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Fringe cultures

A critique of the New Liberal Russia. Fringe cultures. Eduard Limonov (Savenko; 1943 - ). Poet , rival of Brodsky, prose writer, extreme right-left wing activist, enfant terrible of the Russian political scene Grew up in Kharkov, Ukraine 1958 began to write poetry Moved to Moscow.

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Fringe cultures

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  1. A critique of the New Liberal Russia Fringe cultures

  2. Eduard Limonov (Savenko; 1943 - ) • Poet, rival of Brodsky, prose writer, extreme right-left wing activist, enfant terrible of the Russian political scene • Grew up in Kharkov, Ukraine • 1958 began to write poetry • Moved to Moscow

  3. Eddi-Baby in America • 1974 expelled from USSR for refusing to collaborate with KGB • lived in New York, worked as journalist • joined Socialist Workers Party of America • 1976 chained himself to the fence of the New York Times, demanding that it publish his articles critical of American way of life

  4. Le poète russe préfère les grands nègres… • 1979 Published It’s me Eddie (Это я Эдичка) fictional autobiography about his life in America • Contains sensational description (most likely apocryphal) of homosexualencounter with black American on an empty lot • French title exploits the scandal…

  5. Fuck you Amerika! (German title) • “I receive Welfare. I live off your labor: you pay taxes and I don't do shit, twice a month I head down to the clean and spacious welfare office at 1515 Broadway and pick up my check. ... What, you don't like me? You don't want to pay? It's not much—278 dollars a month. You don't want to pay. Well then why the fuck did you get me to come here, me and a whole crowd of Jews? Take it up with your propaganda—it's too strong.”

  6. Citoyen de la France… • 1980 moved to Paris, quit writing poetry, began writing for Révolution, newspaper of French Communist Party, but also associated with extreme-right Jean-Marie le Pen • 1983 Published Memoirs of a Punk (Podrostok Savenko), part of a series of pseudo-autobiographical works along with Eddie and There was a Wonderful Time about growing up during and after the war • 1987 Became French citizen, received the Legion d’honneur.

  7. The pseudo-autobiographical hero • Shares Limonov’s name, relationship to Limonov’s real life murky • Image of a tough guy, hangs around with thieves, murderers, etc. • Language and thematics of the street: a challenge to bourgeois conventions • Documents his own humiliations: unable to have sex with girl-friend Svetka.

  8. Back in the USSR • 1990 renewed Soviet citizenship, returned to Russia • 1991 founded newspaper Limonka (Hand Grenade) • 1993 was in the White House when it was stormed by the troops on Eltsin’s orders

  9. Limonov the Sniper • During 1990s,fought on the side of Serbia in the Yugoslav wars, reportedly fired at Sarajevo • Fought with Ossetians against Georgians • Fought in Russian breakaway republic in Moldavia, etc. (Photo: with Serb leader Arkan)

  10. 1994 founded National Bolshevik Party with AleksandrDugin(poet and philosopher), EgorLetov(poet and punk-rock artist)

  11. The National Bolshevik Party (Natsboly) (now defunct) • The new NBP website • The natsbol babes • Limonka (The Hand Grenade)

  12. A natsbol action

  13. The Natsboly: a shifting program • 1994-1998: Extreme right/left Fascist-Communist party • Anti-Atlanticist (Britain, US, NATO) • Slogan: “Stalin, Beria, GULAG” • After 1998 Limonov breaks with Dugin, who comes closer to the Kremlin, Party moves to the extreme left.

  14. Original Natsbol platform • Eurasianism: Russia as heartland of Slavic-Turkic civilization • Anti-liberalism, anti-atlanticism • Fight to get back Russian-speaking lands, recreate USSR • Down with Putin et al. – American lackeys who sold out Russia • Not racist or anti-Semitic

  15. Platform post 1998 • Comparable to anti-globalists • Civil society • Clean elections • Reduce bureaucracy • Oppose police force • “Direct action”: occupying offices, throwing mayonnaise and tomatoes at public figures

  16. Is it a party? • "It is a postmodernist aesthetic project of intellectual provocateurs (in the positive meaning of the word) in which many bright and nontrivial personalities … were involved. It was an effort, and, a quite successful one, to mobilize the most passionate and intellectually dissatisfied part of society (in contrast to the Communist Party, which utilized the social and economic protests of the leftist electorate). For this mobilization, the NBP used a bizarre mixture of totalitarian and fascist symbols, geopolitical dogma, leftist ideas, and national-patriotic demagoguery.” • [Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1058689.html]

  17. Limonov goes to jail April 2001

  18. Limonov with 2nd wife Ekaterina Volkova (since separated)

  19. Limonov the anti-feminist… • “The ideal husband from his wife’s point of view as the mother of his children is a totally squashed creature who has given up all his goals. A creature who has agreed to become compost, the nurturing soil for the cultivation of children. Yet the children themselves don’t ask him to commit such a self-liquidation. Bourgeois morality demands it, tradition handed down in the family from woman to woman.”

  20. With chess player and wannabe politician Garry Kasparov, leader of the Other Russia coalition

  21. Egor Letov (1964-2008) • poet and punk-rock musician from Omsk, Siberia • leader of group “Civil Defence.” Combination of punk rock and defiance of authorities • Co-founder 1994 with Limonov and philosopher Aleksandr Dugin of Natsboly • Died five years ago

  22. Some Letov clips • Civil Defence: Sistema • Motherland • I have to shit on my own face

  23. Alexandr Dugin

  24. Aleksandr Dugin (b. 1962) Political philosopher • 1988 joined “Pamiat” – “National-Patriotic Front” • 1990-1992 Studied SS documents on the intellectual basis of Nazism • 1991 Supported the putsch against Eltsin • 1994 Formed Natsboly with Limonov, Letov • 1998 broke with Natsboly

  25. Dugin’s Eurasianism • 2001 Initiator of “Eurasia” movement • Believes history is confrontation between the Atlanticist-globalists and Eurasians • “Hitler and Stalin were Eurasians. Khrushchev was an atlanticist agent” • For an alliance of Russia, Iran and Turkic and Arab world against Atlanticists

  26. A Eurasian Economic Space? • Eurasianism strong also in Turkey • Movement towards economic consolidation of Eurasian countries (which cannot be integrated into the European Union) • Envisions new configuration of two major powers: Russia and Turkey, and including much of the Former Soviet Union • Iran as a question-mark

  27. The Voina (“War”) group Organizes guerrilla art actions: The penis on a bridge in St Petersburg in front of FSB office (2011) (Ringleader’s bail paid by Banksy)

  28. Pussy Riot in Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

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