Viktoria Maladaeva is an Indigenous rights activist from the Republic of Buryatia in eastern Siberia, Russia. She has gained recognition for her efforts in advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples and her opposition to Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine.[1]
Early Life and Education
Maladaeva began her activism in her native Buryatia by contributing to her boarding school's newspaper, where she exposed various issues, including abuse by the teaching staff.[2] After moving to Saint Petersburg, she challenged societal norms by competing in the Mrs. St. Petersburg beauty pageant, defying the notion that only ethnically Russian women could participate. Her involvement in the pageant drew online harassment, fueled by her outspoken opposition to government policies.[2]
Activism
Free Buryatia Foundation
In response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Maladaeva co-founded the Free Buryatia Foundation, an advocacy group established to support conscientious objectors from Buryatia.[3] The foundation aimed to counteract the Kremlin's narrative that disproportionately involved non-Slavic Indigenous peoples in the conflict.[4] Maladaeva and her colleagues produced videos featuring Buryats speaking against the war, some of which garnered over a million views. They also provided legal assistance to those unwilling to fight, highlighting the systemic issues leading to the overrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the military.[2]
Indigenous of Russia
After leaving the Free Buryatia Foundation in 2023, Maladaeva founded Indigenous of Russia, a project aimed at fostering closer ties between Russia's Indigenous peoples and minorities.[5] Maladaeva is a vocal proponent of decolonization, advocating for Indigenous peoples of Russia to have more autonomy. She has criticized the Russian liberal opposition for not adequately addressing issues of racism and arrogance towards Indigenous activists.[2]
References
- ^ "Human rights defender's story: Victoria Maladaeva, from Russia". ISHR. 2024-11-05. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ^ a b c d Latypova, Leyla (2025-01-28). "Activist Viktoria Maladaeva Uplifts Russia's Indigenous Peoples With Power of Unity". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ^ "Our people have been forced to fight for Putin in Ukraine. Now we want to reclaim our identity". SBS News. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ^ ""It was clear to us that we would be made the front image of this war"". beda.media. 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ^ "Not Russians' 'little brother' anymore Russia's decolonial movement banks on interethnic solidarity in its fight against the Kremlin". Meduza. Retrieved 2025-01-31.