Intelligence Squared Julia Ioffe and Clarissa Ward on Putin, Russia and the Women Fighting For A Better Future (Part One)
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Jan 11, 2026 In this engaging discussion, Julia Ioffe, a renowned journalist and author of Motherland, dives into the complex history of modern Russia through the lens of its women. She sheds light on the courageous individuals challenging Putin’s regime, from feminist revolutionaries to Pussy Riot. Ioffe also highlights the early Soviet feminist movements, the erasure of key figures like Alexandra Kolontai, and how post-war narratives suppressed women’s contributions. Together with CNN’s Clarissa Ward, they explore the evolution of Russian femininity and its impacts today.
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Women’s History As A Lens On Russia
- Julia Ioffe discovered women's history became the clearest lens to explain modern Russia's social changes.
- She connected personal family stories to 150 years of Russian history to answer how women's roles shifted.
Kolontai’s Forgotten Reforms
- Alexandra Kollontai pioneered radical policies like paid maternity leave and free higher education in 1918.
- Her reforms were revolutionary but later excised and ridiculed by male Bolshevik colleagues.
Family Papers Guided The Research
- Julia Ioffe used family diaries and letters to reconstruct her great-grandmothers' lives and careers.
- Her maternal grandmother preserved many papers that confirmed stories and guided the research.
