Opposition to Vladimir Putin in Russia

Background and composition

The Guardian 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.

Prominent Russian liberal opposition figure Alexei Navalny said before his 2020 poisoning that the Kremlin was "far more afraid of ultra-nationalists than they were of him", noting that "[the ultranationalists] use the same imperial rhetoric as Putin does, but they can do it much better than him".

On 4 March 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill introducing prison sentences of up to 15 years for spreading "fake news" about Russia's military operation in Ukraine; thousands of Russians have been prosecuted under this law for criticizing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including opposition politician Ilya Yashin and artist Aleksandra Skochilenko. Persecution was directed against pro-democracy and anti-war Russians, while criticism of the Putin regime by pro-war activists and ultranationalists was largely ignored.

Levada Center polls from 2022 indicated that there were at least 30 million pro-European Russians who opposed the war in Ukraine, but very few of them were able to leave Russia. Literary critic Galina Yuzefovich said that leaving Russia is a "privilege" for those who can "afford it".

In 2022 and 2023 Political experts in Russia and in the United States have described the far-right ultranationalist opposition to Putin as possibly "the most serious challenge" to the Russian regime.

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. Another poll from the organization placed Putin's support among Russians aged 18–24 at 20% in December 2020.

Actions and campaigns

Current campaigns of the opposition include the dissemination of anti-Putin reports such as Putin Must Go (2010), 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, have been viewed by about 10 million times on the Internet.

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, 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.

A monstration is a parody demonstration where participants gently poke fun at Kremlin policies.

Participation in elections

Some opposition figures, for example, chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, said there are no elections in Putin's Russia, 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.

History

2001 "Save NTV" protests

Main article: NTV affair#"Save NTV" protests

2004–2005 Russian benefits monetization protests

Main article: 2004–2005 Russian benefits monetization protests

These protests were directed against Putin's economic reforms that were seen as primarily driven by a controversial social welfare overhaul and changes to Russia's political structure.

2006–2008 Dissenters' March

Main article: 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 included 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

Main article: 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. Strategy-31 was led by writer Eduard Limonov and human rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva.

2011–2013 Russian protests

Main article: 2011–2013 Russian protests

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". 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.

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.

2014 anti-war protests

Main article: 2014 anti-war protests in Russia

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.

2017–2018 Russian protests

Main article: 2017–2018 Russian protests

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, 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."

A May 2017 Levada poll found that 58% of surveyed Russians supported the protests, while 23% said they disapprove.

2018 Russian pension protests

Main article: 2018 Russian pension protests

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.

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%).

2019 Russian protests

Main article: 2019 Moscow protests

In the first half of 2019 there were approximately 863 protests across the country.

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. The 10 August rally outnumbered the 27 July rally, oppositional sources report 50–60 thousand participants.

2020 Russian protests

Main article: 2020 Russian protests

On 27 February 2020, Navalny, Yashin, Yavlinsky, Volkov, and many other opposition politicians were present on a march in memory of a killed former Deputy Prime Minister and Vladimir Putin's critic Boris Nemtsov. The demonstration included around 23,000 opposition supporters.

On 20 August 2020, Navalny was poisoned with Novichok, leading to his medical treatment in Berlin, Germany.

2020–21 Khabarovsk Krai protests

Main article: 2020–2021 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. On 25 July, tens of thousands of people were estimated to have taken part in the third major rally in Khabarovsk. 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!"

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.

2021 Navalny Protests

Main article: 2021 Russian protests

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.

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.

2021 Russian election protests

Main article: 2021 Russian election protests

Protests against alleged large-scale fraud in favour of the ruling party were held.

2022 anti-war protests

Main article: 2022 anti-war protests in Russia

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.

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". 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, including the largest single-day mass arrests in post-Soviet Russian history on 6 March.

In February 2022, more than 30,000 technology workers, 6,000 medical workers, 3,400 architects, more than 4,300 teachers, more than 17,000 artists, 5,000 scientists, and 2,000 actors, directors, and other creative figures signed open letters calling for Putin's government to stop the war. Some Russians who signed petitions against Russia's war in Ukraine lost their jobs.

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." Russian authorities were encouraging Russians to report their friends, colleagues and family members to the police for expressing opposition to the war in Ukraine.

More than 2,000 people were detained or fined by May 2022 under the laws prohibiting "fake" information about the military. 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. Lawyer Pavel Chikov said that this was the first jail term under the new Russian 2022 war censorship laws. According to Amnesty International, as of June 2023, up to 20,000 Russian citizens had been subject to heavy reprisals for opposing the war in Ukraine.

In October 2023, Putin's close associate Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the State Duma, said that Russians who "desire the victory of the murderous Nazi Kyiv regime" should be sent to the far-eastern region of Magadan, known for its Stalin-era Gulag camps, and forced to work in the mines. In November 2023, Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel that Russians who left the country after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and are now returning "should understand that no one here is waiting for them with open arms" because they "committed treason against Russia".

2022–present Russian partisan movement

Main article: Russian partisan movement (2022–present)

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. 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, the National Republican Army, the Freedom of Russia Legion, and the far-right Russian Volunteer Corps.

2023 Wagner rebellion

Main article: Wagner Group rebellion

On June 23, 2023, forces loyal to Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Group began a mutiny against the Russian government. The group justified their revolt by citing the Russian Ministry of Defence's mishandling of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine (namely blaming Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Minister of Defense), 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 vowed to march on Moscow and arrest Shoigu, and other Russian generals, and put them on trial for murder of Wagner personnel.

There were no sizeable spontaneous displays of public support for the Putin government during the rebellion. The Russian population displayed a predominantly "silent" and apathetic reaction. Russia analyst Anna Matveeva contrasted the Russian public's response to that of the Turkish public during the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, where numerous Turkish citizens actively participated in anti-coup demonstrations.

2024 Russian presidential election

Main article: 2024 Russian presidential election

Putin was due to have to stand down as president in 2024 due to term limits in Russia's constitution, but it was widely expected that he would attempt to stay in power through certain means such as changing the constitution, even though Putin claimed otherwise in 2018. As predicted, Putin announced that constitutional changes would be proposed allowing him to stay in power until 2036 by "resetting" his terms, widely criticised by opponents, and these changes were then 'approved' in a disputed referendum in which independent election monitors received hundreds of reports of violations and state employees were deliberately prompted to vote in favour. Leader of the opposition Alexei Navalny dismissed the legitimacy of the poll and denounced the changes, saying that they would make Putin "president for life".

Journalist Yekaterina Duntsova tried to run in the 2024 election on a platform opposing the war in Ukraine, commenting: "Any sane person taking this step would be afraid - but fear must not win". However, she was quickly barred from running by the Central Election Commission, which claimed that she had made '100 mistakes' such as spelling errors on her forms and so should be denied registration. The BBC reported on Dunstova's rejection that: "the immediate slap-down of a Putin critic will be seen as evidence by some that no dissent will be tolerated in the campaign". The nationalist and previously pro-Putin Igor Girkin, who also attempted to become a candidate, openly declared that the election was a "sham", stating that "the only winner is known in advance" and "I understand perfectly well that in the current situation in Russia, participating in the presidential campaign is like sitting down at a table to play with card sharps". Girkin, a former FSB agent, was later sentenced to four years imprisonment.

Boris Nadezhdin declared his intention to run on a platform of opposing Putin and the Ukraine war. He quickly gained support, and queues formed in towns and villages across Russia and outside Boris Nadezhdin's headquarters in Moscow to sign their name in support of his bid for presidency. Footage showed how many thousands had queued even in the snow to sign their names, and he garnered "surprise levels of support", especially from younger urban Russians. The number of Russians who had turned up to sign their names was so unexpectedly high that extra sign-up centres had to be added in Moscow. In what was described as something "seemingly unachievable in Russian politics", Nadezhdin managed to unify many prominent opposition politicians and public figures behind his campaign and gained their endorsements: Yekaterina Duntsova (who had previously been barred), Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Ekaterina Schulmann, Yulia Navalnaya (wife of Alexei Navalny), Ilya Varlamov, Lyubov Sobol and many others. Russia's main opposition leader Navalny also passed a message from his imprisonment giving his backing to Nadezhdin's campaign. Navalny had himself been barred from the previous Russian presidential election in 2018 on what is widely seen as political grounds.

Multiple sources, including from inside the Kremlin, stated that the Kremlin would likely seek to deny Nadezhdin a place on the ballot. The CEC regularly uses the process of having to collect signatures to refuse to register would-be opposition candidates, acting as a form of filter to stop unwanted developments for the Kremlin. On 30 January 2024, Kremlin propagandist and television presenter Vladimir Solovyov warned Nadezhdin: "I feel bad for Boris. The fool didn’t realize that he’s not being set up to run for president but for a criminal case on charges of betraying the Motherland."

As predicted, on 8 February 2024 Nadezhdin was barred from running due to alleged "irregularities" in the signatures of voters supporting his candidacy. The election commission claimed that only 95,587 of his signatures in support of his candidacy were valid, just short of the 100,000 needed to run. His team said that some of the "errors" the election commission had claimed existed were merely minor typos that happened when handwritten names were put into its computers. Nadezhdin published evidence of this, showing Mayakovsky Street typed up as 'Myakovsky Street', the city of Salekhard misspelled as 'Salikhard', and one address in Rostov-on-Don typed up as 'Rostov-on-Dom'. Nadezhdin explained that the commission then used this to reject these signatures on the grounds that the address of these people "did not match". The commission also dubiously claimed that there were eleven dead people on Nadezhdin's list of signatures and that this disqualified his entire list of 105,000 signatures – which was in fact more than the 100,000 required to run. The press contacted the man whose address had been incorrectly entered as 'Rostov-on-Dom', and he confirmed he had indeed added his signature in support of Nadezhdin's candidacy, saying "this constitutes election obstruction".

Suspicious death of Navalny

As well as endorsing Nadezhdin, Alexei Navalny and his allies had called on supporters to protest Putin during the third day of the presidential election by all going to vote against him at the same time. Navalny then died in suspicious circumstances in his harsh imprisonment at a prison colony in the Arctic Circle, aged only 47, on 16 February 2024. After his death, Russians began bringing flowers to monuments to victims of political repression in cities across the country. People laid flowers at Moscow's Solovetsky Stone and the Wall of Grief. The Moscow Prosecutor's Office warned Russians against mass protests. Hundreds of people across more than 30 Russian cities were detained by police merely for attending makeshift memorials to Navalny.

The authorities further aroused suspicion by refusing to release Navalny's body to his family for over a week after his death, with his wife stating that his body was being kept until traces of intentional poisoning by Novichok had disappeared. He had previously been poisoned with Novichok by the Russian secret services in 2020, which had only been discovered at the time as an emergency evacuation had been arranged to the specialist Charité hospital in Berlin, which then carried out the tests which identified the poison. Navalny's mother attempted to go to the prison colony he died in to collect Navalny's body, but was repeatedly obstructed from doing so and instead sent to a morgue where his body had never been taken, and not told where his body was. She was then reportedly threatened to agree to a 'secret' burial of Navalny, or else he would be buried at the prison, being given only three hours to agree to the ultimatum. She refused to negotiate and demanded authorities complied with the law obliging investigators to hand over the body within two days of determining the causes of death. Navalny's wife was then forced to sign a death certificate claiming he had died of natural causes, with authorities claiming he had collapsed and died of "sudden death syndrome". Such a scenario is deemed to be suspicious due to multiple other 'sudden deaths' of those who have criticised Putin, such as Ravil Maganov and Yevgeny Prigozhin. Independent analysts also reject the authorities' medical explanations for his death. More than 50,000 Russians sent requests to the Russian government demanding that they return his body to his family.

The authorities belatedly returned Navalny's body eight days after his death, and upon his burial on Moscow thousands defied likely repression to appear in the streets to chant his name and their opposition to Putin. 250,000 people also watched a livestream of his funeral provided by his team, despite apparent attempts by the authorities to interrupt internet coverage. The crowds who attended chanted "no to war", "Russia without Putin" and "Russia will be free", even though there was a noticeable police presence. The funeral ceremony was also attended by Boris Nadezhdin and Yekaterina Duntsova, the two opposition candidates who had been barred from running against Putin in the presidential election, with Nadezhdin stating: "We have come to say goodbye to a person who was a symbol of an era. There is still hope that everything will be all right and Russia will be free and peaceful as Alexei had dreamed".

There was widespread international condemnation of Russian authorities for Navalny's death. US President Biden commented "there is no doubt that the death of Mr Navalny was a consequence of something Putin and his thugs did", whilst French president Emmanuel Macron remarked on his "anger and indignation", adding: "in today's Russia, free spirits are put in the gulag and sentenced to death". Germany's government called for the release of political prisoners in Russia, with a spokesman commenting: "It is shocking that people are being arrested in Russia for laying flowers in honour of Alexei Navalny's death".

2024 Noon against Putin

Main article: Noon against Putin

After Navalny's death his wife Yulia Navalnaya said that she would continue his work, asking Russians to "stand beside me" and "share the fury and hate for those who dared to kill our future". She appeared before the European Parliament on 28 February 2024 and was given a standing ovation for her emotional speech, in which she stated that defeating Putin requires innovation instead of only applying sanctions and resolutions against his regime. In March, she reiterated Navalny's request for Russians to protest at the presidential election by all turning up and forming long queues at polling stations at midday on 17 March, since it was a protest action that could show the strength of anti-Putin feeling without the authorities being able to prevent it or arrest people for it.

Opposition figures

• Zhanna Agalakova
• Liya Akhedzhakova
• Malik Akhmedilov* †
• Georgy Alburov
• Lyudmila Alexeyeva*
• Maria Alyokhina
• Maximilian Andronnikov, a.k.a. "Caesar"*
• Vladimir Ashurkov
• Ilya Azar
• Farid Babayev*†
• Anastasia Baburova* †
• Mikhail Beketov* †
• Nikita Belykh*
• Boris Berezovsky* †
• Darya Besedina
• Nikolai Bondarenko
• Dmitry Bykov*
• Yuriy Chervochkin* †
• Alexei Devotchenko* †
• Roman Dobrokhotov*
• Yury Dud*
• Yekaterina Duntsova
• Natalya Estemirova* †
• Tatyana Felgenhauer*
• Sergei Furgal*
• Maria Gaidar*
• Yegor Gaidar* †
• Maxim Galkin*
• Alexey Gaskarov
• Igor Girkin*
• Nikolai Glushkov* †
• Alexei Gorinov*
• Dmitry Gudkov*
• Gennady Gudkov*
• Andrey Illarionov*
• Boris Kagarlitsky*
• Marina Kalashnikova*
• Viktor Kalashnikov*
• Denis Kapustin, a.k.a. "White Rex"*
• Evgenia Kara-Murza*
• Vladimir Kara-Murza*
• Nadezhda Karpova*
• Garry Kasparov*
• Mikhail Kasyanov*
• Maxim Katz
• Irina Khakamada
• Mikhail Khodorkovsky*
• Pavel Khodorkovsky*
• Andrei Kozyrev*
• Nina L. Khrushcheva*
• Timur Kuashev* †
• Maxim Kuzminov †
• Yulia Latynina*
• Alexander Litvinenko* †
• Marina Litvinenko
• Mikhail Lobanov
• Ravil Maganov* †
• Isabel Magkoeva
• Sergei Magnitsky* †
• Mikhail Matveyev
• Stanislav Markelov* †
• Boris Mints*
• Sergey Mitrokhin
• Sergey Mokhnatkin* †
• Karinna Moskalenko*
• Dmitry Muratov
• Boris Nadezhdin
• Yulia Navalnaya
• Alexei Navalny* †
• Boris Nemtsov* †
• Zhanna Nemtsova*
• Valeriya Novodvorskaya* †
• Oleg Orlov*
• Marina Ovsyannikova*
• Miron Fyodorov*
• Leonid Parfyonov
• Gleb Pavlovsky*
• Alexander Perepilichny* †
• Dmitry Petrov* †
• Nikolay Platoshkin*
• Anna Politkovskaya* †
• Ilya Ponomarev*
• Lev Ponomaryov
• Yevgeny Prigozhin* †
• Mikhail Prokhorov*
• Valery Rashkin
• Yevgeny Roizman*
• Ivan Rybkin*
• Vladimir Ryzhkov
• Yekaterina Samutsevich
• Ekaterina Schulmann*
• Viktor Shenderovich*
• Yuri Shevchuk
• Lilia Shevtsova
• Lev Shlosberg
• Ruslan Shaveddinov*
• Yuri Shchekochikhin* †
• Yury Shutov* †
• Natalya Sindeyeva
• Aleksandra Skochilenko*
• Emilia Slabunova
• Irina Slavina* †
• Olga Smirnova*
• Fyodor Smolov
• Ksenia Sobchak
• Lyubov Sobol*
• Mikhail Svetov*
• Vladimir Sviridov* †
• Nadya Tolokonnikova
• Sergei Tretyakov* †
• Anastasia Udaltsova
• Sergei Udaltsov
• Yevgeny Urlashov*
• Denis Voronenkov* †
• Alexei Venediktov*
• Pyotr Verzilov*
• Kira Yarmysh*
• Ilya Yashin*
• Grigory Yavlinsky
• Magomed Yevloyev* †
• Sergei Yushenkov* †
• Akhmed Zakayev*
• Ivan Zhdanov*
• Gennady Zyuganov

Opposition leadership

[[Non-system opposition|Non-systemic opposition]] leaders

[[Systemic opposition]] leaders

Symbols

In 2012, the term white ribbon opposition was applied to the protesters for fair elections as they wore white ribbons as their symbol.

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. The flag was not used by many Russian anti-war protesters (especially those inside Russia) as they usually fly the current white-blue-red flag.

During the Wagner Group rebellion, 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.

Other opposition groups use the Russian flag with a light blue center stripe, which was used from 1991 to 1993 (during the so-called August Republic, the clearest period of Russian democracy between the failed 1991 Soviet coup attempt and the 1993 constitutional crisis) and Patrioticheskaya Pesnya (The Patriotic Song), a national anthem of the Russian Federation from 1991 to 2000. There were also rare occasions of using the white bear as a symbol of democracy, while the brown bear represented dictatorship.

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
• Nemtsov
• My Friend Boris Nemtsov (2016)
• ** (2018), by
• Putin's Palace: History of the World's Largest Bribe (2021), by Alexei Navalny
• Navalny (2022), by Daniel Roher

Notes

References

References

1. Ben Noble, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/10/01/putin-just-won-a-super-majority-in-the-duma-that-matters/ Putin just won a supermajority in the Duma. That matters.] {{Webarchive. link. (28 January 2021, [[The Washington Post). ''The'' ''Washington Post'']] (1 October 2016): "During the 2011-2016 parliamentary session, the Kremlin often engineered supermajorities with votes from [[loyal opposition]] Duma deputies."
2. Thomas F Remington, ''Presidential Decrees in Russia: A Comparative Perspective'' (Cambridge University Press, 2014), p. 44: "The 'within-system' opposition parties, such as [[Communist Party of the Russian Federation. the communists]] and [[A Just Russia — For Truth. A Just Russia]], must be willing to play their prescribed role as tame, domesticated versions of a real opposition."
3. "Indicators".
4. (2023-01-02). "Putin's approval rating ends 2022 at 81%, boosted by support for the war in Ukraine".
5. (3 March 2016). "Systemic and Non-Systemic Opposition in the Russian Federation: Civil Society Awakens?". Routledge.
6. (2012). "The Russian Awakening". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
7. Peter Finn, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/27/AR2007032702279_pf.html Infighting Fractures Russian Opposition: Kremlin's Democratic Foes Help Marginalize Themselves With Suspicions, Old Feuds] {{Webarchive. link. (25 July 2018 , ''Washington Post'' (28 March 2007).)
8. [https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/03/19/a-fourth-term-for-russias-perpetual-president A fourth term for Russia's perpetual president] {{Webarchive. link. (27 January 2021 , ''The Economist'' (19 March 2018): "a fractured opposition.")
9. (2022-07-05). "Этот поезд в огне: как российские партизаны поджигают военкоматы и пускают поезда под откос".
10. (8 February 2009). "Putin's worst nightmare".
11. Matthews, Owen. (2022-09-15). "More mad than Vlad: Russia's ultra-nationalist threat".
12. (15 February 2023). "Russia Jails Anti-War Journalist 6 Years for 'Fake News'". The Moscow Times.
13. (5 December 2022). "In Russia, critiquing the Ukraine war could land you in prison". CSMonitor.com.
14. (30 July 2024). "Russian dissidents disappear from prison in sign a prisoner swap with the West may be close". Reuters.
15. (17 September 2022). "Putin is facing pressure from Russia's hawkish nationalists who want all-out war in Ukraine". Business Insider.
16. (5 April 2022). "Who are the Russians leaving their country?".
17. Shalinov, Stanislav. (14 December 2022). "Vladimir Putin's failing invasion is fueling the rise of Russia's far right".
18. Garina, Irina. "What Igor Strelkov's arrest means for Russia's 'patriots' faction".
19. (17 June 2019). "Opinion: How Putin and the Kremlin lost Russian youths". The Washington Post.
20. (11 December 2020). "Vladimir Putin's popularity with young Russians plummeting, opinion poll finds". The Times.
21. "Ложь путинского режима".
22. b_nemtsov. (10 November 2012). "Ролики "Ложь путинского режима"".
23. "Стой! Кто идет?".
24. "Грани.Ру: В Москве задержаны участники "Прогулки свободы"".
25. (5 August 2014). "Moscow threatens to block BBC Russian service Service". Z News.
26. (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"".
27. "Грани.Ру | Юрий Староверов: Марш регионов вместо иллюзий".
28. "О нас. Что такое "Демократический выбор"?". Демократический выбор.
29. Toepfl, Florian. (April 2013). "Making sense of the news in a hybrid regime: how young Russians decode state TV and an oppositional blog". [[Journal of Communication]].
30. "Ежедневный Журнал: Координационный совет накануне выборов".
31. "Высокий градус русской зимы".
32. [http://www.kyivpost.ua/opinion/op-ed/urok-dlya-rossii-snezhnaya-revolyuciya-ne-dolzhna-povtorit-oshibki-oranzhevoj-36677.html Андерс Аслунд. Урок для России. Снежная революция не должна повторить ошибки Оранжевой. — KyivPost, 22.02.2012] {{webarchive. link. (13 September 2013)
33. "Протест против Путина: "снежная революция" в России тает".
34. "За права человека".
35. "Грани.Ру: В Москве прошел митинг в поддержку "узников Болотной"".
36. "Стояние у Соловецкого камня: Итоги запрещенной оппозиционной акции".
37. (15 March 2014). "Ukraine crisis triggers Russia's biggest anti-Putin protest in two years". Reuters.
38. "[https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-04-26/russian-polls-do-mean-something-after-all Russian Polls Do Mean Something After All] {{Webarchive. link. (26 April 2017 ". Bloomberg. 26 April 2017.)
39. "[http://www.newsweek.com/2017/04/28/alexei-navalny-russia-vladimir-putin-donald-trump-corruption-protests-moscow-585004.html Alexei Navalny: Is Russia's Anti-Corruption Crusader Vladimir Putin's Kryptonite?] {{Webarchive. link. (12 June 2017 ". ''[[Newsweek]]''. 17 April 2017.)
40. "[http://www.levada.ru/2017/06/13/aktsii-protesta-12-iyunya/ Акции протеста 12 июня] {{Webarchive. link. (4 May 2022 ". [[Levada Center]]. 13 June 2017)
41. J. Heintz. (2018-07-28). "Tens of thousands of Russians protest retirement age hikes". [[The Washington Times]].
42. S. Walker. (2018-07-16). "Successful World Cup fails to halt slide in Vladimir Putin's popularity". [[The Guardian]].
43. R. Dobrokhotov. (2018-07-13). "Why Putin's approval rating is falling". [[Al Jazeera English.
44. (7 October 2019). "Russian Officials Appear Unable to Suppress Protests". VOA News.
45. Nechepurenko, Ivan. (2019-07-27). "Moscow Police Arrest More Than 1,300 at Election Protest". The New York Times.
46. (2019-07-27). "Thousand arrests at Moscow election protest".
47. (10 August 2019). "Митинг на проспекте Сахарова собрал, по данным источников "Эха Москвы", от 50 до 60 тысяч человек".
48. (29 February 2020). "Boris Nemtsov: Russians march in memory of slain Putin opponent".
49. (2022-02-19). "The Man Putin Fears".
50. (25 July 2020). "Anti-Putin Protests in Russia's Far East Gather Steam". VOA News.
51. (25 July 2020). "Protests Swell in Russia's Far East in a Stark New Challenge to Putin". The New York Times.
52. (25 July 2020). "Anger at Kremlin Grows in Latest Massive Russian Far East Protest". The Moscow Times.
53. (26 July 2020). "Anti-Kremlin protests in Khabarovsk: 'We hate Moscow!'". Deutsche Welle.
54. (28 July 2020). "45 Percent of Russians Support Anti-Putin Protests While Just 17 Percent Oppose Demonstrations: Poll". Newsweek.
55. (23 January 2021). "Protests for Jailed Kremlin Critic Navalny Sweep Russia".
56. (2021-08-30). "Exile or Jail: The Grim Choice Facing Russian Opposition Leaders". [[The New York Times]].
57. "Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh has fled Russia, reports Interfax".
58. "В центре Москвы прошла акция КПРФ против результатов выборов. Перед ее началом полиция взяла в осаду сторонников коммунистов — в горкоме партии и Мосгордуме".
59. (14 March 2022). "У антивоенного движения появился новый символ протеста — бело-сине-белый флаг. "Медуза" рассказывает, кто и зачем его придумал".
60. (24 February 2022). "Moscow Warns Russians Against Staging Anti-War Protests".
61. link
62. Shevchenko, Vitaly. (15 March 2022). "Ukraine war: Protester exposes cracks in Kremlin's war message". [[BBC News]].
63. Vladimirova, Alexandra. (14 April 2022). "Closed Shops, Zs, Green Ribbons: Russia's Post-Invasion Reality". [[The Moscow Times]].
64. (1 March 2022). "Scores of IT workers in Russia sign public anti-war petition". [[TechCrunch]].
65. (26 February 2022). "Anti-war sentiment grows in Russia as troops close in on Ukrainian capital". [[PBS]].
66. (1 March 2022). "The Kremlin forces schools and theaters to uphold Putin's invasion propaganda". [[Coda Media]].
67. (2 March 2022). "Nearly 20,000 Russian artists are demanding a withdrawal from Ukraine". [[Quartz (website).
68. (1 March 2022). "Global research community condemns Russian invasion of Ukraine". [[Nature (journal).
69. (26 February 2022). "Russian Government Orders Media Outlets To Delete Stories Referring To 'Invasion' Or 'Assault' On Ukraine". [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]], RFE/RL.
70. (26 February 2022). "Russia's anti-war lobby goes online". [[France 24]].
71. (3 March 2022). "She Signed an Open Letter Calling for Peace. Then Got Fired.". [[The Moscow Times]].
72. (16 March 2022). "Putin warns Russia against pro-Western 'traitors' and scum". Reuters.
73. (16 March 2022). "Putin says Russia must undergo a 'self-cleansing of society' to purge 'bastards and traitors' as thousands flee the country". Business Insider.
74. (8 August 2022). "Russians Are Snitching On Friends and Family Who Oppose the War in Ukraine". [[Vice (magazine).
75. (23 May 2022). "Video shows defiant Russian audience chanting 'fuck the war' at St Petersburg concert". Business Insider.
76. (10 July 2022). "'I'll be exonerated much sooner than this'". [[Novaya Gazeta.
77. (8 July 2022). "Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow politician gets 7 years for denouncing war".
78. (20 July 2023). "Russia: 20,000 activists subject to heavy reprisals as Russia continues to crack down on anti-war movement at home". Amnesty International.
79. (11 October 2023). "Returning Russians who backed Ukraine must be sent to the mines, says Putin ally". ABC News.
80. (25 November 2023). "Russian State Duma speaker says 'traitors' who left after Ukraine invasion not welcome in Russia". [[Meduza]].
81. (August 12, 2022). "Коктейли Молотова и рельсовая война — стратегия новой российской оппозиции. Роман Попков поговорил с "партизанами" об их методах борьбы".
82. Smart, Jason Jay. (2022-08-23). "Exclusive interview: Russia's NRA Begins Activism".
83. (2022-08-31). "Российская оппозиция начинает вооруженное сопротивление Путину: подписано декларацию".
84. (11 May 2023). "How Russians end up in a far-right militia fighting in Ukraine".
85. Dress, Brad. (23 June 2023). "Russia accuses mercenary boss of mutiny after he says Moscow killed 2,000 of his men". Reuters.
86. Walker, Shaun. (2023-06-27). "Putin's portrayal of response to uprising as a Kremlin win is proving a hard sell". The Guardian.
87. Aron, Leon. (2023-06-25). "'The People Are Silent': The Main Reason the Wagner Mutiny Bodes Ill for Putin". [[Politico]].
88. (2023-06-28). "Russians Greeted Wagner Mutiny With a Shrug and Internet Jokes". [[Bloomberg News]].
89. Stewart, Briar. (27 June 2023). "Why average Russians did not rush to streets to defend Putin. But some rallied for Wagner troops". [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
90. (10 March 2020). "Putin backs amendment allowing him to remain in power". NBC News.
91. (16 April 2019). "The Rocky Road to Replacing Vladimir Putin". Chatham House.
92. (18 March 2018). "Putin's 2024 Problem: Election Win Raises Curtain On Clouded Future". RFE/RL.
93. (10 March 2020). "Putin backs proposal allowing him to remain in power in Russia beyond 2024". The Guardian.
94. (7 February 2020). "Putin wins referendum on constitutional reforms". DW News.
95. (7 February 2024). "Authorities prepare to stop Boris Nadezhdin running for president". The Bell.
96. (8 February 2024). "'It would show something is wrong' Meduza's sources say Kremlin barred anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin after fears he would get over 10 percent of presidential vote". Meduza.
97. (8 February 2024). "Russia bars candidate Boris Nadezhdin, who campaigned to end Ukraine war, from election". The Globe and Mail.
98. (23 February 2024). "Boris Nadezhdin: 'I Learned from Navalny's Mistakes'". Moscow Times.
99. (14 February 2024). "Russian Elections Have a Purpose, But Not Evicting the Regime". Center for European Policy Analysis.
100. (15 February 2024). "Putin's Puppets Are Coming to Life". The New York Times.
101. (8 February 2024). "Short-lived rise of Boris Nadezhdin, Putin's 'anti-war' opponent". Kyiv Independent.
102. Latypova, Leyla. (2023-11-22). "Meet Putin's Possible Election Opponent: A Single Mother of 3 Calling for Peace".
103. (23 December 2023). "Russia bans anti-war candidate from challenging Putin". BBC News.
104. (23 December 2023). "Pro-Peace Putin Challenger Blocked From Ballot". The Moscow Times.
105. (2 February 2024). "Russia finds 'errors' in paperwork of candidate hoping to stand against Putin". The Guardian.
106. (27 December 2023). "Would-be Putin challenger Yekaterina Duntsova loses appeal to run in Russia's 2024 presidential election". ABC News.
107. (19 November 2023). "Putin critic Girkin wants to stand in Russia presidential election". BBC News.
108. (25 January 2024). "Russia jails nationalist critic Igor Girkin for four years over 'extremism'". AlJazeera.
109. (1 February 2024). "Meet Boris Nadezhdin, Vladimir Putin's brave challenger". The Economist.
110. (8 February 2024). "Putin challenger Boris Nadezhdin barred from Russia's election". BBC News.
111. "The anti-war candidate channelling Russians' discontent with Putin".
112. (2024-01-23). "Russians queue to register election candidate opposed to Ukraine offensive".
113. (8 February 2024). "Russia blocks Boris Nadezhdin from presidential election: DW News". DW News.
114. (8 December 2024). "Who is Boris Nadezhdin, Putin challenger who hopes to run in Russia presidential election". Channel 4 News.
115. (8 February 2024). "Russia bars anti-war Putin critic Boris Nadezhdin from next month's election". NBC News.
116. (2023-12-23). "Yekaterina Duntsova barred from running against Putin in election". Reuters.
117. "Russia bars ex-journalist Duntsova from running in presidential election".
118. (2024-01-22). "Оппозиционные политики призвали поддержать выдвижение Надеждина". Радио Свобода.
119. (25 January 2024). "Юрий Шевчук записал видео в поддержку Бориса Надеждина". Радио Свобода.
120. (2024-01-22). ""Безопасное политическое действие". Почему выстроились очереди подписывающихся за участие Бориса Надеждина в выборах президента России".
121. "Юлия Навальная поставила подпись за выдвижение Бориса Надеждина в президенты России".
122. (21 July 2023). "Russian hardline Putin critic and commander Strelkov detained in Moscow". BBC News.
123. (25 January 2024). "Igor Girkin shot down a passenger jet, then insulted Putin. Which one put him in jail?". BBC News.
124. (7 December 2023). "Russian nationalist who wanted to run against Putin to stay in detention". Reuters.
125. (2 February 2024). "Kremlin propagandists finally acknowledge anti-war presidential hopeful Boris Nadezhdin, and — surprise! — they say Kyiv and Russia's exiled opposition are controlling him". [[Meduza]].
126. (25 January 2024). "'Hope for Change' or 'Kremlin Spoiler': Who Is Boris Nadezhdin, the Presidential Hopeful Uniting Pro-Peace Russians?". The Moscow Times.
127. (8 February 2024). "Putin's antiwar rival blocked from contesting Russia presidential election". AlJazeera.
128. (30 January 2024). "Russian Anti-War Candidacy Bid An Unexpected Obstacle In Kremlin's Effort To Smoothly Reinstall Putin". RFE/RL.
129. (8 February 2024). "Russian anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin banned from election". The Guardian.
130. (8 February 2024). "Russia blocks war critic Nadezhdin from facing Putin in presidential vote". France24.
131. (7 February 2024). "'This constitutes election obstruction' Putin challenger Boris Nadezhdin says Russia's Central Election Commission invalidated some signatures in support of candidacy due to its own misspellings". Meduza.
132. (8 February 2024). "Russia bars antiwar candidate from challenging Putin in March election". Washington Post.
133. (1 February 2024). "Navalny Calls for Election Day Protest Against Putin, Ukraine Invasion". [[The Moscow Times]].
134. (17 February 2024). "'They're doing everything to avoid handing over his body': Kremlin plays for time after Navalny's death". The Guardian.
135. (17 February 2024). "'They killed him': Was Putin's critic Navalny murdered?". AlJazeera.
136. (17 February 2024). "Navalny tributes removed by group of masked men as Moscow police look on". The Independent.
137. (17 February 2024). "Moscow police begin arresting people leaving flowers in memorial of Alexei Navalny". [[Meduza]].
138. (16 February 2024). "Russia's most famous opposition figure has died in prison". [[Meduza]].
139. (17 February 2024). "Navalny's family demands return of his body as hundreds detained at memorials across Russia". The Independent.
140. (20 February 2020). "Alexei Navalny: Mother demands Putin return son's body". BBC News.
141. (24 February 2024). "Authorities return body of Alexei Navalny to mother 8 days after death". BBC News.
142. (2 September 2020). "Alexei Navalny: Russia opposition leader poisoned with Novichok - Germany". BBC News.
143. (23 February 2024). "Navalny's mother resisting pressure for 'secret funeral', opposition says". The Guardian.
144. (20 February 2024). "What we know about Alexei Navalny's death in Arctic Circle prison". BBC News.
145. (19 February 2024). "Alexei Navalny: What we know about the death of Putin's critic". Sky News.
146. (1 March 2024). "Alexei Navalny: Crowds chant defiance as they bid farewell to Navalny". BBC News.
147. (1 March 2024). "Alexei Navalny funeral draws thousands to heavily policed Moscow church". The Guardian.
148. (19 February 2024). "Navalny's Widow Pledges to Carry On Opposition Leader's Work". The New York Times.
149. (19 February 2024). "'Stand Beside Me': Navalny's Widow Promises to Carry on His Work". The New York Times.
150. (19 February 2024). "Alexei Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya vows to continue his work". BBC News.
151. (28 February 2024). "To defeat Putin, stop being boring, Yulia Navalnaya tells MEPs". BBC News.
152. (6 March 2024). "Alexei Navalny: Widow urges Russians to protest on election day". BBC News.
153. (27 May 2022). "Ukraine war: Troops could quit Severodonetsk amid Russian advance - official". BBC News.
154. (15 December 2022). "Making Putin Great (Again and Again) – Zhanna Agalakova". Moscow Times.
155. (30 March 2023). "Russian Actress, Kremlin Critic Akhedzhakova Leaves Moscow Theater Amid Pressure". RFE/RL.
156. (9 February 2023). "Moscow Theater Cancels Plays With Kremlin Critic Liya Akhedzhakova". Moscow Times.
157. (11 August 2009). "Abdulmalik Akhmedilov". Committee to Protect Journalists.
158. (23 January 2023). "Russia: Two years after Alexei Navalny's arrest, Russian opposition figures suppressed, jailed or exiled". Amnesty International.
159. (9 December 2018). "'Wise and humane': Soviet dissident Lyudmila Alexeyeva dies aged 91". The Guardian.
160. (12 May 2022). "Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina says she escaped Russia dressed as a food courier". CNN.
161. (24 May 2023). "'We are Russians just like you': anti-Putin militias enter the spotlight". The Guardian.
162. (1 April 2015). "Russian opposition activist Vladimir Ashurkov is granted asylum in UK". The Guardian.
163. (15 September 2017). "In Moscow, Putin's opponents chalk up a symbolic victory". Politico.
164. (21 November 2007). "Russian opposition election candidate shot". Reuters.
165. (23 April 2017). "Here are 10 critics of Vladimir Putin who died violently or in suspicious ways". Washington Post.
166. (9 April 2013). "Russian Khimki forest journalist Mikhail Beketov dies". BBC News.
167. (8 February 2017). "Russian opposition leader found guilty of embezzlement; his lawyers pledge to appeal". Los Angeles Town.
168. (24 March 2014). "Boris Berezovsky: Russia remembers 'controversial figure'". BBC News.
169. (3 February 2020). "Congratulations, You're an Elected Russian Opposition Official! Now What?". Moscow Times.
170. (4 February 2022). "Will a New Generation of Russians Modernize Their Country?". Carengie.
171. (9 June 2019). "Another Putin critic reportedly targeted in Kremlin 2019 poisoning operation". The Independent.
172. (14 December 2007). "The National Bolshevik was buried under guard". Kommersant.
173. (6 November 2014). "Anti-Putin activist found dead in Moscow home". The Guardian.
174. (17 February 2021). "The brave journalists risking all to hold Vladimir Putin to account". The New European.
175. (26 February 2020). "Russian regulator warns local media over coverage of Ukraine war". AlJazeera.
176. (23 December 2023). "Russia bans anti-war candidate from challenging Putin". BBC News.
177. (23 October 2017). "'Nobody defends us': Russian journalists respond to knife attack". The Guardian.
178. (1 January 2023). "'Not a single person in Vilnius was aggressive when they heard I was from Russia' – interview with Russian journalist". LRT.
179. (20 July 2015). "Daughter of ex-Russian PM, defying Kremlin, eyes top post in key Ukraine region". Reuters.
180. (1 December 2006). "Former Russian PM Gaidar poisoned, say his doctors". The Independent.
181. (26 August 2022). "Russian star and Putin critic Maxim Galkin packs out Irish venue for live show tonight". Independent.ie.
182. (20 August 2014). "This Russian man got three years in prison for trying to protect a fellow protester". The World from PRX.
183. (19 November 2023). "Putin critic Girkin wants to stand in Russia presidential election". BBC News.
184. (21 July 2023). "Russia arrests pro-war Putin critic Igor Girkin, according to reports". The Guardian.
185. (19 November 2023). "Igor Girkin shot down a passenger jet, then insulted Putin. Which one put him in jail?". BBC News.
186. (9 April 2021). "Nikolai Glushkov: Putin critic 'strangled in London home by third party'". BBC News.
187. (8 July 2022). "Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow politician gets 7 years for denouncing war". BBC News.
188. (14 September 2012). "Russian Duma expels anti-Putin MP Gennady Gudkov". BBC News.
189. (12 November 2012). "Agent of chaos: How to read Putin's lies, U-turns and retreats". Politico.
190. (28 May 2025). "Boris Kagarlitsky: In the Eye of the Storm". Historical Materealism.
191. (21 August 2020). "A history of political poisonings". DW News.
192. (20 November 2010). "After Litvinenko, poisoners strike down ex KGB boss". The Times.
193. (27 May 2023). "'How Russians end up in a far-right militia fighting in Ukraine'". Pikulicka-Wilczewska, Agnieszka.
194. (25 February 2024). "Alexei Navalny: Dissent is dangerous in Russia, but activists refuse to give up". BBC News.
195. (17 April 2023). "Vladimir Putin's critics: dead, jailed, exiled". France24.
196. (6 June 2022). "Nadya Karpova: The Russia striker speaking out against war in Ukraine". BBC Sport.
197. (30 April 2021). "Garry Kasparov: 'Why become a martyr? I can do much more outside Russia'". The Guardian.
198. (17 September 2016). "Russia is electing a new parliament--but hardly anyone thinks Putin's party will lose". Los Angeles Times.
199. (11 September 2017). "Liberal anti-Putin coalition causes upset in Moscow council elections". The Guardian.
200. (6 March 2004). "Russia's other presidential hopefuls". BBC News.
201. (21 December 2013). "Mikhail Khodorkovsky reunion: son Pavel speaks after decade of separation". The Telegraph.
202. (6 March 2022). "How Sergey Lavrov lost his levity to become Putin's Mr Nyet". The Times.
203. (17 April 2022). "Mariupol defenders ignore Russia surrender deadline:Putin could use nuclear weapons: Khrushchev's great-granddaughter". BBC News.
204. (5 August 2014). "Russian journalist's body found after disappearance". The Guardian.
205. (21 February 2024). "Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov who defected to Ukraine 'shot dead' in Spain". BBC News.
206. (21 February 2024). "What we know about Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who defected to Ukraine and is now believed to be dead". Le Monde.
207. (9 September 2017). "Kremlin Critic Latynina Leaves Russia After 'Arson Attack' On Her Car". RFE/RL.
208. (20 July 2017). "Russian Opposition Journalist Latynina's Home Attacked With Pungent Gas". Moscow Times.
209. (25 February 2023). "Alexander Litvinenko's widow joins anti-Putin protest outside Russian embassy". The Guardian.
210. (18 May 2023). "Russian Police Raid Opposition Politicians' Homes, Detain Activist". Moscow Times.
211. (1 September 2022). "Russian oil boss Ravil Maganov who criticised war in Ukraine dies 'after falling from hospital window'". Sky News.
212. (3 October 2012). "Not enough rage against the Russian machine". bne IntelliNews.
213. (26 February 2022). "Russia's anti-war lobby goes online". France24.
214. (27 December 2011). "The participant of the rally in Samara demanded the resignation of the chairman of the CEC". Teppa.ru.
215. "CVC Central Election Committee on the elections to the Coordinating Council of the Russian Opposition".
216. (4 October 2012). "Ещё не поздно поддержать Матвеева (и остальных) и помочь им пройти во второй тур. Голосование идёт".
217. (11 August 2022). "The Russian billionaire daring to speak out about Putin". BBC News.
218. (13 May 2019). "Two prominent activists are planning to run for the same Moscow City Duma seat, prompting tensions among opposition supporters". Meduza.
219. (2014). "Freedom in the World 2014: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties". Rowman & Littlefield.
220. (9 March 2018). "A Brief History of Attempted Russian Assassinations by Poison". Foreign Policy.
221. (16 October 2008). "Russian lawyer suspects mercury poisoning". NBC News.
222. (8 April 2022). "Dmitry Muratov: Nobel Peace Prize winner and Putin critic 'doused in paint during attack on Moscow train'". The Independent.
223. (1 June 2023). "Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russia expected in 'weeks rather than months', Western officials say". i.
224. (11 February 2021). "'I am not afraid': Yulia Navalnaya, 'first lady' of the Russian opposition movement, emerges as a force to be reckoned with". MSNBC.
225. (13 April 2023). "Factbox: Who is Alexei Navalny and what does he say of Russia, Putin and death?". Reuters.
226. (27 February 2020). "The man who dared to criticize Putin". DW.
227. "'My father was killed because he understood early the plans of Putin': Zhanna Nemtsova". CNN.
228. (9 February 2007). "Пентагон призвал готовиться к войне с Россией".
229. [http://www.ds.ru/echo2008.htm Валерия Новодворская на радио "Эхо Москвы" 29 августа 2008 г.] {{Webarchive. link. (29 January 2020 , radio interview, 29 August 2008, on "Moscow Echo" (Ekho Moskvy))
230. (16 February 2024). "'Crime of the regime': Russian dissident Orlov reacts to Navalny's death". France24.
231. (9 June 2023). "Ukraine war: Oleg Orlov faces jail time for criticising Putin's war". BBC News.
232. (11 May 2023). "Former Russian state TV journalist claims Putin 'doesn't have enough Novichok' to kill growing number of critics". Sky News.
233. (4 October 2023). "Marina Ovsyannikova: Anti-war Russian journalist sentenced in absentia". BBC News.
234. (24 February 2022). "Thousands of Russians protest President Vladimir V. Putin's assault on Ukraine. Some chant: 'No to war!'". The New York Times.
235. (19 April 2022). "Russian Rapper Oxxxymiron Stages Anti-War Rallying Cry From Istanbul". Moscow Times.
236. (15 March 2022). "Anti-war Russians in Turkey unite at rap concert for Ukraine". Reuters.
237. (18 February 2012). "Hunger Striker Oleg Shein Becomes Russia's Opposition Hero". Bloomberg News.
238. (27 February 2023). "Kremlin image-maker turned critic Gleb Pavlovsky dies at 71". The Independent.
239. (January 2017). "EXPLORE Tomer Hanuka GLOBAL AN ENEMY OF THE KREMLIN DIES IN LONDON". The Atlantic.
240. (3 May 2023). "In Memory of Dmitry Petrov". [[CrimethInc.]].
241. (19 May 2021). "Russia: Prisoner of conscience Nikolai Platoshkin's suspended conviction must be quashed". Amnesty International.
242. (24 April 2023). "Targeted killings spark debate within Russian opposition". Politico.
243. (20 January 2019). "Russian activist Lev Ponomarev: 'The Kremlin is digging its own grave by letting spooks take over domestic policy'". The Independent.
244. (8 September 2023). "'Weak' Putin killed Wagner mercenary chief Prigozhin, Zelensky says". The Independent.
245. (18 September 2011). "Kremlin critic Mikhail Prokhorov 'does not fear being sent to jail'". The Telegraph.
246. (1 February 2012). "Vladimir Putin's time as leader has passed, says Mikhail Prokhorov". The Telegraph.
247. (29 October 2021). "'Kremlin framed me' says Russia's anti-Putin Communist star caught with elk blood on his hands". The Telegraph.
248. (29 October 2021). "Veteran Communist Party Lawmaker Detained for Illegal Hunting". Moscow Times.
249. (9 February 2004). "Russian Politician Missing for 3 Days". Los Angeles Times.
250. (6 March 2012). "Russia election: Vladimir Putin celebrates victory". BBC News.
251. (31 August 2022). "Mikhail Gorbachev had a 'huge impact on world history', says Vladimir Putin". The Independent.
252. (27 March 2022). "Russians who live abroad say Moscow is hardening the views of those back home". NBC.
253. (2 June 2023). "Russian Writer, Staunch Kremlin Critic Barred From Entering Georgia". RFE/RL.
254. (20 May 2022). "Russia prosecutes veteran rock star for criticising Ukraine conflict". France24.
255. (22 November 2012). "Socialism may be waning, but not for young Russians". The Washington Times.
256. (15 April 2022). "Opposition Politician Accused of 'Discrediting' Russian Military". Moscow Times.
257. (15 December 2014). "Putin Critic Serving Life Sentence Dies In Jail". RFE/RL.
258. (20 February 2022). "Meet Natalya Sindeyeva – has she got news for Vladimir Putin". The Guardian.
259. (16 November 2023). "Russian artist jailed for seven years over Ukraine war price tag protest". The Guardian.
260. (6 December 2022). "Russian regional deputies urge Putin to issue decree ending mobilisation". Reuters.
261. (11 October 2020). "Russia 'drove democracy activist to fireball suicide'". The Times.
262. (4 April 2022). "Russian, Ukrainian ballet stars to dance together in Naples". The Independent.
263. (29 September 2023). "Russian soccer player Fedor Smolov publicly opposes Putin's decision to invade Ukraine: 'No to war'". Washington Post.
264. (12 June 2012). "Russian opposition figures: Ksenia Sobchak". BBC News.
265. (26 October 2022). "Ksenia Sobchak: Police raid home of 'Russian Paris Hilton' and Putin critic". Sky News.
266. (3 August 2023). "Criminal Case Opened Against Leader Of Libertarian Party Of Russia". Radio free Europe.
267. (20 December 2006). "Russia: The KGB's Post-Soviet 'Commercialization'". RFE/RL.
268. (12 June 2012). "Russian opposition figures: Sergei and Anastasia Udaltsov". BBC News.
269. (3 July 2013). "Russian Mayor, an Opposition Figure, Is Arrested". The New York Times.
270. (26 April 2022). "Top radio chief sees Russia 'thrown back 40 years'". France24.
271. (18 September 2018). "'Highly probable' Pussy Riot activist was poisoned, say German doctors". The Guardian.
272. (30 November 2011). "Russians tire of Putin, says opposition leader". Reuters.
273. (31 August 2008). "Owner of Russian opposition website killed". Reuters.
274. (30 August 2007). "From Russia with $3 billion. Another Putin opponent may have fled to London". The Guardian.
275. "Лучшие 80 плакатов конкурса "Единая Россия" - партия жуликов и воров"".
276. "«Народный фронт» опять сбрендил".
277. "Очередь к могиле Алексея Навального.".
278. "Red Z = Wagner".
279. (2016-08-31). "Звезда 'Парнаса'. Как саратовский видеоблогер скрестил либералов с националистами". Спектр.