Russia

Yearbook

    Russia: The Illusion of Accord – The Reality of Confrontation
  • An objective critical and constructive analysis of Russian reality is typically impeded by widespread myths. Most notably, there is the myth of the totalitarian sole dictator – the omnipotent Russian president. The demonic image of Vladimir Putin is also inextricably linked to the notion of the...

Blog

    2021 State Duma Elections: No (Appetite For) Change?
  • On 19 September 2021, 450 members were elected to Russia’s State Duma. This was the eighth such election to be held in the history of the Russian Federation. Half of these candidates were elected directly via their constituency (first vote), the other half were chosen via lists of candidates from...
    Elections to the Russian State Duma
  • There will be a number of important elections on the European continent this year. Somewhat out of sights of mainstream media and EU citizens are the elections to the highest legislative body in the Russian Federation – the Duma. What are the issues involved?
    USSR and Germany: On the Way to 22 June 1941
  • On 22 June 1941, Nazi Germany began its war of extermination against the Soviet Union, displacing and killing millions. The date also marks the beginning of the extermination of Europe’s Jews. Russian-based historian and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Shveitser, analyses the geopolitical situation preceding the German attack.
    Never Again! "Operation Barbarossa" Anniversary
  • On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany began the attack on the Soviet Union with “Operation Barbarossa”. From day one, the fascist aggressors terrified the civilian population in this war of predation and extermination. War and occupation killed 27 million citizens of diverse nationalities on Soviet Union territory alone.
    100 Years Communist Parties
  • Review of the latest book of Jan Campbell, chairman of the Institute of the Czech Left, an observer organisation of transform! europe. The publication presents the author's reflections on the 100th anniversary of the founding of communist parties in various countries, under specific consideration of the Communist Party of China.
    The dilemmas of Belarus-Russian relations
  • Some weeks ago, Vladimir Putin met with Alexander Lukashenko in Sochi, Russia. At first glance, Putin-Lukashenko's talks were informal and even accompanied by leisure activities in the fresh air, which signaled a good mood in relations between the two countries and leaders. But appearances can be deceiving, and sometimes they are deliberate.
    Is Russia Waking Up?
  • The reasons behind the protest actions that began in January, the social forces involved, and the possible consequences.
    Vladimir Putin’s January Constitutional Coup
  • The constitutional reform that Vladimir Putin presented on 15th January 2020 was a surprise, especially for those who are not following Russia’s domestic political developments. The possibility of a significant transfer of powers from the president to the Duma (parliament) has been discussed repeatedly over the course of the past year.
    Socioeconomics: Uniquely Russian Poverty
  • Oleg Nikolaevich Smolin's talk at the Russian Social Forum on the current social and economical conditions and the widespread poverty - also among the working population - in Russia. With an introduction by Jirí Málek.
    Few Points Regarding the Sense of the Revolution
  • On the background of this year’s 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution Jiří Dolejš contemplates the role of revolutionary turmoil and its impact on the human society as well as the requirements under which a real change can be achieved.
    Hegemony or Negotiated Consensus?
  • This year’s parliamentary elections in Russia did not promise any big surprises. In the end, there was at least one: a landslide victory for the pro-Kremlin political party United Russia (Yedinaya Rossiya) which took 76 % of seats in the Russian parliament or State Duma.[1]
    How Powerful is the Russian Bear?
  • A lot of discussion has been going on regarding the Russian foreign policy and its military potential. The aim of this article is not to analyze the state and potential of the Russian military technique, but to look into the economic strengths and weaknesses of this huge country.
    Left-wing Organizations of Russia call for Solidarity and Support
  • Comrades! Today, we activists of left-wing organizations of Russia turn to you for solidarity and support! In Russia, an open strife between a broad democratic movement and the corrupted authoritarian oligarchical regime is broken out. The authorities rigged the results of parliament and...

Publication

    Inclusive European Security? Russia and the EU in the Post-Western World
  • There has been a lot of talk of a new Cold War between the West and Russia, even though the metaphor itself is not appropriate in today’s globalised context. It is not a very fitting analytical description. Firstly, there is no clear ideological and systemic struggle between Russia and the West.