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

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

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.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

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.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
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.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

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.

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