Boris Kagarlitsky

Boris Kagarlitsky sent the following letter to the October 8 online conference “Boris Kagarlitsky and the Challenges of the Left Today”, to be read as part of the panel on the situation of the left in Russia.

In a new letter from prison, Boris Kagarlitsky discusses the global crisis of our time, ongoing wars, the economy and the collapse of the familiar world order in Western Europe, where the far right is gaining popularity.

In this new article sent from the penal colony where he is currently serving a 5-year sentence for “justification of terrorism,” Boris Kagarlitsky analyses the relationship between ordinary Russian citizens (men and women) and the state.

Dmitry Pozhidaev — By focusing on ideology and Putin’s personal motivations, Matveev overlooks class dynamics and the material interests of Russia’s capitalist class, which are crucial to understanding Russia’s post-2014 foreign policy.

Boris Kagarlitsky — While in prison, I have received several messages regarding the passing of colleagues. Now, news has arrived about the death of Fredric Jameson, the author of seminal works on the culture of late capitalism.

This special online conference in Boris Kagarlitsky’s honour will address the double aspect of his contribution: his wide-ranging analysis of the left’s dilemmas; and his resistance to the authoritarianism of the regime of Vladimir Putin.

Boris Kagarlitsky — Debates over whether Russia’s current decoupling from the West and pivot to China constitutes a real delinking from the imperialist centre have intensified following the conflict in Ukraine and imposition of unprecedented Western sanctions.

Boris Kagarlitsky — The influence of the far right has kept growing in precisely the degree to which the left has retreated from its previous class politics.

From a Russian prison, Boris Kagarlitsky puts forward his views on the rise of the far right and reasons for the left's crisis.

Patrick Bond — Boris Kagarlitsky has had a torrid time with Russia’s notorious carceral regime, most recently on February 13, 2024 when prosecutors allied with one Kremlin faction had him re-imprisoned for a five-year term.

The following is a chapter from Russian anti-war Marxist Boris Kagarlitsky’s forthcoming book, “The Long Retreat: Strategies to Reverse the Decline of the Left”.