‘Are we all post-Soviet now? Six Lessons from Studying post-Soviet Authoritarianism for Understanding the Contemporary Politics of Disorder’

Short description: Discussions on the rise of populism around the globe have located its recent resurgence in the global financial crisis of 2008. In this lecture, Professor Rico Isaacs argues differently that the contemporary malaise of political disorder is rooted in the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Professor Isaacs takes six lessons from studying and researching the nature and dynamics of authoritarianism (and failed democratization) in former Soviet republics over the last 20 years, to make sense of the current climate of populist politics across the globe. Drawing on two decades of research on post-Soviet authoritarianism which has included studies of political parties, parliaments, personality cults, cinema and hipsters, Prof. Isaacs will argue that tools and strategies used by post-Soviet authoritarian regimes are being adopted by populists in established liberal democracies today and that if we value democracy, we must acquire tools of resilience to protect it.

Details of the lecture are as follows:

Date: Wednesday, 25^th June 2025

Time: 18:00-19:00 (registration and refreshments from 17:30)

Location: LMS0005, Ross Lucas Medical School

Registration is free, and tickets can be reserved via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1319837542619?aff=oddtdtcreator