In this FIIA webinar, we will focus on the recent political developments in the Russian regions from two overarching perspectives: the implications of the Covid-19 and the recent round of protests across Russia. While the first wave of Covid-19 hit hardest in Moscow, the second wave of the pandemic in the autumn and winter of 2020–2021 reached even the most distant areas of Russia. The resources to cope with the situation vary considerably between regions, many of which depend heavily on the support from the political centre. For long, the Kremlin has aimed at keeping the local and regional politicians loyal and under control, but now they are also expected to carry the political responsibility for handling the crisis. At the same time, the anti-corruption and anti-regime protests demanding the release of Alexey Navalny spread across the country. How will the political implications of these recent developments, taken together, affect the future dynamics between the political centre and the regions of Russia?
Registrations to maija.salonen@fiia.fi by Thursday 11 March.
