The 2020 mass protests in the former Soviet Union: causes, characteristics and political regimes’ responses

Analysis of the mass protests that took place in the Former Soviet states in 2020 is outlined in this paper. The main causes, characteristics and political regimes' responses to citizens' collective action are analyzed. The author points out that the coronavirus pandemic served as a trigger for the launch of mass protests against the background of the objectification of a number of structural problems inherent in the states of the region. The conclusion is made about the spontaneity of mass actions and the difficulties in their forecasting. The outcome of the 2020 protest movement has been increased socio-political destabilization of the region, the delegitimization of a number of stable regimes, as well as an increase in internal institutional problems due to the lack of civilized steps to address the issues at stake on the part of the conflicting actors.