Communication in Third Spaces as a Factor of Agenda Building

"Third spaces" are considered as online public places where ordinary citizens communicate on everyday topics, thus being an actor of agenda-building without any political intermediaries - leaders, parties, or social movements. To identify the most significant issues of informal political talk in everyday online spaces, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of posts published in Vk.com communities "Overheard" in 15 Russian cities over the last two years. The results of this study indicate that most conversations are non-political; however, third spaces shape social norms and rules of behavior, including those during the COVID-19 pandemic.