On Thin Ice: Soft Power, Figure Skating, and the Post-Soviet Russian State
Journal: Deep Blue (University of Michigan)
Year: 2025

Since its introduction to the Olympic programme in 1908, figure skating has become a headlining event of the Winter Olympics, capturing the attention of the world by way of memorable programs, costumes, and storylines. In Post-Soviet Russia, we have seen the utilization of sport in general as an instrument of soft power and messaging both on the domestic and international stage. Figure skating has become a particularly salient example in the ways in which an athlete can become a symbol of the st