Between Autonomy and Compliance: The Organizational Development of Russian Civil Society

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter examines the organizational dynamics of the Russian third sector after the adoption of the so-called “foreign agents” law in 2012, which significantly restricted civil society organizations’ legal space and their access to key resources. Utilizing interviews with organizational leaders and activists in nine Russian regions as well as survey data on civil society’s interactions with authorities, we argue that despite the intent to target only a handful of organizations, the changes have affected a wide array of civil society organizations. We show the commonalities and differences in dynamics among organizations occupying various niches. We also document coping strategies and establish the sources of resilience of the third sector vis-à-vis the entrenching of the authoritarian state in Russia.