July 26, 2023

Repression Targets Pro-War "Patriots"


Repression Targets Pro-War "Patriots"
Igor Strelkov on personality identification playing cards.
Pryshutova Viktoria, Wikimedia Commons

On July 22, Igor Strelkov, former defense minister of the Russia-backed Donetsk People’s Republic, was arrested in Moscow.

Strelkov, who has been critical of Russian leaders for their perceived lack of commitment to a full-scale war in Ukraine, was charged with inciting extremist activities, which could result in up to five years in prison.

The FSB opened the case against Strelkov on July 18, reviewing posts on his Telegram channel dating back to May 25. In those posts, Strelkov reported that soldiers mobilized from the 105th and 107th regiments of the Russian army were not receiving proper payments and said that those responsible for the situation should be executed.

On the same day the case was initiated, Strelkov wrote a post about Russian president Vladimir Putin, calling him a "nonentity" and a "cowardly incompetent." He expressed doubt that the country would survive another six years under his rule.

"Igor Strelkov" is actually an alias for Igor Girkin. In the past, Girkin worked for the far-right newspaper Zavtra ("Tomorrow") and later joined Russian-backed separatists in Transnistria, Moldova, and Serbia. The pro-war activist is accused of partaking in the Višegrad massacre, in which thousands of Bosnian civilians were killed and raped.

Until 2013, Strelkov served in the FSB, fighting in the North Caucasus as part of FSB special forces units and rising to the rank of colonel. In 2014, he participated in the annexation of Crimea and the fighting in Eastern Ukraine.

Strelkov has said that he and his people were the trigger for the war in Donbas. A Dutch court convicted him in absentia for shooting down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) in 2014. Afterward, he was dismissed as defense minister of the Russia-backed separatist Donetsk People’s Republic.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Strelkov attempted to return to the front lines but ultimately focused on media and political activities. He gained popularity through his Telegram channel, which has 860,000 subscribers, where he criticizes the war from ultra-right and pro-military perspectives. 

In 2023, Strelkov, alongside the former self-proclaimed "People's Governor" of the Donetsk Region, established the "Club of Angry Patriots," a small organization with branches in Moscow and St. Petersburg. This group claimed that Russia was heading toward crisis and turmoil, and it criticized authorities for their "inadequate" efforts in the war with Ukraine. During a conference organized by the Club, Strelkov called on Vladimir Putin to step down from his position as President.

These outspoken statements seem to have drawn attention from authorities. In June, the St. Petersburg police evacuated the ultra-right Listva ("Leaf") Library on the day when Igor Strelkov was scheduled to speak. Additionally, on July 18, an indictment was drawn up against Vladimir Kvachkov, a former military police colonel and Strelkov’s associate in the Club of Angry Patriots, accusing him of discrediting the Russian army.

The article of the Russian Criminal Code under which Strelkov was arrested has been used previously to target anti-war Russian activists.

You Might Also Like

What's in a Name? Stalin.
  • July 23, 2023

What's in a Name? Stalin.

Every September 3, and on nine other days of the year, the city of Volgograd will change its name back to Stalingrad.
Scared and Suspicious
  • July 04, 2023

Scared and Suspicious

Nearly half of Russians distrust official information regarding the war in Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955