The Cultural Diplomacy of the FIFA World Cup
Sports has long been a vehicle for cultural diplomacy. This summer, Russia hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Early June brought a plethora of foreign…
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The Communists of Russia: Platform and History
Founded in 2009 and officially registered in Russia as a political party since 2012, the Communists of Russia (KR) are distinct from and considerably more…
Recycling and Waste Recovery in Russia: Policy and Infrastructure Challenges
“Municipal solid waste,” or “MSW,” is the technical term given to “garbage consisting of everyday items used by the public.” Managing MSW is increasingly a…
Ecotourism in Siberia: Development and Challenges on Olkhon Island
Tourism in Russia today makes up approximately 16% of the nation’s economy; however, “ecotourism” comprises only about 1% of Russia’s tourism sector. Given that 65%…
Pavel Grudinin: Commercially-Driven Socialism
Pavel Nikolaevich Grudinin is the current Russian presidential nominee from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF). As he is not a member of…
The Clarity in Baikal’s Future: Municipal Water and Waste Systems in Irkutsk
Most Russian travel guides warn against drinking the tap water in Russia. Although most Russian cities now have municipal water systems, still, most travelers and…
Moldovan Politics: Early Moldovan Independence
The Common Roots of Moldovan Nationalism, Liberalism, and the Start of the Transnistrian Conflict The following is part of a series of resources that seeks…
Moldovan Politics: Voronin and the Communists
The Fall and Rise and Fall of Moldova’s Communists The following is part of a series of resources that seeks to explain Moldova’s current political…
Moldovan Politics: Presidential Crises 2009-2018
Trading One Crisis for Another: Timofti and Dodin The following is part of a series of resources that seeks to explain Moldova’s current political situation…
Moldovan Politics: Recent Scandals and Fallout
Recent Scandals: the Downfall of Some, the Rise of Others The following is part of a series of resources that seeks to explain Moldova’s current…
Moldovan Politics: The Rise of Vladimir Plahotniuc
Plahotniuc: For Stability or Authoritarianism? The following is part of a series of resources that seeks to explain Moldova’s current political situation through the biographies…
Moldovan Politics: Introduction
Moldovan politics are some of Europe’s most complicated and interesting. In an era when democracies are increasingly appraised by the rapidity of changes and degree…
Russia’s Arctic Development: Problems and Priorities
What climate change and arctic development means for Russia, the environment, and the international community. The Arctic region is a vast area whose economic potential,…
The Nentsy in Russia’s Energy-Heavy Yamal Peninsula
Today, over 100 identified ethnic groups exist in Russia, 41 of which are legally recognized as “indigenous small numbered peoples.” While these groups make up…
Alexei Navalny
Alexei Navalny Modern Liberal Nationalism See also: Alexei Navalny: Mayoral Platform for 2013 (in English) Alexei Anatolievich Navalny is a lawyer, activist, and politician. He…
Who’s Who in Kyrgyz Politics
This resource discusses many place names in Kyrgyzstan. Geography is important to Kyrgyz politics, which are marked by a distinct north-south split. In the north,…
Alexei Kudrin
Alexei Kudrin Rebuilding a Collapsed Country Alexei Leonidovich Kudrin became Russia’s Minister of Finance in 2000 and retained the post for 11 years. As the…
What Do The Escalations in US-Russian Sanctions Mean?
The US Congress has recently passed sweeping new sanctions on Russia. Today, they were signed into law by President Trump. Both the sanctions and Russia’s…
Are Tensions Likely for the Russian Diaspora in Kyrgyzstan?
Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the post –Soviet region has faced a number of challenges including widespread diasporas, fluid national identities,…
What is the Significance of the Russia Day Protests?
On June 12, heavily armed riot police arrested at least 1,720 people across Russia in the second nationwide anti-corruption protest since March. Although Moscow authorities…