Understanding the Timing of the Stalinist Terror
Why did the Stalinist Terror occur when it did? Naman Karl-Thomas Habtom investigates how institutional accommodation and immediate triggers produced these tumultuous events. For most …
USSR
Examining Cuba’s Knowledge Economy: A Review of Lage’s “The Knowledge Economy and Socialism”
In a review of Cuban scientist Agustín Lage Dávila’s new book “The Knowledge Economy and Socialism,” Renato Flores reflects on the role of science and …
Ukraine: From Maidan to War with Volodymyr Ishchenko
Rudy joins Volodymyr Ishchenko, author of Towards the Abyss: Ukraine from Maidan to War, for a discussion on Ukraine and the broader post-Soviet sphere. We …
Between Market and Plan: the Soviet Union in the Era of the NEP
Donald, Christian, and Connor sit down to discuss the political economic conditions of the Soviet Union during the period of the New Economic Policy. Over …
Marxist approaches to International Law with Robert Knox
Anton joins Robert Knox for a discussion of Marxist approaches to law, with a focus on international law. We discuss critical legal studies, international law …
The Hungarian Tragedy of ’56: Origins, Events and Consequences
James, Cliff, Chas and Rudy join for a discussion on the events that take place in Hungary in 1956. We discuss the origins of the …
The Workers’ Opposition in the Russian Communist Party with Barbara C. Allen
Annie and Lucas join Barbara C. Allen, editor of the recent collection of documents The Workers’ Opposition in the Russian Communist Party: Documents, 1919-30 and …
The Death of Gorbachev is the Death of Leninism
Y.O. reacts to the recent death of Mikhail Gorbachev, final leader of the USSR, with a reflection on the legacy of Marxism-Leninism in what they …
Glushkov and His Ideas: Cybernetics of the Future by Vasiliy Pikhorovich
Translation and introduction by Renato Flores. Translated from here. Introduction The waste inherent in capitalist production is obvious when we glance around: near-empty planes flying …
The Russian “Threat to Freedom and Democracy”
Alexander Gallus takes a closer look at the developments leading up to this week’s dramatic events and offers some explanations for how we got to …
End of an Era: 30 Years After the Soviet Collapse
Connor, Christian and Donald sit down to discuss the collapse of the Soviet Union. They begin by situating the economic and political problems of the …
Making Sense of the Lysenko Affair
Soviet agrobiology is infamous for its promotion of the pseudoscientific theories of Trofim Lysenko and their disastrous results. Renato Flores investigates how these theories came …
On the Stalin Question
Parker McQueeney introduces two of Paul Costello’s essays on the topic of Stalin and Stalinism: Stalin and Historical Reality and Stalin and the Problem of …
Stalinist Cinema in Context: Ten Things You Might Miss Watching ‘The Fall of Berlin’
Sophia Homa provides some historical context for a classic Soviet film to celebrate the Nazi surrender in World War II. Today is the 9th of …