Three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Eastern European breakaway states of Transnistria, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia exist in a sort of geopolitical limbo. Born out of wars that ended in deadlocks in the early 1990s, these self-governing regions remain unrecognized by most of the world and dependent on Russia’s backing. This isolation presents a unique set of challenges for cultural creatives living and working in these regions, as well as for journalists trying to help them tell their stories to the wider world. To find out more about the evolving contemporary cultures of Transnistria, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia, The Naked Pravda turns to Calvert Journal features editor Katie Marie Davies. 

Timestamps for this week’s episode:

• (2:19) Summarizing recent analysis and expert opinions from Michael Kofman, Leonid Bershidsky, Fyodor Lukyanov, Andrey Kortunov, Alexander Baunov, and Vladimir Denisov.
• (7:11) The Kadyrov regime’s war on the Yangulbayev family in Chechnya.
• (9:18) A new documentary film about Alexey Navalny, and Russia’s continued crackdown on the imprisoned opposition leader’s anti-corruption movement.
• (10:47) After German regulators pull the plug on Russia Today, Moscow responds by kicking out Deutsche Welle.
• (12:02) Calvert Journal features editor Katie Marie Davies discusses the challenges faced by creatives building new cultures in Eastern Europe’s breakaway states. 

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