Altai authorities were aware of the growing protest against municipal reform, but were unable to stop it.

Altai activist Pavel Pastukhov опубликовал a letter signed by the head of the Ust-Koksinsky district Olga Abrosimova, which is dated May 28, 2025.

Judging by the content, two weeks before the start of mass protests against municipal reform, the official informed the heads of district FSB and police departments that "the activities of opposition-minded activists had intensified," "aimed at destabilizing the socio-political, interethnic, and interfaith situation in the region."

"In the near future, these individuals plan to hold unauthorized public events to collect signatures for the resignation of the Head of the Altai Republic and members of the State Assembly.",” Abrosimova clarified.

She cited the upcoming changes to the law on the elimination of the two-tier system of local government as the main reason for the protest.

The official also demanded that heads of rural communities inform residents about administrative and criminal penalties for participating in unauthorized public events. She also drew attention to fines ranging from 10 to one million rubles, arrests of up to 15 days, and imprisonment for up to five years for repeated participation in unauthorized rallies.

Despite this, on June 12, a group of residents blocked the highway on the Chike-Taman pass, and then throughout the republic began to appear posters demanding the resignation of the head Andrey Turchak and the cancellation of municipal reform. On June 21, a protest rally was held in Gorno-Altaisk out about four thousand people.

On June 24, the deputies of the State Assembly of the Republic still accepted the law on the liquidation of the two-tier system of local government (even some representatives of United Russia spoke out against it).

About how the republic, which disagrees with the reform, is currently living, and how the government is pretending that there are no protests, told our colleagues from "Regional Aspect".