People’s Resilience as Russia’s Primary National Resource: Roberta Buffett Visiting Professor Lecture by Maria Lipman

Join the Roberta Buffett Institute and the Weinberg College Center for Global Studies’ Roberta Buffett International Studies Program for a lunchtime lecture by Maria Lipman, 2026 Roberta Buffett Visiting Professor of International Studies, followed by moderated discussion with Ian Hurd, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Roberta Buffett International Studies Program. Lunch will be served at 12:15 p.m.

Since Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian public opinion polls have consistently shown overwhelming support for the “special military operation.” Regardless of how these surveys are interpreted, the Russian perception of the war is not that of jingoism or belligerence. Rather, Lipman will argue that the public at large demonstrates a longstanding capacity to adapt to the realities of a militarized economy and declining living standards. Vlast’—the term commonly used in Russia to denote the power of the central government—has historically been perceived as an insurmountable force that renders resistance futile. For many Russians, the rational strategy appears to be to relinquish responsibility for major national decisions to the leader while carving out a small space for oneself in the hope that vlast’ will not interfere. This perception appears to suit the Kremlin’s leadership, whose primary concern over the past quarter century has been that the population not become an obstacle to policymaking. In response to the Kremlin’s tactic of ensuring the population’s loyalty while keeping the people at arm’s length, Lipman will examine why Russia’s public supports the war yet shows reluctance to participate in the Russian military effort, a pattern that she suggests helps explain why the government has refrained from declaring mass mobilization.

Speaker Bio:

Maria Lipman served as the Roberta Buffett Visiting Professor in International Studies in winter 2026. Lipman is a political analyst and commentator whose work focuses on state‑society relations, media, and the politics of history in Russia. Her recent publications in Foreign Affairs include co‑authored articles such as “The Limits of Putin’s Balancing Act: What the Kremlin Will Sacrifice in Pursuit of Victory in Ukraine” and “Exiles Cannot Save Russia: But the West Can Learn From—and Should Support—Those Who Fled Putin” as well as “Forever Putinism: The Russian Autocrat’s Answer to the Problem of Succession.” Lipman has served as editor or deputy editor of various Russian‑ and English‑language publications over the past three decades. From 2003–2014, she was an associate at the Carnegie Moscow Center, where she edited the journal Pro et Contra. She is a frequent commentator in international broadcast media and has written extensively on Russian affairs for both Russian and US outlets, including The Washington Post (2001–2011) and The New Yorker online (2012–2017). Lipman taught courses on contemporary Russia at Indiana University Bloomington and Grinnell College from 2017–2019.

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