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Past articles by Kennan:
New START and the Future of US-Russia Arms Control
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is the last strategic nuclear arms control agreement still in force between the United States and Russia. It will expire in less than 4 months unless extended, and negotiations to that end are now underway. On October 19, Lynn Rusten and Feodor Voitolovsky will join us for a conversation on the American and Russian perspectives on the future of… → Read More
Understanding the Problem of Domestic Violence in Russia
The Russian State Duma is currently considering a law that is meant to protect the victims of domestic violence and make it easier for them to seek justice. This is happening against the backdrop of recent widely discussed domestic abuse stories and high-profile cases of retaliation. However, the proposed legislation has faced opposition from conservative groups who contend the proposal would… → Read More
Protest Culture in Ukraine and Belarus: Differences and Commonalities
The protest movements in Eastern Europe are now considered milestones of political change. In addition to the Georgian Rose Revolution and Ukrainian Maidan, Belarus has contributed its own metaphor stemming from protestors’ call to “be like water” and constantly change the place of protests throughout August and September 2020. In this discussion, Mykhailo Minakov, Oxana Shevel, and Andrei… → Read More
Russia Goes to the Polls
On September 13, Russians will be voting in various local elections, including 18 gubernatorial elections, 11 regional parliamentary elections, and 22 local council elections. These elections are taking place in the midst of several domestic and foreign crises, including the recent poisoning of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, ongoing protests in the Far East, protests in… → Read More
Civic Engagement and Political Participation of Russian Youth
As Russian society becomes more modernized, the generational divide between the regime's policies and the expectations and attitudes of young people has widened. In recent years, younger Russians have become more critical of the Putin regime. This generation is also more pro-Western and more likely to support minority rights, and more actively engaged on the internet and social media. Denis… → Read More
After Navalny's Poisoning
On August 20, Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption crusader and Russia’s leading opposition candidate, collapsed on a plane and was later taken to Germany, where he remains in a medically-induced coma. The German government has now announced definitively that he was poisoned by a Novichok nerve agent. What are the broader implications of this assassination attempt for the political climate and… → Read More
KennanX Episode 9: "Disinformation’s Threat to Democracy"
America is losing the information war. But why? On this episode of KennanX, Jill Dougherty speaks with Nina Jankowicz about the scourge of foreign and domestic disinformation in America and how we can build a more disinformation-resilient society. Nina Jankowicz is the Disinformation Fellow at the Wilson Center and the author of How to Lose the Information War: Russia, Fake News, and the Future… → Read More
The Putin Profile: A Conversation with Dr. Fiona Hill
Vladimir Putin’s presidency has lasted over 20 years. In July, he further cemented his grip on power with the approval of a series of new constitutional amendments, giving him the ability to extend his presidency to 2036 and potentially making him the longest-serving head of state in modern Russian and Soviet history. Join us on July 29 for a conversation with Dr. Fiona Hill on Vladimir Putin,… → Read More
Victory Parade and the Russian Military Strategy
On June 24, Moscow will hold a military parade to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. This year the annual ritual, normally held on May 9 but postponed because of the pandemic, has acquired an even more powerful symbolic significance, as it is being held on the same date that the first victory parade took place in Moscow in 1945. Michael Kofman, Olga Oliker, Jeffrey… → Read More
Searching for Hidden Narratives of World War II in Russia
The Kennan Institute is the premier U.S. center for advanced research on Russia and Eurasia and the oldest and largest regional program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Kennan Institute is committed to improving American expertise and knowledge of Russia, Ukraine, and the region. Through its residential fellowship programs, public lectures, workshops, and… → Read More
50th Anniversary of the Leningrad “Hijackers’” Case: Film Screening and Discussion
On June 15, 1970, a group of young refuseniks—mostly Soviet Jews denied permission to emigrate—set out to commandeer an empty plane outside of Leningrad and use it to escape the USSR. Known variously as the Leningrad “hijacking” case, Operation Wedding, and the Dymshits-Kuznetsov affair, the event drew international attention to human rights violations in the Soviet Union and spurred a powerful… → Read More
WEBCAST | The Global Phenomenon of Post-Soviet Science
At its height in the late 1980s, the Soviet science system was the largest national infrastructure of science and technology in the world. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late 1991, the science systems of Russia and the other post-Soviet successor states underwent a tremendous contraction and a widely recognized crisis. Michael Gordin will discuss the emergence of post-Soviet… → Read More
WEBCAST | Conducting Business in Russia: Finland’s Future Prospects
Today, there are approximately 600 Finnish businesses operating in Russia. A recent survey of a subset of these businesses show that while Finnish firms have a negative outlook on the Russian economy over the next six months, they continue to see their business prospects in a positive light. Lauri Veijalainen and Sinikka Parviainen of East Office of Finnish Industries will analyze new data and… → Read More
WEBCAST | Belarus’s Emerging Civil Society in the Time of COVID-19
WEBCAST | Belarus’s Emerging Civil Society in the Time of COVID-19 For over two decades, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko shielded his country from change and fostered a quasi-Soviet economy and society. But even as his pressure never eased, Belarus has developed social and cultural movements that have gained traction in the human rights sphere as well as in the coronavirus relief… → Read More
WEBCAST: Zelensky’s First Year in Office: Successes, Failures, and Outlook for the Future
WEBCAST: Zelensky’s First Year in Office: Successes, Failures, and Outlook for the Future It has been a year since Ukrainian voters handed a landslide victory to Volodymyr Zelensky. Politically inexperienced, Zelensky inspired unprecedented levels of optimism among the Ukrainian public, riding into office on promises of ending the war in Donbas, reducing corruption, and improving the economy.… → Read More
WEBCAST: COVID-19 in Russia: Social, Regional, and Medical Responses
WEBCAST: COVID-19 in Russia: Social, Regional, and Medical Responses Since the coronavirus outbreak hit Russia, the government has responded slowly, taking a conservative approach to mandatory closures, public health measures, and social support. The Kremlin has also deferred to regional governors to take the lead in responding to the crisis, a marked departure from its notoriously centralized… → Read More
WEBCAST: Russian Independent Media During the Coronavirus Pandemic
WEBCAST: Russian Independent Media During the Coronavirus Pandemic Since the coronavirus pandemic emerged in Russia, the information industry has been under increased pressure by the Kremlin. The regime has attempted to make the work of journalists as difficult as possible and wield control over every publication, both public and private, to take control of the information surrounding the… → Read More
Russia in a Pandemic and Moscow's Two Competing Instincts
The Kennan Institute is the premier U.S. center for advanced research on Russia and Eurasia and the oldest and largest regional program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Kennan Institute is committed to improving American expertise and knowledge of Russia, Ukraine, and the region. Through its residential fellowship programs, public lectures, workshops, and… → Read More
WEBCAST: Victory Day and Russia’s Politics of History
Please Note: The webcast will be available on this webpage on the day of the event. → Read More
U.S.-Russian Relations in the Time of COVID-19
Please Note: The webcast will be available on this page on the day of the event. → Read More