April 03, 2023

Too Free for Russia


Too Free for Russia
The Russian Prosecutor General's office Photo bank Moscow-Live, Flickr

The Russian Prosecutor General's office has declared the Free University an "undesirable" organization. “Undesirable” organizations are prohibited from working in Russia, and administrative and criminal penalties may follow for any cooperation with such organizations.

According to the Russian Prosecutor General's press service, the teaching staff of the Free University "popularizes the activities of organizations recognized as extremist in the territory of the Russian Federation" and uses literature with an "anti-Russian character."

The press service also said that students of the university are "forming a persistent hostility to Russia” and that the organizational structure of the university includes people who "question the territorial integrity of the Russian state” and "publicly condemn the actions and decisions of the Russian authorities."

The Free University was established in 2020 by professors dismissed from leading Russian universities on political grounds. The university espouses the values of academic freedom and autonomy and offers free online courses.

Kirill Martynov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe and a co-founder of the university, tweeted that the Free University will continue to work despite the new status, but will review safety protocols. "You yourself are undesirable," he replied to the Russian government.

Another co-founder of the university, professor Hasan Huseynov, said in an interview that students and teachers who are in Russia and Belarus may have to leave those countries. However, according to Meduza, most of the Free University teaching staff are already outside Russia. Many left after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Currently, there are 77 organizations on the Russian list of "undesirables.” Among them are the forum Free Russia registered in Lithuania; the American non-governmental organization Andrei Sakharov Foundation; and the popular publication Meduza. Transparency International, a respected international anti-corruption non-governmental organization headquartered in Berlin, was also recently included in the list.

 

 

 

 

You Might Also Like

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955