Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: A total of 87 Russian students were surveyed for this project. The first group included Russian students who had never been to America (“Russian Russians”); the second group consisted of Russian students who had visited the United States (“Americanized Russians”). “Americanized Russians” had a more positive general attitude toward the U.S. than "Russian Russians." The latter students had more limited knowledge of the United States than the former students.

Publication Type: Works in Progress
Abstract: Most of the world’s ethnic Tatars live in Tatarstan, a former Soviet Republic and an autonomous state in Russia today. Once an independent Muslim nation, Tatarstan was conquered by the Russian Tsar, Ivan IV (a.k.a. “Ivan the Terrible”) in 1552. For centuries, the relationship between Russians and Tatars has been complex. The collapse of the former Soviet Union introduced a new dynamic into Russian-Tatar relations. The possibility for Russian Tatars to travel aboard, to meet members of the Tatar Diaspora, and to observe the rights that ethnic minorities enjoy overseas resulted in a strong desire among Russian Tatars, those living in Russia and abroad, to revise their political, socioeconomic and cultural status within Russia.

In this study, I will examine how Russian Tatars living in the United States define, communicate, and maintain their ethnic identity. As my research data, I will use messages posted on an online forum Tatar USA between January 2005 and 2006. The Tatar USA forum is part of the Tatars in America website (www.tatar-usa.org), created by a group of young Russian Tatars who arrived in the United States as students or employees within the last ten years and have been living in America since then.

By employing grounded theory in my study of ethnic identity among Russian Tatars living in the United States – participants of the online forum Tatar USA – I hope to identify a central descriptive narrative of the Tatar ethnic identity, as it is expressed, communicated, and maintained by the forum participants.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The aim of the paper is to analyze different interest groups inside Russian Federation, playing significant role in shaping national energy policy towards former Soviet Republics and European Union. Actors include ministries of Russian Federal government, regional administrations in North-Western Federal District of Russia, leading energy companies (first of all, oil and gas companies like GAZPROM, LUKOIL, Surgutneftegas, Rosneft, etc.). The idea of the paper is to present existing mechanisms of federal energy policy formation as long-term process of economization of Russian foreign policy with some elements of changing nature of Russian traditional ?power politics? now based on growing economic power of Kremlin.. The special emphasis will be given to analysis of business and strategic interests of Russian energy companies in a situation of high oil and gas prices and possibility rather easily attract investments into development of new oil/gas provinces in North-Western Russian regions. Special attention will be given also to a process of formation of lobbying groups in the State Duma and local Legislative Assemblies of Russian regions.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: During the Soviet period, judges were expected to fulfill an educational function. They routinely assisted parties who were unprepared as well as lecturing them about how to become better Soviet citizens. As part of the transition, this educational function has officially disappeared from the system. The procedural codes adopted over the past decade have also moved away from the traditional activist role of judges in civil law systems. They have embraced adversarialism and have placed the burden of proof on the parties. Field research over the past few years in the economic (arbitrazh) courts in Russia shows that judges have been slow to embrace this shift away from Soviet-style behaviors. The paper analyzes the reasons why, drawing general conclusions about the meaning of this experience for law and development.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper statistically tests propositions that the Russian Constitutional Court favors some levels of government over others in making decisions on federalist issues.