On July 1 Russian citizens will vote on constitutional changes that could extend President Putin’s term in office until 2036. It’s notable that the Kremlin has placed higher priority on enacting these changes than contending with the pandemic. Despite suggestions that Putin is facing the biggest challenges of his 20-year tenure, the regime has taken matters largely in stride. What does that tell us about the way Russia is ruled and the longer-term outlook?
Tune in for a virtual discussion with two of Russia’s most prominent media figures, Elizaveta Osetinskaya and Mikhail Zygar. Osetinskaya, who previously served as editor-in-chief of Vedomosti and RBC, is the founder of The Bell, a digital media start-up. Zygar is the author of All the Kremlin’s Men: Inside the Court of Vladimir Putin and the former editor-in-chief of the only independent TV station in Russia, TV Rain (Dozhd’).
Elizaveta Osetinskaya
Elizaveta Osetinskaya is the founder of the Russian/English media start-up The Bell. For more than two decades, she served in top positions in leading Russian news and business publications, including Vedomosti, RBC, and the Russian edition of Forbes.
Mikhail Zygar
Mikhail Zygar is a prominent Russian journalist, author, filmmaker, and the former editor-in-chief of the Russian independent news TV-channel, Dozhd’. His books include All the Kremlin's Men (2015) and The Empire Must Die: Russia's Revolutionary Collapse, 1900-1917 (2017).
Andrew S. Weiss
Andrew S. Weiss is the James Family Chair and vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
