The Russia Guy

Kevin Rothrock

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In this podcast, translator and news aggregator Kevin Rothrock talks to movers and shakers in Russia-focused journalism and academia. Interviews deal with views on trending news stories, the overarching themes of “Russia watching,” and the ins and outs of life as a professional in this field. Help him pay for recording software by supporting the show with recurring donations. kevinrothrock.substack.com

13/08/2023

E136: Returning After a Long Absence for No Good Reason

Kevin returns to run his mouth about recent events in the Russia-Ukraine world, and other stuff. Topics discussed here: Twitter ad revenue sharing Russia's new Moon mission, Luna-25 Slow counteroffensive darkens mood in Ukraine Sergey Vakulenko on the Black Sea naval war Blocking VPNs and Google services Navalny's essay from prison on Russia in the 1990s Viral videos: Alexander Dudka, the collaborationist mayor of Lazurne in the occupied Kherson region, and an argument at a playground between mothers in Krasnodar Get full access to The Russia Guy at kevinrothrock.substack.com/subscribe

34 min
03/10/2022

E135: Jade McGlynn on memory’s role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Today’s guest is Dr. Jade McGlynn, a specialist in Russian memory and foreign policy at the Monterey Initiative in Russian Studies and the author of two books: “The Kremlin’s Memory Makers” and “Russia’s War.” Discussed in this interview: the Kremlin’s claims that Russia is fighting an existential battle in Ukraine, how memory shapes that conversation, balancing dispassionate scholarly work and ethical advocacy, and more! Get full access to The Russia Guy at kevinrothrock.substack.com/subscribe

16 min
08/09/2022

E134: Jonny Tickle on leaving RT and returning to Russia

Today’s show features an interview with Jonny Tickle, a man with an incredible name and a controversial resume, given that he worked as a writer for Russia Today — RT — right up until Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. He left the country shortly thereafter, but he’s since returned (like quite a few others), and he’s even resumed his YouTube travel vlog where he visits cities across Russia and talks about the local scene and attractions. Jonny agreed to come on The Russia Guy to talk about being back in Russia, what’s in store for him next, and what life is like in a country at war where you can’t even call it a war. Skip to the bits you want: (1:26) Being safe in Russia today. (3:46) Why go back to Russia? (11:36) The vibe on the streets of Moscow. (19:33) Today’s journalism about Russia. Get full access to The Russia Guy at kevinrothrock.substack.com/subscribe

34 min
25/05/2022

E133: Emily Holland on Boycotting Russian Oil and Gas

Today’s guest is Dr. Emily Holland, an assistant professor in the Russia Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College, where she teaches and researches subjects like the Cold War, Russia, energy politics, diplomacy, geopolitics, and more. Follow her on Twitter here. In the interview you’re about to hear, Dr. Holland describes her background and the nature of her job at the Naval War College before explaining the challenges and tradeoffs inherent in the West’s efforts to isolate Russia’s oil and gas industries. Timestamps for this episode: (5:56) How did you get into studying Russia? (7:53) Mixing a geopolitical and cultural interest in Russia. (10:05) What is the Russia Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College? (14:24) The identity crisis among Russia studies scholars in the U.S. (19:25) Resistance to “strategic empathy.” (21:24) The next generation of American experts on Russia. (22:49) Expanding diversity among America’s Russia scholars. (25:02) What are the tradeoffs of boycotting Russian fuel? (33:21) Cracks in the newly reinvigorated Transatlantic unity. Music: Joey Pecoraro, “Russian Dance,” and Олег Анофриев, Бременские музыканты, “Говорят, мы бяки-буки” Get full access to The Russia Guy at kevinrothrock.substack.com/subscribe

40 min
07/02/2022

E132: Marlene Laruelle asks Is Russia Fascist?

Today’s guest is Dr. Marlene Laruelle, the director of Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies and the Illiberalism Studies Program at George Washington University. On this episode of The Russia Guy, Dr. Laruelle discussed her 2021 book, “Is Russia Fascist? Unraveling Propaganda East and West,” and its relevance to today’s crisis in Ukraine. We focused specifically on the book’s insights into Russian geopolitics and post-colonialism. Read more about the book here! Timestamps for this episode: (3:02) Is the book about Putin or Russia? (4:10) What’s the role of Russian illiberalism in the current Ukraine crisis? (6:40) Why is Russia pressing its case in Ukraine at precisely this moment? (8:46) Would Russia get along better with a more illiberal Europe? (11:34) Vladimir Putin vs. Charles de Gaulle (14:59) Russia’s post-imperial struggle (22:37) Normalcy for Russia vs. normalcy for the West Music and audio for "The Russia Guy": Joey Pecoraro, "Russian Dance" Олег Анофриев, Бременские музыканты, “Говорят, мы бяки-буки” Oi Čorna by Yale Women's Slavic Chorus (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US) Table Dance by The Underscore Orkestra (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US) Support this show on Patreon! Get full access to The Russia Guy at kevinrothrock.substack.com/subscribe

27 min
22/01/2022

E131 Announcement: Five Songs with Aleksandr Gorbachev

This is to notify listeners of a special installment of The Russia Guy that utilizes “Music + Talk,” Anchor’s Spotify integration, for a music-focused episode featuring music journalist Aleksandr Gorbachev, who selected five recent Russian songs that signify for him the state of affairs and everyday life in Russia now. The episode is available exclusively on Spotify here and on Telegram here. Get full access to The Russia Guy at kevinrothrock.substack.com/subscribe

1 min
11/01/2022

E130: Nikolaus von Twickel on the Donbas War

This episode’s guest is Nikolaus von Twickel, a journalist-turned-analyst who specializes on the war in eastern Ukraine. He is now an editor at the Center for Liberal Modernity in Berlin, and he previously served as a media liaison officer for the OSCE Monitoring Mission in Donetsk. In 2020, he co-authored a book with Thomas de Waal called “Beyond Frozen Conflict: Scenarios for the Separatist Disputes of Eastern Europe,” which looks at the Donbas, Transdniestria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorny Karabakh. Follow Nikolaus on Twitter! Timestamps for this episode: (2:22) Welcome back and introduction (6:13) Nikolaus explains why he thinks Russia has mobilized its troops outside Ukraine (8:45) Is it nonsense for Russia to claim that Kyiv is considering an assault on the Donbas? (15:49) Is Minsk II the only way forward diplomatically in the Donbas or is it now a dead agreement? (19:36) Is Zelensky still viewed in the West as pragmatic? (22:17) Can Russia claim to defend the interests of people in the Donbas if the breakaway “republics” are police states? (28:48) Outro and closing plug for donations! Music and audio for "The Russia Guy": Joey Pecoraro, "Russian Dance" Олег Анофриев, Бременские музыканты, “Говорят, мы бяки-буки” Support the show at Patreon! Get full access to The Russia Guy at kevinrothrock.substack.com/subscribe

31 min
20/09/2021

E129: Elena Chernenko

Elena Chernenko, a special correspondent at the newspaper Kommersant who focuses on cybersecurity, non-proliferation, and arms control, joins the show to talk about arriving at foreign-affairs journalism, navigating Russia's contemporary media environment, and staying sane in an increasingly crazy world. Follow her on Twitter here. Music and audio for "The Russia Guy": Joey Pecoraro, "Russian Dance"Олег Анофриев, Бременские музыканты, “Говорят, мы бяки-буки”Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/kevinrothrock) Get full access to The Russia Guy at kevinrothrock.substack.com/subscribe

33 min

In this podcast, translator and news aggregator Kevin Rothrock talks to movers and shakers in Russia-focused journalism and academia. Interviews deal with views on trending news stories, the overarching themes of “Russia watching,” and the ins and outs of life as a professional in this field. Help him pay for recording software by supporting the show with recurring donations. kevinrothrock.substack.com

Creator

Kevin Rothrock
Episodes

134
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Kevin Rothrock
Show Website

The Russia Guy