Boris Nadezhdin is attempting to secure a seat in Russia’s parliament, the Duma, on a platform that explicitly gives a voice to citizens who oppose the ongoing war in Ukraine. Nadezhdin, who is in his 60s, describes himself as someone who is not a revolutionary, stating clearly that he is not a person calling for people to take to the streets. Despite this, he remains one of the few figures in the current Russian political landscape to publicly label the full-scale invasion of Ukraine a terrible idea.
His political activities have brought him into direct conflict with the Kremlin. In 2024, Nadezhdin launched a presidential campaign to challenge Vladimir Putin, running on an anti-war platform that garnered significant attention. Although tens of thousands of Russians across the country signed petitions to support his candidacy, election officials disqualified him on a technicality. Nadezhdin maintains that the support was immense and believes he would have secured tens of millions of votes had he not been banned just as his polling numbers began to rise.
Following that experience, Nadezhdin initiated a campaign for the upcoming September parliamentary elections. He noted that he announced his candidacy over a year ago specifically to test the response from authorities. For a long time, nothing happened, leading him to believe the Kremlin had decided to let him run, until the situation shifted abruptly. Last week, the Russian government designated him a “foreign agent,” a classification that prevents him from holding public office. Subsequently, on Monday, Nadezhdin was briefly detained and now faces accusations of sharing links to extremist content online, which is a jailable offense.
Nadezhdin dismisses these charges as absurd, though he is acutely aware of the potential for imprisonment. Given his age and existing heart trouble, he stated that prison would likely represent a quick and certain death. He views this escalating pressure as a sign of growing anxiety within the Kremlin, particularly as polls suggest a majority of Russians now want the conflict to end. Nadezhdin argues that his anti-war message is gaining potency due to a combination of unpopular internet restrictions, persistent Ukrainian drone strikes, and nationwide gas shortages. He remains focused on the possibility of a Duma candidate running on a platform that advocates for the end of the war and the departure of Putin.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (Speaking Russian).
BORIS NADEZHDIN: (Through interpreter) I'm not a guy calling for revolutions or for people to go into the street. That's not me.
MAYNES: Until, apparently, it seems, they didn't.
