Howard Amos

The Family Memoirs Uncovering a Different History of the 20th Century Julia Ioffe’s ‘Motherland,’ Lea Ypi’s ‘Indignity’ and Olia Hercules’ ‘Strong Roots’ place women at the center of revolutions and their aftermath

NEW: Three new books — Julia Ioffe’s ‘Motherland,’ Lea Ypi’s ‘Indignity’ and Olia Hercules’ ‘Strong Roots’— use family memoir to illuminate the lives of women in 20th-century Eastern Europe, writes @howardamos.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/essays/the-f...

Russia Starts Here

Sean Guillory & Rusana Novikova interviewing @howardamos.bsky.social about his book, 'Russia Starts Here: Real Lives in the Ruins of Empire', for @euraknot.bsky.social.

Falling Out of Love With Sports — And the Russian Regime A champion snowboarder didn’t want to bite the hand that fed her, but Moscow’s attack on Ukraine strengthened her moral conviction

From the @newlinesmag.bsky.social  archives:
When it comes to sportswashing, Russia is an expert. @howardamos.bsky.social  speaks to the Olympian champion snowboarder who quit Moscow for exile.

Russia Starts Here | The Eurasian Knot Get more from The Eurasian Knot on Patreon

A privilege to be interviewed by Sean and Rusana about my book 'Russia Starts Here' for the venerable and brilliant Eurasian Knot podcast (@euraknot.bsky.social):
www.patreon.com/posts/russia...

Many congratulations to @howardamos
- we're absolutely thrilled that his brilliant book Russia Starts Here has been shortlisted for the first Sherborne Prize for Travel Writing! 🥳🎉

Russia Above Ground, Russia Below Ground A deep dive into dissident spaces that exist under the radar

Interesting chat with Aaron for the @bearmarketbrief.bsky.social podcast about my book, 'Russia Starts Here': bearmarketbrief.substack.com/p/russia-abo...

This was Russia today Monday, November 3, 2025 — Meduza

In today's Meduza newsletter, I offer you a tease of an episode in the new season of Russia Underground, an excellent podcast from @howardamos.bsky.social and Nina Berezner.

meduza.io/en/brief/202...

Will be quizzed by the ever-forensic @peterleonard1.bsky.social about my book 'Russia Starts Here' at Clifton Literary Festival in Bristol on Nov. 15. Do come along if you're in the area! Tickets here: foccal.com/litfest-even...

How a Classic Russian Opera Became a Work of Protest ‘Boris Godunov’ has become a focal point for diverse interpretations of power, particularly in light of the war in Ukraine

The 19th-century opera “Boris Godunov” has become a focal point for diverse interpretations of power, particularly in light of Russia’s war in Ukraine, reports @howardamos.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social

And the third ('Reading as Defiance') is about books and censorship, featuring interviews with booksellers, publishers and book club organisers
open.spotify.com/episode/2wSg...

The second ('Covert Curricula') takes you inside history teaching in Russian schools - how strong is state control? Is there room for subversion? We spoke to teachers and parents
open.spotify.com/episode/0r9z...

The first episode of the mini-series ('Family History') is about how the state's increasing control of public history (universities, museums, etc.) is making people turn inward and fuelling a boom of interest in genealogy
open.spotify.com/episode/6zrZ...

Russia Underground A podcast on survival and non-violent resistance

Excited to announce that the podcast I host - Russia Underground - has just released a new mini-series! We speak to those inside Russia who oppose the regime. Can they resist? What compromises must they make? Please have a listen:
russiaunderground.live

How a Classic Russian Opera Became a Work of Protest ‘Boris Godunov’ has become a focal point for diverse interpretations of power, particularly in light of the war in Ukraine

NEW: The 19th-century opera “Boris Godunov” has become a focal point for diverse interpretations of power, particularly in light of Russia’s war in Ukraine, reports @howardamos.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social

newlinesmag.com/review/how-a...

How a Classic Russian Opera Became a Work of Protest ‘Boris Godunov’ has become a focal point for diverse interpretations of power, particularly in light of the war in Ukraine

For @newlinesmag.bsky.social, I wrote about Mussorgsky's opera 'Boris Godunov' and how it has been staged in both Russia and the West - and as both pro-Putin and anti-Putin - since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine:
newlinesmag.com/review/how-a...

The price of opposition Shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the émigré Russian journalist Andrei Soldatov, who was fiercely opposed to the Kremlin’s actions, found himself in tears at an...

I reviewed @andreisoldatov.bsky.social and Irina Borogan's compelling and insightful new book 'Our Dear Friends in Moscow: The Inside Story of a Broken Generation' for the @thetls.bsky.social:
www.the-tls.com/politics-by-...

Russia Starts Here: Real Lives in the Ruins of Empire To understand the darkness capturing Russia, we journey through a landscape of small towns, re-wilding fields and dilapidated churches

Speaking next Monday (6th October) at King's Russia Institute about 'Russia Starts Here'. Tickets are free. Please come along!
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/russia-sta...

Thrilled to see that 'Russia Starts Here' by @howardamos.bsky.social has been longlisted in the debut non-fiction category of The Saltires, Scotland's National Book Awards! 🥳 #booksky #SaltireBookAwards

That's great to hear! So glad you're enjoying it

Big honour that 'Russia Starts Here' has been longlisted for Scotland's National Book Awards 2025

The Best Nonfiction Books on Russia: The 2025 Pushkin House Prize The Pushkin House Book Prize is awarded annually for a nonfiction book that encourages "public understanding and intelligent debate about Russia." Political scientist Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, chair of…

"This observational acuteness brings out for the reader an understanding of why Russians might be supporting Putin, why they so senselessly support the war in Ukraine."
fivebooks.com/best-books/r...

Rescuers in Norway resume search for journalist missing in wilderness Bad weather hampers search for Alec Luhn after he set out for solo hike in remote Folgefonna national park Rescuers in Norway have resumed the search for an award-winning environmental journalist who has gone missing in bad weather during a solo hike in the remote Folgefonna national park, home to one of the country’s biggest glaciers. Alec Luhn, a US-born reporter who has worked for the New York Times and the Atlantic and was a regular Russia correspondent for the Guardian from 2013 to 2017, was reported missing on Monday after he failed to catch a flight from Bergen. Continue reading...

Rescuers in Norway resume search for journalist missing in wilderness

Find it out, write it down, get it out there. Leonid Bershidsky remembers pioneering journalist Derk Sauer — Meduza Derk Sauer, who died in Amsterdam on Thursday at the age of 72, was a figure of rare consequence in the history of post-Soviet journalism. A former reporter and editor in the Netherlands, he departed…

Derk Sauer, who died in Amsterdam on Thursday at the age of 72, was a figure of rare consequence in the history of post-Soviet journalism. Leonid Bershidsky, the first editor-in-chief of Sauer's storied Vedomosti newspaper, offers this remembrance. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

Pjotr Sauer schrijft een afscheidscolumn voor zijn overleden vader Derk: ‘Ik ga ontelbaar veel dingen aan hem missen’

Pjotr Sauer schrijft een afscheidscolumn voor zijn overleden vader Derk: ‘Ik ga ontelbaar veel dingen aan hem missen’

I will be speaking about my book 'Russia Starts Here' with Joshua Yaffa on Thursday evening in Berlin - do come along!
www.shakespeareandsons.com/pages/26-6-m...

"Russia Starts Here reminded me of the surveys of Russian peasants that were written in the late 18th and early 19th centuries... which did so much to change perceptions of ordinary Russians amongst the ruling classes. This book has the potential to do the same for a western audience."

🟥 Putin picks Trump over Iran Hello and welcome to the first edition of our new English-language newsletter—your essential guide to Russian politics and economics.

🟥 please welcome the first edition of our new English-language newsletter—your essential guide to Russian politics and economics. this time our main stories are about why Putin picks Trump over Iran and DME airport ownership saga

subscribe and spread the word! faridaily.substack.com/p/putin-pick...

A Frozen Conflict: The Dilemmas of Seizing Russia’s Money for Ukraine | International Crisis Group Several countries froze Russian assets after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but legal and economic hurdles make it hard to confiscate these funds to support Kyiv. In this Q&A, Crisis Group explai...

Thinking of seizing some frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine? This new Q&A from the @crisisgroup.org team lays out the facts, the arguments and the impediments (legal and otherwise) thoughtfully, concretely, and in detail.

‘She lived without fear’: daughter of Chechen activist publishes book she vowed to pen after mother’s murder Lana Estemirova promised to tell story of her mother, a renowned human rights activist. This month it is published

Wrote this on Lana Estemirova’s new book Please Live, about her mother Natalia, the rights activist murdered in Chechnya in 2009, her work and their relationship.

It’s a powerful, beautiful read - can’t recommend highly enough.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

The Best Nonfiction Books on Russia: The 2025 Pushkin House Prize The Pushkin House Book Prize is awarded annually for a nonfiction book that encourages "public understanding and intelligent debate about Russia." Political scientist Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, chair of…

NEW: "I hope I’ve done them all justice. They’re incredible books." Political scientist ‪@gulnazsharaf.bsky.social‬ talks us through the shortlist of this year's Pushkin House Book Prize, awarded annually for a nonfiction book about Russia:
fivebooks.com/best-books/r...