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The Federal Law on Youth Policy in the Russian Federation (2020) “regulates the relations arising between the subjects carrying out activities in the field of youth policy in the formation and implementation of youth policy” (Article 1). Furthermore, this law defines the goals, principles, basic directions, and forms of implementation of youth policy.
The Federal Law on Youth Policy in the Russian Federation (2020) defines youth as young citizens between 14-35 years old.
According to the youth development strategy up to 2025 (2013), youth are considered persons aged from 14-30 years old.
Source: Federal Law on Youth Policy 2020
Source: Youth Development Strategy 2013-2025 2013
Source: Wikipedia Article on Majority Age (2024)
Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
Source: Age Matters Research Project
Source: UNSD, UNDESA, ILGA
Source: COE Report Gender Recognition 2022
The Federal Law on Youth Policy in the Russian Federation(2020) (for publishing process link the downloaded source from sources folder in this section and future ones) "regulates the relations arising between the subjects carrying out activities in the field of youth policy in the formation and implementation of youth policy" (Article 1). Furthermore, this law defines the goals, principles, basic directions, and forms of implementation of youth policy. The main goals are the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of youth, ensuring equal conditions for the development and self-realisation of youth, and creating conditions for youth participation. The law forms the basis for the further development of both sectoral and regional legislation, and by-laws in the field of youth policy.
The aim of the latest youth development strategy up to 2025 (2013) is to contribute to socio-economic development.
"The strategy is designed to challenge Russia's opportunities for youth development, to determine the goals, priorities, and instruments of state policy regarding youth. The strategy sets long-term development guidelines for the subjects of youth policy, as well as the parameters for investment in youth programmes, projects, public youth associations and in the infrastructure of youth policy."
Lastly, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Council of Europe have signed a Framework Programme on Cooperation in the Field of Youth Policy for 2020-2023. This framework further strives to promote the development of youth work and policy in Russia.
The Department of State Youth Policy within the Ministry of Science and Higher Education supervises the work of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs ("Rosmolodezh") which is responsible for the implementation of youth policy. According to the website of the Russian government, Rosmolodezh:
"is a federal body of executive authority providing state services and managing state property related to the youth policy, and implementing, jointly with public organisations and movements representing youth interests, projects to encourage healthy lifestyle habits, provide moral and patriotic education, and help young people attain their professional aspirations."
The Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs is Alexander Bugayev. The agency has a Facebook account.
Founded in 1992, the National Youth Council of Russia (NYCR) comprises over 50 youth and children organisations that are regional, interregional, and Russian. According to the NYCR website, it is the most representative youth structure in Russia, recognised by national and international institutions. The mission of the NYCR is to combine "the efforts of youth and children's civil society organisations for responsible and meaningful participation in the development of Russia". Goals of the NYCR include:
The NYCR further serves as a system of coordination and consultation for youth and children's organisations. The NYCR's membership to the European Youth Forum was terminated in 2022 after a vote by the European Youth Forum General Assembly.
The Fundamentals of the State Youth Policy for the period up to 2025 by order of the Government of the Russian Federation (2014), defines youth work as:
"a professional activity aimed at solving complex tasks of implementing youth policy in the areas of labour, law, politics, science, education, sports ... public institutions and youth and children's public associations."
According to the Federal Law on Youth Policy in the Russian Federation (2020), a youth worker is a citizen who has the corresponding professional qualifications and carries out labour activities within the infrastructure of youth policy. This law mentions the importance of training youth workers to involve them in the governmental sphere and to support youth organisations.
According to the report of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs ((add link to YPL library)) (Rosmolodezh) in 2020 (2021), the NO. 380-FZ of December 2019 titled "On the federal budget for 2020 and for the planned period of 2021 and 2022" approved budget allocations for Rosmolodezh in the amount of RUB 16.4 billion (USD 199.73 million). The consolidated budget schedule for 2020 of Rosmolodezh provides for funding in the amount of RUB 18.83 billion (USD 229.19 million); the limits of budget obligations are set by the Ministry of Finance of Russiain the amount of RUB 18.83 billion (USD 229.19 million). The cash execution of the federal budget as of January 1, 2021 is RUB 15.37 billion (USD 187.07 million).
Rosmolodezh financed four state programs:
Source: Varieties of Democracy Indices
Source: European Youth Forum
Source: World Bank, UNDP, Our World in Data
The report "Youth in Russia: Outlook on Life and Political Attitudes" (2018) of the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) asserts:
"The image of young people in Russia portrayed by Russian and Western media is highly ambivalent: on the one hand, young people have been prominent in the recent waves of protest across different parts of the Russian Federation, in particular in the anti-corruption and anti-Putin protest movement around Alexander Navalny. On the other hand, youth has repeatedly shown up in survey research as one of the most conservative and regime-loyal segments of society. In between, there is bound to be a group of disaffected youth."
"The self-reported political interest by Russian youth is not matched by their general knowledge or political engagement. However, there is awareness of protests and a general approval of protest as a legitimate way for expressing political opinions. Despite limited overall participation rates, this finding underlines why the regime is concerned and cracks down on protests using disproportionate force."
In the youth survey "Russia's 'Generation Z': Attitudes and Values" (2020), the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung analyses the attitudes and values of young Russians (14-29 years), as well as their political view:
"The state is viewed as a guarantor of social security and stability. This is clearly voiced by young people towards the state. They want to be better represented in politics."
"In general, there is a clear disparity between answers given by young Muscovites compared to young people in the rest of the country. The capital clearly stands out. Young people there more frequently consider themselves as liberals, show a higher interest in politics, have the highest level of distrust towards state institutions, consider themselves more often as cosmopolitan and European and are more critical towards the quality of education in Russia."
An article (2023) by The Moscow Times reports on Russian lawmakers raising the upper and lower conscription age limit:
"Russian lawmakers introduced a bill raising the upper age limit for military conscription on Monday [March 13, 2023] drawing criticism that it may be attempting to compensate for troop losses in Ukraine by expanding eligibility for mobilization.At present, Russian law requires men aged 18-27 are required to perform military service.The new bill, which was authored by State Duma Defense Committee chair Andrei Kartapolov and two other deputies from the ruling United Russia party, raises the upper age limit for conscription to 30.It also mandates the gradual raising of the minimum conscription age, increasing it to 19 in 2024, to 20 in 2025, and finally to 21 in 2026.Critics of the bill have accused its authors of seeking to offset Russia's mounting losses in Ukraine by increasing the number of men eligible for conscription in the short term."
Centre for East European and International Studies - Krawatzek, F.; Sasse, G. (2018). Youth in Russia: Outlook on Life and Political Attitudes. Retrieved from https://www.zois-berlin.de/publikationen/youth-in-russia-outlook-on-life-and-political-attitudes.
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung - Gudkov, L.; Kochergina, E.; Pipiya, K.; Ryseva, A.; Zorkaya, N. (2020). Russia's 'Generation Z ' : Attitudes and Values - 2019/2020. Retrieved from https://www.fes.de/en/beitraege/youth-studies-russia.
Government of Russia - Federal Agency for Youth Affairs. (2021). Report on the Results of the Activities of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs in 2020 and Plans for the Implementation of the State Youth Policy for 2021. Original in Russian. ((add link to YPL library))
Government of Russia. (2013). Youth Development Strategy of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2025. Original in Russian. Retrieved from https://www.youthpolicy.org/national/Russia_2013_Youth_Development_Strategy.pdf.
Government of Russia. (2014). Order of the Government of the Russian Federation - Fundamentals of the State Youth Policy of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2025. Original in Russian. Retrieved from http://static.government.ru/media/acts/files/0001201412080039.pdf.
Government of Russia. (2020). Federal Law on Youth Policy in the Russian Federation. Retrieved from http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/document/0001202012300003.
Government of Russia. (n.d.). Federal Agency for Youth Affairs. Retrieved on 30 March 2023, from http://government.ru/en/department/241/.
Government of Russia - Council of Europe. (2020). Framework Programme on Cooperation Between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Council of Europe in the Field of Youth Policy 2020-2023. Retrieved on 15 June 2023, from https://rm.coe.int/framework-programme-2020-23-signed/1680a56aba.
The Moscow Times. (2021, 14 March). Russian Lawmakers Introduce Bill Raising Draft Age. Retrieved on 30 March 2023, from https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/03/14/russian-lawmakers-introduce-bill-raising-draft-age-a80477.
National Youth Council of Russia. (2015). About us. Retrieved on 30 March 2023, from http://youthrussia.ru/en/news/about-us.