hearings on his case started on May 27.

Russia’s Political Prisoners: Sergei Udaltsov

19 May 2014

Olga Khvostunova

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles dedicated to Russian political prisoners with a portrait of Sergei Udaltsov, a leader of the Left Front movement, one of the leaders of the 2011–12 protest movement, and a defendant in the Bolotnaya case.

Russia’s Political Prisoners: Leonid Razvozzhayev

22 April 2014

Boris Bruk

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of publications on Russia’s political prisoners with a profile of Leonid Razvozzhayev, an activist in the Left Front movement and a defendant in the Bolotnaya Square case.

Russia's Political Prisoners: Denis Lutskevich

10 April 2014

Olga Khvostunova

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of publications on Russia’s political prisoners with a profile of Denis Lutskevich: student, former marine, and “Bolotnaya case” defendant. Today, April 11th, he turned 22.

Russia’s Political Prisoners: Alexey Gaskarov

07 April 2014

Boris Bruk

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of publications on Russia’s political prisoners with a profile of Alexey Gaskarov, an activist and a defendant in the Bolotnaya Square case. The pretrial hearing for his case is scheduled for April 14.

Russia’s Political Prisoners: Mikhail Kosenko

23 March 2014

Boris Bruk

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of publications on Russia’s political prisoners with the portrait of Mikhail Kosenko, an activist and a defendant of the Bolotnoye case. He was sentenced to forced psychiatric treatment; the court decision is to be appealed on March 25, 2014.

Russia’s Political Prisoners: Taisiya Osipova

19 March 2014

Olga Khvostunova

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of publications on Russia’s political prisoners with the portrait of Taisiya Osipova, an activist of the unregistered Other Russia Party.

Russia’s Political Prisoners: Sergei Krivov

04 March 2014

Boris Bruk

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of publications on Russia’s political prisoners with the portrait of “Bolotnaya prisoner” Sergei Krivov.

Vladimir Bukovsky: “The more protests there are, the more likely political prisoners will be released.”

20 February 2014

Olga Khvostunova

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles dedicated to Russia’s political prisoners.* Prominent writer, dissident, and former political prisoner Vladimir Bukovsky spoke with IMR Advisor Olga Khvostunova on the differences between the political prisoners of Soviet times and those of today’s Russia, and shared his insights on the methods of struggling against political repressions.