On November 4, 2014, the Russian Day of National Unity, several so-called “Russian Marches” were held across the capital. 

The Day of National Unity was marked this year by three mass events: the official rally-concert “We Are United” and two rival ultranationalist actions, both called “Russian Marches.” One of the nationalist processions took place in Lyublino, the other marched from the Oktyabrskoye Polye Metro stop to the Shchukinskaya stop. 

The coordination of the actions, along with their preparation, was marked by difficulties and conflicts, primarily due to factionalization within the far-right community over support or opposition to Novorossiya and personally Igor Strelkov, the self-styled commander of paramilitaries in South-Eastern Ukraine. As a result, supporters of Strelkov and Novorossiya ended up at Oktyabrskoye Polye, and those in opposition had to join the action at Lyublino, where Novorossiya’s opponents prevailed.

The “Russian March” in Lyublino

Organizers of the action included the National-Democratic Party (NDP), and the Nationwide Russian Union (ROS). Members of the “Russians” group, which had not agreed to participate in the other action, were present at Lyublino. This year’s action was, basically, a big failure. Sova staff observed about 1,800 people; police confirmed “about 2,000 people” were at the march.

Organizers had failed to get permission for the traditional rally-concert, which usually draws popular ultra-right-wing groups, in turn attracting participants. It is possible that this affected the turnout numbers.

Present at the various actions were activists from “Russians,” Pamyat, the Russian Joint National Alliance (RONA), the National-Socialist Initiative (NSI), the Russian Right Party (of V. Ivanov-Istarkhov), Resistance, the Bloc of Free National Socialist Societies, and the Union of Orthodox Banner-Bearers.

 Either in an organizational capacity or otherwise as participants, prominent ultra-right figures including Konstantin Krylov, Vladimir Tor, Vladimir Ermolaev, Dmitry Dyomushkin (of the “Russians”), Aleksandr Sevastyanov (the ex-leader of the National-Sovereign Party of Russia (NDPR)), Matvey Tszen (ROD), Vladimir Istrakhov (Russian Right Party), Alla Gorbunova (ROS), and Dmitry (Shultz) Bobrov (of the National-Socialist Initiative) all participated.

 The march was conducted along its usual route, on Pererva Street in Moscow. Starting at the beginning of the action, participants sang the national anthem and the war song “Katyusha,” and shouted nationalist slogans that targeted specific non-Russian ethnicities, as well as the more general “We don’t need Moscowbad,” “Russians, forward!,” “As long as we are united, we are invincible,” “Russians and Serbs united,” “Russian Moscow for Russians, cancel 282!,” “Die for Russia, not for drunkenness,” “Execute pedophiles,” and also various anti-Kremlin slogans including “Put Putin’s clique on trial.” They also chanted the Ukraine-related slogans “Russians against war with Ukraine,” “Novorossiya can suck it – Glory to Kievan Rus,” and “Stop feeding the Donbass.” As a Novorossia banner-bearer in one of the columns shouted “Novorossiya should be,” the other column answered “in the grave.” 

 At the heads of columns, as in past years, a small group of Orthodox banner-bearers totaling 12 people marched, after those about 35 people carried a giant Imperial Russian flag. Those following in the columns shouted the slogans “Russian march for Russian unity,” and carried banners reading “Freedom to Belov” (with a portrait), “Russians United,” and “The Power is Us – We are the Power.” One column carried portraits of Andrey Vlasov, the Soviet general who collaborated with Nazi forces, while shouting the rhyming slogan “thank you grandfather for trying.” Members of the NDP carried banners calling for a visa regime with the Central Asian countries, as well as one reading “Crimea – the Window to Europe.”

As usual, participants lit flares and smoke bombs. After the end of the march, police detained a group of radical nationalists from the Bloc of Free National Socialist Societies (differing accounts state that between 10 and 40 were detained), who, according to police, had worn masks while marching, tried to light flares and to unfurl banners not in line with the purpose of the march sanctioned by the authorities.

On November 5, the Lyublino District Court fined five of 18 charged participants of the Russian March 1,000 rubles for obscene language. The charge was under Article 20.1 of the Administrative Code, petty hooliganism.

 “Russian March for Novorossiya” at Oktyabrskoye Polye

The number of participants of the “competing” November 4 march may be due to the promised participation by Igor Strelkov, the commander of military operations in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic. Strelkov pulled out at the last minute, explaining that he disagreed with the idea that the sitting Russian government should be overthrown. 

According to Sova observers, the Russian March for Novorossiya brought out about 1,200 people, which corresponds to other estimates, including those by the police (who noted “about a thousand and a half people”). In 2013, no more than 600 people had shown up to the same march.

The action saw participation by members of the Great Russia Party, Russian National Unity (RNE), the Black Hundred, the Union of Orthodox Banner-Bearers, the Russian Imperial Movement (RID, of S. Vorobyov), the Movement For Novorossiya, People's Militia in the Name of Minin and Pozharsky (NOMP), the Will Party, and Russian Runs. Green activists from the group Green World (formerly Volnitsa), the Initiative Group on a Referendum for Responsible Government (IGPR “ZOV”), Cossack organizations, and orthodox activists following Dmitry Tsorionov (Enteo) also came out.

Participants carried the flags of various parties and movements including those of the so-called Donetsk, Luhansk, and Odessa Peoples’ Republics. Serbian flags were also on display as well as a Hungarian flag – apparently a sign of solidarity with the far-right-wing Jobbik party in the latter country.

Prior to the rally, participants distributed black “penalty balloons.” 

Orthodox banner-bearers headed the procession, carrying a giant icon of Nicholas II.

Participants carried their usual banners, including “You chose – you judge,” as well as new ones like “All power – to account!” The Great Russia column carried a banner reading “For Russian Revanche!” and NOMP showed up with their usual “Freedom for Colonel Kvachkov!”

Monarchist participants held signs reading, “Russia Needs a Tsar,” “Monarchy – the Best Government System Known to Man,” and a portrait of Nicholas II. Marchers also showed banners reading “Kosovo and Metohija are Serbia!” and “Rus and Serbia are United,” etc.

Participants further shouted the rhyming slogans “Do not fear, we’re for a united Rus! Russia, Ukraine, Belarus,” “Power to the Slavs – War to the Kremlineers,” “Power from God, not from Banderlog,” “Kiev is a Russian city! Ukrainian, remember your Russian roots!” “Crimea, the window to Europe,” “Russian run – Birulyovo, Sagra, Manezhka!” “The Donbass is not the Caucasus, Poroshenko – to the toilet,” “Glory to the Novorossiya militia,” “The Russian train is hurtling fast to crush the communists,” and the normal “As long as we are united, we are invincible,” “Russians forward,” “Russian power to Russia,” et cetera.

Members of RID at the rally shouted the slogans “Give Strelkov the order to execute Surkov!” and “Down with Surkov, long live Strelkov!” Great Russia representative Andrei Savelyev shouted through a megaphone, “Oligarchs to prison – a free country to us!” and “One, nation, one people, one fate.”

After the march there was a rally-concert led by Valentina Bobrova, of the Green Ribbon movement. She began the meeting with a moment of silence for those killed in Novorossiya. Participants included Vladislav Kuroptev (SPKh); a group of ten militants who had fought in Novorossiya; the leader of NOMP, billed as “Fidel;” and a monk acting as the confessor of the “Leshiy” battalion. Speakers included a veteran of the nationalist movement Yuri Ekshikev (NOMP); Nadezhda Kvachkova, wife of Vladimir Kvachkov, who read one of her husband’s prison letters; Andrey Savelev (of Great Russia); Mikhail Ochkin, the director of the Fund of Slavic Letters and Culture; Anna Grebnyova from the Fund to Help Novorossiya; the daughter of General Lev Rokhlin, Elena Rokhlina; Pavel Vasilyev (of RID); Gennady Shibanov (of Russian Moscow); Vladimir Filin (from the Russian Union movement); and other well-known representatives of the nationalist movement. Presentations were also made by the coordinator of Belgium’s New Solidarity Initiative, Kris Roman, as well as the leader of the Danish National Front, Lars Wittmann.

At the end of the meeting, a “resolution” was adopted in support of Novorossiya.

Procession and Meeting for Unity

The official – that is, non-ultra-nationalist – “Meeting for Unity” was held in the center of Moscow, the procession marched from Pushkinskaya to Teatralnaya Square. According to police, about 75,000 people attended.

In connection with this rally, a planned rally held by the LDPR was canceled. LDPR representatives made up a column at the procession for unity.

Among the demonstrators were members of the National-Liberation Movement (NOD) of Evgueny Fyodorov, who carried a huge collection of flags and symbols related to the movement.

At the rally-concert after the procession, prominent politicians, including Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, the Just Russia leader Sergey Mironov and LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, called on the Kremlin to recognize the results of the November 2 elections in the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples’ Republics.

Religious Procession

The traditional religious procession on the day was organized by the Union of the Russian People, directed by Mikhail Nazarov. On Pushkin Square, Archpriest Aleksy Gomonov held a prayer service and procession. The few participants read an akathist of the Kazan icon of Mary. The procession went through the territory of the Monastery of the Passion. The folk-rock group Imeniny played.