Dr James C. Pearce

Historian. Author The Use of History in Putin's Russia. Forthcoming history Russia's Golden Ring Cities. 14 yrs in Russia. Non-partisan.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

For those who asked, here's a list of my academic publications. Also forthcoming: book chapter on British Labour's Rus/Ukr policy and peer rev'd article on how the Soviet collapse is remembered in contemporary Rus. I regularly do media pieces and interviews, too.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

Here's how, Ian: махеевъ sauces still sell across eastern Europe (including Poland) & the company pays taxes in Russia. But people buying mayonnaise isn't like the EU importing more oil/gas from Russia than you give in aid to Ukraine... So we let it & kids cartoons go.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

Russia analysis from experts who are non-Russian experts tends to lack info of local context, be theory heavy, sensationalist, exaggerating, overly focused on Putin, argues Russia is overly reactive to the outside. Limited time dedicated to Russia's understanding of itself.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

My nieces (3 & 1) watch Masha & Bear. They like it because it's uncomplicated. A girl & bear, antics, bright colours. When we told the 3 y.o. her auntie (Mrs P) is from where Masha is, she looked suspicious. Like it's not a real place. But she believes in Santa. So, calm down?

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

@_kotelnaya_ We waded through the flooding to watch it ;)

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

https://t.co/Bn42pmFEVZ

My latest column for @NewEastEurope on why another revolution will not happen in Russia.
It's an all round fantastic issue you should definitely check out!

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

It's petty to be against naming an elite military unit after an organization, which Poland's own government ruled committed genocide? Yeah, cool.

[Michael McFaul @McFaul]

@Kyrylo_Budanov @SergiyKyslytsya Very petty of the Polish president.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

If you're an Eastern Europe expert, and this isn't a nice spot, then you're not an Eastern Europe expert.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

This clip has nothing to do with Ukraine, or ww1. It barely has anything to do with Russia today, as you argued his democratic hopes relied on Western leaders.embracing Russia. So surely then, it's their fault what happened next? Absolute amateur journalism.

[Christiane Amanpour @amanpour]

Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine has now lasted longer than WWI but could it have all been so different? From my archives, how Boris Yeltsin made a charm offensive in Paris after becoming Russia’s first democratically elected President.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

@postsocialismus Full disclosure: so do I.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

Worth remembering many experts said that the dictatorships in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan would end when the dictators died or stepped down. They haven't. Nor does it look likely in Tajikistan. At best, they've reformed at worst little has changed.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

Two reasons:
-300 years of media & scholarly texts.
-2 countries existed inside Russia. A modernized elite that looked to Europe who dwelled in cities & regional population whose economy/cultural/social structures modernized at a slower pace, looked inward, dominated by church.

[Martin Polanyi @MartinPolanyi]

I'm genuinely curious why some Europeans think Russia outside Moscow and St. Petersburg is some kind of rural hellhole. Russia literally has a higher urbanization rate than Poland.

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

Artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships, and do not know from within what love, work, friendship or responsibility mean. Nor do they have a moral conscience, since they do not judge good and evil, grasp the ultimate meaning of situations, or bear responsibility for consequences. They may imitate or even simulate, but they do not understand what they produce, for they lack the affective, relational, and spiritual perspective through which human beings grow in wisdom. #MagnificaHumanitas

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

Maybe don't promote China as an alright place to live if you care about democracy?

[NEXTA @nexta_tv]

🤨 Prices in an ordinary Chinese supermarket have left many Russians doing a double take

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

The newest Russian trend you didn't hear about: putting zefir in the freezer. I gotta be honest, it's pretty good.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

Burnham has no developed positions on Russia or Ukraine... He has no foreign policy opinions or positions on defense whatsoever.

[Andy Burnham @andyburnham]

For the record:

▪️I opposed Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014

▪️I called on FIFA to strip Russia of the 2018 World Cup

▪️I have resolutely supported Ukraine and Ukrainian Mayors since 2022

▪️I believe the British Right’s closeness to Putin is a risk to our national security

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

It's important to have dialogue with all sides, media, people of all persuasions. You can do this without comprising integrity, principles, facts, the truth. When more people hear you, they actually see your view. It's more honest than talking to one corner of the Internet.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

Sign me up. I love me some odd place wines. Except Norfolk -- fuck Norfolk and Kings Lynn especially.

[Stefan Demetz @stefan_demetz]

Russia starts producing wine in Siberia

A winery was created in Tyumen, 2000 km from Moscow at a latitude 57, as north as Alaska or Southern Norway

Test batches of red wine were already produced in 2025, by 2027 the vineyard and production will expand

https://t.co/W4yfqTxL9v

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

https://t.co/rvrt1CKefS

Oh dear... Here they go again...

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

https://t.co/I7DhpA16mF

A particular segment of the expert community is shocked, appalled how this could happen, esp. under Labour. Even though people like me were saying this would happen two years ago. More in my forthcoming book chapter on Labour's Russia/Ukraine policy.

[Dr James C. Pearce @JamesPearce_101]

Downtown Yekaterinburg. This is Vaynera Street, the Arbat of Yekaterinburg. Some really lovely parks, bars and restaurants nearby (not to mention some fake British pubs outside my favourite supermarket).

[Эта страна @RusUslada]

В Екатеринбурге прошел забег невест и женихов в свадебных нарядах👰‍♀️🤵‍♂️

Для участия нужно было надеть платье, фату, смокинг или взять букет в руки. Один из участников даже сделал предложение своей девушке — она сказала «да».