Артур ВафИн Ψ ARTUR VAFIN
Artur Mansurovich Vafin is a political scientist, psychologist, and author.
MA in Counselling, Candidate of Political Sciences (PhD equivalent).
Associate Professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.
I have worked on projects for the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation and the ISEPI Foundation, and have served as an expert with the Expert Institute for Social Research (EISI). My professional experience also includes serving as a PR advisor to the Head of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs and as an advisor to the Head of the Expert and Analytical Department of the State Duma.
Advisor to senior executives and decision-makers. Expert in strategic communications, political psychology, ideology, and manipulation. Researcher and consultant.
Research & Analytics
- Research for businesses, government institutions, public and political organizations, and senior decision-makers
- Analysis of complex issues that cannot be adequately addressed through standard market research, open-source data, or conventional opinion surveys
- Research into public sentiment, political processes, organizational culture, reputational risks, target-group behavior, and informal relationships within organizations
Strategic Communications
- Communication strategies for companies and senior executives
- Development of messaging frameworks and speechwriting for senior decision-makers, including statements, interviews, books, speeches, and key messages
- Positioning of organizations, projects, and public figures
- Crisis communication strategies
- Communication scenarios for engagement with different stakeholder and influence groups
- Strategies for dealing with difficult, critical, and conflict-prone audiences
- Communication support for organizational, political, and reputational change
Experience
20 years of experience in consulting for businesses and government institutions, conducting research, and developing strategic documents.
I have written articles, columns, expert commentaries, and given interviews to numerous media outlets, including Vedomosti, Russian Federation Today, Personnel Management, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Argumenty i Fakty, Ridus, Life, Lenta.ru, Mail.ru, and others.
I have also appeared as an expert on REN TV and TVC, as well as on Moscow FM radio.
Books
I am the author of six books, including the bestseller: Ideology in Organizations: Psychological Games of “Leaders” and Manipulation of the “Masses” Originally published in 2014 and reissued in 2020 and 2023.
My book “Black” PR in Russia and Abroad: Politics and Law (2021) has been translated into English, Italian, German, and French.
Selected Recent Research
Ideology, Digitalization, Values, and Public Administration
Published in Greater Eurasia: Development, Security, Cooperation, 2025.
PR Strategy for a State Clinical Hospital: Public Service for the Benefit and Health of the People
Article in Marketing in Russia and Abroad, 2023.
I have published more than 40 academic and research articles.
Selected Interviews & Expert Commentary
The Psychology of Donald Trump
Fontanka, 2024.
As an Interviewer
I have interviewed:
- Valery Tishkov, former Minister for Nationalities and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
- Yury Shuvalov, senior official of the State Duma administration
- Sergey Khaikin, professor at HSE University and head of the Institute for Social Marketing
- Alexey Podberezkin, Vice-Rector for Research at MGIMO University
Areas of Interest
- Psychology and ideology of management
- Manipulation and influence technologies
- Russian elites: from entertainment celebrities to politicians and senior public officials
- Creativity and marginality
- Media, social networks, and video games
Contact
