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This study distinguishes and challenges three main assumptions/shortcomings regarding the silent majority-the majority of the LordinaryL, LsimpleL, LlittleL people, who are the main supporters of authoritarian populism. The silent majority is commonly portrayed as (1) consisting of LirrationalL, Lpolitically short-sightedL people, who vote against their self-interests;(2) it is analysed as a homogeneous group, without attempting to distinguish different motives and interests among its members;(3) existing studies often overlook the political economy and structures of domination that gave rise to authoritarian populism. I address these shortcomings while analysing the political behaviour of rural Russians, who are the major supporters of Vladimir Putin. I reveal that the agrarian property regime and power relations in the countryside largely define the political posture of different rural groups. Less secure socio-economic strata respond more strongly to economic incentives, while better-off villagers tend to support the regimeLs ideological appeals. Furthermore, PutinLs traditionalist authoritarian leadership style appeals to the archetypal base of the rural society-namely, its peasant roots-and, therefore, finds stronger support among the farming population. Finally, this study reveals that collective interests prevail over individual interests in the voting behaviour of rural dwellers, who support the existing regime despite the economic hardship it imposes upon them.