Club of Angry Patriots Клуб рассерженных патриотов | |
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| Abbreviation | KRP |
| Leader | Igor Girkin |
| Chairman | Pavel Gubarev |
| Founders | Igor Girkin Pavel Gubarev Maxim Kalashnikov Viktor Alksnis Yevgeny Mikhailov Mikhail Aksel |
| Founded | 1 April 2023 (2023-4-1) |
| Ideology | Russian nationalism[1] Militarism Jingoism |
| Colours | Black Gold White |
| Slogan | "Everything for the front, everything for Victory, glory to Russia!" (Russian:«Всё для фронта, всё для Победы, слава России!») |
| Website | |
| vk | |
TheClub of Angry Patriots (KRP;Russian:Клуб рассерженных патриотов,romanized: Klub rasserzhennykh patriotov) is a Russian hardline nationalist social movement founded on 1 April 2023 byIgor Girkin,Pavel Gubarev andMaxim Kalashnikov. The club criticizes the currentRussian government for perceived half-measures and inability to win thewar against Ukraine.[2]
Girkin had previously created movements that criticized theKremlin and the liberal opposition at the same time, such as the January 25 Committee, created in 2016. In May of that year, the January 25 Committee was renamed the All-Russian National Movement under the leadership of Girkin.[3]
The term "angry patriots" (Russian:рассерженные патриоты), which has already become a staple in Russian political circles, refers to people who actively support theRussian invasion of Ukraine, but are dissatisfied with its course: slow progress, losses,exchanges ofAzov BattalionPOWs, lack of response toshellings of Russian cities, etc.[4]
Two weeks before the official announcement of the creation of the club, on 17 March 2023,Igor Girkin, on behalf of the club, posted a post onTelegram, in which he listed the weak points, in his opinion, in the conduct of the "special military operation".[5]
On 1 April 2023, the establishment of the club was announced.[6] In addition to Girkin, the club includesPavel Gubarev,Vladimir Grubnik,Viktor Alksnis,Maxim Kalashnikov,Maxim Klimov,Mikhail Aksel andYevgeny Mikhailov. Members of the club called it "a community of patriotic people who have been serving Russia for many years, not in word, but in deed". According to Girkin, "It is necessary to create an association of those people who are not for money, who are really for the Motherland, for our people, for our country”[5][7]
The Other Russia of E. V. Limonov participated in organizing meetings and press conferences of the club in May 2023.[8][9]
The movement is reportedly facing resentment from thehead of the Donetsk People's Republic,Denis Pushilin. Girkin claimed that Pushilin ordered DNR officials to spread rumors about the Club of Angry Patriots stating that the movement was plotting a coup. The group also accuses Pushilin of trying to discredit them.[6]
Girkin was arrested by Russian authorities on 21 July 2023, on charges of extremism[10] and sentenced to four years of imprisonment in a penal colony by theMoscow City Court in January 2024.[11]
Club members said Russia would inevitably face defeat in Ukraine and could endure a pro-Western coup or civil war unless Moscow radically improves the situation on the front lines. Participants argued that Russian officials are unable to improve the military operations and their impact on Russian society because most Kremlin officials belong to the anti-war faction. The club claimed it was seeking to help the Russian authorities complete a "special military operation" in a timely manner, arguing that a protracted war in Ukraine could spur anti-war officials to revolt. The group also said it was trying to create a defense network to counter a coup in Russia in such a case.[6][2]
Compared to the January 25 Committee, the emphasis has shifted greatly from opposition to a liberal "MoscowMaidan" to the need to prevent "Russia's military defeat in itsproxy war with the entireNATO bloc in Ukraine".[3]
TheInstitute for the Study of War expressed the opinion that the creation of the club is connected with the desire to strengthen the pro-war faction within theKremlin.[6]
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