PONARS Eurasia Podcast

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PONARS Eurasia is an international network of scholars advancing new approaches to research on security, politics, economics, and society in Russia and Eurasia. The program is located at IERES at George Washington University.

PONARS Staff


    • Feb 23, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 5595h 37m AVG DURATION
    • 87 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from PONARS Eurasia Podcast

    The Putin-Xi Summit: What's New In Their Joint Communique ?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2022 43:46


    In this week's PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman speaks with Russian China experts Vita Spivak and Alexander Gabuev about the February meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, and what it may tell us about where the Russian-Chinese relationship is headed.

    Exploring the Russian Courts' Ruling to Liquidate the Memorial Society

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2022 42:30


    In this week's PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with scholars Kelly Smith and Benjamin Nathans about the history, achievements, and impending shutdown of the Memorial Society, Russia's oldest and most venerable civic organization, and what its imminent liquidation portends for the Russian civil society.

    Russia's 2021 census and the Kremlin's nationalities policy [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2021 38:24


    In this week's PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with social scientist Andrey Shcherbak about the quality of the data collected in the recent population census and the goals of Vladimir Putin's government's nationalities policy

    Active citizens of any kind are under threat [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2021 32:24


    In this week's PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Alexander Verkhovsky about the Kremlin's ever expanding toolkit against political and civic activists, journalists, and other dissidents.

    Russia's Legislative Elections followup [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2021 34:37


    In this week's PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Tanya Lokot and Nikolay Petrov about the results of Russia's legislative elections and about what comes next.

    Why Is the Kremlin Nervous? [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2021 27193235:19


    In this week's PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Ben Noble and Nikolay Petrov about Russia's September 17-19 legislative elections, repressive measures against electoral challengers, and whether to expect anything other than preordained results.

    Vaccine Hesitancy in Russia, France, and the United States [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2021 37:03


    In this week's PONARS Eurasia Podcast episode, Maria Lipman chats with Denis Volkov, Naira Davlashyan, and Peter Slevin about why COVID-19 vaccination rates are still so low across the globe, comparing vaccine hesitant constituencies across Russia, France, and the United States.  

    Is Russia Becoming More Soviet? [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2021 31:27


      In a new PONARS Eurasia Podcast episode, Maria Lipman chats with Maxim Trudolyubov about the current tightening of the Russian political sphere, asking whether or not it's helpful to draw comparisons to the late Soviet period.

    russia russian soviet lipman maxim trudolyubov
    The Evolution of Russia's Political Regime [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2021 38:34


    In this week's episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Grigory Golosov and Henry Hale about the evolution of Russia's political regime, and what to expect in the lead-up to September's Duma elections.

    Volodymyr Zelensky: Year Two [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2021 31:46


    In this week's episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Sergiy Kudelia and Georgiy Kasianov about Ukrainian President Zelensky's second year in office, and how he has handled the political turbulence of the past year.

    Constructing the Myth of Russia's "Wild" Nineties [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2021 27:11


    In today's episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Olga Malinova about the myth of the "wild nineties" and the political actors involved in its construction.

    Music and Politics in Contemporary Russia [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2021 28:51


    In this week's PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Alexander Gorbachev about the dynamic music scene in contemporary Russia, and how free Russian musicians are to make political statements.

    How is the Russian Government Coping with Rising Food Prices? [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2021 26:24


    In this week's PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Anton Tabakh about rising food prices in Russia, and what they might mean for Russia's current and future stability.

    The Communist Party of the Russian Federation: More Than Just Systemic Opposition? [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2021


    In this week's episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Felix Light and Nikolay Petrov about the contemporary Communist Party of the Russian Federation, including the divisions between its leadership and membership, its attitude toward Alexei Navalny, and why it might be more than just "systemic" opposition after all.

    Internet Resources: Civic Communication and State Surveillance [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2021 40:37


    In this week's PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Andrei Soldatov and Tanya Lokot about the role of the internet in contemporary Russian politics, including both as a tool of the Russian opposition and as an instrument of the increasingly repressive Russian regime.

    The Rise of Alexei Navalny's Political Stature and Mass Protest in Russia [Lipman Series 2021]

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2021 33:24


    In the first PONARS Eurasia Podcast of 2021, Maria Lipman chats with Greg Yudin about the current protests taking place in Russia, and what Alexei Navalny's growing popular support means for the Putin regime.

    Russian Social Policy in the COVID-19 Era [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2020 32:11


    In 2020’s final episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Sarah Wilson Sokhey and Ella Paneyakh to discuss Russian social policy in the COVID-19 era, and public perception of Russia’s overall pandemic response.

    Conscious Parenting Practices in Contemporary Russia [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2020 34:54


    In this week's episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Julia Yuzbasheva and Maria Danilova to learn more about the proliferation of "conscious parenting" practices in contemporary Russian society.

    The Transformation of Belarussian Society [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2020 32:20


    In this episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Masha Lipman chats with Grigory Ioffe about the long-term and short-term factors that led up to the current protests in Belarus, and the ongoing transformation of Belarussian society.

    Russian Lawmakers Adjust National Legislation to the Revised Constitutional Framework [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2020 47:16


    In this week’s PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Ben Noble and Nikolay Petrov about ongoing changes to Russia’s national legislation based on the recently revised constitutional framework, and what these changes portend for the 2021 Duma election.

    Russia's Regional Elections [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2020 30:21


    In this week’s PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Graeme Robertson and Konstantin Gaaze about Russia’s September 13 regional elections and whether or not the Kremlin should be worried about upcoming Duma elections.

    Understanding the Protests in Belarus [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2020 40:15


    In this week's PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Natalya Chernyshova (University of Winchester) and Nikolay Petrov (Chatham House) about the ongoing protests in Belarus, and what they mean for the future of the current regime.

    Popular Opinion on the Khabarovsk Protests [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2020 37:33


    In this week's episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Denis Volkov (Levada Center) to learn more about public perceptions around current events in Khabarovsk, the "reset" of Putin's term limits, and the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the transcript here.

    Russia's Regional Politics [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2020 40:25


    In this PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Nikolay Petrov (Chatham House) and Ivan Kurilla (European University at Saint Petersburg) to learn more about current events unfolding in Russia’s regions, focusing in particular on the cities of Khabarovsk and Saint Petersburg. Full transcript here

    News Media in Russia and China [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2020 36:21


    In this week's episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Maria Repnikova (Georgia State University) and Maxim Trudolubov (Meduza) to learn more about the state of news media in Russia and China today. Read the transcript here.

    Russia's Memory Wars [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2020 39:34


    In this week's episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Aleksey Miller (European University, Saint Petersburg) to learn more about historical memory in Russia, and ongoing conflict over the memory of World War II in particular.

    Public Perception of Russia's COVID Response [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2020 32:06


    In early spring, the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly upset Putin's plans to stage several events designed to reinforce his legitimacy. Quarantine measures imposed by local officials helped to stem the spread of the virus, but the consequences of those measures included serious economic fallout and discontent. Now, many of these measures have been abruptly lifted, and the country is preparing to proceed with a large military parade as well as a major constitutional vote despite risks that these events might pose. How are Russians reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic and the government's performance in response to it? In this week's episode of the PONARS Eurasia podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Samuel Greene and Ella Paneyakh to learn more about public perception regarding the COVID pandemic in Russia.

    Volodymyr Zelensky: Year One [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2020 37:11


    In April 2019, political novice Volodymyr Zelensky was elected the new President of Ukraine in a landslide victory. When Zelensky took over the presidency, he was faced by a host of immense challenges, including fighting corruption, reducing the clout of the oligarchs, and achieving a breakthrough in multilateral talks over the ongoing conflict in Donbass. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to an economic downturn and called for urgent and costly decisions, has only further aggravated Zelensky’s predicament. In this episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Sergiy Kudelia and Georgiy Kasianov about the first year of Zelensky’s presidency and his administration's response to the COVID pandemic.

    Volodymyr Zelensky: Year One [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2020 33:51


    In April 2019, political novice Volodymyr Zelensky was elected the new President of Ukraine in a landslide victory. When Zelensky took over the presidency, he was faced by a host of immense challenges, including fighting corruption, reducing the clout of the oligarchs, and achieving a breakthrough in multilateral talks over the ongoing conflict in Donbass. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to an economic downturn and called for urgent and costly decisions, has only further aggravated Zelensky’s predicament. In this episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Sergiy Kudelia and Georgiy Kasianov about the first year of Zelensky’s presidency and his administration's response to the COVID pandemic.

    Pandemic Politics in the North Caucasus [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2020 33:51


    The North Caucasus is a highly complicated territory in Russia, comprised of seven different ethnic republics with complex relationships to the Russian federal center. Throughout the region, the already immense challenges of dealing with the COVID pandemic have been amplified by chronic local problems within several of the region's republics. In this episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Ekaterina Sokirianskaia and Grigory Shvedov to learn more about the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the North Caucasus.

    The Comparative Politics of the Coronavirus Pandemic [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2020


      How have different systems of government influenced responses to the COVID-19 pandemic? Why have some countries managed to effectively curb the spread of the Ccronavirus, while others continue to see rising numbers of infections and fatalities? What can we learn from exploring these comparisons, and how will social attitudes and state policies change moving forward? In this week's episode, Maria Lipman chats with Şener Aktürk to learn more about the comparative politics of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Belarus and the COVID-19 Pandemic [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2020


    Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, it would never have occurred to anyone to group Belarus together with Sweden. But today the wealthy Scandinavian country and the poor Eastern European one have something important in common: Neither has followed the rest of Europe into the lockdown.   Why has Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko chosen to act in full defiance of World Health Organization recommendations? How does the public view this defiance? What might be the implications for the upcoming Belarusian presidential elections? In this episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Grigory Ioffe to learn more.

    The Russian Orthodox Church in the Time of the COVID Pandemic [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2020


    In 2020, the Easter holidays coincided closely with the rise of the COVID epidemic in Russia. In March, the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church finally complied with government authorities, who urged closing the church to parishioners - but numerous bishops and priests ignored the Patriarch’s call. Some even expressed open and vocal disobedience. How unusual is the current defiance of the patriarch’s admonition, and what may be its implications? In this episode of the PONARS Eurasia Podcast, Maria Lipman chats with Xenia Loutchenko to learn more about what the COVID pandemic means for the future of the Russian Orthodox Church.

    Public Opinion Regarding COVID in the US and Russia [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2020


    As the COVID pandemic continues to spread, countries across the globe are facing formidable challenges. Despite major differences in their political and economic systems and policy making processes, Russia and the United States are currently undertaking similar protective measures in order to combat the spread of the virus – but opinions regarding these measures are divided. Where are citizens in these two countries getting their information about the virus? How do these populations feel about the protective measures being taken? What kind of political consequences might the pandemic have for leaders in both countries? In this week’s episode, Maria Lipman chats with James Bell of Pew Research Center and Denis Volkov of the Levada Center about public opinion regarding the pandemic in the United States and Russia to learn more.

    Putin's Leap to Eternity [Lipman Series 2020]

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2020


    In mid-January, Russia embarked on a major constitutional reform, introducing a series of constitutional amendments that were swiftly adopted by federal and regional parliaments. The most important amendment, which appeared at the last moment, proposed a "reset" of Putin's presidential term limit, thereby allowing him to run for the presidency again in 2024.Why did Putin need to revise the constitution, how long has the Kremlin been planning this move, and how has it been influenced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?In the first of a new series of PONARS Eurasia Podcasts, Masha Lipman chats with Ben Noble of University College London, Nikolai Petrov of Chatham House, and Henry Hale of George Washington University to learn more.

    Between Apathy and Activism: Political Participation in Russia

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2019 4:30


    Ora John Reuter (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) discusses why Russians vote in elections and why the authorities even care if people vote.

    Putin v. the People

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2019 18:16


    Graeme Roberston (University of North Carolina) discusses his new book, Putin v. the People, co-authored with Samuel Greene (Kings College London), which provides insights into the role of personality and emotions in buttressing Putin's rule, possible post-Putin scenarios, and Russian politics more generally. (Also see their recent Point & Counterpoint article: "What Makes Putin Putin?")

    The Politics of Information Manipulation: State-Controlled Media in Russia

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2019 7:33


    Arturas Rozenas (NYU) discusses how Russian state-controlled media manipulates information to influence politics inside and outside Russia as well as the understudied components of Russian propaganda.

    Local Control and Worldwide Access: How Russian Elites Have Come to Use the Global Financial System to Defend Their Wealth

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2019 5:39


    Igor Logvinenko (Wellesley College) discusses how Russia became so integrated with global financial markets and what U.S. policymakers should understand about how this "entanglement" affects sanctions policy on Russia.

    Opposition at a Distance

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2019 13:24


        Listen to Andrey Makarychev (University of Tartu, Estonia) discuss the dynamics of the "post-Crimean" Russia-EU relationship and how they affect geopolitics in the Baltic Sea region.

    Surviving Modernization: The Revolutionary Origins of Soviet Durability

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2019 6:11


        Lucan Ahmad Way (University of Toronto) discusses the spread of competitive authoritarianism in Eastern Europe, Russian interferences in democratic states, and the revolutionary orgins of Soviet durability.

    Soft Power and Media Effects in Russia’s Near Abroad

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2019 6:19


    Hannah Chapman (Miami University, Ohio) discusses the effectiveness of Russia's media strategies in its near abroad and how they relate to Moscow's broader geopolitical goals in the region.

    Authoritarian Pluralism: Why Does Kadyrov Promote Customary Law and Sharia in Chechnya

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2019 5:53


    Egor Lazarev (University of Toronto) discusses Ramzan Kadyrov's relationship with the Kremlin and why he promotes Sharia law in the Chechen Republic.

    Law and Politics in the Post-Soviet Space

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2019 7:28


    Alexei Trochev (Nazarbayev University) discusses his recently completed research project on judicial politics in Ukraine and his current research on criminal justice reform in Kazakhstan.

    What Have We Learned from Putin’s First Year of His Fourth Term?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2019 6:31


    Kirill Rogov (Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy) discusses how President Vladimir Putin's fourth term will be affected by his declining approval ratings and economic stagnation.

    What Have We Learned from Putin’s First Year of His Fourth Term?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2019 6:31


    Kirill Rogov (Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy) discusses how President Vladimir Putin's fourth term will be affected by his declining approval ratings and economic stagnation.

    Russia's Changing Role in the Post-Soviet Space

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2019 0:07


    Irina Busygina (Higher School of Economics) discusses how the Ukraine crisis affected Russia's role in the post-Soviet space and the future of the Eurasian Economic Union.

    Ukraine’s "Civil War"?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2019 8:47


    Jesse Driscoll (University of California San Diego) explains why he believes characterizing the fighting in Ukraine’s Donbas as “civil war” might help settle the conflict, ultimately in Ukraine’s favor

    Putin’s Fourth Term: Breakthrough or Stagnation?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2019 8:01


    Brian Taylor (Syracuse University) discusses the likelihood of Putin achieving his domestic policy goals during his fourth term and the political obstacles that inhibit economic growth in Russia.

    HIV/AIDS in Russia

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2019 6:46


    Judy Twigg (Virginia Commonwealth University) discusses the strategies the Russian government is pursuing to address the accelerating HIV/AIDS epidemic in Russia and why the situation should be of concern to the United States.

    Goals, Plans, and Indicators: How Kazakh Bureaucrats Implement the State Developmental Agenda

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2019 5:29


    Dinissa Duvanova (Lehigh University) discusses "regulatory discretion and discretionary regulation" in former communist states based on her recent field research in Kazakhstan

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