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Putin’s Fake Realism, Forgotten Ukraine, and Russia’s Mistake in Syria

26 September – 2 October 2015

Details: 02 October 2015

In Foreign Policy, Christian Caryl writes that Putin’s policy decisions are governed less by realism and more by his determination to retain power. Also, in Bloomberg View, Marc Champion writes that Ukrainian reformers have kept up their work even as the spotlight has shifted to Syria.

Details: Law

Constitutionalism vs. the ‘Russian Matrix.’ Part 2

Details: 01 October 2015; Vladimir Pastukhov

In part one of his article on Russian constitutionalism, political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov, visiting fellow at St. Antony’s College of Oxford University, discussed the need to change Russians’ traditional mindset regarding what kinds of rules govern society. In part two, he explores the differences between Russian and Western views of the key constitutional ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity. This article is part of a periodic series on Russia’s Constitution.

Details: World

Hasni Abidi: ‘By Supporting Assad, Moscow Will Create the Conditions for ISIS to Prosper’

Details: 01 October 2015; Elena Servettaz

Last week, the Syria crisis became the central focus of the international agenda and was the key issue discussed at the 70th UN General Assembly. Just before Russia launched its first air strikes in Syria, journalist Elena Servettaz spoke with political analyst and Arab world expert Hasni Abidi, director of the Geneva-based Study and Research Center for the Arab and Mediterranean World, about the consequences of Moscow’s support for Bashar Assad.

Details: Politics

Putin’s Fake Victory at the UN

Details: 30 September 2015; Olga Khvostunova

On September 28, Vladimir Putin addressed the United Nations General Assembly for the first time in 10 years. The Russian president’s visit drew close attention from around the world and provoked intense media interest. The results of the trip, however, were quite modest. Imrussia.org editor-in-chief Olga Khvostunova examines the underlying reasons for Putin’s visit to New York.

Details: Nation

Russia’s Heirs to Tolstoyevsky

Details: 28 September 2015; Bradley Gorski

Casual observers of Russia often lament that the country’s once-vaunted culture no longer produces novelists of caliber equal to Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. But in fact, the world of contemporary Russian literature is vibrant and includes several novelists known for their grand realist works. These books are not only striking pieces of prose, but also valuable windows into modern-day Russian society, according to Bradley Gorski, a Ph.D. candidate in Slavic Studies at Columbia University.

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