Across Russia, environmental protests are taking on a new role—transforming from local concerns into powerful political statements. In 2024 alone, over 300 demonstrations took place in more than 40 regions. What started as apolitical activism against landfills and mining projects is now evolving into a widespread challenge to the Kremlin. This shift reflects growing public frustration, especially in regions like Bashkortostan and the Komi Republic, where environmental battles are fostering political change and opposition.
Environmental Issues Spark Regional Uprising
For years, Russian authorities categorized protests into two groups: political and apolitical. Political protests, like anti-government rallies, are quickly shut down. But environmental protests—focused on local pollution, land use, or waste—were treated as non-political and met with less resistance.
However, as these local protests multiply and intensify, the line between apolitical and political is disappearing. The Kremlin’s widespread crackdown on civil liberties is fueling this transformation, pushing environmental movements into the political spotlight.
Echoes of the Soviet Past
This phenomenon isn’t new. During the late 1980s, environmental protests in Estonia—against phosphate mining and shale oil—ignited nationalist movements that eventually led to independence from the Soviet Union. Similar patterns are emerging in modern-day Russia. Protests in regions such as Shiyes and Bashkortostan, though rooted in environmental concerns, are increasingly expressing dissatisfaction with Moscow’s governance.
According to Horizontal Russia, more than 300 protests erupted across the country in 2024 alone, highlighting a rising wave of environmental activism. These demonstrations often target local projects approved without consulting communities, such as waste dumps and mining operations.
Komi Republic: From Landfill Protest to Political Movement
One of the most striking examples comes from the Komi Republic. Residents there successfully rallied against a planned landfill for Moscow’s trash. The opposition movement grew into a political force, challenging the Kremlin-backed amendments and even the military draft.
Oleg Mikhaylov, a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF), played a key role in this movement. His vocal opposition to the landfill earned him broad support and a seat in the State Duma in 2021. His successor in Komi’s regional assembly, Viktor Vorobyov—a rights advocate—went even further, denouncing the war in Ukraine and calling for a Scandinavian-style republic flag. Moscow labeled him a “foreign agent,” forcing his resignation.
Yet, the spirit of reform persists. Vorobyov’s replacement, Nikolay Udoratin, is also known for his role in the Shiyes protests and continues to promote reformist policies.
Bashkortostan: A Sacred Mountain and a Rising Movement
Another hotbed of environmental activism is Bashkortostan. Here, plans to mine a mountain sacred to the Bashkir people triggered mass protests. The government’s reaction—hundreds of arrests and ongoing trials—only intensified public anger. These actions sparked a stronger Bashkir nationalist movement and nurtured new local leaders.
Reports by Window on Eurasia and The Insider note that the Kremlin’s approach has inadvertently unified and radicalized communities. Many now view these environmental struggles as part of a broader fight for regional rights and identity.
The Kremlin’s Dilemma: Repression or Reform?
In response, President Vladimir Putin authorized the creation of the Foundation for Ecological and Natural Resource Projects. Backed by a $10 million annual budget, the foundation aims to co-opt environmental movements by offering grants. However, critics argue the initiative lacks legitimacy—its board is made up entirely of government officials and business elites, with no representation from environmental activists.
As Kedr Media highlighted, the foundation’s true goal may be to contain, rather than support, grassroots efforts. The large budget during a time of economic strain from the war in Ukraine suggests that the Kremlin sees environmental protests as a serious threat.
Ethnic Russians Join the Movement
While these movements are especially strong in non-Russian regions, they are not limited to them. Following an oil spill in the Kerch Strait, protests by ethnic Russians demonstrate that environmental issues resonate across cultural and geographic lines. This broad appeal may give the environmental movement even more momentum, making it a unique threat to Putin’s centralized rule.
A Green Path to Political Change?
As environmental disasters continue and government repression grows, more Russians are turning local grievances into broader demands for change. These protests, rooted in protecting the environment, are evolving into political platforms capable of challenging Kremlin authority.
Whether in the Komi Republic, Bashkortostan, or beyond, the rise of regional leaders and public resistance signals a shift in Russia’s political landscape—one where environmental protection and political reform walk hand in hand.
