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Lev Gudkov: “The unity of the empire in Russia is maintained by three institutions: the school, the army, and the police”

Details: 03 May 2021; Olga Khvostunova

December 26, 2021, will mark 30 years since the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. As such, the Institute of Modern Russia is launching a series of interviews with experts to discuss the post-Soviet decades, identify the key issues of the Russian transition, and their impact on the political system and society today. In the first interview, the head of the Levada Center, Lev Gudkov, spoke about Russia’s conservative revanche, the reproduction of Soviet myths, the stability of authoritarian power, and the “double consciousness” of the Russian people.

Details: Human Rights

April 2021: Navalny’s team, IStories and DOXA, Ivan Pavlov and new treason cases

Details: 03 May 2021; Diana Fishman

April has been the busiest month this year in terms of the volume and severity of political persecution in Russia. The Kremlin launched a procedural attack to recognize opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s organizations as extremist, leading to their decision to dissolve. Searches took place at the offices and homes of the editor-in-chief of the investigative project IStories and the editorial team of the independent student magazine DOXA. Show trials continue for treason charges, with pressure mounting on Ivan Pavlov, the lead attorney in these cases.

Details: Analysis

How Russian authorities use selective law enforcement

Details: 27 April 2021; Igor Slabykh

It has been repeatedly observed both in Russia and beyond that one of the key principles of the current regime’s modus operandi is “for friends, everything; for others, the law.” The already dire situation with the country’s adherence to the rule of law is further exacerbated by arbitrary law enforcement. As numerous cases have shown over the course of the last two decades, the government tends to use the law selectively to punish critics and protect loyalists.

Details: Analysis

Back to the Russian Path

What Vladimir Putin really said in his address to the Federal Assembly

Details: 23 April 2021; Vladislav Inozemtsev

On April 21, Vladimir Putin delivered his 17th address to the Federal Assembly, devoting it mostly to the issues of overcoming poverty and economic development. However, an analysis of the measures he laid out once again confirms the fact that the president is not interested in economic growth if it requires structural and institutional reforms, more freedom, or an adjusted foreign policy.

Details: Opinions

Why negotiations on Donbass failed

Details: 22 April 2021; Andrei Piontkovsky

On April 16-20, another attempt was made to resolve the military conflict in eastern Ukraine. France, Germany, and Ukraine (Trilateral Contact Group) convened for consultations, with Russia joining the talks (“Normandy format”). Once again, the negotiations ended in stalemate, as the parties failed to agree on measures to reduce escalation on the contact line in Donbass. Against this backdrop, the fact that Vladimir Putin didn’t even mention Ukraine in his recent address to the Federal Assembly is alarming.

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