Belarus’s response to Covid-19 in the education sector

This brief provides an overview of the measures taken by the Belarusian state authorities in the education sector in response to the pandemic. It concludes that despite repeated declarations concerning the usefulness of remote learning over the past decade, little has been done in practice.

Continue Reading →

The varied approaches of authoritarian post-Soviet countries to the coronavirus pandemic

Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Belarus, three personalist dictatorships, took striking and unique paths in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic which largely reflected the leaders’ personalities and types of political regimes.

Continue Reading →

Digest of studies on Covid-19 and the implications for post-Soviet countries

The digest summarises twenty six briefs, analytical reports, academic articles, and other types of studies concerning COVID-19 implications for post-Soviet countries, which were released between March 2020 and May 2021.

Continue Reading →

“Vaccine diplomacy” targeted at Eastern Partnership countries

This brief reviews the Eastern Partnership countries’ responses to “vaccine diplomacy” that major states targeted at them.

Continue Reading →

The different approaches of Christian confessions to COVID-19 in Armenia, Belarus, and Ukraine

This report examines the differing approaches to COVID-19 by the largest Christian churches in Armenia, Belarus, and Ukraine. It does so by assessing their relationships to, and communication with, state authorities and religious adherents.

Continue Reading →

Government communication and public resilience to propaganda during COVID-19 in Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine

This report analyses the content and efficiency of official communication on COVID-19 related issues in Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine. It also pays attention to pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives concerning COVID-19 in each of the three countries.

Continue Reading →

The coronavirus outbreak in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine: Responses by the state, business and civil society

The different responses to the first wave of COVID-19 in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine between March and June 2020 largely reflected the political regime, economic structure and social conditions in each country, Ekaterina Pierson-Lyzhina and Oleksii Kovalenko explain in their research.

Continue Reading →

Health of democracy in the CEE countries amid coronavirus epidemic

What is the proper balance between public health safety and personal liberties, and what are the threats to liberal democracy during the pandemic? Do autocracies mitigate the impact of the coronavirus better than democracies? These questions will likely continue to be debated as the global coronavirus crisis progresses.  As Oleksii Kovalenko and Eka Maghaldadze argue, one thing is already clear: Some central and eastern European rulers are seeing the pandemic and the public health crisis as a perfect pretext to silence critical voices and consolidate their power.

Continue Reading →

Коронавирусная эпидемия: Сценарии последствий для Беларуси

Коронавирусная эпидемия стала значимым непредсказуемым глобальным событием, которое вне всяких сомнений сильно и разнопланово отразится и на Беларуси. Задержка с реализацией действенных стратегий, направленных на подавление распространения коронавируса, неминуемо приведет к меньшему количеству спасенных жизней.

Continue Reading →


Eurasian States in Transition