Russian society in the wartime

We study wartime Russian society using both quantitative and qualitative data. Our quantitative analyses are often conducted in collaboration with colleagues specializing in quantitative methods, while our own expertise lies in qualitative research. The main methods we employ are in-depth interviews (long, trust-based conversations with people) and ethnography (observations of everyday life). Our archive currently contains around 500 sociological interviews (with “apolitical” Russians, war supporters and opponents, volunteers and activists, potential conscripts, relatives of military personnel seeking to bring their loved ones home, and others), as well as more than 700 pages of ethnographic observations from several regions of Russia. This archive continues to grow. All our data is stored in an anonymized format on secure cloud services, accessible only to project participants.

This page contains texts introducing readers to our research process and preliminary findings. For us, it is crucial not only to contribute to academic debate but also to share our insights with the broader public. That is why we publish in a wide range of outlets—including those whose ideological profiles may not always align with our own beliefs. Our team consist of people with different political views, which helps us pursue an essential goal: fostering dialogue about what is happening. If society does not learn to discuss current events, how can it hope to influence them? However, we do not publish in outlets that censor our data or conclusions.