Andrew Ryvkin, Journalist and Analyst

Pop-Propaganda: How the Kremlin Markets Its War Like Disney and Coca-Cola.  

There is a community lunch beginning at 12:30 with the main event starting at 1:00; 
How does the Kremlin sell Putin, the war in Ukraine, and the erosion of political freedoms in the age of the attention economy? Contemporary Russian propaganda extends far beyond televised tirades or coordinated troll campaigns. It increasingly operates through influencers, streaming platforms, and marketing strategies that promote state narratives using the same tools global brands use to sell products. This lecture examines how the Kremlin’s information apparatus no longer relies on agitprop and instead employs a hybrid media system—one that functions like a commercial media conglomerate, integrating state messaging into entertainment, lifestyle content, and popular culture. 

Andrew Ryvkin is a journalist and analyst who writes for The Atlantic and Air Mail, specializing in Russian politics, information warfare, and the inner mechanics of Kremlin power. Before his career in Western media, he spent years inside Russia’s propaganda system—publishing lifestyle magazines that echoed Kremlin narratives, producing hit talk shows and blockbuster films that shaped public opinion, and working in public relations for Russian oligarchs. 

He holds a B.A. and an M.A. from St. Petersburg State University, and has worked across Europe and the Middle East, including with some of the world’s top advertising agencies. His work now examines how propaganda evolves in the digital age, how state messaging adapts to attention-driven media, and how these forces shape U.S.–Russia relations. 

Drawing on his unique insider experience in both propaganda and modern storytelling, Ryvkin lectures internationally on disinformation, hybrid influence, and the blurred line between politics and entertainment. 

Co-sponsored by the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Program.