Мы живем, под собою не чуя страны: Russian Self-Perception

In the second year of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Russian society is ever more repressed and its democratic and human rights are ever fewer. The recent conviction of Vladimir Kara-Murza is emblematic of a growing totalitarianism, which exists alongside a rising militarism. A significant part of Russian society is ready to turn a blind eye not only to the atrocities committed in its name in Ukraine, but also to the decline of its own rights, freedoms, and access to information. Still, there is some discussion in parts of Russian society about guilt and responsibility, the rights and obligations of individuals, and the relationship between the state and its population.

Speakers

Anton Barbashin

Co-founder and an Editorial Director at Riddle Russia

Andrei Kolesnikov

Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Ekaterina Kotrikadze

News Director and Anchor of TV Rain

Greg Yudin

Professor at The Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences and Visiting Research Scholar at Princeton University

Roman Dobrokhotov

Editor-in-Chief of The Insider

Moderator

David Vseviov

Professor Emeritus at the Estonian Academy of Arts

How can we explain Russian society’s turn towards autocracy at home, its acquiescence in violence abroad, its rejection of values, compassion and empathy, and its acceptance of the Kremin’s imperial narrative? What roles do factual information and propaganda play in shaping Russian society? Does Russian civil society still exist and what role can it play? Can Russian emigrees impact political processes in the homeland?

All photos

“Мы живем, под собою не чуя страны”

Osip Mandelstam, Epigram to Joseph Stalin (1933)