ABSTRACT
In Russia the #MeToo movement was preceded by a similar but unique campaign, #ЯнеБоюсьСказать (#IamNotAfraidToSpeak) which appeared in Ukraine in July 2016 and travelled through borders and continued in Russia. This was Russia’s first successful hashtag movement and, in effect, its largest feminist mobilisation. The subsequent #MeToo movement is often, thus, referred to as the American version of #ЯнеБоюсьСказать in Russian traditional media. In 2016, the common reaction of the media was mixed, but the influence of the strong global and collective voice of the #MeToo movement, reinforced solidarity among Russian women. The chapter analyses the development of #ЯнеБоюсьСказать — its impact on Russian public debate in 2016 and how it was then influenced by the #MeToo movement in the following years.
