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Articles on Russian opposition

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Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Alla Pugacheva during a 2014 awards ceremony honoring the pop singer with the Order For Merit to the Fatherland. Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images

Why it’s such a big deal that Alla Pugacheva, ‘the tsarina of Russian pop,’ came out against the war in Ukraine

In opinion polls over the past two decades, she’s routinely selected as one of the most popular Russians – often appearing second only to Vladimir Putin.
Firefighters extinguish a fire at a destroyed apartment complex after a Russian rocket attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, on March 14, 2022. The majority of the city’s residents are Russian-speaking. (AP Photo/Pavel Dorogoy)

The Russian diaspora isn’t showing much support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

The Russian diaspora has mostly been careful about overtly criticizing Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Does that imply support, or fear of Russian retribution?
Palestinian artists draw a mural of hunger striker Hisham Abu Hawash. MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images

Inmates’ hunger strikes take powerful stands against injustice

The power of the hunger strike lies in its utter simplicity. Anyone can choose to forego eating, even when living under extremely restricted conditions.
Police arrest a protester at a Moscow rally in support of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who fell ill while in prison and is now hospitalized. Alexander Demianchuk\TASS via Getty Images

For Vladimir Putin and other autocrats, ruthlessly repressing the opposition is often a winning way to stay in power

There’s not much the world can do to stop authoritarian rulers from persecuting their political opponents, as shown by the standoff over Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who is ill and imprisoned.
Protesters oppose riot police during a rally in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny on January 31, 2021 in Moscow, Russia. Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

Navalny returns to Russia and brings anti-Putin politics with him

Poisoning Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny didn’t get rid of him. He survived the attack, and now the Kremlin must deal with a reinvigorated reform movement led by Navalny.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (L) poses for a photo at a Moscow rally in support of political prisoners on September 29, 2019. Dmitri Chirciu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

How Alexei Navalny revolutionized opposition politics in Russia, before his apparent poisoning

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, gravely ill from a suspected poisoning, brought a new type of opposition to Russia in tune with popular concerns and aimed at finding common ground.
A young man wearing a face mask reading “Against” in Pushkin Square in Moscow to protest the constitutional amendments that extended Russian President Vladimir Putin’s tenure to 2036. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Putin’s contentious victory could mean dark days ahead for Russia

A plebiscite to amend the Russian constitution was a way for Vladimir Putin to extend his presidency to 2036. But many questions about the vote could mean trouble for the Russian leader.
An opposition activist holds the Russian Constitution during a protest in Moscow, Aug. 17, 2019 against the exclusion of some candidates from Moscow’s upcoming election. AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko

Moscow’s municipal elections illustrate the growing political crisis in Russia

The Moscow elections of September 2019 were a referendum on President Vladimir Putin’s ruling party. And the opposition’s success suggests a looming political crisis for Putin and his regime.

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