(article from Abolishing the Borders of Below, published in autumn of 2005)

One of the recent trends in Russian politics is formation of storm trooper organisation around political parties close to establishment - any "serious" party must have their muscle. Football hooligans are the biggest youth subculture, according to some estimates 30 000 in Moscow only. Discipled and trained, they are the best recruiting ground for such storm trooper organisations.

Rodina (Motherland) had 50-100 Spartak hooligans in their mayday bloc of perhaps 200 strong in Moscow. Orthodox Christian fundamentalist youth who stormed anti-clerical exhibition in Sakharov centre is connected with the Motherland party. However leading stormtrooper organisation is the pro-Kremlin Nashi ("Ours" or "us"), which dates back to last February when leader of vice-director of president's administration Vladislav Surkov met with V. Yakemenko, back then leader of pro-Kremlin youth organization Iduschih Vmeste (We walk together), and some other young politicians. Meeting made a decision to found a counter-force against threatening "orange revolution" in Russia. Founding conference of Nashi took place in holiday center "Senezh" in Moscow region. This far, biggest action organised by Nashi was demonstration to commemorate 60th anniversary of the victory of the second world war 15th of May, to which perhaps 10 000 people were transported with buses from around Russia (claim of organisers that number of participators was 60 000 is vastly inflated). According to Novaya Gazeta, some 600 000 dollars were spent for organisation of this meeting.

Key organisers of Nashi's unofficial stormtrooper wing are Aleksey Mitryuhin from CSKA firm Gallant Steeds, and Vasiliy "Vasya Killer" Stepanov and Roman "Roma Kolyuchiy" (Spiked Roma) Verbitskiy from Spartak firm Gladiators. These are famous leaders of well-established firms. Alliance of Vasya Killer with Kremlin seems to be connected with a history in year 2004, when a major fight between Spartak and Dynamo hooligans near McDonald's of metro Prospekt Mira got recorded by surveillance cameras. Number of people were seriously injured during this fight, among them close friend of Vasya Killer, known with name Lastik (Rubber) in hooligan circles, who got paralyzed. Although Dynamo fan who hit Lastik with a baseball bat is known, no charges are pressed against him.

Vasya Killer spent some time underground, but now has become a public face again. Vasya has been spotted in several events connected with Nashi, such as in meetings of the organisation with Surkov and in attacks against headquarters of the National-Bolshevik Party - after one of the pogroms Vasya even gave an unmasked interview to journalists inside trashed headquarters of the NBP. NBP has been attacked in several other cities as well, such as St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad. Another target of Nashi has been stalinist Avant-guard of the Red Youth AKM, AKM activists have been ambushed when travelling to distribute propaganda to Moscow suburbs, after a meeting organised by Communist Party of Russian Federation 12th of February, when attempting to infiltrate Nashi meeting 15th of May, and even at their home doors few days before mayday. Spartak fans have been used for Kremlin goals in the wider sense as well, for example some time ago in a football match with Chelsea in London, a rude banner against Chechen separatist leader Ahmed Zakaev, who has asylum in UK was raised in Spartak sector
of the terrace.

Vasya Killer is not only football hooligan, who has lately been given an offer by power to cooperate or to go down. Many fellow Spartak hooligans have had little sympathy with his choice, even some other members of his own firm have publicly ostracized him.