Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with residents following a visit outside Stavropol, Russia, March 5, 2024.
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In 2024 Election, Putin Poised to Surpass Stalin as Russia’s Longest-Serving Leader

Sasha Skochilenko faced imprisonment for altering supermarket price tags with anti-war slogans. Oleg Tarasov was incarcerated due to the name he chose for his Wi-Fi network. Aleksey Moskalyov found himself convicted for discrediting the Russian military because of a drawing his 13-year-old daughter created at school.

At 71, Vladimir Putin stands as Russia’s longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. He is expected to win the nation’s eighth presidential election, set for March 15-17, with a grand inauguration ceremony planned for May at the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Many anticipate Putin will secure another six-year term. This expectation stems from his use of state resources to suppress opposition, his investment in controlling Russia’s political landscape, and allegations of election rigging.

“This is not an election, it’s a selection,” claims Alena Popova, a human rights activist based in Moscow, criticizing Putin’s tight grip on the presidency.

Popova, who did not secure a seat in the 2021 parliamentary elections, centered her campaign on women’s rights and domestic violence. Authorities labeled her feminist views as “extremist” and deemed her a “foreign agent,” equating her to a spy or traitor.

Popova likens Russia’s presidential vote to Stalin’s sham elections, where outcomes were determined not by voters but by those counting the votes. “Putin has criminalized the expression of any alternative opinions,” she asserts.

Skochilenko, a 33-year-old artist from St. Petersburg, received a seven-year jail sentence for replacing supermarket labels with messages condemning Russian military actions in Ukraine. Tarasov, a 22-year-old college student, faced a 10-day prison sentence for naming his Wi-Fi network with a pro-Kyiv slogan.

Moskalyova’s school alerted the police after she drew a picture depicting missiles over a Russian flag aimed at a woman and child. Following a police investigation that uncovered her father’s critical social media posts about the Kremlin, he was sentenced to two years in prison, and his daughter was placed in an orphanage.

“While the war continues and the current president remains in power, freeing Skochilenko from prison seems unlikely,” says Sonya Subobina, Skochilenko’s partner. “However, I offer her emotional support, assuring her that we’ll overcome this together.”

Why does Putin bother holding a vote at all? In recent years, Russia has introduced numerous laws curtailing human rights, including freedom of speech and assembly. Putin has also made it illegal to refer to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a war. He amended the constitution in 2021, potentially allowing him to remain in power until at least 2036. Only a select few candidates, approved by the regime, are permitted to challenge him in this year’s election.

The candidates include Leonid Slutsky, a staunch nationalist from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia; Nikolai Kharitonov for the Communist Party; and Vladislav Davankov, representing the New People Party. None oppose the war in Ukraine, all are subject to Western sanctions, and none have committed to inviting independent observers to polling stations. They all support legislation against feminism and LGBT rights.

The mysterious deaths and injuries of Putin critics, including the recent death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, suggest the possibility of state-sponsored violence, though the Kremlin denies involvement.

Sam Greene, a professor of Russian politics, describes Russia’s election as a “ritual” to maintain unity and demonstrate Putin’s control. Marina Litvinenko, widow of a poisoned former Russian spy, believes Putin is convinced of his own narrative, despite the election’s lack of legitimacy.

Russia’s exiled opposition, now led by Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, urges Russians to vote en masse as a form of protest. However, any form of dissent is risky in Putin’s Russia, where thousands have been detained during anti-war protests.

Despite the challenges, opposition figures like Boris Vishnevsky and Lev Shlosberg continue to express their dissent, emphasizing the moral rather than political nature of their opposition. Elena Panfilova, founder of the Russia chapter of Transparency International, highlights the individual nature of opposition in Russia, distinct from the “clowns in power.”

Subobina, whose partner Skochilenko remains imprisoned, expresses skepticism about the election’s integrity and fears increased repression.