In Moscow's Shadows
175 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago -Russia, behind the headlines as well as in the shadows. This podcast is the audio counterpart to Mark Galeotti's blog of the same name, a place where "one of the most informed and provocative voices on modern Russia", can talk about Russia historical and (more often) contemporary, discuss new books and research, and sometimes talk to other Russia-watchers.
If you'd like to keep the podcast coming and generally support my work, or want to ask questions or suggest topics for me to cover, do please contribute to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/InMoscowsShadows
The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.
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Episodes
In Moscow's Shadows 16: The Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR): and Is Putin Ill? (Spoiler: Probably Not)
November 08, 2020 11:00 - 39 minutes - 27 MBAfter a few very brief observations on the US elections and the implications of a Biden presidency, a look at the SVR, its operations, role, culture and political ambitions of its director, Sergei Naryshkin (which I also discuss here). Then, in the second part, I take apart the rumours about Putin's supposed imminent resignation for reasons of ill-health - and muse on why we still have to listen to silly rumours. You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcas...
In Moscow's Shadows Cellcast: 1 November 2020: Five Things Bugging Me in Western Russia Coverage
November 08, 2020 00:00 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MBAnother short 'cellcast', going out directly to my Patrons, and to everyone else a week later. A rant, plain and simple. Sparked by the article 'The Narcissism of The New York Times’ Foreign Coverage' in the magazine The Tablet (you can read it here), I grumble intemperately about Western - and yes, primarily US - coverage of Russia. That's certainly not to say all US coverage of Russia is problematic, nor that the pathologies I talk about are exclusively American. But still... You can als...
In Moscow's Shadows 15: In conversation with Anna Arutunyan, on sanctions, calling Putin's bluff, and various bunches of guys
October 24, 2020 07:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MBIn the first In Moscow's Shadows to have a guest, I talk to Anna Arutunyan, analyst and writer on Russia (her The Putin's Mystique is well worth a read if you don't already know it) on her recent article in Foreign Affairs (here) on Russia's proposed anti-interference pact, and the question of sanctions and command and control of Moscow's meddling in general. In the second part, we talk about her new book project, on Russia's war in the Donbas and the challenge of balancing what is Kremlin p...
In Moscow's Shadows 14: The Kremlin, Will and Empire; and, A Fistful of Books #1
October 10, 2020 16:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBRussia has long considered the so-called 'Near Abroad' of post-Soviet states to be its sphere of influence. But does it really have the will to assert hegemony? I'd suggest that it does not, in a whistle-stop tour from Belarus to Central Asia. In the second part, I look at some books that are new, or new to me, and think are worth highlighting: Tom Burgis, Kleptopia (William Collins, 2020) Gordon Corera, Spies Among Us (William Collins, 2020) Martyn Whittock, The Secret History of Soviet...
In Moscow's Shadows Cellcast: 29 September 2020: A Week in the life of Sergei Naryshkin
October 05, 2020 23:00 - 9 minutes - 6.64 MBSergei Naryshkin, the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and chair of the Russian Historical Society, has been a busy man this past week, involving himself in everything from Belarus to Medieval Tula (and schmoozing with Putin's ex-bodyguard in the process). Why the sudden desire to be in the media? Generally, when people like Naryshkin lay out their stall, it's because they think there's a reason. A short 'cellcast' which went out to Patrons on 29 September, and publicly a ...
In Moscow's Shadows 13: The GRU, and why is it so hard to leave Putin?
September 26, 2020 14:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBI take a general look at Russian military intelligence, the fearsome GRU (OK, GU for purists), what it is and does and what it isn't and doesn't... And in the second part, I consider why it seems so hard for some people - Surkov, Levrov, and others - to leave government service. Why is it so hard to say goodbye? You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials right h...
In Moscow's Shadows Cellcast: 19 September 2020: Questioning Less about Navalny
September 19, 2020 09:00 - 14 minutes - 9.89 MBA short cellcast 'mini-podcast' released in this case simultaneously to Patrons and publicly. Recording this was, frankly, triggered by exasperation that so many were leaping aboard the 'Question More' bandwagon about the Navalny poisoning and following in the twisty and toxic trail of the Russian state propagandists in desperately trying to poke holes in the story rather than accepting that sometimes the truth really is as it seems to be. On a personal note, yes, we need always to be care...
In Moscow's Shadows 12: Drift in Russian Politics and the Decay of the 'Hybrid Regime'; on Cheating, in dissertations, politics and the underworld
September 12, 2020 11:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBWhat is going on with Putin and his regime? Less of a distinct answer to that question, and more a pondering of what we can read into the mishandling of a series of recent events, from the Navalny poisoning to Belarus, I discuss why I think Russia is likely at a crossroads, but one where I am unsure where the roads necessarily lead... And after the break, I riff off the widespread practice of plagiarising dissertations and consider where it came from and what wider lessons one can learn. Wh...
In Moscow's Shadows Cellcast: 6 September 2020: Belarus's Strongmen
September 11, 2020 23:00 - 12 minutes - 8.68 MBReleased on 6 September to Patrons, public release later. A snapshot of the three key figures within Belarus's security structures: the new head of the KGB, the Interior Minister and the (newish) Defence Minister Support the Show.
In Moscow's Shadows 11: On Power and its perceived absence: the National Guard, the European Union
August 30, 2020 09:00 - 26 minutes - 18.6 MBTrying (it turns out in vain) to avoid the present inevitable concentration on Navalny and Belarus, I discuss two forms of power. What the creation and current role, status and business activities of the National Guard tell us about Russian politics (and economics). And, in response to questions from Patron Callum Christie, quite why the Kremlin is so determined to believe the EU has no real power, no real relevance, maybe even no real existence... You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's S...
In Moscow's Shadows Cellcast: 22 August 2020: #Navalny
August 29, 2020 07:00 - 9 minutes - 6.62 MBWhat makes Alexei Navalny so dangerous for Putin's regime? This short 'cellcast' was provided to patrons of the podcast (https://www.patreon.com/join/InMoscowsShadows) on 22 August 2020, and general access a week later. Support the Show.
In Moscow's Shadows Cellcast: 19 August 2020: Belarus, Russia and the Information War
August 19, 2020 18:00 - 10 minutes - 7.42 MBRumours abound amidst the Belarusian revolution. Why do I think that's a particular problem now? Because, as it looks like the revolution is moving from its protest to politics phase, the scope for information operations on every side gets all the greater - and their potential impact all the more dangerous. The Raam op Rusland article I mention is here. This is one of the short 'cellcasts' offered as an early bonus for Patrons of the podcast (www.patreon.com/inmoscowsshadows) and usually r...
In Moscow's Shadows Cellcast: 11 August 2020: Russia and Belarus
August 13, 2020 12:00 - 10 minutes - 7.52 MBBelarus is in turmoil. Why did Lukashenka award himself such an implausible 80% of the vote> How does Moscow see the current crisis, and what might it do about it? This is one of the short 'cellcasts' offered as an early bonus for Patrons of the podcast (www.patreon.com/inmoscowsshadows) and usually released publicly a week later. However, given the situation, and at the suggestion of several public-spirited Patrons, I'm issuing it early... Support the Show.
In Moscow's Shadows 10: Russian Influence, Soft Power and Dark Power
August 08, 2020 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBThe release of a long-awaited report on Russian influence in the UK provides a chance to look at why Moscow tries - and often fails - to exert influence, and why the Kremlin seems to default to aggressive, bullying words and deeds. Be warned, I spend more time on my soap box in this episode than I should. For my other writings on this report: 'The weakness of the Russia report' - a quick response in The Spectator 'The ISC’s Russia Report Offers More Critiques of the Intelligence Community t...
In Moscow's Shadows 9: Thrones of Bayonets (and hacking coronavirus research)
July 20, 2020 12:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBThere is more to Putin's regime than his capacity to threaten and unleash violence - but this is a crucial element, and as his legitimacy wanes, this may come to the fore. Thrones of bayonets are uncomfortable, though, and so today I consider the mood of the police and other security forces, and what scope the opposition may have in wooing, or at least neutralising them. In a short second part, I explain why I think the claims of hacking British and others' coronavirus research sounds wholl...
In Moscow's Shadows 8: Serebrennikov, Miniakhmetov and Set' and the 'Three Russias'
July 05, 2020 09:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBThe big story is the constitutional vote, but I honestly have nothing new to say about that, so instead I take three controversial court cases - Kirill Serebrennikov the director, Colonel Miniakhmetov the investigator, and the alleged (and unlikely) "terrorists" of the Set' (Network) group - and explore what they say about power and performative repression in Russia. Indeed, the 'Three Russias.' If anyone is interested, my take on the constitutional vote is in the Spectator here and on the ...
In Moscow's Shadows 7: Technocrats and Cultural Warriors, and Why I'd Vote No In the Constitutional Plebiscite
June 22, 2020 10:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBHaving talked about Security Council secretary Patrushev in the last podcast, he and most of the other heads of the security agency chiefs suddenly seem uncharacteristically newsworthy - and they are playing one of two roles, either the trusty technocrat or the cultural warrior. Why so? If anyone is interested, the Patrushev article I cite is here and Putin's is here. You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-aski...
In Moscow's Shadows 6: The Most Dangerous Man in Russia
June 14, 2020 19:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBWho could be the most dangerous man in Russia? A president? An ideologue? A kleptocrat? A gangster? None of those, in my opinion... If anyone is interested in the Argumenty i Fakty article I mention, it's here. In addition, a short paper I wrote on the Security Council is here. You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials right here. Support the Show.
In Moscow's Shadows Cellcast: 7 June 2020: A Plot in Prague, The Murders That Weren't
June 14, 2020 08:00 - 9 minutes - 6.75 MBWhat to make of the Czech Republic's bizarre 'ricin case' whereby a Russian diplomat was accused of being part of an assassination plot that turned out to be fake - but still got expelled? I honestly don't have the answer, but Patron Zuzana Ouhrabková asked for my take, so here it is... Support the Show.
In Moscow's Shadows 5: Disinformation (and deep-cover spies and Libya)
June 02, 2020 17:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBDoes Russia use disinformation as a weapon against the West? Yes. But is this a constant and carefully coordinated campaign? Not so much: this episode, I outline how I think this really works, and how the Kremlin's use of "narrative entrepreneurs" can and does backfire. Meanwhile, I keep hunting for the right metaphor... You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials...
In Moscow's Shadows Cellcast: 25 May 2020: Gangsters, SMEs and Covid economic policy
June 01, 2020 08:00 - 6 minutes - 4.37 MBAs an extra initiative, I've decided from time to time to record very short 'cellcasts' riffing off some article or piece of news. They will go out to patrons right away, and more general access a week later. This one, from 25 May 2020, looks at yesterday's armed brawl in a southern Moscow courtyard and considers if it has implications for Russia's economic policy in the covid age. You can find a video of the brawl @ https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/05/25/funeral-home-shootout-in-moscow-a...
In Moscow's Shadows 4: Vorontsov, Police Protests and Community Action (plus 'late Putinism', spooks and Western policy)
May 18, 2020 11:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBWhy should we care about police protests against the victimisation of an ex-cop activist? I suggest it says some interesting things about community and the protest habit in modern Russia. I also tackle another trio on patrons' questions: on "late Putinism," generational change in the security services, and Western policy... You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materi...
In Moscow's Shadows 3: Victory Day, National Myths and Patron's Questions
May 09, 2020 11:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MBWhat more can be said about Victory Day and how the Kremlin seeks to co-opt the myth and memory of the Great Patriotic War to its own purposes? I have a go. Also, Patron's questions answered, on China, cybercrime and the Paul Whelan affair. You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials right here. Support the Show.
In Moscow's Shadows 2: Mishustin, Sechin, Institutional vs Personal Power
May 02, 2020 11:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBPrime Minister Mishustin is self-isolating with COVID-19 symptoms, and Andrei Belousov is standing in for him, But how does the prime minister really matter in a hyper-presidential system like Putin's Russia. In this episode I explore the power of the majordomo at the court of the tsar, and compare that with what Sechin's capacity to be the perennial bull in the Russian china shop shows us about the power of being one of Putin's trusted mates. Support the Show.
In Moscow's Shadows 1: Coronavirus, Sobyanin, Social Contracts and Big Len
April 25, 2020 14:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MBThe inaugural episode of the In Moscow's Shadows podcast, Mark Galeotti's rumination on all things Russia, past, present and future. This episode addresses the impact of COVID-19 and the federal government's unimpressive response, how this may affect the fortunes of Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin (and whether his trajectory may follow that of another Sergei), the social contract with the governors, and quite why Vladimir Putin has it in for Vladimir Lenin. You can also follow the IMS blog @ h...