In 2009, the creation of a pirate party in Russia is part of the European dynamics of developing political movements defending digital freedoms. In the Russian context, however, this party underwent original metamorphoses that illustrate the competence of its activist to develop know-how adapted to the challenges they face. In the absence of official registration, pirate party activists test original action formats, at the crossroads of the civic, technical and commercial initiatives. This militant inventiveness is accompanied by a redefinition of the pirate program, between criticism and compromise. Through the trajectories of the members of this party, the multiple initiatives to promote a free Internet in Russia intersect, from the Roskomsvoboda association to the Foundation for the Fight against Corruption, as well as the creators of digital start-ups and the lawyers of the Digital Rights Centre. This diversity raises questions about the exploration of new action formats adapted to political constraints in contemporary Russia.

Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) Annual Conference, 25 novembre 2019, San Francisco.