Stephen Frand Cohen (1938-2020) was an American scholar of Russian history and politics, born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Russian history at Indiana University and obtained his PhD from Columbia University in 1969 with a dissertation on Bolshevik leader Nikolai Bukharin, which became the basis for his influential book 'Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution' (1973). His academic career included positions at Princeton University (1968-1998) and New York University (1984 until retirement), where he taught courses on Soviet and post-Soviet politics. Cohen was known for his revisionist interpretations of Soviet history, challenging mainstream Cold War narratives by emphasizing positive aspects of Lenin's New Economic Policy and critiquing U.S. policies toward Russia. He authored several books including 'Rethinking the Soviet Experience' (1985) and 'Failed Crusade: America and the Tragedy of Post-Communist Russia' (2000), and contributed regularly to publications like The Nation, where he wrote a column on Russia for over two decades. As a public intellectual, he advocated for improved U.S.-Russia relations and co-founded the American Committee for East-West Accord to promote dialogue between the superpowers. His views earned both praise for their nuance and criticism for perceived sympathy toward Russian leadership, particularly Vladimir Putin. In his personal life, Cohen was married to Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, and they had two children. He passed away in New York City on September 18, 2020, from complications related to lung cancer, leaving a legacy as a bridge-builder in U.S.-Russia scholarship amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.