Soldiers march during a rehearsal of the Victory Day Parade in Moscow in April 2012.
Provocation, diversion, and subterfuge have long been staples of political struggles in Russia. It's called "pokazukha" and it tends to be used more frequently in periods of political uncertainty -- like now, for instance.
Whether it's Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich's fake "resignation" on Twitter, those mysterious videos criticizing Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, or doctored photos of opposition figure Aleksei Navalny, virtual political reality in Russia is in high gear.
On this week's edition of "The Power Vertical Podcast," I discuss with co-hosts Kirill Kobrin of RFE/RL's Russian Service and Mark Galeotti of New York University how an age-old Russian art form has entered the digital age. If you think you can believe your eyes and ears, think again.
