Share
Next Year in Moscow
Understand why the war in Ukraine began, how it might end and what the future holds for Russia.
Latest episode
Next Year in Moscow: Trailer
03:48When the shelling of Ukraine began a year ago, free-thinking Russians faced a fateful choice: lie low, resist or flee. Hundreds of thousands decided to leave. For them the war meant the future of Russia itself was now in doubt.The Economist's Arkady Ostrovsky finds out what happened to these exiles for a new podcast series. Their stories help solve the mystery of why this senseless war began – and how it might end. New episodes will be released weekly on Saturdays.For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/moscowoffer
More episodes
View all episodes
1. Next Year in Moscow 1: This damn year
34:45For Russians opposed to Vladimir Putin, everything changed the moment they awoke to news of the invasion of Ukraine a year ago. They felt a range of emotions: pain, fury and shame. And they had to figure out what to do next. The Economist’s Arkady Ostrovsky has been speaking to them, because their stories help solve the mystery of why this senseless war began – and how it might end.New episodes will be released weekly on Saturdays.For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/moscowoffer2. Next Year in Moscow 2: A beautiful life
34:39A decade ago Russia's middle class was larger and richer than it had ever been. “Russians are OK” was the title of a popular YouTube channel. But Vladimir Putin’s return to power sparked unprecedented protests as two very different visions of Russia vied for dominance. New episodes will be released weekly on Saturdays.For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/moscowoffer3. Next Year in Moscow 3: Baggage
37:12In one sense, the war did not really begin in 2022. It did not even begin in Ukraine. It started the first time Vladimir Putin invaded one of Russia’s neighbours and got away with it. That was 15 years ago, in Georgia. And in the same place Joseph Stalin, author of the Soviet empire’s darkest chapter, was born. New episodes released on Saturdays.For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/moscowoffer4. Next Year in Moscow 4: Hostages
37:57Chulpan Khamatova is one of Russia's best-loved actors. Once courted by Vladimir Putin, she now lives in exile in Latvia. Her work and fame brought access to the key protagonists in Russia’s recent past. It’s a unique vantage point to contemplate the nature of evil—and its antidote.The next episode will be released on Saturday April 1st 2023.For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/moscowoffer5. Next Year in Moscow 5: Through the forest
40:27When the full scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, anti-war Russians began quoting the work of the great novelist Leo Tolstoy. Grigory Sverdlin has been fighting back, as Tolstoy prescribed, with acts of empathy and kindness—from helping homeless people to aiding Russians dodge the draft. New episodes released on Saturdays.For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/moscowoffer6. Next Year in Moscow 6: Remote work
42:51Soon after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin imposed strict media laws that criminalised any reporting of the truth. Independent journalists working abroad are providing an alternative to the powerful narrative that is broadcast 24/7 on state television. Can emigrés still have an impact on the silent majority inside Russia?New episodes released on Saturdays.For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/moscowoffer