Repression and Brutalisation
Russia’s War and the Transformation of Public Life
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
For a long time, there were still niches of public life within authoritarian Russia where criticism of the political leadership could be expressed. This has changed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Critics of the Putin regime have been criminalised and exiled, sanctions against free speech have been tightened, Western digital platforms have been suppressed, and public discourse has been decoupled from any democratic normative ideal. A coarsening can be observed in the media. All public spaces are subject to the autocrat’s claim to power. Criticism of Putin is taboo. However, public criticism of subordinate officials remains possible. It contributes to supplying the autocracy with information and increasing the efficiency of the domineering, repressive apparatus.
(Osteuropa 1-3/2025, pp. 351–364)