Abstract in English: Russia of PowerIngerid M. Opdahl reviews Russia of Power, a report by more than 40 Finnish researchers and experts on contemporary Russia from the perspective of security.
Abstract: Law and Power in Russia: Making Sense of Quasi-Legal PracticesAnna Jonsson Cornell (Department of Law, Uppsala University, Sweden) reviews Law and Power in Russia: Making Sense of Quasi-Legal Practices by Håvard Bækken (published in 2019 by Routledge).
Abstract: Power and Conflict in Russia's Borderlands. The Post-Soviet Geopolitics of Dispute ResolutionClaes Levinsson (Uppsala University) reviews Power and Conflict in Russia's Borderlands. The Post-Soviet Geopolitics of Dispute Resolution by Helena Rytövuori-Apunen.
Abstract: The Dynamics of Identity Negotiation in a Border Region: The Case of Georgian Azeri-Tukrs of Kvemo KartliIn The Dynamics of Identity Negotiation in a Border Region: The Case of Georgian Azeri-Tukrs of Kvemo Kartli Karli-Jo T. Storm studies collective identities among Georgian Azeri-Turks in relation to officially propagated narratives of national identity in Georgia and Azerbaijan. Storm's ambitious work offers us insights into the complexities of the social and spatial positions of minority populations in the post-Soviet nation building projects.
Jeg havde set frem til at læse om de kvindelige terrorrister, der hjemsøgte Rusland i slutningen af det nittende århundrede og i begyndelsen af det tyvende, men dem hører vi desværre ikke så meget om. Havde jeg været tilstrækkeligt opmærksom, da jeg læste bogens titel, kunne jeg have sagt det til mig selv på forhånd og være gået til værket med de rette forventninger og måske undgået noget af min skuffelse. Som titlen nemlig røber, og som man til overmål bliver overbevist om allerede i de indledende kapitler, er det nemlig ikke disse bemærkelsesværdige kvinder, der er bogens anliggende, men konstruktionerne af dem i form af selvbiografier og biografier, og det er jo som bekendt ikke det samme. Forfatteren, der er lektor i historie på Örebro Universitet, er dog ikke mere grebet af postmoderne konstruktionsteori, end hun kan gå med til, at der er en historisk virkelighed, der ligger under konstruktionerne, og som lader sig erkende. Det viser hun i det forholdsvis korte, men velskrevne afsnit om den historiske kontekst for terrorismen og altså for konstruktionerne. Og så til konstruktionerne.
Rasmus Nilsson, University College London, reviews Constructions and Instrumentalization of the Past: A Comparative Study of Memory Management in the Region, edited by Ninna Mörner (CBEES, 2020).
Abstract: What has Remained of the USSR – Exploring the Erosion of the Post-Soviet SpaceFlemming Splidsboel Hansen (Danish Institute for International Studies) reviews What has Remained of the USSR – Exploring the Erosion of the Post-Soviet Space, edited by Arkady Moshes and András Racz.
The Politics of Poverty in Contemporary Russia, by Ann-Mari Sätre, is reviewed by Kirsti Stuvøy, Associate Professor, Faculty of Landscape and Society, International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU).
Gunnar Nygren, professor emeritus at Södertörn University, Stockholm, reviews Freedom of Expression in Russia's New Mediasphere edited by Marielle Wijermars and Katja Lehtisaari.
Russia as a Military Power, edited by Niels Bo Poulsen and Jørgen Staun (Djøf Forlag 2021) is reviewed by Tor Bukkvoll, of the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI).
Organizing the Voice of Women: A Study of the Polish and Swedish Women's Movements' Adaptation to International Structures, by Eva Karlberg, is reviewed by Kirsti Stuvøy, Associate Professor, Faculty of Landscape and Society, International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU).
Abstract: Russian Military Capability in a Ten-Year Perspective – 2019Una Hakvåg (Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI)) reviews Russian Military Capability in a Ten-Year Perspective – 2019, an analysis of Russia's Armed Forces and their fighting power, edited by Fredrik Westerlund & Susanne Oxenstierna.
Armenia's Velvet Revolution - Why So Overdue? In early April 2018 Armenia completed the transition from semi-presidential rule to a parliamentary republic. Under the slogan 'More power to the people', the ruling Republican Party had paved the way for the incumbent president, Serzh Sargsyan, to continue in power, now as prime minister as his second and final term of presidency was drawing to an end. However, the ensuing events ended with popular protests, the 'Velvet Revolution', which forced Sargsyan and the Republicans out of office. The new administration, led by the former opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, has ousted several influential leaders and initiated an ambitious anti-corruption programme. Nonetheless, one significant issue remains: early elections that are supposed not only to reflect the prevailing political landscape in Armenia but also reform the country's election laws. What triggered the spring 2018 uprising, when corruption and social discontent have been both well-known and prevalent in Armenia over the past two decades? This article offers insights into the background to the popular uprising, and the relation between Armenia and its large and influential diaspora, citing two main factors for the delay since independence in 1991 – the historical legacy of the perils of internal disunity, together with the effects of the unresolved Karabakh conflict. It concludes with some reflections on the way forward.