Category Archives: Uncategorized

Given our current political predicament in the United States, how do we understand the U.S in relation to Russia? The article in the New Yorker points out that much of what Putin uses as justification for his actions is previous … Continue reading →

I’m very interested in the significance of Pussy Riot both in and outside of Russia. Last class, we discussed the reductive and paternalistic “Western gaze” on Russia. Is effective diplomacy possible when the West continues to hold Russia to its … Continue reading →

Toward the middle of his account of its decline, Jeffrey Taylor offers a brief history of Russia since before it was a nation, country, or empire right up until “Putin the Terrible.” Along the way, he emphasizes Russia’s isolation from … Continue reading →

The theme of nationalism is especially interesting in these two articles. While the currents of Russian nationalism seem sinister when mediated through a Western lens in these articles, what role could an increasing patriotism play in Russia’s future? Tayler’s picture … Continue reading →

All of our sources for today come from a western perspective. Yet insofar as there is such a thing as a national character, we see the Russian one very clearly, especially in Tayler’s article. The demise of the hope spot … Continue reading →

In his Address on Crimea, Putin reminds his audience of Crimea’s military and naval relevance in Russian history, and commends the popular vote to leave Ukraine rejoin Russia, rebuilding a shared past and establishing a sense that Crimea’s culture, language, … Continue reading →

Can we draw a connection between susceptibility to a cult of personality leader and national trauma? Freeze emphasizes the characteristics that made Putin so attractive – the antithesis to Yeltsin, he was intelligent, ideologically committed, and deeply proud of his … Continue reading →

The USSR’s attitude towards technology and music demonstrates a tension we have encountered before: that between the desire to establish Russia as an advanced, culturally vibrant country, and the proliferation and cementation of communist ideals. This tension ended up creating many … Continue reading →

I am finally reunited with my old friend Yurchak! Citing Foucault’s concept of ‘discursive formations’, Yurchak describes late Soviet reality as a “particular, deterritorialized space” (Yurchak 2005, 161). It was widely understood that the Soviet socialist system was failing but, … Continue reading →

The Soviet government’s attitude toward how much western influence was allowable seems rather arbitrary. For example, “Even during the years when jazz was under extreme attack Soviet orchestras occasionally played jazz tunes that were arranged in the style of Soviet … Continue reading →