Research project
The ideological production, policy outcomes and practices of wartime Putinism (WARPUT)
For much of the post-Cold War era, ideology was not perceived to be central to hybrid forms of authoritarian rule. 21st century autocracies were characterised as relying on modern political technologies and prioritising money and power over ideas and values. Yet, with the fraying of the liberal international order and new assertiveness of authoritarian powers, illiberal sovereignist ideologies are increasingly driving global politics.
The project studies a critical case of illiberal ideologization – Putin’s Russia during wartime. WARPUT generates empirically based arguments about the
changing nature of ideological production, policies and practices in Russia. Based on analysis of policy documents, state discourse, legislative processes, social media channels and ethnographic observations, WARPUT scrutinises the role of ideologization in wartime transformation on three levels of analysis: (1) Macro: regime discourse; (2) Meso: ideological legislation; (3) Micro: social practices.
WARPUT is implemented by the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), the University of Bremen (Germany) and the University of Jyväskylä (Finland) and is based on close collaboration with exiled Russian social scientists in Europe.
The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway under the Young Research Talents funding scheme.
Colloquium, FES-Zentrale Berlin, 11th May, 2026:
Inside Wartime Putinism: Ideology, Elites, Regions and Society during Russia’s War of Attrition
Symposium in Belgrade 21st March 2026:
Ideology and Interregnum during the War in Ukraine: Sovereignism, Liberalism, the Struggle for Order
Project Manager
Participants
External
- Ilya Matveev (Bremen University)
- Tatiana Romashko (University of Jyväskylä)
- Ekaterina Klimenko (NARXOZ University)
New publications
The Battle for Russia’s Rebirth: Interpreting Pro-War Critical Patriotism and Imperial-Nationalism on Telegram
The Putin regime has developed an ambiguous relationship with Russian nationalism, which has been both a threat and a resource to the maintenance of its power. With the launch of the “Special Military Operation,” Russia’s national-patriot groups increased their profile as commentators on – and critics of – the war effort. This article analyses their content on Telegram – whose use has exploded inside Russia – and maps the discourses of this reinvigorated and politicized pro-war imperial-nationalist network. Our findings show that these channels share important commonalities in both their critiques of state policy — “critical patriotism” — and their propagation of an imperial-nationalist imaginary. Their hardline illiberal demands put pressure on the Kremlin to be less pragmatic and more ideologically consistent – at home and abroad. The key difference among the clusters within the network was between those still engaging in serious anti-regime dissent and those moderating their criticism to secure new niches in wartime conditions. We underscore the agency of these actors in their wartime stances toward the regime, interpret their radical pro-war positions, and consider their overall role in wartime Russia's information environment.
Project Manager
Participants
External
- Ilya Matveev (Bremen University)
- Tatiana Romashko (University of Jyväskylä)
- Ekaterina Klimenko (NARXOZ University)