Part one of this article, published on Tuesday, focused on the origins and justifications of the Russian nationalist opposition. This part, also by Emma Rimpiläinen, looks at how the nationalist agenda could be interpreted, and how it could do more harm than good. The Interpretation As already mentioned earlier this week, the nationalists see the current … Continue reading
With Russia’s main protest movement enfeebled and Vladimir Putin’s leadership apparently secure, opposition to the regime is growing more radical. In this article, Emma Rimpiläinen assesses the origins of Russian nationalism and their potency in today’s Russia. The Phenomenon Many observers of Russian politics are familiar with the trend of intensifying Russian nationalism, embodied in President Putin’s … Continue reading
The author of a new paper on Sino-Russian relations has written that the fallout from the Ukraine crisis threatens to make that relationship “even more lopsided than before”. Vostok Cable’s Josh Black explores the current state of play, and asks whether the deepening financial ties between the two countries mask an ideological divergence. As part … Continue reading
The war that broke out in the Ukrainian eastern region of Donbass a year ago is being fought on multiple levels. In the stalemate, news reports can be mightier than kalashnikovs, so few actors are neglecting their propaganda efforts. Giovanni Cadioli explains why historical memory plays such a dominant role in the conflict, and particularly … Continue reading
This year could be remembered as yet another when the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) failed to prove to the business community that it is ready to support the country’s growth agenda and bring inflation under control. As Russia’s economic destiny filters down to a question of confidence and geopolitical risk, could inflation targeting be … Continue reading
Next week states will begin gathering in New York for a review of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. With the US and Russia both committed to modernising their stockpiles and relations between the two at their lowest ebb for a generation, Elizabeth Zolotukinha predicts a contentious meeting. The upcoming Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of … Continue reading
The Needle and the Kazakh New Wave in the context of late Soviet cinema To follow up on the film and music event dedicated to the legendary Soviet musician Viktor Tsoi and his band Kino, Inese Strupule from Obskura discusses The Needle (1988), Tsoi’s rock persona, the Kazakh New Wave, and their place in the … Continue reading
During last month’s frantic scramble to find a mysteriously disappearing Vladimir Putin, many Russia-watchers were forced to face the reality that one day Putin himself will not be head of the Russian state. That day may not be soon, but according to Ryan Steele, we should all be thinking about what form of government could … Continue reading
Yesterday the BBC broadcast a documentary exploring the time Russia’s President Vladimir Putin spent in Dresden as an officer of the KGB. According to the writer, Chris Bowlby, this was “The Moment that Made Putin”. Josh Black isn’t so sure. In 1989, Vladimir Putin found himself powerless to defend the offices of the Soviet Union’s … Continue reading
The Russian Federation has withdrawn from a treaty governing military activities in Europe, the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty. Elizabeth Zolotukhina says this act confirms a mutual suspicion going back as far as 2007, and would be fruitless if resurrected. Instead the West should focus on other treaties where Russia may still want cooperation. On … Continue reading
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