Essays Introduction. To be or not to be? Russian civil society under repression

This special issue contributes to the ongoing analysis of the transformations Russian society has undergone since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Tthe contributions examine acts of resistance within professional communities, as well as specific identity-based and issue-based forms of activism, including decolonial, feminist, climate, and environmental initiatives. The issue seeks to offer a bird’s introduction eye perspective on the transformation of activist initiatives over the past four years.

Published in the printed edition of Baltic Worlds BW 2026:2, pp 4-7
Published on balticworlds.com on May 29, 2026

This special issue contributes to the ongoing analysis of the transformations Russian society has undergone since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

What is new in this issue? First, it brings together a wide range of genres: peer-reviewed articles, analytical and methodological essays as well as an interview  with a Soviet dissident, all written by both scholars and activists. Second, it suggests a broader outlook on civil society, focusing not only on political and civic activism. As such, the contributions examine acts of resistance within professional communities, as well as specific identity-based and issue-based forms of activism, including decolonial, feminist, climate, and environmental initiatives.

Finally, the issue seeks to offer a bird’s introduction eye perspective on the transformation of activist initiatives over the past four years.

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Ekaterina Kalinina