Interview with Nicholas Truschalov

rozmawiał Adam Tomasz Witczak

We present you an interesting interview with Mr Nicholas Truschalov who is a Coordinator for External Relations of the Russian Imperial Movement — the leading organization of Russian monarchists.

Please describe us the origins and beginnings of Russian Imperial Movement. Were there any (even pure intellectual) monarchist circles in USSR or maybe this movement was active only in exile?

After the Bolshevik Revolution and the Civil War in Soviet Russia there were monarchist and pro-monarchist group, which conducted clandestine activities in coordination with Russian emigration against the Communists. But they were defeated mainly by NKVD provocation.

The best known anti-Communist organization in the Soviet Union after the World War II was the All-Russian Social-Christian Union for Liberation of the People (Всероссийский социал-христианский союз освобождения народа, ВСХСОН), many members of which, in particular, Vladimir Osipov and Leonid Borodin, explicitly adhered to the monarchist views. Members of the organization were persecuted for their activity. Parallel Russian monarchist movement and Russian monarchical idea developed in exile. After the announcement of glasnost and perestroika in the late 1980s in the Soviet Union monarchist organizations began to spring up but some of them, one way or another, have been under the control of the KGB.

Russian Imperial Movement was founded in 2002 on the basis of the All-Russian Party Monarchist Center (Всероссийская Партия Монархического Центра) and at first was a group of intellectuals-monarchists. It was decided to start with the publication of the magazine “The Imperial Courier”, then tightened the youth began to develop other areas of work.

What are the main activities of RIM? Is it a political party? It seems that you don’t limit yourself only to discussions and lectures but you also organise demonstrations, sport meetings etc. Please tell us something more about these things.

Russian Imperial Movement is not a political party, and exists as a political movement, which allows the activity in a very wide field.

Our modern work is conducted in several ways. Socio-political direction of RIM are a rallies, demonstrations, conferences, policy debates, cooperation with political parties, etc. Military-sports direction are a training our comrades and associates in unarmed combat, athletics, possession of weapons and military tactics. Information direction includes the work of our information-analytical Internet portal “The Right View”, magazine “The Imperial View”, the newspaper “The Right View” and books. Russian Imperial Movement also organizes religious events (processions and prayers in memory of Russian Emperors and heroes) and provides charity orphanages, rights-wing political prisoners, the Serbian people in Kosovo.

What are – from your point of view – the main problems of monarchist organizations and movements in Europe? Do you agree that they are too often only small debating clubs or associations concentrated only on history, genealogy or even things like orders, honours and clothes?

In the 1920-30s, the monarchists were a serious political force — for example, in France (Action française), Germany (Stahlhelm) and Spain (Carlists). But now the European monarchists lack contact with their nations. Indeed many of them are engaged in history and genealogy and do not want to see the problems that occur in their countries, or are afraid to actively take a firm civic and political position. Thus and so the monarchist movements in Europe are often marginalized. Look at the monarchists in Libya, they are not afraid to fight for the power and restoration of the monarchy, even with weapons.

There is also a problem in themselves European monarchs, many of which are no longer the rulers in the literal sense, but only perform decorative function. Monarchists from such countries should follow the example of Japanese and Thai far-right, who are actively seeking a regain of their sovereigns’ full power.

Desribe us your religious views. Do you follow any particular way in Orthodoxy and what’s your attitude toward Catholicism – especially Traditional Catholicism in Western Europe? And is there a problem with Modernism in Russian Orthodox Church?

Members of the Russian Imperial Movement are the parish of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Of course, the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as in the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant denominations, have the problem of modernity. The Church remains a bastion of conservative values supporters, which is why it has recently begun to be subject of active attacks. This is a global trend, and we regard Catholics, especially Traditionalist Catholics, as our allies in the struggle against the offensive anti-Christian New World Order.

What do you think about The Union of Orthodox Banner-Bearers founded by Leonid Simonovich?

We respect this organization, and cooperate with them, as with the other Russian Orthodox monarchist organizations. But their very radical views, peculiar garb and other entourage repel most people from them.

Do you have any relations with Russian nationalist organizations? Sometimes we can hear about various Russian “national-revolutionary”, “national-bolshevik” or even “national-socialist” groups – mainly in connection with street violence etc.

Russian Imperial Movement is not only the monarchist, but also the nationalist organization. We believe that the revival of the monarchy must become a top priority of the state of Russian nation for which we struggle. Therefore, we actively cooperate with various nationalist and right-wing conservative organizations, national-democrats and national-socialists alike. But with the Bolsheviks — because even they put on “national” clothes — we don’t want to have common affairs.

I believe that the Russian, Polish and other European monarchists should actively cooperate with the nationalists, even if they do not always agree with their views and forms of activity. While there are not many nationalists because of the negative image created by Jewish mass-media, the growing influence of Islam and immigration causes nationalism to rapidly gain popularity. But nationalists lack precise ideology, and our conservative-revolutionary monarchist ideas will come in handy. Many Russian monarchists are both nationalist and, most importantly, among nationalists — because of our propaganda more and more become supporters of the monarchy.

What do you think about Putin and his politics? It seems that there is a stron pro-Putin propaganda in Russia which describes him as a “strong man for a hard times”. But – is it the truth?

Most of the Russians, because of their mentality and age-old political tradition, are supporters of authoritarian rule. The communists used this, and now their followers are using it in the face of Putin. Russia now really needs a national dictator (regent), such as Francisco Franco. But Putin is not Franco, he is a republican and a liberal, just a little more conservative than his former friends and associates in the liberal opposition. In order to stay in power, he was forced to make small concessions to the conservative and Orthodox community.

His dictatorship isn’t national but anti-people, his power is based on a funding oligarchs and a large army of corrupt officials. Despite his image as a strong ruler, the Russian people are tired of his power. Putin holds so long only because people do not see serious alternatives for him.

What are your economic views? Organization of Polish Monarchists is inspired mainly by libertarian / free-market economic ideas (Austrian School of Economics, Ludwig von Mises etc.) but we know that some monarchists prefer distributism, agrarism, Christian corporatism etc.

Experience of free-market reforms in Russia was sad. As a result the main wealth of the nation came into the hands of Jewish capital. Thus popular among Russian monarchists are ideas of social monarchism, whose supporters were such monarchists as Konstantin Leontiev, Lev Tikhomirov, Charles Maurras, or of corporate economic model which has been implemented in Spain by General Franco. We are advocates of private property, as defined by national legal awareness as one of the roots of the revival of the monarchy. But the capital must work for the good of the country and its citizens and strategic areas of the economy should be controlled by the state.

What is your opinion about Alexander Dugin and his “Eurasian” ideas? It seems that some Russian nationalists are engaged in various Slavonic pagan cults. Do you consider such neopaganism, which is quite popular among followers of some “Nouvelle Droite” and “Integral Traditionalist” circles, as a dangerous menace for Christian civilization and a false spiritual way?

The main foundation the ideology of Eurasians is struggle with the Anglo-Saxon imperialism. For this Dugin and his associates combine incongruous: the right-wing and left-wing ideas, patriotism and internationalism, monarchism and neo-bolshevism, Orthodox Christianity, Islamism and occult doctrines. Despite some interesting ideas of Dugin (especially in his earlier book), we do not consider Eurasians as our friends.

Some of the Russian nationalists are committed to Slavic paganism. We can and should cooperate with those of them who don’t express a radical anti-Christianity — also in order to bring to them the testimony of the Truth faith. Inculcation of dark spiritual cults among the European national-patriots under the guise of Traditions is very dangerous. When Europe finally loses its Christian roots, it will be conquered by Islam.

At the same time, we consider supporters of conservative values in countries where Christianity is not a traditional religion to be our allies — in particular, RIM is in correspondence with the Japanese and Thai far-rights.

Are there any important or famous persons in Russia who are pro-Monarchist and active in monarchist movement? I mean scientists or writers, poets, maybe artists…?

Among the Russian artists, writers and scientists are many supporters of monarchism, but almost none of them are engaged in its promotion, especially in the political field. Russian Imperial Movement actively cooperates with one of the few writers who openly declare to be monarchists, namely, the author of the dystopian novel The Mosque of Notre Dame de Paris Elena Chudinova.

What’s the attitude of “average Russian” to idea of monarchy? Is there any “tzarist sentiment” among normal, typical Russian people?

According to opinion polls, from 20 to 30% of Russians are supporters of monarchical ideas in general. But the lack of a commonly acceptable candidate to the throne and not very strong position of the Russian monarchists in politics do not allow for the restoration of the monarchy now. So we have a lot of work ahead!