Opinion
November 2011
Teacher exchange for a 21st Century Education
Preparing our students for the 21st century and its demands is a global challenge. We... See more
The World According To Erdogan
There is hardly a day when Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's Islamist prime minister, is not... See more
The FSB Should Open Up the Wallenberg Files
Next year marks the 100th birthday of one of the 20th century's most admired figures:... See more
When we say tandem we mean Putin
A consensus is emerging among Russia-watchers that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's return to the Russian... See more
October 2011
The Bodies Politic
Both the United States and Russia are gearing up for a presidential election in 2012,... See more
Gamers' Harry Potter
It's no surprise that there is already a computer game of "Metro 2033." Dmitry Glukhovsky's... See more
Passive voice can also be a worldview
Russians and Americans are far apart on so many issues, and many choose to see... See more
In pursuit of quality
One of the favorite sayings of the new generation of global Russians is ,"Speak English,... See more
Middle East miscalculated
I am still baffled: Why did the Kremlin commit such a gross error of judgement... See more
Can Russia learn from Steve Jobs?
The announcement last month that Apple CEO Steve Jobs felt compelled to resign due to... See more
May 2011
Looking beyond oil's curse
Analysts have been talking about Russia's natural resource curse for years, but now the discussion... See more
Seeing eye to eye after Osama Bin Laden
The liquidation of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden presented Russia and the United States with... See more
Two leaders, one throne
Political analysts in Russia and across the world are speculating on who will become Russia's... See more
April 2011
Writing verbatim
Russia, a country frequently defined by its epic novels, has witnessed a recent prolific surge... See more
Beware of books
Many years ago, when the acclaimed Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko said: "A poet in Russia... See more
Know any good lobbyists?
There is a new mood of fiscal austerity that has set in on Capitol Hill... See more
Black and foreign in Russia
Recently, a reader of my blog, "Brave New Russia," wrote me an email asking what... See more
December 2010
Change for the better
While polite society is uncomfortable discussing issues like racism in Russia, refusing to ask the... See more
Russian dog owners mourn the loss of GLONASS satellites
The loss of three GLONASS satellites is hardly a major setback for the ultimate success... See more
The Lecture Circuit
When I lived in Moscow during stretches of the 1960s and 1970s, torrents of incessant... See more
To START or not to START?
The most impressive victory of the Republican Party in the recent midterm elections sent shivers... See more
Joining Club WTO, Seventeen Years On
Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization is closer to being accomplished than at any... See more
Leaks, Damage and Batman
To tell the truth, most of the world, including Russia, does not really understand what... See more
Russia the Gentle Giant?
Recent actions by the Russian leadership could indicate a shift in the way Russia hopes... See more
Russian language changes as it goes global
The Russian spoken today around the world may not be that taught by academic philologists,... See more
November 2010
Russia Watchdog
Former high-ranking diplomat David Kramer was named the executive director of Freedom House, an NGO... See more
21st-Century Cooperation
President Dmitry Medvedev is going to Lisbon, after all. This is good news. More important,... See more
Feeling the Chill
A new disposition on Capitol Hill will have a dramatic effect on President Barack Obama's... See more
Toward Global Security
The year 2010 has seen important events in the sphere of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation,... See more
October 2010
Counting Treasure
Hundreds of thousands of artifacts are missing from Russian museums, a revelation that has received... See more
The Cost of Shoes
When I first arrived in Russia in 1993, everyone knew I was a foreigner thanks... See more
Vertically Challenged
Monuments to Russia's new power and wealth have been sprouting up and testing the limits... See more
Space hotel the next step into the final frontier
Sergei Kostenko's plan for a space hotel may seem far-fetched, but really it's only a... See more
September 2010
In Dagestan, it's different this time
The latest violence in Dagestan highlights the bigger problems facing Russia's largest North Caucasus republic.Once... See more
Quality, Not Quantity
Some Russia observers never tire of repeating that Russia faces a "demographic crisis." Recently, the... See more
Most Equitable BRIC
The conventional image of Russia is a country of a few super-rich oil barons and... See more
August 2010
Burnt Sacrifice
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has spent days touring fire-ravaged regions promising distraught refugees compensation and... See more
A Chance for Engagement and Rapprochement
In a much-discussed address to Russian ambassadors in mid-July, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gave his... See more
Mitt Morphs Again
We're familiar by now with Mitt Romney's chameleonic tendencies; if memory serves, the once and... See more
Medvedev's Modernization 101 for diplomats
It is indisputable that Russia, which has exhausted its Soviet-era resources in technology, infrastructure and... See more
BP's Dudley showed loyalty during Russia years
BP crisis manager Robert Dudley has been called to the U.S. Gulf Coast to fix... See more
The end of an era in regional politics
The resignation of Bashkir President Murtaza Rakhimov coming soon after that of long-time Tatar leader... See more
June 2010
A Zone of Responsibility
Until only recently, the territory of the former Soviet Union appeared to be a vast... See more
Define Modernization
NATO soldiers marching in Red Square on Victory Day. Moscow agreeing on a compromise resolution... See more
Blue Bucket Democracy
The most annoying thing about living in Moscow is the traffic: not the legendary jams,... See more
May 2010
A New and Modern Foreign Policy
A supposedly confidential Foreign Ministry document--an intentional leak that was published on Russian Newsweek's Web... See more
A Tenacity to Remember
In a popular book on French cuisine ("Lunch in Paris, A Love Story, with recipes... See more
A Predator of the Press
In honor of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Reporters Without Borders released a... See more
Georgia: An Insecure Foothold for the U.S.
It is always bad news for a major continental nation or global superpower to tie... See more
A New Lease on Ukraine
Passions are raging in Kiev over the agreement President Dmitry Medvedev signed with Ukrainian President... See more
A tenacity to remember
While proud of their own nation's contributions to the victory over Nazi Germany, many Americans... See more
April 2010
Bonding in common tragedy
The tragedy outside Smolensk - to the surprise of many - brought Polish-Russian relations to... See more
What the metro Bombings say about Us
At first glance, it seems the moment for the metro bombings was well chosen: March... See more
Russia's Dance with NATO
At the annual security conference in Munich in February, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was asked... See more
March 2010
Why conspiracy theories prevail
Perhaps more so than in any other developed nation I've visited, Russians are avid believers... See more
Iran: Russia's Strategic New Client
Iran is fast becoming one of Russia's best business clients. While Russia is not entirely... See more
Rhetoric and reason
The Islamic Republic of Iran has grabbed the attention of politicians and political analysts from... See more
February 2010
The Loser in Ukraine
So, who was the loser in the presidential elections in Ukraine? On the surface,... See more
Nuclear Diplomacy
American and Russian negotiators have struggled for months to craft a new bilateral treaty... See more
Majority Rule
As a rule, I'm not much one for statistics, but every so often one... See more
January 2010
Closer to China
During President Barack Obama's recent trip to the People's Republic of China, he strongly... See more
December 2009
Eastern Promises
China's influencein Russia continues to expand. Even routine domestic economic decisions in Russia are increasingly... See more
Behind Poker Faces
I first ran into the problem of explaining Russian humor to Americans while in graduate... See more
November 2009
The Road to Atonement
Loudmouth that I am, I've been asked to lower my volume more often than... See more
Re-Imagining Latvia
When Russian tanks rolled into Georgia in the summer of 2008, I happened to... See more
Between the Lines
When Anton Sikharulidze, the former figure skater and current United Russia member, was asked... See more
October 2009
What's at stake
In contemplating the situation in Afghanistan, it is difficult to escape a feeling of... See more
The Church's Power
The Church in contemporary Russia has become one of the country's most influential social... See more
Noble Efforts
In the late 1980s, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was steering the Soviet Union away... See more
September 2009
WTO Access Takes Center Stage
The main priority of Russia's economic policy is World Trade Organization membership. This idea... See more
We Didn't Start the Fire
Bombings in Iraq. A resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan. A global economy on the brink.... See more
Velvet Reform
President Dmitry Medvedev's recent manifesto ("Forward, Russia!") was published while the Valdai Club experts... See more
For the Benefit of All
U.S. President Barack Obama's cancellation of the deployment of a silo-based missile defense system in... See more
August 2009
The Putin Paradox
The Putin era in foreign policy began in June 1999, two months before his... See more
War of the Roses
When one year ago, Georgia launched a large-scale military attack on the secessionist South... See more
The Many Possibilities of the Russian Negative
Found in Translation English-speaking Russians may seem a little too negative, both in everyday... See more
The Genesis of Gaffes
If I were Russian, my country's statements and stances vis-a-vis America would give me... See more
June 2009
They Accused me of "Political" Theater
Artists today have gotten out of the habit of serious work. We're living in... See more
Audiences Cry in All the Same Places
We do a lot of touring, in Russia and abroad. These days, given periodic... See more
A Foreign Policy for Realists
U.S. President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to Moscow inspired us to explore the "reset"... See more
A Foreign Policy for Realists
U.S. President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to Moscow inspired us to explore the "reset"... See more
Will a New Curfew Help Reduce Crime?
President Dmitry Medvedev supported the new law allowing local authorities across Russia to sweep... See more
Reset Caution
Russian and U.S. negotiators have begun nuclear arms control talks in Moscow with the... See more
New strategy for a changing world
The Russian National Security Strategy until 2020, published in mid-May, leaves mixed impressions. It... See more
A Productive History
Over the course of 40 years studying Russia, I have noted the prevalence of... See more
April 2009
Recasting Russia as Post-Colonial India
Frankly speaking, I see Russia's future in the brightest of hues. Admittedly, this sort of... See more
No Recovery For Oil
The Russian government foresees some sectors of the economy improving in the second half of... See more
Landmines On the Bilateral Road
The NATO exercises scheduled to take place in Georgia in May are a "landmine"--one of... See more
Democracy Cast In Anarchic Light
Svetlana Babaeva continues her piercing look at stereotypes of Russia and Russian realities. This... See more
Cautious Expectations
Estrangement between Moscow and Washington has lately given way --with the election of Barack... See more
March 2009
Henry Ford's Mistake
A century ago, Henry Ford, the American capitalist and philanthropist, wrote: "The charitable organization that... See more
Color My World, and Yours Too
The recent United States election campaign was so widely covered in the Russian media that... See more
Behind the Russian Stereotype
Let's look at the most popular impressions of Russia and Russians. Even if we can't... See more
A Commercial Reboot
As the horrendous effects of the economic crisis sink in, Washington and Moscow should... See more
Henry Ford's Mistake
A century ago, Henry Ford, the American capitalist and philanthropist, wrote: "The charitable organization... See more
Color My World, and Yours Too
Found in Translation The recent United States election campaign was so widely covered in... See more
Behind the Russian Stereotype
Let's look at the most popular impressions of Russia and Russians. Even if we can't... See more
A Commercial Reboot
As the horrendous effects of the economic crisis sink in, Washington and Moscow should... See more
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