Publishing in Problems of Post-Communism: An Editor's Perspective — Dmitry Gorenburg

12. 5. 2026

Problems of Post-Communism is a long-standing peer-reviewed academic journal that examines political, economic, security, and international developments in post-communist societies. 

First established in 1952 under the title Problems of Communism, the journal was originally published by the United States Information Agency and adopted its current name in 1992 to reflect the profound transformations following the end of the Cold War.

Impact Factor: 2.0 / 5-Year Impact Factor: 2.2
Indexed: Scopus / Web of Science
First Decision: 112 days
Acceptance Rate: 28%

Dmitry Gorenburg

The current editor-in-chief is Dmitry P. Gorenburg, a political scientist and senior researcher at CNA, who oversees the journal’s editorial direction and its engagement with contemporary debates on the politics and international relations of post-communist countries.

Dr. Gorenburg is also a Harvard Davis Center associate and previously served as executive director of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (now the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, or ASEEES). 

His scholarship focuses on Russian military reform, Russian foreign policy, and security dynamics in the former Soviet Union, as well as questions of ethnic politics and identity in Russia. 

BLOG: Russian Military Reform

Content

00:00 – Introduction
01:53 – Evolution of the Journal’s Mission After the Collapse of Communism
05:20 – The Intellectual “DNA” of Problems of Post-Communism
06:43 – Maintaining Intellectual Coherence Across a Broad Research Scope
09:19 – The Role of International Relations in the Journal’s Scope: Thematic vs Territorial Focus
10:26 – Disciplinary Balance: Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Area Studies
11:07 – Major Intellectual Trends in Post-Communist Studies Over the Past Decade
14:22 – Democratic Backsliding, Illiberalism, and the Impact of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine on Research Agendas
18:21 – Russian Scholars in Exile and Scholars Working Inside Russia
21:05 – Underexplored Topics in Post-Communist Studies
22:22 – Annual Publication Volume and the Pressure to Publish More
26:31 – Preferred Research Methods and Methodological Approaches
29:30 – The Most Common Mistakes in Manuscript Submissions
40:51 – Ensuring Fairness and Efficiency in the Peer Review Process
43:32 – Editorial Innovations that Improved Journal Quality and Consistency
44:45 – The Role and Selection of the Editorial Board
46:19 – Publishing Challenges for Scholars from Central Asia and the Post-Soviet Region
52:30 – Growing Global Interest in Post-Communist Studies
53:13 – Should Authors Suggest Potential Reviewers?
55:14 – What Makes a Successful Article in Problems of Post-Communism
59:25 – The Future Vision for the Journal