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Union of Mladorossy Союз Младороссов | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Alexander Kazembek |
| Founded | 1923 (1923) |
| Dissolved | 1945 |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-right[1] |
| Party flag | |
 | |
TheUnion of Mladorossy (Russian:Союз Младороссов,romanized: Soyuz Mladorossov) was a political group ofRussian émigré monarchists (mostly living in Europe) who advocated a hybrid of Russian monarchy and theSoviet system, best evidenced by their motto "Tsar and theSoviets".
The organization started in 1923, as the "Union of Young Russia" (in Russian: Союз Молодой России,Soyuz Molodoy Rossii) inMunich, changing its name to the Union of Mladorossy in 1925.
The Mladorossy (Russian:Младороссы,IPA:[mlədɐˈrosɨ]), as they were popularly known, at first declared themselves asanti-communists. In contrast to other émigré political organizations, they argued against the idea of creating a "free Russia" on non-Russian soil, believing strongly that what they called "Soviet-occupied Russia" was the only Russia that could be in existence. The Mladorossy believed that the Soviet government, for all its negative ideology, was preserving the Russian state and defending its national interests. They also believed that theOctober Revolution was merely the beginning of an evolutionary process that would create a new, young Russia (hence their use of the prefixmlado which means "young").
Several émigré movements with a similar ideology evolved at around the same time, notably theEvraziitsi, and theSmenovekhovtsi. Other émigré movements and organizations, such asNational Alliance of Russian Solidarists (NTS), the Russian Imperial Union Order, and theROVS, were hostile to these movements, feeling they were trying to justify theOctober Revolution and reconcile with theBolsheviks.
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The Mladorossy organization had afascist influence as demonstrated by its doctrine and as visible through its use of theRoman salute popularized by theItalian fascist dictatorBenito Mussolini to salute its leader (renounced whenHitler launchedOperation Barbarossa). Alexander Kazembek saw from fascism the combination oftraditionalism,ultra-nationalism,anti-communism, as well as the desire to lean on the masses hence the imitation of the Italian fascists.[2] Kazembek also was in some sort of contact with Mussolini.[3]
In 1933 Kazembek attended a conference in Berlin where he signed a cooperation pact withAnastasy Vonsiatsky'sAll-Russian Fascist Organisation andPavel Bermondt-Avalov's Russian National Socialist Movement, this was motivated by theNazi Party's anti-communist stance however when this evolved intoanti-Russian sentiment the Mladorossy denouncedNazism with its general secretary, Kirill Elita-Vilchkovsky, referring to the ideology as "Satanic fascism".[4]
The Mladorossy were also monarchist oriented. They recognizedGrand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia as the legitimate heir of the Russian throne and the latter became supportive of the organization.
William Seabrook noted that while Mladorossy were Tsarist, they seemed almost "Red" to conservative Russians because of their leftist views.[5]
In the 1930s, the Mladorossy adopted an increasingly open pro-Soviet position, claiming that they were to become the "second Soviet party". While still declaringStalin as their enemy, the Mladorossy believed that a tsar could fully function in the Soviet system that was in place at the time in the USSR. This earned the Mladorossy the label of being "Soviet patriots" amidst the White émigrés, and speculation began that the organization was being influenced, if not controlled, by theSoviet secret police.
The founder of the Mladorossy,Alexander Kazembek, was implicated of having ties with the Soviet consulate and theOGPU. In 1937, after being spotted in a cafe inFrance speaking to several Soviet diplomats, Kazembek resigned his post. AfterWorld War II, he emigrated to theUnited States and lived inCalifornia and thenConnecticut and then moved to the USSR, where he lived out the rest of his years.
At the start of World War II, many Mladorossy volunteered to join theFrench Resistance. After the war ended, the organisation dissolved.
