Cultural Forms of Protest in Russia

Alongside the Arab Spring, the 'Occupy' anti-capitalist movements in the West, and the events on the Maidan in Kiev, Russia has had its own protest movements, notably the political protests of 2011–12. As elsewhere in the world, these protests had unlikely origins, in Russia’s case spearheaded by the 'creative class'. This book examines the protest movements in Russia. It discusses the artistic traditions from which the movements arose; explores the media, including the internet, film, novels, and fashion, through which the protesters have expressed themselves; and considers the outcome of the movements, including the new forms of nationalism, intellectualism, and feminism put forward. Overall, the book shows how the Russian protest movements have suggested new directions for Russian – and global – politics.

Birgit Beumers is Professor of Film Studies at Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK.

Alexander Etkind is Professor of the History of Russia–Europe Relations at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy.

Olga Gurova is a Research Fellow in the Department of Social Research at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

Sanna Turoma is a Senior Research Fellow at the Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland.