Russia Unfiltered

James C Pearce, Jeremy Morris and Jonny Tickle examine the sudden mobile internet outages across central Moscow and what they reveal about how a hyper-digital city functions when connectivity breaks down. They discuss the practical consequences, from payments and taxis to everyday routines that now depend entirely on mobile data, and why even short disruptions expose deeper vulnerabilities in a system built on constant connectivity.The conversation explores competing explanations, from security measures and infrastructure testing to a broader pattern of increasing control over digital space. They look at the logic behind restricting access not just to platforms but to the internet itself, and how this fits into a wider trend of tightening oversight during wartime.They also turn to the future of messaging in Russia, including the push toward domestic alternatives like Max, the resilience of Telegram, and the growing arms race between regulation and workarounds such as VPNs and alternative apps. Along the way, they discuss fraud, digital dependence, and whether Russia is moving toward a more controlled, self-contained internet model.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

Jonny Tickle is joined in person by Jeremy Morris for a rare walk-and-talk episode recorded in Moscow at the end of his research trip. They discuss first impressions from Moscow, Penza and St Petersburg, focusing on the small, everyday details that are easy to miss but reveal deeper economic and social shifts.The conversation explores churn in the hospitality sector, labour shortages, changing migration patterns and the uneven realities of the war economy, from packed holiday weekends to empty midweek cafés. They compare Moscow with the regions, asking what you can only learn by being there, and why conversations in kitchens, bars and on the street often tell a different story from polling and media narratives.They also discuss shifting expectations about the future, from postponed life plans to a broader sense of pessimism, alongside the resilience of small businesses and the lingering legacy of Soviet-era infrastructure. The episode ends with a wider reflection on fieldwork, access and the limits of studying Russia from a distance.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

Jonny Tickle, Jeremy Morris and James C Pearce discuss two major developments shaping Russia in 2026: the sustainability of the wartime economy and the potential shutdown of Telegram.The first half of the episode examines a recent Economist article arguing that Russia’s economy has entered a “death zone,” where military spending sustains headline growth while gradually eroding long-term productive capacity. The trio debate whether the war economy is merely stagnant or structurally self-destructive, touching on oil revenues, investment shortages, high interest rates, mortgage growth, consumer confidence, savings disparities, and the limits of fiscal resilience. They also ask what a post-war Russian economy might look like and whether Western policymakers are prepared for that scenario.The second half turns to the possible throttling or banning of Telegram. The discussion explores how central the platform has become for news, commentary, commerce, and everyday communication, and whether blocking it would strengthen state control or unintentionally drive more Russians toward VPNs and alternative information spaces. They consider comparisons with China’s internet controls, Russia’s attempts to promote the state-backed app Max, and the broader question of how information control intersects with economic stress.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

James C Pearce, Jeremy Morris and Jonny Tickle discuss Russian emigration past and present, asking how today’s departures compare with earlier waves that followed the Revolution, the Second World War and the late Soviet period. They explore who leaves, who returns and why, highlighting the role of class, mobility and professional capital in shaping the ability to build a life abroad.The conversation examines the distinctive character of the post-2022 exodus: younger, urban and often globally employable, yet not always driven purely by ideology. The trio consider whether exile weakens political legitimacy, why opposition movements abroad have struggled to build authority inside Russia, and what history suggests about the long-term influence of émigré communities.They also discuss identity and assimilation, the tension between maintaining ties to Russia while adapting to new societies, and the practical barriers many emigrants face, from visa restrictions to financial compliance. Finally, the episode reflects on the larger question running through Russian history: whether meaningful political change tends to come from those who leave, or those who remain.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

James C. Pearce, Jeremy Morris, and Jonny Tickle talk about the return of extreme winter conditions across Russia, from record snowfalls in Kamchatka to deep freezes in Moscow and the Urals. They discuss how Russian cities cope with heavy snow, freeze thaw cycles, and infrastructure strain, including snow removal, chemical reagents, icicles, and transport disruption.The conversation moves beyond stereotypes to look at how district heating actually works, why homes are often overheated, and why Russian consumers pay far less for heating than households in Western Europe. They examine ageing pipes, exposed infrastructure, power outages, and the political realities of maintaining essential services in a harsh climate.Along the way, they compare continental and maritime cold, talk about clothing, preparation, and everyday survival, and reflect on why Russian winter plays such a powerful role in history, culture, and popular myths. The episode closes with recommendations for seeing real Russian winter beyond Moscow, including the Far North and Siberia.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

In this episode, we talk about Russian as a living language, not a textbook. We swap stories about how we started, what actually moved the needle, and why “just living in Russia” often isn’t enough. We get into the classic pain points for English speakers: cases, verb aspect, word order, and the weird moment when you understand plenty but still can’t produce clean sentences.We also argue about motivation and the expat bubble, why Moscow can make it too easy to stall, and why sounding “correct” is a different skill from sounding natural. Along the way we share what’s worked for us (and what hasn’t), from tutors and dry grammar books to Anki, sentence mining, YouTube, and learning through family life. Finally, we end on what Russian gives you beyond logistics: access to culture, different registers of society, and a less provincial view of the world.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

First episode of 2026, and we’re doing what any sensible people would avoid: bad confidence and strong opinions.We start with a quick “year that was” round, pulling out the under-the-radar Russia stories from 2025 that mattered more than the headlines: why the most interesting political signals came from the regions, not Moscow; how sanctions reshaped Russian wine and the craft beer scene; and the domestic tourism boom, from Dagestan and Kaliningrad to a surge in trips to Crimea and the growing obsession with wellness breaks and nature travel.Then we move into a hot take-off. Each of us brings three predictions for 2026, from near-guarantees to properly ridiculous long shots, and the other two have to argue why they’re wrong. Expect arguments about the 2026 Duma election, sanctions relief vs growing absurdity, rouble strength as a warning sign, housing pressures, elite reshuffles, direct flights, and whether 2026 brings a major political pivot or more of the same.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

Are young Russians passive subjects of indoctrination, a hidden liberal vanguard, or something far more ordinary and complex? In this episode of Russia Unfiltered, Jeremy Morris, James C Pearce and Jonny Tickle push back against the clichés that dominate Western coverage of Russian youth, from heroic protest myths to claims of mass radicalisation.Drawing on sociological research, teaching experience, and everyday encounters with students and families, they look at how young people actually navigate school pressure, exams, careers, housing, conscription fears, and online life. The discussion unpacks state youth programmes, patriotic education, and controversial history textbooks, asking not what the state intends, but how these initiatives are received, ignored, reinterpreted, or used pragmatically.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

From gopnik memes and macho stereotypes to doting dads and burnt-out office workers, what is life really like for Russian men in 2025? In this episode of Russia Unfiltered, James C Pearce, Jeremy Morris and Jonny Tickle dig into masculinity in Russia: the Soviet legacy of the “model worker,” the 1990s hangover, and how the internet has made twenty–something Russians feel closer to their peers in London than to their own fathers.They talk about army service and the myth that all “real men” are soldiers, why suicide and alcoholism rates among men remain so high, and how expectations to provide clash with housing shortages, low wages and unstable work. The conversation covers dating, family life, male friendships, “infantilised” husbands, ambitious women in high–status jobs, and the quiet ways younger men are renegotiating what it means to be a man in Russia today.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

Since 2022, prices in Russia have risen, familiar brands have vanished and everyday life has quietly become more expensive and more fragile. In this episode of Russia Unfiltered, Jonny Tickle, James C Pearce and Jeremy Morris talk through the real cost of living behind the official statistics: supermarket bills that have doubled, fast food and business lunches that no longer feel cheap, and imported goods, car parts, medicines and electronics that now arrive through parallel routes at higher prices and lower quality. They look at how tax changes, new fees on cars and appliances and quietly rising utility costs are reshaping budgets, how people in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and provincial towns are downsizing their lifestyles or sliding into wage arrears, and why visible wealth in big cities hides deep inequality. Finally, they discuss the emotional side of all this, from patience and “hunkering down” to a generation that has put its dreams, travel plans and even starting families on hold because they no longer believe their money, or the situation, will improve any time soon.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

James C. Pearce, Jeremy Morris and Jonny Tickle discuss what “multicultural” actually means in Russia, testing the idea of the country as a multicultural miracle. They look at Slavic Orthodox symbols, Soviet nostalgia and regional folk branding alongside local identities in places like Dagestan, Tatarstan and Yakutia that do not simply see themselves as branches of a single Russian civilisation. The trio distinguish between state-curated diversity and real cultural autonomy, and between the official culture of Victory Day aesthetics, folk dancers and new “peoples of Russia” holidays and the culture people actually live through K-pop, anime, YouTube, rap, Turkish and Korean serials. Along the way they explore pride and inferiority, Europe versus “Asia,” and ask whether the true unifying force in today’s Russia is not tradition at all but the internet.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

James C. Pearce, Jeremy Morris and Jonny Tickle discuss where “real Russia” actually begins and ends, from Moscow’s outer districts to small towns and industrial suburbs. They explore how most Russians live in microdistricts and new housing complexes, balancing comfort and sameness amid quiet courtyards, chain stores and long commutes. The conversation touches on post-Soviet planning, car culture, social isolation and the quiet stability many residents prize over change. What emerges is a portrait of everyday Russia that is ordinary, modern and found more in the suburbs than on Red Square.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

James C. Pearce, Jeremy Morris and Jonny Tickle trace how the Russian state reaches from hospitals to housing, schools to smartphones. They break down its four layers – bureaucracy, surveillance, economic direction and moral oversight – and ask where public service ends and supervision begins. The discussion moves from Gosuslugi and CCTV to patriotic education, corporate loyalty and cultural bans, exploring how order and convenience coexist with limits on independence in daily life.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

James C. Pearce, Jeremy Morris and Jonny Tickle examine why lived experience often contradicts desk-based takes, asking what language skills, fieldwork and everyday conversations add that surveys, Telegram feeds and think-tank incentives miss. They probe the outsourcing of “Russia expertise” to diasporas and distant commentators, the class divide between capitals and small towns, and why certainty sells even when nuance is truer. Along the way they discuss textbook myths, journalism-by-proxy, and the awkward fact that there is rarely a penalty for being wrong.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

James C. Pearce, Jeremy Morris and Jonny Tickle test Moscow’s reputation for effortless daily life: world-class metro and buses, expanding lines, e-governance, safety, and abundant parks and culture. They weigh the trade-offs since 2022, including curtailed travel, payment card problems, rising costs, and widening inequality, and dig into housing bubbles, micro-district legacies, and the split between old and new Muscovites. The conversation also looks beyond the capitals to ask what liveability means across Russia in 2025. This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

Since 2022 a new wave of Westerners has headed to Russia, drawn by talk of tradition, order and conservatism. James C. Pearce, Jeremy Morris and Jonny Tickle compare this cohort with earlier movers, ask what they are seeking versus what they find, and dig into language barriers, bureaucracy, soft power, the YouTuber economy, and how Russians actually view these arrivals. They also set this against the wider picture of Central Asian migration and everyday life in Moscow and beyond.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.

Is it okay to like Russia in 2025? James C. Pearce, Jeremy Morris and Jonny Tickle unpack why Russian art and literature still matter in the West, how academic debates over decolonising Russian studies spill into public life, and where personal taste ends and institutional endorsement begins. They also weigh Ukraine’s cultural pushback, whether boycotts work, and what everyday life in Russia actually looks like, from multicultural reality to Moscow’s day-to-day convenience.This podcast is an independent project and does not represent the views of our employers or affiliated institutions.