Eduard Limonov (Russian: Эдуард Лимонов, real name Eduard Veniaminovich Savenko, Russian: Эдуард Вениаминович Савенко; born February 22, 1943) is a Russian left-wing nationalist writer and political dissident, and is the founder and leader of Russia's unregistered National Bolshevik Party. He was convicted in 2002, despite the protests of several State Duma members, for illegally purchasing weapons, and served about 2 years in jail. Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for groups of humans. ... The National Bolshevik Party is a political party in Russia adhering to the ideology of National Bolshevism. ... Emblem commemorating the 100 year anniversary of Russia Dumas Boris Gryzlov, speaker of the Russian State Duma since December 2003 The State Duma (Russian: Государственная дума (Gosudarstvennaya Duma), common abbreviation: Госдума (Gosduma)) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia (legislature), the upper house being the Federation...

Early life

Limonov was born in Dzerzhinsk - an industrial town on Volga. In the early years of his life family moved to Kharkiv, Ukraine where Limonov grew up. In the early 1970s he was a poet in Moscow, and achieved a degree of success before being stripped of his citizenship and expelled from the Soviet Union. He arrived in New York City in 1974 as an émigré and began writing novels. He fell in with the New York punk and avante-garde scene, acquiring an admiration for Lou Reed, as well as such American writers as Charles Bukowski. In 1982, he moved to Paris with his lover Natalya Medvedeva, and quickly became active in French literary circles. He was also granted French citizenship, and his Soviet citizenship was restored by Mikhail Gorbachev. Limonov and Medvedeva married but were divorced in 1994. Dzerzhinsk, transliterated from Russian, may be the name of one of the following places. ... Location Map of Ukraine with Kharkiv highlighted. ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2007)    - Density 10,469,000   8537. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1613  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City... Lewis Allen Lou Reed (born March 2, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Henry Charles Bukowski (August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994), was a Los Angeles poet and novelist. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Natalya Medvedeva (1958-2003) was a Russian poet, writer, musician and member of Tribunal rock band. ... Motto: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) Translation: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthem: The Internationale (1922-1944) Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital Moscow Language(s) Russian (the de facto official language), 14 other official languages Government Socialist republic Leaders  - 1922-1924 Vladimir Lenin  - 1924-1953 Joseph Stalin... Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov ( ), IPA: , commonly written as Mikhail Gorbachev; born March 2, 1931) was the last leader of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 until its collapse in 1991. ...

Writing

Limonov's works are noted for their cynicism. His novels are also memoirs, describing his experiences as a youth in Russia and as émigré in the United States. As a young writer he was described by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn as "a little insect who writes pornography", while Limonov described Solzhenitsyn as a traitor to his homeland who contributed to the downfall of the USSR. Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn (Russian: , IPA:  ; born December 11, 1918) is a Russian novelist, dramatist and historian. ...

Russian film director and screenwriter Aleksandr Veledinskii's 2004 feature film Russkoe ("Russian") is based on Limonov's writings.

Since the late 1990's, Limonov has been a regular contributor to "Living Here" and later to the eXile, English-language newspapers in Moscow. These are the only known sources where Limonov has written articles in English. When he joined as a contributor, he specifically asked the editors of the paper that they preserve his "terrible Russian English style". Although most of his featured articles are political, he also writes on many topics, including "advice for ambitious youngsters". Issue #136 of The eXile The eXile, founded in 1997, is a Moscow-based English-language biweekly free newspaper, aimed at the citys expatriate community, which combines outrageous content with investigative reporting. ...

Destruction of Sarajevo, during the Bosnian War

Limonov was shown in one of BBC's war videos from Bosnian War. The particular video was of Limonov, with Radovan Karadžić, former Bosnian Serb president and accused war criminal for genocide against Bosniaks of Bosnia. The video featured Limonov firing shots from a tank into the capital of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Sarajevo.[1] [2] [3] The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is one of the largest broadcasting corporations in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the UK alone and with a budget of more than £4 billion. ... Combatants Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Predominantly Bosniak) Army of Republika Srpska, Yugoslav Peoples Army, various paramilitary units from Serbia and Montenegro (Serbian) Croatian Defence Council, Croatian Army (Croatian) Commanders Alija Izetbegović (President of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Sefer Halilović (Army chief of staff 1992-1993) Rasim... Radovan Karadžić during a visit to Moscow in 1994. ... The Bosniaks (Bosnian: BoÅ¡njaci, IPA: ) are a South Slav people living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Sandžak region of Serbia and Montenegro, with a smaller autochthonous population also present in Kosovo and Macedonia. ... Motto: none Anthem: Intermeco Capital Sarajevo Largest city Sarajevo Official languages Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian Government  â€¢ President  â€¢ Prime Minister Federal republic Ivo Miro Jović1 (Croat) Borislav Paravac (Serb) Sulejman Tihić (Bosniak) Adnan Terzic Independence From Yugoslavia: 5 April 1992 Area  â€¢ Total  â€¢ Water (%)   51,129 km² (124th) Negligible Population  â€¢ July 2005... Nickname: Olympic City Map of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo) Coordinates: Country Bosnia and Herzegovina Entity Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina&Republika Srpska Canton Sarajevo Canton  - Mayor Semiha Borovac Area    - City 142 km²  (55. ...

Political career

In 1991, Limonov returned to Russia and became active in politics. He founded a newspaper called Limonka, and a small, equally political party called the National Bolshevik Party. Despite the communist implication of their name, the party's views are Russian nationalist. Although the group never managed to obtain an official party status, it remains active in protests on various social and political issues, in particular harshly criticizing the regime of Vladimir Putin. The National Bolshevik Party is a political party in Russia adhering to the ideology of National Bolshevism. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Members of the National-Bolshevik Party The term nationalism in Russia refers to far-right extremist nationalist movements and organizations, however its often mixed up with fascism in Russia. ... Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: ) (born October 7, 1952) is the incumbent President of Russia. ...

In 1996 a Russian court judged in a hearing that the NBP paper Limonka had disseminated illegal and immoral information: "in essence, E. V. Limonov (Savenko) is an advocate of revenge and mass terror, raised to the level of state policy." The court decided to recommend issuing an official warning to Limonka, to investiage the possibility of examine whether Limonov could be held legally responsible, and to publish its decision in Rossiiskaia gazeta.[4]

Limonov supported the November 2000 NBP occupation of St. Peter's Church in Riga after the event, in an article in the eXile.[5]. Specifically, NPB activisists had barricaded themselves in the church's belltower after brandishing a fake grenade, and threatened to blow up the building in attempt to draw attention to mistreatment of Russian minorities in Latvia. While no injury or property damage occurred, this action has been referred to by some media outlets as terrorism.[6] Three NBP member were convicted and sentenced to 10-15 years in jail. Four other NBP members, who were captured before the attack, served short sentences and were deported. Saint Peters church is a tall church in Riga, Latvia. ... Coordinates: Founded 1201  - Mayor Jānis Birks Area    - City 307. ... Issue #136 of The eXile The eXile, founded in 1997, is a Moscow-based English-language biweekly free newspaper, aimed at the citys expatriate community, which combines outrageous content with investigative reporting. ...

Limonov was jailed in April, 2001 on charges of terrorism, the forced overthrow of the constitutional order, and the illegal purchase of weapons. Based on an article published in Limonka under Limonov's byline, the government accused Limonov of planning to raise an army to invade Kazakhstan. After one year in jail, his trial was heard in a Saratov court,[7] which also heard appeals from Russian Duma members Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Alexei Mitrofanov and Vasily Shandybin for his release. He maintained that the charges were ridiculous and politically motivated, but was convicted and sententced to four years imprisonment for the arms purchasing, while the other charges were dropped.[8] He served almost two years before being parolled for good behavior.[9] Terrorist redirects here. ... Saratov (Russian: ) is a major city in southern European Russia. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with State Duma. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Aleksey Valentinovich Mitrofanov (Russian: Алексей Валентинович Митрофанов, also transliterated as Alexei Mitrofanov; born March 16, 1962 in Moscow, Russia) is a Russian politician, deputy of State Duma of Russia from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. ...

Limonov is a strong supporter of Serbia and achieved notoriety by joining a sniper patrol in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the Bosnian war. He has at times talked about the need for the use of "Serbian tactics" to regain areas of the former Soviet Union that have large Russian populations. Anthem: Capital (and largest city)  Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment    - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ... Bosnia and Herzegovina (also variously written Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bosnia-Hercegovina) is a mountainous country in the western Balkans. ... Combatants Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Predominantly Bosniak) Army of Republika Srpska, Yugoslav Peoples Army, various paramilitary units from Serbia and Montenegro (Serbian) Croatian Defence Council, Croatian Army (Croatian) Commanders Alija Izetbegović (President of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Sefer Halilović (Army chief of staff 1992-1993) Rasim...

Limonov has listed among his idols Joseph Stalin, Mikhail Bakunin, Julius Evola and Yukio Mishima. He has counted Alain de Benoist amongst his political allies. He was initially an ally of Vladimir Zhirinovsky and was named as Security Minister in a shadow cabinet formed by Zhirinovsky in 1992. However Limonov soon tired of Zhirinovsky's over the top political stunts and split from him, writing the book "Limonov against Zhirinovsky". The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (Russian — Михаил Александрович Бакунин, Michel Bakunin — on the grave in Bern), (May 18 (30 N.S.), 1814–June 19 (July 1 N.S.), 1876) was a well-known Russian revolutionary, and often considered one of the “fathers of modern anarchism. // In the spring of 1814, Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin was born... Julius Evola born Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola, aka Baron Evola (May 19, 1898-June 11, 1974), was an Italian esotericist and occult author, who wrote extensively on Hermeticism, the metaphysics of sex, Tantra, Buddhism, Taoism, mountaineering, the Grail, militarism, aristocracy, on matters political, philosophical, historical, racial, religious, as well as... Yukio Mishima Yukio Mishima ) was the public name of Kimitake Hiraoka , January 14, 1925—November 25, 1970), a Japanese author and playwright, famous for both his highly notable nihilistic post-war writings and the circumstances of his ritual suicide by seppuku. ... Alain de Benoist (born 11 December 1943) is a French academic, founder of the Nouvelle Droite (English: ) and head of the French think tank GRECE. Benoist is little known outside his native France but his writings have been highly influential on anti-globalist thought, primarily on the political right, with... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) form an alternative cabinet to the governments, whose...

On April 1, 2005, the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal published an article about Limonov and his party, entitled "Extreme Movement: In Russia, Group Takes Radical Steps To Defy Kremlin". The article is anomalous, as Limonov and the National Bolshevik Party rarely get any press in the United States. April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with a worldwide average daily circulation of more than 2. ...

Selected bibliography

• It's Me, Eddie
• Memoir of a Russian Punk, Grove Weidenfeld, 1990.
• Молодой Нeгодяй (A Young Scoundrel), translated by John Dolan
• My Political Biography
• Another Russia
• Russian Psycho
• Control Shot
• The Holy Monsters
• Imprisoned by Dead Men
• The Book of Water
• The Wild Girl
• American Vacation
• The Great Mother of Love
• Anatomy of a Hero
• Disappearance of Barbarians

John Dolan (Born 1955) is an American poet, writer, and essayist. ...

External links

• Monumental Foolishness: The decline and fall of a man who once seemed poised to become the next great émigré writer - Slate article by Keith Gessen
• nbp-info - official web page of Limonov's political party. (English version)
• www.freezerbox.com - essay about Limonov by his friend and editor, written while Limonov was in prison.
• Pravda - article on the Limonov case, written in 2002.
• Sobaka - article on the lack of Western press coverage of the Limonov case.
• The eXile - report on the Limonov trial
• Johnson's Russia List - article written about Limonov's release.
• Pravda - interview with Limonov after his release.
• on the Russian elections - Limonov compares elections to organised crime.
• "Each year I get closer to Islam" - 16.11.2005 interview with Limonov.