Georgia and the Abkhaz question By Zaal Anjaparidze The agreement signed in August last year by Georgian and Abkhazian Presidents Eduard Shevardnadze and Vladislav Ardzinba, under which both sides renounced the use of force, has not fulfilled the high hopes that were placed in it.... MORE

The Fortnight in Review Russia: Rybkin Joins the Government President Boris Yeltsin brought his close ally Ivan Rybkin into the government as Deputy Prime Minister responsible for CIS affairs. The appointment, announced on March 2, seemed designed to set Russia's relations with the CIS on... MORE

The danger of Russia's great power illusions By David Satter As the Senate prepares to vote on the issue of NATO expansion, the key to whether such expansion is warranted lies in the history of Russia's behavior over the last six years on the territory... MORE

Russian identity: The view from Tatarstan By Gulnara Khasanova Tatarstan today is characterized by stability and civic and interethnic harmony. This is especially remarkable in view of the often stormy nature of the relations between Tatarstan and Russia, and in light of the crisis of... MORE

Russian cinema spotlights social and political ills By John Varoli The nomination of Pavel Chukhrai's film "The Thief" (Vor) for best foreign film at the Academy Awards is just the latest proof that Russian cinema is bouncing back after years of depression. Hardly a week... MORE

Russia's Grande Dame: A portrait of Viktoria Mitina By Yelena Dikun Women have always worked for top Kremlin leaders in one capacity or other, but until recently their roles were secondary -- secretaries, assistants, consultants. President Boris Yeltsin's second presidential term has witnessed a marked... MORE

Ukraine: Regional clans attempt the transition to party politics By Oleg Varfolomeyev Political parties have so far played only a small role in Ukrainian politics. Instead, politics have centered on personalities and hinged on personal connections and allegiances. A dominant role has been played by... MORE

The Fortnight in Review Yeltsin Delivers State-of-the-Nation Address President Boris Yeltsin delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address to parliament on February 17. Yeltsin used the occasion to express guarded support for the continuation of market reforms. However, he offered only a qualified endorsement of the embattled... MORE

"Velvet Coup" promises sweeping changes in Armenia By Emil Danielyan The abrupt resignation of Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrossian promises to have far-reaching effects both for Armenia's internal politics and for the conflict over the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR). While it is likely to toughen... MORE

Saratov's Governor Dmitri Ayatskov: A new actor on an old political stage By Ilya Malyakin The Stage A new mythology is replacing the official ideology Russia currently lacks. The regional component is one of its best-developed parts. Every Russian, when watching the news on television,... MORE