ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we examine the influence of celebrities and other forms of neoliberal and popular feminism on grassroots political projects, using the Feminist Anti-War Resistance (FAR) as a case study. The analysis is based on 22 semi-structured interviews with FAR activists. To explore the relationship between various forms and formats of feminism, we introduce the concept of feminist media ecology (FME), which refers to the interconnected and dynamic network of feminist media actors and platforms that collectively shape and sustain public feminist discourses and identities. The interviews reveal that the extensive and diverse FME in Russia fostered a collective feminist identity, provided access to diverse feminist discourses, and formed networks and communities, thus laying the groundwork for organizations like FAR to emerge after the beginning of the full-scale war. We also assert that popular/neoliberal feminism positively contributes to the development of the FME.
