Nizhny Novgorod Monarchist Center (NMC) — a monarchist movement in the Nizhny Novgorod Region led by Boris Vasilyevich Sokolov-Chelyshev, registered on December 2, 1998, as a regional political public organization. The center's leader declared himself regent of the Nizhny Novgorod Grand Principality and, in its name, distributed noble titles; he described the movement's ultimate goal as a Universal Council that would elect a Sovereign by the voice of the people. In 2007, the organization was removed from the state register as inactive [1][2][5].

Nature of the phenomenon

Boris Vasilyevich Sokolov-Chelyshev "restored" the Nizhny Novgorod Grand Principality and, in order to attract supporters and sponsors, began distributing noble titles in his own name as regent — not Russian titles, but titles of the Nizhny Novgorod Principality [5]. The author of the website of the Dzerzhinsk Noble Assembly, recounting this, noted that the principality itself "existed in history for only a few years in the Middle Ages" [5]; historians assign the Grand Principality of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal half a century — from its formation in 1341 until 1392; its heyday came during the reign of Dmitry Konstantinovich [9].

The center's goals, as stated in the report of the Noble Assembly of the city of Dzerzhinsk for 1997–2001, are described as follows: the restoration of patriotic, historical, monarchical, and Orthodox traditions [5]. The highest goal is a Universal Council that elects a Sovereign by the voice of the people [5]. Supporters of the Russian Imperial House disagreed with this; the author of the Dzerzhinsk nobles' website objected that a council was unnecessary, since the royal line had not died out [5].

Sokolov-Chelyshev, for example, took an exceedingly original path — proclaiming the Nizhny Novgorod Grand Principality (which in history existed for only a few years in the Middle Ages) and, in order to attract supporters and sponsors, began distributing noble titles in his own name (styling himself "regent") — not Russian ones, but titles of the Nizhny Novgorod Principality. And this, incidentally, worked. To his credit one can note remarkable energy, inventiveness, and persistence.

— author of the website of the Noble Assembly of the city of Dzerzhinsk, "A few personal opinions… on the activities of monarchist and allied organizations" [5]

Founding and relations with the noble assembly

The Center was registered by the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Justice of Russia for Nizhny Novgorod Region on December 2, 1998, under the full name "Regional Political Public Organization 'Nizhny Novgorod Monarchist Center'" (abbreviated NMTs RPO) [1][2]. Its chairman is Sokolov Boris Vasilyevich; its registered address is Nizhny Novgorod, Bogorodskogo Street, building 5/4 [1][2]. The organization has been assigned TIN 5262086406 and OGRN 1075200003526; it was registered for tax purposes with inter-district inspectorate no. 22 for Nizhny Novgorod Region on July 13, 2000, and registered with the Pension Fund on July 25, 2000 [1][2].

According to a report by the Dzerzhinsk Assembly of Nobility, in the winter of 1998–1999 the founding of the Center was the first attempt to establish a political organization in the Region capable of promoting the ideas of noble monarchists at the regional and local level. From the very first meetings, differences emerged between the NMTs members and the nobility — over their attitudes toward democracy, reforms, and the structure of the state, "not to mention the NMTs leader's proclamation of himself as regent of the Grand Duchy of Nizhny Novgorod and his distribution of letters of nobility" [5]. The majority of members of the Dzerzhinsk Assembly of Nobility refused to join the Center; the report states that they repeatedly declared the impossibility of cooperation "with the Ampilovites and Barkashovites admitted to the NMTs," the inadmissibility of nationalist propaganda, and the "absurdity of conferring noble titles" [5].

Zinaida Snarskaya, the marshal of the Dzerzhinsk nobility and the only member of the Dzerzhinsk assembly to join the Center, did so hoping to steer its work "in the right direction from within," but subsequently announced her public resignation and called on others to follow her example. At a session of the Nizhny Novgorod Gubernatorial Assembly of Nobility, the NMTs's actions received, in the report's words, "a harsh rebuff": assembly members were advised to terminate their membership in the Center and all contact with it, and there were even proposals to expel NMTs members from the assembly [5]. For more on the nobility organizations, see the article Nizhny Novgorod Nobility.

The report also mentions elections: the Center's leader, having rallied around himself people dissatisfied with the authorities, "on a wave of protest even put himself forward as a candidate for deputy of the Nizhny Novgorod Duma" (City Duma) [5]. The same website listed the NMTs, headed by B. V. Sokolov-Chelyshev, among the active monarchist organizations of the Region — alongside the gubernatorial branch of the Russian Monarchist Movement headed by I. B. Grigoryev; the author described the Center's activities as "extremely original" and contact with it as hampered "due to irreconcilable disagreements." He placed Sokolov-Chelyshev among those on whom such organizations depend: "It is only the pensioners who save them" [5].

The Law "On Price Subsidies in Nizhny Novgorod Region"

In early October 1999, the Nizhny Novgorod Monarchist Center approached the Regional Legislative Assembly with a proposal to draft a regional law "On Price Subsidies in Nizhny Novgorod Region" [6].

The core idea of the law was an amnesty for wealthy people of the Nizhny Novgorod Region in exchange for their voluntary sharing of some assets with the poor. The money was to flow into a special price-subsidy fund, which would in turn subsidize producers of essential goods — bread, for example — in order to keep prices at a stable level. The initiators pointed out that a law of similar character for all of Russia was being drafted in the State Duma during those same months, and they hoped that a regional law would accelerate the adoption of the federal one. The project was discussed in an interview with the Vestnik of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry [6].

— How will the sharing process work? — It is clear that wealthy people will not be sharing their accumulated funds directly with specific individuals. A special price-subsidy fund for Nizhny Novgorod Region must be created, into which the money of the "new Russians" will flow. This must all happen on a voluntary basis. And those who agree to help will receive a kind of amnesty for illegally acquired capital. Thus, the draft law we are proposing grants permission to contribute money, defines the very mechanism of this process, guarantees an amnesty to citizens who agree to share their capital, and establishes the fund. The fund's resources will subsidize producers of essential goods — bread, for example — and will thereby keep prices at a stable level.

A law of similar character for all of Russia is currently being drafted in the State Duma, but when it will be adopted is unknown. We propose adopting a law for Nizhny Novgorod Region specifically, which I believe will speed up its adoption at the federal level. — Your idea is not bad, but it raises a great many questions. How, for instance, will the gradations between rich and poor be determined? Who will be required to pay? — No gradations at all. The law is voluntary. Let those who feel guilty contribute money to this fund and receive an amnesty in return.

— interview about the draft law, Vestnik Torgovo-Promyshlennoy Palaty [6]

"Youth Courses"

On July 10, 2001, a non-state supplementary education institution called "Youth Courses" at the Nizhny Novgorod Monarchist Center (TIN 5262099099, OGRN 1035205764362) was registered with the center; it was registered by the Nizhny Novgorod Registration Chamber of the city administration. The director of the institution was listed as Sokolov Boris Vasilyevich, and its legal address coincided with that of the center on Bogorodsky Street [3][4].

Cessation of Activity

On March 9, 2007, the tax authority removed the "Nizhny Novgorod Monarchist Center" from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities as an inactive legal entity, and it ceased to exist as a registered structure [1][2]. The "Youth Courses" affiliated with the center remained in the register longer and were removed by the same procedure — as inactive — on November 30, 2015 [3][4]. Both legal entities of the movement are listed in the register as inactive [2][3].

Chronology of the Nizhny Novgorod Monarchist Center
DateEvent
December 2, 1998Registration of the RPO "Nizhny Novgorod Monarchist Center" with the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Justice for Nizhny Novgorod Region [2]
Winter 1998–1999First sessions; disagreements with the Assembly of Nobility, withdrawal of Z. G. Snarskaya from the center [5]
Early October 1999Submission to the Legislative Assembly of a proposed law "On Price Subsidies in Nizhny Novgorod Region" [6]
July 13 and 25, 2000Tax registration and registration with the Pension Fund [2]
July 10, 2001Registration of the NOU DO "Youth Courses" under the center [3]
March 9, 2007Removal of the center from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities as an inactive legal entity [1][2]
November 30, 2015Removal of "Youth Courses" from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities as inactive [3]

Interesting Facts

In 1997, the director of the Institute for Strategic Studies at NNSU, Kolobov, was awarded a medal by the All-Russian Monarchist Center for outstanding contribution to the restoration of Russian Orthodox statehood [7][10]. The All-Russian Monarchist Center is a nationwide organization: it was founded on August 22, 1992, at the First All-Russian Monarchist Congress in Taganrog, with the aim of establishing an Orthodox popular monarchy in Russia and the non-violent restoration to power of a representative of the House of Romanov [8].

See Also

Sources

  1. checko.ru — NMTs RPO — Nizhny Novgorod — TIN 5262086406 — Chairman Sokolov B. V.
  2. saby.ru — organization record per Unified State Register of Legal Entities — Regional Political Public Organization "Nizhny Novgorod Monarchist Center"
  3. saby.ru — organization record per Unified State Register of Legal Entities — Private Educational Institution for Additional Education "Youth Courses" at the Nizhny Novgorod Monarchist Center
  4. vbankcenter.ru — All-Russian Business Center — organization record per Unified State Register of Legal Entities
  5. monarh-nnov.narod.ru — Website of the Assembly of the Nobility of the City of Dzerzhinsk — report of the Assembly of the Nobility for 1997–2001 and the personal opinions of the site's author (archive)
  6. nnovobzor.ru — Bulletin of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry — interview about the draft law "On Price Subsidies in Nizhny Novgorod Region"
  7. imomi.unn.ru — IMOMI UNN — bio-bibliographic information on Academician O. A. Kolobov, 2018 — Academician Kolobov Oleg Alekseyevich. Bio-bibliographic information
  8. Kommersant (Volga Region) — Kommersant (Ogonyok) — reference on monarchist organizations of Russia, March 20, 2017 — Russia's Leading Monarchists
  9. opentextnn.ru — Open Text — D. S. Talovin, dissertation abstract, Nizhny Novgorod, 2001 — The Great Nizhny Novgorod–Suzdal Principality (1341–1392) within the System of Lands of Northeastern Rus
  10. imomi.unn.ru — IMOMI UNN — persons: Kolobov Oleg Alekseyevich