Alexander Barkashov

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Alexander Barkashov
Алекса́ндр Петро́вич Баркашо́в
Barkashov.jpg
Barkashov in 2008
Born(1953-10-06)6 October 1953
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Nationality Russian
Citizenship Russia
Known forRussian neo-Nazi activist
WorksABC of a Russian Nationalist
Political party Russian National Unity

Alexander Petrovich Barkashov (Russian : Алекса́ндр Петро́вич Баркашо́в, sometimes transliterated as Aleksandr; born 6 October 1953) is a Russian political leader and far-right nationalist who in 1990 founded Russian National Unity, a neo-fascist paramilitary organization.

Contents

Biography

On 16 October 1990, Barkashov and a few dozen followers gathered at his home on Moscow's Dubinin Street and founded "the National Unity for a Free Strong Just Russia" (soon shortened to "the Russian National Unity", and informally among the Barkashovtsy [Barkashovites]: "the Unity" [Yedinstvo]). Historian Walter Laqueur writes that Barkashov stated in an interview that he is a Nazi. [1]

During the Russian constitutional crisis of 1993, Barkashov led RNU fighters in their defense of the Russian White House against Boris Yeltsin's forces. [2] Escaping arrest by fleeing Moscow, Barkashov took refuge in a nearby dacha. Shot in the thigh during an evening stroll, Barkashov was brought to a hospital, where a nurse recognized him. Barkashov was imprisoned on charges of organizing and inciting mass disorder and illegally bearing arms. In early 1994, the newly elected Duma granted amnesty to Barkashov. [3]

In 1994, Barkashov published his book, Azbuka russkogo natsionalista (ABC of a Russian Nationalist), which became the primary source of the RNU's platform. [4]

At the end of February 1999, one opinion poll ranked Barkashov as one of Russia's 10 most recognizable politicians. [5] On 2 December 2005 Barkashov together with three of his followers was detained and arrested for "attacking a police officer". According to the press-release of the RNU, [6]

On 6 November 2009 Barkashov formed the movement ″Union of the Defenders of Russia - October 1993″ together with Vladislav Achalov and Stanislav Terekhov, the leader of the Union of Officers. [7]

During the Russo-Ukrainian War, Barkashov actively supports the Russian-backed separatists. In a leaked audio recording from spring 2014, Barkashov consulted Dmitri Boitsov, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Army. [8] According to Barkahsov's words, his own son fought with a column of pro-Russian fighters against Ukraine. [9]

References

  1. ↑ Laqueur, Walter, Fascism: Past, Present, Future, p.189
  2. ↑ Vyacheslav Likhachev, Vladimir Pribylovsky. Russkoe Natsional'noe Edinstvo: Istoriya, politika, ideologiya. Informatsionnyi paket (Moscow: Panorama, 1997).
  3. ↑ ""Alexander Barkashov and the Rise of National Socialism in Russia," Demokratizatsiya 4 (fall 1996): pp 519-30" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 August 2019.
  4. ↑ Parland, Thomas (2005). The Extreme Nationalist Threat in Russia: The Growing Influence of Western Rightist ideas. Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 14, 138.
  5. ↑ "Archived item". Archived from the original on 5 March 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2005.
  6. ↑ "Русское Национальное Единство". Archived from the original on 23 November 2005. Retrieved 7 December 2005.
  7. ↑ «Коммерсантъ» № 208(4263), 07.11.2009 («Александр Баркашов всегда готов спасать Россию»)
  8. ↑ "Баркашов советует "впарить" Донецку итоги референдума". 7 May 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  9. ↑ ""Мой сын был там": сторонник "ДНР" признался в присутствии российских наемников на Донбассе". 15 February 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2022.

General references

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