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The Question “Who is Mr. Putin?” Still Unanswered

Details: 14 March 2013; Boris Bruk

After 13 years of Vladimir Putin’s rule over Russia, scholars are still pondering over the real persona of the Kremlin leader. IMR Advisor Boris Bruk analyzes the various studies dedicated to this subject, and draws his own conclusions.

Details: Politics

The Price of “People's Love” for Putin

Details: 13 March 2013; Tatiana Stanovaya

In early March, a pro-Kremlin rally against the adoption of Russian orphans by foreigners took place in Moscow. According to the Interior Ministry, some 12,000 people participated in this event. However, such rallies have little to do with the expression of true public will: they are meticulously staged, and their participants receive monetary compensation. Political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya discusses how and why the Russian government mobilizes crowds.

Details: Economics

Pavel Khodorkovsky’s Statement on Igor Sechin’s Houston Speech

Details: 13 March 2013

Last week, in a special address to the IHS CERAWeek Conference in Houston, Texas, Igor Sechin, the president of the Rosneft oil company, majority-owned by the Russian state, unveiled the company’s international strategy, including the development of an oilfield in the Vankor region of Eastern Siberia, which he described as “the largest new oil development project in post-Soviet Russia.” In response to Sechin’s address, IMR President Pavel Khodorkovsky issued the following statement.

Details: Law

Lèse-majesté

Details: 12 March 2013; Ekaterina Mishina

The Russian State Duma is considering Kremlin-sponsored amendments to the Civil Code that concern the “protection of honor, dignity and business reputation.” According to IMR Advisor Ekaterina Mishina, a prominent Russian legal expert, these proposals threaten to introduce in Russia the practice of public book-burning once perfected in the Third Reich.

Details: Nation

Stalin’s Long but Contradictory Shadow

Details: 11 March 2013; Donald N. Jensen

On March 5, Russians observed the sixtieth anniversary of the death of Josef Stalin, with the country divided over whether to view him as a tyrant who butchered millions of people or as a savior who defeated Hitler and transformed the nation into a superpower. Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, notes that the current Russian regime frequently relies on Stalinist symbols and habits of governance.

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