About Us

The Russia Program at The George Washington University is a data-driven analytical center dedicated to advancing evidence-based research on Russia’s society, politics, and economy. We harness emerging digital technologies to study semi-closed societies, producing policy relevant analysis, while training the next generation of scholars in innovative research methods—accessible even to those without formal technical backgrounds.

We believe that data allows us to look into the dark, not just under the streetlight.

Our mission is to move beyond opinion-driven commentary and toward rigorous, evidence-based analysis that illuminates Russia in all its objective complexity.

OUR LEADERSHIP

The Russia Program U.S.

The George Washington University

Ivan Grek

Director, U.S. Chapter

grek@gwu.edu

The Russia Program Europe

Paris 8 University

Kevin Limonier

Director, EU Chapter

kevin.limonier@gmail.com

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WHAT OUR ECOSYSTEM OFFERS

We Publish

Academic Policy Papers

Timely preprints delivering rigorous analysis on urgent policy issues, bridging the gap between the long cycle of academic publishing and the immediacy of policymaking needs.

Russia.Post

Our expert media platform, publishing near-daily evidence-driven articles, op-eds, and reviews. It features perspectives from Russians in exile and inside the country, as well as critical analysis of think tank research and policy debates.

Academic Publications

Pre-prints, books, and edited volumes that advance scholarship on Russia, Eurasia, and international affairs in original research, archival work, and transparent evidence.

We Create

Digital Research Lab & School

Develops cutting-edge digital methods and public tools, produces original research, and runs a hands-on training school for studying semi-closed societies.

Special Projects

Oral history archives the Putin–Bush era politicians and actors on both sides, oral histories of American entrepreneurs in Russia, and other unique documentation initiatives.

Business–Policy Interface

Investigates the intersection of commerce and strategy, highlighting how business relations with Russia can inform policy debates.