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Victoria Lomasko's Other Russias the harriman institute at columbia university FALL 2017 Victoria Lomasko’s Other Russias Harriman Magazine is published biannually by Design and Art Direction: Columbia Creative Opposite page: the Harriman Institute. Alexander Cooley Harriman Institute (Photo by Jeffrey Managing Editor: Ronald Meyer Alexander Cooley, Director Schifman) Editor: Masha Udensiva-Brenner Alla Rachkov, Associate Director Ryan Kreider, Assistant Director Comments, suggestions, or address changes may Rebecca Dalton, Program Manager, Student Affairs be emailed to Masha Udensiva-Brenner at [email protected]. Harriman Institute Columbia University Cover photo: The grassroots White Circle flash mob 420 West 118th Street resembled an unwitting reprise of the 2007 performance New York, NY 10027 “White Line,” when artists from the Trade Union of Street Art drew a white chalk line around Moscow’s inner Tel: 212-854-4623 Garden Ring. White ribbons waved from passing cars, Fax: 212-666-3481 the snow was falling, and the mood was upbeat (February 26, 2012). For the latest news and updates about the Harriman Image on this page: “We beat Hitler, we’ll beat Putin” Institute, visit harriman.columbia.edu. (in script above flag) and on large banner: DOWN WITH PRESIDENTIAL AUTOCRACY (February 4, 2012). All Stay connected through Facebook and Twitter! images from Other Russias (Brooklyn: n+1 Foundation, 2017) courtesy of the publisher. © Victoria Lomasko. www.twitter.com/HarrimanInst www.facebook.com/TheHarrimanInstitute FROM THE DIRECTOR he year 2017 marks the centenary of the Russian Revolution, T and it is certainly proving to be an unsettling year when it comes to geopolitical developments. In these turbulent and unpredictable times, it is important to maintain an open and constructive academic space for debate and to revisit the past. On that note, I am delighted to announce that the Harriman Institute has come into the possession of an invaluable resource. Journalist and Carnegie Europe senior fellow Thomas de Waal has donated a collection of audio files containing all the unique interviews he conducted for his first two acclaimed books—Chechnya: Calamity in the Caucasus and Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War. These books detail the history and evolution of two conflicts often overlooked by the international community, but whose details and dynamics we know about largely because of Tom’s brave reporting. In this issue of Harriman Magazine, we travel back to the 1990s, to Russia’s first conflict with Chechnya, in an in-depth interview with de Waal about his first book. De Waal covered the conflict from its inception, and he takes us into the minds of the Kremlin policymakers and Chechen resistance fighters of that time, reminding us just how easily the conflict could have been avoided. He also recounts the history of the relationship between Russia and Chechnya—the resistance against the Russian Empire, Stalin’s deportations—highlighting the importance of historical context when it comes to policymaking. Stay tuned for the spring issue for an interview with de Waal about his second book on the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict. Also in this issue, we have a piece from our postdoctoral research fellow Yana Gorokhovskaia, about the upcoming presidential elections in Russia; profiles of political scientist Kimberly Marten, our alum Matthew Schaaf—who currently directs Freedom House’s first office in Ukraine, and the Russian graphic journalist Victoria Lomasko; and an essay about my latest book, Dictators without Borders: Power and Money in Central Asia. We hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas for future stories. Alexander Cooley Director, Harriman Institute HARRIMAN | 1 FALL 2017 / VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2 42 4 Electing Putin: Looking Forward to the COVER STORY 2018 Presidential Race By Yana Gorokhovskaia Victoria Lomasko: Drawing in the Dark By Bela Shayevich Presidential elections are coming up in Russia, but the incumbent, Other Russias collects the graphic reportage of Victoria Lomasko, a fixture Vladimir Putin, has not yet declared at Moscow’s protests and political trials. The fragment above depicts the his candidacy. In spite of this, there is protest of December 24, 2011, which was memorable for the presence of the little doubt that he will be Russia’s next “common people”—people who were “poorly dressed, didn’t have iPhones, president. Gorokhovskaia discusses the and didn’t have any party allegiances.” Man talking on phone: “All of Moscow Kremlin’s electoral strategy. is here”; sign at left: UNITED RUSSIA SHOULD BE ASHAMED; sign on balloons: RETIRE PUTIN. As Shayevich writes, Lomasko’s “other Russias” developed along two tracks: documenting protests and working with marginalized groups, for example, children in a juvenile detention center or the sex workers in the series The Girls of Nizhny Novgorod. Deciphering Russia and the West Kimberly Marten in Profile By Ronald Meyer With recent appearances on CBS This Morning, Charlie Rose, and All Things Considered, Marten has become the media’s go-to person for comment on U.S.-Russia relations. Building on her expertise in foreign policy that dates back to high school, Marten views her on-air time as an extension of the classroom. 2 | HARRIMAN CONTENTS 10 26 32 Reforming Ukraine: Civil Society and Chechnya: Calamity in the Caucasus Alumni & Postdoc Notes the Fight against Corruption Interview with Thomas de Waal Matthew Schaaf in Profile By Masha Udensiva-Brenner By Masha Udensiva-Brenner The journalist and Carnegie Europe Recent legislation passed by Ukraine’s senior fellow Thomas de Waal has parliament threatens to shackle donated a collection of audio files to A Note to Our Alumni the country’s booming civil society. Columbia Libraries and the Harriman Matthew Schaaf, director of the Institute, containing all the interviews Freedom House office inK yiv, navigates for his first two books, Chechnya: this new environment. Calamity in the Caucasus and Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War. In this interview about his Giving to Harriman Chechnya book de Waal discusses the policy decisions that led to the first Chechen war, the characters involved, The Global Nature of Central Asian the historical context, and his hope for Politics: Dictators without Borders the tapes. Power and Money in Central Asia by Alexander Cooley and John Heathershaw By Ronald Meyer In Dictators without Borders, Cooley and Heathershaw investigate how Central Asian elites co-opt global institutions and practices to further their own agendas. HARRIMAN | 3 ELECTING BY YANA PUTIN GOROKHOVSKAIA LOOKING FORWARD TO THE 2018 PRESIDENTIAL RACE 4 | HARRIMAN FEATURED iven Russia’s current Minimizing interest in the election political landscape, where and demobilizing opposition voters G elections have become is the Kremlin’s overarching electoral pro forma contests meant to con- strategy. The approach carries risks vey the appearance of competition, but is likely to be successful. there is almost no doubt that Vlad- imir Putin will win the presidential How to Win an Election You election on March 18, 2018. Despite Can’t Lose his assured victory, Putin has repeat- edly demurred from saying whether Putin is undeniably popular with or not he will run, suggesting that Russians. Polling agencies regu- election campaigns are detrimen- larly report his approval rating to tal to the normal functioning of the be around 80 percent and survey government. According to reports research has shown that the numbers in the Russian media, the Kremlin is are a genuine reflection of people’s formulating a platform focused on attitudes.1 To some extent, Putin’s Putin’s personal accomplishments popularity stems from the stability and his foreign policy. The media and security that many Russians also reports that Putin is likely to associate with his leadership. His return to his pre-2012 pattern and first two terms in office coincided run as an independent candidate. with an economic recovery and This would distance him further rapid improvement in living stan- from United Russia, a political party dards powered by oil and natural that has lost significant ground with gas exports. His third term as presi- voters in recent years due to alle- dent advanced an aggressive foreign gations of corruption. Meanwhile, policy targeting countries on Russia’s the field of potential competitors periphery, which resonated with Rus- is being cleared. In late June 2017, sians concerned about the country’s Russia’s Central Election Commis- diminished international standing sion announced that Alexei Navalny, since the collapse of the Soviet Union. an oppositionist and anticorruption Putin’s time in power also cor- campaigner with a considerable responds with a transition of the political following, will not be able to political regime from unconsolidated run for president. Navalny’s ineligi- democracy to stable authoritarian- bility for political office stems from ism. The above-mentioned lack of Russian president an embezzlement conviction in a electoral uncertainty is character- Vladimir Putin, politically motivated case that the istic of an electoral authoritarian accompanied by Russian European Court of Human Rights has regime where elections are regular foreign minister Sergey ruled to be an arbitrary application and relatively free but highly unfair Lavrov, second from of the law. The prohibition against his contests. In these regimes, pre- right, speaks during a candidacy is unlikely to stop Navalny’s ferred candidates have access to the meeting focused on Syria anticorruption campaign, which has resources of the state, while their and Ukraine with U.S. secretary of state John brought tens of thousands of people opponents—who are either loyalists Kerry at the Kremlin in onto the streets in the spring and without independent political agen- Moscow, Russia, on March summer, yet it effectively prevents das or outsiders—have to contend 24, 2016 [State Department the presidential election from becom- with administrative hurdles, harass- photo/ Public Domain]. ing a focal point for public dissent.
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