Podcasts about Putinism

PREVIEW Autocrats Versus Democrats: The Rise of Illiberal Ideologies Professor Michael McFaul Professor Michael McFaul discusses the growing global appeal of autocrat models, including Putinism's illiberal populist nationalism in Europe and the state-run economic model favored by China in the developing world. He notes that bureaucracy and veto points stifle growth and cause inefficiency in the U.S. Although democracy remains popular, its appeal is less potent than it was thirty years ago.

5/8  Michael McFaul's book Autocrats Versus Democrats argues that Putinism is driven by anti-Western ideology, making Putin a risk-taker, and McFaul believes the US erred by lacking a robust response and failing to provide arms after the 2014 Crimea invasion, stressing that helping Ukraine win is essential to inspire Russian democrats. He asserts that the appeal of autocracy is growing globally and advises that the US must align democracies against autocrats while advocating for human rights, citing the need to support imprisoned publisher Jimmy Lai. Long-term strategy requires the US and its allies to unite, as they are collectively stronger economically and militarily than autocracies, and McFaulstrongly recommends attracting international talent by reversing restrictive immigration policies, calling it a great strength the US is currently losing. 1913

CONTINUED 6/8 Michael McFaul's book Autocrats Versus Democrats argues that Putinism is driven by anti-Western ideology, making Putin a risk-taker, and McFaul believes the US erred by lacking a robust response and failing to provide arms after the 2014 Crimea invasion, stressing that helping Ukraine win is essential to inspire Russian democrats. 1917

CONTINUED 7/8 Michael McFaul's book Autocrats Versus Democrats argues that Putinism is driven by anti-Western ideology, making Putin a risk-taker, and McFaul believes the US erred by lacking a robust response and failing to provide arms after the 2014 Crimea invasion, stressing that helping Ukraine win is essential to inspire Russian democrats.... 1920

CONTINUED 8/8 Michael McFaul's book Autocrats Versus Democrats argues that Putinism is driven by anti-Western ideology, making Putin a risk-taker, and McFaul believes the US erred by lacking a robust response and failing to provide arms after the 2014 Crimea invasion, stressing that helping Ukraine win is essential to inspire Russian democrats.... 1917

SHOW 11-21-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT UKRAINE FIRST HOUR 9-915 HEADLINE: Las Vegas Shifts Focus with Formula 1 and Lower-End Tourism; California Politics Hit by Indictments GUEST: Jeff Bliss Jeff Bliss reports that the Formula 1 race on the Las Vegas city circuit is attracting major spectacle and high-end tourism, though the city is also attempting recovery by catering to lower-income demographics, evidenced by positive activity at the Excalibur Casino, while facing major competition from a new Indian casino near Bakersfield, California, operated by the Tahone tribe and twice the size of Caesars Palace. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom's former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, and four others were indicted on 23 counts of fraud. Additionally, an investigation into the Palisades fire revealed that state workers ordered the LA Fire Department to back off a previously burned area that rekindled, allegedly to protect endangered plants. 915-930 HEADLINE: Industrial Policy and Tariffs Lack Coherence; Removal of Food Tariffs Implies Inflationary EffectGUEST: Veronique De Rugy Veronique De Rugy discusses US industrial policy, noting the trade deficit has increased despite tariffs, and the administration's decision to remove tariffs on food items—goods not produced domestically—is seen as an implicit admission that tariffs contribute to the "affordability crisis" because tariffs are a tax primarily borne by American consumers. The goals behind tariffs have shifted from fighting China to raising revenue, and the largest tariff exemption is for computer parts, indicating an understanding that tariffs could contradict other goals like energy abundance. De Rugyargues that US economic power stems from innovation and a willingness to invest, making industrial policy involving tariffs and seeking foreign investment largely unnecessary and potentially harmful. 930-945 HEADLINE: Mixed US Economic Signals: Strong GDP Contrasts Low Consumer Sentiment; AI Adoption Increases GUEST: Gene Marks Gene Marks discusses the US economy, noting that third-quarter GDP growth is estimated near 4%, contrasting sharply with record-low consumer sentiment in a "tale of two economies" where salaried workers receiving pay raises of 5–7% are outpacing 3% inflation and continuing to spend, while hourly workers struggle. Despite job growth in construction, leading indicators like the architectural billings index show contraction for 11 months. In technology, 88% of major companies are adopting artificial intelligence, though scaling remains limited, with AI already replacing low-level programmers and enhancing customer service. Agentic AI, capable of performing complex tasks, is predicted to impact fields like accounting and marketing by 2027–2028. However, Marks argues that most current major corporate layoffs stem from typical corporate bloat and mismanagement rather than AI, at least not yet. 945-10 SECOND HOUR 10-1015 HEADLINE: Lancaster County Economy Booms Despite Low Consumer Confidence; Local Entrepreneurs ThriveGUEST: Jim McTague Jim McTague reports that the economy in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is strong, suggesting it mirrors the greater US economy despite reports of low consumer confidence, observing robust traffic at tourist destinations like Kitchen Kettle Village, a shopping locale established in 1954, with spending largely supported by well-off boomers. Local entrepreneurs are experiencing great success—a dealer selling eclectic electric lamps in Park City Mall is already earning $4,500 per week at the start of the holiday season, and high volume at Costco, where the Amish are major buyers, further indicates available disposable income. McTague concludes that the real economy on Main Street is strong and likely headed for a blockbuster Christmas season. 1015-1030 HEADLINE: Climate Change Threatens Iconic Italian Cheeses; Southern Drought Reduces Milk Production Quality GUEST: Lorenzo Fiori Lorenzo Fiori reports that climate change is threatening Italian food production, particularly cheese, due to drought and heat waves in the south, especially the Puglia region, where stressed cows are reducing milk production and impacting specialty cheeses like mozzarella and burrata. Milk cannot be shipped from the north because local water and hay are essential to the unique flavor of southern cheese. Fiori emphasizes that Italian food is a famous brand precisely because it belongs to its territory, criticizing pre-prepared sauces found in Brussels as inauthentic carbonara, which must be made fresh. In Milan, Christmas preparations are underway, with shop windows decorated festively and street lights scheduled to be switched on December 7th. 1030-1045 HEADLINE: Private Space Advances (Blue Origin, Rocket Lab) Challenge NASA SLS, EU Space Law CriticizedGUEST: Bob Zimmerman Bob Zimmerman reports that Blue Origin's New Glenn orbital rocket successfully completed its second launch, including landing the first stage and demonstrating reuse capability comparable to Falcon 9. New Glenn, larger than Falcon 9, is scheduled for upgrades with more powerful BE4 and BE3U engines, making it nearly comparable to NASA's costly and expendable SLS rocket. Rocket Lab set a new annual launch record with 15 successful orbital launches, surpassing Russia's frequency, and has conducted suborbital HASTE launches for military testing. India is upgrading its largest LVM rocket's upper stage for multiple restarts, essential for its space station and crewed missions. The US State Department opposes a proposed European Union space law seeking to impose EU regulations on companies from other nations, potentially discrediting the EU if passed. Finally, NASA has hired startup Catalyst to attempt a daring robotic rescue of the decaying Swift telescope. 1045-1100 THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 HEADLINE: McFaul: Autocrats Are on the Rise; US Must Unite Allies and Attract Global Talent to CompeteGUEST: Michael McFaul Michael McFaul's book Autocrats Versus Democrats argues that Putinism is driven by anti-Western ideology, making Putin a risk-taker, and McFaul believes the US erred by lacking a robust response and failing to provide arms after the 2014 Crimea invasion, stressing that helping Ukraine win is essential to inspire Russian democrats. He asserts that the appeal of autocracy is growing globally and advises that the US must align democracies against autocrats while advocating for human rights, citing the need to support imprisoned publisher Jimmy Lai. Long-term strategy requires the US and its allies to unite, as they are collectively stronger economically and militarily than autocracies, and McFaulstrongly recommends attracting international talent by reversing restrictive immigration policies, calling it a great strength the US is currently losing. 1115-1130 1130-1145 1145-1200 FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 HEADLINE: US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Raises Proliferation Concerns; Military Micro-Reactors Retreat from Front Lines GUEST: Henry Sokolski Henry Sokolski states that Saudi Crown Prince MBS's goal is to obtain a bomb option, and while the new US-Saudi agreement does not include assistance with nuclear fuel production, a reactor still provides the necessary "cover" used by countries like Iran. MBS has made clear he will acquire a bomb if Iran does, regardless of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Sokolski also discusses the US military's Janus program for small reactors, initially conceived for vulnerable front-line bases but pushed back to remote areas like Alaska and the lower 48 due to concerns about drones and vulnerability. Finally, the US may be moving toward nuclear socialism—government ownership of commercial reactors, potentially funded by Japan—to encourage commercialization even without secured market contracts. 1215-1230 1230-1245 HEADLINE: Scenario: Russia Attacks NATO Member Estonia; Europe's "Kantian Dreams" and Lack of Readiness Prevent Article 5 Response GUEST: Jakub Grygiel Jakub Grygiel analyzes the German book If Russia Wins, which outlines a scenario where Russia attacks NATO member Estonia around 2028 following a stalled conflict in Ukraine, capturing Narva and an island before halting its advance and creating confusion within NATO. Europeans, living in "Kantian dreams of eternal peace," prioritize a quick end to the conflict and fear escalation, and the scenario posits that the US President decides a World War III over a "tiny piece of land" is not worthwhile, leading Estonia to forego invoking NATO's Article 5 out of fear of alliance rejection. Grygielnotes that decades of demilitarization leave Europe unprepared for war, highlighting that US reinforcements could take 45 days to move and societies lack the political will to fund necessary rearmament.

In his 2024 state-of-the-nation address, Vladimir Putin declared that the word “elite” had lost much of its credibility. Russia's “real elite,” he said, are those who serve their country: “the workers and warriors, reliable, trustworthy people who have proven their loyalty to Russia through their deeds.”  It's safe to assume that these words sent a chill through Russia's elite circles, where top officials, business leaders, and military figures have been jockeying to hold on to their positions for nearly four years of wartime.  With Putin laser-focused on winning the war against Ukraine, anyone who impedes that goal is at risk of finding themselves on the chopping block. Long-serving officials have fallen out of favor, while ultra-patriotic hardliners are rising to the top, leaving Putin surrounded by sycophants. But concentrating so much power in one 73-year-old man poses some obvious risks for Russia's political system. For more insight into how Putin's war effort has changed the rules for Russia's “old elites” and made them fear the prospect of peace, The Naked Pravda spoke to Farida Rustamova, an independent journalist who covers politics and power in Russia and writes the Substack newsletter Faridaily. Time stamps for this episode: (2:42 The Shift in Russian Political Dynamics04:54 Meduza's Daily Newsletter Plug05:41 Medvedev's Transformation and Elite Adaptation07:11 Fear and Repression Among Russian Officials11:59 High-Level Shakeups and Political Loyalty19:50 Concerns Over War's End and Future Chaos25:32 Skepticism About Peace Talks and Putin's Image27:56 Putin's Concentration of Power and Future of PutinismКак поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно

How do you tell the history of a whole country through its women? And what can it tell us about the world today? These are the questions Russian-American journalist Julia Ioffe has set out to answer in her new book, Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy.Having reported from, and on, Russia for publications including The New Yorker and Foreign Policy for more than a decade, Ioffe says she has repeatedly been asked to explain the actions and motivations of one man: Vladimir Putin.Motherland is, she says, partly a response to Putin, through her desire to show that Russia is much more than one person, let alone one man.In this conversation Ioffe talks to Mishal about reclaiming Russia’s women, about Donald Trump’s hollowing out of American institutions and why Putinism will endure. (Note: This podcast contains a discussion of sexual violence that some listeners may find distressing.)02:30 - “I was born in a country that no longer exists”03:55 - The anti-feminist at Lenin’s side during the Revolution06:55 - Reluctancy to write about Russian women12:55 - What a “horrible boyfriend” Vladimir Putin was16:50 - Return to Russia, oligarch hunters and ‘trad wives’22:13 - Alexei Navalny, “the last shred of hope”29:20 - Can Russia sustain the war in Ukraine?32:32 - Trump’s assault on US institutions, faster than Putin34:30 - American authoritarianism, risk of “one party state”Watch this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0Ns_wjGlmjlPz0cded0nTYSYou can find the written version of this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interviewContact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.netSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GUEST: Vlad Vexler, Social Philosopher, and popular YouTuber. It's my pleasure today to welcome back onto the channel Vlad Vexler, Social Philosopher, and unique YouTuber. Our previous three video conversations proved to be extremely popular, and a lot has happened since we last spoke. Please do check out Vlad's channel on YouTube, as it has a collection of the most thought-provoking and insightful videos on the Russian mindset and the roots of this war.----------LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@UC6-33VO9eerq9MXFaivi0gg https://www.youtube.com/@UCn7XHZiW6EUgSuxItybLLMg ----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------DESCRIPTION:Unveiling the Post-Truth Era: Insights with Vlad VexlerIn this compelling episode, host John welcomes back Vlad Vexler, a respected thinker and commentator, for an in-depth discussion on the current geopolitical landscape and the societal impacts of post-truth politics. They explore the profound transformations happening globally, comparing the political crises in the West and Russia, and delving into the ideologies behind Trumpism and Putinism. The dialogue covers the erosion of truth in politics, the socio-economic factors driving these changes, and the importance of maintaining democratic values. They also touch upon the challenges faced by the Russian opposition and the broader implications for global democracy. This insightful conversation sheds light on navigating the post-truth era and underscores the need for civic engagement and responsible politics to safeguard democratic institutions.----------CHAPTERS:00:48 Historical Context and Current Events03:10 The Crisis of Truth and Trust08:06 Social Forces and Political Fragmentation13:32 The Russian Influence and Global Convergence29:08 The Future of Putinism and Trumpism37:23 Russia's Imperial Dilemma45:19 The Role of the Russian Opposition51:56 The Importance of Constructive Political Engagement56:39 Conclusion and Personal Recommendations----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------

2025-09-27 | Silicon Wafers 012 | Wafers daily is a round-up of news over the last 1-2 days, with a particular focus on the resurgence of authoritarian regimes in the 21st century, great power competition, democracy on the defensive, the Russian imperial project, and how Ukraine is leading the fightback for values and freedom. In this short video format, I hope to bring some light to dark times.Topics covered less than they deserve, and on topics that are more terrifying than most care to acknowledge. Nuclear coercion, torture, drones, and blackmail. We ask: how far will Russia push in weaponizing nuclear infrastructure? And what does that say about the terroristic logic of Putinism?We'll break the episode into four segments:1. Zaporizhzhia's external power outage — brinkmanship with reactors2. The imprisonment and torture of Ukrainian nuclear workers3. Drones striking the protective shell around Chernobyl4. Russia's use of nuclear blackmail — is it a modern ISIS with missile codes?----------SOURCES: Ukraine: The Latest by The Telegraph teamhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6cnkk1J0I1UqtxTYVUL4Fe?si=fb9c151d2f21405a In Moscow's Shadows, hosted by Mark Galeottihttps://open.spotify.com/show/1NKCazxYstY6o8vhpGQSjF?si=4215e2d786a44d64 Russian Roulette hosted by Max Bergmann and Dr. Maria Snegovayahttps://podcasts.apple.com/tw/podcast/russian-roulette/id1112258664?l=en-GB Michael Naki - https://www.youtube.com/@MackNack Faygin Live channel - https://www.youtube.com/@FeyginLive Hromadske channel - https://www.youtube.com/@hromadske_ua Hosted by Vitaly Portnikov - https://www.youtube.com/@portnikov Vladimir Milov - https://www.youtube.com/@Vladimir_Milov Hosted by Sternenko channel - https://www.youtube.com/@STERNENKO ----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Once again Silicon Curtain has teamed up with Car4Ukraine and a group of wonderful creators to provide much-needed assistance: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainAutumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)We are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2012 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalionhttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------

Max and Maria spoke with Stanford professor and former ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul to talk about his latest book, and where things stand today in U.S.-Russia relations. Pre-order Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder by Michael McFaul (HarperCollins, October 2025) "The Real Meaning of Putin's Middle East Failure: Russia's Allies in the Region Couldn't Count on Moscow — and Neither Should China," by Michael McFaul and Abbas Milani (Foreign Affairs, July 2025) "Putin, Putinism, and the Domestic Determinants of Russian Foreign Policy" by Michael McFaul (International Security, Fall 2020)

The FSB is trumpeting its arrests of Ukrainian saboteurs and demanding more surveillance powers. Prosecutor General Krasnov is set to become the chair of the Supreme Court. Figures have been released showing that corruption cases rose 16% in the first half of the year. Put together, how do these highlight the hollowing out of Russia, the convergence of late Putinism and late Brezhnevism?Information about forthcoming book events are here.The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials including the (almost-) weekly Govorit Moskva news briefing right here. Support the show

After a brief comment on the frozen peace process, I look at the case of Sergei Markov, voluble Kremlin loyalist, who has just been declared a Foreign Agents. What's going on - he seems to have been caught by Russia's escalating feud with Azerbaijan - and what does this say about the decay of late Putinism?In the second half, I consider three recent books and what they say about how we discuss and think about the war in Ukraine. They are:Colin Freeman, The Mad and the Brave. The Untold Story of Ukraine's Foreign Legion (Mudlark)Tom Mutch, The Dogs Of Mariupol (Biteback)Medea Benjamin & Nicholas Davies, War In Ukraine. Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict, 2nd Ed (OR Books)The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials including the (almost-) weekly Govorit Moskva news briefing right here. Support the show

Max and Maria spoke with Harley Balzer and Sergei Guriev about the recently released volume, Failure. Russia Under Putin. This conversation was recorded on July 17, 2025. Failure. Russia Under Putin is available now from Bloomsbury Publishing.

This podcast is a project of Making Peace Visible, is a small 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Somerville, Massachusetts. What we do is unique -- consistently analyzing how the media covers conflict, and amplifying stories of resolution and reconciliation that are often ignored by the mainstream media.  In the month of July, we're working to raise $40,000 to continue and grow this work. With your help, we can fund journalists producing rigorous, underreported stories of conflict transformation through the Making Peace Visible story awards, and convene strategic gatherings of peacebuilders and journalists to shift how stories get told. Your donation also keeps this podcast going and helps us reach more listeners. Make a one-time or recuring gift at makingpeacevisible.org/donate. Our guest this episode is Terrell Jermaine Starr, an independent journalist based in Ukraine. His work focuses on interconnection: how Ukrainian politics and society relates to the rest of the world, especially the United States, Europe, and Africa. In the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion, Starr gained international attention for his up-close-and-personal reporting style, and for helping vulnerable Ukrainians flee the country. And, for being a rare Black American reporter on the ground.  On Starr's podcast, Black Diplomats, and his Substack blog, Terrell provides reporting and analysis on politics in the Ukraine, the United States, and beyond. He pays special attention to equity and discrimination, drawing parallels between Putinism and the MAGA movement in the United States.  Terrel is also a contributor to Foreign Policy magazine, the Washington Post, and MSNBC.MPV digital media producer Andrea Muraskin sat down with Terrell Jermaine Starr on July 3, 2025, just days after his home city of Kyiv was bombarded by Russian missiles and drones.Follow him on X @terrelljstarr ABOUT THE SHOW The Making Peace Visible podcast is hosted by Jamil Simon and produced by Andrea Muraskin. Our associate producer is Faith McClure. Learn more at makingpeacevisible.orgSupport our work Connect on social:Instagram @makingpeacevisibleLinkedIn @makingpeacevisibleBluesky @makingpeacevisible.bsky.social We want to learn more about our listeners. Take this 3-minute survey to help us improve the show!

After some thoughts about the recent NATO summit in The Hague, I focus on the perennial challenge of corruption. Even Russian officials are admitting it is again on the rise, and becoming more predatory, While there is a regular litany of middle-ranking officials charged and sentenced, there is no political will to tackle grand corruption at the top of the system -- and declining capacity to combat its resurgence at the bottom. What does all this mean for the system?The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials including the (almost-) weekly Govorit Moskva news briefing right here. Support the show

General Ivan Popov, once hailed as one of the heroes and rising stars of the Russian army, has just been sentenced to 5 years in a general regime penal colony on what seem questionable charges. What brought down this 'fighting general' -- and what does it tell us about late Putinism and the potential nationalist critique of the regime?The sign-up page for the Conducttr info-political wargame I mentioned is here.The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials including the (almost-) weekly Govorit Moskva news briefing right here. Support the show

In the first half, I consider the latest twists in the saga of the US-pushed 'ceasefire' plan. Has Trump has an epiphany in the Vatican, or will Kyiv still face a choice of evils?In the second, I draw a line between the gunning down of a mobster in Tbilisi with the twilight of Putinism, through leaking roofs and the likelihood of mob wars.The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials including the (almost-) weekly Govorit Moskva news briefing right here. Support the show

Edition No117 | 26-03-2025 - Vladislav Sourkov has been called the inventor of Putinism, and the wizard of the Kremlin. L'Express, a French magazine has published a rare interview, and his first since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine. He has made no public comments on the war ravaging state that neighbors the dictatorships in Russia and Belarus. L'Express anticipates the storm of controversy of interviewing such a controversial figure, and one who can also be said to be the architecture of Russia's genocidal plans towards Ukraine. They justify it by saying this is a unique way to get inside Vladimir Putin's head. Perhaps they are not wrong. Sourkov is the shadowy adviser who inspired novelist Giuliano da Empoli to write The Wizard of the Kremlin. And he can be considered the 'architect' of the Russian political system but who has distanced himself from the man he served for two decades, Vladimir Putin. No one knows what Sourkov is doing today. In the L'Express interview he avoided the question. This interview has merit as a rare document that shows us how Russian power pursues its agenda and thinks long term. The antithesis it seems of the Trump regime. ----------LINKS:https://www.lexpress.fr/monde/europe/exclusive-vladislav-sourkov-the-kremlins-wizard-russia-will-expand-in-all-directions-as-far-as-god-WWIE5OJMPVHJ5KTTAHNLE4WPME/?cmp_redirect?cmp_redirect=true----------Easter Pysanky: Silicon Curtain - https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/easter-pysanky-silicon-curtainCar for Ukraine has joined forces with a group of influencers, creators, and news observers during this special Easter season. In peaceful times, we might gift a basket of pysanky (hand-painted eggs), but now, we aim to deliver a basket of trucks to our warriors.This time, our main focus is on the Seraphims of the 104th Brigade and Chimera of HUR (Main Directorate of Intelligence), highly effective units that: - disrupt enemy logistics - detect and strike command centers - carry out precision operations against high-value enemy targetshttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/easter-pysanky-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur first live events this year in Lviv and Kyiv were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. We may add more venues to the program, depending on the success of the fundraising campaign. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

After President Trump and JD Vance ambushed Ukrainian president Zelensky in the Oval Office, one GOP Senator stepped up. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska decried Trump not just for his appalling treatment of Zelensky, but also for realigning the US with the rising forces of Putinism around the world. Meanwhile, European leaders are set to negotiate a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, which could pressure Trump-Vance to show what they really want the war's outcome to look like. We talked to Yale professor Lauren Young, who pinpoints the message Trump-Vance were sending to the global far right—and explains what Murkowski's lonely status in the GOP says about the collapse of a center-right bulwark in the U.S. against rising authoritarianism. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After President Trump and JD Vance ambushed Ukrainian president Zelensky in the Oval Office, one GOP Senator stepped up. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska decried Trump not just for his appalling treatment of Zelensky, but also for realigning the US with the rising forces of Putinism around the world. Meanwhile, European leaders are set to negotiate a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, which could pressure Trump-Vance to show what they really want the war's outcome to look like. We talked to Yale professor Lauren Young, who pinpoints the message Trump-Vance were sending to the global far right—and explains what Murkowski's lonely status in the GOP says about the collapse of a center-right bulwark in the U.S. against rising authoritarianism. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After President Trump and JD Vance ambushed Ukrainian president Zelensky in the Oval Office, one GOP Senator stepped up. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska decried Trump not just for his appalling treatment of Zelensky, but also for realigning the US with the rising forces of Putinism around the world. Meanwhile, European leaders are set to negotiate a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, which could pressure Trump-Vance to show what they really want the war's outcome to look like. We talked to Yale professor Lauren Young, who pinpoints the message Trump-Vance were sending to the global far right—and explains what Murkowski's lonely status in the GOP says about the collapse of a center-right bulwark in the U.S. against rising authoritarianism. Listen to this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much as I would love not to have to keep talking about Trump, it's inevitable that I cover the extraordinary events of this week: Trump as King Lear, demanding obsequious flattery, Zelensky perhaps ought not to have made the trip to DC. So where now?And in the second half, the Russian police in crisis, demoralised, under-strength and with corruption again on the rise. Another very real success story of early Putinism, police reform, being devoured by the war and late Putinism.The video of the Global Strategy Forum event I mentioned is here, the Sunday Times article (paywalled) is here.The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials including the (almost-) weekly Govorit Moskva news briefing right here. Support the show

In this episode, A'ndre welcomes Professor Marlene Laruelle, a leading expert on Russian politics and nationalism, for a deep dive into the evolution of far-right politics in Russia. The discussion begins with a foundational exploration of fascism—how it is defined, how it differs from broader far-right politics, and whether Russia's current trajectory aligns with historical fascist movements. Professor Laruelle traces the development of Russian far-right ideology from the Soviet collapse to the present day, analyzing its intersections with Soviet-era communism and Tsarist-era nationalism. She examines how elements of Stalinism persist in Putinism and how Russian nationalism has evolved under Putin's leadership.The conversation also expands beyond Russia, addressing Moscow's role in exporting far-right ideology to Eastern Europe and the broader rise of far-right politics across the continent. Professor Laruelle considers whether these trends reflect a broader rejection of the global liberal order or if they are driven by country-specific dynamics. A'ndre and Professor Laruelle then discuss whether growing illiberalism in Europe could signal a deeper shift towards authoritarianism. Finally, they explore whether the rise of far-right politics in the United States mirrors trends in Europe and Russia, or if these movements are shaped by unique national contexts.NOTE: This episode was recorded on December 17, 2024.

Max and Maria were joined by Dr. Sam Greene to reflect on a quarter century of Putinism in Russia, how Vladimir Putin's rule has changed the country, and where his regime might be headed from here. Follow Sam's writing on Substack by subscribing to his blog, TL;DRussia.

Yevgeny Prigozhin emerged as one of the most dangerous warlords in the world and as one of Vladimir Putin's chief rivals in Russia's tumultuous political climate, exiled after leading Wagner's attempted coup and killed in a mysterious plane crash. But what is the truth about this enigmatic figure, and the chaos unleashed across Russia by his turn against Putin? And, in the aftermath of his death, what is next for Russia in the new stage of late Putinism that Prigozhin's life forged? Drawing on years of research, in this episode Professor Mark Galeotti traces the rise of Russia's most prominent non-state actor and examines the political climate that propelled a convicted gangster with no government office to the formidable role he came to occupy. This is the essential story of Russia's recent history. Tune in for insights into the country's future from one of the foremost Russia experts of our time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why should Putinism be considered as absolute evil? Why should we treat it in the same way as fascism or Nazism? Why does Europe need to view the task of defending Ukraine as its own war? UkraineWorld invites Nicolas Tenzer, the French philosopher and strategist. Mr. Tenzer's latest book is "Notre guerre, le crime et l'oubli" (Our War: Crime and Oblivion). This episode is a recording of a meeting between Mr. Tenzer and the Ukrainian and international public in Kyiv, at the UkraineWorld Club and PEN Ukraine, held on June 3rd, 2024. It is part of UkraineWorld's series Thinking in Dark Times. The FULL episode is available for UkraineWorld's patrons: https://www.patreon.com/posts/108299782 Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, chief editor of UkraineWorld and president of PEN Ukraine UkraineWorld (ukraineworld.org) is brought to you by Internews Ukraine, one of Ukraine's largest media NGOs. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine Support us at https://www.patreon.com/ukraineworld. We provide exclusive content for our patrons. You can also support our volunteer trips to the front lines at PayPal: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. Check out another conversation with Mr. Tenzer: Nicolas Tenzer - On Morality in Geopolitics https://ukraineworld.org/en/podcasts/ep-221

We continue to collect for you spectacular quotes from Russian officials and media who vividly describe the catastrophic situation into which Putinism and the war have brought the country. This time we focus on how much resources are left to fight the agressive war. How much does it cost and is putin's war machine so fantastic and well-tuned?. Enjoy!YouTube channel of Vladimir Milov: @Vladimir_MilovPatreon: / milovCrypto: http://milov.org/donate.htmEnglish translation by PrivateerStationOriginal video in Russian: https://youtu.be/9N0_Br6t_Go--------------------------------------------------Privateer Station on Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/privateer-station-war-in-ukrainePS on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1582435PS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/privateerstationPS on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/53-privateer-station-war-in-uk-101486106/PS on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5iEdf0Jyw1Y3kN04k8rPibPS on ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/privateer-station-war-in-ukraine/id1648603352PS on Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3ByZWFrZXIuY29tL3Nob3cvNTY0NzQzOS9lcGlzb2Rlcy9mZWVkPS on PadcastAddict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/4079993PS on PodChaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/privateer-station-war-in-ukrai-4860097PS on Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/show/4546617PS on Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/id5162050If you like what we do and would like to support our channel, consider becoming a member on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3qCbfcPbnph7QS3CPBTMQ/join or on Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/privateer-station-war-in-ukraine--5647439/support

We continue to collect for you spectacular quotes from Russian officials and oligarchs who vividly describe the catastrophic situation into which Putinism and the war have brought us. This time we didn't have to look far for quotes - we caught them for you right at the very first plenary session of the Annual Financial Congress of the Bank of Russia. Enjoy!You can watch the entire discussionat this link (in Russian): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUqDVVnNkRY&t=0sYouTube channel of Vladimir Milov: @Vladimir_MilovPatreon: / milovCrypto: http://milov.org/donate.htmEnglish translation by PrivateerStationOriginal video in Russian: https://youtu.be/LKnT6vGdqdY --------------------------------------------------Privateer Station on Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/privateer-station-war-in-ukrainePS on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1582435PS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/privateerstationPS on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/53-privateer-station-war-in-uk-101486106/PS on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5iEdf0Jyw1Y3kN04k8rPibPS on ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/privateer-station-war-in-ukraine/id1648603352PS on Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3ByZWFrZXIuY29tL3Nob3cvNTY0NzQzOS9lcGlzb2Rlcy9mZWVkPS on PadcastAddict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/4079993PS on PodChaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/privateer-station-war-in-ukrai-4860097PS on Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/show/4546617PS on Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/id5162050If you like what we do and would like to support our channel, consider becoming a member on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3qCbfcPbnph7QS3CPBTMQ/join or on Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/privateer-station-war-in-ukraine--5647439/support

On Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, more people are being investigated in the general election betting row. President Zelensky says Nigel Farage 'has been infected by the virus of Putinism'. Nick speaks with Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting. All of this and more on the Nick Ferrari Whole Show Podcast.

GUEST: Mark Galeotti - historian, author, security expert and academic. ---------- Yevgeny Prigozhin emerged as one of the most dangerous warlords in the world and as one of Vladimir Putin's chief rivals in Russia's tumultuous political climate, exiled after leading Wagner's attempted coup and killed in a mysterious plane crash. But what is the truth about this enigmatic figure, his role in the war with Ukraine, and the chaos unleashed across Russia by his turn against Putin? And, in the aftermath of his death, what is next for Russia in the new stage of late Putinism that Prigozhin's life forged? ---------- LINKS: https://inmoscowsshadows.wordpress.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/in-moscows-shadows/id1510124746 https://twitter.com/MarkGaleotti https://www.rusi.org/people/galeotti https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Galeotti ---------- SPEAKER: Mark Galeotti is an author and academic – by training an historian – but in practice an interdisciplinary scholar with interests encompassing politics, criminology, security studies, international relations, and anthropology. He is a specialist in transnational and organized crime, security affairs, Russian Politics, Russian History, Intelligence and Security. Mark has a PhD in Government from LSE and has worked as a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department of History at Keele University. He is a Principal Director at Mayak Intelligence, and is an Honorary Professor, SSEES at UCL. He is a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. He has also been Professor of Global Affairs at New York University from 2009 to 2016. ---------- BOOKS: Downfall: Prigozhin, Putin, and the new fight for the future of Russia by Mark Galeotti and Anna Arutunyan (2024) Mark Galeotti: Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine (2022) Mark Galeotti: The Weaponisation of Everything: A Field Guide to the New Way of War (2022) Mark Galeotti: A Short History of Russia: From the Pagans to Putin (2021) Mark Galeotti: Storm-333: KGB and Spetsnaz seize Kabul, Soviet-Afghan War 1979 (2021) Mark Galeotti: We Need to Talk About Putin: How the West gets him wrong (2019) Mark Galeotti: Russian Political War: Moving Beyond the Hybrid (2019) Mark Galeotti: The Vory: Russia's Super Mafia (2018) ---------- WAR STUDIES: Mark Galeotti: Russia's Wars in Chechnya: 1994–2009 (2024) Mark Galeotti: Putin Takes Crimea 2014: Grey-zone warfare opens the Russia-Ukraine conflict (2023) Mark Galeotti: Russia's Five-Day War: The invasion of Georgia, August 2008 (2023) Mark Galeotti: Afghanistan 1979–88: Soviet air power against the mujahideen (2023) Mark Galeotti: Teutonic Knight vs Lithuanian Warrior: The Lithuanian Crusade 1283–1435 (2023) ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine Ukrainian Freedom News https://www.ukrainianfreedomnews.com/donation/ UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ----------

Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism (University of Wisconsin Press, 2023) provides a critical and nuanced analysis of the relationship between popular culture and politics in Russia during Vladimir Putin's first two decades in power. It traces how the performance of Russian citizenship has been remolded according to a neoconservative agenda characterized by increasingly exaggerated gender roles. By connecting gendered and sexualized citizenship to developments in Russian popular culture, Julie Cassiday argues that heteronormativity and homophobia became a kind of politicized style under Putin's leadership. Examining everything from memes to the Eurovision Song Contest and self-help literature, Cassiday untangles the discourse of gender to argue that drag, or travesti, became the performative trope par excellence in Putin's Russia. Provocatively, Cassiday further argues that the exaggerated expressions of gender demanded by Putin's regime are best understood as a form of cisgender drag. The book also demonstrates that while the multiple modes of gender performativity generated in Russian popular culture between 2000 and 2010 supported Putin's neoconservative agenda, they also helped citizens resist and protest the state's mandate of heteronormativity. Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism has been shortlisted for the 2024 Pushkin House Book Prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism (University of Wisconsin Press, 2023) provides a critical and nuanced analysis of the relationship between popular culture and politics in Russia during Vladimir Putin's first two decades in power. It traces how the performance of Russian citizenship has been remolded according to a neoconservative agenda characterized by increasingly exaggerated gender roles. By connecting gendered and sexualized citizenship to developments in Russian popular culture, Julie Cassiday argues that heteronormativity and homophobia became a kind of politicized style under Putin's leadership. Examining everything from memes to the Eurovision Song Contest and self-help literature, Cassiday untangles the discourse of gender to argue that drag, or travesti, became the performative trope par excellence in Putin's Russia. Provocatively, Cassiday further argues that the exaggerated expressions of gender demanded by Putin's regime are best understood as a form of cisgender drag. The book also demonstrates that while the multiple modes of gender performativity generated in Russian popular culture between 2000 and 2010 supported Putin's neoconservative agenda, they also helped citizens resist and protest the state's mandate of heteronormativity. Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism has been shortlisted for the 2024 Pushkin House Book Prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism (University of Wisconsin Press, 2023) provides a critical and nuanced analysis of the relationship between popular culture and politics in Russia during Vladimir Putin's first two decades in power. It traces how the performance of Russian citizenship has been remolded according to a neoconservative agenda characterized by increasingly exaggerated gender roles. By connecting gendered and sexualized citizenship to developments in Russian popular culture, Julie Cassiday argues that heteronormativity and homophobia became a kind of politicized style under Putin's leadership. Examining everything from memes to the Eurovision Song Contest and self-help literature, Cassiday untangles the discourse of gender to argue that drag, or travesti, became the performative trope par excellence in Putin's Russia. Provocatively, Cassiday further argues that the exaggerated expressions of gender demanded by Putin's regime are best understood as a form of cisgender drag. The book also demonstrates that while the multiple modes of gender performativity generated in Russian popular culture between 2000 and 2010 supported Putin's neoconservative agenda, they also helped citizens resist and protest the state's mandate of heteronormativity. Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism has been shortlisted for the 2024 Pushkin House Book Prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/performing-arts

Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism (University of Wisconsin Press, 2023) provides a critical and nuanced analysis of the relationship between popular culture and politics in Russia during Vladimir Putin's first two decades in power. It traces how the performance of Russian citizenship has been remolded according to a neoconservative agenda characterized by increasingly exaggerated gender roles. By connecting gendered and sexualized citizenship to developments in Russian popular culture, Julie Cassiday argues that heteronormativity and homophobia became a kind of politicized style under Putin's leadership. Examining everything from memes to the Eurovision Song Contest and self-help literature, Cassiday untangles the discourse of gender to argue that drag, or travesti, became the performative trope par excellence in Putin's Russia. Provocatively, Cassiday further argues that the exaggerated expressions of gender demanded by Putin's regime are best understood as a form of cisgender drag. The book also demonstrates that while the multiple modes of gender performativity generated in Russian popular culture between 2000 and 2010 supported Putin's neoconservative agenda, they also helped citizens resist and protest the state's mandate of heteronormativity. Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism has been shortlisted for the 2024 Pushkin House Book Prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism (University of Wisconsin Press, 2023) provides a critical and nuanced analysis of the relationship between popular culture and politics in Russia during Vladimir Putin's first two decades in power. It traces how the performance of Russian citizenship has been remolded according to a neoconservative agenda characterized by increasingly exaggerated gender roles. By connecting gendered and sexualized citizenship to developments in Russian popular culture, Julie Cassiday argues that heteronormativity and homophobia became a kind of politicized style under Putin's leadership. Examining everything from memes to the Eurovision Song Contest and self-help literature, Cassiday untangles the discourse of gender to argue that drag, or travesti, became the performative trope par excellence in Putin's Russia. Provocatively, Cassiday further argues that the exaggerated expressions of gender demanded by Putin's regime are best understood as a form of cisgender drag. The book also demonstrates that while the multiple modes of gender performativity generated in Russian popular culture between 2000 and 2010 supported Putin's neoconservative agenda, they also helped citizens resist and protest the state's mandate of heteronormativity. Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism has been shortlisted for the 2024 Pushkin House Book Prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/lgbtq-studies

Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism (University of Wisconsin Press, 2023) provides a critical and nuanced analysis of the relationship between popular culture and politics in Russia during Vladimir Putin's first two decades in power. It traces how the performance of Russian citizenship has been remolded according to a neoconservative agenda characterized by increasingly exaggerated gender roles. By connecting gendered and sexualized citizenship to developments in Russian popular culture, Julie Cassiday argues that heteronormativity and homophobia became a kind of politicized style under Putin's leadership. Examining everything from memes to the Eurovision Song Contest and self-help literature, Cassiday untangles the discourse of gender to argue that drag, or travesti, became the performative trope par excellence in Putin's Russia. Provocatively, Cassiday further argues that the exaggerated expressions of gender demanded by Putin's regime are best understood as a form of cisgender drag. The book also demonstrates that while the multiple modes of gender performativity generated in Russian popular culture between 2000 and 2010 supported Putin's neoconservative agenda, they also helped citizens resist and protest the state's mandate of heteronormativity. Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism has been shortlisted for the 2024 Pushkin House Book Prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/eastern-european-studies

Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism (University of Wisconsin Press, 2023) provides a critical and nuanced analysis of the relationship between popular culture and politics in Russia during Vladimir Putin's first two decades in power. It traces how the performance of Russian citizenship has been remolded according to a neoconservative agenda characterized by increasingly exaggerated gender roles. By connecting gendered and sexualized citizenship to developments in Russian popular culture, Julie Cassiday argues that heteronormativity and homophobia became a kind of politicized style under Putin's leadership. Examining everything from memes to the Eurovision Song Contest and self-help literature, Cassiday untangles the discourse of gender to argue that drag, or travesti, became the performative trope par excellence in Putin's Russia. Provocatively, Cassiday further argues that the exaggerated expressions of gender demanded by Putin's regime are best understood as a form of cisgender drag. The book also demonstrates that while the multiple modes of gender performativity generated in Russian popular culture between 2000 and 2010 supported Putin's neoconservative agenda, they also helped citizens resist and protest the state's mandate of heteronormativity. Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power, and Putinism has been shortlisted for the 2024 Pushkin House Book Prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

Anna Nemzer and Ilia Venyavkin presented on their work with the Russian Independent Media Archive Project on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 4:00 pm in 206 Ingraham Hall, 1155 Observatory Drive. About the Lecture: In this joint presentation, journalist Anna Nemzer and historian Ilia Venyavkin will discuss the work of the Russian Independent Media Archive — an initiative of PEN America and Bard College aimed at preserving the work of independent journalists from Russia since 2000, guarding this historical record against erasure as media outlets not aligned with the regime of President Vladimir Putin are shuttered and their reporters and editors are cast into exile. A direct link to RIMA is available at https://rima.media/en About the Lecturers: Anna Nemzer is a journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker studying the historical memory of wars in the post-Soviet space. She is a presenter on TV Dozhd (aka TV-Rain – formerly the only independent TV channel in Russia, now working in exile), a scholar at Bard College in, and a co-founder of the Russian Independent Media Archive (RIMA) dedicated to the preservation of all Russian independent media as the most important evidence of the era. Ilia Veniavkin is an historian and journalist. For 15 years he has been studying Stalinist culture and subjectivity. He wrote an ebook, Master's Inkwell. A Soviet Writer Inside the Great Purge and co-founded Prozhito.org, a collaborative online archive of Soviet diaries and ego-documents. He is a co-founder of the Russian Independent Media Archive, a scholar at Bard College, and is writing a book on the ideology of Putinism.

The full episode and the complete archive of Subversive episodes, including exclusive episodes and my writing, is available on Substack. You can also subscribe to the podcast sans writing on Patreon for a bit less. This is how the show is financed and grows, so I appreciate every contribution! https://www.alexkaschuta.com/ https://www.patreon.com/aksubversive Anatoly Karlin is a writer and researcher, and he blogs at https://www.nooceleration.com/ The complete timestamps for the extended episode: 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:09 Anatoly's Shift in Perspective 07:08 Disillusionment with Right-Wing Politics 10:23 Positive Developments in Russia 12:43 Putinism and Political Degradation 15:19 The Decline of the Intellectual Space 22:12 Creating a Counter Elite 25:30 Hostile Sexism and Decline of the Space 30:50 The Decline of the Manosphere 37:12 The Idea of Immigration and Open Borders 46:00 The Potential of Network States 51:26 Challenges and Concerns with Network States 57:38 The Rise of Digital Nomadism and Network States 01:01:18 The Impact of Network States on Natalism 01:02:40 The Importance of Natalism and AI 01:03:37 The Need for Genetic Technologies 01:04:11 Reversing Dysgenic Trends 01:06:03 The Future of Reproductive Technologies 01:07:01 The Role of Natalism in Economic Growth 01:08:29 Practical Solutions for Natalism 01:10:48 The Ineffectiveness of Traditionalist Solutions 01:11:17 The Potential of Reproductive Genetic Technologies 01:12:44 The Political Landscape of HBD 01:13:14 The Commercial Availability of Reproductive Genetic Technologies 01:16:27 The Future of Family Structures 01:17:47 The Spiritual Experience of Pregnancy and Childbirth 01:18:55 The Delegation of Biological Functions 01:19:26 The Weight of Femininity and Delegating Biological Functions 01:21:28 The Relationship Between HBD and Wokeness 01:22:38 The Reckoning with HBD 01:25:17 The Increasing Evidence for HBD 01:27:13 The Impact of Reproductive Genetic Technologies on HBD 01:29:37 The Importance of Normalizing HBD 01:30:06 The Relationship Between Intelligence and Solving Other Problems 01:33:08 Recommended Thinkers --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aksubversive/message

In Collisions, Michael Kimmage, traces the origins of the Russia-Ukraine war. He unpicks the development of Ukraine and Russia's fractious relationship back to the end of the Cold War, through the central events that led to Vladimir Putin seizing Crimea in 2014 and, eight years later, initiating the most intensive and widescale military confrontation of the post-WWII era. This conflict ushers in a new age of global instability, and a collision between Russia and the Western alliance that is far hotter than confrontations during the Cold War. ---------- Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America. Michael is author of books and articles about international affairs, Soviet and Russian politics, and the European-American relationship. From 2014 to 2016, he served on the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State. He is a senior non-resident associate at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. ---------- CHAPTERS: 00:01:55 The fractious relationship with Russia never really went away 00:04:21 External peace and internal Terror during the interwar period 00:07:18 Impact of Putin's speech at the 2007 Munich Security Conference 00:10:25 Were the signs of impending conflict accumulating in 2021? 00:14:36 Putin has used distraction and lying to fool West since 2014 00:16:57 The stages of Putinism with increasing internal repression 00:23:35 Grienance and victimhood that underpins Putin's worldview 00:29:24 The European contradiction - wealth but low defence investment 00:32:04 Lack of strategy and a concept of victory among the allies 00:34:29 Is there a chance in Europe's attitude to the war and Ukraine 00:40:05 Is 'Bidenism' just as risky for Ukraine as 'Trumpism'? 00:43:44 Is there a problem in Washington with the idea of taking Crimea? 00:49:35 Are we paying too little attention to weakness in Russian economy? ---------- LINKS: https://twitter.com/mkimmage https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-kimmage-66654a5/ https://www.csis.org/people/michael-kimmage https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/michael-kimmage https://history.catholic.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-profiles/kimmage-michael/index.html https://global.oup.com/academic/product/collisions-9780197751794?cc=gb&lang=en& https://www.gmfus.org/find-experts/michael-kimmage ---------- ARTICLES: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/authors/michael-kimmage https://www.americanpurpose.com/authors/michael-kimmage/ ---------- BOOKS: Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability (2024) The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy (2020) ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- LINKS: https://twitter.com/general_ben https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hodges https://cepa.org/author/ben-hodges/ https://warsawsecurityforum.org/speaker/hodges-ben-lt-gen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-hodges-1674b1172/ ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube's algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Alexei Navalny was Russia's most prominent and effective opposition leader, an anti-corruption crusader and democratic politician who entered public life as a provocative blogger around the same time his future persecutor, Vladimir Putin, became Russia's president. Navalny died inside an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16. He was 47. He leaves a legacy, setting an example of how to challenge the regime even while under constant state persecution. In this episode, Miriam Lanskoy of the National Endowment for Democracy explains who Navalny was, why his opposition movement was so effective, and what his death says about late Putinism. 

Well, not really, but how Navalny's awful death helps illustrate how late Putinism in its 'banana republic' phase comes to resemble the later Soviet era -- and what this may mean for its future.My video on Navalny is here and Sunday Times article is here. The Moskovsky  Komsomolets article I cite is here.The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials right here. Support the show

Ilya Ponomarev is a Russian-Ukrainian politician who was a member of the Russian State Duma from 2007 to 2016. After the 2022 Russian invasion, Ponomarev joined Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces, and categorically denounced the invasion. While a member of the Russian State Duma, he was the only deputy not to vote in favour of the Russian gay propaganda law and to vote against Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014. In 2015, while in the US, Ponomarev was formally charged in Russia with embezzlement, which he called politically motivated. In 2016, he was impeached for not performing his duties, and he went into exile in Ukraine, where he obtained Ukrainian citizenship in 2019. Ilya Ponomarev has endorsed acts of sabotage and arson in Russia and claims to be a spokesman with insurgent Russian forces (National Republican Army) fighting on the side of Ukraine. ---------- ARTICLES: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/01/19/ilya-ponomaryov-we-have-to-capture-the-kremlin-there-is-no-other-way-a83772 ---------- BOOKS: Does Putin Have to Die? The Story of How Russia Becomes a Democracy after Losing to Ukraine (Hardcover – 19 Jan. 2023) ---------- LINKS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilya_Ponomarev ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- WATCH NEXT: Yuri Felshtinsky https://youtu.be/PWGC2il6svU Konstantin Samoilov https://youtu.be/ogYRqb24ltc Grigor Atanesian https://youtu.be/oxDAieyJt9I Maria Snegovaya https://youtu.be/qL6lAj2UsPk Olga Solovyeva https://youtu.be/ABNXnXV-7ic ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

On October 31st, Max moderated a conversation between Maria and Sergei Guriev on the ideology of Putinism. Does Vladimir Putin have an ideology? If so, will this ideology help him retain power in Russia? Maria recently co-authored a report on this same topic, and the paper's findings were the main topic of discussion. Dr. Sergei Guriev is the Provost at Sciences Po in Paris, and a renowned professor of economics. Previously, he led the New Economic School in Moscow from 2004-2013. Additionally, he served as the Chief Economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development from 2016-2019. Learn More: "The Ideology of Putinism: Is It Sustainable?" by Maria Snegovaya, Michael Kimmage, and Jade McGlynn "Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century" by Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman

Day 611. During the Ukraine: the latest team's recent trip to the United States, host David Knowles had the pleasure of visiting Georgetown University in Washington D.C to moderate a conversation between a group of academics.In the first part of their discussion, they look at the politics of modern Russia, Vladimir Putin's influence on it and how it may change in the future.Contributors:David Knowles (Host). @djknowles22 on Twitter.Professor Michael David-Fox (Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies, School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University).Dr. Diana Dumitru (Ion Ratiu Professor in Romanian Studies at Georgetown University).Maria Snegovaya (Senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia with the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a postdoctoral fellow in Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service). @MSnegovaya on Twitter.Jonathan Lincoln (Interim Director, Andrew Siegal Visiting Professor Center for Jewish Civilization, Georgetown University).Read: The Ideology of Putinism: Is It Sustainable?, Maria Snegovaya, Michael Kimmage and Jade McGlynn: https://www.csis.org/analysis/ideology-putinism-it-sustainableFind out more:Subscribe to The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.ukSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The easy cliche that the Ukraine conflict may become a 'forever war' is a convenient notion for Putin - it may help dismay his enemies, and provides an organising principle for 'late Putinism.' To paraphrase the SF game Warhammer 40,000, in the grim darkness of the present, there is only war.Yet, of course, no war last forever and, in particular, Russians themselves don't seem to be buying this notion. Even government pollsters suggest only a small minority are really enthused by the war - and not even they embrace the idea of war eternal for it's own sake.I also indulge myself with the first segment in an occasional series of 'Why Everything Bad is Britain's Fault' (at least as far the Kremlin is concerned).The Fedorov interview I mention is here.The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials right here. Support the show

On this episode of The Enemies List, Rick invites Jill Lawrence to the podcast. Jill is an opinion writer and political columnist. Today most of her writing can be found in The Bulwark. She is on top of the political scene and discusses with Rick the state of the Republican party and the race for the Republican nomination. They also discuss Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris and the mess that is currently taking place in the House Of Representatives. They also speculate what could happen in the country if Trump is re-elected which Rick says is certainly a possibility. And, Rick looks to the House for this episode's nominee for The Enemies List. Listen to find out who he blasts this time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Suzi talks to long-time political activist and theorist Ilya Budraitskis about the transformation of Russia into a dictatorship and the nature of Putinism more than a year after Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine. Independent media has been replaced with censorship and propaganda. Expression of dissent is met with repression and long stints in prison. In fact, Ilya's vocal opposition to Putin's rule and this war forced him to flee the country. In an article for the journal Spectre, Ilya argues that the war has cemented a decades-long transformation of the Russian regime into a qualitative new form.Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, protest movements. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow #Londinium90AD: Gaius and Germanicus measure the Russian Diaspora as it prepares to sweep aside Putinism. Michael Vlahos. #FriendsofHistoryDebatingSociety https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/dont-fear-putins-demise