海角大神

Arkhangelsk, a Russian region almost as big as France that borders the White Sea, is a land of permafrost and marshy tundra, with stunted Arctic forest, rolling hills, and labyrinthine lakes and rivers. It鈥檚 been inhabited by Russians for almost a thousand years; Indigenous peoples, some related to Finnish Laplanders, have been there much longer.

People here are very conscious of history. Much of it revolves around their fragile Arctic habitat and the need to preserve it.

About two years ago, mass popular protest forced Moscow authorities to abandon plans to build a giant waste dump near the village of Shiyes in this Arctic region that had been intended to receive 2 million tons annually of the garbage overflowing from heavy-consuming Moscow. The success of that 鈥淪top Shiyes鈥� struggle launched a lasting ecological movement and ushered in the election of a more environment-friendly local leadership. It also planted surprisingly divergent ideas in some peoples鈥� minds about how to take that newfound consciousness and turn it toward a permanent transformation in the ways people relate to the environment around them, utilize its resources, and manage the consequences.

For Oleg Mandrykin, a local real estate developer from the closed naval shipyard city of Severodvinsk, it served as inspiration to try and get into national politics in order to raise ecological awareness in Moscow. Anastasia Trofimova, an Arkhangelsk doctor, went a different direction, eschewing politics for what she regards as the more influential realm of business. And Alexandra Usacheva heads Clean North, a group that interfaces between the public and local authorities to promote ecological education.

鈥淭he 鈥楽top Shiyes鈥� campaign changed the popular mentality in this region,鈥� says Ms. Usacheva. 鈥淎ll that attention made people think about the future. And some became really inspired to do something more.鈥�

鈥淭his victory will not last until we secure it鈥�

Mr. Mandrykin, who was prominent in the anti-landfill protests, believes that until ecological awareness comes to the giant garbage-generating centers like Moscow, the threat to despoil other regions is unlikely to abate. With support from local environmental groups, he is standing as a candidate for the State Duma, in nationwide elections slated for Sept. 19.

In Russia, it鈥檚 almost impossible for an independent candidate聽鈥� even one who鈥檚 emerged from a popular movement聽鈥� to get on the ballot. So, Mr. Mandrykin has accepted the nomination of the liberal Yabloko party, one of a handful of 鈥渟ystemic鈥� political parties: those with elected representatives in Russian legislatures, which have the right to field candidates without going through a punishing list of requirements needed to get registered. (Other such parties include the Communists, the nationalist Liberal Democrats, the social democratic Fair Russia party, and of course, the ruling United Russia party.)

Mr. Mandrykin says this limited political system has not served the residents of Arkhangelsk very well because the 鈥渟ystemic鈥� parties tend to get co-opted by big business and Kremlin political interests, which exercise power on almost every level. Opinion polls suggest that he has a fighting chance to win on the back of his environmental activism and general fatigue with economic conditions in the region. He insists that if he makes it into the Duma, he鈥檚 going to find the ways to shake things up.

鈥淭here are six existing deputies from this region, not one of whom has ever said a word in support of our movement,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here need to be people in the Duma who come from the roots, and really speak for the majority of voters. After the success of 鈥楽top Shiyes,鈥� we realized that this victory will not last until we secure it with political representation in Moscow.鈥�

The Moscow government has pulled back from its plans to offload the city鈥檚 oceans of waste into landfills in far-flung places after popular protests in several regions, the biggest of which was in Arkhangelsk. But despite implementing a plan last year that requires garbage to be sorted into two categories聽鈥� organic and recyclables 鈥� experts say it isn鈥檛 taking hold and, in any case, isn鈥檛 enough to solve the immense problem. Much of Moscow鈥檚 waste still goes into overloaded landfills near the city, such as one at Mikhali in the Kaluga region that receives 3,000 tons of garbage per day.

鈥淲e are convinced that garbage reform needs to be based not on creating more mega-dumps, but on comprehensive principles of recycling,鈥� says Mr. Mandrykin. 鈥淲e hear talk of plans. And something is being done. But I think the push has to come from below. People need to be involved. That鈥檚 why I am going into politics. It鈥檚 not just about garbage, it鈥檚 about making this system work for people. We鈥檝e seen that the authorities will listen when thousands of people protest, but we need to translate that into real and permanent political power.鈥�

The Green Point

Dr. Trofimova, who also took part in the 鈥淪top Shiyes鈥� movement, was enthused by the victory and decided that more needed to done. She and a few friends put their resources together, appealed to local producers and artisans for ideas, and started a shop to sell only natural or recycled products.

Now, a couple of years later, they have more than 700 items for sale, ranging from all-natural cosmetics issued from dispensers聽鈥� to avoid plastic packaging聽鈥� to recycled paper products, pens made from discarded toothbrushes, real soap, bags and facecloths made from old clothing, and lots of locally sourced art and handicrafts.

鈥淥ur main method of advertising is through social media. But when we launched, we were almost overwhelmed by the response,鈥� she says. 鈥淔or Arkhangelsk, it was a huge sensation.鈥�

The shop, called The Green Point, is supported by environmental groups and nongovernmental organizations, and many of the workers who manufacture its goods are disabled or underemployed local people.

鈥淲e wanted to create something that is socially educational, that plays a role in changing consumption patterns and infusing ecological consciousness into daily life,鈥� Dr. Trofimova says. 鈥淥f course we wanted it to be commercially successful, and it has been to some extent. But it has to be sustainable, tapping into and developing local sources, and involving local people as more than just customers.

鈥淲e鈥檝e learned a lot, especially about marketing. You have to reach people with the right messaging, or it just won鈥檛 work. As a small entrepreneur I am hoping that, if it works here, we can expand to other parts of Russia.鈥�

A mixed reception

Different paths to ecological activism appear to be greeted by local officialdom in contrasting ways.

Mr. Mandrykin, the Duma candidate, reports that he faces constant hostility from the authorities. He claims that his attempts to buy billboard space or advertise in local newspapers are always mysteriously thwarted. Aside from the very limited TV time allotted to each registered candidate, he says, 鈥渁ll we have is the internet; we get a lot of buzz on social media.鈥�

Dr. Trofimova, the entrepreneur, says that 鈥渓ocal officials don鈥檛 help us at all, but they don鈥檛 get in our way either.鈥�

But Ms. Usacheva, head of the Clean North ecological group, says that her requests to authorities for access to schools to give environmental lessons, or appeals for help in organizing cleanup campaigns, are like pushing on an open door.

鈥淥ur authorities want to be helpful. They want to be seen to be associated with good ecological values,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not political. I don鈥檛 even want to go into politics. In our time and place, there are more effective ways to promote the environmental principles that I believe in. Educate the youth today, and we will win tomorrow.鈥�