Guest Lecture by Sociologist Alexei Levinson: Political Economy of Today’s Russia

Since the Course "Political Economy of Today’s Russia" deals with the demographics and viewpoints/attitudes of the Russian citizens, the Course Lecturer Lolita Cigane has invited sociologist Alexei Levison to deliver a guest lecture on the most recent finings of Levada Center (independent research institution operating in Russia) analyzing the socio-economic attitudes of the Russian population.

Alexei Levinson is the head of the sociocultural research department at the Levada Center in Moscow. The Levada Center is a Russian independent, non-governmental polling and sociological research organization. It is named after its founder, the first Russian professor of sociology Yuri Levada (1930—2006).

The Center traces back its history to 1987 when the All-Union Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) was founded under the leadership of academician Tatyana Zaslavskaya. Being one of the largest Russian research companies, the Levada Center regularly conducts its own and commissioned polling and marketing research.