Tuesday, May 12, 20264:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Bunche Hall Rm 10383
The UCLA Center for European and Russian Studies invites you to a talk by Andrew Ryvkin which will explore how the Kremlin’s information apparatus no longer relies solely on agitprop and censorship.. This event will take place in Bunche Hall, Room 10383 on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 4:30 PM PST. Register here to join us.
About the Talk
The talk examines how today’s Russian propaganda operates less as classic state messaging and more as a media conglomerate—using influencers, streaming platforms (the Kremlin has its own “Netflix”), branded content, and marketing logic to sell Putin, repression, and the war in Ukraine to those used to TikTok, viral campaigns, and even urban streetwear.
The one-hour lecture traces the evolution of modern Russian pop-propaganda from Moscow’s contemporary art scene in the 1990s, examines the unique public-private structures behind it, and explains why this model has proven resilient, even grew stronger, despite Russia’s geopolitical isolation.
About the Speaker
Andrew Ryvkin was born in the USSR, grew up in Boston, and spent nearly two decades in Moscow working inside Russian media and the Kremlin’s propaganda machine before returning to the U.S. He graduated from St. Petersburg State University—Putin’s and Ayn Rand’s alma mater—where he studied History and International Relations. In Russia, Ryvkin published magazines that slipped Kremlin talking points between ads for Rolex watches, ran campaigns for global consumer brands, handled PR for oligarchs, and produced political talk shows that staged opposition while reinforcing the state’s line. It was media—but it was also propaganda as a commercial product.
Now based in New York, Ryvkin writes and advises institutions on authoritarian systems, information warfare, and the geopolitical risks that emerge from them. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Air Mail, and New Lines. His memoir, The Propagandist, is out in 2026.
Venue
Bunche Hall Room 10383
11282 Portola Plaza
Los Angeles, CA
Nearby parking is available at Parking Structure 5 and Parking Structure 3.