For any nationalist, the question of fundamental importance is in the interests of which particular community he acts. Russian nationalists' ideas about “who the Russians are” and what it means to be Russian have evolved greatly during the post-Soviet period. At the time of the collapse of the USSR Russian nationalism arose in the Russian Empire, which was not a national state in general and a Russian national state in particular.

Most nationalists believe: the Russian nation is a multi-ethnic system led by Russians Photo: Anatoly Zhdanov / Kommersant 18+. THIS MATERIAL (INFORMATION) WAS PRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED AND (OR) SENT BY A FOREIGN AGENT MEDIA PROJECT “COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. SAKHAROV REVIEW" OR CONCERNES THE ACTIVITIES OF A FOREIGN AGENT OF THE MEDIA PROJECT "COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. SAKHAROV REVIEW» For any nationalist, the question of fundamental importance is in the interests of which particular community he acts.

Human rights activist Alexander Verkhovsky suggested thinking about specific changes in the legislation in the field of counteracting extremism Photo: Victor Korotaev / Kommersant (18+) This material (information) was produced and (or) distributed by Verkhovsky Alexander Markovich, who is the head of the research center "OVA", included in the register of foreign agents.

Metamorphoses of post-Soviet Russian nationalism: less violence, more bondage. Ressentiment is inevitable Photo: Anton Novoderezhkin / Kommersant Russian nationalism is one of the most discussed types of worldview and political orientation in Russia over the past almost 40 years, starting with Gorbachev’s perestroika. This is not a single movement: Russian nationalism is extremely heterogeneous both in time and in the political space of these four decades.

Russian nationalism is one of the most discussed types of worldview and political orientation in Russia over the past almost 40 years, starting with Gorbachev’s perestroika. This is not a single movement: Russian nationalism is extremely heterogeneous both in time and in the political space of these four decades. Therefore, there is no agreement on which figures and associations should be classified as Russian nationalism and which should not.

This article is dedicated to the path of Roman Silantyev as an Islamic scholar, church human rights activist, creator of "destructology" and active publicist. It was originally published on the website of the Russia Program of George Washington University. And its text is available only in English. Roman Silantyev became best known for his involvement on the prosecution side in the case of Yevgeniya Berkovich and Svetlana Petriychuk.

This article is devoted entirely to a single person – Roman Silantyev. Why does this person deserve a separate and detailed analysis? Silantyev rose to fame on two separate occasions. The first time was in the 2000s, as an expert on Islam. 1 The second time was in May 2023 as an expert for the prosecution in the notorious case of Berkovich and Petriichuk (see below).

During the time past from February 24, the number of political repression in Russia has grown markedly. First of all, this concerns anti -war performances - but not only. Where is the state tended to see the manifestations of extremism today and how does it fight with them? How politically or ideologically motivated actions that the government considers illegal?

The head of the SOVA Research Center, Alexander Verkhovsky, gave a lecture at the Moscow office of Yabloko on how Russian nationalism has changed over the past three decades. We are publishing a video recording from the lecture.

We are posting an article (.pdf) by Alexander Verkhovsky “How Russian anti-extremist legislation works.” It was published in the collection of the Yabloko party “Russia: history and modernity. Lectures at the Party University (2020–2022).” This article is based on a lecture the author gave in May 2020. In preparation for publication in 2022, the text was partially updated. The entire collection of lectures can be found on the Yabloko website .

Alexander Verkhovsky has led the SOVA information and analytical center since 2002. In April 2023, the court, following a lawsuit from the Russian Ministry of Justice, liquidated the organization. Two weeks ago, the appellate court approved this decision. Nevertheless, human rights activists continue their work - since August 17, they decided to “work as a community of researchers called the Sova Research Center.” Alexander Verkhovsky is 61 years old.

We are republishing an article by Alexander Verkhovsky published on August 30, 2023 in The Moscow Times. Criminal prosecutions for “extremist speech” have increased in 2022 – but by how much? And what does this mean for the near future? In 2022, political repression has sharply intensified; this has long been a commonplace. Actually, regardless of political position, everyone could have expected exactly this in a situation of a full-scale armed conflict.

Human rights activist Alexander Verkhovsky has been the head of the SOVA analytical center for more than 20 years. This is the only structure in Russia that systematically studies xenophobia, nationalism and hate crime law enforcement. Also, SOVA experts monitor violations of freedom of conscience and evaluate the practice of anti-extremist legislation.

The radical nature of political groups and movements can be understood both in terms of attitudes and in terms of methods of action — used or advertised. Talk about radical views in relation to the entire movement of Russian nationalists is impossible, since it has always been very diverse in ideological terms.

The issue features articles by Alexander Verkhovsky, Olga Sibireva and Dmitry Dubrovsky. On April 13, 2022, a special issue (Vol.54, 2020, Issue 5-6) of the journal "Statutes & Decisions. The Laws of the USSR and Its Successor States" was released. The issue focuses on anti-extremism laws and the role of expert examination in their application. The issue includes an introduction by Alexei Trochev and three articles: Alexander Verkhovsky.