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Doing Research in Russia, or I Swear I’m Not a Spy

Doing Research in Russia, or I Swear I’m Not a Spy

Written in a Volgograd café in the aftermath of being questioned by the migration authorities and the FSB I’ve been involved with Russia for a long time. I’ve lived here for several years in total, but even when this country wasn’t my home, I would come for extended visits every year. I’m not naïve. I know how hard the systems are in this country, how too often they are dysfunctional and demeaning, but I also know how beautiful things can…

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Sleight of Hand

Sleight of Hand

If you’re feeling critical, it’s easy enough to find problems in the preparations for a World Cup. In seemingly any host nation, journalists and academics alike find ripe fruit in bribery and corruption scandals, tales of misused funds and human rights violations, busted budgets, and the sad parade of white elephant stadiums. In this, unfortunately, developments in Russia for the 2018 World Cup are no exception. But what I find interesting in recent Russian news is a tricky maneuver that…

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