December was a time to take stock of the year, which has become the most stressful for the country in recent decades. At the front, Russia held a significant portion of the territory, but faced heavy losses, logistical difficulties, and the consequences of mobilization. The economy has adapted, but due to falling incomes, business withdrawal, sanctions and uncertainty. The year ended with a significant reduction in imports, record levels of inflation for a number of goods and a decline in the quality of life. Society entered 2023 divided: some supported the course, some left or remained silent. The country has entered an era of high militarization, information control and international isolation.

Based on the results of 2022, many experts noted that the main event is not just a war, but a large-scale transformation of Russia: the economy, domestic politics, the role of the state, society. Sanctions, loss of access to markets, crises forced the economy to rebuild, look for new directions, increase domestic employment (including an increase in the number of self-employed) and dependence on commodity exports. Political power has strengthened control, repressive mechanisms have been strengthened by legislation, and the space for opposition has decreased. Society has become more polarized: some are mobilized and ready for war, while others are depressed, have left or withdrawn. 2022 for Russia has become a turning point: the country is moving to a new, more closed and militarized format of existence.

In 2021, the Main Guidelines for the Macroeconomic Policy of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) were approved, which became a program document for further integration and cooperation within the framework of the association. The trade turnover of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in 2021 reached its highest level ever, while the Russian ruble remained the main currency of settlements. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced this on Friday at a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Yerevan, Russian media reported. “The dynamics of trade turnover of the EAEU states reflects the positive effect of integration processes. Over the past year, the volume of mutual trade between the states of the union reached its maximum for the entire existence of our association and exceeded $73 billion. This is almost 33 percent more than in 2020. And if we talk about food products and agricultural raw materials, then the growth here is about 21 percent. The physical volume of mutual supplies increased by 11 percent,” Mishustin listed. “The Russian ruble remained the main payment currency and was used to make 72 percent of payments,” he emphasized. In general, according to the head of the Russian Cabinet of Ministers, the EAEU countries, on a consensus basis, with respect for the points of view of each state, continue to build a harmonious system of cooperation in all areas of the union’s activities in order to ensure an improvement in the quality of life of citizens and create the most comfortable business environment. At the same time, Mishustin is convinced that the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) should encourage the creation of new joint ventures. According to the Russian Prime Minister, deepening industrial cooperation and launching joint ventures in strategically important and high-tech industries is one of the key tasks. Moscow considers it important to fully unlock the potential of the common market in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and advocates the free movement of goods, capital and labor in this space, Mishustin said.

After the start of the war with Ukraine on February 24, 2022, anti-war demonstrations, speeches, petitions, and open letters broke out in Russia - in different cities. Many citizens, artists, and public figures spoke out against the war. However, the authorities reacted harshly: rallies were dispersed, people were detained, activists were removed, and journalists were intimidated. Since the beginning of mobilization and the intensification of repression, protest activity has gradually declined, with many rights fighters either emigrating or falling silent. However, 2022 has shown that there is a significant part of the population that resists military aggression - despite the risks.

In July, Russian authorities began preparations for holding “referendums” in the occupied territories of Ukraine - in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. Electoral structures were created locally, information campaigns were carried out, and Russian passports were imported. Inside Russia, this was presented as a step towards “historical unification.” However, the international community stated in advance that any such votes would be illegitimate. In the summer, the logistics of Russian passports and the management of new territories intensified, which became one of the most complex political and administrative processes of the year.

In the first months after the start of the war, according to sociological surveys, the share of people in Russia who support the actions of the government and believe that “all decisions of the authorities are correct” has increased. In April 2022, civic activity, migration and information pressure strengthened the sense of “cohesion” among part of the population, especially in small towns and regions. Many residents, faced with sanctions, instability and information war, have, as they say, “united around the flag.” This reflected profound changes in public consciousness: conflict, war, external pressure - formed a new layer of “patriotism” and loyalty to the authorities.

On February 24, 2022, an event occurred that determined the political, economic and social development of Russia for years to come. In the morning, the Russian President announced the start of a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Military operations covered many directions - from Kyiv and Chernigov to the Kharkov, Kyiv and Kherson regions. The largest military conflict in Europe since World War II has begun. Inside Russia, this was accompanied by the introduction of strict measures of control over information. Independent media faced a ban on using the words “war” and “invasion.” Thousands of people took to the streets with anti-war slogans - about 15 thousand protesters were detained in the first weeks. Many public figures, journalists, and entrepreneurs left the country. The economic consequences became noticeable in the very first days: the ruble exchange rate collapsed to historical lows, Western countries imposed the largest sanctions in the entire history of Russia, and international companies began to leave the market en masse. A new economic reality began: imported goods disappeared and supply chains collapsed. February was a turning point that divided the modern history of Russia into “before” and “after,” creating a long-term political and social crisis.

Members of the board of the United Armenia organization, headed by one of the opposition leaders Vahan Kostanyan, at the initiative of Edvin Tamazyan, began collecting signatures in order to submit a collective complaint to the Ombudsman and draw the attention of all human rights organizations to the disproportionate actions of the police and the remaining unpunished cases of violence.

The day before, we met with Edvin Tamazyan and learned about the progress of collecting signatures. According to the politician, people are very willing to join the initiative. “Many people have recently been participating with even greater activity in rallies organized against the current authorities and their policies, and have high hopes that through a joint struggle we will be able to eliminate Nikol Pashinyan’s pack, which is why the number of people is growing every day,” Tamazyan assures. He intends, on behalf of his organization “United Armenia,” to submit an appeal with the collected signatures to the Ombudsman’s office and demand an adequate response to the actions of the police.

Let us recall that a few days ago, during a march initiated by the “Resistance” movement, which was joined by a number of opposition forces, including the “Armenia Bloc” and “United Armenia”, a clash once again occurred between demonstrators and the police. As a result of the actions of special police forces, 14 opposition activists with bodily injuries of varying severity are in hospital treatment, 36 people received first aid.

Let us note that, according to official data, about 2,000 members of the bloc were brought under arrest, and according to our data, their number exceeds 2,500. The leaders of the movement and the initiative group for collecting signatures intend to use all legal means to ensure that the actions of the police are given a proportionate legal assessment. “It is noteworthy that arrests using brute force and open violence against opposition representatives are widespread, which is directed by the authorities; they even openly threaten to open trumped-up criminal cases against us, with the goal of specifically silencing and suppressing all of us,” emphasizes Edvin Tamazyan.

According to the author of the initiative to collect signatures, he does not expect that justice will be achieved from the authorities who give orders to use violence and the law enforcement officers who blindly obey them. According to Tamazyan, before starting the initiative to collect signatures, he consulted with his lawyer Edgar Bademyan and came to an agreement that if all domestic authorities remained silent, then, with the assistance of Bademyan, their complaint would be sent to the ECHR.