Protesters during a demonstration against election fraud at the Bolotnaya Square, Moscow. Image by Maria Pleshkova, copyright Demotix (10/12/11). Russia's December 4, 2011, parliamentary election triggered what no one expected – mass demonstrations protesting the numerous reports of vote rigging and election violations. The overwhelming numbers (over 60,000 protesters in Moscow alone and around 100,000 protesters all over the country), have created an energy and feeling of empowerment that Russians have not experienced for nearly two decades. The phenomenon has been organized and discussed mostly online, on Twitter and social networking sites LiveJournal, Vkontakte and Facebook. Protestors consist of those pushed out of the political mainstream (liberals, anarchists, anti-Kremlin social-democrats) who have joined forces with groups of activists that have emerged solely online, such as the Blue Bucket Society and Anti-Corruption Movement. Empowered by technology, they are united despite their political differences in their demands for an election re-run, changes to the electoral and political systems, and the release of political prisoners. On March 4, 2012, the Russian presidential election will take place. The president will be elected for the new, extended term of six years. Check back for regular updates to this page. Please contact Global Voices RuNet Echo Editor Alexey Sidorenko if you have links or story ideas, or want to add to this page's resource list. What we do: Global Voices bloggers from around the world report on how citizens use the Internet and social media to make their voices heard, often translating from other languages. Back to Contents For more information on Russian coverage, visit our dedicated RuNet Echo special coverage – a project of Global Voices to expand and deepen understanding of the Russian language Internet (RuNet) and related online communities. Follow RuNet Echo on Twitter @runetecho Like RuNet Echo on Facebook Subscribe to RuNet Echo on LiveJournal 2012 27 Mar – Russia: Kenyans at Pro-Putin Rally Identified As Moscow Circus Acrobats 19 Mar – Russia: “Anatomy of a Protest” Film Causes “NTV Lies” Scandal 07 Mar – Russia: Anglophone Bloggers Discuss Election Fraud and Post-Election Future 06 Mar – Russia: 11 Areas of Election-Related ICT Innovation 06 Mar – Russia: Sex, Women, Putin and Videos 06 Mar – Russia: Fake US Ambassador Twitter Account Wreaks Havoc During Vote 03 Mar – Russia: A Last-Minute Overview of Pre-Election Blogging 01 Mar – Russia: The Early Days of Government Transparency 01 Mar – Russia: Vladivostok's Pre-Election Puzzle 29 Feb – Russia: An Overview of the Pre-Election Anglophone Blogging 27 Feb – Russia: The “Big White Circle” Protest in Moscow 25 Feb – Russia: Bloggers’ Photo Reports and Reflections on Pro-Putin Rally in Moscow 23 Feb – Russia: Pro-Putin Rally in Vladivostok Causes Controversy 05 Feb – Russia: Day of Protests Divides Citizens 24 Jan – Russia: “Mikhail Dmitrievich Prokhorov: An Unpredictable Kremlin Project” 18 Jan – Russia: Obama's McFaul Sworn in as U.S. Ambassador 10 Jan – Russia: The Russian Orthodox Church Re-Enters Politics 2011 – Parliamentary elections 27 Dec – Russia: The Opposition in St. Petersburg Fails to Reach Understanding 23 Dec – Russia: Opposition Faces Online Communication Problems 22 Dec – Russia: Phone Hacking Case Unites Opposition 18 Dec – Russia: Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the 2012 Presidential Election December 10, 2011, protests 14 Dec – Russia: Dec. 10 Opposition Rally in St. Petersburg 13 Dec – Russia: Post-Election Protest in Vladivostok on December 10 13 Dec – Russia: Gregory Shvedov on Braving the Putin Regime Online 11 Dec – Russia: An “Ethical Revolution” 11 Dec – Russia: 13 Protest Tweets, 6 Photos “Storified” (Updated) 11 Dec – Russia: “Why Are Russians Protesting Now” 10 Dec – Russia: Ukrainian Blogger's Photos From the Moscow Rally 10 Dec – Russia: English-Language Tweets From the Moscow Rally 10 Dec - Russia: Anglophone Bloggers’ In-Depth Analyses of Dec.