The Co-optation of Dissent in Hybrid States: Post-Soviet Graffiti in Moscow

Hybrid regimes, such as Russia under the Putin administration, co-opt dissent through subtle means rather than repression. A decade of fieldwork and expert interviews reveals how the state curated public art—particularly graffiti—in Moscow between 2012 and 2018. Critical artists were absorbed into state-controlled projects, while those unwilling to cooperate were marginalized. This shift replaced subversive, anonymous anti-regime graffiti with Kremlin-approved murals, especially in high-visibility areas like Red Square. The study demonstrates how hybrid leaders maintain control by manipulating visual dissent without triggering backlash, preserving legitimacy while eliminating independent voices.

Lerner, A. M. (2019). The Co-optation of Dissent in Hybrid States: Post-Soviet Graffiti in Moscow. Comparative Political Studies, 54(10), 1757–1785. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414019879949