A Conversation with Anne Applebaum on Autocracies: Old and New

Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Applebaum is coming to Bulgaria! One of the most authoritative contemporary experts on dictatorships will meet the Bulgarian public for a discussion on "Autocracies: Old and New."

The discussion with the world-renowned historian and journalist, who is a guest of Sofia University, will take place on Monday, October 19, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the "Sofia" Hall of Grand Hotel Sofia (1 Gurko Str., Sofia). The event will be hosted by Gergana Passy.

In her work, Applebaum examines the history of Eastern Europe, the repressive nature of Soviet totalitarianism, the evolution and resilience of authoritarian regimes, the mechanisms of political transformation, and the fate of civil societies at the beginning of the 21st century. Her objective and analytical perspective on the past helps us understand present-day challenges and find answers to how autocracies function, how they adapt to today's world, and how democracies can counter them.

The event will focus on her landmark books published in Bulgarian by Iztok-Zapad: "Gulag: A History", "Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine", and "Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World".

We look forward to seeing you there!