Professor Svetlana Stephenson and Dr Gordana Uzelac's project will investigate the growing use of labels such as "traitor" in Russian political discourse.
Date: 24 April 2026
London Metropolitan University researchers have been awarded a Leverhulme Trust grant Research Project Grant for a 30-month project examining how accusations of betrayal are constructed and weaponised in contemporary Russia.
Led by Professor Svetlana Stephenson and Dr Gordana Uzelac, the project, "You are a Traitor! Constructions of Betrayal in Putin's Russia", will investigate the growing use of labels such as "traitor" and "foreign agent" in Russian political discourse, media narratives and everyday life since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The research will explore how these accusations shape political power, redefine national belonging, and affect the lives and relationships of those targeted. Through analysis of official documents, media and social media content, alongside interviews, the project aims to offer new insights into how moral language is mobilised to enforce loyalty, draw boundaries and silence dissent.
Professor Svetlana Stephenson said: "When a state begins calling its own citizens traitors on a routine basis, something fundamental shifts. We want to understand how these accusations are made, how they travel through media and everyday conversation, and what they mean for the people on the receiving end. It is a study of how loyalty is demanded and how dissent is made dangerous."
Since its foundation in 1925, the Leverhulme Trust has provided grants and scholarships for research and education, funding research projects, fellowships, studentships, bursaries and prizes; it operates across all academic disciplines to support talented individuals as they realise their vision in research and professional training. Today, it is one of the largest all-subject providers of research funding in the UK, distributing approximately £120 million a year.
