Nobody in Russia understands what the war in Ukraine is about. And after Prigozhin’s rebellion, nobody knows if that war might not still come to Russia.
Russia
Russia won’t let me go. I became fascinated by Russia as a boy when my parents gave me a 700-page book of Russian fairy-tales one Christmas. The fact the Soviet Union was closed, far away and America’s mortal enemy added to the country’s mystique. I devoured every book on Russia I could get my hands on. When I went to college, I started studying Russian.
What continues to intrigue me is that no matter how close I get to Russia and Russians, I always end up feeling like a foreigner. Despite all the Western influence, Russia preserves its distinctiveness, belonging to neither Europe nor Asia.
Putin’s War on Young People
If Russia is ever to become a country that seeks peace with its neighbors, then such a future depends on its young people.
A Russian Dissident Is Sentenced in Moscow
Ilya Yashin’s evolution from protest leader to persecuted dissident mirrors the metamorphosis of Putin’s “managed democracy” into a totalitarian state.
Russian Exiles Struggle to Form a United Opposition to Putin
“We aren’t waiting for the fall of the regime,” said Lyubov Sobol. “We’re actively working toward it and want to get there as fast as possible.”
Why Isn’t Russia a Democracy?
Russia was not preordained to despotism nor to a clash with the West. So how did things go so wrong?
Russia Isolated in Its Postimperial Phantasm
From a strategic point of view, Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine has thrown back Russia to its weakest position since World War II.
The Dacha Is Russia’s Summer Cure For Urban Life
“We lived very well without electricity. All day we walked in the woods exploring. And in the evenings, we sat around a kerosene lamp and played Monopoly.”
Russia’s ‘Foreign Agent’ Law Targets Journalists, Activists, Even Ordinary Citizens
Darya Apakhonchich says police sawed open her front door, confiscated her electronic devices and spent seven hours searching for “extremist” material.
The U.S. Climate Envoy Went To Moscow And Talked About More Than Climate
“I think it’s helpful to have the countries trying to find common ground and make things happen,” John Kerry said in an interview in Spaso House.
Russian Show ‘Fake News’ Wages Lone Battle Against The Kremlin’s TV Propaganda
“Our job is to give people the chance to make up their own minds,” says Natalya Sindeyeva. “They should decide for themselves if they want to be deceived.”
