Oliver Carroll

Oliver Carroll is a former editor of oD Russia (2010-2014). He was a founder editor of Russian Esquire and has worked for a number of other print and online publications in Russia and the UK.

A severed dog’s head and a broom

Ivan the Terrible had the feared Oprichniki to keep the silence. Men in black; their insignia was a severed dog’s head (to sniff out treachery) and a broom (to sweep the traitors away). In today’s Russia, the state has other, more or less, fearsome means to keep the people from talking.

By Oliver Carroll

/ 25 Apr 2013

Talking point: is culture the new politics in Russia?

How far has culture become a frontline in Russian politics, and how does it compare to earlier periods in the country's history? Introducing a new week-long CEELBAS debate on oDRussia, Artemy Troitsky, Peter Pomerantsev and Oliver Carroll discuss the nature of art, protest and the absurd.

By Oliver Carroll, Peter Pomerantsev and Artemy Troitsky

/ 27 Mar 2013

Talking point: the logic of Russian foreign policy

What factors drive foreign policy in Russia? Who drives it? And in whose interests - the elites or ordinary people? Marie Mendras and Fyodor Lukyanov join oDRussia editor Oliver Carroll for a debate in Paris.

By Fyodor Lukyanov, Oliver Carroll and Marie Mendras

/ 13 Dec 2012

Abkhazia on the eve of elections: interviews with the candidates

The disputed region of Abkhazia holds its presidential elections tomorrow. Earlier in the election campaign, Oliver Carroll travelled to Sukhum to speak to the two leading candidates, Alyksandr Ankvab and Sergei Shamba.

By Oliver Carroll

/ 25 Aug 2011

The people’s web: Russia’s citizen bloggers

After a decade in the wilderness, Russian civil society is finding a powerful voice online. Alexey Sidorenko and Oliver Carroll profile seven citizen bloggers who are leading this charge. A co-publication with Global Voices

By Oliver Carroll and Alexey Sidorenko

/ 8 Feb 2011

Sergei Magnitsky: a death that failed to die

When Sergei Magnitsky died in police custody last November, few believed it would lead to anything more than a domestic ripple. Eleven months on, however, his case is being discussed by UK foreign secretary William Hague, and his name adorns a Congress bill banning US travel for Russian officials

By Oliver Carroll

/ 7 Oct 2010

Fighting for Magnitsky (part 2)

Six months on from the controversial prison death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, Oliver Carroll spoke to key witness and former employer Jamison Firestone. Part two of two.

By Oliver Carroll

/ 25 May 2010

Fighting for Magnitsky: an interview with Jamison Firestone (part 1)

Six months on from the controversial prison death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, Oliver Carroll spoke to key witness and former employer Jamison Firestone. Part one of two.

By Oliver Carroll

/ 24 May 2010

Is Russia’s judicial system reformable?

In this interview for oDRussia, Prof.Alena Ledeneva talks to Oliver Carroll about the prospects for judicial reform in Russia. Medvedev’s efforts amount to far more than rhetoric, argues Ledeneva. Her ongoing research into the subject suggests that they strike at the heart of Russia’s informal sys

By Alena V Ledeneva and Oliver Carroll

/ 12 Mar 2010