A Conversation with Kira Yarmush

Kira Yarmysh is Alexei Navalny’s press secretary who was by his side during his brush with death by poisoning and is one of the most active members of his Anti-Corruption Foundation. She is also one of the forces behind — and faces of — the YouTube channel “Popular Politics,” notable for its investigations of corruption in Putin’s regime as well as an unflinching coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Our conversation with Ms. Yarmysh will highlight her work as the author of two novels, Incredible Incidents in Women’s Cell No. 3 (2020) and Harassment (2022). Yarmysh’s fiction distills her first-hand experience with political activism and persecution (including incarceration and house arrest) into literary prose that defies expectations and overturns pre-conceived notions about literature created under circumstances seemingly incompatible with artistic pursuits. This presentation is in Russian with an English introduction.

Registration via Zoom required; open to all registered students and guests; introduced and moderated by Dr. Stanislav Shvabrin, UNC Russian Program Director and UNC Russian Flagship Program Director.

Sponsored by the UNC Russian Flagship Program; Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies; Humanities for the Public Good. This event is part of a speaker series titled “Russia Without Putin: Artistic Resistance to Authoritarianism.”