In Moscow's Shadows 79: Putin's Dilemmas, on and off the battlefield
Military analysts often talk about the way forces seek to 'impose dilemmas' in their enemy on the battlefield. The extraordinary Ukrainian advance from Kharkiv is imposing a series of dilemmas both mi...
16 Sep 202244min
In Moscow's Shadows 78: Organised Labour in a Neoliberal and Authoritarian Russia
It's Labo(u)r Day here in DC, so I look at the - pretty poor - state of organised labour in Russia, but also the hints that coming economic pressures could help encourage some solidarity and lateral c...
5 Sep 202236min
In Moscow's Shadows 77: Gorbachev's Hope vs Putin's Victimhood, a short rumination
A short, one-segment piece in which I consider one of the less widely-discussed aspects of Gorbachev's legacy (and quite why he sat so uncomfortably for the present regime): that he stood for hope (ho...
1 Sep 202217min
In Moscow's Shadows 76: The Impotence of Power and Giving Liz Truss some options for Narrative Warfare
How far is the Kremlin grappling with the problem of power and relevance: it has made promises, it issues decree, but is it really able to achieve any more at home than in the stalemate in Ukraine? Do...
28 Aug 202258min
In Moscow's Shadows 75: Shoigu and Power under Putinism-Patrushevism
Continuing from last episode, in which I postulate that Russia is now in the grip of 'Putinism-Patrushevism,' I look at what this has meant for Defence Minister Shoigu - and how his return to high-pro...
15 Aug 202253min
In Moscow's Shadows 74: Putinism-Patrushevism
I play around with the concept of Putinism-Patrushevism, that while Putin's broad ambitions may be pretty consistent over time, quite how they are understood and meant to be achieved varies over time ...
31 Juli 202249min
In Moscow's Shadows 73: From Liberal Politics to Boris Johnson's Departure, answers to more listener questions
The final batch of patrons' and listeners' questions answered - sometimes better than others - on everything from Ekaterina Schulmann's "reverse cargo cult" thesis to the flaws of liberal politics, Na...
17 Juli 202259min
In Moscow's Shadows 72: A Tale of Two Colonels, Strelkov and Putin
I look at the career of Igor Girkin, better known as Strelkov, the ultra-nationalist who has turned against Putin - but gets away with it. What does it tell us about Russian politics? In the second h...
10 Juli 202255min
