The Intelligence from The Economist The Weekend Intelligence: The trial of Yevgenia Berkovich
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Oct 11, 2025 
In this gripping discussion, Arkady Ostrovsky, The Economist's Russia editor, unveils the trial of Yevgenia Berkovich, an artist accused of promoting terrorism through her avant-garde play. The podcast dramatizes how this show trial served as a state tool to enforce ideological boundaries. Arkady reveals the absurdity of the prosecution's 'destructology' report and highlights the emotional power of courtroom performances. He delves into Berkovich's vulnerability as a dissenting voice and examines the regime's harsh response to creativity in the face of tyranny.
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The Arrest That Shocked Moscow
- Evgenia Berkovich and Svetlana Petrichuk were arrested in May 2023 accused of justifying terrorism for their play Finis, The Bright Falcon.
- Their arrest made them the first Russian artists since Soviet times imprisoned for the content of their work.
Show Trial Became Mirror To The State
- The trial was staged as a show trial intended to define ideological boundaries for the state.
- But actors and critics on the stand turned the proceedings into a probe of the state's radicalisation.
The 'Destructology' Report Enters Evidence
- The prosecution's key evidence was a 130-page report from a so-called 'destructology' expert claiming the play contained ISIS propaganda.
- Courtroom observers and the defence mocked the report and the term 'destructology' as invented and unverifiable.
