Lev Gudkov’s Grammar of Fear
Repression, Atomisation, and Rule under Putinism
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
In his reflections on collective fear in Russia, Russian sociologist Lev Gudkov explores the question of how people respond to external coercion. His “grammar of fear” links three steps: People anticipate state sanctions. They react by deeming fewer and fewer things sayable. Consequently, they fail to recognise potential allies for dissent, criticism, and collective action and thus face a coordination problem. Gudkov’s analysis contributes to the theory of social atomisation: repression stabilises rule not merely through the threat of sanctions, but also through uncertainty regarding the willingness of others to act.
(Osteuropa 7/2026, pp. 27–36)