The Russia File podcast

#Russia #Wilson Center #Victoria Pardini #Podcasting Education

46:55

The War and Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and Washington, DC, respectively, but both have family roots in the South. They also grew up in the musical traditions of their churches – Tanya in the Black Baptist Church and Michael in the Seventh Day Adventist Church – where they learned the power of song to move people. After becoming a father at a very young age, Michael eventually joined the armed forces and served in Iraq and Germany, where he took up songwriting as a way of dealing with his experiences there. Meanwhile Tanya embarked on a singing and acting career after a breakthrough appearance in Sister Act 2 alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Lauryn Hill. Now, after a long and sometimes traumatic journey, Michael and Tanya are married, touring, winning all sorts of awards, and set to release their fifth album together, and their fourth as The War and Treaty. Sid talks to Michael and Tanya about the new record, Plus One , as well as their collaboration with Miranda Lambert, what it was like to record at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, and how they’re blending country, soul, gospel, and R&B. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

The Russia File

maison des série•Feed

The Russia File podcast explores Russia: its history, politics, culture and society, and its relations with the surrounding countries, the United States and beyond. It is a companion podcast of the Kennan Institute’s Russia File blog. Hosted by Maxim Trudolyubov and Izabella Tabarovsky.

36 episodes

The Russia File

41 subscribers

updated il y a un an

maison des série•Feed

36 episodes

#Russia #Wilson Center #Victoria Pardini #Podcasting Education

Tous les épisodes

The Russia File

1
Anti-Western Influence Campaigns in Latin America: Understanding the Russia-Venezuela-Iran Triangle 46:04

il y a 23 weeks46:04

46:04

Latin America has long been a playground for Russia’s anti-Western influence operations. But today Russia isn’t alone in this game: In recent years Iran has become an increasingly prominent player on the continent as well—particularly in Venezuela. In this episode, Izabella Tabarovsky talks with Emanuele Ottolenghi of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies about the growing Russian-Iranian influence on the continent, specifically how the two countries work together to spread anti-US and anti-Western propaganda, circumvent sanctions, and contribute to America’s worsening border crisis. The episode was recorded on September 13, 2024. For show notes and transcript, please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/anti-us-influence-campaigns-latin-america-understanding-russia-venezuela-iran-triangle…

The Russia File

1
The Role of Africa in Russia’s Geopolitics 46:11

il y a 30 weeks46:11

46:11

Russia’s intensive involvement with the African continent goes back decades. During the Cold War, Moscow viewed Africa as its “natural” sphere of influence and a staging ground for active measures and proxy wars aiming to undermine American interests. When the USSR fell apart, an intermission followed. Today, Russia is unquestionably back. What draws Russia to Africa? Which African countries attract it and why? What purposes do relationships with various African states serve for Russia—and what makes Russia attractive to the African states that choose to partner with it? What is the role of the Russian private military companies Wagner and Africa Corps in these relationships? And what is Africa’s role in Russia’s global propaganda and disinformation effort? Izabella Tabarovsky discusses these and other questions with Maxim Matusevich, professor of history at Seton Hall University in New Jersey and chair of the university’s History Department. The episode was recorded on July 26. For time stamps and transcript, please visit here: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/role-africa-russias-geopolitics…

The Russia File

1
Georgian Politics After Controversial “Foreign Agent” Law 37:19

il y a 34 weeks37:19

37:19

In December 2023, Georgia was granted official European Union candidate status, but the country's path to EU membership may now be at risk because of the recently adopted law “on transparency of foreign influence.” This controversial legislation targeting media and NGOs has sparked mass street protests and, coupled with violence against protesters and a bill that would restrict LGBTQ+ rights and freedoms, has raised concerns about democratic backsliding in Georgia. In this episode of The Russia File , Nina Rozhanovskaya talks with journalist Joshua Kucera about the motivations of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Georgia's struggle to balance between Russia and the West, and the social and political climate in the country ahead of the parliamentary election. For more information including show notes and relevant timestamps, visit our site: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/georgian-politics-after-controversial-foreign-agent-law…

The Russia File

1
The Russian Aviation Industry Two Years after the Sanctions 55:05

il y a 38 weeks55:05

55:05

One of the sectors targeted by U.S. economic sanctions is Russia's civil aviation. Shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Boeing and Airbus, whose planes constituted 70 percent of Russia's fleet, announced they would freeze the delivery of spare parts. Many predicted that Russia's commercial aviation would soon be grounded—a potentially devastating development for a country of almost seven million square miles and eleven time zones. Two years later, Russia's domestic aviation seems to have adjusted to the sanctions. How has that happened? What has been the cost of the adjustment, and what is the long-term outlook for the industry? Izabella Tabarovsky discusses the general impact of sanctions on the Russian economy with Dr. William Pomeranz, then delves into the story of the Russian aviation industry under sanctions with Dr. Steven Harris. Show notes: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/russian-aviation-industry-two-years-after-sanctions…

The Russia File

1
Russia’s Battle around Reproductive Health and Women’s Rights 59:46

il y a 49 weeks59:46

59:46

Russian authorities are taking tentative steps to limit access to abortion and other aspects of reproductive health, ostensibly to combat the demographic crisis, which has been amplified by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In this episode of The Russia File, Victoria Pardini and Nina Rozhanovskaya talk with two scholars of Russian reproductive politics and health, Michele Rivkin-Fish and Nataliya Shok, about the country’s long history of reproductive rights, the current rhetoric regarding family values, and what restrictions might lie ahead. They also discuss the debates surrounding alternative ways of giving birth and what this all means for women’s rights amid Russia’s conservative turn. For more information and show notes, please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/russias-battle-around-reproductive-health-and-womens-rights…

The Russia File

1
Russia on the Second Anniversary of the Invasion of Ukraine 37:27

il y a 1 year37:27

37:27

Two years after Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine, Izabella Tabarovsky sat down with Maxim Trudolyubov, editor in chief of the Kennan Institute’s Russia File blog, to discuss where Russia is today. They discussed new trends in Russian emigration and the brain drain that never was, how the Russian economy has managed to defy predictions of immediate collapse, and who is actually running Russia. This is part 2 of our conversation about the second anniversary of the invasion. It was recorded on February 6. For show notes and relevant links please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/russia-second-anniversary-invasion-ukraine…

The Russia File

1
Ukraine on the Second Anniversary of the Russian Invasion 37:43

il y a 1 year37:43

37:43

Two years after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Izabella Tabarovsky sat down with Mykhailo Minakov, the Kennan Institute’s senior advisor on Ukraine and editor in chief of its Focus Ukraine blog, to discuss where Ukraine is today militarily, politically, socially and economically; Ukrainians’ sources of resilience; and why bipartisan support for Ukraine is in the national interest of the United States. This is part 1 of our conversation about the second anniversary of the invasion. It was recorded on February 6. For show notes and relevant links please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/ukraine-second-anniversary-russian-invasion…

The Russia File

1
Buryatia and the High Toll of Russia’s War in Ukraine on Ethnic Minorities 42:52

il y a 1 year42:52

42:52

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has highlighted some of its own domestic problems. One of them is the uneven economic development of Russian regions and another is the unfair treatment of ethnic minorities. The Republic of Buryatia, a region in East Siberia, has been under the spotlight since February 2022, because of what looks like disproportionate representation of Buryats among the ranks of Russian soldiers. In this episode of The Russia File, Nina Rozhanovskaya talks with Buryat activist and research scientist Mariya Vyushkova about Buryat history and identity, Russia’s discriminatory mobilization policies, and the effects of the war in Ukraine on indigenous groups and ethnic minorities. For show notes, please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/buryatia-and-high-toll-russias-war-ukraine-ethnic-minorities…

The Russia File

1
Belarus Three Years After Protest 36:29

il y a 1 year36:29

36:29

In August 2020, Aleksandr Lukashenko, authoritarian leader of Belarus, denied electoral fraud and claimed landslide victory in his sixth presidential election. The regime’s violent crackdown on the mass pro-democracy protests signaled a new era of political repression in the country and triggered a major emigration wave. In this episode of The Russia File, Nina Rozhanovskaya talks with political analyst Artyom Shraibman about how the situation in Belarus has changed over the past three years, the effects of the war in Ukraine on Belarusian state and society, the regime’s new repressive tools, its growing dependence on Russia, the shared values of Belarusians, and the democratic future of Belarus. For show notes and episode transcript please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/belarus-three-years-after-protest…

The Russia File

1
Berlin as a Home of New Russian Political Exiles 1:01:16

il y a 2 years1:01:16

1:01:16

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Berlin has emerged as a crucial center of activity for both Ukrainian refugees and Russian political exiles. It is here that many known and emerging leaders of the Russian opposition, political activists, human rights defenders, and independent journalists live, work, and gather to meet and discuss Russia’s future. Izabella Tabarovsky visited Berlin to meet with some of the people who are involved in Berlin’s emerging Russian political diaspora culture. In this episode of The Russia File, she talks to Alexey Yusupov of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Jennifer Gaspar of Araminta about Berlin as a city and a home for new Russian political exiles; what makes Germany in general and Berlin in particular such a welcome place for this group; and about organizations that have emerged to help them escape Putin’s regime and find safety abroad. For show notes and episode transcript please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/berlin-home-new-russian-political-exiles…

The Russia File

1
Israeli Military Experts on the Enabling Factors of Russian War Crimes in Ukraine 49:56

il y a 2 years49:56

49:56

The 2022 invasion of Ukraine was supposed to illustrate the Russian army’s ability to conduct a “contactless,” “surgical” military operation with minimal civilian casualties and damage to critical national infrastructure. Yet troops began committing war crimes in Ukraine virtually from the first days of the invasion. Did the Russian military anticipate applying such a level of brutality to civilians? If not, how did it become so widespread so quickly? What role has Russia’s early operational and tactical failures, its doctrinal causes, and its general military culture played in enabling such shocking violence? Izabella Tabarovsky speaks to Israeli military analysts Sarah-Masha Fainberg and Daniel Rakov to uncover the enabling factors of Russian culture of violence against Ukrainian civilians. The conversation was recorded on May 16. For more information including show notes and relevant timestamps, visit our site: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/israeli-military-experts-enabling-factors-russian-war-crimes-ukraine…

The Russia File

1
Russian Culture as a Casualty (and Accomplice) of Putin’s War in Ukraine 38:52

il y a 2 years38:52

38:52

The relationship between the artist and the state has always been fraught in Putin’s Russia, where government remains the primary funder of cultural institutions and censorship of cultural production has been on the rise for at least a decade. But Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has posed new existential questions for those members of the artistic community who do not align themselves with the Kremlin’s agenda. In a wide-ranging conversation, Nina Rozhanovskaya and journalist Sophia Kishkovsky discuss the impact of the war and the growing domestic pressure on the Russian arts and culture scene. What changes have been on view in Russian museums? Why does the state target theaters in particular? Which anti-war voices manage to break through the prohibitions? And what does the emerging “Z culture” look like? Since the conversation was recorded on March 17, 2023, a number of individuals mentioned in it have faced new repercussions for their anti-war stance. For more details on that, as well as institutions and individuals mentioned, please see show notes at https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/russian-culture-casualty-and-accomplice-putins-war-ukraine…

The Russia File

1
Lessons from "Cold War Radio": A Conversation with Mark Pomar 55:53

il y a 2 years55:53

55:53

When in 1991 Boris Yeltsin invited Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to open a news bureau in Russia, the move was hailed as the clearest sign yet that the Cold War was ending. Last year, Vladimir Putin’s regime forced RFE/RL to shut down its operations, causing staff to leave the country along with other Russian independent journalists, dissidents, and human rights defenders. With the current exodus from Russia reaching levels comparable to those following the 1917 revolution, the experience of “Cold War radio” has suddenly become relevant again. What lessons does American international broadcasting, widely acknowledged as one of the United States’ Cold War triumphs, hold for the current moment? What practices could today’s political exiles from Russia emulate to connect to their compatriots inside the country? Izabella Tabarovsky explores these questions in her conversation with Mark Pomar, author of Cold War Radio: The Russian Broadcasts of the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty . For show notes, please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/lessons-cold-war-radio-conversation-mark-pomar…

The Russia File

1
The Kremlin's Favorite Scapegoat: The Latest Attack on LGBTQ+ Rights in Russia 39:54

il y a 2 years39:54

39:54

In November 2022, the Russian parliament passed a new bill banning any activity that can be interpreted as the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relations and/or preferences.” In December, President Vladimir Putin signed it into law. This legislation is an expansion of the notorious 2013 bill, which prohibited so-called “gay propaganda” among minors. Nina Rozhanovskaya spoke with Dr. Alexander Sasha Kondakov about the repercussions of this discriminatory legislation, the rationale behind Russia’s crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community, and what its timing can tell us about Russian politics. The conversation was recorded on November 30, 2022. For show notes and more information, visit our website here: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/kremlins-favorite-scapegoat-latest-attack-lgbtq-rights-russia…

The Russia File

1
Polish-Russian Relations Move from Reset to Ruin 40:22

il y a 2 years40:22