Pupils welcomed Dr Ben Noble, Associate Professor of Russian Politics at UCL and co-author of ‘Navalny: Putin's Nemesis, Russia's Future?’ for an expert talk about Navalny and the state of politics in Russia. Dr Noble explained how Navalny’s career has developed, from a point when the Kremlin thought he was someone they could control – giving him permission to run in the 2013 Moscow mayoral election – to his poisoning with Novichok in 2020 and current status as a prisoner, due to move to a high security prison for a nine year term.
Wide ranging discussion followed in the Q&A as Dr Noble picked apart the nature of Russian politics (is it now totalitarian?), the future of opposition to Putin and the power play behind the invasion of Ukraine.
Josh Brookes, a LVI student who helped organize the visit said: “It was wonderful to welcome Dr Noble, a former pupil, back to St Peter’s. Like him I’m a boarder in The Manor and studying Politics A-level and this talk has further inspired me to continue exploring global political questions.”
