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Russian Roulette

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Hosted by Max Bergmann and Dr. Maria Snegovaya of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS, Russian Roulette explores the politics, history, and complex societies of Russia and Eurasia. Tune in for fascinating interviews and discussions on some of the biggest questions facing the broader post-Soviet space. Produced by David Lotfi, Lexi Linafelter, and Nicholas Fenton

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  • 164 episodes
  • Updated July 27
  • 1 subscribers

Episodes164

Newest first
  • Apr 10, 2018 · 37 min

    Of U.S.-Russia Relations and What is to be Done – Russian Roulette Episode 55

    In the spirit of history, Russian literature, and other things the CSIS Russia team holds dear, we bring you a Russian Roulette episode that is both deeply gloomy and highly entertaining. Olya and Jeff sit down with Matthew Rojansky, director of the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, to discuss the state of U.S.-Russia relations, historical cycles in the relationship, signaling, and ways out of the current downward spiral. Note: this episode was recorded on April 2, before the Trump administration’s April 6 announcement of new sanctions targeting Russian oligarchs, and before reports emerged of a new chemical weapons attack in Syria. (It’s 2018. We can’t keep up. Can anyone?) To hear more from Matt, check out his bio and recent publications, here: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/matthew-rojansky As always, keep sending us mailbag questions! If you would like to have your question answered on the podcast, send it to us! Email rep@csis.org and put “Russian Roulette” in the subject line. And, if you have one, include your Twitter handle, so we can notify you publicly when we answer your question (or, if you don’t want us to, tell us that). We look forward to hearing from you.

  • Mar 28, 2018 · 51 min

    Of Gorbachev, and of Writing About Gorbachev – Russian Roulette Episode 54

    In a historically-minded episode of Russian Roulette, Olya and Jeff sit with William Taubman. Dr. Taubman is the Bertrand Snell Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Amherst College and the author of several books, including a biography of Nikita Khrushchev that won the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 2004, and, most recently, a biography of Mikhail Gorbachev. Of course, the three discuss Gorbachev: who and what inspired him, his political trajectory through the Communist Party, and how his personal traits both enabled and undermined his success and his historical role—as well as the importance of individuals to history. They also delve into Bill’s research and writing, including how he came to write this biography, some of the challenges he faced in writing it, and the evolution of his own relationship with Gorbachev over the course of many interviews. You can pick up a copy of Bill’s book at fine bookstores everywhere. If you’d like to buy the book through an independent bookstore, click here: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780393647013 For more information on Bill and his books, check out his website: https://williamtaubmanbooks.com/ As always, keep sending us mailbag questions! If you would like to have your question answered on the podcast, send it to us! Email rep@csis.org and put “Russian Roulette” in the subject line. And, if you have one, include your Twitter handle, so we can notify you publicly when we answer your question (or, if you don’t want us to, tell us that). We look forward to hearing from you.

  • Mar 14, 2018 · 55 min

    Of Campaigns, Democracy, and Campaigns for Democracy in Russia – Russian Roulette Episode 53

    In this episode of Russian Roulette, Olya and Jeff sit down with Vitali Shkliarov. Vitali is a Senior Adviser for Ksenia Sobchak’s presidential campaign. Previously, he worked for the Bernie Sanders campaign and for Obama for America. In 2016, alongside Dmitry Gudkov and Max Katz, he helped organize a campaign to field over 1,000 independent candidates in Moscow municipal elections. Olya, Jeff, and Vitali discuss Russian and American political culture; the merits of “practicing democracy” in undemocratic settings; strategies and tactics for campaigning in Russia; and the political movement that Vitali is trying to build. To read more about Vitali and the work he’s doing, check out some of these profiles of him: “Can Russia have a ‘Bernie’ revolution?” The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/a-bernie-sanders-campaign-veteran-advises-a-surging-opposition-movement-in-russia/2017/10/10/6f9479f4-a2c5-11e7-b573-8ec86cdfe1ed_story.html?utm_term=.b757442a8b20 “The man bringing Sanders-style politics to Moscow,” CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/09/europe/vitali-shkliarov-russian-politics/index.html As always, keep sending us mailbag questions! If you would like to have your question answered on the podcast, send it to us! Email rep@csis.org and put “Russian Roulette” in the subject line. And, if you have one, include your Twitter handle, so we can notify you publicly when we answer your question (or, if you don’t want us to, tell us that). We look forward to hearing from you.

  • Feb 27, 2018 · 51 min

    Of Religion and the State, and Writing About It – Russian Roulette Episode #52

    In a wide-ranging episode of Russian Roulette, Olya and Jeff sit down with Max Trudolyubov, a Senior Fellow at the Kennan Institute and writer for The Russia File blog, as well as an editor at Vedomosti, the independent Russian daily. They discuss Max’s efforts to make Russian commentators accessible to an English-language audience; Stalinism and the official view of Stalin today; religion and the state in Russia, and how this relationship has evolved; as well as Russia’s changing journalism and media landscape. You can check out The Russia File here: http://www.kennan-russiafile.org/ You can view Max’s bio here: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/maxim-trudolyubov Be sure to keep an eye out for his forthcoming book! As always, keep sending us mailbag questions! If you would like to have your question answered on the podcast, send it to us! Email rep@csis.org and put “Russian Roulette” in the subject line. And, if you have one, include your Twitter handle, so we can notify you publicly when we answer your question (or, if you don’t want us to, tell us that). We look forward to hearing from you.