A strong civil society — non-governmental forms of solidarity, potential for collective action, values of human rights, humanity and respect for the individual — is one of the main pillars of modern democracies. Civil society institutions and practices have been emerging in Russia since the early 1990s, despite growing pressure from the state and low levels of politicization among citizens.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine dramatically altered and complicated the workings of these institutions, and created and exacerbated many threats and vulnerabilities. Yet many people in Russia continue to develop and support civil society practices, creating and maintaining pockets of solidarity.

Even before the war, the discourse of a “wasteland” was common in academic and public circles, referring to the weakness of Russian civil society, or its “death” altogether.

For us, it is clear that civil society in Russia exists. The challenge is different: understanding the structures of Russian civil society under conditions of autocracy, war, and political repression, without relying on our preconceived notions of what it should be. We analyze the current situation, identify key problems and risks, and formulate specific recommendations and forecasts to support civil society initiatives and practices in contemporary Russia.

Based on qualitative and quantitative empirical data, we study the practices of communities and individual actors: their goals, structure, challenges, needs, hopes, and concerns. Based on these data, we present civil society as a “rhizome” — a branched, heterogeneous network of actors who may not be directly connected, but are part of a whole. We cover a wide geography, diverse fields of activity, and different levels of institutionalization in order to get the fullest possible picture of civil society.

The project has an applied goal — to develop recommendations both for the initiatives themselves and for external actors who want to support civil society.

At the same time, we aim to disseminate the knowledge gained about civil society in Russia internationally, both in the form of academic research and to help develop policy strategies.