First, let me make something clear from the beginning – this is not a political post – politics is not my cup of hobby; and God knows (haha!) that I’m not a nazi or any other radical supporter. Just for the record.
Anyhow, there is something arousing about extremists. Something that makes your adrenalin rise, makes your blood flow run wild and sweat your tank top wet.
On the other hand, there is also something vulnerable about extremists. They’re like the bullies from 5th grade who never grew up and still have excessive amounts of testosterone fron the beginning puberty.
“The Slavic Union” was established by Dmitry Demushkin in 1999 in Saint Petersburg. He believes the ideology of Hitler to be fair and says that the only proper way for Russia of today is setting people’s dictatorship of the national-socialistic type. He looks like an ordinary guy and you’ll never tell, looking at him, that he’s a leader of such organization.
There are 80 active members of “the Slavic Union” in St. Petersburg, and about 1000 members in Moscow. Most of them are former skinheads who are just tired to beat up black people without any ideology. Officially the union doesn’t demand any attacks from its members, but they do it anyway. Their main target – activists of anti-fascist movement.
These are some photos by Guillaume Herbaut taken some years ago in St. Petersburg.
[images found at English Russia]
7 comments
Andrew Roberts says:
Sep 3, 2010
Is it a good idea to glorify people like this? I don’t think so. Regardless of fetishistic appeal I think that the desirable gaze you frame this pictures in is profoundly wrong.
Christo says:
Sep 3, 2010
of course you are right. but I didn’t feel like writing comfortable posts all the time. good proof that at least one of my readers is awake!
d.z. bodenberg says:
Sep 3, 2010
That’s a poor excuse.
Andrew Roberts says:
Sep 6, 2010
yeah.
I think fetish that references this in a non specific way is fine, but I think to actually display one group like this is disrespectful to people that spend their time fighting facism or, worse, living underneath it.
Christo says:
Sep 6, 2010
I totally agree, Andrew. Nonetheless, I am presenting it as fetish art and not as justification of fascism. There are other examples for that – take Skin Flick by Bruce LaBruce or even the Alejandro video by Lady Gaga featuring all those references…
as the beginning of this post says: “First, let me make something clear from the beginning – this is not a political post – politics is not my cup of hobby; and God knows (haha!) that I’m not a nazi or any other radical supporter. Just for the record.”
bill says:
Sep 10, 2010
but your not bruce la bruce nor are you lady gaga and you havent created anyhting quite like what they have here
Christo says:
Sep 10, 2010
Andrew, I really wonder where you got the idea I am saying I am something like those great artists. However, you have the right not to be comfortable with the article and I don’t find it necessary to justify myself any further.