King's Russia Institute

04/06/2026

Last week, the King's Russia Institute, in partnership with the Starovoitova Foundation, hosted a memorial conference dedicated to the life and legacy of Galina Starovoitova.

Bringing together scholars, writers, journalists, and those who knew her personally, the event reflected on Starovoitova’s contribution to Russia’s democratic movement, her commitment to human rights, and the enduring relevance of her ideas today.

We would like to thank the Starovoitova Foundation for organising this important event and all speakers and participants for their thoughtful contributions to the discussion.

18/05/2026

Professor Samuel Greene joins Max Bergmann and Maria Snegovaya on the latest CSIS “Russian Roulette” podcast to discuss the current state of Russian public opinion amid war, economic pressures, and reports of growing paranoia within the Kremlin.

The conversation explores whether domestic conditions inside Russia are beginning to shift under the combined impact of inflation, prolonged war, and increasing political uncertainty.

Listen to the full episode here:

Max and Maria welcome back Dr. Sam Greene, professor of Russian Politics at King's College London, to discuss the state of Russian public opinion today, and whether domestic conditions have begun change given the state of the economy, war, and ⁠reports⁠ of increasing paranoia in the Kremlin.

18/05/2026

Dr Alexander Kupatadze (King’s College London) and Prof Erica Marat (National Defense University) have published a new SOC ACE research briefing note: How Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine Displaced Drug Trafficking Routes in Europe and Central Asia.

Their research argues that the war has not weakened organised crime networks across Eurasia, but rather reshaped and redirected them. The briefing highlights the remarkable adaptability of organised crime in response to major geopolitical upheavals.

Read the paper here:

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has significantly reconfigured organised crime across Ukraine and neighbouring regions. Rather than simply disrupting illicit networks, the war and resulting sanctions have displaced and reshaped them. The most visible changes have occurred in the dr...

14/05/2026

EVENT: State, Society and Nation in post-Soviet Russia: Memorial Conference on the Life and Legacy of Galina Starovoitova

🗓️ 26 May
⏰ 15.00

The conference will bring together scholars, journalists and close acquaintances of Galina Starovoitova

👇

In partnership with the Starovoitova Foundation, the King’s Russia Institute is pleased to host to a memorial conference.

14/05/2026

Professor Sam Greene spoke to BBC World News about why Russia and Ukraine continue fighting despite ceasefire discussions, and what Vladimir Putin’s recent remarks about the war in Ukraine “coming to an end” may actually mean.

13/05/2026

Is Vladimir Putin worried he could soon loose power, or even his life? That's what some western intellegence officers believe. But Sam Greene, Professor of Russian Politics at Kings College London, says there's little evidence the Russian leader's days are numbered.

Watch the full interview for Deutsche Welle here:

Is Vladimir Putin worried he could soon loose power, or even his life? That's what some western intellegence officers believe. But Sam Greene, Professor of R...

11/05/2026

Professor Samuel Greene spoke to The World about this year’s scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow and what unprecedented security measures may reveal about the current state of Putin’s Russia.

The discussion explores how wartime pressures, security concerns, and changing political symbolism are reshaping one of the Kremlin’s most important annual rituals.

Russia’s annual Victory Day Parade is typically about pomp, circumstance and military might. But the event being held in Moscow on Saturday will lack the usual show of ballistic missiles and tanks. Meanwhile, a leaked security brief from a European intelligence agency claims that President Vladimi...

15/04/2026

There is still a chance to register!

Join us tomorrow for our online Session on MSc in Russian and Eurasian Politics, Economics and Security at King's College London.

👉 Register here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/postgraduate-info-session-russia-eurasian-politics-msc-april-2026

We look forward to seeing you there!

Find out more about studying Russian and Eurasian Politics, Economy and Security MSc at King's College London in our online event.

06/03/2026

Russia’s reaction to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has raised questions about how the event may affect the Kremlin’s thinking about regime stability and global politics.

In a recent analysis for Politico, Samuel Greene, Professor of Russian Politics at King’s Russia Institute, discusses what this moment may mean for Vladimir Putin.

Professor Greene argues that the Kremlin’s response is likely to remain pragmatic. While Moscow condemned the killing, Putin is unlikely to jeopardise his regime’s security or strategic priorities in order to support Iran more directly.

Read the full analysis in Politico:

U.S. strikes on Iran will have deepened the Russian president’s paranoia, and his desire to win in Ukraine.

06/03/2026

We are delighted to invite you to a presentation, “Riding Again? The Growth of Cossack Education in Putin's Russia,” by Richard Arnold, Professor of Political Science at Muskingum University.

🗓 Date: 9 March 2026
🕔 Time: 17:00–18:30
📍 Location: Room 1.03, Bush House (NE), King’s College London

Are there ideological movements in Russia supporting the war that have not been covered by mainstream academic approaches? This presentation builds on past work on the Cossacks and their intersection with militarism in Russian education to examine the Cossack educational system and its growth under Putin. While this growth was developing as far back as Putin's second term, it has become much more prominent since the beginning of the invasion. Looking forward, Cossack institutions will be educating a sizeable minority of Russian youth.

Book your tickets here:

This presentation builds on past work into the Cossacks and its intersection with militarism in Russian education.