During the entirety of Vladimir Putin’s presidency women have been some of his most vocal and visible critics. And even now – when repression in Russia, and Putin’s zeal for control beyond his borders are far more toxic than a decade ago – women remain prominent, and painful thorns in his side.
In the past was, for example, Pussy Riot, a “Russian feminist protest and performance art group” known about a decade ago for its political and musical deviance – deviance that included strident, overt opposition to Putin and his policies. For their troubles three members of the group were convicted of “hooliganism” and sentenced to two years in prison.
In the past was also the groundbreaking and muckraking Russian journalist and activist, Anna Politkovskaya. For her relentless insistence on truth telling, especially from Chechnya during the Second Chechen War in the early 2000s, she was harassed, arrested, and poisoned. Withal, Politkovskaya refused to shut up and behave like a lady, a crime for which she was ultimately (in 2006) shot to death in the elevator of her apartment.
And, in the present are mothers, wives, girlfriends – Russian women whose sons, husbands, and lovers were sent well over a year ago to fight in Ukraine and are, if not dead or injured, still in the field of battle with no end in sight. Some of these women have dared to question, even to protest the Russian regime for effectively nabbing their kin not since to be seen. They do not of course pose a threat to Putin or to his regime. The fear factor is far too great to expect anything resembling a broad political movement. Still, it’s worth noting that especially in the wake of the death of Alexei Navalny are still some souls in Russia who dare, if gingerly, to speak their minds.
In the present is also the widow of Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, in her own right a force to be reckoned with. In the immediate wake of her husband’s death she made an emotional appearance before Western leaders at the Security Conference in Munich. And in a subsequent video she vowed to hunt down those responsible for her husband’s death and to keep fighting the good fight for truth, freedom, and justice. “By killing Alexei, Putin killed half of me, half of my heart and half of my soul. But I still have the other half and it tells me that I have no right to give up. I will continue Alexei Navalny’s cause.”
Navalnaya will haunt Putin to the death – either his, or hers.
In the present is also Estonia’s formidable Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas. No leader is clearer than she that the West must, with force, if necessary, stand up to Putin.
Kallas has the dubious distinction of being the first political leader to appear on a Russian “wanted” list. She is being persecuted by Russia’s interior ministry for being consistently critical of Russia’s war against Ukraine. For presiding over Estonia’s symbolically important removal of Soviet-era war monuments. And for repeatedly insisting that the time is now to seize Russia’s large cache of frozen financial assets – and to use the funds to rebuild Ukraine. While other leaders such as France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Olof Scholz continue to dither on this – they worry that Moscow will retaliate legally and financially, if not also militarily – Kallas remains unbowed and uncowed. She argues that “This is economic pressure we can place on the Russian economy to hasten the breaking point of this war.”
Kallas appears fearless. She says that Russia’s move against her was “nothing surprising,” and makes clear that she will not be deterred. “This is yet more proof that I am doing the right thing.”
When Adolf Hitler threatened all Europe by, among his other blatant aggressions, annexing Austria in March 1938, there were no women in positions of power who dared to tell him no. No, Germany could not swallow Austria whole without fear of immediate and meaningful reprisal. Mercifully are now a handful of women with, if not power then authority, or influence, who might stiffen the spines of some men.