Eurasian Youth Union

Summary

The Eurasian Youth Union (ESM; Russian: Евразийский союз молодёжи; ЕСМ; Yevraziyskiy soyuz molodozhi, YeSM) is a Russian traditionalist political organization,[1] the youth wing of the Eurasia Party headed by Aleksandr Dugin. The organization has branches in several countries. In 2011, the Government of Ukraine has branded the ESM as an extremist anti-Ukrainian organization, convicted of a string of vandalism offenses and banned it in Ukraine.[2]

Eurasian Youth Union
Евразийский союз молодёжи
AbbreviationESM (English)
ЕСМ (Russian)
LeaderAleksandr Dugin
ChairpersonPavel Kanishchev
Alexander Bovdunov
Founded26 February 2005; 19 years ago (2005-02-26)
Headquarters7th Building, Tverskaya Street, Moscow, Russia. 125375
NewspaperEurasian Invasion
Ideology
Political positionFar-right
Religion
National affiliationEurasia Party
International affiliationInternational Eurasian Movement
Colors  Black
  Gold
Slogan"Glory to the Empire! Russian, get up!"
(Russian: «Слава Империи! Русский, вставай!»)
Party flag
Website
rossia3.ru

Ideology edit

According to some observers, the ESM was created as a reaction to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine and the role the younger generation played in it. It is suggested that ESM represents an opposition to a Ukrainian youth organization PORA.[3]

The early-20th century Eurasianist ideology of a part of the Russian emigration and modern neo-Eurasianism developed by Aleksandr Dugin has been declared the main ideology of the organization.[4] On its website, the movement declared the West and in particular the United States as its main opponent and termed it as the "main evil":

Our Union has one absolute enemy. It is the USA. This is the beginning and the end of our hatred.[5]

In its internal policy, the ESM supports the current government of Russia and in particular its President Vladimir Putin. Some also claim that the movement receives tacit support from the Russian government eager to see a movement opposed to a possibility of an Orange Revolution happening in Russia.[6]

Activities edit

In Russia, the ESM has allied itself with organizations like the National Bolshevik Front,[7] and other groups of that type. It organizes and takes part in the annual Russian marches in Russia and other countries of Eastern Europe. Very often these marches are accompanied by violence, especially in Ukraine.[8]

After Ukraine's Orange Revolution in 2004, the ESM set up branches in several Ukrainian cities and voiced its sharp criticism of the pro-Western Ukrainian government. The ECM was responsible for a string of attacks on property and organizations they deemed pro-Western. It organised attacks on several Ukrainian Security Service branches, monuments to Ukrainian Insurgent Army veterans and hacker attacks on the website of the President of Ukraine. The most prominent of these attacks that received nationwide attention was the desecration of Ukrainian state symbols on Mount Hoverla in October 2007.[9][10] The other attack on Ukrainian targets was in Moscow, where several ESM members trashed an exhibition devoted to the Holodomor (1932–1933).[11] Due to the relatively high profile of these attacks the Ukrainian police asked for assistance from Russia in finding people responsible for them, but no suspects have been apprehended yet.

The organization's vandalism and sharp anti-governmental stance received wide condemnation among Ukrainian media and provoked a response from different Ukrainian organizations of the opposite orientation. Several threats were made against the organization and its members and an arson attack was reciprocated on the ESM's offices in Moscow.

Bans edit

In 2011, a Ukrainian court banned the ESM and its leaders Dugin and Zarifullin were declared personae non grata.[12] In June 2015, Canada added the organization to its list of sanctioned entities.[13]

Criticism edit

The "Sova Center" in its classification classifies the ESM as the “ideological neighbors” of radical Russian nationalists.[14] At the same time, Eurasians claim[15] that the Sova Center cannot objectively evaluate the patriotic organizations of Russia, since it is funded from the United States.[16]

Some Russian[17][18] and Ukrainian[19][20] media outlets, the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities of Ukraine,[21] Kharkiv Human Rights Group,[22] Galina Kozhevnikova[23] and Tatyana Stanovskaya[24] consider the ESM a radical organization.

References edit

  1. ^ Общероссийское молодёжное общественное движение "Евразийский союз молодёжи" [All-Russian Youth Public Movement "Eurasian Youth Union"] (in Russian). Lomonosov-fund.ru. September 29, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  2. ^ "Annual report on Antisemitism and Racism, Poland 2005". Tel Aviv University. 2005. Archived from the original on May 2, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  3. ^ Okara, Andrey (March 2005). Новая украинская опричнина, или Что общего между 'Порой', неоевразийцами, Иваном Грозным и Юлией Тимошенко? [The new Ukrainian 'oprichnina', or What do 'Pora', Neo-Eurasians, Ivan the Terrible and Yulia Tymoshenko have in common?]. Zerkalo Nedeli (in Russian). Vol. 9, no. 537. Moscow. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  4. ^ Laruelle, Marlène (September 3, 2008). "Neo-Eurasianist Alexander Dugin on the Russia-Georgia Conflict". Central Asia-Caucasus Institute Analyst. Archived from the original on September 12, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  5. ^ Катехизис члена Евразийского Союза Молодежи - Евразийство: Глобальный аспект: Наш враг [The catechism of a member of the Eurasian Youth Union - Eurasianism: The global aspect: Our enemy] (in Russian). Rossia3.ru. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  6. ^ Umland, Andreas (December 2006). 'Неоевразийство', вопрос о русском фашизме и российский политический дискурс ['Neo-Eurasianism', the question of Russian fascism and Russian political discourse]. Zerkalo Nedeli (in Russian). Vol. 48, no. 627. Archived from the original on July 6, 2007.
  7. ^ НБФ станет нам дружественной и братской организацией [The National Bolshevik Front will become our friendly and fraternal organization] (in Russian). Rossia3.ru. August 31, 2006. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  8. ^ Gorskiy, Yuriy (October 30, 2007). Русский Правый Марш -2005. Как это было на самом деле [Russian Right Wing March - 2005. How it was in reality] (in Russian). Pzrk.ru. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008.
  9. ^ Євразійський Союз Молоді знищив Герб України на вершині Говерли [The Eurasian Youth Union destroyed the Ukrainian Coat of Arms on the peak of Hoverla]. Novynar (in Ukrainian). October 18, 2007. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007.
  10. ^ СБУ встановила людей, які знищили Герб на Говерлі (оновлено) [The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has identified the people who destroyed the Coat of Arms on Hoverla (updated)]. Novynar (in Ukrainian). October 20, 2007. Archived from the original on October 22, 2007.
  11. ^ Після Говерли 'євразійці' розгромили виставку про Голодомор [After Hoverla, 'Eurasians' smashed an exhibition on the Holodomor]. Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). November 17, 2007. Archived from the original on February 4, 2008. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  12. ^ Суд ліквідував Євразійський союз молоді [The court has liquidated the Eurasian Youth Union]. Liga.net (in Ukrainian). November 25, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  13. ^ "Expanded Sanctions List". Ottawa, Ontario: pm.gc.ca. June 29, 2015. Archived from the original on August 20, 2015.
  14. ^ "Центр "СОВА" выпустил справочник "Радикальный русский национализм: структуры, идеи, лица"". Archived from the original on May 9, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  15. ^ Сергей Бузунов Типа мудрые и бдительные // Информационно-аналитический портал «Евразия», 21.04.2008
  16. ^ National Endowment for Democracy
  17. ^ На Ющенко напали вирусы // Деловая газета «Взгляд», 29 октября 2007
  18. ^ Активисты радикальной организации «Евразийский союз молодёжи» взяли на себя ответственность за интернет-атаку официального сайта президента Украины Виктора Ющенко // Радиостанция «Эхо Москвы», 29 октября 2007
  19. ^ Киевлянка разрушила Тризуб на Говерле // Левый берег, 10 июня 2010
  20. ^ Вандалы разбили Герб Украины на Говерле Archived October 20, 2014, at the Wayback Machine — ТСН (телепередача), 7 июня 2010
  21. ^ Антисемитизм и ксенофобия в Украине: еженедельная хроника 1-7 мая // Ассоциация еврейских организаций и общин Украины
  22. ^ Temporary ban on Eurasian Youth Union // Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group
  23. ^ Галина Кожевникова Радикальный национализм в России и противодействие ему в 2007 году // Полит.ру, 1 февраля 2008 года
  24. ^ Российская молодёжь: угроза или ресурс? // Журнал «Индекс/Досье на цензуру», 23/2006