Kremlinology 2012
Kremlinology 2012 Julia Ioffe is Foreign Policy's Moscow correspondent. Leading up to the March 2012 presidential election, she will be reporting on the latest developments in Russian politics, both inside the halls of power and on the streets.

Tightening the Screws

It might be just coincidence that Moscow is messing with opposition media as a shaky Putin looks toward the elections, but it’s beginning to look a lot like a nasty pattern.

BY JULIA IOFFE | FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Upping the Ante

With 100,000 protesters -- young, old, and everything in between -- out in the freezing streets of Moscow, the heat is being turned up on Vladimir Putin's drive for the presidency.

BY JULIA IOFFE | FEBRUARY 5, 2012

The End of Putin

Alexey Navalny on why the Russian protest movement will win.

INTERVIEW BY JULIA IOFFE | DECEMBER 28, 2011

Won't Get Fooled Again

With unprecedented protests in Moscow this weekend, Russia's growing opposition movement is making it clear they won't stand for Putin's march to power.

BY JULIA IOFFE | DECEMBER 24, 2011

The Condomnation of Vladimir Putin

Russia’s embattled ruler meets his public.

BY JULIA IOFFE | DECEMBER 16, 2011

Nine Days That Shook the Kremlin

But what's next for Russia's newly emboldened protest movement?

BY JULIA IOFFE | DECEMBER 13, 2011

The Decembrists

No one's quite sure what's going on in the streets of Moscow -- or what to call it -- but it's growing and powerful ... and could all end badly.

BY JULIA IOFFE | DECEMBER 9, 2011

Election Hardball, Kremlin Style

In advance of Sunday's parliamentary ballot, the pro-Putin camp is cracking down hard on independent election monitors.

BY JULIA IOFFE | DECEMBER 2, 2011

Putin and the Boo-boys

A new wave of anti-Putin sentiment is sweeping Russia, but with the once-and-future president still loved by more than two-thirds of the population, there's little hope for change.

BY JULIA IOFFE | NOVEMBER 29, 2011

Meet the New Putin, Same as the Old Putin

As the de facto president seeks to reassure foreign investors, it's clear that everyone's a little on edge.

BY JULIA IOFFE | OCTOBER 7, 2011

Twilight of a Seat-Warmer

Medvedev's worst week ever just keeps on going.

BY JULIA IOFFE | OCTOBER 4, 2011

Disaster Politics

The real story behind Putin's return to the throne: Russia is headed for economic catastrophe, and nothing he does can stop it.

BY JULIA IOFFE | SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

The Return of the King

It's official: Vladimir Putin is Russia's once and future president. So how come we're surprised all over again?

BY JULIA IOFFE | SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

The Kremlin's Spin Machine … and Me

My adventures on Russia's first televised political debate in a decade.

BY JULIA IOFFE | SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

She's Number 3!

After a shady city council election, St. Petersburg's deeply unpopular governor appears poised to become the third-most powerful politician in Russia. How on earth did this happen?

BY JULIA IOFFE | AUGUST 24, 2011

Surreal Politik

Russia enters its political silly season a little early. But what do all the bikini babes and music video hymns to Putin really tell us about a system gone horribly, horribly wrong?

BY JULIA IOFFE | AUGUST 11, 2011

Opposing the Opposition

As the billionaire New Jersey Nets owner steps into his new role as Kremlin-approved opposition leader, what do voters actually think?

BY JULIA IOFFE | JUNE 30, 2011

Empty Words

When are Westerners going to learn that reform talk is cheap in the Kremlin?

BY JULIA IOFFE | JUNE 21, 2011

Road Rage in Russia

Moscow's elite has decided it doesn't need to follow the traffic laws. Will there be a pedestrian revolution?

BY JULIA IOFFE | JUNE 14, 2011

All Tomorrow's Parties

When one fake opposition party stops effectively distracting the Russian people, what's the Kremlin to do? Give them a new one, of course.

BY JULIA IOFFE | MAY 25, 2011

Putin's Puppets

How do you win a Russian election? First, invent a coalition.

BY JULIA IOFFE | MAY 6, 2011

The Countdown Begins …

But no one knows where it's going to end. A skeptic's look at the 2012 Russian election.

BY JULIA IOFFE | APRIL 14, 2011