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An Argument By The Tomb of Putin's Compromise

Details: 09 January 2012; Georgy Satarov

This essay's plot is simple. The Moscow Valdai Discussion Club, a forum for international experts to meet and debate issues relevant to contemporary Russia, recently released its report on the problems in the Russian Federation. Georgy Satarov, a former aide to President Yeltsin, was so outraged by this report that he sent the members of the Club a rather offensive open letter in which he claimed that the authors of the report "possess no intellectual or ethical virtues whatsoever." Satarov went on to reprimand the members of the Club – among them, respectable Russian and Western experts – warning them that by letting "political manipulators" take advantage of them, they put themselves at risk of tarnishing their fair names.

Details: Economics

Russian Economic Problems Highlighted as Country Joins WTO

Details: 05 January 2012; Olga Khvostunova

On December 16, Russia was finally — after 18 years of negotiations — admitted to the World Trade Organization. Though WTO membership was one of the key issues in Russia’s foreign policy agenda, the benefits of this deal are debatable. Some analysts estimate that Russia can gain at least $50 billion a year, while others argue that the country’s own inefficiency, endemic corruption and stifled competition will limit the investment inflow.

Details: Nation

Opposition at Crossroads: What Now?

Details: 29 December 2011; Olga Khvostunova

On December 24, around 100,000 Russians showed up for the second antigovernment demonstration in Moscow. While President Dmitry Medvedev’s proposal for political reforms may appear to signal an early victory for protesters, many experts argue that the proposed changes will not quell growing public discontent. Below, we consider possible outcomes of what some experts believe might turn into a full-blown revolution.

Details: Nation

Russian Opposition Steps “into the Light”

Details: 21 December 2011

The recent politically-motivated art exhibit “Russian Visionaries. Into the Light,” sponsored by IMR and presented in New York, could not have been more timely. As the latest developments in Russia indicate, the opposition has indeed come “into the light.” The American and Russian media that covered the exhibition couldn’t agree more.

Details: Law

Mikhail Fedotov: None of us wants to serve as mere decoration on the authorities' lapel

Details: 19 December 2011; Olga Khvostunova

Last week a group of Russian judges and NGO members visited the U.S. During this trip, IMR's Olga Khvostunova spoke with Mikhail Fedotov, Chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society Development and Human Rights in the Russian Federation, about the problems of journalistic coverage of the judiciary, the Council’s work on the Magnitsky case, and the second YUKOS trial.

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