Society - Institute of Modern Russia

Details: Nation

Two Putins?

One Last Word Before the Elections

Details: 29 February 2012

You can’t keep up with Putin: in one month he publishes six articles, each one the size of a full newspaper page! And combines this with his duties as the Prime Minister of an enormous country… A real Stakhanovite.

Putin’s Cheat Sheet

Details: Nation

Putin’s Cheat Sheet

Reflections of an Historian

Details: 14 February 2012; Alexander Yanov

In a recent article, Vladimir Putin plagiarized points of a nationalist agenda from a number of sources. Historian Alexander Yanov discusses the lesser-known inspiration for Putin's ideas, 19th century Slavophile thinker Nikolai Danilevsky.

HIV/AIDS and TB: IMR Against Social Indifference

Details: Nation

HIV/AIDS and TB: IMR Against Social Indifference

Details: 07 February 2012; Olga Khvostunova

The Institute of Modern Russia is launching an initiative to raise awareness of the disastrous state of affairs with HIV/AIDS and TB in Russia. The irresponsible and inhumane attitude of the Russian government toward the socially vulnerable group suffering from these infectious diseases is among the greatest horrors of the present situation in the country. In most first-world nations, HIV/AIDS and TB have been taken under state control, ceased to be taboo subjects, and have been destigmatized. This is not the case in Russia or the former Soviet republics, where independent observers report that the incidence of TB and HIV/AIDS have reached epidemic levels. But, despite these grim figures, the authorities have not only ignored this problem, but also actively suppress information surrounding it. People are largely unaware that a significant proportion of Russians are TB carriers. In carriers, when the immune system is compromised, for example, if they have HIV, tuberculosis may progress to an acute form very quickly.

No one cares about them

Details: Nation

No one cares about them

HIV/AIDS and TB: IMR Against Social Indifference

Details: 07 February 2012; Olga Khvostunova

In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 190,000 new cases of tuberculosis in Russia. This number is 5-8 times the incidence for most other European nations. In addition, many contract TB because they are not being properly treated for HIV/AIDS. Despite the enormity of these figures, the Russian government and media have yet to address tuberculosis as a critical issue in public health. IMR’s Olga Khvostunova spoke to New York photographer Michael Friedman, who recently completed a series documenting the epidemic in Russia and other CIS countries.

Russia on the Eve of the Fourth Reform

Details: Nation

Russia on the Eve of the Fourth Reform

Details: 17 January 2012; Alexander Yanov

In his address to the new Russian opposition, Prof. Alexander Yanov analyses the lessons of all three Great Russian Reforms, arguing that regional governance should still be considered as an important tool for the implementation of democracy and progress.

An Argument By The Tomb of Putin's Compromise

Details: Nation

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.

Opposition at Crossroads: What Now?

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.

Russian Opposition Steps “into the Light”

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.

Andrei Piontkovsky: The Russian Spring Has Begun

Details: Nation

Andrei Piontkovsky: The Russian Spring Has Begun

Details: 16 December 2011

In his recent The Wall Street Journal op-ed Andrei Piontkovsky emphasizes that there is no way to hold back the growing wave of protest in Russia. Below IMR reprints Piontkovsky’s answers to follow-up questions from WSJ readers.

Russia's Turning Point

Details: Nation

Russia's Turning Point

Details: 10 December 2011; Olga Khvostunova

Unprecedented social activity in Russia during this week brought attention to the country’s political crisis from all over the world. Russian and foreign media closely followed the course of what might be the beginning of the ‘Russian spring’, while policy analysts attempted to assess the implications of this upheaval.

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Our newsletter delivers a digest of analytical articles and op-eds published on our website, along with the latest updates on the IMR activities on a monthly basis.