Russian March - 2016

On November 4, 2016, the Day of National Unity, several nationalist demonstrations were held under the umbrella term “Russian March.” In some form or another, marches were held in 12 Russian cities. Moscow hosted just four events, which were attended by nationalists.

Russian March in Lyublino

The march, called "Down With the Occupation!" went on the traditional route along the Pererva street and was attended by no more than 800 people from various movements and organizations including the Union of Orthodox Banner Bearers, the Nation and Freedom Committee, Black National Socialist Bloc, National Socialist Revolution Movement "Black Sun," Free Russia, and the Russian Human Rights League (aka Vladimir Istarkhov’s Russian Right Party).

The march was also attended by the Ukrainian Ombudsman’s representative in Russia Vladimir Shreidler, the PARNAS party activist Mark Galperin, and Alexander Rastorguev, PARNAS Leningrad region candidate for the State Duma.

Participants carried banners stating: "We are against the “Russians” ban! Freedom of speech! Freedom of assembly! Freedom of unions!", "Russians, unite!”, “Russians have their right,” “Blood - Fatherland – Faith," "Rising prices, taxes, poverty – not chosen by us," "National Socialism is the Struggle for a new State," etc. The participants chanted slogans: "Slavs, unite," "Russia, forward," "Russia is Europe," "Russian, wake up and fight," "No to Islamism, no to terrorism," "Chechnya can’t set the rules for us, Kadyrov is not a hero for us," "We have not chosen this power," and "Here is the élite, we are the power of the future."

After the rally, about 25 people went to Red Square to lay flowers at the Minin and Pozharsky monument.

Police detained at least seven people in Lyublino. Two masked men were detained before the march; firecrackers and smoke bombs were seized from them. One more person was detained for the use of pyrotechnics, another one – for a slogan, another – for wearing a surgical mask. During the march, a man with a Ukrainian flag was seized by the police.

One of the detainees was accused of disobeying a legal order from the police and was kept overnight in a police department as a result. The rest were released after reports were prepared on their violations of established procedures for holding public events. In addition, a court arrested Evgeny Fedorov for seven days for participating in the march with an eagle and cross tattooed onto his back.

Russian March near the Oktyabrskoe Pole metro station

The event near the metro station Oktyabrskoe Pole was called "Russian March without liberasts, kremliners, and Banderites" and was attended by about 320 people from the following organizations: the Union of Orthodox Banner Bearers, the Monarchist Party of Russia, People’s Militia of Russia, the Great Russia party, the Russian National Front, the Russian Revenge, the Movement for Deprivatization and Nationalization of the Country’s Strategic Resources, the Russian Imperial Movement, the Black Hundred, and the Union of the Russian People.

The participants carried banners stating: "Russia needs a king," "Freedom to Russian political prisoners," "Let’s take Russia back," "Our choice is Russian power," "Stop the genocide!" "For the Russian land!" "Down with the power of the oligarchs!"

During the procession Nikolay Kuryanovich, ex-LDPR deputy, made anti-Semitic statements.

The march and rally "We Are United"

The official manifestation on the Unity Day included a wide variety of organizations from political parties to the public sector, from "Communist Russia" to orthodox parties, from volunteer public order squads to “Against All” party.

Among those present were the members of the following organizations: the Forty of Forties movement (“Sorok sorokov”) – an ultra Orthodox organization known for clashes with civil society activists protesting against the construction of new churches; the Faith and Cause Foundation advocating ban on abortion; the ill-famous SERB movement; the National Liberation Movement (NOD); the Civic Force party which managed to unite soccer fans, pro-Kremlin and Orthodox activists for the Duma elections in September; People’s Militia of Donbass; Liberal Democratic Party of Russia; Rodina (Motherland) party; the Just Russia party; the Great Fatherland party; Patriots of Russia party; the Cossack Party of the Russian Federation; the "Georgievtsy!" Orthodox youth movement; the “S#t” (“the Net”) youth movement known by its patriotic graffiti; the Night Wolves (Zaldostanov (aka the Surgeon or “Khirurg”) was not among the participants of the procession); the Antimaydan movement; and the Militant Brotherhood.

The March for Russian Solidarity

The demonstration "For Russian Solidarity" on Suvorov Square brought together 200 people, among whom were representatives of Igor Strelkov’s Novorossiya movement, the National Democratic Party (NDP), Alexey Zhivov’s Russian Civil Society, Cossacks, as well as a person with the National Liberation Movement flag, and people with imperial flags.

Marches in other cities

In Saint Petersburg, it was not possible to organize the traditional procession. On November 4, there were only pickets on Nevsky Prospect, in which a few activists participated with imperial flags and placards stating: "We are for a sober state, we can’t be banned," “I am a Russian Orthodox person against Islamization," and "Freedom for political prisoners."

In addition, marches were held in Vologda, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar, Nizhny Novgorod, Penza, Pskov, Saratov, and Tula. These demonstrations were unpopular and attended by no more than 100 people.

A partial exception was the city of Novosibirsk, where two Russian marches were held. Nationalists were divided on their view of Novorossiya. In the first march, organized by Roman Bykov’s “Northern Wolf” squad, was attended by 150 people. The second march, organized by the autonomous ultra-right activists and the National Bolshevik platform supporters, was attended by 100 people.