Above: The Russian bikers' club Night Wolves starting for Berlin. The slogan on the flag reads "For Motherland! For Stalin!" This was the legendary slogan of Russian soldiers during WWII.
Night Wolves bikers traveling across Eastern Europe made news in the world media. They claimed that they planned their trip to honor the Red Army soldiers who died in the allied defeat of Hitler’s Germany, visiting military cemeteries and other war memorials. Their goal was to arrive in Berlin for ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on May 8th.
Night Wolves were initially denied entry by Germany’s federal government, after criticism of their plans arose and Poland denied them entry.
But a Berlin court ruled that wasn’t sufficient evidence that the Russians were a threat to public order, domestic security, or international relations. However, the leader of Night Wolves, Zaldostanov/"Surgeon" was not permitted to enter Germany.
The leader of Night Wolves - Zaldostanov/"Surgeon" - holds a banner: "Wolves of Russian Spring"
I wrote about the Night Wolves in NewsLanc two years ago. The article is read more today than when first published.
Here is an update.
In the last one and a half years Night Wolves received 56 million rubles in grants from the Russian government. By the 2014 rate, it was equal to approximately $1.9 million. It is 20 times more than what an average receiver of a Russian state grants received during the period.
In 2013-2014, Night Wolves was granted 21.5 million rubles for organizing two Christmas/New Year’s Children shows and a festival of stuntmen. The leader of Night Wolves, Zaldostanov/”Surgeon” personally wrote the scripts for the New Year’s shows.
The 2013 children’s show was presented as a fantasy about the Western World Government organizing a coup in Russia and failing.
In the 2014 show, according to Zaldastanov’s play, America tries to conquer Russia. The Baba Yaga (Russian Wicked Witch) was hiding stolen money from Russia offshore and trying to help America steal the Russian Magic Sword.
Another grant was 3.5 million rubles for the creation of patriotic video products.
In 2014, Night Wolves were awarded a grant of 7 million rubles for the project “synthesis of tradition and innovation” and “identification of places of motorcyclists in the spiritual life of Russian society.”
The bikers also received 9 million rubles to hold a motor rally named “Road of Friendship”.
In July 2014, the bikers got a 15 million grant from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation for organizing a bike show in Sevastopol devoted to justifying the annexation of Crimea. This grandiose show involved thousands of performers and presented the annexation as the last battle of the WWII, led by Stalin against the World Fascists. The “fascists” were marked by swastikas, the Ukrainian coat of arms, and by $ symbols.
President Obama, whose filmed image was edited with the sound track of Hitler’s speech in German, was presented as the leader of the aggressors.
The show was nationally broadcast by the Russian state TV on prime time. Here are the most impressive moments of the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVgLQG9Rf8A
“Motor Rally To Berlin” was launched on April 25. During the trip, the bikers planned to visit the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Poland, and to also stop in Munich and Dachau. However, the route had to be adjusted several times because of the refusal of entry into Poland and other places. A lot of the Night Wolves were turned back to Russia from the Polish border and other points of entry on their way to Germany.
Nevertheless a group managed to reach Berlin.
Here is how the Night Wolves’ blog presented what took place in the Live Journal social networking service:
“Today, on May 9, 2015, a group of Russian bikers, despite adversity, are completing their legendary motor rally ‘Roads of Victory’ in the German capital Berlin with a triumphant parade through the main streets of the city.
“Congratulations to all the participants of the motor rally! You went into the history books and glorified the spiritual strength and invincibility of Russian Man.”
I couldn’t find any information or pictures of this “triumphant parade through the main streets of Berlin.” Mention of the “triumphant parade” disappeared a couple of days later from the Night Wolves blog also.
It appears those of the Night Wolves who managed to reach Berlin were involved in no provocations.
But those who were turned back from Polish and other borders, including Zaldostanov/”Surgeon”, demonstrated their patriotism by an unexpected action. In Moscow near the building of the German Embassy, they erected a facsimile of Berlin’s monument to the Victorious Soviet Soldier, so they could place flowers there that they had planned to lay at the real monument in Berlin.
Facsimile of Berlin's monument to the Victorious Soviet Soldier erected by the Night Wolves in Moscow, near the German Embassy building.
