In recent years, the Kremlin has increasingly promoted the concept of the “genocide of the Soviet people” as a central element of its policy on the memory of World War II. This has come alongside dwindling attention to the Holocaust. Historian Konstantin Pakhalyuk looks at how the Kremlin is trying to construct a “sovereign” memory, as well as the international clashes that it is provoking.

Kremlin-backed foreign policy experts argue in a recent report that the era of stability in international relations is over – in its place has emerged a world of permanent instability in which chaos is the core feature of international politics.

Sociologist Konstantin Gaaze has written a book, Where Are Dictatorships Drifting? Russian Autocracy and the Invasion of Ukraine, where he puts aside the standard explanations of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – Russia’s imperial mindset, the logic of history, Putin’s personal qualities – and looks at the war as a result of specific decisions, coalitions and disappointed expectations. We are publishing a brief translation of Gaaze’s conversation with Republic.

A new report by the support group Vyhod suggests that queer Russians over 45 are among the most vulnerable groups in the LGBTQ+ community in Russia. Their vulnerability has its roots in a decades-long policy of discrimination, argues historian Rustam Alexander.

A new report by the support group Vyhod suggests that queer Russians over 45 are among the most vulnerable groups in the LGBTQ+ community in Russia. Their vulnerability has its roots in a decades-long policy of discrimination, argues historian Rustam Alexander.

The Russian authorities are seeking to introduce yet another measure to promote so-called “traditional values,” with lawmakers planning to revive the Soviet-era practice of compulsory mediation before divorce. Historian Rustam Alexander shows why this approach is bound to fail.

Against the backdrop of persistent inflation and a widening budget deficit, Russia’s economic challenges are multiplying, including a budding banking crisis, mass debt repayment problems and worsening sentiment among businesses, particularly in the industrial sector, notes economic analyst Maxim Blant.

Every other Russian billionaire has increased their presence in the domestic market, while nearly 60% of sanctioned billionaires have moved in the opposite direction, divesting Russian assets.

Many companies that are formally private but have systemic importance for the Russian state have been, in practice, de facto nationalized, while the economy as a whole remains heavily dependent on resource extraction.

The situation in the Russian book market today seems like a paradox. On the one hand, the industry looks to be thriving; on the other hand, anything that falls outside the “norm” is suppressed with terrifying severity. I describe this two-sided picture in the first person – as someone who has worked in the industry for years.

Cultural historian Ilya Kukulin examines key innovations in Russian-speaking cultural institution-building that have emerged outside of Russia since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Publisher Felix Sandalov discusses an important Russian cultural phenomenon of the 2020s, the so-called “new tamizdat” – the publication of banned books and writers by emigrant publishers outside of Russia.

Based on ethnographic research of small-town Russia, sociologists Yakov Lurie and Sasha Kappinen challenge the idea of the war in Ukraine as a major turning point or defining political event.

Historian Sergey Chernyshov outlines how Ivan the Terrible’s capture of Kazan in the 16th century has been viewed throughout the centuries and reflects on what Tatarstan’s recent ban on events to mark the exact date mean for Tatar identity.

Based on her research, Vlada Baranova claims that the war in Ukraine has led to the ethnicization of conflicts and confrontation between the federal authorities, perceived as “Russian,” and the indigenous population. Language and environmental activism is becoming more tinged with nationalism, as well.

Following Wagner’s mutiny in June 2023 and Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death, the Russian government sought to replace the group in international operations in the Middle East and Africa. Antonio Giustozzi and David Lewis examine the shifts in Russian policy based on a series of interviews with Wagner personnel and other informed interlocutors.

In recent years, Georgia's ruling party has been shifting the country toward Russia, putting its long-standing cooperation with Washington and Brussels at risk. Nicholas Castillo examined the reasons behind this shift.

Moscow’s return to the Middle East rests on three main pillars: arms exports; access to military bases; and use of its private military companies, such as the Wagner Group.