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Last spring, while teaching in Bryansk, Russia, on a Fulbright grant, 51���� political science professor noticed a change in the mood of the people since the last time he visited.

“People from all walks of Russian life … were now saying that [Prime Minister Vladimir] Putin is as much of a thief as anybody else amongst the elites,” he said. “And the [recent Parliamentary] elections … were really an important indicator of that. Even with the thumb of the Kremlin on the scales, the party of power couldn’t come up with even half of the votes.”

Yet, Epstein believes there is likely to be little change until Putin is “out of the picture entirely.

“The idea of losing control in Moscow, which actually seems preposterous to me, would certainly not mean losing control of the country,” he said. “Opposition is concentrated in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but between them, they make up barely 10-15% of the country’s population.”

Also, “what little media coverage there might be from the few opposition media outlets, never comes to a place like Bryansk, or the other small cities where most Russians live.”

Do you have questions for Professor Epstein? Ask them below.