ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the causal dynamics of the protest movement in Tyumen region. Russian political protest culture has a long history and a broad repertoire, from the peasant uprisings in the pre-industrial era, to the revolutions of the early twentieth century and the dissident and underground movements of the Soviet period. Kinsburgsky and Topalov suggest an analogous interpretation of the reasons for the low level of political activity. The events of 2011-2012 were exceptional both in their scale and intensity and in the range of activities that citizens engaged in. Under the conditions of a sluggish political campaign and the disassembly of certain regional political machines, the opposition was able to take advantage of a window of opportunity and mobilise a fairly broad segment of the population in the name of a 'negative consensus', thus overall confirming Hale's assessment.
