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…
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De Jure and De Facto: An Examination of the “Friendship of the Peoples” Policy and the 1937 Koryo Saram[2] Deportation
Even though we have lived in harsh conditions we the community of Koryo Saram[3] have helped each other like brothers. We have provided each other…
Channels of Legal Agency in Russian Serfdom: A Case Study of Petitions from the Vladimir Guberniya, 1796-1808
On the surface, the institution of Russian serfdom bears great resemblance to other forms of unfreedom, and contemporaneous Western slavery in particular. Like Western European…
Ukraine Update in 7 Sentences
The following is a list of seven general points to be aware of as the Ukraine / Crimea Crisis continues to develop. This resource has…
Responding to the Dual Threat to Kazakhness: The Rise of Alash Orda and its Uniquely Kazakh Path
In 1917, following the fall of the Russian empire, Alash Orda, a provisional Kazakh government formed by members of the Alash nationalist party, partially filled…
Trends in Soviet and Post-Soviet Udmurt Cultural Memory
“Are you talking about the Russians or the Udmurt?” “There’s no difference. The two cultures have been intertwined for so long that it’s really impossible…
Introduction to Conflict in the Post-Soviet Space
As the Soviet Union crumbled, it left behind ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse successor states. As these states tried to form domestic policies and governing…
The Dima Yakovlev Law: Ethical Implications of the Russian Adoption Ban
When Sergei Magnitsky passed away in Moscow’s Butyrka prison in 2009, human rights activists worldwide cried foul. Magnitsky was a prominent lawyer who uncovered and investigated…
Tradition, Stigma, and Inclusion: Overcoming Obstacles to Educational Access in Tajikistan
Learning to See Invisible Children: Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Central Asia (Excerpt) Full book available in print and Kindle versions Firuza always knew that her son had…
The Armenian Colonies in Ukraine: Conflict, Cooperation, and Assimilation
The early modern period from 1500-1800 has been focused upon in recent scholarship as a unique era separated from the medieval and the modern. This…
Historical Context and Modern Demands: Reinterpreting Linguistic Human Rights in Ukraine
The concept of human rights in an international context and on the scale that exists today did not come into being until the 20th century….
How Does Income Affect Suicide Rates? Regional Evidence from Russia
I believe no man ever threw away life, while it was worth keeping. For such is our natural horror of death, that small motives will…
Youth Crime under Perestroika
In a Komsomolskaya Pravda article dated April 13, 1993, O. Karmaza wrote that “in recent times, we have destroyed everything that could be destroyed. This applies to…
The Pupil of the People: Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy’s Peasant Schools at Yasnaya Polyana
Count Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy is best known as the author of some of the world’s most famous literature, specifically the epic novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Tolstoy…
The Chinese in Russia’s Far East: A Clash of Civilizations in Vladivostok
As an American of Chinese descent, I’ve always had an interest in China. In 2008, I lived in Beijing, China studying Mandarin Chinese and business….
Chernobyl: A Short History of the Human Impact on Ukraine and its Neighbors
On April 26, 1986 the worst nuclear accident in history took place in Chernobyl, Ukraine as a result of an unnecessary safety test. Workers at…
Catholic and Protestant: Two Religious Periodicals and US-Soviet Relations, 1930-1950
From the time of the October Revolution in 1917, the United States had a tense relationship with the Soviet Union. The United States was, after…
The Rediscovery of the “Russian World”
During the last few weeks, the term “russkiy mir,” which can roughly be translated as “Russian world,” suddenly gained increasing prominence. It became the center…
Pride 2007: The State of Moscow’s Gay Movement
When I first arrived at Tverskaya Square just after noon on May 27th, all I could see were police uniforms. The police and OMON, the…
A Comparative Look at Hate Crime in Russia and the U.S.
In recent years, as an important issue in foreign relations between the United States and Russia, the United States has focused on bringing attention to…