Home - Institute of Modern Russia

Khimki: Local Elections, National Importance

Details: 17 September 2012; Vladimir Kara-Murza

Last week, the electoral commission in Khimki, a northern suburb of Moscow, completed the nomination process for the upcoming mayoral election. Twenty-six candidates are planning to take part in the October 14th vote, with nine of them already registered. Yet the real battle will be between two contenders: Oleg Shakhov, the regime-backed candidate, and Yevgenia Chirikova, a leader of the Russian opposition. IMR Advisor Vladimir V. Kara-Murza discusses the importance of this campaign for the country’s protest movement.

Details: Nation

"Russia Rising": 30 Graphic Designers Challenge Putin's Regime

Details: 13 September 2012

"The current regime is openly disdainful of its constituents, and while it generally does not threaten their lives, it does assault their human dignity and their basic freedoms. Our hope is to help lend a well-pitched voice to the outcry," says Misha Beletsky, New York graphic designer, art director for Abbeville Press, and co-curator of the "Russia Rising: Votes for Freedom" exhibition. The showcase, responding to recent political turmoil in Russia through protest posters, will run in New York September 4th through 22nd at the School of Visual Arts' Westside Gallery, 141 West 21 Street.

Details: Nation

Benefit in Support of Pussy Riot’s Political Statement

Details: 11 September 2012

On September 10th, a benefit for the Pussy Riot feminist punk band took place in Lombard Freid Gallery in New York. The walls were covered in flat-screen televisions showing five original videos of the band's performances filmed in various locations in Moscow, culminating in their final, and most provocative, act at the Christ the Savior Church. The event, co-sponsored by Amnesty International, attracted a mixed Manhattan crowd of artists, journalists, human rights activists, and band sympathizers.

Details: Politics

Russia’s Opposition Vote: Pro et Contra

Details: 12 September 2012

September 15th is the last day for candidates to register for election to the Coordinating Council of the Russian opposition. According to its proponents, the new structure, by having elected members, will legitimize opposition leaders in the eyes of the grassroots, and consolidate the protest movement, which has become a major force following the mass rallies in 2011 and 2012. Yet not all opposition figures are backing this idea: skeptics fear that internal competition will weaken the protest movement and lead to a split in its ranks.

Details: Nation

Pussy Riot Benefit at Lombard Freid

Details: 06 September 2012

Lombard Freid Gallery is pleased to announce a one-time event for the benefit of the Pussy Riot Feminist Art Collective on Monday, September 10, from 6-10 pm at 518 W 19th Street, Manhattan, NY. All proceeds from the event will go to assisting the families and defense fund of the jailed band members.

Our newsletter delivers a digest of analytical articles and op-eds published on our website, along with the latest updates on the IMR activities on a monthly basis.