Demobilisation and its Consequences: After the Russian Movement Za chestnye vybory

The aftermath of the 2011–2012 Russian social movement Za chestnye vybory (For Fair Elections) challenges the common assumption that sees mass mobilisation as leading to positive outcomes for civil society. This article argues that the movement, by failing to institutionalise cooperative ties and secure popular support, had ambiguous outcomes for civil society. While repression surely played a role in this outcome, choices made by movement leaders during demobilisation should not be overlooked: one part of the movement became radicalised while another made a premature attempt to enter formal politics, thus hindering the movement’s later attempt to institutionalise.