Despite decades of Putin, it is too simplistic to assert that authoritarianism has eliminated Russian activism, especially in relation to everyday life. Instead, we must build an awareness of diverse efforts to mobilize citizens to better understand how activism is shaped by and, in turn, shapes the regime.

Varieties of Russian Activism focuses on a broad range of collective actions, from labor unions to housing renovation, religion, electoral politics, minority language rights, and urban planning. Contributors draw attention to significant forms of grassroots politics that have not received sufficient attention in scholarship, or that deserve fresh examination. The volume shows that Russians find novel ways to redress everyday problems and demand new services. Together, these essays interrogate what kinds of practices can be defined as activism in a fast-changing, politically volatile society.

An engaging collection, Varieties of Russian Activism unites leading scholars in the common aim of approaching the embeddedness of civic activism in the conditions of everyday life, connectedness, and rising society-state expectations.

About the Author

Jeremy Morris is Professor of Global Studies at Aarhus University. He is author most recently of Everyday Post-Socialism: Working-Class Communities in the Russian Margins.

Andrei Semenov is Senior Researcher at the Sociological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences. His work appears in Russian Politics, Social Movements Studies, and Post-Soviet Affairs.

Regina Smyth is Professor of Political Science at Indiana University. She is author most recently of Elections, Protest, and Authoritarian Regime Stability: Russia 2008-2020.

Reviews

"Much has been written about Russian activism, but this volume takes the reader into unexpected realms, to the (almost) hidden and liminal spaces of everyday life. The excellent studies of this book give dedicated tribute to the many forms of Russian engaged citizenship way beyond political apathy. This volume is an eye opener and an enjoyable, even adventurous read for academics and interested parties alike."-Christian Froehlich, HSE University, Russia

"What Russian citizens want from their state-and from one another-has become a question of global significance. By embracing the complexity and contradictions of authoritarian contention, Varieties of Russian Activism does more than any recent book to help us understand how Russian society functions today, and what might happen when Russia once again belongs to its citizens."-Sam Greene, Director, Democratic Resilience at the Center for European Policy Analysis and Professor, Kings College Russia

Book Information
ISBN 9780253065469
Author Jeremy Morris
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Indiana University Press
Publisher Indiana University Press