Abstract
This study examines the evolving legal and socio-political framework governing the financing of civic initiatives in contemporary Russia. The paper analyzes how regulatory transformations, particularly concerning non-governmental organizations and “foreign agent” legislation, have reshaped the boundaries of permissible civic participation. The research focuses on the tension between constitutional guarantees of freedom of association and the expanding scope of state oversight. The findings suggest that increasing legal uncertainty and retrospective reclassification of organizations contribute to the emergence of self-censorship and reduced civic engagement. The study adopts an interdisciplinary approach integrating legal theory, political sociology, and economic institutional analysis.
Keywords:
civic participation, NGO regulation, foreign agents legislation, legal uncertainty, political loyalty, financial donations, Russia.
Author: Surеn Manukyan
ORCID: 0009-0003-5460-1848
Reviewers:
- Larisa Ivshina — ORCID: 0009-0007-5264-6566
- Nikolai Fedenev — ORCID: 0009-0004-5073-195X
DOI: pending
Full Text (PDF)
Manukyan_2021_Civic_Financing_Legal_Certainty_and_InstitutionalReferences
Bogdanov, E., Cook, L. J., & Kulmala, M. (2018). The Carrot or the Stick? Constraints and Opportunities of Russian CSO Policy. Europe-Asia Studies, 70(4), 501–513. (см. примеры правоприменительного контекста регулирования НКО)
Nechkin, A. V., & Rudenko, V. V. (2021). Pravovoy status finansiruyemykh iz-za granitsy nepravilitelʹstvennykh organizatsiy v Rossii i Vengrii [Legal status of NGOs financed from abroad in Russia and Hungary]. Vestnik Omskogo universiteta. Seriia «Pravo», 18(3), 23–34. https://doi.org/10.24147/1990-5173.2021.18(3)23-34 (comparative legal analysis of foreign-funded NGO regulation)
International Commission of Jurists. (2014). Russia: Amendments to the NGO Law on Foreign Agents Violate Rights to Freedom of Association and Expression. ICJ. (analysis of human rights implications of NGO Law amendments)
Skibo, D. (2016). Bytʹ inostrannym agentom: kak vesti sebya pod davleniem zakona v Rossii [Being a foreign agent: how to function under pressure of the law]. In Sovremennye vyzovy grazhdanskim obshchestvam i gosudarstvam v Evrope i Rossii (pp. XX–XX). Centre for Institutional Studies (essay on practical implications of “foreign agent” status).
Tarasenko, A. (2015). Nekommercheskiy sektor v stranakh Evropeyskogo Soyuza i Rossii [The non-profit sector in the EU and Russia]. Eurasia Publishing. (on the role and dynamics of civil society and nonprofit sectors)
United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. United Nations. (for foundational legal principles on freedom of expression and association)
Constitution of the Russian Federation (1993). (for constitutional context of freedom of association and civic participation)
Federal Law No. 121-FZ of 20 July 2012 On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in Part of Regulation of Non-Profit Organizations Performing the Functions of Foreign Agents. Rossiyskaya gazeta. (primary legislative basis for expanded NGO regulation)
Manukyan, S. (2021, December 2). Financing civic initiatives: The boundaries of legal permissibility in contemporary Russia. Mirovaya politika bez kommentariyev (wpnc.ru). https://wpnc.ru/2021/12/02/financing-civic-initiatives/ (original analytical publication that served as the foundation for this academic article)