The Post-Soviet Left Union (PSL) is a young organization of left-wing internationalists in Europe. Over the past six months, we have continued to grow steadily, broadening our base of supporters and engaging an ever-increasing number of people in political action. We have organized a variety of projects and events, strengthening our position and significantly expanding our influence. Below is a summary of the main highlights.

Public Demonstrations

Over this period, we organized several successful demonstrations that were vital in raising awareness of our mission and ideas. These actions attracted new supporters and served as an important milestone in our organization’s development.

In May, we took a prominent public step by forming a Russian-speaking contingent for Cologne’s May Day parade. Soon after, we participated in a large protest in Essen opposing the AfD congress, which resulted in the establishment of valuable new contacts.

Throughout the fall, we repeatedly presented our left-wing internationalist agenda. In October, our comrades staged a picket in Paris to demand that North Korean soldiers not become involved in the conflict with Ukraine. In November, we joined a protest organized by Russian liberals in Berlin, bringing our own viewpoint. That same day, we co-organized a rally against the abuses of Ukrainian Territorial Recruitment Centers.

With the support of engaged citizens, we held four more demonstrations in Cologne, Paris, and Berlin in solidarity with Ukrainian draft evaders and Russian deserters in late December. The largest rally took place in Cologne, drawing several dozen participants, including representatives of human rights, antimilitarist, and anti-war initiatives. These actions highlighted our solidarity with those striving for peace and safeguarding their rights despite repression and armed conflict.

Fighting for Workers’ Rights

Our activists established the “Migrant Collective,” a project to defend labor rights for people from the post-Soviet region. Within two months, the group had already resolved several specific labor and social cases in Germany.  

Following a project presentation in Hamburg, a new working group was formed to further protect migrants’ rights in that city.

In Paris, our activists actively supported a strike by Russian and Ukrainian tour guides at Orange Bikes. We endorsed their demands for fair working conditions, equitable pay, and workers’ rights, joining them at rallies and offering other forms of support. This strike proved that Russian and Ukrainian workers can unite for their common rights despite external attempts to set them against each other. It was an important breakthrough for us in supporting migrant workers from post-Soviet countries throughout the EU—and we believe it is only the beginning.

Broad Collaboration

Our organization highly values partnerships with other leftist groups worldwide. We took part in multiple international forums to discuss the political climate in Russia and Ukraine, including Founding Congress of the Communist Party (August, Westphalia, Germany) and International Camp of the Workers’ Party (September, near Paris). At both events, our activists raised awareness of the left-wing political prisoners in Russia and Ukraine, describing the broader challenges that left-wing movements face in these countries.

Additionally, our organization served as a principal organizer for the Left Emigration Forum in Cologne in early November. More than 70 participants from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other post-Soviet states attended. The forum marked a major step forward in building a left-wing internationalist movement among emigrants from post-Soviet nations. Together, we explored a range of practical issues and formed new connections, culminating in the “Peace from Below” coalition, which includes allies from Russia, Central Asia, and beyond.  

Political Prisoners

Our activists established a support group for Pasha Vladimirov, a detained leftist activist in Kazakhstan, in partnership with local leftist organizations. We have worked to draw attention to his case, calling for his release and advocating on behalf of political prisoners. This effort demonstrates our ongoing commitment to solidarity and the defense of activists’ rights across the post-Soviet world.

We also issued three print runs of a brochure on Russian political prisoners. Its primary goal is to show skeptical European leftists that the Putin regime cannot be a real alternative to the Western order—true alternatives can only arise from our own movements. Published in Russian, French, German, and Italian, the brochure was warmly received by several political prisoners themselves.  

Looking ahead, we plan to continue expanding these efforts, including producing new, more in-depth brochures. We also aim to highlight left-wing political prisoners in Belarus and Ukraine.

Our Future Plans

We will continue to expand by establishing a broad, decentralized network of local groups across Europe. We remain committed to opposing our regimes here and now, involving more people and resources to organize effective resistance. We aim to offer ever-greater support to our comrades—both in Europe and in our home countries—by forming mutual aid committees, union initiatives, and human rights organizations.

To realize these goals, we welcome individuals with organizational skills who can help bolster existing projects and launch new ones. We also need specialists such as designers for agitprop materials, video editors, scriptwriters, authors, IT experts, and professionals well-versed in EU labor law, among many others. The struggle for socialism and democracy needs you more than ever—join us and let’s achieve together far more together than we have done so far!