Paul Goble
Residents of the Russian Federation are facing a growing tide of problems, and some are now taking to the streets to protest. There were more such actions over the last 12 months than in any of the previous four years. Those protests have occurred east of the Urals, take place only with permission from local officials, and avoid attacking Russian President Vladimir Putin, giving the Kremlin another way to gauge popular attitudes and control regional leaders.
There are few signs that these protests will grow into a movement that might threaten the Kremlin leader or even lay the groundwork for solving Russia’s problems and radical change once he departs the scene.
The dimensions of the problems confronting Russians are so daunting that many assessments assume that they will sooner or later rise against the regime responsible and force radical change. Observers both inside Russia and abroad have been encouraged by the growing number of protests that have taken place, with the number of popular actions in the Russian Federation over the last 12 months exceeding the figures for any of the previous four years, and with this increase especially marked in the last three months (Novaya Gazeta, December 16). The potential effects of these protests, however, should not be overstated. Most are small and take place only when local officials give their approval and set the terms of their behavior. Moreover, most are not linked to others focusing on the same issues, and nearly all take place far from Moscow, most often east of the Urals.
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