A Russian Phrasebook for Surviving Authoritarianism
From On the Media by WNYC Studios
May 27, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
The episode explores the language and terms used by Russians to navigate life under authoritarian rule.
From apparatchik to samizdat, Russians have lots of words for describing life under an oppressive government.
Topics covered
- authoritarianism
- Russia
- oppressive government
- political language
- survival strategies
Keywords
- authoritarianism
- Russia
- samizdat
- political language
- oppression
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: WNYC Studios
Books & works: samizdat, apparatchik
Places: Russia
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