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A New “Gas War”

Details: 13 November 2013; Tatiana Stanovaya

In late October, Gazprom demanded that Ukraine pay its nearly $1 billion debt for gas delivered to Ukraine since August 1st. Russia is likely to increase pressure on Ukraine, leaving open the possibility of a new “gas war,” if Kiev continues moving toward European integration. Political analyst Tatyana Stanovaia argues that Moscow is returning to its former “arm-twisting” tactics to keep Ukraine within its zone of influence.

Details: Politics

Stylistic Harmony

Details: 12 November 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

Petty pride and the fear of looking weak are two of the many qualities that differentiate fearful dictatorships from self-confident democracies. Strong political systems feel no need to be constantly proving their power, whereas weak ones are driven by an inferiority complex. Russia is not yet a dictatorship, but judging by the regime’s excessive reactions to pinpricks, it is already exhibiting some of the psychological characteristics of one. Author and publicist Alexander Podrabinek discusses the seizure of the Greenpeace International ship Arctic Sunrise with thirty people on board.

Details: Nation

Could the Bolsheviks have been defeated in 1917?

Details: 11 November 2013; Alexander Yanov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues its series of articles by Alexander Yanov on the history of Russian nationalism. In this installment, the author explores the reason for the 1917 Revolution and concludes that the Bolsheviks did not win the battle for power; rather, the Provisional Government lost by rejecting an alternative to Bolshevism and thereby missing its opportunity to exclude Bolshevism from the game.

Details: Nation

The Approved Past: How History will be Taught to Russia’s Children

Details: 07 November 2013; Vladimir Kara-Murza

In October, the Russian Historical Society has approved new guidelines for history textbooks that will be used in Russian schools after 2015. The guidelines were drawn up at the request of Vladimir Putin. IMR Senior Policy Advisor Vladimir Kara-Murza—a historian by training—analyzed the blueprint, noting its positive and negative aspects.

Details: Nation

The Unlearned Lessons: International Day against Fascism and Anti-Semitism

Details: 06 November 2013; Boris Bruk

November 9 is the International Day against Fascism and Anti-Semitism, an annual commemoration of Kristallnacht. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the anti-Semitic pogroms in Nazi Germany that became the starting point of the Holocaust. IMR Advisor Boris Bruk recalls the events of November 1938, and draws parallels with present-day Russia.

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