Olga Misik

Olga Misik
Ольга Мисик
Misik in 2024
Born (2002-01-17) January 17, 2002
Voskresensk, Moscow Oblast, Russia

Olga Misik (Russian: Ольга Мисик; born January 17, 2002) is a Russian political activist. Misik garnered international attention for reading the constitution of Russia to riot police in the 2019 Moscow protests.

Early life

Olga Misik was born on January 17, 2002, in Voskresensk, Moscow Oblast, Russia.[1]

Activism

Misik became politically active in 2018, when she learned about a proposal to raise the retirement ages in Russia.[2]

After the 2019 Moscow City Duma election in which several independent candidates were arrested, large pro-democracy protests formed to demand fair and transparent elections in the city. At age seventeen, Misik joined the protest, at which she read aloud several sections of the Constitution of Russia at a demonstration in front of the riot police.[2][3] Photos of her reading went viral, with international outlets dubbing her "the girl with the constitution"[4] or comparing her to Tank Man.[2][5] Linda Colley cites Misik's protest as an example of how constitutions can legitimate pro-democracy protests.[6][7]

In 2021 Misik was found guilty of vandalism and sentenced to two years, two months of home confinement.[4][8] During the trial, Misik compared her trial to Sophie Scholl and modern Russia to Nazi Germany.[9]

In November 2022, Misik was added to the federal wanted list by Russian authorities.[10] In April 2023, after the murder of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, she tweeted "Oh no, what a nightmare, they killed another scumbag and criminal".[10] Russian law enforcement labelled this "justifying terrorism" and searched Misik's registered apartment in October 2023.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Olga Misik Ольга Мисик (2002)". www.memoryofnations.eu. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  2. 1 2 3 "Olga Misik: Russia's 'Tiananmen teen' protester on front line". BBC News. Retrieved 2026-06-04.
  3. ↑ Brown, Hayes (2019-08-02). "This Teen Read The Russian Constitution To Riot Police Before Being Detained". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2026-06-04.
  4. 1 2 "Russian court rules to curb freedom of teen political activist". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2026-06-04.
  5. ↑ Drury, Colin (2019-08-01). "Olga Misik: Teenage girl reads constitution in front of Putin's riot police during Moscow protests". The Independent. Retrieved 2026-06-04.
  6. ↑ Colley, Linda (2021). The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen: Warfare, Constitutions, and the Making of the Modern World. Liveright. ISBN 9781631498350.
  7. ↑ Szalai, Jennifer (August 31, 2024). "The Constitution is Sacred. Is It Also Dangerous?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 31, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Young Activists Given Parole-Like Sentences In Moscow". Radio Free Europe. May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Russia Sentences Teen Activist Who Defied Riot Police With Constitution Reading". The Moscow Times. 2021-05-11. Retrieved 2026-06-04.
  10. 1 2 3 "Russian authorities search home of activist Olga Misik in connection with new charges over tweet about pro-war blogger's murder — Meduza". Meduza. Retrieved 2026-06-04.
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