To Know Your Enemy’s Face

Russian studies and language programs face a decline in the US, despite stable demand for expertise in the field

Knowing your enemy as the key to victory is centuries-old wisdom. Washington seemed to embrace it during the Cold War, investing significant resources in the development of Soviet studies. In recent years, however, the situation has changed. Researchers and university professors are concerned about the deepening crisis in Russian studies ...
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To Know Your Enemy’s Face

The Man Who Was Too Strong

Alexei Navalny will forever remain a symbol of hope for change in Russia

One of the first rallies I covered as a journalist was the "voters' strike" in January 2018 in Saint Petersburg. Navalny declared the strike when he was barred from participating in the presidential elections due to his criminal record. Navalny's work and his courage often inspired me to continue my ...
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The Man Who Was Too Strong

Is Putin Bluffing in Ukraine?

Though many Russians are anxious about Putin’s new mobilization of citizens to fight in Ukraine, some are also preparing to survive a nuclear conflict

Putin’s nuclear threats provoked immediate reaction among leaders of Western countries, including Ukraine. The world community is concerned about Russian tactical nuclear weapons intended for use on a battlefield. ...

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Is Putin Bluffing in Ukraine?

How the Russian Public Sees Events in Ukraine Today

A conversation with Maria Matskevich: “People think it’s a peacekeeping operation”

People who give interviews and speak about a catastrophe in Russia project something into the future, and do not describe what is happening right now. The situation is very different in different cities and even different institutions. In Saint Petersburg and Moscow, you have more freedom than, for example, in ...
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How the Russian Public Sees Events in Ukraine Today

Russia’s Creative Class Heads for the Exits

“I left, because life in Russia is turning into survival”

Ukrainians are not the only ones fleeing their homeland because of the war. Thousands of Russians are also trying to flee – though it becomes harder every day for them to do so because of internal crackdowns and foreign flight restrictions. Since invading Ukraine, Russia has been almost entirely isolated from ...
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Russia’s Creative Class Heads for the Exits