Brief History of Cultural Dissent in Russia
Over the past century, Russia has oscillated between totalitarianism and authoritarianism, with a brief period of relative freedom in the 1990s. The tradition of dissent has deep roots in Russian history.
How to talk about current Russia?
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We explain current issues of Russia.
We share stories of real people.
We open a dialogue in Ask a Russian.
Articles
Why are Russians participating in the 2024 presidential elections?
All relevant oppositional candidates were barred from participation. Most international observers do not expect the election to be either free or fair. Despite the situation being hopeless, oppositional Russians are queuing to vote. Why?
Askold Kurov and Pavel Loparev
Yes. There is very little hope, but that is the one thing that is hard to take away from us.
Justin
I believed, and still believe, that we can change the situation in the country.
People of Russia
Askold Kurov and Pavel Loparev
Yes. There is very little hope, but that is the one thing that is hard to take away from us.
Justin
I believed, and still believe, that we can change the situation in the country.
Andrei
We want these teens to keep on believing that they are not alone against government bans.
Elena Klimova
Let everyone do what they think is right, as best they can.
Read stories of people
Our stand on the Russian invasion to Ukraine
Russia started the war against Ukraine. This war is happening from 2014. It has only intensified on February 24th 2022. Milions of Ukrainians are suffering. The perpetrators of this must be brought to justice for their crimes.
Russian regime tries to silence its liberal voices. Russian people against the war exist - and the Russian regime tries its best to silence them. We want to prevent that and make their voices heard.
Connection is crucial. The Russian liberal initiatives are hard to read for European public at times. The legal, social and historical context of Russia is not always clear. We want to share information, build bridges and connect the liberal Russia with The West.
We believe in dialogue, not isolation. The oppositional powers in Russia will not be able to change anything without the support of the democratic world. We also believe that the dialogue should go both ways.
The choice is yours. We understand the anger for the Russian crimes. It is up to you whether you want to listen to the Russian people standing against this.
Russia after USSR
1990s
Everything was possible. The fall of the planned economy brought freedom along with unimaginable social inequality.
2000s
The 2000’s started with the Chechen wars and terrorist attacks all over the country.
2010s
The previous years of relative prosperity along with theoretical freedom kickstarted the growth of civil society.
2020s
Tightening the screw. On February 2022, Russian war with Ukraine escalated to full-on invasion.
History timeline
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