Andras Toth-Czifra

Meet Russia's Weirdest Regional Governor. He Could Become the New Norm.

Examining Georgy Filimonov's leadership of Vologda could indicate the direction Russia's regional governance is going in.
5 Min read
Leyla Latypova

The Kremlin Prepared the Regions for Peace Talks – But Few Took Notice

For the first time, officials encouraged relatives of soldiers killed in Ukraine to join Immortal Regiment marches. Here's why that's important.
4 Min read

'Find Joy in Everything': Election Monitor Grigory Melkonyants' Last Word in Court

The co-chair of the leading independent election monitor Golos has been sentenced to five years in prison.
7 Min read
Angelina Trefilova

Press Freedom in Russia Is at an All-Time Low. So Is Its Journalism Education.

Press freedom is often framed as a struggle between journalists and the state. But the problem also lies with dishonest journalism professors.
4 Min read
Charles Digges

Russia's State Nuclear Giant Is Now Inseparable From Its War on Ukraine

The company's slick commercial rhetoric belies the fact that Rosatom is a company that is literally at war.
4 Min read
Jade McGlynn

Letting the Dead March Again: How the Immortal Regiment Occupies the Present

It is time to reclaim the Immortal Regiment and replace it with rituals that serve memory and truth.
5 Min read
Saahil Menon

Why an Indo-Russian Newcomer to the Forbes List Matters to Putin

The unique success story of self-made billionaire Vikram Punia could inspire fellow Indian entrepreneurs to follow in his footsteps and pursue the “Russian...
5 Min read
Alexander Baunov for Carnegie

Putin’s Unilateral Easter Truce Was Never Intended to Last

Putin clearly hasn’t decided whether to ditch Trump and his attempts to bring the war to an end, or whether to keep trying to manipulate the U.S. president...
4 Min read
Ayman Eckford

Would You Send Asylum Seekers at Risk of Torture Home? That's What Europe Does to Chechens.

Despite their professed dedication to human rights, European countries refuse to believe the threats pro-Ukraine Chechen refugees face.
5 Min read
Arnold Khachaturov

Can Official Russian Statistics Be Trusted?

As long as the Kremlin continues to be a technocratic regime, Russian statistics will retain at least some value for researchers.
4 Min read
Tatyana Rybakova

A Planned Economy in Modern Russia? It Didn't Work Last Time and Won't Work Today.

Potatoes in Russia are 300% more expensive than last year. But imposing price controls without addressing the cause is a recipe for disaster.
5 Min read
Memorial Human Rights Defense Center

Return Respect for the Rule of Law and Human Rights to International Politics

Reports indicate that peace talks are ignoring humanitarian issues, the welfare of political prisoners and international laws. That has to change.
6 Min read
Ayman Eckford

Why the Khachaturyan Sisters' Case Fired Up Russian Feminists

A father was convicted of abusing his daughters, who killed him in self defense, is a rare case of Russian justice and the public siding with victims.
5 Min read
Tatyana Rybakova

Russia Will Go Back to the U.S.S.R. Thanks to New Import Rules

Only certain brands will be allowed into Russia to support domestic manufacturing. But consumers will pay the price for reduced quality.
5 Min read
Jorge Conde  and Dr John Blaxland

Twisting Reality Is the Name of Putin's War Game

The failure to capture Kyiv and the fall of Assad's Syria were an embarrassment. But that hasn't stoped the Kremlin claiming to be all-powerful.
5 Min read
Elena Davlikanova

Make War Acceptable Again: Crimea Today, Taiwan Tomorrow?

Washington's proposal to recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea is not only anathema to Ukraine but threatens to bolden bad actors everywhere.
4 Min read
Ayman Eckford

The Killing of a 17-Year-Old Shows the Clash of Cultures Taking Place in Chechnya

The lifeless body of a teenage boy left out in public to send a message may backfire by showing Chechens Moscow has no respect for them.
4 Min read
Joshua R. Kroeker

Putin Wants to Look Like the Good Guy by Proposing Ceasefires. It's a Trap.

Kyiv says Russia violated yesterday's ceasefire 3,000 times. Moscow isn't seeking peace; it wants Washington to believe Kyiv wants war.
4 Min read