Gulnaz Sharafutdinova

Professor Gulnaz Sharafutdinova is a leading scholar of Russian politics and Director of King’s Russia Institute at King’s College London. Her work focuses on authoritarian governance, political economy, social psychology, and nationalism. She holds a PhD from George Washington University and is fluent in Russian, Tatar, and English. Her research examines issues such as Putin’s leadership strategies, post-Soviet identity dynamics, and the impact of digitalization on authoritarian regimes.

Her notable works include the award-winning The Red Mirror: Putin's Leadership and Russia's Insecure Identity (2020) and The Afterlife of the Soviet Man: Rethinking Homo Sovieticus (2023). She actively engages with current events, including analyses of the Russia-Ukraine war’s political dimensions and the role of social media in governance.

Her research group at King’s explores authoritarianism and populism, and she regularly publishes in journals like Post-Soviet Affairs, Nationalities Papers, and Problems of Post-Communism. She advises PhD candidates and participates in policy discussions on Russian politics and global security.

Key awards include recognition for her groundbreaking analysis of Putin’s leadership and societal identity. Her work bridges academic rigor with real-world policy relevance, contributing to debates on authoritarian resilience, nationalism, and post-communist transitions.