Issue #24/79, December 12 - 26, 1999  

By Edward Limonov

Late October, 1999. Novosibirsk. In newspaper "Novaya Sibir" published in city of Novisibirsk, provincial capital of Novosibirsk Region bordering with Kazakhstan, was published huge article called "Confession of Russians Terrorists". Somebody named as Sergei and his two friends talked about preparation of armed insurrection in the city Ust-Kamenogorsk--capital of Eastern Kazakhstan. According to them, the chief of inssurection is Victor Pugachov, who supposedly is colonel of GRU (Russian military intelligence) and was an intelligence officer working in Western Europe. Sergei stated that he saw at Pugachov's apartment in Moscow (Novaya Sibir give even Moscow's address of Pugachov, only with slightly disguised number of building: Ulitsa Akademika Vargi N. 2) photographs of Pugachov, in different capitals of Western Europe. Among them, stated Sergei, a photograph of Pugachov with Alessandra Mussolini, a grand daughter of Benito Mussolini. The task of Pugachov, said Sergei, was to infiltrate leftists radical political movements, including famous Red Brigades. According to Sergei, Pugachov's group consisted of eight men charged with recruitment, plus close associates of Pugachev indicated as "his right-hand", went to supposed rebel republic of Eastern Kazakhstan with a goal to organize armed inssurection there.

Novemeber 19. City of Urst-Kamenogorsk. Alma-Atinskaya Ultisa. Office of tourist firm "Avio-Trek-Policy" is attacked by 30 supermen of group "ARTISAN", Kazakh's equivalent of group "Alfa". ARTISAN arrived from Astana, Kazakhstan's capital by air. About twenty men found in office Avio-Trek-Policy are arrested. Amongst them Victor Pugachov (Kasimirchuk, according to his passport), Chernishov, Alexander Dashkov, Albert Rogaev, Mikhail Matisch. Siezed weapons: 270 rounds of ammunitino for Kalashnikov, 14 bottles of Molotov Cocktails, and one hand grenade F-1. Few more men been arrested elsewhere. Twenty-two men been placed into interrogative prison (SIZO) of Ust-Kamenogorsk.

November 23. Moscow. Radio Moscow announced about event in Ust-Kamenogorsk. Press-officer of FSB Zdanovich declared that FSB have known about preparation of insurrection with a goal to unite Eastern Kazakhstan region with Russia. Zdanovich also stated that twelve of arrested men are Russian citizens. Zdanovich said that FSB immediately send information about prepared "putsch" to KNB (Kazakhstan National Defense Committee). Poor devils wanted to create "Republic of Russ".

November 23, evening. Somebody called Alexander Borisovich telephoned me. He said that group of Russian lads wanted to snatch part of Kazakhstan. They had a few bases in Russia. That their leader Pugachov (Kazimirchuk) fought at Yugoslavia and Transdniestr. They got arrested because "one of yours", Sergei Svoikin, and two others gave an interveiw to a newspaper in Novosibirsk. I said, Svoikin I know. But he never was one of ours. He just attended few of our open-for-public gatherings. But yes, he passed himself for a member of National-Bolsheviks Party, for his purposes of a small crook. In our internal party publication NBP-INFO we even warned our regional organizations: Some Cossak named Svoikin traveling all over Russia, passing himself for a member of NBP. He cheated Saint-Petersburg's, Nizhny Novgorod's National-Bolsheviks on money, he also lived in Ufa, where he passed himself as "a right hand of E. Limonov." Throw him off and beat him up! Bald, about 35, always slightly drunk, all what I remember about Svoikia.

In 1997 when party group went to Kazakhstan, he wanted to go with us. I said "No." He went himself with one of ours--underaged boy, but got stuck somwhere in Volgograd.

November 24. Moscow. Prime Minister Putin said, "That event in Ust-Kamenogorsk is not a big-scale event."

In midday, I spoke to ... let us call him "analyst", specialist of Kazakhstan. Analyst said, "Kazimirichuk-Pugachov never fought in Yugoslavia or Trandniestr, not speaking of him to be colonel of GRU. Those are fables. He is slightly mad. But amongst arrested are many good people, like Chernishov (ex-press secretary of Cossakis group of Ataman Filin), some belonging to student's circles of Ust-Kamenogorsk, aged 17-18 teenagers. For now, all Kazakhstan's citizens are released but assigned do not leave a city, except Dashkov. From 10 to 12 people are remaining under arrest. As to calling them 'Russian citizens', it is not appropriate term. By protest they never got Kazakhstan's citizenship, so they remained citizens of USSR. FSB delivered conspirators to KNB. Now Victor Pugachov, Chernishov, Albert Rogaev, Mikhail Matisch are accused of incitement to a violent change of political system, traffic of weapons, etc."

November 26. President Nazarbaev called Ust Kamenogorsk's event "Pure criminal event, what has no political underlining."

November 26. Analyst states: "Ust-Kamenogorsk conspiracy happens just right before Nazarbayev's visit to the United States. One year moratorium of USA for economical ehlp to Kazakhstan further damaged ruined economy of Kazakhstan. So, now Nazarbaev will arguing egive me a money, I will stop Russian nationalist danger." That is also local interests involved. Mr. Tataev, deputy-akim ("akim" means governor) of Easter Kazakhstan Region is dying to take place of akin in present occupied by Mr. Mette (of course German). So that was a Tataev who acted locally, in contact with Alnur Musaev, a head of Kazakhstan's KNB. As to genuine desire of Russian population of Ust-Kamenogorsk to escape from Nazarbaev despotical rule is no doubt about that. 92% of Ust-Kamenogorsk population is Russian. In 1994 happened much more seirous attempt of insurrection in Ust-Kamenogorsk, passed unnoticed by the world. Nazarbaev is a good friend of Yeltsin. They met when both worked at Central Committee of Communist Party.