Society - Institute of Modern Russia

Echoes of the Past: Punitive Psychiatry

Details: Nation

Echoes of the Past: Punitive Psychiatry

Details: 21 October 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

In October, Russian activist Mikhail Kosenko, one of the accused in the "Bolotnaya Square Case," was sentenced to compulsory psychiatric treatment. This was the first instance of an open use of psychiatry for political purposes in post-Soviet Russia. Author and human rights campaigner Alexander Podrabinek, who was convicted in the 1970s for his book "Punitive Medicine," concludes that the Soviet practice of punitive psychiatry has returned to Russia.

Accessible Environments for Russians with Disabilities

Details: Nation

Accessible Environments for Russians with Disabilities

Details: 21 October 2013; Boris Bruk

Thirteen million people with disabilities currently reside in Russia—this is around 10 percent of the country’s population. Yet the conditions for their integration and normal everyday life are still highly inadequate. IMR Advisor Boris Bruk assesses the problem and the possible solutions.

The “Shelling of Parliament” or Coup d’Etat #2?

Details: Nation

The “Shelling of Parliament” or Coup d’Etat #2?

Details: 16 October 2013; Alexander Yanov

The twentieth anniversary of the crisis of September–October 1993—the conflict between Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the Supreme Soviet—is being widely discussed in the media. Historian Alexander Yanov, a scholar of Russian nationalism, offers his perspective on these events.

Russia’s Slave Labor

Details: Nation

Russia’s Slave Labor

Details: 09 October 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

Last month, Russian political prisoner Nadezhda Tolokonnikova penned an open letter detailing the conditions in the Mordovia prison camp in which she is held. Among other things, she described forced prison labor. Author and analyst Alexander Podrabinek discusses the world’s conflicting attitudes to prison slave labor—and the goods it produces.

The Secret Service Terror and the “Jewish Question”

Details: Nation

The Secret Service Terror and the “Jewish Question”

Details: 07 October 2013; Alexander Yanov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues the series of articles by prominent historian Alexander Yanov. The new installment focuses on the views of the third generation of Slavophiles who called for the “neutralization” of Germany as part of the worldwide struggle against the Jews.

Humanitarian Intervention: A View from the Inside

Details: Nation

Humanitarian Intervention: A View from the Inside

Details: 25 September 2013; Alexander Podrabinek

The crisis in Syria has one again raised the question of whether and when international humanitarian interventions are justified. Author and analyst Alexander Podrabinek notes that the “sovereignty” argument is most often used by regimes that wish to oppress and murder their own citizens.

Repetition of History: Empire vs. Nation State in Russia

Details: Nation

Repetition of History: Empire vs. Nation State in Russia

Details: 24 September 2013; Poel Karp

Nationalism has become an acute issue in modern Russia. Looking back at the country's history, author and sociologist Poel Karp discusses whether or not a "liberal nationalism" is possible in Russia. He concludes that Russia needs such a political force, as the country has no other way to neutralize the explosive imperial ambitions that blew up the USSR.

Details: Nation

Russian Themes at the APSA Meeting

Details: 19 September 2013; Boris Bruk

The 109th Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA) has taken place in Chicago, IL. Scholars addressed a broad spectrum of issues, including a number of topics relating to Russia. IMR Advisor Boris Bruk participated in the meeting.

Conspiracy Against Russia?

Details: Nation

Conspiracy Against Russia?

Details: 17 September 2013; Alexander Yanov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues the series of articles about Russian nationalism written by the well-known historian Alexander Yanov. The new installment explains how “destructive imperial nationalism” brought Russia to the Crimean War. It resulted in the country’s ignominious surrender, severe national humiliation and total isolation.

Russia without Lenin?

Details: Nation

Russia without Lenin?

Details: 06 September 2013; Alexander Yanov

The Institute of Modern Russia continues the series of articles about Russian nationalism written by the well-known historian Alexander Yanov. The first three essays, dedicated to Pan-Slavism, told the story of the birth of this ideology in Russia and its consequences for the country. The new installment explains how a great patriotic hysteria led the country to lose in the First World War and the consequent victory of Bolshevism.

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