"Russian society tolerates unacceptable situations"
A small number of Russians attempted to protest in the early days of the war, holding "No to War" signs and demanding that the government stop the invasion.
Ivan Preobrazhensky is a dissident Russian political analyst. In 2014, he emigrated from Russia to the Czech Republic, the day after Vladimir Putin signed the decree annexing Crimea to Russia. When asked whether the population could revolt against Putin, his opinion is very enlightening:
"The government has responded by harshly repressing protests and continues to crack down on opponents of the war; the number of people willing to protest is extremely small. The Ukrainians first incited the Russians to take to the streets in mass. Today, the average Russian citizen has become accustomed to the war, it's no longer a reason for protest. Some thought that repression might become the trigger, pushing people to protest when they have no other choice."
According to Preobrazhensky, a revolution in Russia is possible only under specific conditions:
"As we can see, Russian society swallows seemingly intolerable things over and over again. Social explosions occur when, often for obscure reasons or unpredictable coincidences, a so-called "collective action point" appears. Suddenly, many people realize that they can influence what's happening here and now.
It's not because things are so bad that they can no longer live and rush under a tank. It happens when they suddenly have hope, even a small one, that they can stop the tank. Such moments usually occur when there is a disconnection between political power and the security forces, and the latter take a break and don't fulfill their duties," Preobrazhensky concludes.
(MH with AmBar/Source: RBC Ukraine/Photo: DPA/Russian Look/Pavel Kashaev)