"Based on extensive original research, this book examines the extent to which media in Russia upholds the Russian government's stance on sexuality. It considers the Russian government's policies designed to uphold "traditional sexuality", reveals the strategies of resistance used by Russian media outlets to create positive portrayals of non-heteronormative people and circumvent the restrictive 2013 legislation banning positive representations of "'non-traditional sexual relations", and highlights particular examples of subversive media practices. Overall, the book challenges the prevailing view that media in authoritarian regimes are completely compliant with their government's position"--
Cover -- Half Title -- Series Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- List of tables -- List of Abbreviations -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- 1. Extremely Sharp Power -- 2. Methods of Sharp Power: Definitions -- 3. The Context: One Hundred Years of Latvian-Russian Bilateral Relations -- 4. History Still Matters: The Kremlin's Memory Diplomacy as One of the Main Elements of Sharp Power -- 5. Russian Compatriot Policy against Latvian Educational, Language, and Citizenship Policies -- 6. 'Russian World': Geopolitics, Values, and Culture -- 7. The Russian Orthodox Church and Latvia -- 8. Russian Media in Latvia: Much More than RT and Sputnik -- 9. Social Media as a New Ground for Confrontation -- 10. Elections and Referenda in Latvia: 'Neighbour's Footprints in the Backyard' -- 11. The Regional Dimension: Separatism of Latgale That Never Materialized -- 12. The Emotional Side of Sharp Power: From Humour to Rudeness -- Conclusions -- Index.
"This book examines how civil society engaged with transitional justice in Russia, demonstrating a broad range of roles civil society can undertake while operating in a restrictive political context. Based on socio-legal research, the study focuses on three types of civil society groups dealing with the legacies of the Soviet repression in Russia - a prominent organisation that works on recovering historical truth, the International Memorial; a parish of the Orthodox Church of Russia operating at a former mass execution and mass burial site, the Church at Butovo; and contentious groups that could hinder attempts at reckoning and promote state narratives built on the Stalinist and World War II victory myths. This book explores an often-overlooked case of Russia's transitional justice 'from below.' It provides insights into how even in authoritarian contexts, civil society can adopt imaginative, piecemeal, and, at times, unconventional ways of seeking justice outside and in the absence of official and institutionalised transitional justice measures. This book will appeal to scholars of transitional justice, memory studies, human rights, and democratic and civil society theory, as well as policymakers and practitioners in these fields, and others with interests in Russian and post-Soviet studies"--
"This book is a uniquely accessible discussion of the sanctions and international trade measures deployed against Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The book situates the sanctions response within its historical and economic backgrounds"--
"This monograph utilizes three theoretical models to explain Kazakhstan's emergence as an independent state and its changing relationships with the broader world, particularly Russia, since the beginning of the twentieth century. The compelling approach to Kazakhstan's history will appeal to postgraduate students and scholars in Russian history and world history"--
"This book integrates Soviet and post-Soviet Russian history into a coherent whole by focusing on the culture, role models, habits and behavior patterns that provide continuity between various political regimes, systems, and rulers from Vladimir Lenin to Vladimir Putin. The unifying theme of all these periods is the central question of identity - how the Russians have defined themselves, their country, and their values. Why did the Bolsheviks try to erase any trace of Old Russia and with what did they try to replace it? Why did Stalin wipe out the kulaks and the old Bolsheviks? What were the political consequences of the Great Patriotic War on the Russians as people? When post-Stalin Russia slowly weakened and gave way to the humanism and Westernization that led to the collapse of the Soviet system, why did the 1990s generate a resurgence of anti-western nationalism? And how to explain the slow and steady break with the West under President Putin? This will be a core textbook for undergraduate and graduate students of Russian and European history,
'Flexible Authoritarianism' challenges the idea that the transnational rise of authoritarianism is a backlash against economic globalization and neoliberal capitalism. Flexible authoritarianism - a form of government that simultaneously incentivizes a can-do spirit and suppresses dissent - reflects the resonance between authoritarian and neoliberal ideologies in today's comeback of strongman rule. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, Anna Schwenk critically evaluates how loyalty to the regime - the order underlying political and economic life in a polity - is produced and contested among those young people who seek key positions in politics, business, the public sector, or creative industries.
"Flexible Authoritarianism examines the nature of regimes that incentivize individual personal growth and creative thinking while simultaneously repressing political freedom. Both neoliberal techniques and authoritarian practices inform the governmental style that characterizes this kind of regime. The book conveys the look and feel of flexible authoritarianism in Russia and its reception by those who experience the regime first-hand. It demonstrates how flexible authoritarianism is stabilized ideologically by the insignia of cool start-up capitalism, by familiar cultural forms such as the summer camp, and by the authoritarian practices of actors in politics, business, and civic life. The author's approach combines bottom-up and top-down perspectives, drawing on field observations, in-depth interviews, and analyses of documents and video clips. The book critically evaluates how loyalty to a flexible authoritarian regime is produced and contested in Russia among young people who appear likely to occupy key positions in politics, business, the public sector, and creative industries, and who thereby may support the regime in the future. While these potential strategic elites strive to attain the kinds of conveniences enjoyed by middle classes in economically prosperous states and are outspoken in their critique of corruption and favoritism in their country, they also accept and amplify the Russian government's practice of blaming poverty and slow development on passivity, indifference to the common good, and a lack of patriotism among ordinary citizens, rather than on self-serving indifference in the higher echelons of power"--
In 2014, Russia launched a "Hybrid War" against Ukraine that, according to some, ushered in a revolution in conflict. The term is notoriously vague, referring to all measures short of war states use to attain strategic aims. States, of course, have long used measures in the "gray zone" between war and peace. Yet they did not always have the Internet."--
"This first in-depth comparison of Putin's neomedieval memory politics and re-Stalinization proposes new approaches to the study of the right-wing populist memory in Russia and beyond. Two decades before the war against Ukraine, a "special operation" was launched against the Russians' historical memory, to aggressively reshape the nation's understanding of its history and identity. The Kremlin's propaganda of World War II for the militarization of Russia is well documented, but the role of political neomedievalism - the glorification of Russian medieval society and its warlords - in rallying Russians to support Putinism had yet to be explored. The celebration of Ivan the Terrible, the sixteenth-century tsar, and the originator of large-scale state terror has become fused with the rehabilitation of Stalinism in the quest to reconstruct an empire. The post-Soviet case suggests that the worldwide obsession with "everything medieval" is not a purely aesthetic movement but may readily be weaponized against democracy. The book is intended for students, scholars, and non-specialists interested in understanding Russia's anti-modern politics and the ease with which post-Soviet society has accepted the terror that Russia has unleashed against Ukraine"--
Cooperation between Iran and Russia has expanded to unprecedented levels. Following the Russian offensive in Ukraine, their partnership has undergone a significant transformation, altering power dynamics and elevating Iran from a junior partner to an equal counterpart. Russia's dependence on Iran in unexpected areas has caught observers by surprise. In her book, Ghoncheh Tazmini presents a fresh analysis of the complex relationship between Russia and Iran. She argues for a Russia-Iran 'alignment' based on their shared narratives of the international order. The two states are bound by connective tissue that is coded by ontological security preoccupations and mutual threat perceptions. Despite historical animosities and ongoing suspicions, the relationship has demonstrated resilience, fluctuating between conflict and convergence. The Iran-Russia relationship holds decisive implications for the Middle East's future, where their interests both overlap and diverge, notably in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and with the GCC. Tazmini delves into Russian and Iranian geopolitical aspirations in the Middle Eastern theatre and addresses how evolving international realities impact their regional policies. Through a blend of sophisticated theoretical analysis and empirical insights, Tazmini explains why Moscow-Tehran relations are more durable than many in the Western world and the Middle East may perceive. Russia and Iran's close alignment is expected to persist – undeterred by criticism and sanctions, the 'Power Couple' remains determined to establish a foothold in the international system through their collaborative efforts.
A key question for the contemporary world: What is Putin's ideology? This book analyses this ideology, which it terms "Putinism". It examines a range of factors that feed into the ideology – conservative thought in Russia from the nineteenth century onwards, Russian and Soviet history and their memorialisation, Russian Orthodox religion and its political connections, a focus on traditional values, and Russia's sense of itself as a unique civilisation, different from the West and due a special, respected place in the world. The book highlights that although the resulting ideology lacks coherence and universalism comparable to that of Soviet-era Marxism-Leninism, it is nevertheless effective in aligning the population to the regime and is flexible and applicable in different circumstances. And that therefore it is not attached to Putin as a person, is likely to outlive him, and is potentially appealing elsewhere in the world outside Russia, especially to countries that feel belittled by the West and let down by the West's failure to resolve problems of global injustice and inequality.
"This book is a study of Adolf Hitler in his role as military commander and strategist from the beginning of the Second World War until the end of 1942, examining in detail the campaign in southern Russia that year. Warlord Hitler will appeal to postgraduates and specialists in military history, as well as general readers interested in a deeper study of the Second World War"--
This book explores Russia's sense of its own uniqueness and the impact this has had on Russia's conduct of international relations. Examining concepts such as Russia's special civilising mission, its difference from the West, its proneness to conduct violent warfare, and more, and discussing these concepts in relation to Russia's history and its present behaviour, and also in relation to other countries' views of themselves as exceptional, the book highlights Russia's sense of its own identity as a key factor shaping current international events.
"This book captures the essence of the period when Russians and Americans collaborated in creating new structures of government and new businesses in completely uncharted conditions. It presents the experiences of key American participants in late Soviet and post-Soviet Russia during a time when Americans thought anything was possible in Russia. Using an analytic framework of foreground ideas (Western, liberal & neo-liberal) and background forces (Russian cultural influences, nationalism, and lingering Soviet ideology), it examines the ideas and intentions of the people involved. First-person interviews with consultants, businesspeople, and citizen diplomats help capture the essence of this turbulent reform period through the eyes of those who experienced it and presents the importance of this experience as a piece of the puzzle in understanding contemporary Russia. It will be an invaluable resource for students of international relations, Russian studies majors, researchers, and members of the general public who are trying to understand the evolution of the current antagonism between the US and Russia"--