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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Russian Archive Diaries: A Blog
The following are observations by SRAS employees and clients while exploring Russian archives as part of SRAS’ Research Support Services. SRAS specializes in remote research…
A Guide to Russia’s Resources
Natural resources remain a crucial part of Russia’s economy and play a role in its projection of power abroad. Domestically, resource rents (profits) accounted for…
VESTNIK – Issue 21, Fall, 2024
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…
10 Obscure Videos of Soviet Moscow from the British Pathé Archive
The organization British Pathé, a creator of newsreels of historical events, digitized their archive of 82,000 documentary videos and released it on YouTube. The 3,500…
Understanding Moscow through Literature, History, and Film
Fyodor Tyutchev once said that “Russia cannot be known by the mind” – but perhaps Moscow can be known through literature and historical surveys? A…
Recommended Books for Understanding Russia
The following books are those that have left a deep impression on me. They are books that I was driven to pick up and keep…
Book Review of The Right to be Helped: Deviance, Entitlement, and the Soviet Moral Order
Maria Cristina Galmarini-Kabala. The Right to be Helped: Deviance, Entitlement, and the Soviet Moral Order. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University Press, 2016. 316 pp., $25.99…
Origins of Russia: Moscow Becomes an Empire (Prehistory to 1584)
Moscow is not just a city. It was a fort that became a city, that became a state, that became an empire, that became a…
Book Review of From Pugwash to Putin: A Critical History of US-Soviet Scientific Cooperation by Gerson S. Sher
Gerson S Sher, From Pugwash to Putin: A Critical History of US–Soviet Scientific Cooperation. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, IN, 2019. 318 pp., $80.84 hb. ISBN-13 978-0253042613 …
Book Review of Music and Soviet Power by Marina Frolova-Walker and Jonathan Walker
Marina Frolova-Walker and Jonathan Walker, Music and Soviet Power, 1917-1932. Boydell Press, Martlesham, UK, 2012. 432 pp., $24.95 electronic ISBN-10 : 184383703X Marina…
Book Review of This Thing of Darkness: Eisenstein’s Ivan the Terrible in Stalin’s Russia by Joan Neuberger
Joan Neuberger, This Thing of Darkness: Eisenstein’s Ivan the Terrible in Stalin’s Russia. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 2019. 404 pp., $48.95 hb. ISBN-13 978-1501732768….
5G Networks in Russia: Development and Trajectories
Technology is constantly evolving, utilizing ever more bandwidth and making ever more connections between people and devices. Because of this, new cellular networks are needed…
Artificial Intelligence in Russia
Artificial intelligence has been rising in practical uses for the past several decades. From smart devices to automated weapons, it has changed the way humans…
Symmetry in State Surveillance: The US and Russia
The growth of technology and Internet-connected devices has made the surveillance of individuals increasingly possible and common. Governments use surveillance to track individuals for a…
A Traveler’s Guide to Russian Banks
Many traveler’s handbooks, in the 1990s and even into the 2000s, warned foreigners to be wary of ATMs in Russia. A lot has changed since…
The Ukraine Border Crisis: Seven Questions Answered
For the past two months, the international community has been watching the Russian-Ukrainian border crisis unfold. The following article will try to gauge whether active…
The Russian State Military Historical Archive: A Guide
The Russian State Military Historical Archive (RGVIA; Российский государственный военно-исторический архив) is one of the largest archives in Russia. Its focus is on documents concerning…
US-Russia Cybersecurity Cooperation: Future Paths and Historical Perspective
The rapid development of Internet technology has and will continue to generate unforeseen threats and opportunities. From unprecedented interconnectedness on social media to attacks on…
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…