Вперёд! Exploring the Dialectic between Continuity and Transformation in the Development of the Pro-regime Russian Youth Organisation Nashi

Challenging our fundamental conception of transformation as the antithesis of continuity, this chapter contends that in the case of the Russian youth movement Nashi, continuity and transformation have enjoyed a symbiotic, albeit restricted, relationship. Despite Nashi's resolute objective of securing the incumbent regime and maintaining political stability in the face of the perceived 'orange' threat, the movement has simultaneously aspired to be an agent of socio-political change and called for a rejuvenation of the current elite. While petitioning for an overhaul of the existing set up without seeking to bring an opposition government to power or to incite political instability may be nothing extraordinary in itself, the fact that a Kremlin-sponsored organisation, which was established in order to prevent a Russian 'coloured revolution', has been able to challenge the existing political elite and attract young Russians inspired by the impact of the youth movement Pora during the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, is nothing short of exceptional. This chapter examines how it has been possible for Nashi to practise a dual continuity-transformation strategy within the framework of Kremlin sponsorship and the repressive political environment in Russia. Nashi's achievements and limitations in pursuing its transformative agenda are considered as evidence of the success or otherwise of this dual strategy and ultimately of the relative advantages and disadvantages of state-sponsored participation in Russia more widely.