In Russia these days, the sky seems to be falling even more than usual. In mid-March, INSOR (the Institute of Contemporary Development) came out with its annual report on Russia’s political future, advocating its patented brand of Medvedevian liberal reform. This produced the usual bubble of chatter, and would likely have faded into oblivion …
The recent wave of kompromat directed at prominent members of the Russian liberal intelligentsia is very much the talk of the town. People seem to interpret this phenomenon in very different ways. Sick of the lack of clarity on this subject, I’ve decided to sit down and try to flesh out the two main POVs: …
Continue reading ‘The Meaning of Contemporary Russian Kompromat’ »
For those who haven’t already heard, prominent opposition member and famed Kukly-creator Viktor Shenderovich has been the latest victim of the Black PR hidden cameras scandals. Yesterday, a video appeared on Russian video websites that featured Shenderovich, former anti-illegal-immigrant activist Alexander Belov-Potkin, and ‘Other Russia’ activist-author Eduard Limonov. The three men were pictured having sex …
Continue reading ‘"For a Girl with a Reputation Like Hers": the Shenderovich Sex Tape’ »
In the last week or so, an unusual number of American media outlets have hosted, tweeted, retweeted, and otherwise regurgitated the ramblings and ruminations of Russia’s liberal elite. Boris Nemtsov scored an interview with Time Magazine, Kasparov graced the pages of Radio Free Europe, Nemtsov swung by Washington for a mixer with the Republican foreign …