On the eve of the new year, Ukraine’s former Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko was arrested by special forces as he walked his dog. Six months later he remains behind bars, facing corruption charges considered by many to be incoherent and politically-motivated. At openDemocracy’s request, journalist
Self-censorship was an important feature of Soviet life, but old habits, it seems, die hard. Mikhail Loginov reports on the return of “unwritten rules” to the Russian regional press
The degree of press freedom in Russia has fluctuated violently over the 20 years since the fall of communism. The situation in the Orenburg region, as everywhere, is a balancing act between principles and funding. And it’s always more difficult to rebuild what has been lost, laments Elena Strelnik
President Yanukovych makes a show of trying to root out corruption, but a recent government deal to buy an oil rig, with $150 million in kickbacks for officials, has hit the headlines big time. Natalia Sedletska tried to find out more.
Sergei Bagapsh died suddenly at the end of May, halfway through his second and final term as president of Abkhazia. The country was thrown into turmoil, though behind the scenes juggling for position between potential presidential candidates had already begun. The country needs a new president and
For most of the USSR, WWII started on 22 June 1941. Exactly 70 years have passed since then, but there are still many ‘uncut pages’ of history, and few attempts have been made to present a view that differs from Soviet propaganda, writes Andrei Kalikh
A recent documentary, “The Desert of Forbidden Art”, tells of a cultural and social phenomenon hidden in the deserts of Uzbekistan. The museum has miraculously preserved rich collections of Soviet avant-garde art, but will it be able to survive under new – completely different, but no less threate
From policy reports and academic studies, to computer games and television mini-series, Central Asia is routinely portrayed as overwhelmingly dangerous. Does it matter that serious analyses dovetail with fictional accounts? John Heathershaw and Nick Megoran argue that it does, because it indicates
The outcome of the 2012 Russian presidential race — i.e. which of the tandem will stand — may only be determined once the results of December's parliamentary elections are in. Putin has started his campaign early, and is showering largesse on potential voters, but for various reasons this could pr
Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin is the most significant representative of the so-called “siloviki” hardline faction inside the Kremlin. For over a decade, his career has been both shaped and assured by close association with Vladimir Putin. But are his politics compatible with Russia's future, w
Ahead of parliamentary elections in 2012, Ukrainian President Yanukovych has initiated a number of high-profile corruption investigations against opposition leaders. While few Ukrainians consider the defendants to be angels, most understand the clear signs of hypocrisy and political motivation beh
Businessman Mikhail Prokhorov recently became leader of the moribund party “Right Cause.” The Kremlin clearly had a hand in this and billionaires are increasingly expected to take on tasks the government finds difficult, but President Medvedev is also keen to demonstrate that liberal ideas are ali
