I have organized a discussion club to meet weekly (at least initially) in order to discuss developments related to Russia in the news this summer. Participants would be expected to have read their favorite newspaper, e.g., the Washington Post, NY Times, Washington Times, or WSJ. I would provide a list of other sources and specific articles. Anyone deciding to come to the club would glance through whichever sources they wanted. I would not prepare mini-lectures or PowerPoint slides as I did for the Russia Study Group, but will simply moderate the discussion.
As a club, attendance would vary every week and so will specific topics of discussion since that will depend on who shows up, what they have read, and what Putin has been up to the previous week.
Our first meeting will be held in TA-1 from 12:00 to 1:00 on Monday, May 19, with subsequent meetings starting June 2 at noon since May 26 is a holiday. If you are interested in participating, please let me know by email at this address or simply show up.
Suggested Sources of Information on Current Events in Russia/Ukraine:
Timeline: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26248275?print=true
General: http://news.google.com, click on Vladimir Putin
Council on Foreign Relations (NY): http://www.cfr.org/region/ukraine/ri311
Jamestown Foundation (DC): http://www.jamestown.org/programs/edm/
View from Moscow’s Kremlin: https://olli.gmu.edu/russia-discussion-club-2/; http://english.pravda.ru
http://www.themoscowtimes.com (Dissident views – only available online in English)
View from Kyiv: kyivpost.com
View from London: http://www.bbc.com/news/world/europe
View from Berlin: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/
View from Riga: http://www.baltictimes.com/newspaper/