Activated citizenship

Forms and meanings of youth civic participation in contemporary Russia

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21189558
AutoresYana Krupets (0000-0003-4575-2815, National Research University Higher School of Economics, autor de correspondencia), Elizaveta Balatsyuk (0000-0002-1117-305X, National Research University Higher School of Economics), Yulia Epanova (0000-0002-0759-5102, National Research University Higher School of Economics)
Año2026
Páginas1-14
Fecha de publicación2026-06-24
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Civil Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1744-8689 • E-ISSN: 1744-8697
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17448689.2026.2690913
OpenAlexW7165742234
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas43

The possibilities for civic participation in societies with high levels of state control remain a subject of intense debate. Addressing this question, this article examines youth civic activism in contemporary Russia. Drawing on 30 in-depth interviews with young activists from St. Petersburg, it explores the meanings they assign to civic participation and the forms through which they enact it. The article argues that despite increasing state control and shifting structural opportunities, young people actively pursue socially significant projects, thereby enacting a form of ‘activated citizenship.’ This citizenship is driven by two closely intertwined motivations – self-development and societal improvement – centred on the mundane transformation of both the individual and their environment. The study identifies three key types of grassroots initiatives in St. Petersburg: ‘passion-driven initiatives,’ ‘professionalizing organizations,’ and ‘civic start-ups.’ These types are distinguished by their core meanings, operational forms, and logics of engagement with the state. Overall, the findings reveal a focus on everyday, reflexive participation aligned with sustainable lifestyles and a strengthening trend towards a ‘contingent symbiosis’ with the state. Within this symbiosis, young activists consciously distance themselves from explicit political agendas, striving instead to position themselves as pragmatic partners in dialogue with state structures

Citizenship · Civic engagement · Civil society · Grassroots · Politics · Reflexivity · State (computer science) · Subject (documents) · Youth participation · Social Media and Politics · Sociopolitical Dynamics in Russia · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics