Events
The Future of Investigative Journalism in Russia
April 12, 2013 // 8:30am — 11:00am
Russian journalism faces many challenges in the current political environment in Russia. The central government controls all of the major television stations, while censorship over other media has expanded in the aftermath of the 2012 elections in Russia. Despite these trends, independent journalism is still alive in Russia, particularly in a handful of newspapers and some radio stations of limited reach. Five ground-breaking Russian journalists discussed their experiences as well as the future of investigative journalism in Russia.
Protests, Flash Mobs, and #Occupy: Are Soviet Successor States Breaking away from the Spell of Civic Apathy?
April 08, 2013 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Building on her recent research into different forms of civic activism in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, Kateryna Pishchikova, Fellow at the Transatlantic Academy, analyzed a range of recent civic initiatives in those countries and put them in the broader context of more than two decades of uncertain political transformation.
Connecting the Caucasus with the World: Railways & Pipelines
April 02, 2013 // 9:00am — 2:00pm
This conference addressed the economic and geopolitical implications of increased connectivity and cooperation resulting from large infrastructure projects in the Caucasus region. Speakers included representatives from the Embassies of Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as industry, think tank and U.S. government experts. Cosponsored by the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security.
Video from the event is now available.
Russian Civil Society in the Bolotnaya Square Era
April 01, 2013 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Lara Iglitzin, Executive Director of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, provided the perspective of a small foundation supporting human rights in Russia today. Iglitzin discussed the direction of civil society and NGOs in the new Putin presidency
Russia and the World: A Dynamic Landscape
March 28, 2013 // 8:30am — 3:30pm
This March 28, 2013 conference was organized by the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington in partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, The Herbert J. Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and The Kennan Institute. Four panels of academic, industry and government experts examined current developments in Russia’s strategic and economic relationships in honor of Dr. Herbert J. Ellison.
Explaining the Soviet ‘West’ and ‘Exotic’: Lithuanian and Georgian Writers
March 26, 2013 // 3:30pm — 5:30pm
Soviet writers were some of the most publicly recognizable intellectuals and were tasked by the state to transform society. The presentation outlined Georgian and Lithuanian writers, members of Writers’ Union, focusing on their participation in the establishment and the dynamics of ideas. The perspective of three generations in both countries reveals the rise of ethnic (local) interests and the disconnection of everyday-life from official goals. Both writers’ organizations expressed a clear character of localism (mestnichestvo), but the Georgian case illustrates more active participation at the central level while Lithuanian writers maintained a more peripheral and less active role in the druzhba narodov (“friendship of peoples”) narratives.
Russian Citizenship: From Empire to Soviet Union
March 25, 2013 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
"Russian Citizenship" is the first book to trace the Russian state’s citizenship policy throughout its history. Focusing on the period from the mid-nineteenth century to the consolidation of Stalin’s power in the 1930s, Eric Lohr considers whom the state counted among its citizens and whom it took pains to exclude. His research reveals that the Russian attitude toward citizenship was less xenophobic and isolationist and more similar to European attitudes than has been previously thought—until the drive toward autarky after 1914 eventually sealed the state off and set it apart.
Exiting Anarchy: Militia Politics after the Post-Soviet Wars
March 21, 2013 // 4:00pm — 5:30pm
Jesse Driscoll, Academy Scholar, Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, Harvard University, and Assistant Professor of Political Science, School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California at San Diego discussed his forthcoming book on how political order emerged in Tajikistan and Georgia after the violent chaos of the Soviet collapse.
Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin
March 18, 2013 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Who is Vladimir Putin? Observers have described him as a "man from nowhere"—someone without a face, substance, or soul. In their new book, Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin, Russia experts Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy argue that Putin is in fact a man of many and complex identities. Clifford Gaddy discussed the book’s major themes and examined Putin as the Statist, the History Man, the Survivalist, the Outsider, the Free Marketeer, and the Case Officer. Understanding Putin's multiple dimensions is crucial for policymakers trying to decide how best to deal with Russia.
Containing Russia’s Nuclear Firebirds: Harmony and Change at the International Science and Technology Center
March 14, 2013 // 4:00pm — 5:30pm
In Containing Russia’s Nuclear Firebirds, Glenn E. Schweitzer explores the life and legacy of the International Science and Technology Center in Moscow. He makes the case that the center’s unique programs can serve as models for promoting responsible science in many countries of the world. Andrew Weber, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs, U.S. Department of Defense,Andrew Hood, Special Assistant/Senior Advisor to the Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), U.S. Department of Energy, and Sergey Kislyak, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States provided discussion. Please note: Assistant Secretary Weber and Senior Advisor Hood spoke in their personal capacities at this event.