Over the three years of Russia’s war on Ukraine, sustained behaviors within Russian society—both on the front lines and at home—have demonstrated that the public’s understanding of the conflict goes far beyond monetary incentives. This panel will present findings from quantitative research employing digital anthropology and machine learning techniques to explore the motivations of Russian soldiers, alongside qualitative sociological investigations that include fieldwork data from Russia. Through a combination of digital methods and anthropological fieldwork, the panel will examine the core beliefs that motivate Russians to engage in or support the war, with particular emphasis on insights that converge across two distinct methodological frameworks.

Speakers

Natalia Savelyeva is a researcher at the Public Sociology Laboratory and a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research primarily focuses on the violent conflict that began in Ukraine in 2014 and the Russian society's response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. She co-authors the collective monograph titled "Politics of Apoliticals" (2015, in Russian) and the four analytical reports published by the Public Sociology Laboratory, which are dedicated to the perception of the war against Ukraine by Russians. 

Dr. Ivan Grek is the Director of the Russia Program at George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies. Trained in political science and history, Ivan specializes in studies of illiberal grassroot movements and ideology in Russia. Ivan’s research was published in peer-reviewed political science journals, as well as US and Russian media outlets such as the Washington Post and Kommersant.