If you follow Russian news, you may come across names of certain opposition figures and their conflicts with the powers that be. Yet who are these people? Are they all part of the same group or organization? Do they have the same goals? What precisely do they oppose? Love them or hate them, you may want to know a little bit of their background story so you can decide for yourself.<\/p>\n
I would like to concentrate on people who have been active in the recent year, so Soviet dissidents are left out for the time being. Of course, no list can be comprehensive, so feel free to explore this subject further in these articles by The Guardian<\/a>, Infoplease<\/a>, and Wikipedia<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alexey Navalny is a lawyer (\u0430\u0434\u0432\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0301\u0442<\/span>) and blogger (\u0431\u043b\u043e\u0301\u0433\u0435\u0440<\/span>), who first gained renown for exposing alleged corruption (\u043a\u043e\u0440\u0440\u0443\u0301\u043f\u0446\u0438\u044f) on behalf of government officials (\u0433\u043e\u0441\u0443\u0434\u0430\u0301\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0441\u043b\u0443\u0301\u0436\u0430\u0449\u0438\u0435<\/span> also known as \u0433\u043e\u0441c\u043b\u0443\u0301\u0436\u0430\u0449\u0438\u0435<\/span>). Navalny has claimed that many Russian politicians (\u043f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0301\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0438<\/span>) and entrepreneurs (\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0438\u043c\u0430\u0301\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0438<\/span>) have unfairly gained wealth thanks to their proximity to people in power. He has also spoken out against unfair elections (\u043d\u0435\u0447\u0435\u0301\u0441\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0432\u044b\u0301\u0431\u043e\u0440\u044b<\/span>) and persecution of dissidents (\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0301\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u043e\u043f\u043f\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0301\u0446\u0438\u0438<\/span>). At the same time, he has an ambiguous stance to Russian nationalist (\u0440\u0443\u0301\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043d\u0430\u0446\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0301\u0437\u043c<\/span>), asserting the rights of ethnic Russians, which has drawn criticism from other opposition figures. Navalny was accused and found guilty of embezzlement and fraud (\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0442\u0430 \u0438 \u043c\u043e\u0448\u0435\u0301\u043d\u043d\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e<\/span>) in a trial critics say was politically motivated.<\/p>\n Kseniya Sobchak is the daughter of the first democratically elected mayor (\u043c\u044d\u0440) of St. Petersburg Anatoly Sobchak. She first became famous as a socialite (“\u0441\u0432\u0435\u0301\u0442\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u043b\u044c\u0432\u0438\u0301\u0446\u0430<\/span>“) and a TV host of entertainment shows. She took part in protests against unfair elections in 2011, and her contracts with government channels\u00a0were not renewed (\u0435\u0439 \u043d\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043b\u0438\u0301\u043b\u0438 \u043a\u043e\u043d\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0301\u043a\u0442<\/span>), according to her, due to her political activism. Sobchak currently hosts shows on the private TV Rain channel (\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0430\u043d\u0430\u0301\u043b “\u0414\u043e\u0436\u0434\u044c”<\/span>) and writes for non-governmental media (\u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e\u0441\u0443\u0434\u0430\u0301\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0421\u041c\u0418<\/span>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pussy Riot is a direct-action punk group from Moscow. It does not have a consistent lineup as, according to its members, anyone can be a member. They are known for their public political performances criticizing the government. Two of the group members served prison time (\u0442\u044e\u0440\u0435\u0301\u043c\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0441\u0440\u043e\u0301\u043a\u0438<\/span>) for an anti-Putin “punk prayer” (\u043f\u0430\u043d\u043a-\u043c\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0301\u0431\u0435\u043d<\/span>) performance in a church, \u00a0which many thought was a disproportionate punishment. Maria Alyokhina (Masha) and Nadezhda Tolokonnokova (Nadya) were released in 2014 and have been active with their protest art and advocacy on behalf of Russian prisoners.<\/p>\n Have you come across any of these names in the media? How were they covered?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you follow Russian news, you may come across names of certain opposition figures and their conflicts with the powers that be. Yet who are these people? Are they all part of the same group or organization? Do they have the same goals? What precisely do they oppose? Love them or hate them, you may…<\/p>\nAlexey Navalny (\u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0435\u0301\u0439 \u041d\u0430\u0432\u0430\u0301\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439)<\/h2>\n
Kseniya Sobchak (\u041a\u0441\u0435\u0301\u043d\u0438\u044f \u0421\u043e\u0431\u0447\u0430\u0301\u043a)<\/h2>\n
Pussy Riot<\/h2>\n