In 1980-1990 in the Soviet Union the activity of nature protection movement has sharply increased against processes of society democratization and considerable deterioration of ecological conditions. A considerable number of various public ecological organizations were established; they tried to adjust dialogue with the government and actively involved the population in sociopolitical life of the country. The following paper considers contribution to ecological movement development in the cities of the Middle and the Lower Volga Region where the public fought against the policy of nature management directed first of all on satisfaction of the USSR economic departments interests as well as against inability of the authorities to solve local problems of environment protection effectively. The author considers most widespread forms of the public ecological organizations activity, analyzes their relations with the local and regional authorities in dynamics. The paper also contains examples of interactions of the government and the public when solving nature protection problems. Studying the experience of the Volga Region ecological movement activity can promote making positive relations of ecologists with representatives of the government in modern Russia that finally will allow to improve the general nature protection situation in the country.