Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put an end to the conventional ways of studying and understanding Russia. The war has destroyed horizontal connections, dismantled research cooperation, made fieldwork impossible, and called into question previously acceptable methods and sources of information.

IERES’ Russia Program is responding to these challenges with the creation of a novel research ecosystem that enables a balanced examination of Russia and offers unique methods and research tools—all on a platform designed to spread knowledge to a broader audience.

The Russia Program

the new way to study Russia

At the Russia Program, we believe that the new Russia research ecosystem should resolve around three key approaches

Interview project that
records firsthand perspectives on both American and Russian political, economic, diplomatic, and military developments

Pioneering digital archive project that makes available and searchable declassified Soviet archives

The Russian Political Culture

A peer-to-peer network of research assistants, whose members mine data and conduct field research in Eurasian, and post-Soviet studies

The Bridge Research Network

Project, which scrutinizes and deciphers domestic political culture and ideological output in today’s Russia

Program for investigative research that seeks to go beyond official conventional methods and mine unique data, taking the field of digital humanities to a new level

The Russian Academic Network

Project, which explores how the Arctic is being reshaped by Russia’s decoupling from the West, and how indigenous communities and urban populations are dealing with sustainability problems

A leading analytical platform for academics, experts, and journalists to discuss today’s Russia

An innovative one-stop shop that offers short-term fellowships, along with conference and publishing support for Russian scholars in exile

The New Methodological School

The Babylon Archives

Russia.Post

· Project, which reconstructs White Russians’ place within the transnational history of the far right in the 20th century and tracks influence of white ideology on affairs such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

The White Russians History

Russia’s Arctic Future

Oral History of the US-Russia Relations

Deeply renewing research methods and data collection and their accessibility

Focus on key research topics to understand Russia today and to reengage with Russia on issues of global importance and to better include Russia’s history into global history

Reinventing the way we talk about Russia to a broader audience, give voice to Russian scholars both in exile and at home, and preventing the closing of a new Iron Curtain