Protests Erupt in Altai Republic Over Controversial Kremlin-Backed Local Government Reforms

On Thursday, eight individuals were detained in the Siberian Republic of Altai during a demonstration against reforms proposed by the region’s leader, Andrei Turchak.

Demonstrators obstructed a section of the Chuya Highway, an essential route, by displaying large banners urging President Vladimir Putin to remove Turchak and the newly appointed government chairman, Alexander Prokopyev, from their positions.

The activists criticized Turchak’s proposal to eliminate the two-tier local self-government system, which he announced amid rising concerns about a potential merger between the republic and the adjacent Altai region into a single federal entity.

While there were no arrests made at the protest site itself, reports from local media indicated that law enforcement apprehended individuals at their homes later that day.

Those involved in the Thursday protest faced penalties that varied from fines to up to 14 days of administrative detention, according to the regional branch of the Interior Ministry.

In a statement issued late Friday, Turchak denounced the demonstrations, describing the participants as «vandals who show a lack of respect for the sacred Altai [mountains] and their revered sites.»

Videos circulated by local bloggers depicted large crowds gathering outside a court building in Onguday, where the hearings took place.

Some reports suggested that as many as 300 individuals assembled to show support for the detained protesters, although the Moscow Times could not confirm this figure independently.

The local government reform, approved by Russian lawmakers in March, has faced opposition from both the general public and local elites in various regions, including Krasnoyarsk and Tatarstan.

Critics caution that removing the rural settlement layer across all regions could eliminate approximately 99% of elected positions in Russia, making it increasingly challenging for residents in rural areas to advocate for their interests within the government.

Furthermore, the proposed merger of the Republic of Altai and the neighboring Altai region would significantly impact the Indigenous Altai population, reducing them to a small minority within the newly formed majority Russian region.

Turchak, originally from St. Petersburg and the son of a long-time associate of Putin, was appointed by the Kremlin to lead the Republic of Altai in June 2024, despite lacking any prior connections to or experience in the area.