Events
Book Discussion: "Chaos, Violence, Dynasty: Politics and Islam in Central Asia"
November 17, 2011 // 8:30am — 10:30am
Spotlight on Central Eurasia Series // The speaker will discuss his book, a compelling study of the divergent political courses taken by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan in the wake of Soviet rule. McGlinchey examines economics, religion, political legacies, foreign investment, and the ethnicity of these countries to evaluate the relative success of political structures in each nation.
The Road Taken: Twenty Years after the Fall of the Soviet Union
November 16, 2011 // 10:00am — 4:00pm
The fall of the Soviet Union ushered in an era of dramatic change that saw a world power transform into a diverse region composed of 15 independent states. After 20 years of transition, how have the states of the former Soviet Union redefined their political, foreign policy, and social agendas?
Weimar Russia? Why Post-Soviet Authoritarianism Did Not Turn Fascist
November 15, 2011 // 3:30pm — 5:30pm
The speaker will compare inter-war Germany and post-communist Russia, and compare both nations’ very different political paths. Like in Weimar Germany, in today’s Russia, fascist actors are present, and nationalism is widespread in the population. The post-Soviet Russian situation is, however, distinct from the inter-war German one in that the party system is heavily manipulated and the third sector remains underdeveloped. Fascists have thus neither had a chance to use elections nor did they have the opportunity to penetrate civil society in order to build up political support. The continuing presence of a resolutely authoritarian, yet non-fascist "national leader" (Vladimir Putin) is a hindrance for the country to become a liberal democracy, but makes it, for the time being, also improbable that the Russian regime will transgress towards fascism.
Book Discussion: The Orthodox Church and Russian Politics
November 14, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Irina Papkova will present the major findings of her recent book, "The Orthodox Church and Russian Politics," which was jointly published by Oxford University Press and the Woodrow Wilson Center press in April 2011. The book examines church-state relations in post-Soviet Russia, and questions popular assumptions about the close nature of the relationship between the Orthodox church and the Putin regime in particular.
The Arab Spring and its Impact on the Situation in Africa and Russian-U.S. Bilateral Cooperation in the Region
November 07, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Ukraine at Twenty: How Strong is the Young State? How Resilient Society?
October 31, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Greene will examine the strength of Ukraine’s society and state after twenty years of independence, in light of a modern understanding of state power and societal resilience. He will also discuss how internal and external actions could help improve the mobilization of strategic resources – improving national security and societal development.
All is Near
October 27, 2011 // 6:00pm — 8:00pm
Kennan Institute/Harriman Institute Ukrainian Literature Series - Cosponsored by the Washington Group
Privatization in the Russian Federation: The Rise of Market-Based Systems in Modern Russia
October 24, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
President Medvedev recognizes that a well-conceived economic program, designed to create an independent broad based and self-sustaining private sector will improve Russia's position and image as a global superpower. The improvement in the quality of life for the average Russian is also an essential element, both economically, politically and socially for the Russian Federation. In Russia, the continuing development of privatization must be part of an overall reform package involving continued de-regulation, progressive taxation and a strong and viable monetary policy.
Counting Coup? Evolving Memories of August 1991 in Russia
October 17, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
August 19, 2011 marked the 20th anniversary of the 1991 coup attempt in Russia. Harley Balzer argued that the combination of “strong opposition, resistance, subversion, and bureaucratic inertia” were crucial in defeating the Communist party leaders’ attempt to seize power from Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in August 1991. As memories fade and the Russian government seeks to undermine belief in popular political efficacy, the prevailing narrative of August 1991 suggests that an ill-conceived and poorly executed attempt to seize power failed because of its leaders’ incompetence, their serious miscalculation of public opinion, or Gorbachev’s failure to support political allies whose actions he had previously endorsed.
Book Discussion: Citizens in the Making in Post-Soviet States
October 11, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
The political outlook of young people in the countries of the former Soviet Union is crucial to their countries’ future political development. This is particularly relevant now as the first generation without firsthand experience of communism at first hand is approaching adulthood. Based on extensive original research and including new survey research amongst young people, this book examines young people’s political outlook in countries of the former Soviet Union; it compares and contrasts Russia, where authoritarianism has begun to reassert itself, and Ukraine, which experienced a democratic breakthrough in the aftermath of the Orange Revolution.