Russia’s Nationalist Turn

This , about Politics, tagged , , , , was written by for on September 28, 2021 .770 Comments

How Putin Created the Russian National State

In the capstone to my Russia watching career, I argue that late Putinism has adopted the Russian nationalist program near wholesale. Or so it seemed at the time…

Путин, Тайвин

This about Politics, tagged , , , was written by for on August 16, 2017 .2 Comments

“Писателю Джорджу Мартину не позволили ответить на вопрос про Путина.” Но что, очередной триумф… #KremlinMindset. С другой стороны, и так все ясно. Путин очевидно Тайвин Ланнистер. Все его убожают как великогово стратега, многоходовочника. Реальная компетентность сильно приувеличена. Сам свои руки не пачкает. Уникальный талант к потери друзей, приобретение новых врагов. Абсолютно лоялен к “семьи.” Благополучие родных […]

Translation: Vladislav Surkov – “I Was by a Great Man’s Side” (part 2)

This about Politics, tagged , , , was written by for on August 2, 2013 .No Comments

The continuation of Surkov’s interview (2/2) with Andrei Kolesnikov, in which he expounds on the meaning of friendship, leisure, love for the fatherland, and life itself. See part 1 here. Vladislav Surkov: “I Was by a Great Man’s Side” Part II Russian Pioneer’s regular columnist Vladislav Surkov has, at the request of RP’s editor in […]

Translation: Vladislav Surkov – “I Was by a Great Man’s Side” (part 1)

This about Politics, tagged , , , was written by for on July 29, 2013 .No Comments

In which the “gray cardinal of the Kremlin” Vladislav Surkov waxes philosophical about Putin’s holiness, the nature of freedom, and why mistakes are good in his first interview (1/2), conducted with Andrei Ivanovich Kolesnikov, since leaving office. See part 2 here. Vladislav Surkov: I was by a Great Man’s Side Russian Pioneer’s regular columnist Vladislav Surkov has, […]

Translation: Is Putin a KGB Agent, a Hipster, or a Mensch?

This , about Politics, tagged , , , , was written by for on July 23, 2013 .No Comments

In his Odnako blog Evgeny Super asks why Putin’s image seems to be improving of late. Turned off by the propaganda against the Russian President, he argues, Westerners are beginning to give him grudging respect. The Russian President’s Demonic Image Collapses in the Western Media Literally from the very first day of President Vladimir Putin’s […]

Putin’s Birthday, Birth Of A Legacy

This about History, tagged , , , , , was written by for , on October 15, 2012 .15 Comments

The latest US-Russia.org Expert Discussion Panel focused on an assessment of Putin’s historical legacy, on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Here I try to answer whether history will see Putin as the “founder of a modern and successful Russia”, or as a tragic figure who threw away his chance of greatness to the “delusion of indispensability”: […]

And The Wheel Spins On

This about Politics, tagged , , , was written by for on February 18, 2012 .8 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvAYV6-ZN0I&w=480&h=360] “Despite it being a sad and fearful prospect, in my opinion a totalitarian reversion for a certain period of time is possible. But the danger lies not in the law enforcement agencies, the power organs, and not even the Army, but in our own mentalities – our people’s, our population’s, in ourselves. It all seems […]

Putin The Peaceful?

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , was written by for on November 15, 2011 .78 Comments

At least, surely more so than Obama, winner of 2009’s Nobel Peace Prize. Let’s do it by the numbers. Russia under Putin fought one war, in response to Georgian aggression against Ossetians with Russian citizenship and UN-mandated Russian peacekeepers. In contrast, Obama has participated in two wars of aggression: the Iraq War he inherited from G.W., […]

But Always, A Hero Comes Home

This about Politics, tagged , , , was written by for on September 24, 2011 .154 Comments

The King returns. As this is breaking news, please feel free to discuss this breaking news while I write up a more substantive post. In summary: (1) I was 75% wrong. (I gave Putin a 25% of returning to the PM; I thought the likeliest scenario would be for DAM to continue). (2) That said, […]

Interview with Mark Chapman (The Kremlin Stooge)

This about Politics, tagged , , , , , was written by for on June 22, 2011 .14 Comments

Next in our line of Watching the Russia Watchers interviews is Mark Chapman, the fiery Canadian sailor who’s been blazing a path of destruction through the fetid Russophobe ranks since July 2010. That was when he first set up The Kremlin Stooge, after being blocked from La Russophobe, who couldn’t withstand his powerful arguments without resorting to […]

Visualizing The Kremlin Clans

This about Politics, tagged , , , was written by , for on January 19, 2011 .10 Comments

Can you tell your siloviki from your civiliki? MVD, FSB or GRU? The breeds of dog underneath those Churchillian carpets? If not, maybe this will help. In August 2010, I translated the introduction to political pundit Vladimir Pribylovsky’s recent book ВЛАСТЬ-2010: 60 биографий (Power in 2010: 60 biographies). The resulting Phantom Tandem, Real Triumvirate and the Kremlin Clan […]

Interview with Peter Lavelle (Russia Today)

This about Politics, tagged , , , , , , was written by for on August 9, 2010 .15 Comments

The next installment of our Watching the Russia Watchers series at S/O features an interview with Peter Lavelle, the main political analyst at the Russia Today TV network, host of its CrossTalk debate show and Untimely Thoughts blogger. (He also has a Wikipedia page!) Peter is opposed to Western media hegemony, considering it neither fair […]