Knitting Nets, Building Networks: (Un)Civil Society in Wartime Russia

• In Event: Public Sociology Laboratory: Studying Russian Society in the Time of War

Abstract

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, scholarly and public discourse has focused on the repression and survival tactics of Russian independent civil society. Many activists and NGOs have been exiled, silenced, or cut off from international support, prompting scholars to describe civil society in Russia as a “remnant” in a “desert” or to question its very existence (Gretskiy 2023, Kalinina 2024). However, these perspectives often rely on a normative liberal-democratic framework, risking what Riley (2019) terms “civil society romanticism.”

Meanwhile, simultaneously, another form of grassroots activism has emerged—not in opposition to the Russian state but in support of its war effort. Since February 24, 2022, pro-war volunteer initiatives have proliferated across Russia, engaging in activities such as knitting camouflage nets, and collecting food and medical supplies for soldiers. While some are state-sponsored and embedded in institutions like schools, churches, and volunteer centers, others arise independently through local solidarity networks.

Despite their scale and the broader global context of right-wing ideological resurgence, these communities remain largely unexamined. This paper addresses this gap through months of ethnographic observation conducted by a PS Lab researcher in three Russian regions, focusing in particular on “Шьем и вяжем для наших” (“Sewing and Knitting for Our Guys”) groups, which have spread across dozens of Russian towns. It explores both their infrastructural dimensions—resources, relationships with state actors, and NGO ties—and their social aspects, including volunteer motivations and ideologies. Ultimately, the paper asks whether these networks are temporary wartime formations or a structured movement with lasting civic and political significance.

Author

• Yakov Lurie, U of Amsterdam (Netherlands)