A dark horse on the left, famous novelist Mr. Limonov is leader of the banned and heavily persecuted National Bolshevik Party. The party has staged some of the most radical street actions of the Putin era, including the occupation of government buildings. Limonov, who lived for long periods in the United States and France, adopts the personal style and, to a large extent, the leftist political doctrines of Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin. He has a dedicated following of several hundred young people, who appear willing to endure repeated arrests and unusually harsh treatment – even by Russian standards – at the hands of police.
In recent years, Limonov has found common ground with liberals with their shared anti-Kremlin sentiment. His followers were a strong presence at the Moscow pro-democracy rallies.
He remains a particular object of concern to Russian police. "Limonov's people are defiant, and indifferent to long prison sentences. They get beaten, and come back to get beaten again," says Masha Lipman, editor of the Moscow Carnegie Center's Pro et Contra journal. "The Kremlin obviously fears this example could become infectious, and involve more young people, so it overreacts by jailing them for such long periods."
