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The Premonition of War

Details: 03 September 2014; Alexander Podrabinek

In late August, Russian troops as good as started the invasion of the Ukrainian territory. Despite the Russians’ drastic escalation of the military conflict, the West has remained neutral with regard to Vladimir Putin’s aggressive policy. According to writer Alexander Podrabinek, the sooner Western leaders realize that this position is misguided, the lower the cost of reestablishing peace will be.

Details: Politics

Russian Separatism: The Hotbeds of Tension

Details: 29 August 2014; Alexander Podrabinek

The Ukrainian crisis has once again kindled the flames of Russian separatism—a problem that has plagued the authorities for many years. On August 17, 2014, the so-called “March for the Federalization of Siberia” was supposed to take place in Novosibirsk, but it was forbidden from occurring by the local authorities. All articles covering the issue were retracted upon the request of Roskomnadzor, the Russian state media watchdog. Writer and journalist Alexander Podrabinek discusses which Russian regions have the potential to become breakaways.

Details: Nation

Soviet Nationalist Dissidents: The Drama of Veche Magazine. Part 1

Details: 29 August 2014; Alexander Yanov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles by well-known scholar Alexander Yanov on the history of Russian nationalism in the USSR. In this essay, which will be published in two parts, the author tells the story of a dissident faction of the opposition nationalist wing—represented by Veche, a samizdat magazine—and Nikolai Danilevsky, the Pan-Slavism ideologue who became the torch-bearer for this movement.

Details: Opinions

The Spread of Russian Chauvinism

Details: 28 August 2014; Olga Melnikova

The most recent public polls in Russia show an unprecedented increase in patriotism and support for president Vladimir Putin’s policies. At the same time, there is growing intolerance toward the opposition and hostility toward Western counties. Olga Melnikova, a Moscow-based journalist, observes that, under the influence of propaganda, many Russians seem to have developed something akin to Stockholm syndrome in their relationship to the government.

Details: Nation

The World Has Fallen Out of Love with Russia

Details: 27 August 2014; Boris Bruk

The results of several recently published public opinion polls have shown that Russia’s reputation abroad has drastically worsened. According to sociologists, this change has been caused by Russia’s aggressive policies toward Ukraine. At the same time, IMR advisor Boris Bruk notes, public sentiment inside Russia has moved in the opposite direction.

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