In today's Russia, where television stations are under strict central control and newspapers critical of the government only have limited reach, the Internet has become the single most important refuge for public political debate. The Russian 'non-system' opposition organises itself and communicates using blogs, tweets and other web-based communication tools.
'This event ties in directly with the strategy of the University of Passau, which is to promote science for a networked society,' says Vice President Dirk Uffelmann, who will host the talk. Professor Uffelmann holds the Chair of Slavic Literatures and Cultures and is a specialist for the Russian-language Internet.
Mr Kozlov is the author behind the 'Butyrka blog', started in May 2009, in which he wrote about the politically-motivated criminal proceedings brought against him. The blog, which is named after an infamous Moscow prison, received an award for best Russian-language blog.
Mr Kozlov's wife, Ol'ga Romanova, is a leading Russian journalist and professor of Journalism at the Moscow Higher School of Economics, with which the University of Passau has signed a memorandum of understanding for a future strategic cooperation. Professor Romanova also sat on the coordinating council of the Russian opposition from 2012 to 2013.
The event is supported by the Bavarian Academic Center for Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe (BAYHOST).
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Note for editors: Please address your enquiries concerning this press release to Professor Dirk Uffelmann, phone: +49 851 509 2950.