Higher Education in Authoritarian Russia. A monthly dispatch

Each issue, we pick one defining trend in Russian higher education and follow it all the way through — what's changing, what it means, and where it's heading. No headlines without context. No context without consequences.

The Dispatch is for researchers, student journalists, NGOs, and institutions working at the intersection of Russian education and civil society. If you're looking for clarity and context — not just updates — this is for you.

We have access to what's actually happening in Russian university life — the grassroots actors, the quiet initiatives, the people working under pressure who rarely make the news. We know how Russian students feel. And we don't pretend otherwise.

Close reading of a system under pressure

We’re highlighting voices from inside Russia

Russian academia is being cut off from the world. This newsletter is our small attempt to keep the connection alive — as Russia slowly closes itself off. 'Rita' is a pen name — a collective persona that allows our authors to remain anonymous and safe.

— Marina Bezmaternykh, 
CEO of Molnia

Published by Molnia, a project supporting students' rights

Meet Rita: student, lecturer and your guide

Rita is a PhD candidate and lecturer at a regional Russian university — living through the bureaucratic demands, classroom disputes and student concerns she’s reporting on.

Once a month, Rita will send you a Dispatch newsletter with her observations and conclusions.

One Dispatch a month—All the insight you need