
KennanX
KennanX is a podcast about our never-ending effort to understand Russia and the region. Hosted by Jill Dougherty.
Latest episodes

May 15, 2020 • 22min
Russia’s COVID Crisis
COVID-19 is spreading in Russia. In this episode, Jill Dougherty is joined by Judy Twigg, Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Oksana Antonenko, Director at Control Risks, for a discussion on how the Russian health system is handling the pandemic, how the average Russian is dealing with the crisis, and how the crisis will affect Putin’s presidency and the Russian economy.

Apr 10, 2020 • 21min
Russkiy Stol: Russian Cuisine with Darra Goldstein
n this episode of KennanX, Jill Dougherty has a delicious conversation with Darra Goldstein, author of a new cookbook on Russian cuisine entitled “Beyond the North Wind: Russia in Recipes and Lore.” What can you expect? Recipes from the northern corner of Russia and the processes at the heart of Russian cooking: fermentation and preservation. The conversation focuses on the traditional and the modern. On Russians rediscovering traditional flavors and ingredients as part of their culture, today.

Mar 10, 2020 • 14min
Brain Drain
Talented individuals are fleeing Russia for greener pastures. In this episode of KennanX, Jill Dougherty discusses the causes of Russian talent flight and the pain of leaving one’s country with Sergei Guriev, Professor and Scientific Director of the Master and PhD programmes in Economics at SciencesPo in Paris; Galina Timchenko, Russian journalist and Executive Editor of Meduza, a Latvia-based online news site; and Denis Volkov, Sociologist at the Levada Center and Columnist at the Carnegie Moscow Center.

Jan 21, 2020 • 19min
Nuclear Insecurity: Should New START Die?
There are approximately 1,500 Russian nuclear warheads aimed at the U.S. The U.S. has about the same number aimed at Russia. In February, 2021, the last remaining arms control agreement between Russia and the U.S., New START, is set to expire. In this episode, Jill Dougherty sits down with John Beyrle, former Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2008-2012) and Rose Gottemoeller, former NATO Deputy Secretary General (2016-2019) to talk New START, should it be extended, and what its expiration would mean.

Dec 11, 2019 • 21min
Meltdown
“On April 26, 1986, a power surge destroyed Unit 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant causing the largest nuclear disaster in history. On this episode of KennanX our host, Jill Dougherty, explores the lasting legacy and impact of Chernobyl. We are joined by Craig Mazin, Creator and Producer of HBO’s Chernobyl; Serhii Plokhii, Director, Ukraine Research Institute, Harvard University; Masha Gessen, Staff Writer at The New Yorker; and Maxim Trudolyubov, Senior Advisor at the Kennan Institute and Editor-In-Chief of The Russia File.”