Rights in Russia

• Podcast Then & Now #35: Teresa Cherfas in conversation with theatre director Alexander Molochnikov

  3 October 2025Welcome to the 35th edition of our Russian-language podcast Then & Now with me, Teresa CherfasOur guest today is actor and theatre director Alexander Molochnikov.Alexander Molochnikov (personal archive)In this podcast we are making a break from our usual Russian-language format. This is because our guest has chosen not to speak in his mother tongue. At the age of just 22, he was the youngest director ever to stage a production at the legendary Moscow Arts Theatre. In 2022, aged 29, he had two productions running concurrently on two different stages of the Bolshoi Theatre – one a comic opera, the other a ballet based on Chekhov’s Seagull, for which he won the Golden Mask award. Then on 24th February, 2022, Putin invaded Ukraine…His latest production, Seagull: True Story – a play that is so meta it has your head spinning – is currently on tour in London from New York. He has described it as his third Seagull, but only the second to fly.This podcast was recorded on 2 October 2025.[You can find on the Internet two recent Russian-language interviews Alexander Molochnikov has given to Yury Dud and Mikhail Zygar.]QuestionsThis podcast is about the time before and after the so-called Special Military Operation. What do you remember about the 24th of February 2022?You’ve described your current production in London – Seagull: True Story – as your third Seagull, but only the second to fly. What happened to the one that never took off?When did you decide you could no longer live in Russia?This is the first time we’ve done this podcast for Rights in Russia with a native Russian speaker in English. Is your decision not to speak Russian a political statement?What happened to your stage productions that were still in repertoire in Moscow after you left?Unlike many of your compatriots in the arts, you had a plan. What was that plan?You were a student at Columbia University in New York. What were your impressions of classes there?How did these experiences at Columbia inform the rehearsal process for your latest production: “Seagull: True Story”? How did you work with the actors to build the story and write the script?In Seagull: True Story, you make the point that the profit margin and commercial viability dictate what gets produced on stage in America and that that is every bit as restrictive on artistic expression as political censorship in Russia. What is your own personal experience of this in New York?I completely loved the theatricality of Seagull: True Story – it had an energy and a playfulness, using movement, mime, and props that made it an unmistakably theatrical experience. What is your experience of watching or taking part in theatre productions in the States, or indeed, London since you’re here?There’s a fantastic and surreal scene in it, where Putin, bare-chested on a horse appears to Kon, the director, in his dreams. And yet, there’s no Trump anywhere and no overt mention of the parallels between Putin’s Russia and Trump’s America.Do you think such parallels can be drawn?Kon, your alter-ego, if you like, is desperate to go back to Russia, to visit his mum, to mourn the death of his close friend, who died in a penal colony for speaking out against the war, but he can’t. It’s actually a very moving scene. Do you wish you could go back to Russia for a visit?On the one year anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, you posted on social media: “A year ago, at 6:30 a.m., I wrote: “Forgive us.” Today I know you won’t forgive me. I’m 30, I plan to live another 50-70, and I believe I’ll see the day when you will forgive me.” What makes you think that?What’s up next for you after Seagull: True Story? Where do you see yourself, professionally, in 10 or 20 years?

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• Podcast Then & Now #33 - Teresa Cherfas in conversation with Lana Estemirova

  18 July 2025by Teresa CherfasWelcome to the 33rd edition of our Russian-language podcast Then & Now with me, Teresa CherfasOn 15 July 2009, Chechen human rights activist and member of the management committee of the human rights organization “Memorial,” Natalia Estemirova, was murdered. She was abducted near her home in Grozny and taken by car across the border to Ingushetia, where she was shot five times in the chest. The killers fled, leaving her body at the scene of the crime. Her only child was 15 years old. That child recently published a book about her mother, Please Live, and its author is our guest today – Lana Estemirova. My QuestionsOur podcast is called Then and Now, and most often it’s about how the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia has impacted people’s lives and perceptions. You wrote in your book that few people cared about your mother’s murder, or the Russian-Chechen wars, or the constant human rights violations, and that all these were but brief mentions at the end of the news, or cursory minutes of international meetings, if at all. By the time Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, you wrote, it was too late. What does that date mean for you now?In your book, you write warmly about your relatives in Russia and in Chechnya. Are you in touch with them? Is there a difference between Chechens’ and Russians’ perceptions of the war in Ukraine?I imagine it cannot have been easy to write your book. What was the process of writing like? Did you struggle to find your voice?How would you describe your mother to people who didn’t know her?Your mother’s close friend, Anna Politkovskaya, was killed in the entrance to her apartment building in Moscow in 2006. Do you remember that day? Were you worried about your mother and her safety?Your book clearly outlines the stages of the Chechen wars and of Ramzan Kadyrov’s rise to power. How did you feel about him and his influence on your lives? I’m thinking about your protest against compulsory headscarves for schoolgirls, for example.Two days ago was the anniversary of the murder of your mother, Natalia Estemirova. The title of your book, Please Live, is a direct reference to that day. I read your account of how you learned of your mother’s death , about your reactions and emotions on the day and the immediate aftermath, and of how they changed and evolved over time, of your rage and sadness and your final acceptance of what had happened. These are almost indescribable feelings, and yet you describe them in unforgettable language. What were the most important lessons for you?. After all, the last sentence of your book is: “Happiness is victory.” What did you mean by that?You recently became a mother yourself. Tell us about your feelings toward your baby daughter. What will you tell her about her grandmother?You can read Teresa Cherfas’ review of Please Live. The Chechen Wars, My Mother and Me by Lana Estemirova here.

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• Podcast Then & Now #30 – Teresa Cherfas in conversation with Andrey Shary

  Welcome to the 30th edition of our Russian-language podcast Then & Now with me, Teresa Cherfas. Since the very first episode of this podcast, ‘Then and Now’ has referred to the rupture in people’s lives caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today, ‘Then and Now’ is equally applicable to the havoc raised in people’s lives across the world, as a result of President Trump’s first few months in office in his second term.On 15 March, the Trump administration announced that it was freezing funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, including its Russian Service. Since the Cold War, Radio Liberty has broadcast in Russian, among other languages, and has played a significant role in spreading democratic values and an understanding of human rights in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, including Russia, of course. President Trump’s decision to freeze Radio Liberty’s budget will deal a serious blow to Russian-speaking listeners in Russia and elsewhere.My guest today is Andrey Shary, head of Radio Liberty’s Russian Service in Prague. This podcast was recorded on 10 April 2025My questionsPresident Trump doesn’t always cite accurate data when he announces a new White House initiative. Tell us about the resources and the current work of Radio Liberty’s Russian Service. How many hours does it broadcast and on what platforms? How many staff does it employ and what is the size of its audience? What is your budget?What is the current situation with the implementation of President Trump’s executive order? We know that on 25 March a U.S. District Judge issued a restraining order that delayed the immediate shutdown of RFE’s operations.Tell us about the Czech Government’s initiative to save Radio Liberty. We also know that there have been motions put forward for the EU to intervene with support for Radio Liberty.What plans for saving Radio Liberty do you think are most promising among those being discussed in Prague right now. How do you personally feel about what is happening now? Do you see a possible way out of the situation?What role can Radio Liberty play in a world in which America has abandoned its traditional role as leader of the free world?Tell us a little about your own work at Radio Liberty – you’ve been working there for many years. What are some of your most memorable moments and impressions?When President Putin announced the start of the ‘special military operation’ in February 2022, how did you, as head of Radio Liberty’s Russian Service, respond? Did you set yourself new directives and objectives? Did you create new radio or online projects?What can you tell us about listeners’ feedback? Have you seen a rise in demand for Radio Liberty’s broadcast and online content since the start of the war with Ukraine? Which formats are most in demand among listeners?Perhaps the most important goal of Radio Liberty, established during the Cold War, was to demonstrate why democracy and freedom are worth fighting for. Do you believe that there’s still an audience for those ideals in Putin’s Russia now?Today, we see the suppression of democracy and democratic values in both Russia and America. Democracy is threatened by populist tendencies around the world, including in Europe, undermined by disinformation and all kinds of so-called hybrid warfare. What role can Radio Liberty play in this ideological war?

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• Podcast Then & Now #29 - Teresa Cherfas in conversation with Alissa Timoshkina

  My guest today is Alissa Timoshkina. Originally from Omsk in Siberia, Alyssa left Russia to study in England at the age of 15. She has been living and working in London ever since. She is the author of two cookery books – but cookery books with a difference. The first came out six years ago and is called Salt and Time: recipes from a Russian Kitchen, and the second about the cuisine of Eastern Europe, was published more recently and is called simply Kapusta. Between publication of her first and second book, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For Alissa, 24 February 2022 really did cut her life in two: “Then and Now”. In our podcast she explains why.This podcast was recorded on 13 March 2025My QuestionsDo you remember how you felt on the day Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago?You took a decision to help Ukrainians. Tell us about this initiative.What does home cooking mean for you? What are your most vivid memories from childhood? Were there any particular dishes you made for yourself in England as a teenager when you were missing family back home, to remind you of them? The title of your second book is Kapusta. What associations does this word have for you?You write in your book that food is the language of unity. But there are no recipes from Russia in the book. Even familiar recipes like borscht or sauerkraut or potato fritters are attributed to other countries or peoples. Why is that?If you were to hold your first book, about Russian cuisine, in your hands today, what would your thoughts be? When did you first realise that you were Jewish? What does it mean to you?You have written that your favourite pursuits are history and cooking. How have you managed to combine them in your professional life?Do you think of Russia as your Motherland? Or is that no longer possible for you?

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• Podcast Then & Now #28 - Teresa Cherfas in conversation with Natalia Soprunova

  Welcome to the twenty-eighth edition of our Russian-language podcast Then & Now with me, Teresa Cherfas. My guest today is Natalia Soprunova, a mathematician, teacher and mother of four children. Her story is so inspiring that it is immediately obvious how much Putin’s Russia has lost as a result of the wave of emigration that followed the start of the invasion of Ukraine. Very soon it will be the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian armed forces and the beginning of a full-scale war against a sovereign state. Hundreds of thousands of citizens of the Russian Federation left their country after 24 February 2022. Each had their own reasons, their own fears and dilemmas. Each had a different choice. Today, we hear the story of one of them – Natalia Soprunova. This podcast was recorded on 13 January 2025.My questionsTell us a little bit about yourself, about your family. What has been important to you in your life? What moral principles have you followed.You are a mathematician and educator. Tell us about your professional career in Russia and how it developed.What was your inspiration when you decided to found your private school – Moscow School Workshop – in Moscow? How did it differ from state schools?Could you have imagined that your professional world could experience a complete collapse so quickly and irrevocably?Why did you decide to leave Russia? When you learned war had broken out – what did you think and when did you make the decision to leave and why? What was your main fear and your main reason?Tell us how it was. You have, after all, four children….What is the fate of the children who studied with you at the Moscow Workshop School? And your teachers?You and your family now live in Berlin. Tell us about the journey that took you there…You joined the Russian Lyceum, which already existed in Munich. What kind of school is it?How did the idea of Online Master School come about? Is it a virtual continuation of your school in Moscow?What does this teaching work mean for you? And for the children and their parents?Your experience as a teacher and the practical application of a new approach to teaching children – is that relevant to today’s Russia? What do you think about the system of education now in Russia?How do you see the future? Yours and the future of your children?These days some people are returning to Russia – the reasons are different: residence permits are not renewed or not granted, there are no jobs or sources of income. What do you think about this?What is your attitude to people who have not left Russia?Would you return to Russia? What would have to happen for this to become realistic for you? And the children? Is this new generation already lost to Russia?

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