News and Opinions - April 2021

These are the audio recordings for Kennan Institute public events held at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. More information about the individual events and upcoming meetings can be found here: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/program-events/Kennan%20Institute/153. For questions or requests, please email kennan@wilsoncenter.org. 

Kennan Institute Events

Russia is often seen as a country that was led astray by a former KGB officer, Vladimir Putin. Informed by his training and character, it is often implied, he turned himself into an all-powerful ruler and turned Russia into the autocracy it is today. But what if he simply was helpless to do any better and is not in fact all-powerful?

The Kennan Institute's Maxim Trudolyubov discusses constraints on Putin's ability to execute authority with Timothy Frye, whose book, Weak Strongman: The Limits of Power in Putin’s Russia, will be out this month. Timothy Frye is Professor at the Department of Political Science at Columbia University, New York, and a co-Director of the International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development (ICSID) at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.

Weak Strongman: Discussing the Limits of Putin's Power with Timothy Frye

April 12 is the UN's International Day of Human Space Flight. Officially celebrated in Russia as the Cosmonautics Day, in 2021 it marked 60 years since Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. This Soviet accomplishment came at the height of the Cold War and not only affected the bilateral relationship, but also inspired American and Soviet citizens alike. Despite their fierce competition, the United States and the Soviet Union also managed to identify opportunities for cooperation in the exploration of outer space, which culminated in the joint Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975. Today, when bilateral tensions are high again, space remains one of the few remaining areas of productive interaction between Russia and the U.S. In this panel, our experts considered the enduring legacy of Yuri Gagarin’s flight and its effects on popular culture and scientific innovation in the two countries, and discussed the dynamic of space competition and collaboration since that flight.

Speakers:
Slava Gerovitch - Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, MIT

Cathleen Lewis - Curator, International Space Programs and Spacesuits, Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum

Asif Siddiqi - Professor, Department of History, Fordham University

Moderator:
Joseph Dresen - Senior Program Associate, Kennan Institute

04/13/2021 - The Soviet Union Leaps Forward: The 60th Anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's Space Flight

Forged in war and ideological battle, relations between Pyongyang and Moscow have been shaped by shared strategic interests, as well as feelings of perceived betrayal. How does the past affect relations between Pyongyang and Moscow today? Where are their interests aligned and where do they diverge? On May 19, Andrei Lankov, Director of NK News and Professor at Kookmin University in Seoul joined us for a conversation on North Korean-Russian relations.

Speakers:
Andrei Lankov - Professor of History at Kookmin University in Seoul, South Korea

Jean H. Lee - Director, Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy; Journalist and former Pyongyang Bureau Chief, Associated Press

Moderator:
Matthew Rojansky - Director, Kennan Institute

05/19/2021 - Global Perspectives: North Korean-Russian Relations

One of the key figures in the Russian opposition, Lyubov Sobol has encountered many of the well-known experiences of Russia’s political life: from electoral campaigns and street protests to hunger strikes and criminal trials. For many people, she represents the new generation of Russian leaders, which has a vision for the country’s future, but faces insurmountable obstacles on the path to public office. In her talk, Lyubov Sobol shared her experience as an independent politician and discussed what developments one can expect in Russian domestic politics in the run-up to the September 2021 elections and beyond.

Speaker:
Lyubov Sobol - Russian Political and Public Figure; Lawyer, Anti-Corruption Foundation; Producer, Navalny LIVE YouTube Channel

Moderator:
Matthew Rojansky - Director, Kennan Institute

06/02/2021 - Forging a New Path in Russian Politics: A Conversation with Lyubov Sobol [English]

06/02/2021 - Forging a New Path in Russian Politics: A Conversation with Lyubov Sobol [Russian]

On April 23, the popular Russian-language media outlet Meduza was labeled a “foreign agent” by the Russian Ministry of Justice and suddenly faced all the risks and problems associated with this status, including the loss of advertising income. Three weeks later, Meduza, which is headquartered in Riga, Latvia, reported that nearly 80,000 people had joined the crowdfunding initiative to save it. Galina Timchenko, a prominent Russian journalist and CEO of Meduza, considered what new challenges to free speech the Russian media are currently up against, how government pressure affects today’s media development trends, and what motivates independent journalists to continue working.

06/07/2021 - Challenges to Russia's Independent Media: A Conversation with Meduza's Galina Timchenko

WNBA player Brittney Griner has been wrongfully detained in Russia since her arrest on Feb. 17, 2022. Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon joined Kennan Institute Director William Pomeranz for a Twitter Spaces conversation on the latest developments from Griner's trial in Moscow, how her detention relates to Russia's war in Ukraine, and negotiations for a possible prisoner swap.

8/2/2022 - The Latest On Brittney Griner's Case

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04/13/2021 - The Soviet Union Leaps Forward: The 60th Anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's Space Flight

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