October 15, 2014 Russian Exceptionalism According to Boris Dubin By Eugenia Sokolskaya A social state, a sense of community and shared decision making, an oddly distant government, home-grown values, and being split between Europe and Asia – according to Russians, this is what makes Russia special. But Boris Dubin's findings show that what really makes Russia special is Russia's ability to pretend no one else exists. Culture Politics
September 01, 2014 For Better or Worse By Paul E. Richardson What with downed passenger airlines, war in Ukraine, trade embargos and rapidly worsening US-Russian relations, why in the world is there a picture of a giraffe on the cover of Russian Life magazine? Int'l Relations Politics Russian Life Magazine
September 01, 2014 Language of War By Maria Antonova A look a the neologisms of the Ukraine war, and Russia's neoactivist Duma. Politics
May 01, 2014 This Just in From Ukraine... By Paul E. Richardson Today is the 401st anniversary of the crowning of the first Romanov Tsar, Mikhail, in 1613, and the end of the "Time of Troubles." This of course has nothing to do with current events. Just thought I'd mention it in passing. Humor Int'l Relations Politics
May 01, 2014 Independent media be gone! By Maria Antonova A look at the narrowing choices of Russia media. Politics
March 01, 2014 Rain, Rain, Go Away By Maria Antonova On the closure of one of the last independent broadcasters. Politics
December 19, 2013 9 Crazy Things Russian Lawmakers Have Tried to Ban By Eugenia Sokolskaya Some Russian legislators have an unwavering faith in the ability of laws to rid society of all its evils. Noise? Bad news? The stench of garlic? The end of the world? No problem - just ban 'em all! Humor Politics
December 12, 2013 Constructing a Constitution By Eugenia Sokolskaya Happy birthday, Russian Constitution! Let's take a quick look at where you came from: the political struggles, reform efforts, and occasional street fighting of a newborn country. History Politics
November 01, 2013 Navalny's Near Miss By Tamara Eidelman An insider's account of the Navalny campaign for Moscow mayor. Politics
September 26, 2013 Bukharin: Rise and Fall By Eugenia Sokolskaya Nikolai Bukharin, the Moscow revolutionary, was on the rise throughout the early twentieth century – but as we all know, what goes up must come down. Turns out you come down especially fast if you meet Stalin at the top. History Politics
September 11, 2013 Patriotism: A USSR Story By Eugenia Sokolskaya Being patriotic in the Soviet Union was a duty, a challenge, and a potential pitfall, all rolled into one. The story of one Soviet singer, Joseph Kobzon, shows how one cultural idol walked that dangerous line. Culture History Politics
September 05, 2013 The Politics of Moscow's Migrant Crime Statistics By Andrey Tselikov In addition to highlighting local issues, Moscow's mayoral race has generated lively discussions of various national topics. Front and center among these is Russia's immigration and migrant worker policy. Culture Politics