Perception and Interpretation of Civil Protests: An Analysis of Narratives of Youth of St. Petersburg not Participating in them

This work is devoted to the study of the perception and attitude of St. Petersburg youth to the political protests that took place in Russia over the past two years in 2018-2019. The material deals with young people who did not take part in rallies during the specified period over the past two years. The analysis of 15 interviews was carried out with the use of qualitative methods among the youth of St. Petersburg, who receive or have received higher education and identify themselves as people who are interested in politics. Based on the obtained data, channels for including young people on the political agenda, the resources through which they receive the main political news were identified. This work highlights how the rallies are interpreted by young people, what attitude is supported by those who attended the rallies in 2018 and 2019. The paper suggests reasons for youth not participating in rallies and what is their willingness to participate in the future. This study closes the gap in the study of political protests through the eyes of young people who did not participate in them, which is relevant in the face of increased protest activity by young people in the country in recent years.