Valery Panyushkin

Moscow Shows Little Faith in the Potential of Russian Children

From the Kremlin's perspective, every ruble spent educating a teenager who ends up unemployed — or an art historian — is a ruble not spent on the war...

Kateryna Shenheliia

Is Clavicular Russia's Next Useful Idiot?

Like with the women of Paris and Tel Aviv, Clavicular will find that ordinary Russian women have no time for him. But Moscow may see an opportunity.

I Am Wanted by Russia. The Consequences Follow Me Everywhere.

Being convicted in absentia brings the most frightening part of your life into ordinary situations that should have nothing to do with politics.

Even If Ukraine Doesn't Recapture Crimea, Kyiv Has Damaged Russia's Credibility

The annexation of Crimea was integral to the myth of strength Putin created. But recent months show how fragile that propaganda was.

Russia's Gas Industry Is Dying a Slow But Occasionally Explosive Death

Sanctions lost Russia its biggest market for gas and threaten the industry's sustainability. That was a problem before the drone attacks started.

Russia’s Billionaires Face a Dilemma – Putin Threatens and Protects Their Wealth

A controversial interview with Andrey Melnichenko in The Ecnonomist unwittingly illustrates why Russia's super-rich won't abandon Putin.

The Unbearable Triviality of Canceling a Russian Cartoon

The disproportionate outrage over an annoying Russian-made show for preschoolers makes a mockery of a serious war.

Olesya Vartanyan

With Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia Holds a Poisoned Chalice

More than one Kremlin envoy overseeing the territories has lost their job after failing to deliver results. Will Sergei Kiriyenko be any different?

Leila Nazgül Seiitbek

How Did the Soviet Security State Outlive the U.S.S.R.? Look to Dzerzhinsky for Clues.

The ideas of the Cheka's founder still shape how many post-Soviet states wield power.

Tatyana Rybakova

Russia's Stock Market Is the Best Measure of Russia's Problems. The Signs Aren't Good.

Unlike a traditional poll, the stock market shows the real-time confidence of thousands of investors who aren't convinced by Putin's bluster.

How Russia’s Neighbors Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Nuclear weapons don't make the world a better place. But in our region, their absence may make war more likely.

An Anonymous Writer in Russia

The World Shouldn’t Be Confused When Russians Shrug Off a Crisis

Too many Russia-watchers have their judgment colored by wishful thinking, leaving them surprised when Russians don't panic at the latest crisis.

Inna Bondarenko

Russia Helps the Western Far-Right Feel at Home

It's easy to overlook how powerful it is when Russia welcomes in the Western far-right and makes them feel that they are not alone.

Andrey Sapozhnikov

How Viktor Tsoi’s Songs Became Anthems of Protest and Propaganda in Putin’s Russia

Supporters and opponents of the Kremlin only agree on a few things — and the iconic status and emotional resonance of Kino’s music is one of them.

Andras Toth-Czifra

Why Does Putin Fiddle While Russia Burns? That's How the System Works.

Prioritizing the security services over civilians and deflecting accountability are the product of a system built to protect those at the top.

Did the International Criminal Court Just Ease Restrictions on Putin?

It sounds like a capitulation, but allowing Putin to travel to hypothetical peace talks in Switzerland is necessary pragmatism for peace.

Europe Should Beat Russia at Its Own Nationalization Game

In Ireland and Finland, businesses linked to Russian elites have slipped through the net of sanctions. Nationalizing them could be the solution.

Daniela Richterova

‘You Attacked the Home of a Very High-Ranking Individual’: What the Starmer Fires Reveal About Russia’s International Sabotage Campaign

The trial of two Ukrainian-born men recruited for "gig economy sabotage" gave valuable insights into how Russian handlers are refining their tactics.