Panel discussion: How to Survive Authoritarianism

Two exiled dissidents discuss Russian idioms that illuminate how authoritarianism shapes everyday life, in a panel at the Frontline Club.

Maria Kuznetsova and Dan Storyev present a light-hearted glossary of one hundred Russian idioms and turns of phrase, from 'apparatchik' to 'samizdat', that describe how illiberalism takes shape in daily life. The discussion explores how this vernacular of double-speak helped ordinary Russians make sense of, and subvert, authoritarian rule. The panel argues these phrases offer a vocabulary for understanding what is happening in America and what might lie ahead. The event runs for 90 minutes in person at the Frontline Club.