Rights in Russia

Rights in Russia

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Discussing human rights in Russia [in Russian and sometimes English].

12/04/2025

Podcast Then & Now #37: Teresa Cherfas in conversation with Maria Alekhina and Olga Borisova

3 December 2025 by Teresa Cherfas Welcome to the 37th edition of our Russian-language podcast Then & Now with me, Teresa Cherfas. Maria Alekhina, is a founding member of the P***y Riot art collective. P***y Riot’s performance, in February 2012, when they sang their Punk Prayer in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, led to the arrest of three of them, including Alekhina herself. They were sentenced to two years in a penal colony. Olga Borisova, is also a member of P***y Riot, but joined much later. Political Girl:Life and Fate in Russia is Maria Alekhina’s account of the years since her release in 2014 up until she left Russia shortly after the invasion of Ukraine. Olga Borisova helped in the writing of it. Their book was recently published in English translation in the United Kingdom. This podcast was recorded on 30 November 2025. Photo credit: P***y Riot. Teresa's Questions: How did you become a “Political Girl”? Were you born a “political girl,” or did life make you one?Olga, what about you? Tell us about your path to P***y Riot. (How did you become friends with Masha?)Masha, is it true that you and your two other P***y Riot offenders were the first political prisoners in Putin’s Russia? Was it a shock for you to be arrested and sentenced?Why is feminism such an important element of P***y Riot’s philosophy? And why is it so threatening to an authoritarian regime? (Feminism is a ‘mortal sin,’ according to the judge at your trial.)Masha, you wrote that when you were released from prison a couple of months early, thanks to Putin’s amnesty before the Olympic Games in Sochi, you found yourself in a different country. Please explain.Tell us about your performance in Sochi with other members of P***y Riot, very soon after your release. Masha, you travelled to Kyiv to show solidarity with the Maidan protesters in 2014. How do you explain the difference between Ukrainians and Russians — why is it that Russians seem more passive and don’t protest en masse?Your book describes the constant surveillance, humiliation, persecution, and repression that accompanied you everywhere and always. Where did you find the strength to continue resisting the authorities?Do revolutionaries have special qualities? Would you describe yourself as a ‘revolutionary’, Masha? What about you, Olya?What is it that motivates you and makes you willing to sacrifice so much for? I hadn’t realised that P***y Riot created Mediazona, an independent media outlet. How does it differ from other independent media outlets? What is its mission?You have often said that Putin’s third term as president was a point of no return for Russia. How did this happen, in your view?Your book is in English and seems to be written for a Western readership. What are the main things you wanted to convey or communicate to the West? The book has an entire chapter about the seemingly endless cycle of arrests and detentions you experienced. (You found both “good” and “bad” people among those who guarded you.) You have said that the whole of Russia can be found in these detention centres. What did you mean by that?When did you realize that there would be a full-scale war with Ukraine? Tell us about your thoughts in February 2022. How did you decide whether to stay or leave?It has been more than three years since you arrived in the West. How do you perceive the actions of Western countries towards Russia?And how do you see their actions to defend their own democracy?Do you believe in change in Russia? What kind of change?Exactly ten years after your performance of the “Punk Prayer” in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Putin announced the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine. It seems that the P***y Riot affair became a marker of what could be expected from Putin’s Russia: first there was the illegal annexation of Crimea, then increasingly harsh punitive measure against any dissent from the regime, and finally the full-scale war against Ukraine. What does it feel like to be a historical figure?

50 min
10/31/2025

Podcast Then & Now #36: Teresa Cherfas in conversation with Manon Loizeau and Ekaterina Mamontova

Not long ago, the documentary film « Politzek » was premiered on French television. It was made by two women – one French and one Russian – and is dedicated to political prisoners in Putin’s Russia. Manon Loizeau is an experienced documentary filmmaker who has filmed in Grozny during the Second Chechen War, in Beslan, Belarus, Syria, Georgia in 2008, and other hot spots. Ekaterina Mamontova was born and raised in Moscow. In 2015, she graduated from VGIK, the most prestigious film school in Russia. For the past three years, she has been collaborating with independent Russian and foreign media outlets, shooting short documentary projects for them. Yesterday we caught up with Manon and Katya in a café in Paris to talk about how they managed to make such a film in Russia today under Putin, about their collaboration, and about their film « Politzek ». [You can watch Manon and Katya discussing the film on the French channel TV5Monde here.] This podcast was recorded on 30 October 2025. QuestionsManon, let’s start with you—is this a very significant film for you? After all, in your voiceover at the beginning of the film you say: “Russia is my beloved country, the country I chose when I was 20 years old…” In what sense did you “choose Russia”? To what end?Tell us about the process of making the film. What was it like?I understand that meeting Katya was key. Tell us about your first meeting.What did you want to show the viewer or convey to them about the situation in modern Russia?The film says that it was important for you, Katya, to bear witness to what happened in Russia. How did you understand this for yourself?Katya, were there any moments in your professional or personal life that inspired you in your choice of career?Manon, what tasks did you set for Katya? Were they achievable?What did you think, Katya? How did you react?What measures did you take to keep Katya safe?Tell us about your collaboration, how did you work together remotely?Tell us briefly about the people are showcased in the film. What guided you in your choice? Did you already know some of them?Katya, did you use your phone to film or a proper film camera?How did that work, given that there was a risk of the video being confiscated or something even worse? Were there moments when you were afraid?Katya, at one point in the film you suggest filming a group, set up by some of your friends, who are writing letters to political prisoners. Tell us how that happened. It’s amazing that they continue to meet to write letters to prisoners to this day. Or has something changed?What kind of feedback did you get about the film?Manon, at the beginning of the film, you mention the horrifying number of political prisoners in Russia today. In the credits, you write that the film is dedicated to Belarusian political prisoners and Ukrainians in Russian prisons. The credits are accompanied by photos of many people, political prisoners who are still serving time for their political views. Were there any people you wanted to talk about but couldn’t reach?What are your plans for the future? Both for yourself and for the film? Manon? Katya?

29 min
10/06/2025

Podcast Then & Now #35: Teresa Cherfas in conversation with theatre director Alexander Molochnikov

3 October 2025 Welcome to the 35th edition of our Russian-language podcast Then & Now with me, Teresa Cherfas Our guest today is actor and theatre director Alexander Molochnikov. Alexander Molochnikov (personal archive) In this podcast we are making a break from our usual Russian-language format. This is because our guest has chosen not to speak in his mother tongue. At the age of just 22, he was the youngest director ever to stage a production at the legendary Moscow Arts Theatre. In 2022, aged 29, he had two productions running concurrently on two different stages of the Bolshoi Theatre – one a comic opera, the other a ballet based on Chekhov’s Seagull, for which he won the Golden Mask award. Then on 24th February, 2022, Putin invaded Ukraine… His latest production, Seagull: True Story – a play that is so meta it has your head spinning – is currently on tour in London from New York. He has described it as his third Seagull, but only the second to fly. This podcast was recorded on 2 October 2025. [You can find on the Internet two recent Russian-language interviews Alexander Molochnikov has given to Yury Dud and Mikhail Zygar.] Questions This podcast is about the time before and after the so-called Special Military Operation. What do you remember about the 24th of February 2022?You’ve described your current production in London – Seagull: True Story – as your third Seagull, but only the second to fly. What happened to the one that never took off?When did you decide you could no longer live in Russia?This is the first time we’ve done this podcast for Rights in Russia with a native Russian speaker in English. Is your decision not to speak Russian a political statement?What happened to your stage productions that were still in repertoire in Moscow after you left?Unlike many of your compatriots in the arts, you had a plan. What was that plan?You were a student at Columbia University in New York. What were your impressions of classes there?How did these experiences at Columbia inform the rehearsal process for your latest production: “Seagull: True Story”? How did you work with the actors to build the story and write the script?In Seagull: True Story, you make the point that the profit margin and commercial viability dictate what gets produced on stage in America and that that is every bit as restrictive on artistic expression as political censorship in Russia. What is your own personal experience of this in New York?I completely loved the theatricality of Seagull: True Story – it had an energy and a playfulness, using movement, mime, and props that made it an unmistakably theatrical experience. What is your experience of watching or taking part in theatre productions in the States, or indeed, London since you’re here?There’s a fantastic and surreal scene in it, where Putin, bare-chested on a horse appears to Kon, the director, in his dreams. And yet, there’s no Trump anywhere and no overt mention of the parallels between Putin’s Russia and Trump’s America.Do you think such parallels can be drawn?Kon, your alter-ego, if you like, is desperate to go back to Russia, to visit his mum, to mourn the death of his close friend, who died in a penal colony for speaking out against the war, but he can’t. It’s actually a very moving scene. Do you wish you could go back to Russia for a visit?On the one year anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, you posted on social media: “A year ago, at 6:30 a.m., I wrote: “Forgive us.” Today I know you won’t forgive me. I’m 30, I plan to live another 50-70, and I believe I’ll see the day when you will forgive me.” What makes you think that?What’s up next for you after Seagull: True Story? Where do you see yourself, professionally, in 10 or 20 years?

34 min
09/30/2025

Podcast Then & Now #34 - Teresa Cherfas in conversation with Sergei Davidis

Our guest today is Sergei Davidis, a Russian lawyer, human rights activist and leading member of Memorial. Sergei Davidis has extensive experience in organising various human rights initiatives and political protests in defence of democratic principles in Putin’s Russia. In 2010, Davidis founded the programme in support of political prisoners, which operates within Memorial, a programme he heads to this day. He is also a Memorial board member. In December 2021, a few months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ordered the shutting down of Memorial, Russia’s oldest and largest human rights organisation. On 3 March 2022, Davidis appeared as a witness for the defence in the trial of Aleksei Navalny. On 4 March, security forces raided and ransacked the organisation’s Moscow office. A few days later, due to the increasing risks and virtual impossibility of continuing his work in support of political prisoners in Russia, Davidis decided to leave the country with his family. He currently lives in Lithuania. Together with his team, they track the number of political prisoners in Russia, organise support, and maintain a register according to the stringent standards adopted by Memorial. This podcast was recorded on 25 September 2025. Other platforms where you can find our podcasts include: Podcasts.com, Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Audible. My Questions 1 Could you tell us about the history of your project. When did Memorial decide that it was necessary to keep a record of all those individuals you consider to be political prisoners? 2 How do you define political prisoners? As you know, other organisations use other terms – for example Amnesty International refers to ‘prisoners of conscience’? What is the difference? 3 How many political prisoners are there in Russia at the moment? 4 My understanding is that under Gorbachev, all political prisoners were released and there were none under Yeltsin. When did political prisoners first reappear in Russia? 5 Two new laws in particular were introduced at the very start of the war criminalising ‘discrediting’ the Russian military or spreading ‘fake news’ about the Russian military. Could you explain the difference between those two laws and the differences in punishments? 6 read that some individuals are given ridiculously long terms in prison for an action which even in terms of Russian legislation would seem to be a minor offence – for example 13 years in prison for donating a small sum to a Ukrainian charity. That is far more than someone would get for murder. How do you explain that? 7 Russia these days has a whole range of laws criminalising individuals and organisations, for example the foreign agent laws, the laws branding organisations as extremist or as ‘undesirable’. How far are those convicted under these laws represented among those you classify as political prisoners? 8 To what extent is criticism of the Russian leader – Vladimir Putin – criminalised? Are people in prison simply for speaking out against Putin? That would tell us a great deal about the regime, given how focused it is on the personality of the leader? 9 If we consider Russia as an authoritarian state, in terms of the numbers of political prisoners in the country and the severity of the sentences, how does Russia compare with other authoritarian countries? 10 Your colleague Oleg Orlov was imprisoned for calling the regime ‘fascist’. Do you agree with that classification? 11 How much harder is it to do your work, based outside the country? 12 To what extent are you able to gauge the impact of your work, both inside Russia and internationally?
08/06/2025

Podcast Then & Now #33 - Teresa Cherfas in conversation with Lana Estemirova

18 July 2025 by Teresa Cherfas Welcome to the 33rd edition of our Russian-language podcast Then & Now with me, Teresa Cherfas On 15 July 2009, Chechen human rights activist and member of the management committee of the human rights organization “Memorial,” Natalia Estemirova, was murdered. She was abducted near her home in Grozny and taken by car across the border to Ingushetia, where she was shot five times in the chest. The killers fled, leaving her body at the scene of the crime. Her only child was 15 years old. That child recently published a book about her mother, Please Live, and its author is our guest today – Lana Estemirova. My QuestionsOur podcast is called Then and Now, and most often it’s about how the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia has impacted people’s lives and perceptions. You wrote in your book that few people cared about your mother’s murder, or the Russian-Chechen wars, or the constant human rights violations, and that all these were but brief mentions at the end of the news, or cursory minutes of international meetings, if at all. By the time Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, you wrote, it was too late. What does that date mean for you now?In your book, you write warmly about your relatives in Russia and in Chechnya. Are you in touch with them? Is there a difference between Chechens’ and Russians’ perceptions of the war in Ukraine?I imagine it cannot have been easy to write your book. What was the process of writing like? Did you struggle to find your voice?How would you describe your mother to people who didn’t know her?Your mother’s close friend, Anna Politkovskaya, was killed in the entrance to her apartment building in Moscow in 2006. Do you remember that day? Were you worried about your mother and her safety?Your book clearly outlines the stages of the Chechen wars and of Ramzan Kadyrov’s rise to power. How did you feel about him and his influence on your lives? I’m thinking about your protest against compulsory headscarves for schoolgirls, for example.Two days ago was the anniversary of the murder of your mother, Natalia Estemirova. The title of your book, Please Live, is a direct reference to that day. I read your account of how you learned of your mother’s death , about your reactions and emotions on the day and the immediate aftermath, and of how they changed and evolved over time, of your rage and sadness and your final acceptance of what had happened. These are almost indescribable feelings, and yet you describe them in unforgettable language. What were the most important lessons for you?. After all, the last sentence of your book is: “Happiness is victory.” What did you mean by that?You recently became a mother yourself. Tell us about your feelings toward your baby daughter. What will you tell her about her grandmother?You can read Teresa Cherfas’ review of Please Live. The Chechen Wars, My Mother and Me by Lana Estemirova here.

46 min
06/16/2025

Podcast Then & Now #32 - Teresa Cherfas in conversation with Pavel Talankin

Welcome to the 32nd edition of our Russian-language podcast Then & Now with me, Teresa Cherfas. Today’s episode illustrates like nothing else the difference between ‘Then and Now’ in Russia. It concerns the transformation of an entire generation into an instrument of patriotism and militarism in support of Putin’s Russia. In January this year, the documentary film Mr. Nobody Against Putin premiered at America’s prestigious Sundance Film Festival. The film is set in School No. 1 in Karabash, a small town in the industrial Ural region with a population of 10,000 and an average life expectancy of just 38 years. The film offers a fly-on-the-wall glimpse of Z-patriotism in Putin’s Russia and shows how the education and propaganda machine works in one individual school. The hero of the film, and its co-director, is our guest today. He is the Mr. Nobody of the title. Welcome to our podcast, Pavel Talankin! This podcast was recorded on 12 June 2025 My QuestionsFirst of all, I would like to thank you for your important and courageous film. For those who have not yet seen the film, please tell us how it came to be made.You worked as the events organiser, as well as part-time videographer, at School No. 1 in Karabash, your hometown. What role does the school play in the town? What kind of town is Karabash?As I understand it, you yourself graduated from this very school. Why did you decide to return to work there? What did you like about your job?In the film, you say you always felt lonely and different from other people. In what ways?You created an especially open atmosphere in your office, where students came to relax. Tell us about it.How has school life changed since Putin announced the special military operation in February 2022? How quickly did things change at the school? And in the town?What were the new directives from the Ministry of Education? Did you have to change how you work?There is a revealing scene in the film where a teacher cannot pronounce the words “demilitarization” and “denazification” in front of the children—she cannot do it, and you correct her…And there is another teacher, a history teacher, who follows the new guidelines perfectly…You wanted to quit your job. Why?When did you realise that the footage you had shot could be important evidence of these changes in school life?Tell us about the working relationship you developed with your creative partner during filming.Did you have like-minded people around you with whom you could share your ideas? Or whom you could trust to film you for the movie? There are quite a few shots of you that someone else must have filmed.For the viewer, the speed with which the students adopt their new skills in patriotic events, lessons, songs, and morning flag ceremonies is striking. The school changes before our eyes—the children are becoming different. How did you experience these changes yourself? And what about in your relationships at school? And in the town? Did it affect your work on the film?We see how, at a teachers’ meeting, teachers find out that the school’s academic ranking has dropped, that they are not managing to allocate enough time and resources to traditional teaching. What do you think this tells us about values in Putin’s Russia?In September 2022, President Putin announced a partial mobilization. Did this affect the mood and atmosphere at school? And in the wider town?When did you decide that you needed to leave Russia? Was it a difficult decision for you? After all, your much- loved mother worked at the same school as a librarian, and you couldn’t even tell her what you were planning to do.As the school’s event organizer, you organized the “Last Bell” graduation ceremony. You gave a speech in which every word seemed to be meant not only for the graduates but also for you, knowing that tomorrow would be your last day in your hometown. Everyone was crying, the children, the parents, and even the history teacher. What do you remember about that day?Are you aware of what happened at the school, and in Karabash as a whole, after you left Russia?What does love for your homeland mean to you?What do you wish for your film?

32 min
05/20/2025

Podcast Then & Now #31 - Teresa Cherfas in conversation with Marina Sapritsky-Nahum

Welcome to the 31st edition of our Russian-language podcast Then & Now. Our latest guest is Marina Sapritsky-Nahum, a social anthropologist and author of the book Jewish Odesa, published in 2024 by Indiana University Press. The book explores issues of identity and tradition in the Jewish community in modern Odesa. Marina is currently a visiting fellow in the Department of Anthropology at the LSE. In a review of Jewish Odesa, Lucy Lopata-Varkas writes: ‘Marina Sapritsky-Nahum’s Jewish Odesa is a compelling exploration of Jewishness in Odesa against the backdrop of Soviet history, Ukrainian nation-making, and ongoing European Jewish revivals. Drawing on an abundance of materials from history, oral testimonies, anthropology, and Jewish studies, Sapritsky-Nahum depicts a vibrant community whose connection to the port city never falters, despite waves of emigration to countries like Israel or the US, the changing political status quo, and fluctuating levels of religious observance.’ This podcast was recorded on 15 May 2025 My questions:What led you to make a study of Jewish Odesa in the early years of the 21st century?Did your own background influence your choice? Tell us a little about your own roots.How does the approach of a social anthropologist differ from that of a historian in the study of a subject such as this?The book begins with the stories and memories of an older generation of Jewish Odesans, those who grew up in the Soviet era. What did you learn from them? What defines them as Jews in their own eyes? And in the eyes of others?Is oral history a useful tool in this kind of research? In the book, you write: ‘collecting the life stories of elderly Jewish Odesans is one of my most cherished memories’… What did you personally gain from talking to them?After the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a widespread resurgence of interest in religion. How did this manifest itself in Odesa after Ukraine declared its own independence in 1991? Was it a genuine Jewish revival?Odesa occupies a special place in Jewish history and in the history of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union. How did this come about and what is the essence of Odesa’s identity as a Jewish city?In the book you talk about traditions. This makes me think of the song ‘Tradition’ from the musical ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ based on the stories of Sholem Aleichem, a native of Odesa. Sholem Aleichem, Isaac Babel, Leonid Utesov, Mikhail Zhvanetsky and many other Jewish Odesans gave the city its special character. How would you describe this special character?You write about the myth of Odesa – in what sense is it a myth? Can this myth survive the current war with Russia?You completed your research for the book before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Are you still in touch with your interviewees? How has Russian aggression changed relations between different ethnic groups in Odesa? Is there a perceived threat to the Jews, since they were always associated with Russian culture and language?There is a lot of controversy and debate surrounding the issue of monuments in Odesa. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, monuments were erected to famous Jews from Odesa, including the mythical Sashka and Rabinovich of Soviet-era jokes. Are they still standing? What about monuments related to Russian culture, such as the one to Pushkin, or to Catherine the Great (the founder of Odesa) and others? What does it say about modern Odesa?In 2023, UNESCO designated Odesa a world heritage city. What do you think prompted this decision, and how will it benefit the city’s residents?What has been the impact on the sense of identity of Odesa’s Jews of post-Soviet research into the part played by some Ukrainians during World War II? I’m thinking of Ukrainian collaboration with the Nazis, involvement in the Holocaust and in particular in the atrocity of Babi Yar?Are you planning to write a sequel to Jewish Odesa? About the impact of the current war on Jewish life in Odesa? Do you have any thoughts on what your findings might reveal that you could share with us?

36 min
04/14/2025

Podcast Then & Now #30 – Teresa Cherfas in conversation with Andrey Shary

Welcome to the 30th edition of our Russian-language podcast Then & Now with me, Teresa Cherfas. Since the very first episode of this podcast, ‘Then and Now’ has referred to the rupture in people’s lives caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today, ‘Then and Now’ is equally applicable to the havoc raised in people’s lives across the world, as a result of President Trump’s first few months in office in his second term. On 15 March, the Trump administration announced that it was freezing funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, including its Russian Service. Since the Cold War, Radio Liberty has broadcast in Russian, among other languages, and has played a significant role in spreading democratic values and an understanding of human rights in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, including Russia, of course. President Trump’s decision to freeze Radio Liberty’s budget will deal a serious blow to Russian-speaking listeners in Russia and elsewhere. My guest today is Andrey Shary, head of Radio Liberty’s Russian Service in Prague. This podcast was recorded on 10 April 2025 My questions President Trump doesn’t always cite accurate data when he announces a new White House initiative. Tell us about the resources and the current work of Radio Liberty’s Russian Service. How many hours does it broadcast and on what platforms? How many staff does it employ and what is the size of its audience? What is your budget?What is the current situation with the implementation of President Trump’s executive order? We know that on 25 March a U.S. District Judge issued a restraining order that delayed the immediate shutdown of RFE’s operations.Tell us about the Czech Government’s initiative to save Radio Liberty. We also know that there have been motions put forward for the EU to intervene with support for Radio Liberty.What plans for saving Radio Liberty do you think are most promising among those being discussed in Prague right now. How do you personally feel about what is happening now? Do you see a possible way out of the situation?What role can Radio Liberty play in a world in which America has abandoned its traditional role as leader of the free world?Tell us a little about your own work at Radio Liberty – you’ve been working there for many years. What are some of your most memorable moments and impressions?When President Putin announced the start of the ‘special military operation’ in February 2022, how did you, as head of Radio Liberty’s Russian Service, respond? Did you set yourself new directives and objectives? Did you create new radio or online projects?What can you tell us about listeners’ feedback? Have you seen a rise in demand for Radio Liberty’s broadcast and online content since the start of the war with Ukraine? Which formats are most in demand among listeners?Perhaps the most important goal of Radio Liberty, established during the Cold War, was to demonstrate why democracy and freedom are worth fighting for. Do you believe that there’s still an audience for those ideals in Putin’s Russia now?Today, we see the suppression of democracy and democratic values in both Russia and America. Democracy is threatened by populist tendencies around the world, including in Europe, undermined by disinformation and all kinds of so-called hybrid warfare. What role can Radio Liberty play in this ideological war?

Discussing human rights in Russia [in Russian and sometimes English].

Creator

Rights in Russia
Years Active

2020 - 2025
Episodes

163
Rating

Explicit
Show Website

Rights in Russia