A New Chapter in America’s Political Landscape Unfolds

At a recent production staged at the LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club in New York’s East Village, a cast led by a young, idealistic director rehearses Chekhov’s “The Seagull” at the renowned Moscow Art Theater—just as Russia launches its invasion of Ukraine. Through social media, the actors hear sirens and witness bombing raids in Kharkiv and Kyiv.

The narrative captures the disbelief and profound shock experienced by many in Moscow in the immediate aftermath of the invasion. Emotions run high: tears flow, voices rise in anger, and one individual hurriedly packs a suitcase amid the turmoil.

Yet, despite the chaos, the performance continues.

This is not intended as a review of the play, “Seagull: True Story.” Nor is it an endorsement—especially since the current run is sold out and I have personal ties to the director, Alexander Molochnikov, who is now in exile. What draws attention is the moment when initial shock subsides and life, metaphorically, resumes.

It appears the United States is approaching a similar juncture.

Having lived and reported in Russia during Vladimir Putin’s rise and consolidation of power, I witnessed numerous moments of profound shock. In September 2004, I was unable to sleep after tanks shelled a school taken hostage by terrorists, only to see that tragedy used as justification to abolish elected governorships.

The 2008 invasion of Georgia was another jarring event. Later, in 2012, three young women received prison sentences for a peaceful protest inside a church—the first such imprisonment of Russian citizens for nonviolent dissent. The annexation of Crimea in 2014 was suffocating, as was the poisoning, arrest, and probable death of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny between 2020 and 2024. The renewed invasion of Ukraine in 2022 marked yet another grim milestone.

Alongside these headline events were numerous additional blows: state takeovers of universities and media, legislation targeting LGBTQ communities, and the labeling of many journalists and activists as “foreign agents.” Though each shock might have lasted days or weeks, time marched on and these realities became embedded in daily life.