This sort of silliness happens a lot. Good for Russian bloggers and photoshoppers for publicizing it and embarrassing the liars. There were plenty of real firefighters out there endangering their lives to get the fires out. Fakers hurt the whole effort.

The Young Guard promised to help clean up Khimki Forest. After the issue of its partial destruction to make way for a motor way had become a become a hot topic among many young Russians. This was crass opportunism to deflect attention away from a growing spontaneous protest movement that is likely to mobilize many teenagers. A similar mobilization occurred in England over the proposed destruction of Oxleas Wood (for a motorway). In the end Oxleas Wood was saved. And the authorities learned to pay more than lip service to local environmental concerns.The conclusion is obvious the Young Guard has outlived its usefulness. It should either be converted into a branch of the Scout movement or disbanded. The protests over Khimki Forest are a result of the workings of Russian civil society and a measure of its development. The authorities in Russia may be irritated by the protests but on a deeper level they should be well pleased. Their really smart move would be to reroute the motor way. It would say more that was positive about modern Russia than ten Russian landed on Mars.

Babeouf. I could be wrong, but I think the Khmiki "anti-protest" was by Nashi, a different "youth group". Either way, these are organisations with many thousands of members, and you're absolutely right - how about using this mobilisation to achieve something good? I was not aware of any community spirit or efforts during the fires. This could have been as simple as door-knocking old people to make sure they were OK and had everything they needed (the smoke made it difficult for them to go out and severely limited oxygen inside). Or making sure the hospitals were coping OK (the official message was that they were, although they weren't). Or helping those who lost everything in the fires. Or even going to the fire-fronts and, if not fighting fires themselves, providing relief and support for those who were. These are the sorts of community actions that makes a country special, not blind support of a doctrine.

There is plenty of blame to go around. But this does not make bloggers heroes. They themselves have learned the art of being always the critics, never the doers. If you look at the New Orleans tragedy --- you will see the pattern. A lots of talk, lack of coordination, and the poorest and the most vulnerable pay the price. It is, perhaps, unfair to attack the nascent civil society. Positive, effective activism has not yet made its mark on the society --- or at least not much has been written or reported about it. It is not so interesting to go door to door collecting donations for the victims. The bloogers are only interested in a jucy "sensational" story. There is something so juvenile about their behaviour, as only politics interest them. As we all know, politics has never fed one mouth one meal. Leave the various groups alone. Young or old, let everyone have a chance to get involved in something that is bigger then their own lives. Over time, activism seeking results in people's lives will assert itself. One just cannot be overly critical, nor assume that all those people were posing for cameras. A bit more maturity in the whole thing will not hurt.