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Vladimir Gelman: “An intention to preserve the political status quo and Putin’s authority is seen in the constitutional reform”

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Vladimir Gelman: “An intention to preserve the political status quo and Putin’s authority is seen in the constitutional reform”

Details: 27 February 2020; Olga Khvostunova

In an interview with IMR, political scientist Vladimir Gelman, professor of the European University in St. Petersburg and the University of Helsinki, discusses the origins of Russia’s bad governance, the goals of Vladimir Putin’s recent political initiatives, and the Western elite’s “jealousy.”

The Result of 20 Years of Putin: Russia as a Mafia State

Details: Opinions

The Result of 20 Years of Putin: Russia as a Mafia State

Details: 24 January 2020; Leonid Nevzlin

Over the last week, Russia has gone through a political upheaval initiated by Vladimir Putin: proposal for constitutional reform, resignation of the government, appointment of a new cabinet. The pace and scale of these events led some commentators to call them a “constitutional coup.” However, if one is to follow the logic of the regime, the president’s latest decisions should not come as a surprise. As IMR trustee, businessman, and philanthropist Leonid Nevzlin points out in his analysis of Putin’s 20 years in power, the result of his rule is the transformation of Russia into a mafia state.

Russia Faces Change, But Putin Isn’t Going Anywhere

Details: Opinions

Russia Faces Change, But Putin Isn’t Going Anywhere

Details: 17 January 2020; Yana Gorokhovskaia

In his January 15 address to Russia’s Federal Assembly, Vladimir Putin revealed large-scale plans for constitutional reform, essentially for the transit of power beyond 2024, when his current, fourth (de-facto fifth) term is set to expire. Hours after Putin’s speech, the Russian government resigned and the name of a new prime minister was announced. Many of the fundamentals of this power overhaul still remain unknown, but there might be reason to be optimistic in the long run.

Vladimir Bukovsky: “The more protests there are, the more likely political prisoners will be released”

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Opinions

Political Prisoners

Vladimir Bukovsky: “The more protests there are, the more likely political prisoners will be released”

Details: 08 November 2019; Olga Khvostunova

In memory of the legendary Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, IMR re-publishes his 2014 interview, in which he spoke on the differences between the political prisoners of Soviet times and those of today’s Russia, and shared his insights on the methods of struggling against political repressions.

Alina Polyakova: “The idea that you can have a real democracy in Russia is an existential threat to the Putin regime”

Details: Opinions

Alina Polyakova: “The idea that you can have a real democracy in Russia is an existential threat to the Putin regime”

Details: 31 October 2019; Olga Khvostunova

Facebook has recently identified and taken down several disinformation campaigns backed by the governments of Russia and Iran. The company said it expects more foreign interference ahead of the 2020 presidential election in the U.S. As disinformation wars rage on, IMR’s Olga Khvostunova sat down with Dr. Alina Polyakova, the founding director of the Project on Global Democracy and Emerging Technology at the Brookings Institution and an expert on Russian political warfare, to discuss the Kremlin’s influence operations and what the U.S. can do to counter them. Dr. Polyakova has recently joined IMR’s board of trustees.

Sergei Davidis: “Repressions inside Russia Embolden the Putin Regime to Act More Aggressively Abroad”

Details: Opinions

Sergei Davidis: “Repressions inside Russia Embolden the Putin Regime to Act More Aggressively Abroad”

Details: 05 September 2019; Olga Khvostunova

According to the Memorial Human Rights Center, there are 313* political prisoners in Russia today—a record number in recent decades. How does one become a political prisoner? What do the cases of political persecution say about Vladimir Putin’s regime? Memorial council member and head of its political prisoners program Sergei Davidis discusses these and other questions in an interview with IMR’s Olga Khvostunova.

The Kremlin’s Oligarchs in the West

Details: Opinions

The Kremlin’s Oligarchs in the West

Details: 14 June 2019

Following the sanctioning of a number of top Russian oligarchs who used to do the Kremlin’s bidding in the West, the Russian government is now engaging less public figures to carry out its “delicate tasks and negotiations,” writes popular Russian Telegram-channel Maluta Skuratov.

Andrei Kozyrev: “Democracy Needs to be Fought for Every Day”

Details: Opinions

Andrei Kozyrev: “Democracy Needs to be Fought for Every Day”

Details: 14 July 2018; Olga Khvostunova

The Kremlin’s foreign policy post-2014 has constantly challenged the existing international order. Many experts believe that this foreign policy originates in Vladimir Putin’s anti-Western views. However, according to Russia’s former Foreign Minister, Andrei Kozyrev, the causes of Russian aggression are due to a consensus amongst the conservative elite which emerged as early as the mid-1990s. Kozyrev discussed these and other factors which determine Russia’s current foreign policy with IMR’s Olga Khvostunova.

Michael Khodarkovsky: “Democracy in Russia Is Not Only Possible—It’s Inevitable”

Details: Opinions

Michael Khodarkovsky: “Democracy in Russia Is Not Only Possible—It’s Inevitable”

Details: 15 March 2018; Olga Khvostunova

As Vladimir Putin is about to be re-elected for another presidential term thus becoming one of the longest serving Russian leaders in history, IMR's Olga Khvostunova sat down with Michael Khodarkovsky, Professor of History at Loyola University Chicago, to discuss Putin's legacy, the lessons of the Russian Revolution, the Russian government's attempts to whitewash the past, and the country's outlook for the future. Given the length of this interview, it is published in two parts. Part one is available below; part two will be released next week.

Michael Khodarkovsky: “Sweeping history under the rug does not save the country from future problems”

Details: Opinions

Michael Khodarkovsky: “Sweeping history under the rug does not save the country from future problems”

Details: 06 March 2018; Olga Khvostunova

As Vladimir Putin is about to be re-elected for another presidential term thus becoming one of the longest serving Russian leaders in history, IMR's Olga Khvostunova sat down with Michael Khodarkovsky, Professor of History at Loyola University Chicago, to discuss Putin's legacy, the lessons of the Russian Revolution, the Russian government's attempts to whitewash the past, and the country's outlook for the future. Given the length of this interview, it will be published in two parts. Part one is available below; part two will be released next week.

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