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  "authors": [
    "Maria Lipman"
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  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
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Source: Getty

In The Media
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

An Interview on Russian Protests

The protests in Russia cannot be called a political phenomenon, as the participants are experienced in civic activism but not in political life.

Link Copied
By Maria Lipman
Published on Mar 21, 2013

Source: Heinrich Böll Foundation

Carnegie’s Maria Lipman, a member of the organizing committee of the Khodorkovsky debates, was in Berlin for the 4th Khodorkovsky debates focusing on the modernization of Russia. In an interview with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, she talked about the protests in Russia and the opposition’s situation today.

Lipman underlined that the activists who took part in the protests after the Duma elections in 2011 lack leaders, an obvious agenda, and the desire to participate in Russian politics. Thus, their actions cannot be called a political phenomenon, as the participants are experienced in civic activism but not in political life. The political sphere, as a whole, is controlled by the government, Lipman said.

Lipman added that the Coordination Council of the Russian opposition, in her opinion, does not have any chance to actually participate in politics, because the Kremlin has a tremendous advantage over societal forces, making the societal attempts to organize very weak.

Maria Lipman
Former Scholar in Residence, Society and Regions Program, Editor in Chief, Pro et Contra, Moscow Center
Maria Lipman
Political ReformCivil SocietyRussia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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