The Russian Federation after the ‘Colour Revolutions’
The mobilization by young people in the Russian Federation illuminates an important part of the stabilization of the country’s authoritarian regime structures from 2005 to 2011. First the political developments of the episode are contextualized by contrasting the regime’s insecurity in 2005 with the situation by 2011. After discussing the socio-political context of young people during the post-Soviet transition years, the chapter explores the findings from the discourse network analysis. Public discourse and political mobilization interact and the chapter discusses the spectrum of politically involved youth from pro-Kremlin groups to the very diverse opposition, including liberal democratic movements, fascists, and communists. It is argued that the regime’s success in capturing control over youth discourse and young people was critical in the consolidation of Vladimir Putin’s power.