Continuing to write about Russia is meaningless

It’s like becoming an expert on North Korea or writing stories about doing laundry.

It’s tempting. I made good money on Medium writing about Russia. I didn’t write to make money. I don’t write on Medium to make money. I write because I write. I run because I run. The results of my writing and running are the outcome of my consistency, not my goals.

But it’s tempting, sometimes. Russia is a hot topic, because of the obvious (and tragic) reasons. I’m Russian, albeit an immigrant, so I have views and feelings about my ex-home country.

I will continue to write every now and then. There are moments, though they become rarer by the day when a poignant interview with some Russian artist in exile or a conversation with my Mom triggers a wave of emotions about Russia. It can be sadness, it can be anger.

But what is there to write about? The stream of ideas and news is drying out.

The war in Ukraine will drag on for a long time, it appears.

Putin will continue to rule, despite the speculations about his health. Russia is actually a lot like Putin himself — getting uglier and fragile, yet still posturing, still mustering that narcissistic grin.

Russia will adjust to sanctions. It already has. It will not come out stronger from the isolation. If it hasn’t been able to innovate, produce anything of value and create multi-generation wealth when it was an open economy, there is no reason to…