The first few months of 2021 have been a whirlwind in Russian politics. The return of Alexey Navalny after being poisoned last summer set off a new wave of protests, police violence, detentions – and tactical disagreements within the Russian opposition.
Maxim Reznik, a member of the St Petersburg Legislative Assembly, has seen these fractures up close. As one of the leading opposition deputies in Russia’s northern capital, Reznik is known for his role in several important protest campaigns in the city, for example, against the transfer of a prominent city cathedral to the Russian Orthodox Church.
He also speaks openly in defence of the opposition leader, Navalny. Indeed, Reznik supports the Navalny team’s ‘smart voting’ strategy, where the plan is to run a single opposition candidate in election districts in the parliamentary elections this September to deprive the United Russia party of votes. And he encourages voters to support the campaign.
