Young Voices of Dissent: The Plight of Russian Teens in a War-Torn Society

«Children have the right to carve their own destinies. Our son has chosen his path, and we will support him in it, regardless of the circumstances.»

These remarks come from the mother of a Russian teenager currently serving time in prison for opposing the war in Ukraine.

While his family was aware of his political beliefs, they didn’t foresee him taking action in the public sphere.

“We always believed we were on the same page: speaking out wouldn’t bring any change — it would merely complicate your own life,” the mother recounted in an interview with The Moscow Times, reminiscing about discussions they had about the risks long before her son’s protest. For safety reasons, she asked to remain anonymous.

Her son faces five more years behind bars.

His case is part of an alarming trend in Russia, where students expressing anti-war sentiments encounter significant pressure — from teachers reporting them to authorities to being interrogated by police.

In some instances, young people are imprisoned, taken away from their families, and compelled to continue their education while in custody.

It’s tough to gauge how many Russian youths are against or in favor of the war. Openly sharing these opinions, even with friends or classmates, can have serious consequences. As of 2023, at least 544 minors had been detained for participating in anti-war protests, according to the human rights organization OVD-Info.

Despite this, some teenagers continue to question the invasion.

This week, a prosecutor in Kazan handed down a one-year restricted freedom sentence to 15-year-old activist Sevastyan Sultanov for painting two anti-war graffiti pieces and showing support for the late Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny.

In another instance, school principal reported 10-year-old Varvara Galkina to the police for creating an online survey about the war and for changing her profile photo in a student chat to a pro-Ukrainian meme featuring Saint Javelin.

Both Galkina and her mother were summoned to a police station for interrogation, and their family was placed on a watchlist by the youth affairs commission.

Denis Bushuev, a promising member of the national ski jumping team, staged a solo protest on the invasion’s first anniversary at the age of 17. Brandishing a sign that read “No to war. No to madness” on the main street of his hometown of Nizhny Novgorod, he was detained and fined the maximum amount of 50,000 rubles ($600) for “discrediting the Armed Forces.”

“I prefer not to discuss my views with others and try to steer clear of controversial discussions altogether,” remarked 16-year-old Darya in an interview with the youth media initiative Novosti 26.

“It frustrates me when people try to initiate those discussions,” she added.

However, avoiding these conversations is often impossible. Since September 2022, Russian schools have introduced weekly lessons called Conversations About Important Things, aimed at instilling patriotism and aligning students with the government’s stance on various issues.

While the war isn’t addressed every week, significant events—like the anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, which is officially termed as a “reunification”—are discussed. Moreover, soldiers and members of the Wagner Group frequently visit schools to give talks.

Many of the 5,000 followers of Novosti 26, a media initiative for teens created by writer and journalist Linor Goralik, receive advice to stay silent on political matters.

“One of our initial pieces was titled To Speak or To Stay Silent,” Goralik told The Moscow Times. “We regularly update it to clarify situations where you absolutely should not voice opinions, especially about politics, unless you are alone with someone you trust completely.”

“There was this pervasive sense of confusion — ‘war is bad’ was [clearly off-limits], but everything else was ambiguous,” she noted. “That spurred me to begin the project: to help them comprehend the nuances in their own terms.”

Beyond providing information, the initiative addresses letters from teens, some narrating experiences of bullying, anxiety, or strained friendships.

“One girl wrote about being bullied by her teacher for being ‘protest-minded.’ Others have shared how politics is affecting their friendships,” Goralik shared regarding the correspondence sent to Novosti 26. “But we emphasize repeatedly: do not discuss politics unless you are with someone you trust completely.”

Among Russia’s youngest political prisoners is Arseny Turbin, who was just 15 when he was placed under house arrest in the summer of 2023.

Authorities accused Turbin of being part of the Freedom of Russia Legion, a group of Russian volunteers fighting within the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which the Russian government labels a terrorist organization. Investigators also claimed that Turbin shared videos and distributed pamphlets criticizing Russian officials and President Vladimir Putin.

Recognized as a political prisoner by the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization Memorial, Turbin denied any connection to the military unit. Nonetheless, he was added to Russia’s list of «terrorists and extremists» and sentenced to five years in a juvenile correctional facility.

Yegor Balazeykin was 17 when he was sentenced to six years in prison on terrorism charges in 2023. Investigators claimed he attempted to set two military recruitment offices ablaze using Molotov cocktails as a protest against the war, although the devices failed to ignite.

Balazeykin admitted to trying to set the recruitment office on fire but asserted that he had no terrorist intentions. He explained that his aim was to make a symbolic statement against the war and the loss of lives in Ukraine after his uncle was killed in combat.

Struggling with incurable autoimmune hepatitis and chronic liver fibrosis—conditions that have worsened while in custody—Balazeykin has also been labeled a political prisoner.

Even from prison, he refuses to abandon his anti-war beliefs.

“The war has shattered all aspirations for the progressive development of Russia and the Russian people, undermining the protection of individual rights and human values,” Balazeykin wrote in a letter from prison on the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion.

“A war that was never officially termed as such.”