Boris Nadezhdin is running against Putin in the Russian presidential election

Correspondent in Moscow

The queue stretches for more than a hundred meters along the small Formany Street in the north-east of Moscow. In particular, young people waiting under the snow to sign for Boris Nadezhdin, who is running for the Russian presidential election next March. The 60-year-old former liberal Duma deputy recently appeared on the media landscape with an openly anti-Putin speech, advocating for peace and the release of prisoners in Ukraine. A position that stands out in the dull and boring concerto of Russian politics, where opinion is often considered “indifferent” and such publicly expressed criticism can land you straight in jail.

Eleven candidates, including Vladimir Putin, who has already been re-elected for a fifth term, are in the running for the March 15-17 ballot, more or less within Kremlin purview. Nevertheless, crowds flock to many cities to support Boris Nadezhdin's candidacy.