IN MEMORIAM:
EDUARD LIMONOV
(1943-2020)
At first, many did not want to believe it and asked immediately for confirmation. That the writer, dissent, and popular figure Eduard Limonov died March 15 at the age of 77 in a clinic in Moscow.
Born from a military family in 1943, Limonov, whose original name was Eduard Veniaminovich Savenko, was known initially in the literary circles through his memoir "It's Me, Eddie", which scandalised Russia when it first published in the country in 1991, selling over a million copies. The story, known for its sexual escapades during his sojourn abroad, hath stunned a still-conservative Russian society during the post-Soviet era.
However, his name was etched further in sociopolitical circles through his dissidence against the system first by the creation of the paper "Limonka", following the founding of the National Bolshevik Party along with Egor Letov and then-ally Alexander Dugin, whom he called the movement as a midpoint between communism and fascism. During his political adventures as a National Bolshevik were marred with harrasments and arrests. In 1992, Limonov and his group was along with Gennady Zyuganov under the National Salvation Front against Boris Yeltsin.
However, his strong opposition to Putin in the year 2000 made him and his group active in the Moscow protest movement, leading the "Other Russia" campaign along with chess legend Garry Kasparov and Human Rights activist Lev Ponomarev. However, the alliance was short lived when he broke off with his liberal opposition allies and instead favored Russia's 2014 reabsoption of Crimea and his support for the Novorussian separatists.
But despite these challenges Limonov faced he remained prominent in both literary and political scenes. Be it through his "It's Me, Eddie", "The Other Russia", "Limonka", or his punk-style aesthetics of the National Bolsheviks, Limonov had been dedicated to counter the current in pursuit of struggle for his homeland's redemption. Call it strange the combination of left and right symbolism, of studying works of Ustryalov and Lenin, or of looking back at Stalin's numerous contributions, after all, "The goal is to change Russia into a modern, powerful state, respected by other countries and peoples and beloved by its own citizens" by ensuring the free development of civil society, the independence of the media and social justice."
Admittingly speaking, this writer first became aware of Limonov during his childhood days. Quite weird tho especially how his group bear a flag that combines the colours of national socialism yet bears the symbol of communism; and to think that critics described his political views as a "national-patriotic demagoguery", Limonov ought to expose and oppose the degeneracy of the post-Soviet Russian order with its crony capitalist-dominated "Orderism", in order to assert the much needed Social and National Liberation for his homeland to revive.
Perhaps, this writer had less to say further, but despite his demise his legacy will always remember. "Yes, Death!" is the call, but Limonov will always live!
Admittingly speaking, this writer first became aware of Limonov during his childhood days. Quite weird tho especially how his group bear a flag that combines the colours of national socialism yet bears the symbol of communism; and to think that critics described his political views as a "national-patriotic demagoguery", Limonov ought to expose and oppose the degeneracy of the post-Soviet Russian order with its crony capitalist-dominated "Orderism", in order to assert the much needed Social and National Liberation for his homeland to revive.
Perhaps, this writer had less to say further, but despite his demise his legacy will always remember. "Yes, Death!" is the call, but Limonov will always live!