Dr. Alexey Sidorenko is an expert on the Russian internet and an experienced web developer. His knowledge of Russian new media and politics encompasses web development, data analysis, regional political analysis, freedom of online speech issues, reporting, and editing.

Starting February 2012, Dr. Sidorenko is the head of the Moscow-based project “Teplitsa of Social Technologies” (te-st.ru), an innovation incubator dedicated to creating citizen web applications and enhancing NGO ICT skills.

From 2009-2012, Dr. Sidorenko was a reporter and an editor of the “RuNet Echo” project at Global Voices Online, where he researched and analyzed developments in the Russian internet sphere. This included the role of the internet in civil society and politics, the changing media landscape, the role of the internet in breaking news coverage, internet policy in Russia and its effect on the digital divide and freedom of speech, and information security and cyber warfare.

He has also contributed reporting for Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders on internet and freedom of speech issues in Russia. In 2010, he served as the web developer behind the “Help Map” project, an award-winning crowdsourcing initiative to help the victims of the summer wildfires.

He is a native speaker of Russian and is also fluent in English and Polish.