Ilya Budraitskis on how decolonization is being weaponized, why efforts to define what a “decolonization” program should look like are encountering serious obstacles, and why Russians need to figure it out for themselves.

Adam Lenton analyzes the 2021 data for what it tells us about Russia’s changing ethnic landscape and how the politics of the census is impacting debates on the ground among ethnic minorities in Russia.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin doubles down on his war in Ukraine, the stability of his regime hangs in the balance. Some observers have predicted that the Russian president could be overthrown; others even hope for a breakup of the country. This raises the question: Could Russia splinter?

Adam Lenton on how Russification continues to erode the rich linguistic landscape of the North Caucasus, while private citizens are stepping in with innovative solutions such as Avzag, a multi-language dictionary of Caucasian languages.

Labor migrations from the North Caucasus as well as from Central Asia to Russia’s main metropoles, a dynamic Islamic Runet debating about Islam in Russian, and the marriage of convenience between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Muftiates contribute to an alignment of interests between the Russian regime and its Muslim constituencies.

Exploring developments in center-region relations between the Russian federal government and the Republic of Tatarstan, this article argues that instrumentalist accounts are unable to satisfactorily explain several key moments in Tatarstan’s relations with the federal center, whereas ideational explanations can help explain and interpret regional leaders’ actions.

Labor migrations from the North Caucasus as well as from Central Asia to Russia’s main metropoles, a dynamic Islamic Runet debating about Islam in Russian, and the marriage of convenience between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Muftiates contribute to an alignment of interests between the Russian regime and its Muslim constituencies.

“Polar Islam” describes the birth and structuring of Muslim communities in Russia’s Arctic cities, offering a fascinating regional case study of the development of Islam.