Events
The Caucasus Region: Shaping a New Status Quo
October 03, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
The presentation is focused upon the transformation of the Caucasus region from one of periphery to one of the focal points of Eurasian, European, and Transatlantic security. The speaker examines roles played by the United States, Turkey, Iran, and the European Union (as well as by international organizations such as OSCE, NATO, and the UN) in the Caucasus since the dissolution of the USSR. The speaker will pay particular attention to Russia and its desire for playing an exclusive role in Caucasus geopolitics. The presentation stresses the new status quo that has emerged from the August War of 2008 (including a new political agenda for South Ossetia and Abkhazia, new Western strategies on engagement/non-recognition, the impact of the August War on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, and the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement).
The Evolution of Soviet Policies towards Dissidents
September 26, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
The talk will focus mainly on the factors that went into Soviet decision-making regarding policy towards dissident groups, and how the factors varied depending on the time period and the nature of each group. The speaker will also make use of archival materials that show how seriously the Soviet leaders took dissident issues and how the Politbureau was sometimes divided and even paralyzed for a year or two over what to do about them.
BRICS: Shaping the New Global Architecture
June 28, 2011 // 1:00pm — 5:30pm
João Augusto de Castro Neves, Fyodor Lukyanov, Inderjit Singh, Da Wei, and Francis A. Kornegay spoke at The Wilson Center on the new grouping of nations known as BRICS and how this consortium of countries will shape the future global architecture.
U.S.-Soviet Relations during the Second World War: History and Lessons for Today
June 15, 2011 // 9:45am — 1:00pm
Cosponsored by the Embassy of the Russian Federation, this conference discussed newly-available information regarding the history and diplomacy of relations between the United States and Russia during the Second World War.
Russia and Eurasia in a New Geopolitical Era
June 13, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Bruce Parrott, Professor and Director, Russian and Eurasian Studies Program, School of Advanced and International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, and Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Center, discussed long-term trends in the geopolitics of Eurasia, as well as the implications of recent geopolitical changes for Russia and its international role.
Film Screening: "Three Stories of Galicia"
June 07, 2011 // 3:30pm — 5:30pm
"Three Stories of Galicia" is a film about heroism, moral character, and reconciliation among three ethnic and religious groups (Jews, Ukrainians and Poles) that lived on the territory known as Galicia in southeastern Poland and western Ukraine. The film focuses on three individuals who had the courage to reach out to the other side and overcome barriers of prejudice and hatred during the most difficult circumstances: at the time of war, oppression and ethnic conflict.
Russia's WTO Accession and PNTR: The Business Community Perspective
June 06, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Randi Levinas, Executive Vice President, U.S.-Russia Business Council, evaluated the challenges Russia faces in terms of its accession to the World Trade Organization, as well as U.S.-Russian business relations with respect to granting Russia Permanent Normal Trading Relations (PNTR) status.
Immigration and Social Power: The Russian Case
June 01, 2011 // 3:30pm — 5:30pm
With Russia being the center of the second-largest migration system in the world, Vladimir Malakhov examined the framework of Russian “social power” for an in-depth analysis of immigration to Russia - as well as why “those in power do not wish to see Russia more diverse than it currently is.”
Ukraine After One Year of Yanukovych
May 31, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
One year after Victor Yanukovych was elected president of Ukraine, Alexander Motyl discussed the status of Ukrainian politics and governance, noting that the current regime has failed on several levels to improve conditions in the country.
Film Screening: "Diary From the Burned Ghetto"
May 23, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Evgeny Tsymbal's film "Diary From the Burned Ghetto" presents excerpts from the diary of and an interview with Tamara Lazerson, a Jewish survivor of the Kovno ghetto in Kaunas, Lithuania in 1941. The diary, hidden for over 30 years, was never published in Russian or English before this film.