In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, Ilya Ponomarev, leader of the Congress of People’s Deputies and a key figure in the Russian opposition, revealed plans for a revolution aimed at ousting Vladimir Putin’s regime.
Ponomarev, who served as a member of the Russian State Duma from 2007 to 2016, has been a vocal critic of Putin’s policies, notably opposing the controversial Russian gay propaganda law and the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
In their quest for democracy, Ponomarev and the opposition are considering a referendum on a new Constitution that could pave the way for separatist regions to break away from Moscow’s federal direction and become independent states outside of Russia as it stands in 2024.
Express.co.uk has compiled a map reflecting potential changes in Russia’s territorial boundaries based on Ponomarev’s statements. The map includes regions such as Tuva, Chechnya, Tatarstan, Ural Republic, North Caucasus, Karelia, Kaliningrad Oblast, Kuban, and Siberia, among others, expressing a desire for independence.
While Ponomarev mentioned Chechnya specifically, he acknowledged that “several” other regions might also decide to split from Russia. We have visualised the possible outcome of such a scenario, taking into account regions with historical inclinations towards separatism.
Separatism in Russia has seen surges, especially in the 1990s and early 2000s, and has gained renewed attention after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The primary causes of separatism include nationalism, economic dependencies, and geographic isolation. It is worth noting that the promotion of separatism is illegal in Russia. As the opposition explores these transformative measures, the future of Russia’s political landscape remains uncertain, with potential shifts in regional autonomy and the geopolitical map looming on the horizon.
“We have already decided and voted on the transitional Constitution,” Ponomarev said, describing a temporary patch to the existing one to guide Russia through the transition period.
He continued: “The main idea is that we start from local elections, unleashing the potential of popular self-governance, allowing people to feel the power to influence their lives and decisions around them in the first six months after the regime change.”
“The second step would be the passing of the new full-scale Constitution,” he added, outlining a year-long process involving popular discussions and crowdsourcing among citizens across regions.
Ponomarev emphasised that this process would include a crucial decision for each individual region on whether to stay within the country or participate in the creation of a new independent state.
“We think that there will be several, not many, but for example, Chechnya may decide that they want to be separate because they have already been fighting for it,” Ponomarev noted. He clarified that the decision would be for the people to make, with a public referendum on the new Constitution determining the future status of each region.
