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The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Democracy Project will host Maria Kuznetsova and Dan Storyev to discuss their new book, “How to Survive Authoritarianism: A Russian’s Phrasebook for Everyday Life in America,” on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The event, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Integrative Learning Center, N301, will explore how language, humor and irony can help people recognize and understand authoritarianism in everyday life. All members of the campus community are welcome.

Through the lens of Russia’s history of authoritarian rule, “How to Survive Authoritarianism” (Liveright, 2026) examines how a vernacular of double-speak emerged to help people make sense of how illiberalism takes shape. It presents 100 Russian terms and expressions, ranging from “apparatchik,” a term associated with a bureaucratic official in a political system, to “samizdat,” the underground circulation of censored or prohibited literature.

Kuznetsova and Storyev draw on their experiences as human rights advocates and critics of authoritarianism to connect Russian political language with contemporary American life.

Kuznetsova is a writer and policy researcher whose work focuses on authoritarianism and democratic backsliding. She previously served as spokesperson for OVD-Info, a Russian human rights organization, and led international campaigns for political prisoners and anti-war activists.

Storyev is a writer and speaker focused on authoritarianism and societal collapse who has worked as a conflict correspondent. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Nation and Foreign Policy.

Additional information about the conversation is available on the SBS Democracy Project website.