At the end of June Prince Michael of Kent attended a retro aircraft festival organized by The Air Squadron in Ukraine. The Russian press always followed such events with adulation, but this event was hardly covered and the media have clearly decided that he is unworthy of their attention. Why?
From hunting tigers to faking demonstrations, reality is a rare ingredient in the Kremlin kitchen. After years of controlling the visual narrative, however, there are signs that Russia’s ‘TV tsar’ might just be losing his touch. Peter Pomerantsev reviews ‘Fragile Empire’ by Ben Judah.
However much the regime might try to plot a new political trajectory, its only success is in intensifying a feeling of drift and improvisation. Unforced errors are typical for the end of authoritarian regimes, says Daniel Treisman, so the Kremlin should be extremely careful.
