The Other Russia: Still Alive

Update: Until now the anti-war movement in Russia is rather quiet. But intellectuals are starting to speak up against Putin.

• Activists, artists and intellectuals from Russian intelligentsia have published open letters against war with neighbouring Ukraine. Support for the activists is still small. But it is growing.
• Russian president Vladimir Putin has lost popularity among the young. They became involved in politics when Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny started to publish videos on corrupt officials.
• This younger generation walked out on the street and supported Navalny but their protests were crushed by Russian police and special forces. Lots of people went to jail.
• Resistance is still present in Russian society however. In opinion polls by independent Levada Center people express their discontent with Putin himself as well as with warmongering against Ukraine.
• Support for war with the neighbouring country is low. In the regions bordering Ukraine people prefer to focus on everyday problems.
• Opposition leader Navalny wants the West to focus on oligarchs and administration officials when coming up with new sanctions – in order not to punish ordinary Russians.