The tragedy of politics as normal: the meaning of the protests in Khabarovsk
In Russia’s Far East, a false state clashes with a doomed civil society, writes Ivan Davydov
Civil society
When Autocrats Fail, Civil Society Steps Up
Sofya Orlosky on how in the absence of effective state responses, civic groups in Belarus, Russia, and Azerbaijan are tackling the COVID-19 pandemic
Sometimes, even Russia’s protesters can win
Ivan Davydov considers why and how protests against political repressions sometimes work
Putin vs Zhukov: Two Views on Civic Responsibility
Olesya Zakharova on how a young Russian student is reframing his president’s ideas of civic responsibility
The Golunov Case: How A Small Victory Made Big Waves
Ivan Davydov reflects on the success of the recent campaign to free the Russian journalist, and the authorities’ response
An Unholy Mess In Yekaterinburg
Ivan Davydov on the protest in Yekaterinburg and the institutional legitimacy crisis
How Russia’s Immortal Regiment Was Brought To Life
Mikhail Nemtsev considers how this movement grew from a commemoration of fallen ancestors to a new public tradition centred around expressing patriotism
Here’s What Russians Really Think About Gender (In)equality
Ekaterina Borozdina and Margarita Zavadskaya ask whether, and how, views on gender relations are changing in Russia today
Komsomol 2.0
Stanislav Andreychuk on the Russian authorities’ attempts to control the country’s youth
Russia’s Youth are Not So Special After All
It’s become fashionable to claim that young people are losing their taste for democracy. But, at least in Russia, the statistics prove otherwise: the youth are just as sceptical and just as enthusiastic as their elders
The Taming of Russia’s Civil Society
Strict government controls over NGO funding is pushing Russia’s civil society into a state of muted compliance
The Defining Contours of Russian Hate Speech
The story of Ukraine’s security police staging a planned assassination of the Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko provoked significant online anger and hate speech. It is an increasingly typical Russian public reaction to an ever widening range of current events.