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New Revolutionary Alternative

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The New Revolutionary Alternative (Russian: Новая Революционная Альтернатива; NRA) was a Russian far-left terrorist organisation, allegedly active during the late 1990s.

History

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During the late 1990s, several bombing attacks were carried out against the Federal Security Service (FSB) by far-left activists of the Russian Communist Workers Party (RCWP), who had become disillusioned with the post-Soviet government of Russia.[1] In 1998, RCWP member Alexander Biryukov carried out a bombing attack against the FSB.[2] In April 1999, four women affiliated with the RCWP carried out a bombing of the Lubyanka Building, the headquarters of the FSB in Moscow.[1] The latter bombing was allegedly carried out in protest against the carpet bombing of Grozny during the Second Chechen War.[3] Following these attacks, the FSB announced the existence of a new far-left terrorist organisation, the "New Revolutionary Alternative", which the FSB held responsible for the bombings.[2] In 2001, it was reported that NRA had also set off bombs in Moscow military offices (Ostankino in 1996 and Cheryomushkinsky in 1997).[4]

In 2003, Nadezhda Raks, Olga Nevskaya, Larisa Romanova, and Tatiana Nekhorosheva-Sokolova were found guilty of the bombings.[5] Romanova's sentence was later commuted.[6] Alexander Biryukov was declared incompetent to stand trial and was sent to a psychiatric hospital.[7]

Legacy

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The New Revolutionary Alternative has since become associated with anarchism and has been listed alongside other anarchist terrorist groups of the late 20th century, such as the German 2 June Movement and the Italian Revolutionary Proletarian Initiative Nuclei [it].[8] The Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists (BOAK) has cited the NRA as an inspiration for its attacks against Russian rail infrastructure following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Saradzhyan & Abdullaev 2005, p. 123.
  2. ^ a b Saradzhyan & Abdullaev 2005, p. 123n42.
  3. ^ a b Aizman 2024, p. 71.
  4. ^ "Террористка из "Новой революционной альтернативы" останется под стражей" [The New Revolutionary Alternative terrorist will remain in custody]. NEWSru (in Russian). 22 August 2001.
  5. ^ "Суд отправил в тюрьму активисток "Новой революционной альтернативы"" [The court sent the activists of the New Revolutionary Alternative to prison]. Lenta.ru (in Russian). 14 May 2003. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016.
  6. ^ "Верховный суд смягчил наказание террористке, взорвавшей приемную ФСБ" [Supreme Court commutes punishment for terrorist who blew up FSB reception centre]. Lenta.ru (in Russian). 4 December 2003. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016.
  7. ^ "Верховный суд решил лечить революционного террориста" [The Supreme Court has decided to treat a revolutionary terrorist]. Lenta.ru (in Russian). 13 July 2001. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016.
  8. ^ Hellmuth 2018, p. 159.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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News articles

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Journal articles

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Book chapters

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