 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in Russian. (February 2013)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Fair Russia Справедливая Россия | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | SR |
| Chairman | Sergey Mironov |
| First Deputy Chairman | Alexander Babakov |
| Deputy Chairmen | Zakhar Prilepin Ruslan Tatarinov |
| State Duma faction leader | Sergey Mironov |
| Founders | Sergey Mironov Alexander Babakov Igor Zotov [ru] |
| Founded | 28 October 2006; 19 years ago (2006-10-28) |
| Merger of | |
| Headquarters | Moscow,Russia |
| Membership(2012) | 400,000[2] (claimed) |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre[19] tocentre-left[22] |
| National affiliation | All-Russia People's Front[23] National Patriotic Forces of Russia[24] |
| Continental affiliation | Forum of Socialists of the CIS Countries [ru] |
| International affiliation | Socialist International (2008–2022)[25][26][27] |
| Colours | Yellow Red |
| Federation Council | 1 / 178[28] |
| State Duma | 28 / 450 |
| Governors | 1 / 85 |
| Regional parliaments | 226 / 3,983 |
| Ministers | 0 / 31 |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
spravedlivo | |
A Just Russia (Russian:Справедливая Россия,romanized: Spravedlivaya Rossiya; abbr.SR[a]) is asocial conservative,[9]democratic socialist,[12] andsocial-democratic[3][25][29]political party in Russia. The party is considered to be part of the "systemic opposition" and is generally sympathetic to the agenda of incumbent presidentVladimir Putin, including his foreign policy.[30][31]
The party was formed on 28 October 2006 as a merger of the left-wing factions ofRodina, theRussian Party of Life and theRussian Pensioners' Party. Later, six further minor parties joined.[32][33] It then called for a "New Socialism of the 21st Century" which guarantees the rights and freedoms of the individual and ensures the proper functioning of awelfare state. In 2011,Nikolai Levichev was elected as party chairman, succeedingSergey Mironov who led the party between 2006 and 2011. On 27 October 2013, Mironov was re-elected as party chairman,[34] and again on 28 October 2018.[35] On 28 January 2021, the party merged with theFor Truth andPatriots of Russia parties.[36]
On 26 March 2006, the deputy head of the presidential administration,Vladislav Surkov, met withSergey Mironov, then the party leader of theParty of Life, and 30 deputies from the party, where Surkov formulated the idea of building a two-party system in the country, in which the Kremlin could rely on one of two parties, the other being the ruling party,United Russia. Surkov stated: "Society has no 'second leg' to step on when the first one is numb. In Russia, a second large party is needed". Surkov suggested that the role of the "main leg" would be left to United Russia for the near future. In the meeting, Surkov also noted that in the2003 legislative elections, United Russia received about 37% of the vote, which was about the same as the next three parties, theCommunist Party, theLiberal Democratic Party, andRodina, and said that ideally, the "second leg" should have the same level of electoral support as the three parties.[37][38][39] According to researcher Luke March, a second party of power would incentivize United Russia to perform well, or strong performance for A Just Russia would have "Putin's influence spread all over the political field", quoting political commentatorSergei Markov.[40][38]
A Just Russia formed on 28 October 2006 as a merger of three parties, namelyRodina, theRussian Party of Life and theRussian Pensioners' Party. Of these, the nationalist Rodina was the largest, having won 9% of the popular vote in the2003 Duma elections. At the time of the merger, Rodina had 37 seats in the Duma. The Party of Pensioners had gained 3% of the vote, failing to cross the 5% election threshold and also been weakened by infighting in its leadership. Thesocial-democratic Party of Life led bySergey Mironov was still relatively young and had won only one regional election.[32][41]
As the only party of the three with seats in the Duma, Rodina dominated the unification process. In simultaneous conventions held inMoscow on 26 August 2006, the Party of Life and the Party of Pensioners decided to join Rodina.[42] Two months later on 28 October 2006, the new party held its founding congress which decided to change the party's name to A Just Russia.[32] Mironov was elected the unified party's chairman while Rodina's former chairmanAlexander Babakov became the secretary of the central council presidium and the leader of the Party of PensionersIgor Zotov became secretary of the political council.[41][42] The next year, A Just Russia expanded further, absorbing three additional small parties in 2007, namely thePeople's Party,[43] theParty of Entrepreneurship Development and theParty of Constitutional Democrats.[32]
At the party's founding convention, chairman Sergey Mironov expressed support for the direction given to the country by PresidentVladimir Putin, claiming that "we will not allow anyone to veer from it after Putin leaves his post in 2008". At the same time, he harshly criticised Putin's partyUnited Russia and what Mironov called the largest party's "monopoly" of the nation's political, economic and administrative resources.[44] Mironov characterised A Just Russia as a new "leftist political force" and a "hard opposition",[45] saying that "if United Russia is the party of power, we will become the party of the people".[44]
The members of the political partySpravedlivaya Rossiya (A Just Russia) are people who have united in order to strengthen the Russian state in the interests of the people, and to create a just and equitable society in Russia. Such a society, which honours traditions, is proud of its history, and respects the elder generation, is constantly evolving and looks to the future with confidence.
— From the party manifesto published in the founding congress of 28 August 2006[46]
Shortly after its creation, A Just Russia participated in its first elections when the party's candidateViktor Tarkhov [ru] won the mayoral race inSamara. The March 2007 regional elections were dominated by United Russia, but A Just Russia also put up a strong performance. In particular, the new party won a majority in the regional parliament inStavropol Krai.[47]
The emergence of A Just Russia changed Russia's political landscape and demonstrated that the country's leadership had been split between two parties. United Russia supporters in the presidential administration grew wary of the challenge posed by A Just Russia, worrying that United Russia would lose its position as "the president's party". Before the2007 Duma elections, the Kremlin had withdrawn its support of A Just Russia and threw its weight entirely behind United Russia.[47]
In a press conference on 19 January 2007 dedicated to upcoming Duma elections, Secretary of the Central Party Council of A Just RussiaAlexander Babakov announced that the party had approximately 300,000 members.[48]
In May 2007, A Just Russia's chairmanSergey Mironov proposed a merger between his party and theCommunist Party of the Russian Federation in order to create a new unifiedsocialist party.[49]
In the run-up to the December2007 Duma elections, PresidentVladimir Putin – the country's most popular politician – explicitly and unequivocally endorsed theUnited Russia party and decided to head its national list. Putin's decision significantly changed the election campaign and resulted in a massive boost to United Russia's popularity. This represented a harsh blow to A Just Russia which also had hoped to ride on Putin's popularity.[50] Polls suggested the party could have difficulties crossing the 7% election threshold.[51]
A Just Russia appointed three persons to its national list, namely chairmanSergey Mironov;Svetlana Goryacheva (a former member of theCommunist Party of the Russian Federation); andSergey Shargunov, a 27-year-old fiction author.[52] In its regional lists, A Just Russia had 553 candidates, taking its total number of candidates to 556. This was more than the Communists (515), but less than United Russia (600).[53] Although originally positioned as acentre-left party, under Mironov's leadership A Just Russia campaigned as a socialist alternative to the Communists.[51]
In the end, A Just Russia received 5,383,639 votes (7.74%), becoming the fourth party to cross the 7% election threshold and enter the Duma after United Russia, the Communists and theLiberal Democratic Party of Russia. As a result, A Just Russia got 38 of the 450 seats (8.4%) in the Duma.[54] The party received its highest share of votes inAstrakhan (20%),Saint Petersburg (16%) andStavropol (13%). In Saint Petersburg, the hometown of chairman Mironov, A Just Russia became the second largest party. Mironov said he would not take up his seat in the Duma himself, but instead continue as the Chairman of theFederation Council.[51][55] A Just Russia's performance in the elections was a slight disappointment, especially since one of its predecessor parties,Rodina, had won 9% of the votes in the2003 elections.[51]
On 10 December 2007, A Just Russia was part of a coalition of parties which nominatedDmitry Medvedev as their candidate for the2008 presidential elections.[56]
On 25 April 2008, A Just Russia held its third annual congress, where the party expelled thousands of members who were not aware that they were members. The party's charter was amended at the congress to make mergers easier. The congress also disbanded the party'spolitburo and transferred its functions to the Central Council. Politburo's chairmanNikolai Levichev, who also heads A Just Russia's faction in theState Duma, was elected as the council's first secretary.
During its XXIII Congress On 30 June 2008, A Just Russia was accepted into theSocialist International, the worldwide organisation of social-democratic political parties.[32]
TheUnited Socialist Party of Russia and theRussian Ecological Party "The Greens" merged into the party in 2008.[32][57][58]
In the 2007–2011 State Duma, A Just Russia became a strong supporter of theMedvedev modernisation programme, endorsing PresidentDmitry Medvedev's view that Russia must move towards a diversifiedpost-industrial economy and democratisation of its political system. A Just Russia also advocated restoration of direct gubernatorial elections and lowering the Duma election threshold from 7% to 3%. A Just Russia voted against Prime MinisterVladimir Putin's anti-crisis plan in April 2009 and also voted against the governments budgets in 2010 and 2011. According to researcher Luke March, in the2007–2011 Duma A Just Russia clearly moved towards Medvedev. The party has declared absolute opposition to Putin's government while remaining supportive of Medvedev.[25]
On 2 February 2010, Mironov told talk show hostVladimir Pozner Jr. that "to say that we support Vladimir Putin in everything and personally is already outdated information", noting that the party "categorically opposed" Putin's budget.[59] A scandal broke out with the ruling party, leading to A Just Russia and United Russia to sign a political agreement to jointly support Putin and Medvedev on certain strategic issues and agreeing to discuss disagreements between them.[25][60] However, A Just Russia withdrew from the agreement a month later, with Mironov accusing United Russia of violating the agreement.[61][60]
In March 2011, Mironov stated that the party would not support United Russia's candidate for the next presidential election, and that it would decide on its nomination later in the autumn.[62] At the party congress on 16 April 2011,Nikolai Levichev was elected party leader after Mironov was removed from the position. In May 2011, Mironov was removed from his position ofChairman of the Federation Council.[60]
In August 2011, the party published its manifesto, announcing its transition to full opposition to the authorities.[63]
In the2011 legislative elections, the party received 13% of the vote, extending its number of seats to 64.[64]
Following reports ofelectoral fraud at the election, party members joined inpost-election protests against the results.[39][60]Gennady Gudkov, a party heavyweight and deputy, was prominent at the demonstrations.[65][66] Senior party members took part in demonstrations atBolotnaya Square on 10 December, among them Gudkov andOksana Dmitriyeva.[64]
Mironov was nominated as the party's candidate for the2012 presidential election. Mironov stated that he would "enter the race not to participate, but to win", and also promised to nominateOksana Dmitriyeva as prime minister if elected.[64] Mironov called for a return to asocialist model of government. While he stated that he predicted a Putin victory, he declared that he would supportGennady Zyuganov in a hypothetical runoff against Putin.[67] According to election results, Mironov came in last place, with 3.85% of the vote.
On 22 May 2012, during a State Duma session where a bill was being considered to increase fines for those who violated protest laws, Mironov wore awhite ribbon, a symbol that was being used by the anti-Kremlin opposition inprotests against Putin's re-election, and the party remained silent in the discussion of the bill as a sign of protest. Mironov stated that the party "fundamentally disagrees with the content of the bill".[68]
On 27 October 2012, Mironov called on members to stop wearing the white ribbon, the day after a United Russia deputy,Aleksandr Sidyakin, branded deputies who wore it as "traitors" and stomped on a white ribbon. Mironov urged members to distance themselves from the opposition, claiming that the rallies turned into a "political sect". He also threatened to expelIlya Ponomaryov and Gudkov from the party for joining the opposition'sCoordination Council. Ponomaryov and Gudkov were also among the deputies who were branded as traitors by Sidyakin.[69] From 2012, members of the party who actively took part in protests left or were expelled from the party, including Gudkov and Ponomaryov. Dmitriyeva also distanced herself from the party.[60]
In October 2013, Mironov was elected as party leader and in 2014, A Just Russia, along with United Russia, the Communist Party, and the Liberal Democratic Party, supported Putin's foreign policy following theAnnexation of Crimea, and much of his domestic policy.[60]
In the2016 legislative elections, A Just Russia received 6% of the vote, losing most of its seats and retaining only 23 seats.[70]
In December 2017, Mironov outlined the party's new tasks, choosing not to participate in the2018 presidential election due to his unwillingness to fight "for second place". Instead, the party would endorse Putin and work to limit the influence of United Russia on the agenda of Putin. Mironov stated that A Just Russia was, is, and will be in opposition to United Russia, but that it could not be "in opposition to Russia herself". Mironov also proposed "to honestly tell voters" that there was no "worthy alternative" to Putin.RBC reported that, according to sources close to the party's leadership, Mironov's unwillingness to participate in the election was due to fatigue and financial difficulties.[71]
Ahead of the2021 legislative elections, A Just Russia merged with the partiesPatriots of Russia andFor Truth in January 2021, forming A Just Russia – Patriots – For Truth.[72][73][74][75] Mironov remained party leader, and according to their unification manifesto, the party would run on "12 principles of truth, patriotism and justice", including "strengthening the role of the state in the economy, developing a progressive taxation scale, toughening punishments for corruption, increasing the minimum wage, pensions and social benefits, phasing out of the high school state exams and budget decentralization". The party also reportedly planned to come in second place in the election, after United Russia, but eventually came third, after United Russia and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.[72]
In February 2022, the party voted in favour of the recognition of theDonetsk People's Republic and theLuhansk People's Republic by theRussian Federation and later it supported the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a result of these announcements, A Just Russia – For Truth was expelled from theSocialist International in March 2022.[76]
In July 2022, the leader of theCommunist Party of the Russian Federation,Gennady Zyuganov proposed a merging with A Just Russia – For Truth, but only if that party adopted the Communist programme.[77] The day before, the leader of the A Just RussiaSergey Mironov said that he "does not see any obstacles to the creation in Russia of a large coalition of left-wing patriotic forces".[78]
At its annual congress on 25 October 2025, A Just Russia – For Truth reverted to its pre-2021 name, A Just Russia. One of the reasons for the return was the de facto retreat of the former leaders ofPatriots of Russia andFor Truth from the party's leadership in recent years:Gennady Semigin resigned in 2024, andZakhar Prilepin barely participated in the party leadership. Furthermore, Mironov stated that the acronym SRPZP offended him, "while everyone knows A Just Russia." The position of co-chairs, created in 2021 for Semigin and Prilepin, was abolished, as well as Semigin's and Prilepin's positions of Chairman of the Central Council and Secretary of the Chamber of Deputies. In their place, the positions of first deputy chairman of the party were created, withAlexander Babakov appointed, and two ordinary deputy chairmen, withRuslan Tatarinov andZakhar Prilepin appointed. Sergei Mironov was unanimously re-elected chairman.[79][80]
In 2012, the party claimed to have 400,000 members and claimed to be the largestleft-wing party in Russia.[81] It has regional branches in allfederal subjects of Russia.[82]
A Just Russia calls for the creation of awelfare state with lesseconomic inequality, but protecting individualproperty rights and maintaining amarket economy. Under the leadership ofSergey Mironov, the party has presented itself as a socialist alternative to theCommunist Party of the Russian Federation,[51] and describes its ideology as "New Socialism of the 21st century". In the party platform, this "New Socialism" is defined as the antithesis of "barbarous, oligarchic capitalism". It represents a moreindividualist orliberal socialism.[33][42] It is described as social democratic and democratic socialist.[12]
Improving the socio-economic position of the average Russian is the party's primary aim. It wishes to replace Russia's 13%flat-rate income tax withprogressive taxation and demands that spending on employment programmes is increased to 1% of GDP.[33][42] In the State Duma, the party emphasises its role as "constructive opposition" that opposes high-level corruption and supports further democratisation of the political system. In the2007–2011 Duma, A Just Russia declared absolute opposition to Prime MinisterVladimir Putin's government, voting against the government's budgets in 2010 and 2011 while remaining strongly supportive of PresidentDmitry Medvedev and hismodernisation programme.[25] Despite such positions, A Just Russia endorsed Putin in the2018 Russian presidential election.[83]
In Russia's international relations, A Just Russia proposes moving away from theWestern sphere and strengthening relations between theformer Soviet states.[84] The party opposes so-called "western" ideas such asLGBT rights.[85][86]
Two of its deputies,Gennady Nosovko andDmitry Gorovtchov,[87] have on multiple occasions, at least in 2014,[88][89] 2015,[90] if not in 2012 and 2018 and 2022,[91] proposed a bill that would unfetter mercenaries, who would be able "to provide armed escort of ships; train security forces; assist with mine clearing, protection of officials and facilities; take part in alternative settlement of armed conflicts" and more besides according to the 2014 bill, which would put them under the supervision of theFederal Security Service.[89]
| No. | Portrait | Chairmen | Took office | Left office | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg) | Sergey Mironov (b. 1953) | 28 October 2006 | 16 April 2011 | |||||
| 2 | .jpg) | Nikolai Levichev (b. 1953) | 16 April 2011 | 27 October 2013 | |||||
| 3 | .jpg) | Sergey Mironov (b. 1953) | 27 October 2013 | Incumbent | Co–chairmen | ||||
| No. | Portrait | Co–Chairman | Took office | Left office | |||||
| 1 | .jpg) | Zakhar Prilepin (b. 1975) | 22 February 2021 | 25 October 2025 | |||||
| 2 | .jpg) | Gennady Semigin (b. 1964) | 26 October 2024 | ||||||
A Just Russia used to be a full member of theSocialist International, but on 7 March 2022 the party was expelled for its support of theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[27]
It also maintains friendly relations withLatin American left-wing political parties. A Just Russia repeatedly sent greetings to annual meetings ofSão Paulo Forum.[92][93]
| Election | Candidate | First round | Second round | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
| 2008 | EndorsedDmitry Medvedev | 52,530,712 | 70.3 | N/a | Won | |
| 2012 | Sergey Mironov | 2,763,935 | 3.9 | N/a | Lost | |
| 2018 | EndorsedVladimir Putin | 56,430,712 | 76.7 | N/a | Won | |
| 2024 | EndorsedVladimir Putin | 76,277,708 | 88.48 | N/a | Won | |
| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Rank | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sergey Mironov | 5,383,639 | 7.7 | 38 / 450 | 4th | Support | |
| 2011 | Nikolai Levichev | 8,695,522 | 13.2 | 64 / 450 |  26 | 3rd | Opposition |
| 2016 | Sergey Mironov | 3,275,053 | 6.2 | 23 / 450 |  41 | 4th | Opposition(2016–2020) |
| Support(2020–2021) | |||||||
| 2021 | 4,201,715 | 7.5 | 27 / 450 | 4 |  4th | Support |
The following parties have merged into A Just Russia. The dates in brackets show when the merger took place and when it ended.
Despite being an independent candidate, the 71-year-old Moscow native is supported by the conservative "United Russia" (YR) and the social-democratic "A Just Russia – For Truth" (SRZP) in the State Duma, often abbreviated to Gosduma in Russian.
A year later he tried his luck with A Just Russia — For Truth, a socially conservative, social-democratic party, and was elected to the Dolgoprudny town council.
A Just Russia is a leftist social democratic party and plays its role as an alternative to United Russia, Communist Party or Liberal Democratic Party of Russia.
A Just Russia party was founded in 2006 with the merger of the three left-wing parties Russian Party of Life, Party of Pensioners, and Rodina. The political position of the party is center-left with the ideology as social democracy, and democratic socialism.
A Just Russia – For Truth (SRZP) is another big political party, conservative in social issues and left-leaning in economic policies.
Spravedlivaya Rossiya (A Just Russia) – social democracy, democratic socialism
First is the fact that Russia's typically fractious opposition parties were able to rally 'round Urlashov's candidacy: the Communists, the liberal Yabloko party and centrist A Just Russia all supported Urlashov.
Of the four parties represented in the State Duma, two are centrist (United Russia and A Just Russia). The second-strongest party after United Russia, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, is a traditional left party.
For example, serious attempts were made to create a stable two-party system that consisted of the center-right United Russia and the center-left A Just Russia party coalition.
"Фракция "СПРАВЕДЛИВАЯ РОССИЯ – ЗА ПРАВДУ" поддерживает во втором чтении законопроект о введении запрета пропаганды ЛГБТ
Rusia Justa to the participants and organizers of the São Paulo Forum Dear Comrades, Fellow-Thinkers and Friends, On behalf of Political Party A Just Russia and on my own behalf, I extend sincere congratulations on the 23rd meeting of the São Paulo Forum. The delegation of Party A Just Russia has participated a number of times in the meetings of this largest authoritative association of left forces of the Western Hemisphere, and first of all, of the Latin American countries. Being your fellow-thinkers, we are proud to actively further socialist ideas and values in Russia, our Motherland. The historical decision made by the left parties of Latin America in Sao Paulo, the metropolis of South America, in 1990, is highly significant as the parties decided to create their own continental association in response to the collapse of the communist administrative-command system and a concurrent crisis of global social democracy, thereby giving a new impulse for development to modern socialist movement. At present, the São Paulo Forum is a unique example of a union of different left forces across borders. The union makes it possible for them to coordinate their actions to protect the social gains of the Peoples of Latin America. I would like to express confidence that the current meeting of the Forum in Nicaragua, on the proud land of Sandino, will be fruitful, and it will elaborate the decisions required in the present complicated situation, the ones so important for the parties of the countries of the Forum participants. Dear friends, I wish you every success in your work. With fraternal greetings,Sergei Mironov Chairman of the Political Party A Just Russia
Partido Rusia Justa Dear colleagues, Unfortunately Mr. Alexander Romanovich, Secretary of the Presidium of the Party Central Council on International Affairs, Vice-President of the Socialist International has no chance to take part in the 25th meeting of the Sao Paulo Forum due to his involvement in the electoral campaign as the deputy candidate to the Moscow City Duma. He really sorry that he will not join the meeting in Caracas because he will have to participate in important activities in Moscow at that period. We wish you every success. With fraternally greetings,International Department, Political party A Just Russia
Media related toA Just Russia at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
