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Let’s study how Demna’s work satirizes the Russophobic bloody-ass politics — Engin Kurtay

Gratitude note:
We owe gratitude to the legendary Turkish fashion designer Ahmet Baytar, for very valuable information he provided us in the composition of this article.

The bikini —or rather the design of the bikini— is the object-cause of the enjoyment that both types of viewers (the macho-identified laughter and the pro-Ukraine LGBTQ+ bloody-ass protester) tend to attribute to the guy and likely to the girl too. The crucial point we make here is that the bloody-ass “protesters” affirm exactly the presence of that enjoyment — their encroachment beyond the natural pleasure principle — attributed to them too. Continue reading “Let’s study how Demna’s work satirizes the Russophobic bloody-ass politics — Engin Kurtay”

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Утонченность в дизайне Надежды Копыловой: как прочитать обложку книги — Енгин Куртаи

Настоящая академическая работа должна беспокоить. Она не должна никого радовать. Эта надоедливость академической работы – вот что отличает ее от того, что является схоластическим. В том же отношении настоящее художественное произведение аналогично академическому: истинное искусство высмеивает порядок статус-кво и его бенефициаров, в то время как схоластическая подача их удовлетворяет.

——————💪—————— Continue reading “Утонченность в дизайне Надежды Копыловой: как прочитать обложку книги — Енгин Куртаи”

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The Finesse in Design by Nadezhda Kopylova: How to read a book cover — Engin Kurtay

A true academic work is a besetting output. It mustn’t gratify anyone. This peskiness of the academic work is what distinguishes it from what it is scholastic. By the same respect, a Real artwork too, it is analogous to the academic: a true art satirizes the status quo order and it’s beneficiaries while the scholastic presentment pleases them.

——————💪—————— Continue reading “The Finesse in Design by Nadezhda Kopylova: How to read a book cover — Engin Kurtay”

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Why did the Nazi-Atlantic axis name their military exercises in the Baltic as “Aurora” — Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

Their naming is not arbitrary and definitely not denoting these romantic polar lights. A gunboat diplomacy never consists of merely a military power show off — it is always accompanied by some symbolic messages that only-begotten by diplomates and historians. Romantization is the enemy of Truth, the connerie of the leftists. It’s an open information. But it’s a marginalized knowledge. In our times when humans got used to “think” by associations and short proclaims the nature of censor has changed too. Now we have ‘knowledge at disposal’ as opposed to the ‘marginalized knowledge’. Continue reading “Why did the Nazi-Atlantic axis name their military exercises in the Baltic as “Aurora” — Engin Kurtay”

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OUR MISSION-II


The back cover of the first Workshop’s Proceeding

What was the cause of this allergy — that they were abusing the notion of ‘academic autonomy’ that they so fiercely defended, in its most negative sense as ‘the freedom to marginalize a certain kind of knowledge‘?

Our basic hypothesis here is this:

Establishing and maintaining an ideological hegemony is only possible if the loyalty noose between the epistemic community and the layers below it, is carefully being kept INVISIBLE. A situation in which an epistemic community (a politicized academic group) exposes it’s liaison with propagandists or agitators indicates the collapse of their ideological hegemony.

Continue reading “OUR MISSION-II”

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Stop the Show Trial, Free Assange!


Editorial Ultimatum

OPEN LETTER
TO THE JUDGES COMPOUNDING
THE “SUPREME” COURT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

Jan Hus was killed on 6th of July 1415. Paradoxically, Jan Hus was the translator and a defender of an English theology professor: John Wycliffe. As a surprising fact of Historical dialectics, the 15th century Britain was more advanced than the Continent.

Jan Hus and similar heroic personages opened the way to modern philosophy, critical thinking, freedom of speech, to form the distinct political and legal norms of our contemporary civilization.

You, the Judges compounding the “Supreme” Court of the UK, you are supposed to be the products of this six-century-long philosophical and societal evolution.

You are not free to deny the legacy of this six hundred years. Your “judiciary independence” is the product of this legacy.

J’accuse! You did wrong.

But you will have a second chance to decide whether you are “Supreme” or the tiny pathetic puppets of the transatlantic imperialist cooperation. Julian Assange will re-appeal.

If you do the wrong thing, your injustice will match the logic of the inquisition of the dark ages.

The monument of Julian Assange will be erected in any case. This is unavoidable and will not be related to any decision of yours.

The only difference if you will do the wrong is that it will be erected over your infamy.

And a few words to your Queen (the throne throng are not my compeer, therefore it’s you who shall forward my words to her):

Despite her age she looks still lucid enough to remember the words of De Gaulle for Sartre:

“On ne met pas Voltaire à Bastille, sinon le peuple le détruiront sur nos têtes“.

I wish you all doing a good job.

Engin Kurtay
Prof Slavoj Zizek

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Inessa Armand versus Alexey Shmakov – Engin Kurtay, Ali Polat

The Hysterical side as opposed to the Factual side of The 1905 “Russian Revolution”


Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

The mass gathering scene of the political action film by James McTeigue, V for Vendetta (2005) reminds us the October (1928) of Sergei Eisenstein! However, there is a slight but crucial difference: the crowd in the film heads towards the Parliament.

Not to the Buckingham Palace! …

And, neither any audience nor any cocky film analyst have so far questioned what could have been going on in the Buckingham Palace during those moments of blowing the Parliament up. The film never shows anything related to the Royal Order. It successfully makes the audiences to forget the fact that there actually exists a kind of centralized power in Britain. Continue reading “Inessa Armand versus Alexey Shmakov – Engin Kurtay, Ali Polat”

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The fantasy universe of Sergei Eisenstein’s ‘October’ – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay


Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

The people of Russia, except few rickety events, remained indifferent to the centenary of the 1917 Revolution and spent the November 7th 2017 like a normal day. According to a survey commissioned by the Communist Party, 58% of the Russian population was unaware of the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution (1).

Whereas Nov. 7th was a holiday celebrated by big ceremonies, during the Soviet era.

The editor of the independent Russian TV channel, documentary filmmaker Mikhail Viktorovich Zygor proclaimed that he was very surprised by the fact that the Russian press remained indifferent to the centenary of October Revolution (2).

The Russian President V. Putin, four days prior to Nov. 7th (in November 3, 2017), said that the October Revolution was a complicated episode of their own history and that these course of events should be treated with respect in an unbiased way (3).
Continue reading “The fantasy universe of Sergei Eisenstein’s ‘October’ – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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October 10-13, 2019: Boğaziçi University — Lomonosov Moscow State University First International Workshop for Russian Studies


Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies


From the presentation of Prof Kirill Nazarenko

The First Workshop for Russian Studies between Boğaziçi University and Lomonosov Moscow State University will be held in Bosphorus University, in Istanbul between 10 to 13th of October 2019 by the hosting of ADK (Atatürkçü Düşünce Kulübü – The Student’s “Atatürk Thought Club“) and by the collaboration of Turkish Historical Society (Türk Tarih Kurumu – TTK).

The project aims to develop academic correspondences, sharing of information and collaboration for mutual production of knowledge between Russian and Turkish scholars in social sciences, particularly in History. This workshop is planned to focuse on topics bringing into discussion the issues that are currently under debate in Russia and -especially – controversial in the mainstream Western left-wing reading of Russian and Soviet history.

Click here to download the Program in PDF format

Continue reading “October 10-13, 2019: Boğaziçi University — Lomonosov Moscow State University First International Workshop for Russian Studies”

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Sol üzerinde etnik siyaset tekeli — Engin Kurtay


Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

6 Eylül 2019’da Sendika.org’da Önder Özdemir arkadaşın “Struma gemisinin batışını ve katliamaları seyretmek!” başlıklı bir yazısı yayımlandı. Yazı, II. Dünya Savaşı yıllarında tarafsızlığı koruma çabasındaki İnönü hükümetinin Struma katliamına (24 Şubat 1942) göz yumduğunu, hatta bu katliama neden olduğunu ileri sürüyor. Struma’dan bahsederken I. Dünya Savaşı’ndaki 1915 Ermeni olaylarına, oradan tekrar II. Dünya Savaşı yıllarında devreye sokulan Varlık Vergisi’ne (12 Kasım 1942), oradan da 6-7 Eylül olaylarına (1955) atlıyor.

Bu örnekleri sıraladıktan sonra da buradan hareketle TC’de bir “katliamcı gelenek” bulunduğu yargısına varıyor.

Son olarak da şu dersi çıkarıyor:

“Bu katliamlarla yüzleşilmediği için halk yakın geçmişte Hrant Dink, Sevag Balıkçı cinayetlerine sessiz kaldı” Continue reading “Sol üzerinde etnik siyaset tekeli — Engin Kurtay”

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October filminin fantezi evreni – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

Rusya halkı, sağda solda düzenlenen birkaç cılız etkinlik dışında 7 Kasım 2017’yi normal bir gün gibi geçirdi. Komünist partinin yaptırdığı bir ankete göre Rusya halkının %58’i Ekim Devrimi’nin 100. yıldönümünden habersizdi (1).

Oysa Sovyet döneminde 7 Kasım, büyük törenlerin yapıldığı bir tatil günüydü.

Bağımsız Rus Tv kanalının editörü, belgesel film yapımcısı Mikhail Viktorovich Zygar, Rus basınının Ekim Devrimi’ne kayıtsız kalmasına çok şaşırdığını söylemişti (2).

Rusya Devlet Başkanı V. Putin, 7 Kasım’dan dört gün önce (3 Kasım 2017) Ekim Devrimi’nin kendi tarihlerinin karışık bir parçası olduğunu ve bu tarihe tarafsız ve saygılı davranılması gerektiğini söyledi (3). Continue reading “October filminin fantezi evreni – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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Babi Yar – 2 – Mass Massacre in Kiev

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

“Boys climbed on trees, to see what was happening.  And they fell down vomitting:  they saw it.  We suddenly realized that there was a mass massacre that was happening there”

“Before the Nazi occupation of Kiev the housekeepers were known as the spies of the KGB.  After the Nazi occupation they all suddenly converted to Nazi spies.  One of them was coming to our house and saying to my mother – who was looking as Jewish because she had a big nose – “Madam, you should go to Babi Yar, why don’t you go to Babi Yar?” Continue reading “Babi Yar – 2 – Mass Massacre in Kiev”

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‘Roma’ filminin otopsisi: Alfonso Cuaron kendi başyapıtını neden kötüledi? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

Not: Bu çalışma ilk olarak Sendika.org’da yayımlanmıştır.

Ticari bakımdan fiyasko olan bir film neden bu kadar büyük bir bütçeyle desteklendi? Halkın filme ilgisizliği, melezleşme sürecinde geçmiş yıllara göre artık gündemin alt sıralarına düşmüş olan yerli X beyaz ayrımı ve ayrımcılığının gündemin yeniden üst sıralarına taşınmasına karşı içten içe bir tepki miydi?

Modern-post-modern dünyada, kaynağını Troçki’nin sanat doktrininden alan sanat-siyaset ilişkisi de en az sanat-piyasa ilişkisi kadar yozdur. Troçki sanatta her türlü formalizmi reddeder. Sanat eğitimine, sanatta kurumsallaşmaya, devlet aygıtının sanatçıyı himayesine karşıdır. Continue reading “‘Roma’ filminin otopsisi: Alfonso Cuaron kendi başyapıtını neden kötüledi? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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The Autopsy of the Film ‘Roma’: Why did Alfonso Cuaron discredit his own masterpiece? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

The film did not attract public interest when it was shown both in Mexico and in USA. The box office was a complete failure. Moreover, Spanish media reported that the film triggered racist attacks in Mexico. So was the reason for the lack of public interest to the film a deep reaction to bring the indigenious X white distinction and discrimination back to the top of the agenda?

In the modern-post-modern world, the relation between art and politics is as corrupted as the relation between art and the market. This relationship takes its roots from Trotsky’s art doctrine: Trotsky rejects all kinds of formalism in art, thus he rejects art education, institutionalization in art, and the patronage/support of the state apparatus on/for art. Continue reading “The Autopsy of the Film ‘Roma’: Why did Alfonso Cuaron discredit his own masterpiece? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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Babi Yar – 1 – History of Jews in Kiev

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

The interview in the video above was made in the winter of 2017 with Yelena Lugovaya, Professor of History, Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kiev, the last survivor of Babi Yar. Her granddaughter, our Kiev representative and Arsenal Art Gallery curator Alisa Lozhkina made the simultaneous translation of the speech.

The testimony of Prof Lugovaya is to be compared with that of a Karaite Judaist lady living at the same period of time in Istanbul. Kiev versus Istanbul !

This part tells about the History of Jews in Kiev and the pre-War period to give our audiences a general knowledge prior to Babi Yar massacre. The aim of this study is to contrast the city lifes in Kiev and in Istanbul during the Second World War then to judge the neutrality policy of the Turkish government.

As a reminder, President İnönü was accused by the opponent party members in “killing the manhood of Turkish People” by not taking part in the War.

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Install our android mobile apk in Google Store!

We have developed our special android application for our special valuable readers’ mobile phones to ease your access to our site and your reading our articles. Click here to connect to Google Store. Then install our application.

Our application is only available for devices with android operating system. If you use an iPhone, you must first discard your phone, then buy and android OS device and then install our application.

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Eisenstein’a Amerika’dan gönderilen “yoldaş” – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

Bu makale daha önce yayımladığımız “Sergei Eisenstein’ı anlamak” başlıklı ana makaleye ikinci ektir. Ana makalenin Türkçe versiyonunu teknik bir arıza nedeniyle sunamıyoruz, İngilizce’siyle idare edin.


“Avant-garde dedikleri bu mu?”

“ya da Ortaçağ keşişinin modern versiyonu mu ?…”

Eisenstein’ın 1933’te depresyon tedavisi için akıl hastanesine kapatıldığını ifade eden Marie Seton, bu depresyonun nedenini Meksika projesini tamamlayamamış olmanın üzüntüsüne yorarken yine gerçeğin sadece bir kısmını – yarattığı Eisenstein efsanesiyle uyumlu, kitlelere yedirip yutturabileceği kısmını – dile getirmektedir. Biz ise Eisenstein’ın Meksika’dayken eşcinselliğinin ifşa olması nedeniyle hastaneye kapatıldığını düşünüyoruz, çünkü Stalin dönemi devlet bakışı eşcinselliği hastalık olarak görmektedir. Upton Sinclair‘ın projeyi durdurması ve Eisenstein’ı kovmasının nedeni ise, aylar boyu yaptığı çekimlerde 61 km negatif yakmasına rağmen izlenebilir bir ürün çıkaramaması, üstüne üstlük rehberiyle ilişkisinin ifşa olması ve Sinclair’den hortumladıkları parayla ekibin böyle bohem bir hayat sürmesinin Upton’ın eşi Marie Craig Sinclair‘in sabrını taşırmasıdır. Continue reading “Eisenstein’a Amerika’dan gönderilen “yoldaş” – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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The “comrade” sent to Eisenstein from USA – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

2nd Appendix to our article “Understanding the prodigy of Sergei Eisenstein”


“or Middle Ages monk ?…”

Marie Seton relates the depression of Eisenstein to not being able to complete Sinclair’s project in Mexico. Marie Seton’s evaluation, however, expresses only some part of the truth – the part that is compatible with the Eisenstein myth she created, making it convenient to be told to the masses. The reason why Upton Sinclair stopped the project and fired Eisenstein was the exposure of Eisenstein’s relationship with his guide. This disclosure was the last drop. Upton’s wife, Marie Craig Sinclair got off at half-cock seeing Eisenstein’s bohemian life without being able to produce any piece of viewable film having spent months for burning thousands of meters of negatives. Continue reading “The “comrade” sent to Eisenstein from USA – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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“Bejin Çayırı”, Shumyatsky ve Babel’i idama götüren bir test miydi? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

Bu makale daha önce yayımladığımız “Sergei Eisenstein’ı anlamak” başlıklı ana makaleye birinci ektir. Bu ana makalenin Türkçe’sini teknik bir arıza nedeniyle sunamıyoruz, İngilizce’siyle idare edin.

Sergei Eisenstein + Grigory Alexandrov ikilisinin Potemkin Zırhlısı filmi 1925’te ilk kez gösterime girdiğinde sadece Moskova’da tek bir sinemada ve sadece bir hafta oynatılır. Halktan ilgi görmez. Bolşevik hükümet de kendi siparişleri olmasına rağmen filmi desteklemez. Film depoyu boylar. Ardından Mayakovsky’nin araya girmesiyle negatifler depodan alınır ve Berlin’e gönderilir. Ünlü Alman yönetmen Piel Jutzi tarafından 45 km’yi bulan negatifler baştan aşağı yeniden trim edilir ve 1.7 km uzunluğunda izlenebilir bir film oluşturulur. Uluslararası bir PR çalışmasıyla Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Mary Pickford gibi zamanın Hollywood ünlülerinin, elçilerin, konsolosların katılımıyla film 17 Aralık 1926’da Berlin’de gösterilir. Berlin’deki galayı izleyen günlerde Amerikan ve İngiliz basınının da eşgüdümlü parlatmasıyla film bir sanat başyapıtı olarak, Sergei Eisenstein da bir deha olarak dünyaya tanıtılır. Continue reading ““Bejin Çayırı”, Shumyatsky ve Babel’i idama götüren bir test miydi? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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Was “Bezhin Meadow” a test bringing Shumyatsky and Babel to execution? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

1st Appendix to our article “Understanding the prodigy of Sergei Eisenstein”

In 1925 The film Potemkin Battleship of Sergei Eisenstein + Grigory Alexandrov was only shown in Moscow in just one cinema and only for a week. People were not interested. The Bolshevik government did not support the film even though it was its own orders. The film was removed to storage. Then, with the intervention of Mayakovsky, the negatives were taken from the depot and sent to Berlin. The famous German director Piel Jutzi was commissioned to re-trim the 45 km long negatives to reform a viewable 1.7 km movie. With an international PR work, the film was shown in Berlin on December 17, 1926 with the participation of Hollywood celebrities like Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Mary Pickford and embassies, consuls from various countries. In the days following this glaze in Berlin, the film was introduced as a masterpiece of art and Sergei Eisenstein as a genius all over the world, with the coordinated publications of the American and British press. Continue reading “Was “Bezhin Meadow” a test bringing Shumyatsky and Babel to execution? – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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Understanding the prodigy of Sergei Eisenstein – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies

Tamiji Naito, Boris Pasternak, Eisenstein, Olga Tretyakova, Lilya Brik, Mayakovsky…


Note: This study is being elaborated by revisions and appendixes. The Log of revisions is located at then end of the article.

Known for his leftist identity, Ken Livingston’s victory in London municipal elections in 2000 created excitement in the left circles in the UK as well as around the world. One detail that escaped from the eyes was that Ken Livingston participated the municipal elections as an independent candidate from the party, even though he was a member of the Labor Party. Simple tactical explanations were invented to explain this strangeness. We can, however, try to better understand this tactical choice through Eisenstein’s story we present below, within the framework of deep decomposition on the left, whose roots go back to 1908 and 1916.

Continue reading “Understanding the prodigy of Sergei Eisenstein – Ali Polat, Engin Kurtay”

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Rusya’dan Notlar -2 – Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies


USS Donald Cook: Karadeniz’in ortasında kalakalmış bir kurbanlık koyun..

Rostov-on-Don’da Pushkinskaya Caddesi’nde yürüyüş yapmak başlıbaşına bir keyif. Burası, araç trafiğine kapalı, ağaç ve çiçekleriyle ve her köşebaşında kahve satan kulübeleriyle, park kıvamında, kent sakinlerinin bisiklet, paten, kaykaylarla gezdikleri popüler bir cadde. Kentin rekreasyon alanlarıyla ilgili olarak burada özellikle vurgulamaya değer ayrıntılar şöyle: Continue reading “Rusya’dan Notlar -2 – Engin Kurtay”

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Rusya’dan Notlar -1 – Engin Kurtay

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies


Uliana Lopatkina

– “Yarın akşam baleye gidelim mi?”
– “Harika, gidelim tabii ki!” dedim.
– “Nasıl yani, bale seviyor musun? Sıkılmanı istemem.”
– “Niye sevmeyeyim ki?”
– “Türkler bale sevmez diye bilirim”
– “Haberin yok galiba, Türk konservatuarları ve İstanbul Devlet Opera Balesi Avrupa’da başa yarışır.” Continue reading “Rusya’dan Notlar -1 – Engin Kurtay”

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Venja’nın Moskova-Petushki Yolculuğu – Dr. Nicoleta Marinescu

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies


Venedikt Yerofeyev’in Venja’sı…

Dr. Nicoleta Marinescu’nun Rus yazar Venedikt Yerofeyev’in geçtiğimiz aylarda Türkçe’ye çevrilen ve tiyatrosu da oynanan Moskova-Petushki kitabı üzerine incelemesini yayımlıyoruz. Türkiye’nin iç siyasetini de yakından izleyen Dr. Marinescu, Yerofeyev’in kahramanı Venja’da betimlediği “gerici aydın” pozisyonunu Türkiye’nin yakın zamana kadar medya, akademi ve siyaset dünyasında egemen olmuş sivil-toplumcu-liberal-solcu postmodern aydın tipine benzetir. Dr. Marinescu, Yerofeyev’in bu kült yapıtına alışılmıştan çok farklı bir okuma ile yaklaşır: aydınlanma pusulasını kaybetmiş entelektüelin trajedisine de ışık tutarken diğer yandan kendiyle yüzleşecek cesareti bulması halinde oyunun trajik bir sonla bitmeyebileceğini, uyanışla devam edebileceğine işaret eder. Continue reading “Venja’nın Moskova-Petushki Yolculuğu – Dr. Nicoleta Marinescu”

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Alex Krainer speaks on Bill Browder and the Magnitsky Act

Istanbul Institute of
Russian and Sovietic Studies


Bill Browder, the Magnitsky Act, and anti-Russia sanctions: Interview with Alex Krainer, by Sott Media.

“Bill Browder, the false crusader for justice and human rights and the self-styled No. 1 enemy of Vladimir Putin has perpetrated a brazen and dangerous deception upon the Western world. This book traces the anatomy of this deception, unmasking the powerful forces that are pushing the Western world toward yet another great war with Russia.“

Alex Krainer
THE KILLING OF WILLIAM BROWDER
Equilibrium, Monaco, 2017