Nashi Devushki: Gender and Political Youth Activism in Putin's and Medvedev's Russia

In Russia, as elsewhere, hegemonic ideas about gender are invoked in the political realm. This article explores some of the gendered ways in which political youth organizations voice their criticism of and support for the Putin-centered regime. Interviews and a wide range of mass media sources, including blogs and YouTube videos, as well as the scholarly literature are used to look at political youth group actions and rhetoric on both sides of the Kremlin. The focus is on how gender is used by political youth groups as an organizing principle for exhibiting or with holding support for state leaders and opposition leaders.