Jonny Tickle is joined in person by Jeremy Morris for a rare walk-and-talk episode recorded in Moscow at the end of his research trip. They discuss first impressions from Moscow, Penza and St Petersburg, focusing on the small, everyday details that are easy to miss but reveal deeper economic and social shifts.

The conversation explores churn in the hospitality sector, labour shortages, changing migration patterns and the uneven realities of the war economy, from packed holiday weekends to empty midweek cafés. They compare Moscow with the regions, asking what you can only learn by being there, and why conversations in kitchens, bars and on the street often tell a different story from polling and media narratives.

They also discuss shifting expectations about the future, from postponed life plans to a broader sense of pessimism, alongside the resilience of small businesses and the lingering legacy of Soviet-era infrastructure. The episode ends with a wider reflection on fieldwork, access and the limits of studying Russia from a distance.

This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.