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It is essential for the Russian leadership to maintain control of organizations of civil society, especially of NGOs that could influence public opinion. This policy has been radicalized to the point that certain emblematic associations have been closed down, often with violence. This was the case for the NGO Memorial, whose mission was to defend human rights and preserve the memory of victims of the Soviet and Russian regimes.However, thousands of NGOs remain active in Russian society. To get around legal restrictions, many have changed or given up this status, to the point of no longer claiming to be NGOs! It is difficult to predict the future and the impact of the actions of these organizations, which are beyond the government’s surveillance and often act very locally and discreetly, in a climate of disinformation and social control.