Daria S, Moscow

We talked to Daria about what it’s like to be an activist in Russia, the future of inclusivity in Russia, and where, when, and how a big brand like adidas can best be involved. Daria is a contemporary artist and feminist activist in Moscow. She runs educational programs across the city on a variety of social issues, is an instigator for public-facing campaigns supporting female political prisoners, and organises and curates exhibitions and festivals for the causes she supports. She also currently leads the election office for a Russian parliamentary candidate.

Daria – you seem so incredibly busy. What keeps you going?

To be honest, something between hope and desperation! The political situation in Russia means we’re constantly somewhere between the two. What motivates me, though, is when I see that my actions concretely help people. A lot of my work operates in the realm of ‘delayed results,’ where our actions don’t necessarily have an immediate influence. But when I see that my activities have led to a concrete and positive result, it becomes easier to live, for me. I feel that I am helpful, and that other people  -when they see that - they may also start being involved in activism. Our community is growing into a network that makes life a safer place. 

And how would you explain the world of activism from a wide-angle lens point of view?

Activism does what the state fails to. Also, activism is about creating a platform through which people from different backgrounds can be seen or heard. Activism is about allowing somebody to speak up in conditions where reality constantly takes this opportunity away from them. This is why activism very frequently looks like a ‘battle’; because it is very important to enable people to speak for themselves. Brands and political organisations very frequently speak up for other groups, and this does not work well. In activism, the idea of 'nothing for us, without us' is crucial. 

That’s a fantastic sentiment, and you’ve already touched upon an issue which is super important to this project, and which we’re going to talk about a little later. First, how would you explain activism in Russia to an outsider?

It is very important to say that there is no homogeneous culture of ‘activism’ in Russia. Just like there is no one idea or concept of ‘feminism.’ The geography of Russia is very diverse, and every location has its own context, which leads to specific cultures, including within activism. For example, activists in Tatarstan [a region in Russia] have their own very specific agenda. As for me, I am located in Moscow and I am ethnic Russian, therefore I have very different issues to female migrants here, who also fight for their rights. 

This is a good point. Russia is huge…

Yes. And I love that there is such diversity in activism. Some people mistake ‘unity’ for ‘unification’, whereas for me, unity is that we all have different agendas, but we listen to each other and study each other, to understand how we can help each other better.

You speak so eloquently about what activism is, and isn’t. What would you like to tell adidas specifically then, about what it means to be one of these diverse activists in Russia?

My top thing to stress about activism in Russia would be that it is something dangerous, and this danger is not abstract, but very concrete. Activists here live in a very insecure environment, and this environment has only gotten worse in 2021. The experience of Julia Tsvetkova - who is a painter and was just posting her pictures on social networks and is now under arrest - shows that there is no safe space for activism in Russia. You can post stuff on Instagram and then be prosecuted for these posts. The police harass me from time to time due to my social media activities. I’m not even sure if being anonymous helps protect you, or not, as being public can actually bring you protection, but at the same time it draws attention to you and makes you vulnerable …  

And aside from this very real danger, and harassment from the Russian police, is the reaction the same from the general public?

Moscow is different because activism is a much more frequent thing here, but in general, activism across Russia is very stigmatised. We still face a lot of pressure, hate, even threats sometimes. We have had a shelter here in the city for activists who have experienced burnout. It’s a place for retreat, to get help from psychologists. Those in the creative industry here tend to be more loyal to activists.

It sounds incredibly difficult …. 

Yes. We are all burnt out. I personally am very exhausted. Activists need money to go to psychotherapy, for example, but we don't have that money. Therefore, a lot of us are in pretty bad condition when it comes to our mental health. I am frustrated with the fact that traditional agendas are also still present in activism. Feminist-activists, for example, can still be nationalist and xenophobic. We have a lot of conflicts within our activism network. 

Is there anything that you find inspiring or uplifting, amongst all of these struggles?

Despite all the difficulties, more and more people here want to become activists. The political sphere is compressing, and the number of activists is growing. I see it in feminist activism. Our voices have become more vivid and important; the media is consulting with us, we are being invited to work with private businesses as consultants, we have publicity. Independent media cannot ignore the agenda of activism. In Russia also there is a strong interconnection between activism and journalism. Also, despite government efforts and actions, what I personally see in society is an opposite effect: people in general are becoming less and less homophobic, more open to various issues. The government's conservative propaganda is not working. And this is why the regime is getting nervous and is becoming more brutal because their old instruments are not effective anymore…

Who do you see as being on the cutting edge within this time of change, for activism? 

Nasiliu net, of course. This is a big NGO that deals with issues of domestic violence in Russia. Then there’s the Civic Assistance Committee which helps migrants and refugees. They are very active and organising a lot of cool events and festivals on inter-ethnic and international communication. There is also a network of assistance for women called You Are not Alone, founded by Sasha Mitroshina. I also admire Alena Popova, Anna Rivina and Mari Davtyan - these are all the women who work on the development of Russian anti-domestic violence legislation. Outside of Russia, I am very much inspired by the American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She is my role model. 

And what are those people and groups doing to help instigate change?

I think the most valuable thing is that they create new cultural norms. In Russia, we live in a culture of violence, and these projects resist this culture and try to create new cultural norms. By talking about the violence, for example, they already start to lift the taboo. There is also a therapeutic potential in talking about the violence. The #MeToo movement was like this; name the problem, describe it, understand how to solve it – these are the steps. All these organisations do it. “Ok, we will name violence as violence, what is next?” And these organisations show what the next steps are.

That’s a good point – a problem has to be articulated as a problem before it can start to be addressed! What words would you use to describe these activists that you admire?

They are all very hard-working, and at the same time, they don’t lose their true selves to the work. They help people, they assist victims, and they protect them with the means that they have. They also have very integral personalities, in that they are not full of inconsistencies. They’re empathetic, and they’re active. I don't really want to talk about fear - they are certainly not fearless. Everyone experiences fear one way or another. It’s better to say that they work despite the fear. 

True. No one is immune to fear. I really love how you’ve described that. Can I ask how you would you define the term ‘inclusivity’?

Inclusivity is when a government, or a culture, or society take into account the existence of different people with different needs, and these needs are taken into account by default - not as some special group of people. It is about the needs of all people being taken care of integrally.  

‘Integrally’ – that’s so important. And do you think this the common definition of inclusivity in Russia?

In Russia, inclusivity is mostly talked about only in relation to children and adults with disabilities. Activism, on the other hand, aims at including wider groups into this notion of inclusivity – issues of mental health, transgender people, ethnic minorities, migrants, refugees, children, older people. There are a million layers to inclusivity. 

Which one of these layers do you think is the most ‘behind’, in Russia?

The worst situation is with LGBT people. LGBT rights are not even touched upon by our government. If they talk about LGBT, it’s only in diminutive and humiliating terms. The articulation of women rights has become better thanks to our efforts, but even then, we’re still only in the initial stages. The problem in Russia is that this is all related to legislation and politics, but the Putin regime aims at not solving social problems but at maximising personal wealth. His regime is patriarchal and it is conservative; it is not for all, but for some. 

Have you seen any brands in Russia try to tackle this issue of inclusivity, at all?

Hmmm. Almost all brands make mistakes when they try to be inclusive, because they do not include those people for whom they are trying to do something in their processes! There is actually a Telegram channel in Russia called Doch Razboynika which specifically collects awful cases of brands trying to be ‘better’. Monki tries well to be more inclusive; they are shooting more body-positive ads and  have extended their sizing.  Libresse, which is a female hygiene brand, are doing good work on destigmatizing menstruation. 

Yes, this is something we’ve heard over and over while interviewing – real inclusivity must start internally! So if not brands, who is leading discussions about inclusivity specifically, in Russia? 

Mostly LGBT and feminist organisations. NGOs. The all-Russia LGBT network. Otkrytye queer media. Sisters centre. The Henric Bolle Foundation also runs a lot of good campaigns and programs on inclusivity. Nasiliu net, which I spoke about before. 

And if, say, adidas, wanted to be of value to you - to Russian communities - in this realm of inclusivity, what could they do? 

adidas also needs to know that in Russia there is very little research on important social topics, as the government doesn’t initiate that research. For example, there is very little research on domestic violence, which is a big part of Russian culture. There is a huge lack of data. So, if brands could sponsor research or could conduct research themselves and make some data openly available, this would be very useful. There is a high demand for this. There are very few statistics on domestic violence. And if we talk about activist burnout, there are also very few opportunities for activists to rest and recuperate. Some sort of self-care programme would help. Everyone seems to think that activists should just work and not rest…

And what about Nike? Have you seen anything from them?

Not really. Well, they’ve run a lot of ads that involved girls. Everyone wants to earn and make more money from girls these days… I’m not under any illusions. 

It sounds like you are a little torn when it comes to brands touting inclusivity or becoming involved in activism.

I have two-sided feelings about it. This question is very important for the activism community, it is what we discuss all the time. On the one hand, there is the negative side to it: very often, brands that break into the culture of the activism community emasculate the idea of activism, or formulate it incorrectly, or in a very abstract way. Or, they depoliticise it and make it very weak. And we activists sit and cry and say this is not the way it should work. It is so shameful. Activists regard these kinds of things with hostility. While we’re here risking our lives and our wellbeing, brands just come along and put some kind of butterfly on all of our hard work.  

But, there is another side. We live in a world where brands do exist, and I am here sitting with you and I will be paid for this conversation. I understand it very clearly. So, the question comes to our minds: how we can interact with brands with maximum benefit for us? What would such a collaboration look like? Is ethical business possible? 

Do you think it is possible?

I think that if activists and brands are cooperating, then the social issue they are dealing with is placed at the top of people’s minds, which is a good thing. Brands also have the power to influence the images and words that surround us, and here, activists can be very useful, because we can help develop the correct language and wording that the brands can use. Brands should invite us for our input in their communication strategy, so that it is delicate and representative. Finally, it is meaningful when some actual money from a certain campaign is used to support people or organisations, and when there are transparent reports available to prove this. It should not be a one-time thing. 

These are fantastic points. Is there anything, then, that specifically frustrates you about brands trying to get involved in activism or inclusivity, or that you which brands would realise?

It is important that brands understand that we understand that they understand. We all understand everything about capitalism, and none of us expects big brands to just stop being capitalist - this is impossible, it doesn't work this way. Both us and you just have to accept each other as we are and be sincere. I just think that when a brand is trying to be useful and have a positive impact, it still works out in such a way that a social issue just adds on profit to that brand. It helps to build their image. And brands refuse to accept this truth very often. They claim that it is not profitable and mere charity, but I think that brands should accept and acknowledge publicly that they profit from them – this way, the cooperation becomes fairer and more transparent. Honesty is important. 

What kinds of projects would you like to see from brands in the realm of inclusivity and community support?

Supporting projects outside of Moscow and St Petersburg would be a good idea, as these two cities are already full of activities. Open calls for social projects – also a good idea. To announce an open call and collect project proposals, and support little, local projects. 

Local, local, local – we hear this all the time… 

Yes. Our activists retreat, for example, was supported through fundraising, and we will continue to look for more funding.  Our government does not support us. We used to have foreign grants, but now they cut that source as well. In this kind of situation, activists need support from brands. It’s an inevitable union, so if brands really want to be useful, there are many ways for mutually fruitful cooperation. 

As an activist, what are you careful about when collaborating with a brand? What reservations do you have?

I generally don't like to promote brands personally. I can collaborate as a consultant, but not publicly. I don't want to associate my name with a clothing brand without knowing what exactly they are doing and being sure about their cause. If a brand is doing an event on support to the victims of violence – I will be totally in, but if a brand wants to send me their clothes so that I promote them on my social networks, I would only ever do that for a local brand. I know some fellow activists, also, that can't cooperate with Adidas because they have signed a contract with Nike…

We're now going to talk about sustainability a bit. What do you understand by the term?

Sustainability is something that is stable, not at the point of exhaustion, and economical in terms of resources. Sustainability is when something is done with care, and I think brands have a huge responsibility when it comes to this. Brands should service not only the market but also society as a whole. 

Can you tell us more about that responsibility? What lies on their shoulders, do you think?

Sustainability shouldn’t be something that just ticks a box. Recycling should, for example, happen in cooperation with ecologists and eco-activists. New research findings should be properly implemented. I am against fast fashion. I understand it is profitable, but if a piece of cloth goes into the rubbish bin after being used for a short while – this is not sustainable. I, personally, only buy clothes from small brands where 2 or 3 people work. Apart from sneakers … I have only adidas sneakers for some reason.

It is important also that the labour of people is paid well, especially during production. These people should have some voice; there should be no discrimination, and they need to have social guarantees and labour unions. They should not overwork; it should not be cheap labour in the so-called third world countries. Brands should stop thinking about how to buy labour cheaply. 

Is there anyone in Russia leading discussions about sustainability at the moment?

I am primarily feminist activist; my knowledge of sustainability is not deep. But there is an eco-activist Lelya Nordik, she is much better at the issues of sustainability. She consults brands in terms of sustainability. Brands should have a database of such names that could help and consult them in all of these areas. 

How do you think that adidas could better show that they are being serious about wanting to support activist circles, without, as you say, making it purely about profit, or advertising?

It is important for adidas to join the work that is already being done, without appropriating it, but by shedding light on it. Brands should connect with activists in the very early stages, and ask, how can we help? Helping those who help is very important.  Ask activists directly how your money can help us, ask us to advise you on how to adjust your production to be more specific to the local area. To be better, ‘people who know better’ are important! 

That’s a very powerful statement – “to be better, work with people who know better!” What kinds of things would you like to see from brands, in terms of sustainability specifically?

Less waste burning sites, and more recycling sites. This can be supported by brands. Private recycling sites should be supported. There should be more awareness and educational activities on sustainability; more lectures, workshops directly inside of stores, so that people, when they buy clothes, are able to know what they can do with this clothing. Customers should be aware of what they can do with packing, with products they don't already need or want. In Lush, for example, you can bring back the package to the store and they will reuse or recycle it. I want such eco-friendly initiatives to be built in directly in the stores.

What are your hopes for activism, inclusivity, and for Russia in general, in the future?

I want people who are now excluded from life, be included and feel safe at home and on the streets. I dream of celebrating pride in Russia; I want the whole city to be decorated with rainbow symbols, I want my friends not to be afraid to kiss on the streets, I want them to be able to marry, I want to be able to go to their weddings. I want there to be less fear and less hatred. I want to know that my friends in wheelchairs can visit different events and places because our city is friendly towards them. And I am surrounded by not only 'Slavic' people, but people from different republics, and different cities. I want to hear more languages around me, not only Russian. And I want people to be proud of this diversity. I want therapy to be accessible. And thus, people would be happier and there would be a more positive society in general. I want a visit to a therapist and discussions around mental health to be a normal thing! I also want the market of prostheses to be more accessible and affordable. I want the gap between the poor and the rich to be not so wide. I want to see more shelters, so that people know where to go if they have problems. This is what I want.

And what, if anything, would you like to see specifically from adidas, or big clothing brands, in five years’ time?

Well, besides working with issues of stereotypes related to gender, gender roles, the definition of healthy bodies, and representations of different types of people … I think adidas should give consumers more information about their clothes. I'd love brands to be more transparent - I want to understand better how they function. I am concerned about ethical production, and this is why this information is important for me. I'd like to see information about how a piece of cloth was produced on the item’s tag. Lush does it - on every package they have a photo and the name of the person who produced it. And there is the personification of labour. I don't want to wear clothes made by underpaid women in Bangladesh. And if labour conditions do change for the people who produce this clothing, I'd like to know about it, and I'd like adidas to be proud of it.