Eurasian Youth Union

Infobox_Political_Party
party_name = Eurasian Youth Union
party_
leader1_name = Aleksandr Dugin
leader2_name = Pavel Zarifullin
leader3_name = Valeriy Korovin
colorcode = black
foundation = February 26, 2005
ideology = Neo-Eurasianism
Nationalism
National Bolshevism
Third Positionism
headquarters = Moscow
international = unknown
website = http://www.rossia3.ru/

Eurasian Youth Union ( _ru. Евразийский союз молодежи; ESM) is a Russian political organisation, the youth wing of the Eurasia Party headed by Aleksandr Dugin. The organisation has branches in several countries. The ESM has been branded by some as an extremist organisation, accused of a string of vandalism offences and is banned in Ukraine. [ [http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2005/poland.htm Annual report on antisemetism and racism. The Tel-Aviv university.] Retrieved July 4, 2008]

Ideology

According to some observers the Eurasian Youth Union 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. [Andrey Okara, The "new Ukrainian Oprichnina, or what's common between «Pora», Neoeurasians, Ivan the Terrible and Yulia Tymoshenko?", "Zerkalo Nedeli", № 9 (537) 12 — 18 March 2005, [http://www.zn.ua/1000/1550/49482/ in Russian] , [http://www.dt.ua/1000/1550/49482/ in Ukrainian] .]

The early-20th century Eurasianism 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. Its ideology also features prominently Russian nationalism and imperialism, calls for the creation of a new Eurasian empire centered around Russia. 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".

In its internal policy the ESM supports the current government of Russia and in particular its former President, Vladimir Putin. Some also claim, that the movement receives taciturn support from the Russian Government eager to see a movement opposed to a possibility of an Orange Revolution happening in Russia. Andreas Umland, "The Neo-Eurasianism. Question of Russian fascism and Russian political discourse.", "Zerkalo Nedeli", № 48 (627) 16 — 22 December 2006, [http://www.zn.ua/1000/1600/55389/ in Russian] , [http://www.dt.ua/1000/1600/55389/ in Ukrainian] .]

Activities

Within Russia the Eurasian Youth Union has allied itself with Russian extreme right organizations like, the National Bolshevik Party, the DPNI 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.Party for Protection of Russian Constitution "RUS" [http://pzrk.ru/publication/145 Russian Right-Wing March - 2005. The way it was] Retrieved July 4, 2008 (Russian)]

The ESM took an uncompromising approach to changes that happened in Ukraine afer the Orange Revolution in 2004. In particular it set up branches in several Ukrainian cities, voiced its sharp criticism of the pro-Western Ukrainian government. The ESM has been behind a string of attacks on property and organizations they deemed pro-Western. It organised attacks on several Ukrainian Security Service branches, monuments to UPA veterans and hacker attacks on the website of the President of Ukraine. The most prominent of these attacks, that received nation-wide attention was the desecration of Ukrainian state symbols on Mount Hoverla in October 2007. [ [http://novynar.com.ua/politics/10834 ESM destroyed Ukrainian symbols on Hoverla] , "Novynar", 18 October 2007] The other attack on Ukrainian targets was in Moscow, where several of ESM members trashed an exhibition devoted to Holodomor. [ [http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2007/11/17/66997.htm After Hoverla ESM destroyed a Holodomor exhibition] , "Ukrainska Pravda", 17.11.2007] Due to the relatively high profile of these attacks the Ukrainian police asked for assistance from Russia in finding people responsible for them, however, as of yet no suspects have been apprehended. The organization's vandalism and sharp anti-governmental stance received wide condemnation among Ukrainian media and provoked the response from the Ukrainian extremist elements of the opposite orientation; several threats were made against the organization and its members and an arson attack has been reciprocated on the ESM's offices in Moscow.

By the decision of the courts the Eurasian Youth Organization has been banned in Ukraine, its leaders Dugin and Zarifullin declared personae non grata. [ [http://novynar.com.ua/politics/10949 SBU singled out people responsible for Hoveral attack] , "Novynar", 20 October 2007] [ [http://novynar.com.ua/politics/11657/?p=0&sort=ASC Ukrainian nationalists attacked the ESM HQ] , "Novynar", 29 October 2007]

See also

* Neo-Eurasianism
* Eurasia Party
* National Bolshevik Party
* Aleksandr Dugin

References