The Western Study of Contemporary Russia

Double Bottoms and Double Standards

Author(s): Richard Sakwa
Editor(s): Stephen Aris, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder, Aglaya Snetkov
Series: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)
Issue: 94
Pages: 5-10
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen; Institute of History, University of Basel
Publication Year: 2011

The study of Russian politics is challenging at the best of times, but contemporary Russia provides some specific difficulties that render the endeavour particularly difficult. For every statement there appears to be an equally valid contrary assertion, and for every fact a dozen qualifying indicators that hollow out the original assertion. One is left doubting whether contemporary scholarship really is coming to grips with Russian reality, its complexities and nuances. Some fundamental methodological issues are raised, but the pervasive ontological question remains unresolved: what is the nature of Russian reality, and by what means can we analyze and describe its key features?

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