Stories from RuNet Echo
10 October 2019
‘I and we': The rallying cry of Russian protests
As the product of no particular political grouping or ideology, Я/Мы has become a relatively neutral rallying cry around which citizens of all political persuasions can unite.
16 September 2019
A professor's self-immolation puts the spotlight on the fragile future of Russia's minority languages
Many people discussing Razin's death seem bewildered that anyone would use minority languages in daily life, let alone die for them—an attitude by no means limited to Russia.
13 September 2019
Siberians appeal to world leaders via YouTube to save them from coal smoke
"This winter, the whole world saw our black snow. We were gasping for air because of coal dust. Why do we have to live in such intolerable conditions?"
12 September 2019
As Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners, the RuNet reacted
The return of Ukrainian political prisoners might be a win for president Zelensky. But the decision to hand a key witness to the MH17 tragedy to Russia attracted fierce criticism.
4 September 2019
Russian opposition divided over online ‘smart voting’ campaign
No Russian disillusioned with the country’s rulers has any qualms with voting against United Russia, but many are deeply uneasy about who this means they must vote for.
25 August 2019
Moscow’s revolution will be memed, online and on canvas
An anonymous RuNet user has a found a creative way to criticise recent police violence in Moscow: photoshopping riot police into dozens of famous Russian and foreign artworks.
24 August 2019
Videoblogging shaman walks to Moscow to ‘exorcise’ Putin
The 51-year old Yakut shaman calls his quest divinely ordained, insisting that Putin is a manifestation of dark forces which must be banished to save Russia from ruin.
9 August 2019
Who turned off Moscow’s internet during recent protests?
Evidence suggests that law enforcement agencies pressured mobile network operators to get part of the capital offline for the duration of the protests.
5 August 2019
How protesters are ‘deanonymising’ Russia's riot police
Activists are identifying the men behind the helmets, truncheons, and riot shields, and sharing their names, dates of birth, and links to their social media profiles.
2 August 2019
Russia's LGBTQ+ community reels after murder of activist Yelena Grigoryeva
Police say Yelena Grigoryeva died in the course of a “domestic dispute” with her killer, but activists dispute that account; her name had recently appeared on a homophobic hit-list.
31 July 2019
As Siberia burns, Russia chokes
While forest fires are no rarity in Siberia, climate scientists stated that this year’s fires spread particularly aggressively due to a combination of strong winds and the unusually hot summer.
18 July 2019
Outrage in Moscow after opposition candidates barred from local election
State-appointed “handwriting experts” stepped in and discovered palpably absurd reasons to invalidate hundreds of signatures collected in support of independent candidates.
16 July 2019
Kremlin's new law against ‘online disrespect’ proves hard to implement
The law allows courts to fine or jail people found guilty of making “insulting statements” towards the authorities online.
10 July 2019
Russia's north still up in arms over Moscow's trash exports
Resistance to a remote landfill has grown into a nationwide environmental protest movement.
5 July 2019
Russians quick to point fingers after deadly floods in Siberia
Thousands have lost their homes in the deluge, and some commentators aren’t taking ‘natural disaster’ as an answer.
13 June 2019
The Ivan Golunov phenomenon: a brief moment of solidarity and euphoria in Putin’s Russia
Many are calling for more action to punish law enforcement forces that fabricated the case.
11 June 2019
Arrest of investigative journalist Ivan Golunov marks turning point in Russian society
Golunov's arrest has galvanized a rare show of support from all sides of the Russian political spectrum.
4 June 2019
Tinder now required to share user data with Russian authorities
The app is now legally required to store users' data for six months and provide it to the Russian authorities at their request.
27 May 2019
Russia: Kommersant staff walk out in protest of censorship, triggering journalism ethics debate
The entire politics desk of Kommersant, several dozen people in total, has since resigned out of solidarity with their colleagues.
13 May 2019
Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina: ‘Even in Russia, social media is still an effective method for uniting people’
Masha Alyokhina talks art, activism, and feminism in Russia -- and why a new cold war is coming.
About our RuNet Echo coverage
Maxim Edwards is the RuNet Echo editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
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