Russian for Wonks: The Geopolitics of Summer Camp
For many Russian children, summer camp is a cherished rite of passage—an escape from school routines into a world of bonfires, games, and shared songs….
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Shifting Memorialization of WWII in Latvia
After the USSR re-occupied Latvia from Nazi Germany in 1944, they constructed a narrative that framed the USSR as a welcome liberator. This was designed…
Book Review of The Politics of Culture in Soviet Azerbaijan, 1920-1940
Audrey, Altstadt. The Politics of Culture in Soviet Azerbaijan, 1920-1940. Routledge, London and New York, 2016. 234pp, $65pb. ISBN 9781138639003. “We are undertaking the…
Riga: A History in Districts
Riga, the capital city of Latvia, boasts a rich history and diverse architectural heritage. Among its many districts, Mežciems, Purvciems, Grīziņkalns, Centrs, and Vecrīga stand…
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…
“Traditional Values” and the 2013 Russian Propaganda Ban
In 1993, the Russian law against sex between men, which had been put into place under Stalin in 1934 and led to the arrest and…
A Comparative Look at Coronavirus Responses in Eurasia
The global health crisis has changed life around the world, but in often very different ways in various places. Even countries located close to each…
Karabakh: Youth, War Zones, and Unrecognized Borders
The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of GeoHistory or SRAS. This fascinating interview is presented here as documentation of what…
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…
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 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…
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,…
Could the Baltic Crisis Lead to Wider Conflict?
Recent years have seen a hardening of relations between the United States/NATO and Russia. Russian actions in Ukraine—especially the…
Trends in Cultural Education in Kyrgyzstan
The formation of any new state is a fascinating time, let alone the creation of a modern state that possesses an ancient history and rich…
Sufi-Salafi Institutional Competition and Conflict in the Chechen Republic
The Russian North Caucasus is one of the most politically complex and turbulent areas in the world due to its plethora of ethnic, national, and…
“Medicine Standing on its Head”: Snezhnevsky, Sluggish Schizophrenia and Soviet Political Abuse of Psychiatry
In this essay, I analyze political abuses of psychiatry in the Soviet Union by exploring Andrei Snezhnevsky’s diagnosis of sluggish schizophrenia—a fictional branch of schizophrenia….
Russia’s Volunteering Youth: The Fashionable Adolescence
The US-Russia Social Expertise Exchange program (SEE), under the auspices of the Eurasia Foundation, facilitates an exchange of knowledge, professionalism, and experience between the US…
The Evolution and Dissolution of the Soviet Kitchen
Just as the leadership, citizens, and politics of the USSR changed drastically between 1917 and 1991, so too the Soviet kitchen underwent innumerable changes from…