Tag: Russia

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The Orthodox Munition

Written by Miriam Yakobashvili The Editor-in-Chief of RT (Russia Today), Margarita Simonyan, suggested that in the case of a reemergent 2008 scenario (referencing Russian invasion of Georgia), no one would send troops into the country, but rather launch a total destruction of Tbilisi through a strike.  Her reasoning was as follows: Tbilisi is not worth sparing as there is no Kyiv Pchersk Lavra there, implying that Russia did not take such measures against Kyiv […]

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The Shining Star of Post-Soviet Nationalism Looms Over Russia & its People

Coat of arms of Russia isolated on cloudy sky

Written by Louis Rawlinson Back in June of 2019 I traversed from West to East on the eclectic Trans-Siberian railway. The buildings of St Petersburg suggested a Parisian city with a Roman soul. It was in Moscow however, the spiritual and political heart of Muscovite civilisation, where I experienced a city undergoing its own national renaissance. With a President intent on […]

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The Tatar Issue in Russia’s Centre of Spiritual Unity

Written by: Miriam Yakobashvili Crimea, Russia’s “centre of spiritual unity,” as claimed by Putin, has been inhabited by the Crimean Tatars for centuries. The ethnic group has lived on the peninsula throughout the Ottoman period as well as after Catherine II’s takeover in 1783. In an effort to Russify the region, and as a part of Stalin’s ruthless ethnic policies, the General Secretary accused […]

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The Global Rise of Neo-Authoritarianism: Causes, Forms, and Consequences

In this podcast, Kemal Mohamedou traces the global trajectory of neo-authoritarianism, from its conceptions and configurations, to the ramifications it leaves in its wake. The insightful episode investigates today’s disciples of neo-authoritarianism and their “shift away from democracy, multilateralism, and cooperative security.” Featured Imagery: Sigmund Freud artwork by David Cerny hanging over a street in […]

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Fantastical lies: Folk tales and the identity formation in Russia

Written by: Polina Evtushenkova Beautiful princesses, brave knights, magical kingdoms in which everyone is happy – I am sure most of you are familiar with these stories since childhood, with the latter story being a bittersweet dream that, until now, never came true. I used to be one of those naïve children who was enchanted […]

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“We Are The First”: How does filming the first movie in space reflect Russian nationalism?

Written by: Polina Evtushenkova Yuri Gagarin, Valentina Tereshkova – the names of these Russian cosmonauts probably ring a bell for everyone because they are known to be the first man and woman to go to space – in 1961 and 1963 respectively. Since Gagarin went to space, Soviet national space propaganda occupied an important place […]

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Constructing History: Putin’s historiographical nationalism

Written by: Anna Perkins “He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future”    George Orwell To outside observers, President Vladimir Putin’s presentation of Russia’s national history may seem oddly ambivalent. Both celebrating and minimising events of the Soviet past, the 2018 opening of the ‘Russia- my history’ exhibition […]

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Why are Russian nationalists dying in Syria?

The recent death of over 200 Russian mercenaries in Syria has exposed the use of private military contractors in Russia’s wars, an affair that lay dormant after the Ukrainian conflict. Crucially, it has highlighted the use of nationalism as a rallying point for recruits and the creation of a discourse of duty to fight for the country.

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Putin’s National Idea: Patriotism for Power

Much is said about President Vladimir Putin’s international strategy and tactics, from cyber attacks and information warfare to domestic repression and a campaign of international irredentism to distract from a dismal economy at home.