Today, many observers are alarmed by recent developments in Russia. From a Western perspective, things appear to be moving in the wrong direction: away from the democracy, free media and the rule of law. Questions abound as to how Russian society may be developing. In this book based on the Engelsberg seminar On Russia such issues are addressed, focusing on following broad themes: continuity and change in Russian history and the Russian self-image, recent economic developments, the ”near-abroad”, and the implications of resurgence of the strong Russian state.

The texts stem from the Engelsberg Seminar, arranged by Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation.

Contributors: Anne Applebaum, Erik Berglöf, Per-Arne Bodin, Rodric Braithwaite, Thérèse Delpech, Rolf Ekéus, Yegor Gaidar, Sergey Guriev, Philip Hanson, Geoffrey Hosking, Igor Ivanov, Dominic Lieven, Kadri Liik, Fyodor Lukyanov, Andrey Melville, Catherine Merridale, Konstantin Sonin, Arkady Ostrovsky, Vladimir Ryzhkov, Ekaterina Sokirianskaia, Dmitry Trenin, Ivan Timofeev, Andrey Zorin