Next Year In Moscow
5.0/5
Critic Rating
Arkady Ostrovsky travels across Europe and the Middle East speaking to free-thinking Russians who left when the shelling of Ukraine began in 2022 in this eight-part series. For them the war meant the future of Russia itself was now in doubt. Now they have to rebuild their lives and their hopes for Russia from exile. Can they get their country back?Their stories help solve the mystery of why this senseless war began – and how it might end.Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ at www.economist.com/podcastsplusIf you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all...
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Sarah Larson • New Yorker • Sep 29, 2023
"The sound design is artful throughout..."
Score: 5
Nicholas Quah • Vulture • Apr 12, 2023
"What’s notable about Next Year in Moscow is how it feels, by itself, like an evolution of The Economist’s own audio aesthetic — more sonically immersive, attuned to a sense of emotion. Ostrovsky’s delivery is quiet, matter of fact. In places, you could reasonably mistake the series for a grim journal, or a dark travelogue. The series is dense, heady, and challenging in a way that prompts you to match its vibe."
Score: 5
Nicholas Quah • Vulture • Apr 3, 2023
"... with Next Year in Moscow, the magazine has constructed a piercing look into the lives of Russians who have gone into exile following their opposition to their country’s invasion of Ukraine. Led by Arkady Ostrovsky, the series offers a sober but heartfelt look into a specific iteration of political conscience, resistance, and imagination. …"
Score: 4.8
Patricia Nicol • The Times UK • Mar 12, 2023
"He has a PhD in English literature from Cambridge and talks English the way you would want Tolstoy to: with crisp diction, carefully chosen words, a melancholy historic overview and a slight Russian accent. This eye-opening, moving and humane series is expertly and atmospherically produced ...A minor criticism of the first two episodes would be a lack of journalistic anchoring facts and figures. "
Score: 5
Ximena Smith • Stuff NZ • Mar 11, 2023
"As a Russian-born British journalist, Ostrovsky brings a distinctive perspective to the role of host – he’s simultaneously an outsider and an insider, and I think this works in his favour, as each episode so far has brought together the right blend of context, nuance and detail for a broad audience. It’s terrifically produced too: tightly edited interview clips, well-timed music and excellent atmospheric sound. …"
