Контрапункт/Kontrapunkt Volumes Are Now Online!
Контрапункт – это журнал о политике и обществе, посвященный, в первую очередь, проблемам России. Журнал публикует на русском языке работы российских и иностранных авторов – академических…
Development in the Russian Regions and the 2019 Elections. Is There a Correlation Between Economy and Politics?
In many countries, the state of the economy affects politics. If a country is in long-term economic decline, an election is likely to lead to the transfer of political power. Conversely, high…
In Response to a “Russian Idea” Channeled From Above, Another Version of Patriotism Is Emerging From Below
In the summer of 1996, President Boris Yeltsin, who had just been reelected for a second term, commissioned a group of Russian intellectuals to design a new national idea for the country. It…
Will the Electoral Success Achieved by the Opposition Inspire a New Wave of Opposition Activity?
Mikhail Vinogradov, Russian political expert, discusses with Maria Lipman the recent political developments in Russia, particularly the Russian regional and municipal elections and the…
For the Sake of a Brighter Future, Belarusians Argue about the Past
No elite consensus about the pantheon of heroes and other aspects of national identity has ever existed in Belarus. From the very dawn of the national movement in the late 1800s, two national…
The Media Job Market in Russia: Political and Technological Challenges
The entire political desk of the Kommersant publishing house, including myself (deputy chief editor) and special correspondent Anna Pushkarskaya, announced that we had submitted our…
Rally around “Ze!” Flag: Ballots as Pitchforks in Ukraine’s Parliamentary Race
The Parliamentary election in Ukraine brought resounding victory to the Servant of the People (SoP) party put together around the newly elected president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Sergiy Kudelia…
Replacing Democracy with Numbers
Under Russian President Vladimir Putin, plebiscitary techniques have played a key role in politics as a way to manufacture the image of democratic legitimacy. Far from being opposed to…
In Russia, the state and state-aligned actors have come to dominate the scene of the politics of memory
In a Point & Counterpoint interview last year on historical politics, Russian historian Aleхey Miller discussed the clash of memory cultures and how they have evolved over the past 10-15…
The Russian Orthodox Church’s Expansion is Causing Popular Disaffection
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ said in 2019: “Today we are building approximately three churches per day, per 24 hours.” ► The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is building more and…
Velvet Gloves Versus Iron Fist: Dilemmas of Control Under Russian Authoritarianism
On a few recent occasions, the Kremlin has conceded to street protests and chose to respond to public demands rather than resort to hard repressions. Is this shift likely to last, or is it a…
A Transformation of the Memorial Site in Katyn
In the wake of the deterioration of relations between modern Russia and Poland, the Katyn memorial has become a scene for the contestation of historical memory. In order to play down the 1940…
