Family of Sites 
Russian for Wonks: Demographics and Childbirth
Russian demographics have been a major policy issue for the Russian state since its formation in 1991. It has also been well covered in both…
Read MoreSociety
Civil Society
“Traditional Values” and the 2013 Russian Propaganda Ban
Civil Society
Examining the Threat of the Azov Movement in Ukraine
Business
Moscow’s Reopening and COVID Response: A View from the Ground
Civil Society
The Dacha in Modern Russian History and Legislation
Demographics
Russian MiniLessons: Summer Camps for Kids and Related Russian Vocabulary
Civil Society
A Comparative Look at Coronavirus Responses in Eurasia
Civil Society
Karabakh: Youth, War Zones, and Unrecognized Borders
Civil Society
The Logistics of Social Change and Times of Crisis
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk: The Ukrainian Parliament’s Rock Star
Svyatoslav Ivanovich Vakarchuk is best known as the lead singer of Okean Elzy, arguably Ukraine’s most popular and successful rock band. He has long used his…
Climate Fest in Bishkek
On Friday, September 20, 2019, Climate Fest was held. Millions of people around the world gathered together in support of a cleaner environment. Along with…
An Armenian Abroad: Adjusting to Life in St. Petersburg
Studying abroad in Russia as an Armenian American was eye-opening. I am a Russian Studies major that has always been interested in Russian culture and…
Who’s Who in Ukrainian Politics
Ukrainian Politics: Major Issues and Personages (Updated) Nearly all of Ukraine’s political struggles can be understood as stemming from two major sources. The first is…
Chechen-Ingush Land Dispute: A Policy Primer
Major protests were triggered in Ingushetia’s capital city by a recent land swap between Chechnya and Ingushetia. On September 26, 2018, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov…
Putin’s National Address on Pension Reform
Background: Pension reform has become a pressing issue in Russia. Russia currently has one of the world’s lowest retirement ages (55 for women and 60…
Russia’s Second De-Urbanization
The following originally appeared in Russian on Lenta.ru. The original text can be viewed, in full, here. Translation below is provided by Lindsey Greytak, a…
The Present Is History: A Journey to Newly-Independent Kyrgyzstan
Eugene Huskey is one of America’s foremost experts on modern Kyrgyzstan. The following text recounts his first trip to Kyrgyzstan in June of 1992, just…
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%…
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…