New political force in Russia: youths

So far, his website has steered away from direct criticism of Putin, and instead focused on the incompetent handling of the welfare issue - a point the president himself has made.

Beyond that, opposition student leaders say they want to limit what the Kremlin calls "managed democracy." The Internet is a way to spread the word, at a time when virtually all national broadcast media are government-controlled.

"We live in an information society, [but] now I know that we live in this information vacuum," says Korsunov, whose map is dotted with protest fires that point to a "big problem." "If you don't have information, you make the wrong choices. I don't go into ideology on the website, because I believe people are not stupid. There are a lot of kitchen talks, as in Soviet times, about [Putin's] 'vertical power.' "

The answer will be on the streets, says Ilya Yashin, head of the youth groups of the liberal Yabloko party.

"The fight for the presidential election in 2008 has already started ... and social groups like the youth movement will take a serious part," says Mr. Yashin, who two weeks ago was caught trying to listen in on a meeting of Nashi. He was forcibly removed and dumped in the snow. "The Kremlin is really scared about Ukraine and Georgia," he says.

Before being ejected from the meeting, Yashin says he saw about 200 activists: True believers who "understood what happens, and know why they are there"; newcomers keen on "free billiards and food"; and "fighters in sports clothes and with short hair" - who kicked him out.

With the main organs of power under Kremlin control, "you have to go to the streets," says Yashin. "Everybody understands that whoever controls the streets in 2008 has a good chance to win. And the Kremlin will try to control the streets - that's why groups like Moving Together and Nashi were formed."

Moving Together discredited itself by going after popular writers, paying supporters to attend meetings and rallies, and handing out free Internet and discount cards, says Korsunov.

"The only thing they don't do is pray for Putin. They wanted to do everything like [Soviet-era] Komsomol, but this is a different age," adds Korsunov. And while pro-Putin youths have been effective at motivating supporters with patriotism, they don't corner the market.

"I'm a patriot. I want Russia to be independent and democratic. All that talk that Russians don't respect democratic values is [wrong]," he says. "Putin and Russia are not the same thing, and people are beginning to realize that."

To help them along, he created a "public movement" in January, at the same time he launched skaji.net, called People Who Know. "In Russia there is total control over information," the manifesto states. "We want to know. Information is our weapon. We will speak!"

Page: 1 | 2