Dissent Message: The “Long Telegram” of the 1990s

In March 1994, Wayne Merry, a top American embassy official working in Moscow, wrote a “Dissent Chanel” message to Washington criticizing the then-US policy to support economic reforms undertaken by the Yeltsin government. This document, which was kept classified over 30 years until December 2024, reported that the Russian population was growing frustrated with the pro-market reforms underway and the associated economic hardships. Merry will discuss his message and more in conversation with Dr. Svetlana Savranskaya, Director of Russia Programs at the National Security Archives.