event

COVID and the Kremlin: A Conversation with Alexander Baunov and Ekaterina Schulmann

Wed. June 3rd, 2020
Live Online

Are we misreading the potential threat that the coronavirus represents for the Russian political system and President Putin’s hold on power? Are we overlooking the sources of resilience and inertia that are helping bolster a regime in its hour of greatest need? 

In an essay for Foreign Affairs, Carnegie Moscow Center senior fellow Alexander Baunov posed several provocative questions about why the pandemic has wrong-footed both the opposition and the Kremlin. Ekaterina Schulmann, an innovative Moscow-based political observer, has recently been exploring similar themes. She has built a huge YouTube audience for her work on Russian politics, which is presented from the comfort of her kitchen table. 

Please join us for a virtual discussion on what the coronavirus has exposed about the limitations of Russian-style authoritarianism and its heavily centralized political system.

Alexander Baunov

Alexander Baunov is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center and the editor-in-chief of Carnegie.ru. 

Ekaterina Schulmann

Ekaterina Schulmann teaches politics at the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences (MSSES) and the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.  She is also an associate fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Program at Chatham House. 

Andrew S. Weiss

Andrew S. Weiss is the James Family Chair and vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Political ReformRussia
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Alexander Baunov

Senior Fellow, Editor-in-Chief, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

Baunov is a senior fellow and editor-in-chief at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

Ekaterina Schulmann

Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

Ekaterina Schulmann is a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.

Andrew S. Weiss

James Family Chair, Vice President for Studies

Andrew S. Weiss is the James Family Chair and vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he oversees research on Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. His graphic novel biography of Vladimir Putin, Accidental Czar: the Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin, was published by First Second/Macmillan in 2022.