The “Colorless” Protests in Russia: Mixed Messages and an Uncertain Future

Abstract

This chapter argues that the Russian protest movement of 2011–2013, despite its seeming similarity to the “Color Revolutions” and the Arab Spring, represents a peculiar case. It shares several features of the contemporary social movements such as the importance of digital communication technologies, an increasing number of protesters with higher education, a lack of strong leadership, and the widespread use of transnational symbols. Yet the movement falls outside of the liberal democratic agenda, as its participants’ demands are too variegated and do not necessarily claim democracy. In fact, it is highly likely that the movement’s political component will be the first to peter out over time. However, the resulting local activist groups signal the potential of the protests to transform into a more institutionalized social movement with civic, rather than political, goals.