1. THE REFLECTION OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE OF RUSSIA
IN THE BLOGOSPHERE
ANALYTICAL MEDIA-PROJECT (October 2012)
In October 2012, internet users actively discussed a wide range of
social and political topics in the Russian blogosphere. The following events
drew a wide response and provoked active discussions within the blogosphere:
• President Putin’s birthday;
• shooting from a wedding motorcade in Moscow;
• appeal and reopening the proceeding on the case of Pussy Riot
punk group;
• mayoral elections of Khimki;
• the death of Marina Golub, an actress and television anchorwoman,
who was killed in a car accident;
• electoral campaigns in the regions of Russia on October 14;
• election to the Coordination Committee of the opposition and its
launch;
• Udal’tsov’s case (Sergey Udal’tsov - the leader of the Left Front);
• the statement of Georgy Poltavchenko, Governor of Saint Petersburg,
about citizens-“jerks”;
• the arrest and detention of L. Razvozzhaev, an activist of the Left
Front;
• the conflict between the “Night Wolves” and “Three Roads”
motorcycle clubs;
• the Putin’s alleged illness;
• scandalous poster of the President of the Udmurt Republic.

2. 2
CONTENT STRUCTURE DYNAMICS OF THE BLOGOSPHERE IN THE MEDIA,
OCTOBER 2012
In October, the dynamics of content structure of the blogosphere
in the media looks as following:
The main social and political topics discussed on top LiveJournal blogs from October
1 to October 7:
The main social and political topics discussed on top LiveJournal blogs from October
8 to October 14:
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

3. 3
The main social and political topics discussed on top LiveJournal blogs from October
15 to October 21:
The main social and political topics discussed on top LiveJournal blogs from October
22 to October 31:
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

4. 4
QUALITATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE BLOGOSPHERE IN THE MEDIA
The analysis of the qualitative structure of the Russian blogosphere in
the media showed that, in general, bloggers criticized the current state
power. The share of critical messages varied from 62% to 69% in October,
which means, in fact, that it remained highly stable. The analysis of
messages’ content coloring in October displays a stable opposition of
blogs ’owners to the state power.
The analysis proves not only the presence of oppositional mood in the
blogosphere, but the inclination of blogs’ owners and their readers to depict
any event in political light and immediately blame the state power for
diverse of things.
This tendency states that LiveJournal and Twitter are becoming the
main opposition’s mouthpiece, as well as the main method oppositionists can
use to communicate with critically set citizens. It is significant that the
share of the messages criticizing the state power remained on the same
level from week to week (approximately 2/3 out of total amount), which
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

5. 5
proves the qualitative structure stability of the blogosphere in the media. The
share of messages with positive attitude towards the state power was
growing only if they were posted by obviously pro-Government bloggers.
Critics of the state power is basically connected with such issues as
irremovability of the government, policy of the government for migration,
blaming officials for corruption, falsification and infringement during the
electoral campaigns in the regions of the Russian Federation, political pressure
on opposition, administrative dereliction, which launched the chain of accidents
caused Marina Golub’s death, severe sentences in the Pussy Riot’s case, and
the government policy which empower the Russian Orthodox Church to
become a sufficiently influential institution. Besides, in October, the bloggers
criticized the government’s attempts to draw citizens’ attention away from the
election of oppositionists to the Coordination Committee of the opposition,
hackers’ attacks to the website where the election was hold (the government
is imputed with the attacks), and tough measures for Leonid Pazvozzhaev
and other political prisoners.
At the same time, the share of the messages approving the state
power is not stable. Thus, it fluctuated from 20% in the beginning of
October to 10% in the end. It may be caused by artificial origin of some
amount of messages posted by so called “sentinels”, for example, on
President Putin’s birthday. As a result, we can see the random “jumps” on
the diagram, which illustrates the qualitative structure dynamics of the
blogosphere in the media.
It should be noted especially that the blogosphere took an active part
in discussion of different social and political issues: bloggers quickly
responded to events, although topic’s life is always short, bloggers and
readers quickly shifted from one topic they discussed some hours ago and
focused on a new one.
The special feature of the Russian blogosphere imprints on the format
of on-line information campaigns.
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

6. 6
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL TOPICS DISCUSSED
WITHIN THE RUSSIAN BLOGOSPHERE, OCTOBER 2012
The recent analysis of the main social and political topics discussed
within the blogosphere showed that over a long period in October bloggers
were focused on the election to the Coordination Committee of the
opposition and its launch, which formed favorable publicity both for
LiveJournal and Twitter. The candidates’ debate became the main news story
in the context of election to the Coordination Committee discussion. Bloggers
discussed the preparation for the election campaign as well as the process
itself (bloggers-“sentinels” criticized the candidates and voters registration
system. They were supported by some participants of the election, who
asserted that many influential leaders of opposition had not been registered
at all; the users blogged that this fact may become an evidence of a split
among oppositionists), the results of the electoral campaign, and the
personalities of the selected candidates. The discussion was maintained by
both opposition-oriented bloggers and “sentinels”.
In fact, many authors (from both sides of the “barricade”) voiced their
dissatisfaction with the small amount of voters who took part in the
election to the Coordination Committee of the opposition. The authors meant
that the institution was not legitimate as a “face” of all the opposition in
Russia.
After the electoral campaign, bloggers’ attention was focused on the
first meeting of the Committee and its first action - single pickets in
the center of Moscow, which could be posted without authorities’
permission, to support political prisoners;
President Putin’s anniversary was discussed as an interim summing up
of his presidency. There were two actions which created considerable
favorable publicity: pro-Government (the birthday congratulations banner on the
building next to the Kremlin) and oppositional (the action on the street
with some “presents” for Putin).
It is significant that the topic topped within the blogosphere in terms
of the quantity of messages posted in short period of time. This phenomenon
can be explained by both the significance of the event and some amount of
sponsored messages. Some days after Putin’s anniversary, bloggers’ activity
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

7. 7
lowered, the total amount of messages decreased, the amount of positive
messages about the anniversary reduced, and the initiative was seized by the
opposition-oriented bloggers;
considerable amount of messages were devoted to the shooting from a
wedding motorcade in the center of Moscow. The incident caused the
negative state of public opinion in the blogosphere over the last week of
September and the first week of October. Bloggers discussed the punishment,
which the people, shooting at cars and policemen, were inflicted on, and
the “insipid” comments of the authorities on the lawless act in the center
of Moscow. The topic provoked considerable amount of messages about the
problems of migration and national intolerance. Most of the messages
discussed the crimes committed by people from Russia’s Northern
Caucasus and Middle Asia countries. In general, bloggers were critical about
disinclination of “the capital’s guests” to assimilate and follow Russian traditions
and laws;
the sentence and reopening the proceeding on the case of Pussy
Riot punk group was the most disputable topic for a long time. The topic
drew additional response because of appeal of the sentence (which was
postponed till October 10) and because of another “balaclaving” – the action
on the street hold by people wearing balaclavas of different colors to
support the girls from the punk group. The bloggers were also satisfied by
the fact that the court decided to exchange Ekaterina Samutsevich’s
imprisonment for suspended sentence. Many bloggers criticized the punk
group’s advocates: some bloggers decided that the advocates were interested
in judgment of guilty and did not defend the girls. The topic drew
additional response after some information about the leading record labels
ready to make a world tour contract with Pussy Riot was “thrown in”;
preparation for the mayoral elections of Khimki, where Evgeniya
Chirikova, one of the popular representatives of the opposition, took part,
the electoral campaign itself and its results were top topics in the
blogosphere. Many bloggers described the actions “Agitate Khimki” hold by the
opposition and the Khimki administration’s measures, which supposedly impeded
the agitation campaign of Evgeniya Chirikova, a candidate from the opposition.
Bloggers were considerably interested in the “blast” of negative information in
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

8. 8
the blog of Aleksey Navalnyi, a civil rights activist, about Oleg Shakhov,
acting Mayor of Khimki;
the death of Marina Golub, an actress and television anchorwoman,
who was killed in a car accident, became one of the most disputable
topics in the middle of October. The bloggers immediately interpreted the
tragedy as a social and political event. The messages blamed the authorities
for lack of control over illegal taxi drivers in Moscow. The fact, that the
man, who was driving the car, where the actress died, had been
disqualified from driving, poured oil on the flames. Besides, bloggers blamed
the authorities for connivance, because the probable perpetrator of the
accident had been made answerable for traffic rules’ violation, including drunk
driving, for many times. The representatives of the blogosphere believed, that
M. Golub died, because the two drivers could give bribes to traffic
policemen and continue driving;
electoral campaigns in 77 regions of the Russian Federation
(including the election of governors in 5 regions) on October 14 , became
one of the main political news stories of mid-October. Considerable amount
of the messages, as well as the messages on the mayoral elections of
Khimki, criticized the state power. On the election day, the bloggers
discussed the incidents in Tver’ and Khimki and blamed the government for
falsification. The bloggers also criticized the governing party and its candidates
for “grey” and “black” methods of fight and discussed currently established
facts of violations. The election of the Governor of Bryanskaya oblast was
given special attention; the bloggers supposed that the candidates acted in
collision in favor for the candidate for promotion from the "Edinaya Rossiya"
(United Russia) Party;
the role of the Orthodox Church in Russia is becoming more and
more actual issue. The post “15 answers of an atheist”, where popular
bloggers discussed the role of faith in human life, drew considerable
response. Actually, most LiveJournal users consider themselves to be atheists,
and criticize intensification of the Russian Orthodox Church’s influence on
secular life of the country. However, there were messages from those, who
believe in God, as well as from clergymen, among top October posts. The
discussion was hold without any incidents, the bloggers were tolerant, but
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

9. 9
the topic may become more actual and radical, if new facts about
intensification of the Russian Orthodox Church appear, like that of its desire
to have its own representatives in elective bodies;
activity of the opposition, besides election to the Coordination
Committee of the opposition, was also widely discussed on LiveJournal and
Twitter tops. Several arrests of the opposition leaders drew considerable
respond, for example, “Udal’tsov’s case”. Sergey Udal’tsov, the leader of the
Left Front, was detained and had to give a written undertaking not to
leave the place. It happened after the film “Anatomy of Protest – 2”, where
journalists revealed the facts of mass riots and disturbances preparation, had
been broadcast on NTV-channel;
the blogosphere also discussed the arrest of Leonid Razvozzhaev (the
Left Front activist and aide to Il’ya Ponomarev, the State Duma deputy),
who was detained as a result of special police operation within the mass
disturbances at Bolotnaya square case. The disturbances took place during the
meeting of the opposition on May 6. According to mass media, Razvozzhaev
applied for giving himself up, but later he disavowed his application and
explained that he was forced to do it being subjected to tortures by secret
intelligence service. Most of the messages about the case were negative in
relation to the current authorities: the users blogged that unskillful detection
and investigation let the authorities make Razvozzhaev a kind of a martyr
(there were some references to the similar image of Pussy Riot punk group);
the blogosphere violently responded on the statement of Georgy
Poltavchenko, Governor of Saint Petersburg, about the citizens-“jerks” . The
Governor used the word to call the citizens who gave improper signs and
honked being caught in the traffic jam caused by traffic blocking for
governmental motorcade passage. The topic was reinforced by the trick of
the “Zenit” football club’s fans, who sang the song “Governor, the jerk” at
a football match. The bloggers think that the Governor Poltavchenko should
announce his resignation, because the citizens have become “jerks” since he
became the Governor of Saint Petersburg;
similar response was drawn by the fact that the access to popular
social networking services as well as to LiveJournal can be denied . The
issue was discussed at the meeting of the Council of Federation. The
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

10. 10
members of the Upper Chamber of Parliament suggested limiting the access
to those segments of blogosphere and social networking services, which are
located abroad, and cannot be under the jurisdiction of Russia. The topic
was discussed by top bloggers, but did not draw expected support of
ordinary bloggers;
considerable response was drawn by the conflict between the “Night
Wolves” and “Three Roads” motorcycle clubs, when one of the bikers was
killed. The blogosphere users discussed different versions and official comments
given by the authorized representatives of the clubs. In general, the bloggers
were on the side of the “Three Roads” club: according to the mostly
approved version, the “Night Wolves” club tried to punish the “Three Roads”
club for being beyond their control and cooperation with the “Bandidos”
international club. Internal relations between the clubs became known after
one of the “Night Wolves” member’s death: he was mortally wounded in
the fight between the representatives of the clubs. The fact that the “Night
Wolves” club was supported by President Putin, who attended their events,
drew additional response to the conflict. The bloggers supposed that the
conflict could be provoked by the sense of impunity in the club caused by
the top-ranking patronage;
besides, Kurban Bayrami, a Muslim holiday, and the Putin’s alleged
illness were among top topics in the end of the month. The bloggers
began to discuss Putin’s health after a provoking message on Twitter, which
told that Putin had had a stroke. The topic was developed after the
Reuters’s news about Putin’s spine trauma. Later, both statements were
disproved by the Kremlin Press Service;
some amount of messages in the blogosphere was devoted to the
scandalous poster, depicting Aleksandr Volkov, President of the Udmurt
Republic, with a baby leopard. The bloggers spotted an expensive watch on
Volkov’s wrist. After federal bloggers’ attention had been focused on that
topic, the watch was changed for a cheaper and “simple” analog. There is
the video, which shows that a part of the poster was just re-stuck, what
is more, the sticker could be easily removed, and the expensive watch
revealed itself again. The reaction of bloggers was negative;
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

11. 11
the scandal caused by corruption in the Ownership Relations
Department of the Ministry of Defense also drew bloggers’ attention in
October. Bloggers were highly negative talking about the Head of the
Ministry of Defense and his office, and suggested that the criminal cases
against some officials, including the case against the former Head of the
Ownership Relations Department, could cause the Minister’s resignation.
In October, other social and political topics were discussed within
the top blogosphere as well, but the discussions were not so intensive.
Among the topics discussed were:
the “Nord-Ost” siege anniversary (many people were sieged
during “Nord-Ost” musical performance at Moscow's Dubrovka theater);
discussion on juvenile justice laws (the topic was reinforced by a
mass action against the bill, and Finland authorities’ acts, when they took
away the children of a Russian citizen, living in Finland, because she was
suspected in assault and battery on her child: the bloggers were concerned
that juvenile justice bill would allow social service in Russia to take
children away from their families without court verdict);
the blogosphere also discussed the attack to Kirill Panchenko, a
journalist from Saint Petersburg: he was beaten by some visitors of
Russia’s Caucasus countries, when he stood up for a girl, who they too
busily tried to get acquainted with;
besides, in October, the blogosphere posted about the Law on the
Protection of the Feelings of Believers and the film “Anatomy of
Protest – 2”, broadcast on NTV-channel. The film tells about Sergey
Udal’tsov, one of the leaders of the opposition. Film makers blame Udal’tsov
for his work for foreign “agents of influence” aimed at destabilization of
political regime in Russia. The film made the bloggers suggest that Udal’tsov
could be soon accused officially;
bloggers paid attention to the post of Olga Kryshtanovskaya, a
public figure, in her Facebook account. Kryshtanovskaya described her
impressions after her holiday abroad, where almost all the hotel staff was
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

12. 12
represented by Russian emigrants. Bloggers thought that Kryshtanovskaya’s
attitude to her former compatriots was improper. A message about her high-
ranking position and “Edinaya Rossia” (United Russia) Party membership
appeared immediately. Kryshtanovskaya denied her relations with the state
power and the governing party, and stated her respect to work of any
kind as well as to all ex-Soviet Union compatriots, but that did not affect
the discussion;
bloggers were highly negative posting about the initiative of the
Russian Railway Company (RZhD) to increase fares for second-class
sleepers shipment. The bloggers criticized both the company management and
the Ministry of Finance, which denied subsidizing second-class sleepers shipping ;
Bloggers also criticized the attack to the Russian National Air and Space
Museum at Khodynskoye Pole in Moscow, where unknown workers destroyed
one of the helicopters and seriously damaged another one. Bloggers thought
that complete destruction of warlike equipment was stopped only due to the
efficient reaction of journalists and the police. The blogosphere users
discussed different versions: from disagreement between the owners of the
equipment to a perspective of mass urban development at Khodynskoye Pole;
besides, the blogosphere discussed the activity of Aleksey Naval’nyi, a
human rights activist, and his campaign against “Edinaya Rossia” Party, the
issues of migration and national intolerance, Moscow Metro development
plan and legislators’ initiatives (internet “passportisation” and number of pets,
kept in city apartments, limitation);
LiveJournal and Twitter blogged about bribery and corruption.
Considerable attention was paid to the post of the Press Secretary of the
Federal Agency on Youth Affairs on Twitter. Anna Biryukova posted in
her “tweet” that she paid 2,000 rubles to avoid disqualification from driving.
Bloggers suggested that she gave the bribe to a traffic police officer.
Biryukova immediately deleted the post and disproved the fact; she explained
that she only tried to test her subscribers’ reaction. Later, she was
dismissed from the office;
besides, in October, the blogosphere discussed the distribution of
a “migrant workers’ manual” in Saint Petersburg, in that manual the
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

13. 13
migrants were depicted as building tools vs the citizens who were depicted
as human beings, Theology Department launch at the Moscow Institute of
Physics and Technology, putting a ban on the wearing of hijab in
some schools, age limitation at concerts in The Bolshoi Zal (Grand
Hall) of Saint Petersburg Philharmonia, arrest of the perpetrator of the
car accident on Kutuzovsky Prospect.
Thus, the range of the social and political topics discussed by bloggers
was wide, and the blogosphere response on the main events in Russia was
efficient.
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

14. 14
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL HASHTAGS IN THE SYSTEM OF TWITTER
MICROBLOGGING
Social and political hashtag cloud on Twitter in October 2012
#ПутинЛучше
#PutinsDay
(PutinIsBetter)
#Химки2012
#зачистыевыборы
(forfairelection)
(Khimki2012) #дебатыКС
#Курбан (debatesCС)
#СкучныеВыборыНаСахалине
(BoringElectionsOnSakhalin)
(Kurban)
#Минобороны
#ЛеонидРазвозжаев (MinistryOfDefence)
(LeonidRazvozzhaev)
#ОппозицияVSоппозиция
(OppositionVSopposition)
#сливКС
(betrayCС)
#ВыборыКС
(electionCC) #ПротестСлитНапример
(ProtestBetrayForexample)
#ПуссиПрокатили
(PussyChaeted)
#Удальцов
(Udal’tsov)
In general, most of the social and political hashtags were not
spontaneous; they were created deliberately by users interested in the topics.
The diagram shows, that the range of trend hashtags (key words
bloggers use in their messages to cluster them according to the topic) was
created in the system of Twitter microblogging in October. They reflected
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18

15. 15
bloggers’ respond on the social and political events in Russia. For example,
the hashtag “#PutinsDay” is connected with President Putin’s birthday.
The main hashtags of October are: “#ProtestBetrayedForExample”
(«#ПротестСлитНапример») and “#PutinIsBetter” («#ПутинЛучше») (which
obviously belong to pro-Government users), and 5 hashtags, devoted to
Election Day in Russia (“#forfairelection” («#зачистыевыборы»), “#Khimki2012”
(«#Химки2012»), “#election” («#выборы»), and “#BoringElectionOnSakhalin”
(«#СкучныеВыборыНаСахалине»).
Hashtags devoted to election obviously belonged to opposition-oriented
microbloggers, because the posts with these hashtags tell about violations
committed by “Edinaya Rossiya” Party on the election day. However, some
messages described the violations committed by the opposition.
Opposition activity was reflected in such hashtags, as
#debatesCoordinationCommittee (#дебатыКС), #betrayCoordinationCommittee
(#сливКС), #OppositionVSopposition, #electionCoordinationCommittee,
#FraudCoordinationCommittee. According the hashtags, there is a controversy
between pro-Government bloggers (criticizing the election to the Coordination
Committee of the opposition) and opposition-oriented microbloggers (discussing
the election positively).
Besides, the hashtags #Udal’tsov and #Leonid Razvozzhaev, which
became bloggers’ reaction to interrogation and detention of Sergey Udal’tsov
and Leonid Razvozzhaev respectively, had been on Twitter top for some time.
The hashtag #PussyCheated (#ПуссиПрокатили), connected with the fact
that the punk group was not put on the list of Sakharov’s Prize for
Freedom of Thought laureates, was also popular.
Besides, such hashtags, as #Kurban (on the days of the Muslim
holiday) and #MinistryOfDefense, connected with 3 billion rubles fraud in the
Ministry of Defense.
Thus, both opposition-oriented bloggers and pro-Government account
owners, including so called “sentinels” were active on Twitter. Both
Twitter and LiveJournal bloggers shifted their attention from one topic
to another fast. In October, the life span of all the social and
political topics did not exceed several days.
© Communication Group G3. WEB: http://www.g3-group.com E-mail: info@g3-group.ru Tel:+7 495
648-53-18