On November 4, 2015, the Day of National Unity, Moscow
nationalists held various demonstrations, among them three separate
"Russian Marches."
The "Russian March" in Lyublino
A
march organized by the ethnopolitical movement "Russians," despite
having been banned in advance, began at noon. This year, against a
backdrop of prosecution of Russian nationalist leaders, the
demonstration was even more of a disaster than in previous years. About
700 individuals participated (or 960, according to the police).
Before
the march got going, organizers were ordered to take down banners with
Celtic crosses, which were marked as banned symbols. In addition to the
Celtic crosses, kolovrats (Slavic swastikas), and "Imperial" flags, Sova
staff noted Pamyat flags as well as flags of the radical nationalist
WotanJugend.
The march proceeded along its normal route, on
Pererva Street in the south-east of Moscow. A group of Orthodox
banner-bearers headed the march. Additionally, Sova noted participation
by a small number of members of
Russian Joint National Alliance(RONA)
under the leadership of Oleg Filatchev, a group of pan-Slavists, the
"Russian Human Rights League" (or RPP, led by Vladimir Istrakhov), the
"Uncompromising Column" led by Ilya Sotnikov, the "Right Column" (a
union of activists from Pamyat and the Committee on Nation and Freedom
under the leadership of Denis Russky), a "Black Block" of anarcho-nazis
(under the leadership of Alexander Samokhin), members of "Russians" (led
by YuryGorsky) and other organizations. Among the "Uncompromising
Column" were members of the Slavic Force North-West faction, having
arrived to the march from Saint Petersburg.
Aleksey Mikhailov
(ex-Russian Image) was also observed at the march, along with ex-DPNI
Vladimir Yermolaev. "Democratic Choice" activists Andrey Urenyov,
Yaroslav Kolobkov, and Vera Pronina were also observed. The same for
Deputy Chief of "Democratic Choice," senior Gaidar Institute researcher
Sergey Zhavoronkov.
"Down with dictatorship!" was the official
motto of the 2015 Russian March. Participants also chanted "Freedom for
Alexander Belov!", "Freedom for Aleksey Kolegov!", "Freedom for Dmitry
Dyomushkin!", and "We are the Russian march!". The traditional slogans -
"Cancel 282!", "Glory to Russia!", "A Russian flag over the Kremlin!",
“One for all and all for one” - were interspersed with more political
calls: "Russia without Putin!", "Ahead, Russian block!", "Putin is the
President of Chechnya!", "Putin is the President of Tajikistan!",
"There's Putin, no brains needed,""No mosques - no terrorist acts!",
"Glory to the white race!", "ISIS - burn in hell!", "More nationalists,
fewer terrorists!", "Replace Serdyukov with Belov, and Putin with
Dyomushkin!", "No order in Russia, as long as a Chekist sits in the
Kremlin!" (which rhymes in Russian), and so on. Marchers also chanted
"No war!", "Glory to Ukraine!", and "Russians and Ukrainians - brothers
forever!"
Participants at the head of the column lit flares near the Bratislavskaya Metro station.
One
march participant was detained. By the end of the meeting we were aware
of seven members of the Black Block having been detained, including
their leader, Alexander Samokhin, who was the ex-leader of the
"Russians" Ryazan chapter called the “For Honor and Freedom” movement),
as well as Vladimir Ratnikov. They were subjected to administrative
sanctions under Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code (violation by a
participant of a public meeting of the established order of the
meeting). Others were charged with use of foul language in a public
place, which apparently means sanctioning under Article 20.1 of the
Administrative Code (petty hooliganism). Prior to the beginning of the
march, one of the organizers, Anton Smirnov, was detained. He was held
at the Maryino police station, after which police released him without
filing a report.
At the end of the march, Yury Gorsky held a
demonstration. Among the speakers were Vladimir Istarkhov and Ulyanovsk
activist Ilya Sotnikov, who announced that "Russia will either be
Russian, or uninhabited."The Black Block detained leader Alexander
Samokhin was replaced by his comrade who was introduced as Konstantin.
Well-known Russian nationalist and pagan Dmitry (Div) Melash was also at
the demonstration, urging, among other things, those in possession of
hunting licenses to start buying weapons.
Gorsky began to read
out a resolution as "Russian Orthodox poet" Nikolay Bogolyubov rose to
the stage. The "poet" spoke of criminal investigations against him under
Articles 280 and 282 of the Criminal Code, before reciting his poem
"Russian Sky." After this, Denis Russky (head of the "Nation and
Freedom" committee) came to the stage. At this point Gorsky read the
resolution all the way through, bringing the rally to an end.
"Russian March - For Russian Revanche" by the Oktyabrskoe Pole Metro
Participation
reached about 360 people at a demonstration organized by the "Russian
National Front" - "Great Russia" Party, the Russian Imperial Movement
(RID), the "
People's Militia of Russia" (formerly the "People's
Militia in the Name of Minin and Pozharsky," which was banned), the
Imperial Cossack Union, the Initiative Group for a Referendum "for
Responsible Power" (IGPR"ZOV," formerly the banned Army of People's
Will), and others.
The march began from the Oktyabrskoe
Pole Metro stop, and ended at the Sсhukinskaya Metro stop, where a
demonstration was held. At the middle of the route the column stopped
for speeches to be given.
In addition to the organizations named
above, participant groups included the Union of Orthodox Banner-Bearers,
the Movement for Nationalization and Deprivatization, the Union of the
Russian People (Mikhail Nazarov's SRN), as well as members of the "Other
Russia" movement, who did not display a banner but handed out party
pamphlets and chanted their own slogans. Additionally, members of the
"Sober Russia" movement and leaders of the Dry Law Party were seen in
attendance.
Prior to the beginning of the march, during the
organization of columns, the "Great Russia" leader Andrey Savelyev began
shouting, "Russian revanche, make mincemeat of russophobes!" (which
kind of rhymes in Russian), "No to migration! Yes to deportation!".
During the march, Savelev chanted, "We must tear off the arms and legs
of every prosecutor pursuing Russian political prisoners," specifying
though, that they should be "torn off" by trial.
Participants in
the march chanted "Russian order in the Russian land,""Russian rule for
Russia!", "Down with thieves of the Russian people!", "Kiev is a Russian
city!", "Moscow is a Russian city!", "As long as we are united, we are
invincible!", "The destiny of the Russian is fear and deceit,""Russia
without Jews!", "Russian means sober!", "Freedom for Kvachkov!",
"Kvachkov to the Kremlin, Chubais to the bench!", "Russian wealth in
Russian hands!", "Rus and Serbia are one!", "Russia, Ukraine, Belarus -
for a united Rus!" and so on.
Representatives of "Other Russia"
chanted "Our MIGs will land in Riga,""Our tanks will be in Prague,""We
won't forget Odessa, we won't forgive Odessa!", "Down with the
ceasefire, we will take Kiev!", "Nation, will, socialism!", "Russia is
everything, the rest is nothing!", "Eat the bourgeoisie instead of
bread!", "Suitcase - train station - Israel!", "Glory to the nation,
death to enemies!", "Our motherland is Russia, Chinese out of Siberia!",
"Migrants today - occupiers tomorrow!" and so on.
Representatives of the SRN chanted "Russian rule is tsarist rule!"
At
the end of the meeting, by the Schukinskaya Metro station, IGPR "ZOV"
leader Kirill Barabash led a demonstration. The majority of speakers
harshly criticized the Lyublino Russian March, accusing its participants
of abandoning Russian nationalism.
Orthodox Banner-Bearers
deputy chief Valery Levchenko spoke to gatherers about the apocalypse
and the coming battle with the antichrist; Vladimir Filin (of the
"Movement for Nationalization and Deprivatization"), among other things,
protested Russia's military actions in Syria, asserting that Russia's
primary military concern should be to protect Russians in Russia and the
Donbass.
Additionally, participants in the demonstration were
treated to appearances by Orthodox activist-writer Dmitry Yudkin,
veteran nationalist Alexander Ivanov-Sukharevsky - who told of an
incipient catastrophe for Russians; YuryYekishev (of the "People's
Militia of Russia"); ex-LDPR Deputy Nikolay Kuryanovich; Nadezhda, the
wife of Vladimir Kvachkov; Elena Rokhlina; Sergey ("the Spider")
Troitsky; as well as the Moscow coordinator of the RID Pavel Vasilyev
and the head of the Institute of Higher Communitarianism Kirill Myamlin,
who asserted that Russians must come out against political parties and
against the "usury of the Jews," while suggesting soviets and national
interest-free credit for Russians. To overthrow the government which
does not respond to the interests of the people, he noted, is not a
right but a duty.
Following the reading of a resolution, the march continued to its end.
Kirill
Barabash was detained after the march. According to accounts on radical
right-wing blogs, the reason for his arrest was the slogan "put the
seven underground kings to sleep!" (a reference to Russia's seven
oligarchs). Barabash was released after givingwritten explanations to
the police.
"Russian March for a Russian World,"
organized by the "Russian World" movement of Mikhail Ochkin, began
around 1:00pm and lasted until about 3:00pm. About 100 participants in
the march walked parallel to Olimpiysky Prospekt from the Garden Ring to
the square in front of Durov Theater, where a demonstration-concert was
held.
Russian National Unity (RNE) symbols dominated the
demonstration: flags and armbands, which apparently were distributed to
anyone who wanted them, along with flags of the "Cause"("Delo") party
and of "Novorossiya."Along with the individual flags on display was one
from the neo-Nazi Party of the Revival of National-Social Justice in
Russia (PVNSSR). Cossacks of Moscow Cossack Unionalso took part in the
event. Sergey Tsiganov, of the "My Yard" movement, was seen in
attendance.
Participants chanted "Glory to the heroes - glory to Russia!", "For Bright Rus!", "Glory to Rus - death to enemies!" and so on.
Valentina
Bobrova (of "Green Ribbon") ran a meeting at the end of demonstration,
with the nationalist patriotic movement "Russian World," an offshoot of
the Novorossiya movement, participating. Bobrova reminded attendees of
the "sacred trinity of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus," and explained the
need for a separate, third Russian March, regarding the next "litmus
test" for Russia after "Novorossiya:" Syria.
LDPR Deputy Maxim
Shingarkin promised to give children the "Russian world, which is bigger
than these three countries,"orany other, and reminded listeners that
Christ was "crucified facing Russia."
Yury Gvozdev, leading
supporters of prisoners of conscience, told the audience that his group
would act on the basisof"Russian World," and called to collect money for
the "associates," neo-Nazi skinhead Vasily Krivets and
National-Socialist Union (NSO) "North" member Vladislav Tamamshev.
"Glory to Rus!", he declared in conclusion, while throwing the fascist
salute.
Among the speakers, Sova staff noted the head of "Russian
World" and "Russian Moscow," Gennady Shibanov; the leader of the widows
of killed volunteers in Novorossiya and the Donbass; and Aleksey
Zakharov of the RNE. Konstantin Klimov of the PVNSSR finishedthe
demonstration with the motto"Glory to Rus! Death to enemies!" (Klimov
was the first speaker to note the proximity of the demonstration to a
mosque and immediately called on attendees to join "Russian World").
There
was also a concert: Anastasia Sorokova sang a coupleof songs, while an
unknown RNE guitarist sang many more ideological songs.
Valentina
Bobrova read the meeting's resolution. Among other things, it resolved
cooperation with pro-Russian forces in Europe, called on a ban on
government-funded abortions, proposed someanti-migrant measures, called
for the nationalization of big business, for amnesty for those convicted
under Article 282 of the Criminal Code, and for the criminalization of
"russophobia."
As an unknown man by the name of Konstantin
shouted various slogans after the resolution, Sergey Andreev of the
"Alliance of the Russian World"spoke on"what it is that makesus a
Russian world." It was Andreev's position that this would be a counter
to the deteriorating morals of the West, including tolerance and
godlessness.
The meeting concluded without incident.
By far the largest event on the Day of Russian Unity was the march and demonstration
"We are United," held under the organization of the All-Russian People's Front (ONF). The demonstration came at the end of the march.
The event was coordinated to account for 50,000 attendees. Police counted 85,000, while the leaders of the ONF counted 40,000.
By
our count, the event included about 30,000 participants, split into 30
columns of 700 to 1,000 people in each. The two largest columns were
made up of representatives of the National Liberation Movement (NOD),
along with members of the "Tradition, Empire, Government, Motherland"
(TIGR) movement, which is a youth faction of the Rodina (Motherland)
Party. Representatives of NOD were also present in other columns.
Contrary
to claims made before, there was no separate TIGR column with its own
symbols on display. Movement leader Vitaly Laktyushin marched in the
Rodina column, which included as many as 120 people. Roughly half were
young people including those not affiliated with TIGR. One person was
noted in the Rodina column carrying a poster with the phrase "Shame on
Sergey Parkhomenko - Menial of the NATO Fleet!". Other young people in
the Rodina column carried a banner in the imperial tricolor with the
phrase "Our Name is Rus!"
One of the more notable parts of the
march was the "Anti-Maidan" movement. Participants in the "Anti-Maidan"
column included Night Wolves headed by Alexander (Khirurg (Surgeon))
Zaldostanov, carrying a poster with a picture of a bear and the phrase
"Banderovets! I'lltearyou apart for my grandfather." Additionally, about
a thousand members of the Militant Brotherhood were observed in the
column.
About 150 members of the Great Fatherland Party (PVO)
under the leadership of Nikolay Starikov. PVO was the sole organization
to carry Russian flags with black ribbons in memory of the Russian
airliner downed over Egypt. Other participants in the "Anti-Maidan"
column included members of the Officers of Russia and the Union of
Veterans of Afghanistan. Generally, the "Anti-Maidan" faction included
about 5,000 people.
Despite the fact that NOD distances itself
politically from "Anti-Maidan," the regional NOD column basically
followed the "Anti-Maidan" faction. This was quite a large group
including people with black and brown flags and posters reading, "Putin
is our national leader,""Misha, figure it out. I'm Russian. Russians are
coming" (featuring a bear crushing a snake), "General Prosecutor! We
demand an investigation of the 1991 coup!", "Our column against the
fifth column," and "Clean up the fifth column!"
The regional NOD faction brought together 1,000 people. Participants chanted "Our country - our rules!"
The
march was closed out by representatives of the regions, trade unions,
and individual companies and organizations including the Golden Age
movement of supporters of Nikolay Levashov, whose bookshad been banned
on extremist grounds in Russia.
We also noted
"Georgievtsy,"People's Brigade" supporters, members of "Sober Russia"
and the "People's Civil Society Council," the "Novorossiya" movement,
and so on.
The demonstration ended in a meeting with speakers including Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who declared, "God save the tsar!"
