Kirill Medvedev is a Moscow-based poet, translator, and activist.
Moscow-based socialist Mikhail Lobanov is a leading left-wing critic of Vladimir Putin. His jailing this Thursday reflects authorities’ determination to silence critics of the war, the disastrous effects of which are playing havoc on Russian society.
The war in Ukraine provided a pretext for tight government control over this weekend’s local elections in Russia. Yet with the situation clearly worsening, the vote has given rise to signs of popular dissent.
Faced with protests for opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s release, the Russian left is torn over whether to join a movement which raises no general social demands. Navalny’s personalized clash with Putin highlights the present hollowness of Russian democracy.