Writing from a Russian prison, sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky penned this open letter in support of a broad solidarity campaign with left-wing Russian political prisoners.
Boris Kagarlitsky
Renowned Russian sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky sent the following message from prison to his daughter, Ksenia, on March 26. In it, he discusses the fallout of the horrific terrorist attack carried out at Moscow鈥檚 Crocus City Hall on March 22. Translated by Renfrey Clarke.
Renowned Russian sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky was jailed on February 13 for five years on trumped-up charges of "justifying terrorism". In reality, his only crime has been to speak out against Russia's war in Ukraine. Renfrey Clarke has translated Kagarlitsky's first public letter sent from prison to his daughter, Ksenia.
Boris Kagarlitsky discusses聽the domestic factors behind Vladimir Putin鈥檚 decision to invade Ukraine and the role of the left in anti-war organising.
In the House of Trade Unions in Odessa on May 2, more people died than over several days of fighting in the Donbass in Ukraine's east.
In Kramatorsk in the eastern Donetsk Oblast province on the same day, however, government forces also excelled themselves, killing 10 unarmed local residents who had tried to block the path of armoured vehicles.
The global political crisis 鈥 a natural outcome of the continuing economic crisis 鈥 finally made it to Russia last month before getting derailed by the country's traditional hibernation in early January.
Following the April 23 death of Boris Yeltsin, various polling organisations conducted surveys on how Russians regarded his actions. Asked what they saw as Yeltsin鈥檚 main achievement, 33% of respondents answered: 鈥淗e left office voluntarily in December 1999.鈥 All his other achievements were within the statistical margin of error. The majority of those surveyed did not consider that Russia鈥檚 first president had any achievements at all.
A few months ago I was simply a political analyst. However, since March, I have stepped back into a role I had almost forgotten 鈥 that of coordinator of an informal political movement, in this case to organise a boycott of the Russian presidential election.
During the first years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the general view was that Kazakhstan 鈥 a large Asian republic that stretches from the Volga river to China 鈥 represented one of the more fortunate parts of the former USSR, writes Boris Kagarlitsky.
In this second part of an interview with Steve Painter and Jim Percy, Soviet Socialist Party member Boris Kagarlitsky discusses the role of democratic issues and demands in Soviet politics today.
BORIS KAGARLITSKY, ALEXANDER POPOV AND VLADIMIR KONDRATOV are members of the Socialist Party of the Soviet Union, an organisation of about 300 members, formed in July 1990. They spoke to Steve Painter and Jim Percy.