Latest Prism Articles

THE AGE OF TERRORISM REACHES RUSSIA

By Andrei Kolganov TERRORISM TODAY Political terrorism has a long history. Only since the Second World War, however, have terrorist attacks against civilians become widespread. When the machinery of state terror in many countries not only demonstrated a cynical contempt for the lives of ordinary... MORE

RUSSIA GOES NUCLEAR OVER CHECHNYA

By Andrei Piontkowsky At the beginning of this week I took part in a seminar in the State Duma of the Russian Federation. Several of those present discussed, in all seriousness, the possibility of using thermonuclear weapons in Chechnya. I spoke against this, drawing on... MORE

ABOLITION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KRASNODAR-STYLE: THE LEGAL ASPECTS

By Mikhail Zherebiatev The deputies of the Krasnodar krai Duma have drawn up a package of draft amendments to regional legislation, spelling a change in the principles of local government. Essentially, these amendments amount to the local population being stripped of the right to directly... MORE

THE FORTNIGHT IN REVIEW

RUSSIAN POLITICS: PRIME MINISTERS EVERYWHERE Most of the political news in Russia this past fortnight involved the activities of former prime ministers--hardly a surprise, given the degree to which they've been proliferating. The second-most-recent ex-premier, Yevgeny Primakov, finally took a step back onto the political... MORE

THE KREMLIN’S HEIR

By Elena Dikun On August 9 Russian President Boris Yeltsin named the latest candidate to succeed him: Director of the FSB and secretary of the Security Council Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin paved the way for his successor's career move and strengthened his position by appointing him... MORE

NEW MUFTIS, NEW RUSSIANS?

By Galina M. Yemelianova In 1789 the enlightened but tough Tsarina Catherine the Great (1729-1796) invented the institution of the Muftyat as a medium of state control of her Muslim subjects. The decision was taken in the aftermath of the Pugachev popular revolt (1773-1775) which... MORE

RUSSIA AND BAKU OIL: NEW ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM

By Sergei Kolchin In the Soviet Union, Caspian oil was seen as the superpower's strategic back-up. Back then, it was economically viable to develop the huge West Siberian reserves, which provided a reliable profit. Given this, few saw much point in troubling themselves with tackling... MORE

PRE-ELECTION UKRAINE: KUCHMA’S ADMINISTRATION IN THE EYES OF THE ELECTORATE

By Volodymyr Zviglyanich Between 1994 and 1998, the Sociological Institute of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences--with the support of the Democratic Initiatives foundation and the Socis-Gallop organization--monitored the current state of affairs and development trends in Ukrainian society. In May of each year a... MORE