Lucian Kim
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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.

‘The Rot Starts From The Top’: Russians Protest Over Problems Big And Small

Published July 25, 2019 in NPR Leave a comment

“If they haven’t been able to solve problems like garbage removal or utilities in 20 years, then what problems can they solve?” said Mikhail Kazinets.

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Suspected U.S. Spy ‘Is Holding Up Surprisingly Well’ In Russian Jail, Lawyer Says

Published February 12, 2019 in NPR Leave a comment

The case of Paul Whelan, an ex-Marine who served in Iraq, is the latest twist in Russia’s faltering relations with the West.

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Putin Backs Maduro, As Kremlin Critics Cheer U.S. Support For Venezuela’s Opposition

Published January 25, 2019 in NPR Leave a comment

If Cuba was the Kremlin’s closest ally in Latin America during the Cold War, now it’s Venezuela, whose vast oil wealth gives Russia direct influence over an OPEC member.

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Young Russian Musicians Struggle Under Government Scrutiny

Published January 17, 2019 in NPR Leave a comment

“We have a lot in common with people our age around the world,” said Nikolai Kostylev. “I’m more like some guy my age in Mexico than my neighbor who’s two generations older.”

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Russians Pay Last Respects To Human Rights Defender Lyudmila Alexeyeva

Published December 11, 2018 in NPR Leave a comment

“Thanks to the dignity of such people, our country still has dignity,” said Nikita Orlov, 49, a corporate manager. “Thanks to such people, we are alive.”

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In Russia, A Dairy Owner Dreams Of Delivering Cheese To Vladimir Putin

Published November 22, 2018 in NPR Leave a comment

“Russians are like a spring,” said Oleg Sirota. “The more you push them down, the stronger they bounce back up.”

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Russians Honor Victims Of Stalin’s Purges Outside Moscow Security Headquarters

Published October 29, 2018 in NPR Leave a comment

“It’s important to remember so what happened then can never repeat itself,” said Yekaterina Ivanova, 34. “That’s why I’ve come with my child, so she can understand from her earliest years how important it is.”

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What Trump’s Threat To End A U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Treaty Means For Putin

Published October 22, 2018 in NPR Leave a comment

“For Russia’s military-industrial complex and security services, the INF Treaty was always like a bullfighter’s red cape; it symbolized the country’s defeat in the Cold War.”

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Latest Collateral Damage In U.S.-Russia Spat: An Anglo-American School Is Shut

Published September 28, 2018 in NPR Leave a comment

One-hundred-forty schoolchildren in St. Petersburg became the latest victims of the chill in U.S.-Russian relations when they were forced out of their school.

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Russia’s Multinational Military Exercise Last Week Was A Dry Run For Bigger War Games

Published September 5, 2018 in NPR Leave a comment

“We see how geopolitical risks are increasing, and that’s why we’re uniting to repel any threat from any direction,” said Russian Lt. Gen. Alexander Lapin.

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Putin’s War on Young People

If Russia is ever to become a country that seeks peace with its neighbors and respects the rights of its own citizens, then such a future depends on Russia’s young people.

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About Lucian

Based in Berlin and Moscow, I reported from the former Soviet empire for 25 years for NPR, Reuters, Slate, Bloomberg, and others. My first book, Putin’s Revenge: Why Russia Invaded Ukraine, is now available from Columbia University Press.

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