Saturday, 8 March, 2014  15:46
Translated by Denis Gapeyev
Edited by Voices of Ukraine
Source: http://crime.in.ua/news/20140308/gubarev-nacyst

It turned out that Pavel Gubarev, a pro-Russian separatist from Donetsk who declared himself a “people’s governor” used to be a member of a very distinct organization called Russian National Unity (or the Barkashovites).

“During rallies, he used to talk to old ladies about the importance of fighting against the Nazis and the Banderites. Recalling their Soviet past, the retirees applauded enthusiastically and cried “Assault!” I believe that the old ladies who used to be members of the Komsomol [Soviet Young Communist League], should see these photographs,” writes pauluskp, a well-known blogger in Donetsk.

Pavel Gubarev third left in the first row

Russian National Unity (RNU) is a Russian far-right nationalist and paramilitary organization founded in 1990 by Aleksandr Barkashov,  also called the “Barkashov’s Guards.” RNU members were repeatedly accused of carrying firearms illegally and murders of non-Russian nationals, in particular, a lawyer Stanislav Markelov and a journalist Anastasia Baburova.

At RNU congress

A RNU leaflet

On 1 March, 2014, Pavel Gubarev declared himself a “people’s governor” of the Ukrainian Donbass [Donetsk] region and, leading a crowd of pro-Russian protesters, seized the building of the Donetsk Regional State Administration. On 6 March, 2014, he was arrested  by the special task force “Alpha.”