Activism in exile: how Russian environmentalists maintain voice after exit

Abstract

ABSTRACT After the 2011–2012 protests, Russian activists faced increased pressure that pushed many to flee Russia to secure the safety of themselves or their families. But emigrating from Russia does not mean that activists must give up their role as advocates for causes back home. These new “activists-in-exile” can use their positions abroad to mobilize international pressure and support outside of Russia. Drawing on Albert Hirschman’s ideas of exit, voice, and loyalty, we argue that “exit” in the form of emigration from a politically hostile environment can in fact enable “voice.” However, through case studies of Russian environmental activists, we map the tradeoffs of emigration along two different dimensions of voice: vertical and horizontal. While activists-in-exile lose horizontal voice through remote engagement, they gain vertical connections through empowered exile. Conversely, activists who stay in Russia maintain horizontal ties through constrained legitimacy, but have limited vertical power as targets of repression.