Opposition to Vladimir Putin in Russia
Opposition to the government of President Vladimir Putin in Russia can be divided between the parliamentary opposition parties in the State Duma and the various non-systemic opposition organizations. While the former are largely viewed as being more or less loyal to the government and Putin,[1][2] the latter oppose the government and are mostly unrepresented in government bodies. According to Russian NGO Levada Center, about 15% of the Russian population disapproved of Putin in the beginning of 2023.[3][4]
| ||
---|---|---|
![]() |
||
![]() |
---|
![]() |
The "systemic opposition" is mainly composed by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF), the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), A Just Russia – For Truth (SRZP), New People and other minor parties; these political groups, while theoretically claiming to be in opposition, generally support the government's policies.[5][6]
Major political parties considered to be part of the non-systemic opposition include Yabloko and the People's Freedom Party (PARNAS), along with the unregistered party Russia of the Future and Libertarian Party of Russia (LPR). Other notable opposition groups included the Russian Opposition Coordination Council (KSO) (2012–2013) and The Other Russia (2006–2011), as well as various non-governmental organizations (NGOs).[5]
Their supporters vary in political ideology, ranging from liberals, socialists, and anarchists, to Russian nationalists. They are mainly unified by their opposition to Putin and corruption in the government. However, a lack of unity within the opposition has also hindered its standing.[7][8][9] Opposition figures also claim that a number of laws have been passed and other measures taken by Putin's government to prevent them from having any electoral success.
Background and composition
The Guardian's report from Luke Harding noted that during the 2000s Neo-Nazis, Russian nationalists, and ultranationalist groups were the most significant opposition to Putin's government.[10]
Some observers noted what they described as a "generational struggle" among Russians over perception of Putin's rule, with younger Russians more likely to be against Putin and his policies and older Russians more likely to accept the narrative presented by state-controlled media in Russia. Putin's approval rating among young Russians was 32% in January 2019, according to the Levada Center.[11] Another poll from the organization placed Putin's support among Russians aged 18–24 at 20% in December 2020.[12]
Actions and campaigns
Current campaigns of the opposition include the dissemination of anti-Putin reports such as Putin. Results. 10 years (2010), Putin. Corruption (2011) and Life of a Slave on Galleys (2012). Video versions of these reports, entitled Lies of Putin's regime,[13] have been viewed by about 10 million times on the Internet.[14]
In addition, smaller-scale series of actions are conducted. For example, in Moscow in the spring of 2012 saw a series of flash mobs "White Square", when protesters walked through the Red Square with white ribbons,[15] in the late spring and summer, they organized the protest camp "Occupy Abay" and autumn they held weekly "Liberty walks" with the chains symbolizing solidarity with political prisoners.[16]
A monstration is a parody demonstration where participants gently poke fun at Kremlin policies.[17]
Participation in elections
Some opposition figures, for example, chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, said there are no elections in Putin's Russia,[18][19] and that participation in a procedure called elections only legitimizes the regime.
On the other hand, a small part of liberals (the party of "Democratic Choice") consider elections as the main tool to achieve their political goals.[20]
History
![](../I/Rally_in_support_of_political_prisoners_2013-10-27_7989.jpg.webp)
2006–2008 Dissenters' March
The Dissenters' March was a series of Russian opposition protests started in 2006. It was preceded by opposition rallies in Russian cities in December 2005 which involved fewer people. Most of the Dissenters' March protests were unsanctioned by authorities. The Dissenters' March rally was organized by The Other Russia, a broad umbrella group that includes opposition leaders, including National Bolshevik Party with its leader Eduard Limonov, far-left Vanguard of Red Youth as well as liberals such as former world chess champion and United Civil Front leader Garry Kasparov.
2009–2011 Strategy-31
Strategy-31 was a series of civic protests in support of the right to peaceful assembly in Russia guaranteed by Article 31 of the Russian Constitution. Since 31 July 2009, the protests were held in Moscow on Triumfalnaya Square on the 31st of every month with 31 days.[21] Strategy-31 was led by writer Eduard Limonov and human rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva.
2011–2013 Russian protests
![](../I/Moscow_rally_12_June_2012%252C_Trubnaya_Square_(01).jpg.webp)
Starting from 5 December 2011, the day after the elections to the State Duma, there have been repeated massive political actions of Russian citizens who disagree with the outcome of these "elections". The current surge of mass opposition rallies has been called in some publications "a snow revolution".[22][23][24][25] These rallies continued during the campaign for the election of the President of Russia and after 4 March 2012, presidential election, in which Putin officially won the first round. The protesters claimed that the elections were accompanied by violations of the election legislation and widespread fraud. One of the main slogans of the majority of actions was "For Fair Elections!" and a white ribbon has been chosen as symbol of protests. Beginning from spring 2012 the actions were called marches of millions and took the form of a march followed by a rally. The speeches of participants were anti-Putin and anti-government.
The "March of Millions" on 6 May 2012 at the approach to Bolotnaya Square was dispersed by the police. In the Bolotnaya Square case 17 people are accused of committing violence against police (12 of them are in jail). A large number of human rights defenders and community leaders have declared the detainees innocent and the police responsible for the clashes.[26][27]
For the rally on 15 December 2012, the anniversary of the mass protests against rigged elections, the organizers failed to agree with the authorities, and participation was low. Several thousand people gathered without placards on Lubyanka Square and laid flowers at the Solovetsky Stone.[28]
2014 anti-war protests
![](../I/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%88_%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B0_%D0%9C%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B2%D0%B0_21_%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82_2014_L1460091.jpg.webp)
In 2014, members of the Russian opposition have held anti-war protests in opposition to the Russian military intervention in Ukraine in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and Crimean crisis. The March of Peace protests took place in Moscow on 15 March, a day before the Crimean status referendum. The protests have been the largest in Russia since the 2011 protests. Reuters reported that 30,000 people participated in 15 March anti-war rally.[29]
2017–2018 Russian protests
![](../I/March_in_memory_of_Boris_Nemtsov_in_Moscow_(2017-02-26)_78.jpg.webp)
On 26 March 2017, protests against alleged corruption in the Russian government took place simultaneously in many cities across the country. The protests began after the release of the film He Is Not Dimon to You by Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation. An April 2017 Levada poll found that 45% of surveyed Russians supported the resignation of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev,[30] against it 33% of respondents. Newsweek reported that "An opinion poll by the Moscow-based Levada Center indicated that 38 percent of Russians supported the rallies and that 67 percent held Putin personally responsible for high-level corruption."[31]
A May 2017 Levada poll found that 58% of surveyed Russians supported the protests, while 23% said they disapprove.[32]
2018 Russian pension protests
![](../I/File_Moscow_rally_10_December_2011%252C_Luzhkov_Bridge.jpg.webp)
From July 2018, almost every weekend, protest rallies and demonstrations were organized against the planned retirement age hike. Such events occurred in nearly all major cities countrywide including Novosibirsk, St.-Petersburg and Moscow. These events were coordinated by all opposition parties with the leading role of the communists. Also trade unions and some individual politicians (among whom Navalny) functioned as organizers of the public actions.[33]
An intention to hike the retirement age has drastically downed the rating of the President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Russia. So in July 2018, just 49% would vote for Putin if the presidential elections were held in that moment (while during the elections in March 2018, he got 76.7%).[34][35]
2019 Russian protests
![](../I/Rally_for_right_to_vote_in_Moscow_(2019-08-10)_144614.jpg.webp)
In the first half of 2019 there were approximately 863 protests across the country.[36]
From July 2019, protest rallies for an access to 2019 Moscow City Duma election of independent candidates started in Moscow. The 20 July rally was the largest since 2012. The 27 July rally set a record in number of detainees and police violence.[37][38] The 10 August rally outnumbered the 27 July rally, oppositional sources report 50-60 thousand participants.[39]
2020–21 Khabarovsk Krai protests
On 9 July 2020, the popular governor of the Khabarovsk Krai, Sergei Furgal, who defeated the candidate of Putin's United Russia party in elections two years ago, was arrested and flown to Moscow. Furgal was arrested 15 years after the alleged crimes he is accused of. Every day since 11 June, mass protests have been held in the Khabarovsk Krai in support of Furgal.[40] On 25 July, tens of thousands of people were estimated to have taken part in the third major rally in Khabarovsk.[41] The protests included chants of "Away with Putin!", "This is our region", "Furgal was our choice" or "shame on LDPR" and "Shame on the Kremlin!"[42][43][41]
In a Levada Center poll carried out from 24 to 25 July 2020, 45% of surveyed Russians viewed the protests positively, 26% neutrally and 17% negatively.[44]
2021 Russian protests
![](../I/2021-01-23_Peter's_Square%252C_Lipetsk_01.jpg.webp)
On 23 January 2021, protests across Russia were held in support of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was detained and then jailed after returning to Russia on 17 January following his poisoning. A few days before the protests, an investigation by Navalny and his Anti-Corruption Foundation was published, accusing Putin of corruption. The video garnered 70 million views in a few days.[45]
Since jailing of Navalny a "hardening of the course" was observed from the government side, with a choice of "go West or East" being offered to prominent opposition figures, meaning a non-negotiable alternative of either going on emigration ("West") or to prison colonies ("East"). Among those who left Russia are politicians Lyubov Sobol, Dmitry Gudkov, Ivan Zhdanov (whose father had been however arrested in Russia as a hostage), Kira Yarmysh, journalists Andrei Soldatov, Irina Borogan, Roman Badanin. The wave of repressions has been also linked with the September 2021 Duma elections.[46][47]
2021 Russian election protests
Protests against alleged large-scale fraud in favour of the ruling party were held.[48]
2022 anti-war protests
![](../I/Anti-war_inscription_in_the_Saint_Petersburg_(2022-05-07).jpg.webp)
![](../I/Ilya_Yashin_in_a_paddy_wagon_2021-03-13.jpg.webp)
![](../I/%D0%98%D0%BB%D0%BB%D1%8E%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%A1%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%B8_%D0%A1%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%BE_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D1%81%D0%BB%D1%83%D1%88%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F%D1%85_%D0%B2_%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B5.jpg.webp)
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, protesters have used the white-blue-white flag as a symbol of opposition though not all used the flag. Several opposition activists (such as Maria Motuznaya) had criticized the justification by AssezJeune (one of the creators of the flag) to remove the red stripe.[49]
On the afternoon of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Investigative Committee of Russia issued a warning to Russians that they would face legal repercussions for joining unsanctioned protests related to "the tense foreign political situation".[50] The protests have been met with widespread repression by the Russian authorities. According to OVD-Info, at least 14,906 people were detained from 24 February to 13 March,[51][52] including the largest single-day mass arrests in post-Soviet Russian history on 6 March.[53]
In February 2022, more than 30,000 technology workers,[54] 6,000 medical workers, 3,400 architects,[55] more than 4,300 teachers,[56] more than 17,000 artists,[57] 5,000 scientists,[58] and 2,000 actors, directors, and other creative figures signed open letters calling for Putin's government to stop the war.[59][60] Some Russians who signed petitions against Russia's war in Ukraine lost their jobs.[61]
On 17 March, Putin gave a speech in which he called opponents of the war "scum and traitors," saying that a "natural and necessary self-cleansing of society will only strengthen our country."[62][63] Russian authorities were encouraging Russians to report their friends, colleagues and family members to the police for expressing opposition to the war in Ukraine.[64]
More than 2,000 people were detained or fined by May 2022 under the laws prohibiting "fake" information about the military.[65] In July 2022, Alexei Gorinov, a member of the Krasnoselsky district council in Moscow, was sentenced to seven years in prison after making anti-war comments at a council meeting in March.[66] Lawyer Pavel Chikov said that this was the first jail term under the new Russian 2022 war censorship laws.[67]
2022–2023 Russian partisan movement
In response to the invasion of Ukraine, numerous armed pro-democratic, and anti-authoritarian partisan and insurgent groups have sprung up within Russia in open rebellion with the aim of sabotaging the war effort and overthrowing Putin and his regime.[68] These groups primarily engage in guerrilla warfare against the state and utilize the destruction of infrastructure such as railways, military recruitment centers, and radio towers, as well as other means to harm the state such as conducting assassinations. Some of the most notable groups involved in the conflict include the Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists (BOAK) regarded by The Insider as "The most active 'subversive' force" within Russia since the war began,[69] the National Republican Army,[70] the Freedom of Russia Legion,[71] and the far-right Russian Volunteer Corps.[72]
2023 Wagner rebellion
On June 23, 2023, forces loyal to Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Group began a mutiny against the Russian government. Citing the Russian Ministry of Defence's, and namely the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu's mishandling of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as claiming the Russian army shelled one of the Wagner group's barracks, resulting in casualties. Wagner occupied the city of Rostov-on-Don, surrounding and then seizing the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Prigozhin has vowed to march on Moscow and arrest Shoigu, and other Russian generals, and put them on trial for murder of Wagner personnel.[73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80]
Opposition figures
- Liya Akhedzhakova[81][82]
- Georgy Alburov[83]
- Lyudmila Alexeyeva[84]*[lower-alpha 1]
- Maria Alyokhina[85]
- Maximilian Andronikov, a.k.a. "Caesar"[86]*[lower-alpha 2]
- Vladimir Ashurkov[87]
- Ilya Azar[88]
- Farid Babayev[89]*†
- Anastasia Baburova[90]* †
- Nikita Belykh[91]*[lower-alpha 3]
- Boris Berezovsky[92]* †[lower-alpha 4]
- Darya Besedina[93]
- Nikolai Bondarenko[94]
- Dmitry Bykov[95]*[lower-alpha 5]
- Yuriy Chervochkin[96]* †
- Alexei Devotchenko[97]* †
- Roman Dobrokhotov[98]*[lower-alpha 6]
- Yury Dud[99]*[lower-alpha 7]
- Natalya Estemirova[90]* †
- Sergei Furgal[94]*[lower-alpha 8]
- Maria Gaidar[100]*[lower-alpha 9]
- Yegor Gaidar[101]*[lower-alpha 10] †
- Maxim Galkin[102]*[lower-alpha 11]
- Nikolai Glushkov[103]* †
- Dmitry Gudkov[88]*[lower-alpha 12]
- Gennady Gudkov[104]*[lower-alpha 12]
- Andrey Illarionov[105]*[lower-alpha 12]
- Vladimir Kara-Murza[106]*[lower-alpha 13]
- Nadezhda Karpova[107]*[lower-alpha 14]
- Garry Kasparov[108]*[lower-alpha 12]
- Mikhail Kasyanov[109]*[lower-alpha 15]
- Maxim Katz[110]
- Mikhail Khodorkovsky[106]*[lower-alpha 12]
- Pavel Khodorkovsky[111]*[lower-alpha 12]
- Andrei Kozyrev[112]*[lower-alpha 12]
- Nina L. Khrushcheva[113]*[lower-alpha 12]
- Alexander Litvinenko[90]* †
- Mikhail Lobanov[114]
- Sergei Magnitsky[90]* †
- Mikhail Matveyev[115][116][117][118]
- Stanislav Markelov[90]* †
- Boris Mints[119]*[lower-alpha 16]
- Sergey Mitrokhin[120]
- Sergey Mokhnatkin[121]* †
- Dmitry Muratov[122]
- Boris Nadezhdin[123]
- Yulia Navalnaya[124]
- Alexei Navalny[125]*[lower-alpha 17]
- Boris Nemtsov[126]* †
- Oxxxymiron[127][128][129]*[lower-alpha 18]
- Nikolay Platoshkin[130]*[lower-alpha 19]
- Anna Politkovskaya[101]* †
- Ilya Ponomarev[131]*[lower-alpha 12]
- Lev Ponomaryov[132]
- Mikhail Prokhorov[133][134]*[lower-alpha 20]
- Yevgeny Roizman[106]*[lower-alpha 21]
- Ivan Rybkin[135]*[lower-alpha 22]
- Vladimir Ryzhkov[136][137]
- Yekaterina Samutsevich
- Ekaterina Schulmann[138]*[lower-alpha 23]
- Viktor Shenderovich[139]*[lower-alpha 24]
- Yuri Shevchuk[140]
- Lev Shlosberg[141]
- Ruslan Shaveddinov[83]*[lower-alpha 25]
- Yuri Shchekochikhin[90]* †
- Yury Shutov[142]* †
- Natalya Sindeyeva[143]
- Emilia Slabunova[144]
- Irina Slavina*[145] †
- Olga Smirnova[146]*[lower-alpha 26]
- Fyodor Smolov[147]
- Ksenia Sobchak[148][149]
- Lyubov Sobol[83]*[lower-alpha 27]
- Nadya Tolokonnikova
- Sergei Tretyakov[150]* †
- Anastasia Udaltsova[151]
- Sergei Udaltsov[151]
- Yevgeny Urlashov[152]*[lower-alpha 28]
- Denis Voronenkov[90]* †
- Pyotr Verzilov[153]*[lower-alpha 29]
- Kira Yarmysh[83]*[lower-alpha 12]
- Ilya Yashin[88]*[lower-alpha 30]
- Grigory Yavlinsky[154]
- Magomed Yevloyev[155]* †
- Sergei Yushenkov[90]* †
- Akhmed Zakayev[156]*[lower-alpha 12]
- Ivan Zhdanov[83]*[lower-alpha 12]
Symbols
![](../I/White-blue-white_flag_in_Tbilisi.jpg.webp)
In 2012, the term white ribbon opposition was applied to the protesters for fair elections as they wore white ribbons as their symbol.[15]
The white-blue-white flag is a symbol of opposition to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine that has been used by Russian anti-war protesters. It has also been used as a symbol of opposition to the current government of Russia.
During the Wagner Group mutiny, forces loyal to the Wagner group painted a red Z on the side of their vehicles, in reference to the white Z used by Russian forces during the invasion of Ukraine.[157]
In culture
Books
- 12 Who Don't Agree (2009), non-fiction book by Valery Panyushkin
- Winter is Coming (2015), non-fiction book by former Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov
Films
- Les Enfants terribles de Vladimir Vladimirovitch Poutine (2006)
- This is Our City (2007), by Alexander Shcherbanosov
- The Revolution That Wasn't (2008), by Alyona Polunina
- Term (2018), by Alexander Rastorguyev
- Putin's Palace: History of the World's Largest Bribe (2021), by Alexei Navalny
- Navalny (2022), by Daniel Roher
See also
- 2022–2023 Belarusian and Russian partisan movement
- Assassination of Boris Nemtsov
- Belarusian opposition
- Democracy movements of China
- Dissenters' March
- Kazakh opposition
- Kirill Serebrennikov
- National Endowment for Democracy
- Non-system opposition
- Political groups under Vladimir Putin's presidency
- Reaction of Russian intelligentsia to the 2014 annexation of Crimea
- Russia under Vladimir Putin
- "Russia will be free"
Notes
- Died in 2018
- Currently fighting in Ukraine
- Since 2018 has been imprisoned
- In exile since 2000, subject to an Interpol Red Notice by the Russian government, found dead in mysterious circumstances in 2013
- Survived a suspected poisoning in 2019
- In exile since 2021, warrant for his arrest issued by Russian government
- In exile since 2022, designated a "foreign agent" by the Russian government
- Since 2020 has been imprisoned
- Currently lives abroad
- Survived a poisoning in 2006, died unexpectedly at 53 in 2009
- In exile since 2022, designated a "foreign agent" by the Russian government
- Currently in exile
- Survived poisoning by FSB agents in 2015 and 2017, imprisoned since 2022
- Currently lives abroad
- In exile since 2022
- Currently in exile, arrest warrant issued by the Russian government
- Survived a poisoning by FSB agents in 2020, since 2021 imprisoned in a corrective labour colony
- Designated a "foreign agent" by the Russian government
- Issued a five-year suspended prison sentence in 2021
- Currently lives abroad
- Since 2022 has been imprisoned
- Survived a kidnapping in 2004
- Currently in exile, designated a "foreign agent" by the Russian government
- In exile since 2022
- Designated a "foreign agent" by the Russian government, warrant for his arrest also issued
- In exile since 2022
- Currently in exile, warrant for her arrest issued by Russian government
- Imprisoned since 2017
- Survived a poisoning in 2017
- Since 2022 has been imprisoned
References
- Ben Noble, Putin just won a supermajority in the Duma. That matters. Archived 28 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Washington Post (1 October 2016): "During the 2011-2016 parliamentary session, the Kremlin often engineered supermajorities with votes from loyal opposition Duma deputies."
- Thomas F Remington, Presidential Decrees in Russia: A Comparative Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2014), p. 44: "The 'within-system' opposition parties, such as the communists and A Just Russia, must be willing to play their prescribed role as tame, domesticated versions of a real opposition."
- "Indicators". Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- "Putin's approval rating ends 2022 at 81%, boosted by support for the war in Ukraine". www.intellinews.com. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- Ros, Cameron (3 March 2016). Systemic and Non-Systemic Opposition in the Russian Federation: Civil Society Awakens?. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. ISBN 9781317047230. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- The Russian Awakening (PDF). Washington DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 2012. p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- Peter Finn, Infighting Fractures Russian Opposition: Kremlin's Democratic Foes Help Marginalize Themselves With Suspicions, Old Feuds Archived 25 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Washington Post (28 March 2007).
- A fourth term for Russia's perpetual president Archived 27 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine, The Economist (19 March 2018): "a fractured opposition."
- Zemlyanskaya, Alisa (5 July 2022). "Этот поезд в огне: как российские партизаны поджигают военкоматы и пускают поезда под откос". The Insider (in Russian). Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- "Putin's worst nightmare". The Guardian. 8 February 2009. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- "Opinion: How Putin and the Kremlin lost Russian youths". The Washington Post. 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- "Vladimir Putin's popularity with young Russians plummeting, opinion poll finds". The Times. 11 December 2020. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- "Ложь путинского режима". YouTube. Archived from the original on 23 July 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- b_nemtsov (10 November 2012). "Ролики "Ложь путинского режима"". Archived from the original on 24 November 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- "Стой! Кто идет?". www.kasparov.ru. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- "Грани.Ру: В Москве задержаны участники "Прогулки свободы"". graniru.org. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "Moscow threatens to block BBC Russian service Service". Z News. 5 August 2014. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
- Соколов, Михаил (6 June 2011). ""Выборов, которые приведут к отстранению Путина от власти, в России быть не может. Надо четко зафиксировать наш призыв к демонтажу существующей системы. Она убивает будущее России. Выживание путинского режима – это гибель страны. Вот об этом надо говорить, а не соблазнять людей предвыборными пустышками"". Радио Свобода. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "Грани.Ру | Юрий Староверов: Марш регионов вместо иллюзий". graniru.org. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "О нас. Что такое "Демократический выбор"?". Демократический выбор. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
- Toepfl, Florian (April 2013). "Making sense of the news in a hybrid regime: how young Russians decode state TV and an oppositional blog" (PDF). Journal of Communication. 63 (4): 244–265. doi:10.1111/jcom.12018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- "Ежедневный Журнал: Координационный совет накануне выборов". ej.ru. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- "Высокий градус русской зимы". Газета.Ru. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- Андерс Аслунд. Урок для России. Снежная революция не должна повторить ошибки Оранжевой. — KyivPost, 22.02.2012 Archived 13 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- "Протест против Путина: "снежная революция" в России тает". www.inopressa.ru. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "За права человека". За права человека. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "Грани.Ру: В Москве прошел митинг в поддержку "узников Болотной"". graniru.org. Archived from the original on 31 May 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "Стояние у Соловецкого камня: Итоги запрещенной оппозиционной акции". Archived from the original on 17 December 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- "Ukraine crisis triggers Russia's biggest anti-Putin protest in two years". Reuters. 15 March 2014. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- "Russian Polls Do Mean Something After All Archived 26 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine". Bloomberg. 26 April 2017.
- "Alexei Navalny: Is Russia's Anti-Corruption Crusader Vladimir Putin's Kryptonite? Archived 12 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine". Newsweek. 17 April 2017.
- "Акции протеста 12 июня Archived 4 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine". Levada Center. 13 June 2017
- J. Heintz (28 July 2018). "Tens of thousands of Russians protest retirement age hikes". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
- S. Walker (16 July 2018). "Successful World Cup fails to halt slide in Vladimir Putin's popularity". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
- R. Dobrokhotov (13 July 2018). "Why Putin's approval rating is falling". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
- "Russian Officials Appear Unable to Suppress Protests". VOA News. 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- Nechepurenko, Ivan (27 July 2019). "Moscow Police Arrest More Than 1,300 at Election Protest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- "Thousand arrests at Moscow election protest". 27 July 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- "Митинг на проспекте Сахарова собрал, по данным источников "Эха Москвы", от 50 до 60 тысяч человек". Эхо Москвы (in Russian). Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- "Anti-Putin Protests in Russia's Far East Gather Steam". VOA News. 25 July 2020. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- "Protests Swell in Russia's Far East in a Stark New Challenge to Putin". The New York Times. 25 July 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- "Anger at Kremlin Grows in Latest Massive Russian Far East Protest". The Moscow Times. 25 July 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- "Anti-Kremlin protests in Khabarovsk: 'We hate Moscow!'". Deutsche Welle. 26 July 2020. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- "45 Percent of Russians Support Anti-Putin Protests While Just 17 Percent Oppose Demonstrations: Poll". Newsweek. 28 July 2020. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- "Protests for Jailed Kremlin Critic Navalny Sweep Russia". The Moscow Times. 23 January 2021. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- Troianovski, Anton; Matsnev, Oleg (30 August 2021). "Exile or Jail: The Grim Choice Facing Russian Opposition Leaders". The New York Times. Moscow. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- "Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh has fled Russia, reports Interfax". Meduza. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- "В центре Москвы прошла акция КПРФ против результатов выборов. Перед ее началом полиция взяла в осаду сторонников коммунистов — в горкоме партии и Мосгордуме". Meduza (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- "У антивоенного движения появился новый символ протеста — бело-сине-белый флаг. "Медуза" рассказывает, кто и зачем его придумал". Meduza. 14 March 2022. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- "Moscow Warns Russians Against Staging Anti-War Protests". Voice of America. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022.
- Нет войне – Как российские власти борются с антивоенными протестами [No to war – How Russian authorities are fighting anti-war protests]. OVD Info (in Russian). Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- Shevchenko, Vitaly (15 March 2022). "Ukraine war: Protester exposes cracks in Kremlin's war message". BBC News. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022.
- Vladimirova, Alexandra (14 April 2022). "Closed Shops, Zs, Green Ribbons: Russia's Post-Invasion Reality". The Moscow Times. Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- "Scores of IT workers in Russia sign public anti-war petition". TechCrunch. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022.
- "Anti-war sentiment grows in Russia as troops close in on Ukrainian capital". PBS. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022.
- "The Kremlin forces schools and theaters to uphold Putin's invasion propaganda". Coda Media. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022.
- "Nearly 20,000 Russian artists are demanding a withdrawal from Ukraine". Quartz. 2 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022.
- "Global research community condemns Russian invasion of Ukraine". Nature. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022.
- "Russian Government Orders Media Outlets To Delete Stories Referring To 'Invasion' Or 'Assault' On Ukraine". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, RFE/RL. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022.
- "Russia's anti-war lobby goes online". France 24. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022.
- "She Signed an Open Letter Calling for Peace. Then Got Fired". The Moscow Times. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022.
- "Putin warns Russia against pro-Western 'traitors' and scum". Reuters. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- "Putin says Russia must undergo a 'self-cleansing of society' to purge 'bastards and traitors' as thousands flee the country". Business Insider. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- "Russians Are Snitching On Friends and Family Who Oppose the War in Ukraine". Vice. 8 August 2022. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- "Video shows defiant Russian audience chanting 'fuck the war' at St Petersburg concert". Business Insider. 23 May 2022. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- Karev, Andrey (10 July 2022). "'I'll be exonerated much sooner than this'". Novaya Gazeta Europa. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- "Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow politician gets 7 years for denouncing war". BBC News. 8 July 2022. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- "Коктейли Молотова и рельсовая война — стратегия новой российской оппозиции. Роман Попков поговорил с "партизанами" об их методах борьбы" [Molotov cocktails and rail war: the strategy of the new Russian opposition. Roman Popkov speaks with the "partisans" about their methods of struggle]. БелСат (in Russian). 12 August 2022.
- Zemlyanskaya, Alisa (5 July 2022). "Этот поезд в огне: как российские партизаны поджигают военкоматы и пускают поезда под откос". The Insider (in Russian). Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- Smart, Jason Jay (23 August 2022). "Exclusive interview: Russia's NRA Begins Activism". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- "Российская оппозиция начинает вооруженное сопротивление Путину: подписано декларацию". Главком | Glavcom (in Russian). 31 August 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- Pikulicka-Wilczewska, Agnieszka; Pikulicka-Wilczewska, Agnieszka (11 May 2023). "How Russians end up in a far-right militia fighting in Ukraine". Reuters.
- Osborn, Andrew; Liffey, Kevin (23 June 2023). "Russia accuses mercenary boss of mutiny after he says Moscow killed 2,000 of his men". Reuters. Archived from the original on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- Cooney, Christy; Seales, Rebecca (23 June 2023). "Russia accuses Wagner chief of urging 'armed mutiny'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- Dress, Brad (23 June 2023). "Wagner chief says Russia's war in Ukraine intended to benefit elites, accuses Moscow of lying". The Hill. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- "'All the way': Wagner head escalates threats with Russia military". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- Sauer, Pjotr (23 June 2023). "Wagner chief accuses Moscow of lying to public about Ukraine". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- Sauer, Pjotr (23 June 2023). "Russia investigates Wagner chief for 'armed mutiny' after call for attack on military". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 24 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- Williams, Tom; Nancarrow, Dan (24 June 2023). "Live: Wagner fighters allegedly march into Russia, with leader vowing to go 'all the way' against military". ABC News. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- Gavin, Gabriel; Ross, Tim; Sheftalovich, Zoya (23 June 2023). "Putin in crisis: Wagner chief Prigozhin declares war on Russian military leadership, says 'we will destroy everything'". POLITICO. Archived from the original on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- "Russian Actress, Kremlin Critic Akhedzhakova Leaves Moscow Theater Amid Pressure". RFE/RL. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Moscow Theater Cancels Plays With Kremlin Critic Liya Akhedzhakova". Moscow Times. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russia: Two years after Aleksei Navalny's arrest, Russian opposition figures suppressed, jailed or exiled". Amnesty International. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "'Wise and humane': Soviet dissident Lyudmila Alexeyeva dies aged 91". The Guardian. 9 December 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina says she escaped Russia dressed as a food courier". CNN. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "'We are Russians just like you': anti-Putin militias enter the spotlight". The Guardian. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian opposition activist Vladimir Ashurkov is granted asylum in UK". The Guardian. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "In Moscow, Putin's opponents chalk up a symbolic victory". Politico. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian opposition election candidate shot". Reuters. 21 November 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Here are 10 critics of Vladimir Putin who died violently or in suspicious ways". Washington Post. 23 April 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian opposition leader found guilty of embezzlement; his lawyers pledge to appeal". Los Angeles Town. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Boris Berezovsky: Russia remembers 'controversial figure'". BBC News. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Congratulations, You're an Elected Russian Opposition Official! Now What?". Moscow Times. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Will a New Generation of Russians Modernize Their Country?". Carengie. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Another Putin critic reportedly targeted in Kremlin 2019 poisoning operation". The Independent. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "The National Bolshevik was buried under guard". Kommersant. 14 December 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Anti-Putin activist found dead in Moscow home". The Guardian. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "The brave journalists risking all to hold Vladimir Putin to account". The New European. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Russian regulator warns local media over coverage of Ukraine war". AlJazeera. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Daughter of ex-Russian PM, defying Kremlin, eyes top post in key Ukraine region". Reuters. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Former Russian PM Gaidar poisoned, say his doctors". The Independent. 1 December 2006. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian star and Putin critic Maxim Galkin packs out Irish venue for live show tonight". Independent.ie. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Nikolai Glushkov: Putin critic 'strangled in London home by third party'". BBC News. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian Duma expels anti-Putin MP Gennady Gudkov". BBC News. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Agent of chaos: How to read Putin's lies, U-turns and retreats". Politico. 12 November 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Vladimir Putin's critics: dead, jailed, exiled". France24. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Nadya Karpova: The Russia striker speaking out against war in Ukraine". BBC Sport. 6 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Garry Kasparov: 'Why become a martyr? I can do much more outside Russia'". The Guardian. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Russia is electing a new parliament--but hardly anyone thinks Putin's party will lose". Los Angeles Times. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Liberal anti-Putin coalition causes upset in Moscow council elections". The Guardian. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Mikhail Khodorkovsky reunion: son Pavel speaks after decade of separation". The Telegraph. 21 December 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "How Sergey Lavrov lost his levity to become Putin's Mr Nyet". The Times. 6 March 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Mariupol defenders ignore Russia surrender deadline:Putin could use nuclear weapons: Khrushchev's great-granddaughter". BBC News. 17 April 2022. p. 2. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
Ms Khrushcheva - a Russia scholar at the New School in New York and long-time critic of Mr Putin
- "Russian Police Raid Opposition Politicians' Homes, Detain Activist". Moscow Times. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russia's anti-war lobby goes online". France24. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "The participant of the rally in Samara demanded the resignation of the chairman of the CEC". Teppa.ru. 27 December 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "CVC Central Election Committee on the elections to the Coordinating Council of the Russian Opposition". Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- Navalny, Alexei (4 October 2012). "Ещё не поздно поддержать Матвеева (и остальных) и помочь им пройти во второй тур. Голосование идёт". Twitter. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "The Russian billionaire daring to speak out about Putin". BBC News. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Two prominent activists are planning to run for the same Moscow City Duma seat, prompting tensions among opposition supporters". Meduza. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- Freedom House (2014). Freedom in the World 2014: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 573. ISBN 9781442247079.
- "Dmitry Muratov: Nobel Peace Prize winner and Putin critic 'doused in paint during attack on Moscow train'". The Independent. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russia expected in 'weeks rather than months', Western officials say". i. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "'I am not afraid': Yulia Navalnaya, 'first lady' of the Russian opposition movement, emerges as a force to be reckoned with". MSNBC. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Factbox: Who is Alexei Navalny and what does he say of Russia, Putin and death?". Reuters. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "The man who dared to criticize Putin". DW. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- Nechepurenko, Ivan; Bilefsky, Dan (24 February 2022). "Thousands of Russians protest President Vladimir V. Putin's assault on Ukraine. Some chant: 'No to war!'". New York Times. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Russian Rapper Oxxxymiron Stages Anti-War Rallying Cry From Istanbul". Moscow Times. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Anti-war Russians in Turkey unite at rap concert for Ukraine". Reuters. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Russia: Prisoner of conscience Nikolai Platoshkin's suspended conviction must be quashed". Amnesty International. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Targeted killings spark debate within Russian opposition". Politico. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian activist Lev Ponomarev: 'The Kremlin is digging its own grave by letting spooks take over domestic policy'". The Independent. 20 January 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Kremlin critic Mikhail Prokhorov 'does not fear being sent to jail'". The Telegraph. 18 September 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Vladimir Putin's time as leader has passed, says Mikhail Prokhorov". The Telegraph. 1 February 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian Politician Missing for 3 Days". Los Angeles Times. 9 February 2004. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russia election: Vladimir Putin celebrates victory". BBC News. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Mikhail Gorbachev had a 'huge impact on world history', says Vladimir Putin". The Independent. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russians who live abroad say Moscow is hardening the views of those back home". NBC. 27 March 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian Writer, Staunch Kremlin Critic Barred From Entering Georgia". RFE/RL. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russia prosecutes veteran rock star for criticising Ukraine conflict". France24. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Opposition Politician Accused of 'Discrediting' Russian Military". Moscow Times. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Putin Critic Serving Life Sentence Dies In Jail". RFE/RL. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Meet Natalya Sindeyeva – has she got news for Vladimir Putin". The Guardian. 20 February 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Russian regional deputies urge Putin to issue decree ending mobilisation". Reuters. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russia 'drove democracy activist to fireball suicide'". The Times. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian, Ukrainian ballet stars to dance together in Naples". The Independent. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian soccer player Fedor Smolov publicly opposes Putin's decision to invade Ukraine: 'No to war'". Washington Post. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- "Russian opposition figures: Ksenia Sobchak". BBC News. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Ksenia Sobchak: Police raid home of 'Russian Paris Hilton' and Putin critic". Sky News. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- "Russia: The KGB's Post-Soviet 'Commercialization'". RFE/RL. 20 December 2006. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian opposition figures: Sergei and Anastasia Udaltsov". BBC News. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russian Mayor, an Opposition Figure, Is Arrested". New York Times. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "'Highly probable' Pussy Riot activist was poisoned, say German doctors". The Guardian. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Russians tire of Putin, says opposition leader". Reuters. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Owner of Russian opposition website killed". Reuters. 31 August 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "From Russia with $3 billion. Another Putin opponent may have fled to London". The Guardian. 30 August 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- "Red Z = Wagner". Twitter. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
External links
Media related to Demonstrations and protests in Russia at Wikimedia Commons
- List of political prisoners in Russia (Russian) in 2015, compiled by "New Chronicle of Current Events".