English

Article Critique Name Institution Course and Code Professor Date Article Critique Article 1 In his article " Post-Soviet Russia: The Land of the Oil Curse, Pussy Riot, and Magical Historicism," Alexander Etkind examines the peculiarities and challenges of modern Russia. Etkind (2014) states that post-Soviet Russia's problem areas are the usage of oil resources as the driving force for economic growth, the sociopolitical situation in terms of such factors as Pussy Riot movement, and a cultural construct called 'magical historicism.' While viewed collectively, all these components provide a picture of a nation searching for its identity and suffering from the consequences of an authoritarian regime. Etkind (2014) looks at the validity of the oil curse hypothesis, which asserts that nations possessing rich reserves of oil and many other types of natural resources often experience negative political and economic effects. Regarding Russia, it has been seen that the availability of fortunes through oil has furthered autocratic and corrupt systems and has not allowed the development of democracy and economic pluralism. Therefore, the concentration of wealth and power has led to increased inequality and has also made the economy vulnerable, leading it to rely heavily on changes in the price of oil. This, in turn, resulted in a culture of corruption and wastage that hinders sustainable development and growth. As a significant political and cultural event that exposes tensions in Russian society, the analysis focuses on the Pussy Riot case. Groups such as Femen and Russian Pussy Riot protested against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s administration and the harsh treatment the girls received after the protest served as a reminder to the Russian regime that the fight for free speech in Russia continues. Etkind (2014) sees this act as a result of the tension between an expanding civil society eager to assert its liberties and rights on the one hand and an authoritarian state on the other. The attention that Pussy Riot has received on the international level is explained by the importance of cultural opposition as an expression of opposition and the international dimension of Russia...