Right Cause Searches for Right Path: Part I
Established in November of 2008, Right Cause (Правое Дело) is one of Russia’s youngest political parties. Right Cause formed from a merger of three smaller…
Read MoreArticles by Josh Wilson
Josh has been with SRAS since 2003. He holds an M.A. in Theatre and a B.A. in History from Idaho State University, where his masters thesis was written on the political economy of Soviet-era censorship organs affecting the stage. He lived in Moscow from 2003-2022, where he ran Moscow operations for SRAS. At SRAS, Josh still assists in program development and leads our internship programs. He is also the editor-in-chief for the SRAS newsletter, the SRAS Family of Sites, and Vestnik. He has previously served as Communications Director to Bellerage Alinga and has served as a consultant or translator to several businesses and organizations with interests in Russia.
Russians on Ice: A Brief Overview of Soviet and Russian Hockey
While Russia’s political history has been tumultuous and unpredictable, one thing has remained an unfaltering constant: Russians are good at hockey. While Brezhnev dealt with…
Eastern Siberia: Vast Potential
If Eastern Siberia declared independence, it would be the world’s seventh largest country – just below Australia. Yet, it would be only half as populous…
Russia in Space
Humanity’s space age had its beginnings in the Cold War rivalries between the US and the USSR. Both countries attempted to advance their own sciences…
President Obama’s NES Speech in Russian Translation
Simultaneous interpretation and written translation are two very different arts. A translator working on a text-to-text translation might take several days to complete and polish…
A Fair and Just Russia: Part II
In the first part of their political platform, Fair Russia proclaimed “New Socialism” as its political philosphy. In this second part, the party begins to…
Fair Russia: Foreign Policy Wish List
Ilya Ponomarev has been involved in information technology (IT) in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. He entered the business side of technology…
Russian MiniLessons: Ссориться по-русски – Fighting in Russian
The following bilingual Russian MiniLesson is meant to build your vocabulary by providing Russian phrases within English text. Hover over the bold Russian to reveal…
A Fair and Just Russia: Russia’s Social Democrats
The Fair Russia Party was created in 2006 from a merger of three smaller parties. The original parties are still named in the official subtitle…
Moscow: Modern and historic challenges
Moscow’s official population of 10.5 million makes it the world’s seventh most populous city. In addition, the city also contains nearly two million official “guests,”…
Russian MiniLessons: Южная Осетия – South Ossetia
The following bilingual Russian MiniLesson is meant to build your vocabulary by providing Russian phrases within English text. Hover over the bold Russian to reveal…
Russian MiniLessons: Органы = Security Forces (FSB and Spies)
The following bilingual Russian MiniLesson is meant to build your vocabulary by providing Russian phrases within English text. Hover over the bold Russian to reveal…
Fantasy Islands: New Lands Built for St. Petersburg
On the tenth of September, a massive Italian ocean liner, the Costa Mediterranea, with seventeen decks, three hundred meters in length, and sixty meters high…
Lake Baikal
Often called the Pearl of Siberia, Lake Baikal is a natural wonder that almost defies description. Its 1600 meter (almost 1 mile) depth holds 20%…
Irkutsk: A Fragile Jewel of Siberia
The land of Siberia brims with mystery and silence. Nearly incomprehensible size, it brims with natural resources, diverse ecologies and a myriad of peoples. Near…
Vladivostok: A Short History of Russian Rule in the East
The construction of Vladivostok was the culmination of Russia’s long drive to establish a major naval presence in the Pacific Ocean and help solidify its…
St. Petersburg: Russia’s Vortex of Change
A curious calm presides over the city of St. Petersburg. It is not the calm of a tired city: it’s the deceptive calm of a…
Politics in the Former Soviet Union: A Personal View from an American born of Russian Immigrants
On December 3, 2007 I awoke with a hangover, even though I had not imbibed the night before. The evening of December 2 was my…
The Medvedev Economy
The Russian economy is due for a major shift. Much of the rapid growth from the past eight years has come from something called “unused…
Vestnik – Issue 7, Winter 2007
Vestnik was launched by SRAS in 2004 as one of the world’s first online academic journals focused on showcasing student research. We welcome and invite…