The Dialog That Took Place
The establishment of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation was the result of a new type of dialog that began to take shape between society and the state in the 21st century.
The starting point of this process was the first All-Russian Civil Forum in 2001, when representatives of the state and the nonprofit sector gathered in the Kremlin to openly discuss the development of civil society for the very first time. It was then that the thesis was proclaimed: civil society in Russia not only exists but is also developing rapidly. Addressing the forum participants, President of Russia Vladimir Putin emphasized:
“I consider it utterly unproductive, in principle impossible, and even dangerous to attempt to create civil society ‘from above.’ It must become self-sufficient, possess its own grassroots foundation, and be nourished by the spirit of freedom.”
The next step was the idea of public oversight over the activities of state authorities. In particular, in his Address to the Federal Assembly on May 26, 2004, the President of Russia proposed gradually transferring functions that the state should not or cannot perform efficiently to the nongovernmental sector. The Head of State underscored the advisability of utilizing the experience accumulated by civic chambers in a number of Russian regions in providing independent expertise on the most important regulatory legal acts that directly affect the interests of citizens.
At a September 2004 meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation, the President of Russia outlined the necessity of establishing a unique institution. This body was envisioned to occupy a central place in the system of public oversight and serve as the principal platform for dialog between society and the state — the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation.
As early as December 2004, the draft law on the Civic Chamber was submitted to the State Duma, and in the spring of 2005, the corresponding law was adopted and signed. Rossiyskaya Gazeta wrote at the time that this was an example of a new state-public model being launched in a remarkably short time.
The first composition of the Civic Chamber proved to be vibrant and diverse: it included scientists, lawyers, journalists, entrepreneurs, cultural figures, and representatives of religious organizations of Russia’s traditional faiths. The world-renowned nuclear physicist and eminent public figure, Evgeny Velikhov, was elected as the President of the Civic Chamber. Skepticism about the Civic Chamber’s effectiveness was voiced immediately, yet within its very first year, it reviewed dozens of draft laws, provided expert opinions, and developed its initial proposals for the state.
Over two decades, this dialog has transformed into a stable practice. Today, the Civic Chamber represents not only an independent discussion platform but also a mechanism for harmonizing the interests of citizens and the state, an instrument for seeking solutions that strengthen public trust. It is through this practice of dialog and trust that the unique Russian model of civil society has been shaped, its history dating back to 2005. Evgeny Velikhov remained at the helm of the Civic Chamber until 2014 and served as its Honorary President until his passing in 2024.
In recognition of his service to the Civic Chamber, the Council Hall in the Civic Chamber building on Miusskaya Square in Moscow has been named in his honor.
Article 2. Objectives and Goals of the Civic Chamber
The Civic Chamber is established to ensure the harmonization of socially significant interests of citizens of the Russian Federation, public associations, state authorities, and local self-government bodies. This is done for the purpose of addressing the most important issues of economic and social development, ensuring national security, protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens of the Russian Federation, upholding the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, and promoting the democratic principles of civil society development in the Russian Federation, through the following means:
1) Involving citizens and public associations in the implementation of state policy;
2) Proposing and supporting civil initiatives of nationwide significance, aimed at realizing the constitutional rights, freedoms, and lawful interests of citizens, as well as the rights and interests of public associations;
3) Conducting public expert review (examination) of draft federal laws, draft laws of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as well as draft regulatory legal acts of executive authorities of the Russian Federation and draft legal acts of local self-government bodies;
4) Exercising public oversight (control) over the activities of the Government of the Russian Federation, federal executive authorities, executive authorities of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and local self-government bodies in accordance with this Federal Law;
5) Developing recommendations for state authorities of the Russian Federation in determining priorities for state support of public associations of citizens of the Russian Federation, whose activities are aimed at developing civil society in the Russian Federation;
6) Providing informational, methodological, and other support to civic chambers established in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
Article 2 of the Federal Law No. 32-FZ of April 4, 2005, "On the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation"