Russian Institute for Strategic Studies

The Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS) or (RISI) or (RISY) (Russian: Российский институт стратегических исследований (РИСИ)) is a Russian research and analytical center formed by decree by former Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin in 1992.^[3]

Russian Institute for Strategic Studies

Российский институт стратегических исследований
Abbreviation	RISS, RISI, or RISY
Headquarters	125413, Moscow, Smolensky Boulevard 26/9с1[1]
Region	The center has regional offices in Nizhny Novgorod, Kaliningrad, Saint Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg, Arkhangelsk, Chelyabinsk and Vladivostok.[2]
Official language	Russian
Website	riss.ru

Many of its employees are retired senior Russian foreign intelligence officials appointed by Putin's office.^[4][5]

History

The institute was part of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation until 2009 when it was transferred to the Presidential Administration of Russia and became directly accountable to the President of Russia (Vladimir Putin).^[6] The Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISI) was founded on 4 January 2017 with Mikhail Fradkov.

Building

Since 2017, RISI is at the former mansion of Mikhail Morozov at Smolensky Boulevard, 26/9, building 1, underwent improvements under the Office of the Presidential Affairs,^[a] which were authorized by Vladimir Putin on 22 February 2017, to become the location of RISI's offices.^[7][8][b] In 2019, the restoration was completed.^[11]

Activities

According to its mission statement, the organization activities include:

• Research work
• Development of information and analytical materials, proposals, recommendations, expert assessments for state structures of Russia;
• Informing political and scientific circles, the public about problems affecting the national security and strategic interests of Russia;
• Organization and conduct of scientific-practical conferences, seminars, situational analyzes on priority issues;
• Providing information and consulting services.

Structure

Structure of RISS can be found here:^[12]

• Academic Council
• Representative in France
• Representative in Turkey
• Representative in Bulgaria
• Director
  • Consultative Group
• Leadership
  • Research Center
    • Ural regional information and analytical center (Yekaterinburg)
    • Black Sea-Caspian Regional Information and Analytical Center (Rostov-on-Don)
  • Humanitarian Center
    • Volga Center of Regional and Ethno-religious Studies (Kazan)
    • Saint-Petersburg Regional Information and Analytical Center
    • Eastern-Siberian Regional Information and Analytical Center (Irkutsk)
  • Center for Asia and the Middle East
    • Regional Center of Asian-Pacific research (Vladivostok)
  • Economic Research Center
  • Euro-Atlantic Research Center
    • Baltic Regional Information and Analytical Center (Kaliningrad)
    • Representative in Finland (Helsinki)
    • Representative in the Balkans (Belgrade, Serbia)
  • Center of Defense Studies

Directors

• Yuri Scepinsky [ru]^[13][14] (1991-1994)
• Evgeny Kozhokin [ru] (1994-2009)
• Leonid Reshetnikov (2009 - January 4, 2017)
• Mikhail Fradkov^[15] (Since January 4, 2017)

Criticism

The organization has been described as involved in promoting Russian pro-government views and propaganda.^[5][4]

Ties to secret services

The Moscow Times called RISS the place where old spooks are sent to retire.^[16] The authors were unimpressed with the organization's influence, and they explain how they think a former director, Leonid Reshetnikov, drove the institute into the ground.^[16] Ivan Nechepurenko of The New York Times said that inside Russia, RISS is known as a "semiretirement refuge for former intelligence officers" and as a place where "ex-intelligence officials can work with dignity".^[17]

AIDS

Three RISS deputies with degrees in sociology and historical sciences (and no degrees in medicine) co-authored a report on AIDS, in which they seemed to agree that condoms could cause HIV/AIDS by removing self-protective behavior, and that the true fight was against "drugs and debauchery". The report called statements about the epidemic of AIDS is part of the information war of the West against Russia. It was pointed out that there are two models of HIV: the Western and Moscow. It was noted that the international community asks Russia to use the first approach in the fight against disease and thus forces Russia to use an independent foreign and domestic policy.^[18]

Supporting pro-Russian politicians

The organization has supported pro-Russian politicians in many countries; in some cases to a point it has been accused of interfering with local politics. In 2019 Leonid Reshetnikov was banned from entry to Bulgaria for 10 years for RISS interference in Bulgarian elections.^[5]

2016 US presidential election

Main article: Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections

In April 2017, Reuters cited several U.S. officials as stating that the RISS had developed a strategy to sway the U.S. election to Donald Trump, and failing that to disillusion U.S. voters with in their democratic system.^[4] The development of strategy was allegedly ordered by Putin and directed by former officers of Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), retired SVR general Leonid Petrovich Reshetnikov being head of the RISS at the time. The unidentified U.S. officials stated that the propaganda efforts began in March 2016. The first set of recommendations, issued in June 2016, proposed that Russia must support a candidate for U.S. president more favorable to Russia than Obama had been via a social media campaign and through Russia-backed news outlets. Until October it recommended supporting Trump, but about a month before the election, second report was written with the conclusion that Hillary Clinton was likely to win and that a new strategy should be aimed at undermining U.S. voters′ faith in the electoral system.^[4] by disseminating messages claiming voter fraud in the election.^[4] RISS director Mikhail Fradkov and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the allegations.^[19]

Ultra-conservative, anti-Western views

The organization has been described as promoting ultraconservative, anti-Western, anti-liberal views, in particular, anti-LGBT, anti-divorce and anti-abortion views. It has also criticized the introduction of sex education to public schools.^[5]

According to Bloomberg View columnist Leonid Bershidsky, under the Reshetnikov rule the institute entered into an alliance with far rights, and Reshetnikov himself is a nationalist close to the milieu who unleashed a pro-Russian rebellion in eastern Ukraine. According to Bershidsky, Putin may agree with them on some points and he uses them informally, but they are far from the only voice Putin listens to.^[20][21]

Anti-Ukrainian views

The organization has been described as promoting anti-Ukrainian views. In Poland people involved with the Institute encouraged discussion about a Polish-Russian anti-Ukrainian alliance, and proposed that Poland should annex Western Ukraine.^[5]

Notes

1. Mikhail Fradkov's son Pavel Fradkov (Russian: Павел Фрадков) is the deputy head of the Office of the Presidential Affairs.^[7]
2. From 1993 to 2015, the Morozov house was the location of the Rossiysky Kredit Bank, Russian Credit Bank or Roscredit (Russian: банк «Российский кредит») and after Roscredit's license was revoked by the Central Bank of Russia on 24 July 2015, the Office of the Presidential Affairs managed the Morozov house.^[7][9][10]