Open Russia
| Открытая Россия | |
| Formation | January 2001; relaunched September 2014 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Mikhail Khodorkovsky |
| Headquarters | Moscow, Russia |
| Location |
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| Website | openrussia |
Open Russia is a name shared by two initiatives advocating democracy and human rights in Russia founded by former businessman and democracy activist Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The first initiative took the form of a foundation whose stated purpose was to build and strengthen civil society in Russia. It was established in 2001 by Khodorkovsky in concert with the shareholders of his firm, Yukos, and was closed in 2006. Khodorkovsky relaunched Open Russia in September 2014 as a nationwide community platform.
This first incarnation of Open Russia has been described by The Guardian as a charitable organization. Its board included Henry Kissinger and Lord Jacob Rothschild. According to the Moscow Times, the earlier incarnation of Open Russia funded “many philanthropic projects, including educational projects for young people, the Federation of Internet Education, the Club of Regional Journalism and projects of human rights NGOs.”
After Khodorkovsky's arrest in 2003, his deputy Leonid Nevzlin took over Open Russia. He was succeeded by Nikolay Bychkov.
By 2005, Open Russia had 23 regional affiliates. On February 24, 2005, Russia’s Federal Tax Service initiated an inspection of Open Russia, its third such probe in 12 months, which in the opinion of Open Russia was meant "to sully the only structure left in the hands of Mikhail Khodorkovsky.” The first incarnation of Open Russia closed in 2006 when Russian authorities froze its bank accounts.
Open Russia was re-launched on September 20, 2014, as “a nationwide community platform designed to bring together all Russians interested in creating a better life for themselves and their children” during videoconference supporting marches against Putin's policies, with nearly all of the regional locations experiencing Internet connection problems just moments before the conference, sabotage and storming the halls”
The online relaunch ceremony was attended by prominent Russian activists and emigrés, including Sergei Guriyev and Yevgeny Chichvarkin.
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