Opinions
Olga Shnyrova, director of Ivanovo Centre for Gender Studies (the only entity in the region recognized as a foreign agent): “Civil society includes everything that isn't tied to the state. From this standpoint, all self-organized activities and groups formed by citizens fall under civil society. When we use this term, we mainly refer to NGOs, but technically, it also involves family, businesses, churches, labor unions, independent media outlets, and local self-government. So, civil society encompasses anything that operates independently of the state. I believe that anyone who cares about what’s happening in the country can consider themselves a part of civil society. For instance, recently, there was a flood in Orenburg Oblast. The most active residents of one of the settlements, I believe it was Perovsky, came together and built a dam because they understood that the state wouldn't assist them. Ideally, civil society is an entity that can function without obstacles and can interact normally with the state. In reality, it's advantageous for the state. It can delegate a significant part of its responsibilities to civil society and spend less money. But for people's unions and initiatives to thrive, they shouldn't be met with suspicion.”
Tatyana Kotlyar, a human rights activist and the head of the Kaluga branch of the public movement ‘For Human Rights,’ which has been recognized as a foreign agent: "I define civil society as a society where diverse groups of citizens may live in accordance with their interests. They may identify as human rights defenders, dog owners, members of various clubs, or the LGBTQ+ community, etc. Then, these people organize their lives within these groups to defend their interests and represent them at various levels. The most crucial aspect is that people voluntarily join these communities because they want to interact with others and defend both their personal and collective interests. There's a term, GONGO, which stands for a non-governmental organization created by the state. Such institutions, established as a state initiative but pretending to be non-governmental, are not actual manifestations of public activity but rather imitations. I think what Putin means is, unfortunately, just a simulation of social activity. Kaluga Oblast used to host dozens of public institutions, but now, only GONGOs created under officials' command remain. By early 2022, everything had been suppressed. The court ordered the liquidation of our movement 'For Human Rights,' and many regional groups simply ceased to exist. Repression must stop [so we can see the change in civil society]. We cannot urge people to act heroically; we can only demand heroism from ourselves. Once public activity stops being subject to persecution, we will be able to see the development of civil society again." Mariya Solovyanchik, founder of ‘Political Space – Yekaterinburg’ and a participant in the left-wing podcast ‘This Is Basis.’ ‘Political Space’ is an independent horizontal project focused on civil discussion in Russia, operating in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk: "For me, 'civil society' echoes the lessons of social studies at school, where we were taught that it is a certain level of people’s self-consciousness. However, I think this phrase is insufficient to describe the full spectrum of what's happening in our politicized environment. I find the word ‘community’ more appropriate. We discuss civil society in light of Putin’s inauguration and his active appropriation of the 'civil society' narrative. He uses these words to suit his own agenda, which is another reason why I do not want to be associated with this term. I feel the need to invent a different language to discuss our political realities. For example, there is the 'Yekaterinburg Tree Map' project, which monitors the number of trees in the city. Another instance, albeit not directly related to Yekaterinburg, is the neighboring town of Sysert, which faces the construction of a garbage site to deposit waste from various locations, including the region’s capital. Local residents have been opposing this project for months. At the small-town level [Sysert has a population of 20,000], they managed to assemble and conduct a referendum against the construction of the garbage site. [In an ideal society], people realize why they have come together and are able to listen to each other, coordinate their interests, and adapt them, taking into consideration the desires of others." Alisa Gorshenina, an artist from Nizhny Tagil, who staged anti-war pickets and created a piece of art embroidering the word ‘pain’ in 22 languages spoken in Russia: “Civil society is a community of people who care, who live outside the ‘work-house’ schedule and are able to think not only about their own lives but also in terms of society. When I thought that nothing significant would ever happen in Nizhny Tagil, I saw politicians Ekaterina Duntsova and Boris Nadezhdin emerging (they were refused registration as presidential candidates). I mean, they existed long before that, but what I saw was enhanced action of individuals able to unite large numbers of people around them. I now follow the activities of Ekaterina Duntsova and her political party ‘Dawn,’ and I find what she is doing incredibly inspiring. I also continue my work, without making a moral compromise, betraying my beliefs, or bargaining with myself. I am just trying to be me and keeping my principles and opinions to myself. Perhaps, it sounds weird that I am only talking about my own life, one may even ask: ‘How does this improve civil society?’ But I think that this actually solidifies it. Many people, much like me, are trying to preserve themselves in current conditions, and it is also kind of a protest.” As for me personally, I left Russia in March 2022 due to the military censorship laws adopted at the very beginning of the war. However, I remain in touch with activists and human rights defenders from Russian regions. Some of them limited their activities or went non-public, preferring to help discreetly. Perhaps, this makes them not as productive as they used to be, but who am I to judge? There is one thing I am absolutely sure about: almost all of them keep a finger on the pulse and wait for the moment when they will be able to assist people more frequently and efficiently again. |
