"ORTHODOX OLIGARCH" KONSTANTIN MALOFEEV CREATES ANOTHER PUBLIC MOVEMENT—"TSARGRAD"
The sponsor of a number of "Orthodox patriotic" projects, Russian businessman Konstantin Maloveev, known particularly for his role in the annexation of Crimea and events of 2014 in Ukraine, announced on 22 November the creation of a new public movement—"Tsargrad." The movement was created in Moscow at a congress of the "Double-Headed Eagle" society, which Malofeev heads, Radio Liberty reports.
According to an estimate by Malofeev himself, the new movement has "almost a million" supporters throughout Russia.
As Malofeev writes, Tsargrad will participate in elections for the Russian State Duma in 2021 "in the capacity of a public 'controller.' We will survey all deputy candidates in the 225 single-member districts and all candidates of the political parties regarding their adherence to traditional family, religious, and cultural values of the Russian people," Malofeev promises.
"Candidates who are discovered to be guilty of russophobia, offending the feelings of believers, distorting historical truth, and belittling the significance of the achievement of the nation in defense of the fatherland will be opposed in every legal way, so that such figures will not be able to get into power," he added. The movement itself will not be able to nominate candidates, as this is the right of parties only.
Members of the supreme council of the movement include the well known first co-chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for Control and Regulation, Oleg Nilov; Nikolai Zemtsov, member of the State Duma Committee for the Development of Civil Society and Affairs of Public Organizations and Religious Associations; Evgeny Savchenko, senator from Belgorod oblast (its former governor); Distinguished Jurist Yury Skuratov, currently State Counselor of Justice of the Russian Federation; Sergei Glaziev, member of the board of Principal Areas of Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission; philosopher and public leader Alexander Dugin; Sergei Mikheev, director of the Institute of Caspian Cooperation; Metropolitan of Stavropol and Nivennomyssk Kirill of the RPTsMP; Albir Krganov, mufti of the Ecclesiastical Assembly of Muslims of Russia; and others. The expert council of Tsargrad includes Mikhail Remizov, president of the Institute of National Strategy; political scientist Bogdan Bezpalko; sociologist Anatoly Antonov, distinguished professor of M.G.U.; journalist Edvard Chesnokov; Aleksei Demin, editor-in-chief of the EADaily; blogger and journalist Abbas Dzhuma; Doctor of Medical Sciences Oleg Apolikhin; and others.
The businessman adheres to right-wing traditional and imperial views, and his Double-Headed Eagle society promotes monarchist ideas. From the point of view of Ukrainian laws, the businessman is considered to be a sponsor of terrorism. (tr. by PDS, posted 23 November 2020)
KONSTANTIN MALOFEEV CREATES "TSARGRAD" MOVEMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN STATE DUMA ELECTIONS
Today, in Moscow, at a congress of the Double-Headed Eagle society, headed by Orthodox businessman Konstantin Malofeev, the Tsargrad movement was created, which will participate in elections for the State Duma in 2021. Members of the movement plan to conduct a survey of all candidates for deputy in the 225 single-member districts and all candidates nominated on lists of the political parties, "to determine their adherence to traditional family, religious, and cultural values of the Russian people."
In the case where campaign platforms and statements of one or another candidate coincide with the principal goals and aims of Tsargrad, the movement led by Malofeev will support that candidate. Support will consist of "moral support and the collection of signatures," the businessman's press secretary, Valery Rukobratsky, explained for Znak.com. He noted that the survey of candidates will be voluntary, and the Tsargrad movement is prepared to provide help not only to non-party self-nominated candidates, but also representatives of any political parties, including supporters of Yabloko or the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. At the same time, Tsargrad specified that "candidates who are discovered to be guilty of russophobia, offending the feelings of believers, distorting historical truth, and belittling the significance of the achievement of the nation in defense of the fatherland will be opposed in every legal way, so that such figures will not be able to get into power."
Konstantin Malofeev was elected president of the Tsargrad movement at the Double-Headed Eagle congress. [. . .]
We recall that in late October, members of the Union of Volunteers of the Donbass declared their intent to participate in elections for the State Duma. At the congress of the union, businessman Konstantine Malofeev said that he "still has no" plans for financing election campaigns of the volunteers. "I will help the Union of Volunteers" from the moment of their founding, but [the question of financing] is a question for our internal discussion," the businessman reported. Malofeev also emphasized that he himself does not plan to run for State Duma: "If I were a State Duma deputy, chairman of a committee, vice-speaker, or even leader of a small non-parliamentary party, we would not likely be able to influence political processes. No, I do not intend to enter the State Duma; I think that this would diminish the possibilities." (tr. by PDS, posted 23 November 2020)
Editorial disclaimer: RRN does
not intend to certify the accuracy of information
presented in articles. RRN simply intends to certify the
accuracy of the English translation of the contents of the
articles as they appeared in news media of countries of
the former USSR.
If material is quoted, please give credit to the
publication from which it came. It is not necessary to credit
this Web page. If material is transmitted electronically, please
include reference to the URL,
http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/.