Public activism in Russia: today and yesterday

The author noted that the mass opinion surveys are inadequate instrument for the studies of civil activism. Being based on his long-term research in the field of grassroots, mass campaigns and social movements in Russia and abroad (in the period from 1989 till 2012), the author demonstrated that civil activism in Russia is still more diverse in its scope, strategy, tactics and action repertoire than the recent mass opinion surveys shows. Of course, the level of this activism is much lower than in the years of «perestroika» (in 1986-1991) but this activism is in a permanent process of transformation. The use of IT-technologies provides a new impetus for grassroots and public activism. Despite the growing pressure of the process of codification of the bottom-top activism and sanctions on the part of the state, civil activism in Russia is still viable.