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Putin, Syria and the G-20

Details: 11 September 2013; Donald N. Jensen

The G-20 summit in St. Petersburg was dominated by the Syrian crisis, which officially was not even on the agenda. Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, contends that Vladimir Putin faces a choice—continue to be a spoiler in world affairs or try to play a constructive role.

Details: Politics

Russia’s Far East Goes Underwater

Details: 10 September 2013; Tatiana Stanovaya

In Russia, nobody is prepared for natural disasters; the population gets no warning; the authorities cannot acknowledge the extent of the catastrophe and assume political responsibility, since that could have a negative impact on their poll standings. This is exactly what is happening in Russia’s Far East, where hundreds of thousands of people are affected by floods. Political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya discusses the Russian authorities’ reactions to the natural disaster.

Details: Politics

The Kremlin’s Point of No Return

Details: 09 September 2013; Vladimir Kara-Murza

On September 8, regional and local elections were held across Russia. Most of the attention was focused on Moscow, where opposition mayoral candidate Alexei Navalny received nearly 30 percent of the vote. IMR Senior Policy Advisor Vladimir Kara-Murza argues that September 8, 2013, will prove to be a turning point for the current regime—the day when a political alternative emerged in Russia.

Details: Politics

An Old Tune: On Russia’s Political Prisoners

Details: 09 September 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

Russia’s current leaders, just as their Soviet predecessors, deny the existence of political prisoners in the country. Author and former political prisoner Alexander Podrabinek discusses the relationship between an authoritarian regime and its captives.

Details: Nation

Russia without Lenin?

Details: 06 September 2013; Alexander Yanov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues the series of articles about Russian nationalism written by the well-known historian Alexander Yanov. The first three essays, dedicated to Pan-Slavism, told the story of the birth of this ideology in Russia and its consequences for the country. The new installment explains how a great patriotic hysteria led the country to lose in the First World War and the consequent victory of Bolshevism.

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