Republican Movement of Karelia

The Republican Movement of Karelia (Russian: Республиканское Движение Карелии) or Karelian Republican Movement (Finnish: Karjalan Tasavallan Liike; Karelian: Karjalan Tazavallan Liike) or RMK was a Karelian regionalist[1] and separatist[2] organization founded by a Russian philosopher and author Vadim Vladimirovich Shtepa and registered in January 2014.[3] The organization became inactive after Vadim Shtepa was arrested in December 2015[4] and was dissolved in August 2019.[3]

Republican Movement of Karelia
Republican Movement of Karelia
Республиканское Движение Карелии
Karjalan Tasavallan Liike
Karjalan Tazavallan Liike
FormationJanuary 10, 2014 (2014-01-10)
FounderVadim Vladimirovich Shtepa
DissolvedAugust 14, 2019 (2019-08-14)
PurposeKarelian regionalism
Karelian separatism
Location
LeaderEmelyanova Ekaterina Valentinovna
since 2016
Websitehttps://free-karelia.org/

History
Vadim Vladimirovich Shtepa, the founder of the RMK

The RMK started off as an internet forum created in the late 2000s[5] but later registered as a public organization on the 10th of January 2014.[3] The organization participated in various protests, such as protests for the transfer of jurisdiction of the Kizhi Pogost back from the Russian Ministry of Culture[6] to the government of the Republic of Karelia[7] and the protest against visa-free travel between Russia and Central Asian countries.[8]

The RMK also focused on expanding and popularizing Karelian culture with projects such as National Kyykkä Assoсiation[9] and Onegaborg radio, which only broadcast songs from Karelia.[10] The organization also had candidates during the 2014 Petrozavodsk city council election[11] but did not secure any seats.[12] On 4 December 2015, Vadim Shtepa was arrested for distribution of extremist materials[13] on the same day an article was posted on Respublika, the news website of the government of the Republic of Karelia, where the Head of the Republic of Karelia, Aleksandr Hudilainen, condemns Shtepa of extremism, saying that “extremists will have no will either in Petrozavodsk or in Karelia”.[4]After this incident, Vadim Shtepa moved to Estonia.[14]

The organization continued to legally exist under the leadership of Emelyanova Ekaterina Valentinovna until its liquidation on the 14th of August 2019.[3]

Goals

RMK was originally created as an organization that aimed to gain more autonomy for the Republic of Karelia as a part of the Russian Federation,[1] however, over the years it became more separatist in nature.[15][16] Other goals included the creation of a multi-cultural state of Russians, Karelians, Finns, Vepsians, Zaonezhians, Pomors and other ethnic groups of Karelia;[8][16] creation of parliamentary republic and diversification of the economy;[15] renaming of streets and cities to more Karelian names;[17][18] liquidation of "United Russia" in Karelia and the law enforcement agencies serving it; revival of the transboundary project "Euroregion Karelia"; ecological protection and technological modernization of the country.[19]

The movement rejected the idea of unifying with Finland, seeing it as "a colony wanting to change its overlord".[19]

References
  1. "CEBEPHOE CЛOBO" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  2. "CEBEPHOE CЛOBO" (in Russian). 24 October 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  3. "РЕГИОНАЛЬНАЯ ОБЩЕСТВЕННАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ В ПОДДЕРЖКУ ОСНОВ ФЕДЕРАЛИЗМА И ГРАЖДАНСКОГО ОБЩЕСТВА "РЕСПУБЛИКАНСКОЕ ДВИЖЕНИЕ КАРЕЛИИ"" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  4. Kryzhanovskaya, Anastsia (4 December 2015). "Глава Карелии: экстремистам не будет воли ни в Петрозаводске, ни в Карелии" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  5. "Free Karelia" (in Russian). 24 February 2010. Archived from the original on 10 March 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  6. Trunov, Alexei (21 October 2019). "Кижи, которые не принадлежат Карелии" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  7. "Кижский пикет "Свободной Карелии"" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  8. "Регионалисты на митинге националистов" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  9. "Национальная ассоциация игры в карельские городки - кююккя" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  10. "РАДИО ОНЕГАБОРГ" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  11. "Программа кандидатов РДК на выборах в Петросовет" (in Russian). 29 July 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  12. "ПРЕШЕНИЕ № 29/1-03 Об установлении результатов дополнительных выборов депутатов Петрозаводского городского Совета двадцать седьмого созыва по одномандатным избирательным округам № 24 и № 25" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  13. "Суд Петрозаводска арестовал Вадима Штепу" (in Russian). 4 December 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  14. Potashov, Valeryi (9 March 2016). "Вадим Штепа: «Ситуация в Карелии – абсолютно ненормальная и репрессивная»" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  15. "Основные положения о структуре и деятельности правительства суверенной Республики Карелия" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  16. "МАНИФЕСТ ГРУППЫ" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  17. "Проект переименования (возвращения имён) улиц городов Карелии" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  18. "Карта Свободной Карелии" (in Russian). Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  19. Nikorov, Oleksandr (27 February 2016). "Когда развалится Россия: Воссоединятся ли братские Финляндия и Карелия". Depo.ua. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020.
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