Events

Protests and Political Opposition in Russia and the Screening of Nemtsov

Hosted by the Institute of Global Affairs

CLM.2.02, Clement House,

Speaker

Vladimir Kara-Murza

Chair

Oksana Antonenko

As Russia approaches its Presidential election in March 2018, a wave of protests and political mobilisation has shone a new light on the state of Russia’s political opposition. Russian opposition activists have experienced a particularly difficult period since the crack down on the last mass protests in 2012 and the introduction of new laws, which have severely limited opportunities for a free expression and association. Many NGOs were branded “foreign agents”, while the Russian state has control over the media and even the internet. Yet a new generation of Russians are defying protest bans to express their stand against corruption and the lack of genuine political competition. With the latest opinion polls indicating that Russians are increasingly looking for change in their lives and a new generation of activists forming across many Russian regions, can the 2018 elections open a new window of opportunity for Russia’s democratic opposition? This event will analyse the evolution of protests movements in Russia, relations between opposition and the state and the prospects for a more open political system in Russia in the future. The panel discussion will be followed by the screening of Nemtsov, a documentary film about the late leader of the Russian opposition, which was directed by his friend and colleague Vladimir Kara-Murza.

The film is in Russian, with English subtitles. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Vladimir Kara-Murza (@vkaramurza), Vice chairman of “Open Russia”, and director of the documentary film Nemtsov.

Richard Sakwa, University of Kent, author of The Crisis of Russian Democracy: The Dual State, Factionalism and the Medvedev Succession.

Tomila Lankina is Professor of International Relations at the LSE’s International Relations Department.

Vladimir Ashurkov, Executive Director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation and associate of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny.

Oksana Antonenko is a visiting senior fellow at the Institute of Global Affairs at the London School of Economic and Political Science. Her current research focuses on political economy of illiberal democracies. She is also working on developing methodology for assessing long term political risks for international investors associated with rising populism, weak institutions and governance failures. Her regional expertise covers Russia, Turkey, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

The Institute of Global Affairs (@LSEIGA ), its Global Policy Lab and eight constituent centres bring together LSE faculty and students from across departments to design research-based and locally rooted solutions to global challenges.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSENemtsov

Twitter and Facebook

You can get immediate notification on the availability of an event podcast by following LSE public lectures and events on Twitter, which will also inform you about the posting of transcripts and videos, the announcement of new events and other important event updates. Event updates and other information about what's happening at LSE can be found on the LSE's Facebook page.

Accessibility

If you are planning to attend this event and would like details on how to get here and what time to arrive, as well as on accessibility and special requirements, please refer to LSE Events FAQ.  LSE aims to ensure that people have equal access to these public events, but please contact the events organiser as far as possible in advance if you have any access requirements so that arrangements, where possible, can be made. If the event is ticketed, please ensure you get in touch in advance of the ticket release date. Access Guides to all our venues can be viewed online.

WIFI Access

LSE has now introduced wireless for guests and visitors in association with 'The Cloud', also in use at many other locations across the UK. If you are on campus visiting for the day or attending a conference or event, you can connect your device to wireless. See more information and create an account at Join the Cloud.
Visitors from other participating institutions are encouraged to use eduroam. If you are having trouble connecting to eduroam, please contact your home institution for assistance.
The Cloud is only intended for guest and visitor access to wifi. Existing LSE staff and students are encouraged to use eduroam instead.

From time to time there are changes to event details so we strongly recommend that if you plan to attend this event you check back on this listing on the day of the event.

Whilst we are hosting this listing, LSE Events does not take responsibility for the running and administration of this event. While we take responsible measures to ensure that accurate information is given here (for instance by checking that the room has been booked) this event is ultimately the responsibility of the organisation presenting the event.