Stephen White is James Bryce Professor of Politics at the University of Glasgow, UK, and Visiting Professor at the Institute of Applied Politics in Moscow. His recent books include Understanding Russian Politics (2011), Russia”s Authoritarian Elections (co-authored, 2012) and Waiting for Reform under Putin and Medvedev (co-edited with Lena Jonson, 2012). Valentina Feklyunina is a Lecturer in Politics at Newcastle University, UK. Her research focuses on the questions of identity and foreign policy in the former Soviet Union. Her recent publications include The International Economic Crisis and the Post-Soviet States (co-edited with Stephen White, 2013) and Managing Russia”s Image in the West (forthcoming).