Generation YouTube

After the March 26 protests across Russia, when many teenagers joined in the nationwide anti-corruption marches instigated by opposition politician Alexei Navalny, the government has been reassessing their “youth policy.”

Both the opposition and the Kremlin seem to have been taken by surprise by the rebellious streak seen in those who have come of age during Putin’s third term – they don’t watch state television, and they are not really part of Putin’s power base. So far, however, the establishment’s attempts to “get” the younger generation have been clumsy or absurd at best.

This is perhaps best illustrated by a gaffe made by lawmaker Sergei Mironov in the State Duma, which held a discussion on youth policy in May.