Zakhar Prilepin

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Zakhar Prilepin
Захар Прилепин
Prilepin in 2020
Co-chairman of A Just Russia – For Truth
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 February 2021
President of the For Truth
In office
1 February 2020 – 22 February 2021
Personal details
Born
Yevgeny Nikolayevich Prilepin

(1975-07-07) 7 July 1975 (age 49)
Ilyinka, Ryazan Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union[1]
Political party
Alma materNizhny Novgorod State University
OccupationWriter, Rosgvardiya officer, journalist, politician
AwardsOrder of Courage
Military service
Allegiance
Branch/service
Years of service
  • 1994–1999
  • 2016–2018
  • 2023
RankPodpolkovnik[2]
Battles/wars
Writing career
Pen nameZakhar Prilepin
LanguageRussian
PeriodContemporary
Genres
Literary movementRealism
Years active2003–present

Yevgeny Nikolayevich Prilepin (Russian: Евге́ний Никола́евич Приле́пин;[3][4][5][6] born 7 July 1975), writing as Zakhar Prilepin (Russian: Захар Прилепин), and sometimes using another pseudonym, Yevgeny Lavlinsky (Russian: Евгений Лавлинский), is a Russian writer, politician and paramilitary leader.

He was a member of Russia's National Bolshevik Party from 1996 to 2019 and the leader of the national-conservative political party For Truth from 1 February 2020 until it merged into A Just Russia in February 2021.[7]

Biography

Yevgeny Prilepin was born 7 July 1975 in the village of Ilyinka, Ryazan Oblast, in the family of a teacher and a nurse. His family lived there until 1984, when they moved to Dzerzhinsk.[8] He started working at age 16 as a loader in a bread shop.[4] He graduated from the Faculty of Philology of the Nizhny Novgorod State University and the School of Public Policy. He worked as a laborer, a security guard, and served as a squad leader in the Russian police group OMON, and subsequently took part in the fighting in Chechnya in 1996 and 1999.[4]

Prilepin at the 6 Moscow International Book Festival in 2011

In 1999, due to financial difficulties, Prilepin left OMON and got a job as a journalist at the Nizhny Novgorod newspaper Delo. He published under many pseudonyms, the most famous of which is Eugene Lavlinsky. In 2000, he became the editor of the newspaper. At the same time, Prilepin began to work on his first novel, The Pathologies.[8]

"The newspaper, however, was horribly yellow and sometimes even reactionary, although it was part of the holding of Sergei Kiriyenko. And I realized that I spent a life for nothing – and began to write a novel. At first, it was a novel about love, but eventually (I worked for three or four years), it turned into a novel about Chechnya as about the most powerful experience of my life – as the saying goes, what we are doing always turns out to be a Kalashnikov rifle."[citation needed]

Works by Prilepin were published in various newspapers, including Limonka, Literary Gazette, The Edge, General Line, as well as in the magazines North, Friendship of Peoples, Roman-gazeta, New World, Snob, Russian pioneer, and Russian life. He was the chief editor of the People's Observer, the newspaper of Nizhny Novgorod's National Bolshevik Party branch. He participated in the seminar of young writers Moscow – Peredelkino (February 2004) and in the IV, V, and VI Forum of Young Writers in Moscow, Russia.[citation needed] He also wrote a biography of Soviet novelist Leonid Leonov.[9] He is a member of the ideological think tank the Izborsky Club.[10]

Prilepin was a member of the banned Russian National Bolshevik Party[4] and a supporter of the coalition The Other Russia, and took part in the organization of the Nizhny Novgorod Dissenters' March on 24 March 2007. In July 2012, he published a short essay titled "A Letter to Comrade Stalin,"[11] a Stalinist critique aimed against modern Russian "liberal society", which was widely regarded as antisemitic.[12][13]

The media has repeatedly mentioned Prilepin's friendship with Vladislav Surkov, whose cousin is married to Prilepin's sister, Yelena.[14]

In February 2017, Prilepin gave a lengthy interview, in which he revealed that he was leading a volunteer battalion in the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk. The battalion was the 4th Reconnaissance and Assault Battalion of the Special Forces of the Armed forces of DNR, commonly known as Prilepin's Battalion; Prilepin claimed it had been created in July 2016 on his initiative and announced "we will ride on a white horse into any town we've abandoned." Prilepin further said he was second in command with the rank of major.[15][16] Prilepin was an influential figure and a celebrity in the DNR and the concept of Malorossiya was seemingly created by him.[17]

In late July 2018, Prilepin returned "demobilized" to Moscow;[18] the battalion he had served in was disbanded in September 2018.[19][20] Prilepin boasted that the battalion had killed more Ukrainians than any other. However, there is no evidence that he took part in any actual combat.[21][22][23] He is wanted on terrorism charges in Ukraine, and was denied entry to Bosnia-Herzegovina for security reasons.[21][24]

On 29 November 2018, he joined the All-Russian People's Front.[25] Because of this, he was excluded from The Other Russia political party by its founder Eduard Limonov, who had earlier, together with party members, told Prilepin to choose between the two political structures.[26]

On 29 October 2019, he created the public movement For Truth (За правду). He intended for the movement to be transformed into a political party that will participate in the 2021 legislative election.[27] However, the party merged into A Just Russia in February 2021.[7]

Prilepin strongly supported Russia's renewed invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. For his support of the war in Ukraine, Prilepin has been sanctioned by Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom[28] The European Union had included him in the very first round of sanctions on 28 February 2022 on those supporting the invasion.[29] In January 2023, Prilepin signed a contract to join the Russian National Guard and fought in Ukraine for a second time.[30]

Antisemitic controversy

In July 2012 Prilepin published a short essay titled "A Letter to comrade Stalin",[31] which provoked outrage[32] and accusations of antisemitism.[33][34][35] In the essay written in the 1st person of collective Jewish consciousness[13] contains "autoaccusations" of antisemitic nature, and "admissions of crimes" against Russian people, culture and economy.[36]

Assassination attempt

On 6 May 2023, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, on the way to Moscow from the Russian-occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk, Prilepin's car was blown up. Prilepin was injured, and his bodyguard died.[37] According to the BBC, the Atesh partisan movement claimed responsibility for the attack.[38] The attack was the third of this type targeting pro-war figures to happen in Russia after the start of its invasion of Ukraine, with the earlier ones having been the killing of Darya Dugina and the 2023 Saint Petersburg bombing that killed Vladlen Tatarsky.[39] On 6 June 2023, Vladimir Putin awarded Prilepin the Order of Courage.[40]

On 30 September 2024, Alexander Permyakov, a former pro-Russian separatist fighter from the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the attack.[41]

Personal life

Prilepin is married to Maria and has two sons and two daughters: Gleb, Ignat, Kira, and Lilia. Prilepin lives in Nizhny Novgorod.[42][8]

Bibliography

Novels

  • Санькя – Sankya, Novel. Ad Marginem, Moscow 2006, 280 pages ISBN 978-5-91103-078-0
  • Патологии – The Pathologies, Novel. Andreevsky Flag, Moscow 2005, 250 pages ISBN 978-5-17-073224-1
  • Грех – Sin. Vargius, Moscow 2007 ISBN 978-9-08-182393-7
  • Чёрная обезьяна [ru] (Black Ape) AST, Moscow 2012 ISBN 978-5-17-137378-8
  • Обитель. (Abode) AST, Moscow 2014 ISBN 978-5170844838

Stories

  • Ботинки, полные горячей водкой. (Shoes Filled with Hot Vodka) AST, Moscow 2008
  • Война. (War) AST, Moscow 2008
  • Революция. (Revolution) AST, Moscow 2009

Essays

  • Я пришёл из России. (I Came from Russia) Moscow 2008
  • Terra Tartarara. Это касается лично меня" (сборник эссе). (Terra Tartarara. It Personally Corncerns Me) AST, Moscow 2009
  • Летучие бурлаки. (Flying Burlaks) AST, Moscow 2014

Other

  • Леонид Леонов: Игра его была огромна. (Leonid Leonov: His Play was Great) Molodaya Gvardiya, Moscow 2010
  • Книгочёт. (The Bookgazer) Astrel, Moscow 2012
  • Именины сердца. Разговоры с русской литературой. (Heart's birthday. Conversations with Russian Literature) AST, Moscow 2009

References

  1. ^ "Захар Прилепин – Биография". Zaharprilepin.ru. Archived from the original on 10 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  2. ^ "Прилепину присвоили звание подполковника Росгвардии". TASS. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Захар Прилепин | Новая литературная карта России". Litkarta.ru. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d "Прилепин, Захар". Lenta.ru. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  5. ^ "Биография Захара Прилепина | Анонимная Правда". Sta-sta.ru. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  6. ^ Medved magazine, No 3 (138), 2010
  7. ^ a b "Манифест". spravedlivo.ru. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "ВСЁ СБЫЛОСЬ". zaharprilepin.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  9. ^ Прилепин, Захар (2012). Podelnik epokhi: Leonid Leonov. Астрель. ISBN 978-5-271-42690-2. Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  10. ^ Galstyan, Areg (27 June 2016). "Third Rome Rising: The Ideologues Calling for a New Russian Empire". The National Interest. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Письмо товарищу Сталину – Общество – Свободная Пресса". svpressa.ru. 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  12. ^ "Ежедневный Журнал: Дебютант". Ej.ru. 24 September 2012. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  13. ^ a b "МЫ ЗДЕСЬ | Публикации | Сифилис антисемитизма". Newswe.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  14. ^ "Захар Прилепин". Скачать бесплатно книги в FB2 и EPUB форматах (in Russian). Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Захар Прилепин собрал в ДНР свой батальон". Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  16. ^ Following "Russia's Hemingway" to War Archived 16 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (28 April 2017)
  17. ^ From "Malorossiya" With Love? Archived 16 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (18 July 2017)
  18. ^ Russian writer quits Donbas terrorists' ranks, moves back to Moscow Archived 26 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine, UNIAN (18 July 2017)
  19. ^ "Все хотят освобождения всех земель Новороссии". Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  20. ^ "#MinskMonitor: The Rise and Fall of "Prilepin's Battalion"". 8 November 2018. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Best-Selling Russian Author Boasts Of 'Killing Many' In Ukraine's Donbas". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 18 August 2019. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  22. ^ "Russian Novelist Brags His Battalion Killed the Most Ukrainians". 21 August 2019. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  23. ^ "Militant Prilepin is offended that killing of large number of people is not recognized for his battalion". 16 August 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  24. ^ "A Stolen Ukrainian Icon Reveals a Web of Secret State and Nonstate Connections | Wilson Center". www.wilsoncenter.org. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  25. ^ "ОНФ подвёл итоги первой пятилетки и обновил руководство". Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  26. ^ "Эдуард Лимонов исключил Захара Прилепина из партии «Другая Россия». За членство в ОНФ". Радио Свобода. 29 December 2018. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  27. ^ "Захар Прилепин написал партию". 29 October 2019. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  28. ^ "Who is Zakhar Prilepin, target of car bomb in Russia?". Al Jazeera. 7 May 2023. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  29. ^ Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/336 of 28 February 2022 implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
  30. ^ БОЙКО, Александр (26 January 2023). "Майор Захар Прилепин отправился на спецоперацию во главе подразделения спецназа". kp.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  31. ^ "Письмо товарищу Сталину". 30 July 2012.
  32. ^ "Home". 7 August 2023.
  33. ^ "Ежедневный Журнал: Дебютант".
  34. ^ "Грани.Ру | Евгений Ихлов: Метафизический антисемит".
  35. ^ "АПН Северо-Запад".
  36. ^ "Ежедневный Журнал: Дебютант".
  37. ^ "Захара Прилепина атаковали, как танк". Коммерсантъ (in Russian). 10 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  38. ^ "В России взорвали автомобиль Захара Прилепина. Идеолог и участник войны с Украиной ранен". www.bbc.com. 6 May 2023. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  39. ^ "Russian nationalist writer wounded in car bombing, one dead". Reuters. 6 May 2023. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  40. ^ "ЗА ХРАБРОСТ И НЕСЕБИЧНОСТ: Путин наградио Прилепина Орденом". NOVOSTI (in Serbian). Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  41. ^ "A man gets life in prison in Russia for a car bomb that wounded a writer". Associated Press. 30 September 2024.
  42. ^ "Прилепин, Захар Российский писатель". lenta.ru. Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
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