iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

In 1926, The Manchester Guardian, the predecessor of The Guardian, wrote of the amazing John Rylands Library: “Geographically it is in Manchester, but in the realm of ideas it belongs to the world.” There is something of that in the study of Ukraine in 2026, too—

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Very glad to have co-organized the University of Manchester’s Ukraine Conference and the inaugural national meeting of the British Association for the Study of Ukraine with @oonuch.bsky.social last week.

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

If you ever get the chance to see @rommari.bsky.social & Jez Myers give a talk, do so. Their “How NOT to Flee a War” tonight was brilliant. Thank you for sharing your story. 🇺🇦 🐝

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

The networks of pre-existing ties between oligarchs and legislators are structurally distinctive from other networks, including networks representing alternative oligarchic influence strategies like post-election cooptation through media.

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

📌Finding 1: Oligarchs promote as legislators individuals with whom they have pre-existing personal ties. These ties take the form of a fragmented, loosely connected, and decentralized network with distinct clusters, in which oligarchs take central positions.

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

🚨New version of paper🚨 osf.io/preprints/os... How do oligarchs shape policy outcomes in developing democracies? I argue they do so through informal networks of legislators personally linked to them. Using unique quantitative & qualitative evidence from Ukraine, I show that:

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Four years of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. Standing with Ukrainians. Supporting them in their fight for freedom and just peace. Bringing Ukraine to rooms and places that matter, big and small. That’s the least we can do.

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

3️⃣ The persistence of structural patterns over the course of two consecutive legislative convocations implies that oligarchs perceive the strategy of promoting loyalists to the position of MPs as profitable.

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

The structural features of the network and their persistence over the course of two consecutive legislative convocations imply that: 1️⃣ Oligarchic clusters function autonomously and likely compete rather than cooperate with one another.

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

📌 Finding 1: Oligarchs promote as legislators individuals who are linked to them via interpersonal ties. The ties among oligarchs and legislators take the form of a fragmented, loosely connected, and decentralized network with distinct clusters, in which oligarchs take central positions.

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

🚨 New research 🚨 osf.io/preprints/os... How do oligarchs foster favorable policy outcomes in developing democracies? I used social network and regression analyses of unique quantitative data and original interview-based evidence on the case of Ukraine (2014-2022). Here’s what I found.

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Had the pleasure of attending @efinkel.bsky.social’s talk at @official-uom.bsky.social today, where he presented his important and timely book Intent to Destroy. The audiobook version is available on Spotify, so if you have a subscription, check it out!

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 02/09/2024

In the brilliant company of @isadesisto.bsky.social @francescayton.bsky.social, Courtney Blackington and @hannafolsz.bsky.social, and our fabulous chair Lenka Bustikova and discussant @popovaprof.bsky.social. Check out our panel, we'd love to see you there.

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Silviya Nitsova @snitsova.bsky.social · 02/09/2024

It’s #APSA week in Philly! I will be presenting my research on public preferences for redistribution from the extremely rich during wartime and sharing new experimental evidence from Ukraine.

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