Support The Moscow Times!

100 Years After Revolution, Protests in Russia Are on the Rise

Anton Novoderezhkin / TASS

As Russia gears up to mark the centenary of the Bolshevik uprising, a new study shows a sharp increase in Russians’ readiness to take to the streets.

More than 1,100 events were staged to protest political, socio-economic and labor issues between January and September this year, the Center for Economic and Political Reforms (CEPR) said in a study published on Tuesday.

The publication date coincides with the centenary of the October Revolution when the Bolsheviks toppled the provisional government and seized power. 

One hundred years later, in 2017, protests included Alexei Navalny’s nation-wide rallies against corruption, protests by Moscow residents against City Hall’s plan to demolish thousands of apartment blocks and truck drivers' protests against a controversial road tax.

The number of protests appears to be increasing — from 248 protests in the first three months of the year to 445 six months later.

The majority of protests are linked to unpaid wages, home ownership problems and labor disputes, CEPR said. 

Protests were most common in a number of regions including Rostov, Krasnodar and Sverdlovsk and Russia’s largest cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg. 

The research center attributed the protests to the authorities' “destructive response tactic” — including ignoring issues altogether or only pretending to solve them.

“Protest and conflict escalation remain almost the only effective ways for employees to defend their rights,” the report said.

Meanwhile, a different poll published on Tuesday by the independent Levada Center, showed Russians’ satisfaction with the police had increased in the past three years, to 46 percent. 

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more