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Air Dates: February 3-9, 2025

Most Western consumers of news depend on a small group of international correspondents to understand the latest developments in distant lands. Anatoly Kurmanaev is one of the best, providing important coverage of Russia as the third anniversary of its full-scale of invasion of Ukraine approaches.  

Kurmanaev is a reporter for The New York Times, covering Russia and its invasion of Ukraine.  His work gives readers a sense of what life is like in Russia today and where the country is heading. He grew up in Siberia, in Novosibirsk, Russia, and built his journalism career in Latin America, arriving in 2010 as a young freelancer. He spent the following decade covering the region’s economy and politics for a range of publications, including Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and The Times. Kurmanaev lived in Venezuela for eight years, reporting on the country’s dramatic economic collapse following the death of Hugo Chávez. In late 2022, he joined The Times’s Moscow bureau out of personal desire to help the world understand a war unleashed by his native country. There, he explores a wide range of topics, including the economy, the military, culture and foreign policy, aiming to lift the veil of secrecy that covers much of Russian public life today and examine the complexity of a nuclear power in flux. Kurmanaev earned degrees from the University of Edinburgh and University College London, and speaks Russian, English and Spanish.

On this episode of “Story in the Public Square,” Kurmanaev, discusses the current state of the Russo-Ukraine war and reflects on his experience reporting outside of the country. He said, “…we do the best work we can, because I believe it is important to, for the global community to get a sense of what’s happening in Russia to understand this war.” According to Kurmanaev, social and economic factors have also played a role in shaping public perception. “I think an average middle-class person in Moscow, instead of taking stock in what’s happening, is trying to escape it by any means possible,” he said. As for the economy, Kurmanaev says demand for Russian oil has continued to finance the conflict.

“Story in the Public Square” broadcasts each week on public television stations across the United States. In Rhode Island and southeastern New England, the show is broadcast on Rhode Island PBS on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. and is rebroadcast Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Check your local public television listings for air times near you! An audio version of the program airs Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET, Sundays at 4:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Mondays at 2:30 a.m. ET on SiriusXM’s popular P.O.T.U.S. (Politics of the United States), channel 124. “Story in the Public Square” is a project of the Pell Center at ������. The initiative aims to study, celebrate and tell stories that matter.