"People Together, Garbage Apart": The Global Environmental Agenda and Traditional Values in the Grassroots Environmental Movement in Russia

Between 1990 and 2020, Russia's environmental movement evolved under the strong influence of the global environmental community. International eco-NGOs actively introduced global values related to biodiversity conservation, waste sorting, recycling, and the protection of oceans from pollution, among others. These efforts led to the gradual adoption of global environmental practices by grassroots eco-activists across Russia. However, since 2022, the movement has undergone significant transformations due to shifts in the country's political course. Ideas of "sovereign ecology" and environmental patriotism have gained prominence, reconfiguring the movement’s goals and narratives.

Global environmental practices have not disappeared but have been adapted to fit the changing political context. Russian eco-activists continue to promote these practices, but they are now intertwined with patriotic and traditionalist narratives. This study explores how grassroots eco-activists are reinterpreting global environmental values in light of Russia's growing focus on traditionalist environmental agendas. Specifically, it examines the socio-cultural practices that merge global environmental ideals with local, traditionalist frameworks.

This research draws on the cultural sociology paradigm and employs qualitative methods, with empirical data collected across various Russian regions in 2024. The analysis focuses on the symbolic meanings attached to environmental actions and how these actions are framed. In some instances, global environmental values are embedded within military-historical or spiritual narratives. Examples include redirecting recycling revenues to support military efforts, incorporating traditional rituals into environmental campaigns, promoting waste sorting through religious practices, and organizing patriotic events in significant natural landmarks.