Money made on war: why we have to ban Moscow Death Brigade. Pt.1
UANTIFA
Introduction
At the beginning of May, we remembered the old anti-fascist band Moscow Death Brigade (MDB) and decided to find out what are they doing now. In April, they've started another European tour and with it a boycott campaign against them on Twitter and Facebook began. For several years now, anti-fascists from Ukraine and other countries have been accusing them of hypocrisy, supporting Russian propaganda and dehumanizing Ukrainians. We decided to look into the matter and conducted our own investigation.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be even worse than we thought: exploitation of a radical image, lies, hypocrisy and friendship with "Z-antifa" (pro-Russian forces). So we decided to get involved in the boycott of their shows and activities.
At first, we directly approached MDB, their label and booking company. Only the label went for a dialogue. MDB answered in their arrogant and avoidant style: refused to communicate and listen, dismissed all claims, mentioned that they were on the scene of biggest leftist' fests and accused us of chauvinism.
We gave them 3 weeks to get in touch and discuss things calmly and respectfully - MDB didn't take advantage of that. So we publish our mini-investigation and call on you to join the boycott campaign: spread the information; spam emails and social networks of the initiatives/bands/businesses/organizations/labels/festivals that support MDB and Siberian Meat Grinder (SMG, side-project of MDB' member), to block and disrupt their shows in any possible way; launch attacks. MDB and close to them subjects in the show industry should stop shaming the antifascist/anarchist/leftist name by exploiting the radical image created to promote pro-Russian narratives and support the war. Now it's time to stop them.
If you don't have time to read the whole investigation, you can read it's short summary.
Band's history
The first period (2007-2014)
MDB began as an anti-racist music band in 2007 and was closely associated with the Moscow politicized scene. Nevertheless, their political views are very well expressed in the song 'Your cards are beaten' (2007):
They are literally saying: we are not right or left-wingers, politics are for flawed.
From the interview on October 10, 2010, Vova - the creator and active member of MDB we can find out next:
We recognize such 'antifascists' as apolitical and can see from MDB's example the danger of this phenomenon.
Moscow Brigade was 'apolitical' in 2010. In a year the Bolotnaya started - an attempt and a chance for Russians to stop their government from the coming war in Ukraine and the Russian Federation (RF) attacks in Syria, from the full-scale invasion on Feb 24, 2022. It's obvious for us that MDB didn't take their chance.
Words like 'whores, my Moscow, Russia...' - in 2023 are perceived with particular disgust in the context of the progressive, pro-feminist and left-wing views that the MDB exploitate today.
The second period (2014-24.2.2022)
At the end of February 2014, RF annexed Crimea and launched a sweep of the political field. Repressions affected pro-Ukrainian activists, the indigenous Tatar population and leftists.
In March 2014, through the FSB and its network of agents in Ukraine, RF started war actions and occupied parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, launched there so called DPR & LPR - Novorossia. More than 3 million people became refugees or internally displaced persons. Several tens of thousands have been killed in fighting or shelling. In the occupied territories RF has also launched repression and political cleansing. Several thousand people went through humiliation, torture and execution.
We recommend to read the detailed thread with testimonies of people from Donetsk about what happened in Donbas in 2014
One of the first political prisoners in Crimea became an anarchist Olexandr Kolchenko. On Aug 25, 2015 after a year under arrest, he got 10 years of strict prison regime in Russia. Luckily, after 5 years and a half he was exchanged and came back to Ukraine. Olexandr is fighting against occupants nowadays.
In 2014, there was a split among Russian antifascists and leftists between those who supported the Putin's foreign policy and those who were against it. And MDB tried to sit on both chairs at once.
On 7 August 2014, the Brigade initiated, wrote and spread an open letter (also on the MDB's Fb page) to sign. It was aimed on the representatives of the political music scene, anti-fascist groups and DIY initiatives from various countries to make a statement against the war that Russia started in Ukraine.
Among other things, the statement includes the following paragraph:
The signing of the statement by MDB turned out to be a lie for the purpose of hype on an important topic. And back in 2014 we could see that MDB took an anti-Ukrainian position when insisted that war that RF started in Crimea and Donbas was the realization of the ''right for autonomy and self-determination of any groups of people..."
Today, the Brigade is silent about that statement and their old friend and comrade, the well-known Moscow antifascist Anton "Dolbilo" Fatulaev. Until 2016, MDB actively defended Anton online and in person, but at some point stopped doing so due to an apparent contradiction in their public positions and praxis.
The case is Anton had died on August 27 in 2014, while he was fighting for LPR in the ranks of the 'Ghost' brigade, a notorious "left-wing" military formation that brought together Stalinists from different countries and continents. According to information from people from the Russian punk-rock scene, he may also have been a part of the Russian neo-Nazi unit 'Rusich'.
More about 'Rusich' and it's link to PWC 'Wagner'
MDB have never spoken out against the annexation of Crimea all these years. In the occupation of Donbas by the RF forces, they saw the realization of the "right for autonomy and self-determination", which means supporting the actions of their government and Putin. They refuse to condemn the aggressor state during their shows and, moreover, they spread the state narratives and vision in the radical music scene. In this way they have contributed to the Kremlin's disinformation campaign to dehumanize Ukrainians and create an image that "All Ukrainians are Nazis". It fulfilled the role of justifying the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 with all its horrific consequences. Thus, being "out of politics" in words, in reality Brigade has been integrated into the Russian institutional power vertical and has become its powerful voice in Europe and our scene.
In the interview for the 'Plastic Bomb' German magazine MDB stated that they were shocked by the invasion. But in fact, all these years they have deliberately supported the processes leading to such a monstrous result, and are therefore responsible for the actions of the occupiers in Ukraine. And how you will see from the article, still supporting it today.
How antifascists/anarchists/leftists should relate to the DPR/LPR/Lukashenko/Putin and their crimes, we described during the invasion here.
But back to the band's history.
In June-July 2014, MDB released EP "Hoods Up" on the Fire & Flames Music label, with which they still work to this day. Destiny tourbooking and a number of other firms organized their tours. Apparently, it was during the tours when MDB realized the benefit of changing their PR and communication strategy and began to deny an apolitical part of their own past. We don't see a problem if people change their views, it's nothing to be ashamed of. But as you will see later, in interviews MDB blatantly lie about themselves and their history.
Since 2014 they start to position themselves and the MDB brand in deep bound with radical left ideas, symbols and attributes, which was not the case before: antifascist action logos, black and red anarchist flags, political graffiti, etc. appear in their music videos. This is how they began to create their own left-wing radical image, which they exploit to this day to make money and promote left-wing populist views in Europe's radical scene.
Destiny tourbooking has ignored our appeal to them. Fire & Flames responded with complete understanding and respect.
On October 21, 2015 MDB released a music video for the song "Papers, Please" on the then pressing issue of the migration crisis. It was triggered by the 'Arab Spring', the emergence of ISIS and the beginning of the civil war in Syria. Here it should be recalled that since 2011 Russia has been a permanent ally of the authoritarian regime of Bashar Assad and has committed plenty of war crimes in Syria. As in the case of Ukraine, MDB never talk about the real causes and perpetrators of tragedies - they prefer general phrases and leftist slogans like "Refugees welcome!", "Fuck war!", "Fuck militarist shit!", which don't give any clear answers, don't require any actions from the Brigade, but which resonate with the European left.
On May 10, 2017, an even more political music video was released for the song "Brother & Sisterhood," which celebrates the principles of equality, solidarity and mutual aid.
While MDB were touring Europe, earning social approval and gaining support from the leftist milieu, the Crimean occupation authorities and the FSB detained anarchist Yevgeny Karakashev on February 1, 2018. He still sits in the Russian prison on terrorism charges and is subjected to daily administration pressure.
Contrary to what MDB say about sister&brotherhood, aid and solidarity, we know no case MDB supported Ukrainian antifascist and anarchist comrades. Neither after 2014 nor after the start of the full-scale invasion.
The third period (24.2.2022 - Feb, 2023)
Until February 24, 2022, MDB was doing quite well, apart from attacks from feminists, queers and anarchists who started asking uncomfortable questions. But they couldn't get enough support and were pretty much ignored by the left-radical music scene itself. So MDB managed to stay afloat.
On February 24 the invasion of Ukraine begins. Anarchists and antifascists prepare for these events in advance and create military and volunteer structures to fight back against the occupants.
That day MDB posted their amorphous statement. In it, they support the Kremlin's narrative about the guilt of "the West," again not calling Russia the aggressor, expressing solidarity with the civilians of Ukraine (only?), most of whom stood up to defend their country, and covertly mentioning Novorossia accusing the international community of indifference. Especially hypocritical is a special shout out for Ukrainian "brothers and sisters for the antifascist struggle". We assume these words were addressed to their friends who are fighting for the LDPR and RF interests.
On April 9, MDB posting a new statement condemning the invasion. At the same time, they again separated the Russian-occupied Donbas from Ukraine, thereby recognizing the "people's republics". This is a blatant anti-Ukrainian position. The text contains only general good wishes and a call for a cease-fire, without specifying to whom exactly it's addressed. It's important to understand that every speech from the stage without giving real support to the Ukrainian people, every refusal to name the perpetrators of the invasion - their own government - every reference to the "people's republics" means a distraction of the global left scene and movement from the real causes of the war. It's a sabotage of solidarity and mutual aid with Ukrainian antifascists: fighters, volunteers and activists, the real, not fictional, Ukrainian people. It's clear from their actions that MDB condemn war profiteering only in words. In fact, they have carved out their own niche in the industry and are making money from it.
For those who are out of the context of the invasion of Ukraine, let's be clear: if the Ukrainians lay down their arms, they will die; if Russia does so, the war will over.
While Ukrainian antifascists fight to protect their country and loved ones, Ukrainian refugees go through filtration camps and torture, Ukrainians are murdered because of their ethnicity and nationality, MDB continue to travel and perform in Europe under the guise of antifascism. Being under the protection of NATO air defenses and not knowing what bombing is, it's very convenient to speak against NATO, to shout from the stage about condemning wars and fighting fascism. The height of absurdity and hypocrisy by MDB in 2022 is attacking its own fans with knives.
On September 15, 2022 in Portugal MDB stabbed a visitor of their concert during the conflict. Immediately after that they released the following statement, in which they described everything as if they were attacked by a Nazi mob and had only to defend themselves with all available means. Under the post the other side of the conflict came and described their vision which was so contradictory to the MDB statement that they deleted all the comments of these people.
If you read the text you will see why: MDB made an aggressive remark to a visitor of their concert about smoking in the club. On being rejected, they started a fight and got seriously hurt in it, because they were in the minority. To escape the wrath of the crowd, MDB used knife and fled. Fully aware of the stupidity and cowardice of what they did (assaulting their own fans with a knife), MDB decided to get ahead of the complaints and published their own statement. They lied and added the motive of a political struggle (which simply didn't exist) to the situation they had created.
The details of this case show MDB's lack of respect for their fans and the European promoters who booked them accommodations, concerts, and provided visa support. Violence, avoidance of discussion, and lies are MDB's usual tools. Their bolt cutter which they have been using to cut the truth for 16 years already.
On October 19, 2022 MDB announced that they had to postpone their tour to 2023 due to the mobilization and border closures by the Russian authorities. This is the end of their last year European tour.
During the whole tour MDB never gave any concrete reasons and those who responsible for the war, which has been going on for 9 years. Every time it was pointed out to them, they answer that they can't do so publicly, because in Russia they could be put in jail up to 25 years.
It's true that there are great risks of reprisals for those who oppose the war and the government. But sheer people can't be stopped: they sabotage and attack various facilities of the system in order to catalyze the end of the war.
Many were caught and got up to 20 years in prison. But they got sentenced for the attacks. Not for words spoken from a stage or in a private conversation in Europe. People in Russia sometimes get from 5 to 12 years in prison for that, so the MDB is lying. Information about terms and new political prisoners can easily be found on the internet. We doubt the MDB will be able to name at least 5 of them.
That's why we think it's cowardice on the part of the Brigade, covered with lies and hypocrisy: to call themselves "anarchists", "antifas" or "punks", to be such a powerful voice of the radical scene, to have such public power, but to be afraid to tell the truth: that their own president and government unleashed the war. Are they afraid of their government because they might face conviction and prison? We're sorry, but we've been facing bombings, swarming drone attacks, artillery strikes, civilian and animal deaths under the ruins of houses every day, for 1.5 years. Recently, with the occupiers' bombing of the Kakhovka HPP, we learned what eco-genocide is.
We also faced the deaths of our lovely comrades (some were Russians and were part of the Ivan 'Kostolom' Khutorskoy mob, if that makes any difference to the MDB) because of the occupiers' actions. Our risks are not comparable and there is no excuse for the cowardice of MDB.
The fourth period (Feb, 2023 - ...)
We have come to one of the most interesting and hypocritical episodes of the Brigade's career. Almost on the anniversary of the the invasion, on February 28, 2023 MDB released a feat song & video with Karlos Animal from 'Non Servium' band. It's not about war, millions of refugees, destroyed cities, bombings, rapes, torture, and looting committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. By the plot, Karlos and company go out with cold weapons to beat up Nazis. Just take a look:
So behind all we paid attention to four points:
1) MDB's hypocritical "anti-violence position" and the fact of non-supporting Ukrainian anarchists and antifascists fighters.
2) MDB performs from Moscow, in front of Russian government buildings.
The band members are still live in Moscow although MDB banned to perform in Russia, they continue to do so with their other project, Siberian Meat Grinder (SMG). Especially cynical, in the context of the war started by Russia in Ukraine, and previously in Moldova, Ichkeria (Chechnya) and Sakartvelo (Georgia), is the fact that the MDB frontman's project makes money through the image of a militarized tsar-bear in an imperialist mantle, underlining the imperialist past and present of Russia. On February 24, SMG released their infantile statement calling for peace. A year later, the invasion apparently no longer bothers them.
3) personality of Karlos Animal and position of Non Servium.
They are staying in a good friendship with MDB (which can be easily seen through both bands social networks) and the Banda Bassotti. Band which have been known since 2014 for their support of the aggression of Russia and Novorossia and the gigs they gave there.
Karlos Animal was a guest at the 2019 Banda Bassotti' concert. The concert was organized by Brigada Ruben Ruiz Ibarruri, the Banda Bassotti's support group. Their page is crawling with images of St. George's ribbons, Soviet flags, and words of support for Novorossia. This is important because both pro-Russian "anti-fascists" and Nazis are using the same symbols.
Neither Karlos, nor the other members of Non Servium reacted in any way to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Because their member had health problems so they had to cancel their upcoming concerts. And also because 9 years ago they clearly stated their views by supporting the Kremlin and obviously have not retreated from them at all.
In this context, it's important to mention that on Nov 17, 2022, a court in The Hague found the functional leaders of the LDPR guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced three suspects to life imprisonment in absentia. Among them was Igor "Strelkov" Girkin, the top military leader in the DPR, who in 2014 illegally crossed the Ukrainian border and began seizing administrative buildings in the Donetsk region. He received direct orders from the Kremlin and, among other things, is directly responsible for the shooting down of MH17 by DPR forces.
4) pro-Russian symbolic in the video.
If you watch the MDB video carefully, you can see a man with pro-Russian symbols: a star of internationalists on a background of a St. George's ribbon. We have to keep in mind a statement from 2014 which MDB wrote, signed and spread in the political scene to ask a just question about MDB's nature.
Obviously, MDB were well aware of the pro-Russian views and activities of Karlos Animal, Non Servium, and Banda Bassotti. They did not condemn them in any way. In fact, it's one of the main reasons why they got together. And the fact that MDB are friends and do creative work with such people means nothing more or less than their support of RF actions. Hopefully, MDB's pro-war and pro-Russian position is now clear and undeniable to even the most stubborn.
For us in Ukraine (and, in fact, for the entire international liberation movement) right now, the Brigade's actions have their own negative consequences: we receive no help from such significant actors as MDB, who in addition commit even more negative actions: distracting people in the scene from the problems, their search for solutions and sabotage of genuine solidarity with struggling comrades and people. By their actions, they help the imperialist forces of Russia by spreading their vision and justifying the genocide of the Ukrainian people and repressions inside Russia, Belarus and several other ally states. And MDB are responsible for this too.
On April 21, 2023 MDB started a new European tour. It seems to us, already on the basis of these facts, it would be honest and correct to refuse any collaboration and any contact with MDB. It's time to stop helping them to exploit and monetize the image of antifascists and left radicals. It's time to stop their sabotage of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and antifascists.