Are Copycats Subversive? Strategy-31, the Russian Runs, the Immortal Regiment, and the Transformative Potential of Non-Hierarchical Movements

Some of the most visible recent movements in Russia cannot be accurately described as either bottom-up or top-down. They are copycat movements, in that the initial idea for a new type of public activity spreads quickly across numerous locales with minimal organizational efforts on the part of those who originated it. This article analyzes three such movements and discusses the structural features they share despite their widely differing ideological background, objectives, and popularity: the Strategy-31 protests for the freedom of assembly, the ultranationalist temperance movement known as Russian Runs, and the commemorative processions titled Immortal Regiment.