Russia's Youth Politics

8/14/2019 Russia's Youth Politics

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Political and Civil Youth Movements inModern Russia

Russias YouthPolitics


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Since 2005, Russian politics is street-oriented

Youth is perceived as natural avant-garde of outdoor political activities Young activists are more enthusiasticand idealistic, less busy, have fewerobligations and responsibilities, tend tobe more radicalIn period of crisis, protest activity may

spread quickly and involve large part of

Youth Political Activity:Influence


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Opposition vs. Kremlin

Oborona

SmenaNDSMNazbolsAKM

SKMRKSMBetc.

NashiDMDMolodayaGvardiya

Rossiya MolodayaESMetc.

Opposition Groups Pro-Kremlin Groups


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Oborona Oborona (Defense) is

an independent non-partisan youth civicmovement

Oboronas goal is toestablish a moredemocratic, civilizedpolitical regime withstrong civil society andrule of law

Oborona practicesmethods of nonviolentresistance and civildisobedience

Oborona was foundedin 2005 and now it hassome 1000 members in


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Smena Smena (Shift) is

a pro-democracyyouth groupfounded in late2004

Smena has noformal leadership

Smena unitesseveral hundredactivists

Like Oborona,Smena participatesin DissentersMarches and other


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NDSM NDSM (Peoples

Democratic YouthUnion) is a youthbranch of RNDS(Russian PeoplesDemocratic Union) Mikhail Kasyanovsparty (unregistered)

NDSM actively supportspopular protest against

Moscow constructionpolicy NDSM in Moscow

managed to elect 2activists in municipalauthorities

NDSM had about 1000


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Nazbols (NBP) Nazbols, formerly NBP

(National Bolshevik Party)is a group, mostly youth,leaded by EduardLimonov

Drift of ideology: fromsemi-fascism to left-wingmixed with nationalism

Methods: radicalnonviolent (Greenpeace-like) protest actions

There are approx. 3000nazbols in Russia

NBP was banned byauthorities as extremistorganization

Target for massrepressions, both judicial


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Left-wing Movements AKM (Avant-garde of Red

Youth) is a non-partisanradical left youthmovement

AKM is esp. active inMoscow popular protestsagainst city authorities

RKSMB (Revolutionary Communist Youth Union) a radical left youthmovement

SKM (Union of Communist Youth) is a youthmovement close toCommunist Party

AKM and RKSMB haveseveral hundred activistseach, SKM has more than1000


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Youth Democratic OppositionGroups Today

Clear ideology

based on widelyrecognizedprinciples of democracy, rule of law, freedom of expression etc.Strong internalmotivation of activistsAbility to work inextremely difficultsituations

Limited resources

Restricted access toand defaming inmediaPersecution andharassment

Strengths Weaknesses & Obstacles


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NashiNashi (Ours) is the largest andbest known pro-Kremlin youthorganizationFounded in 2005 to win thestreets for KremlinEnormous material, political andmedia support by GovtDeclared ideology: sovereigndemocracy, antifascismPromote: loyalty to Putin,statism, nationalismMethods: mass rallies, media-oriented actions, physicalassaults on opposition activistsMotivation: career, money,personal developmentHas about 1000 members


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DMDDMD (Youth Voluntary Squad) is a Nashisdivision responsiblefor physical

counteraction tooppositionBased primarily onsoccer fan clubs, e.g.Gladiators

Reportedlyresponsible forassaults on nazbolsand other oppositionactivists in 20052006


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Molodaya Gvardiya (MGER)Molodaya Gvardiya(Youth Guard) is ayouth branch of United Russia partyMGERs goals are toattract youth toUnited Russia, tohelp fight oppositionMajor motivation iscareer advancementHas from severalhundred to severalthousand members


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Rossiya MolodayaRossiya Molodaya(Young Russia) is aradical pro-Kremlinand anti-oppositionyouth group inMoscowHas about 50members

Ideology:nationalism,statismMethods:provoking anddiscrediting


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ESMESM (Eurasian YouthUnion) is an eccentricgroup inspired byideology of AlexanderDuginIdeology: mixture of semi-fascism,nationalism,imperialism, anti-Americanism, Orthodox

Christianity, andPaganismMore active in Ukraine,Moldova and SouthOssetia than in RussiaHas several dozenmembers


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Youth Pro-Kremlin Groups Today

Support by popular

political figure PutinHuge resourcesinvested by Kremlinand its friendly

oligarchsMaximum priority instate-controlledmedia (including

TV)

Dependent position,

lack of internaldemocracyDependence ondecreasingcentralized funding

Weak ideologicalmotivation,excessive focus oncareer and materialadvantages

Strengths Weaknesses & Obstacles


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Russias Youth Politicsby Oleg Kozlovsky, [email protected]://www.kozlovsky.ruhttp://olegkozlovsky.wordpress.com

Documents

Russia's Youth Politics