This is what is being done to get Putin out of power.

I got involved in opposition democratic policies. I started working with Boris Nemtsov, who led the Russian opposition. I worked beside him for over 15 years until the day he was killed. What I do now in the Movement for Open Russia is organise pro-democracy movements from the roots to the national order.” )

People hold to Russia, which turns down Vladimir Putin's regime, and everything of that regime; corruption, authoritarianism, aggression, media vulnerability, political opression and oppressing anyone who wants to see Russia as a normal and democratic European country.”

We already have more than 20 regional branches around Russia and we want to help consolidate these people with a different and better vision of Russia. We want to empower them and help them become active, and informed citizens. The central focus of our work is with the new generation. They're people who still turned 20 or early 20s, people who grew up, and who were also born under Putin's regime in many cases because they've already been in power for 18 years. When he went to countries in Russia and met with activists from these regions, I sometimes have to remind myself that I am talking to people who know nothing but Putin.

But there are also the representatives of that generation who are freezing their voices saying, "Stop it!" ” and you have seen massive protests throughout Russia in recent months. People are saying to “no! ” corruption, “No! ” political depression, “

I'm a professional historian and one thing that modern Russian history definitely teaches us is that any major political change in our country happens this way, so quickly and unexpectedly. But of course, the other side of the medal is that many people are still not ready for this moment of change.

The main focus of our work on “Russia Open” is to help prepare for the next moment of change! Nothing lasts forever, nor does Mr. Putin is no exception.

But when that moment of change comes, when that change begins, will it be too late to sit down and think about what to do now?

We have to do this now, prepare the generation of people to implement the change. Young people. People representing the future of Russia.

Our movement, Open Russia, led dozens of candidates across the country. Not to win, but to teach. To learn how to talk to people, how to go from door to door, how to campaign, how to get organized in local affairs, how to talk about campaigns, how to publish pamphlets, and much else.

Because they have no experience in such things. And so we see elections in Russia today. Like a training field, training. And that's significant because the main way Putin controls the elections in Russia is not through vote theft, though that happens, and not through the uneven access to the media, although that happens, not by administrative pressure on voters, although obviously that happens, but his main way is not to really allow his opponents to appear at the polls.

And it's very hard to get a lot of votes if you're not one of the voters. And this is the case in most elections in Russia. But even if winning is not possible, it is still possible to learn. And we want to help them get this experience.

I feel, like, 36 years old, I feel like an old man when I go out and talk to these people because they're still young. This is the next generation. This is the generation that will shape Russia after Putin. And we'll do everything we can to prepare them for this. To help them get the skills and experience they've been given, and they'll use it when that time comes.

For now, he's doing the ordinary thing, sending the police and using the National Guard to attack, disperse and arrest his citizens. But they're not scared. And they'll come back to protest him again, because we know that in the end, no matter how strong the pressure, when enough people will be willing to resist, they will win. And then the tanks will stop and come back. Now this world.