Igor Strelkov: biography. Donbass. How it really happened tells Girkin (Strelkov)

Retired ensign Igor Girkin(Strelkov)

"Surkovskaya propaganda"

In fact, the second article should have been called "From Slavyansk to Minsk." Now it will be the third one, since the first piece (“Militarists” vs. “peacekeepers”?) caused an unhealthy stir on the basis of my personal attitude to Strelkov. This was not sufficient reason to devote a separate article to the topic. For further consideration of the opposition of concepts for resolving the situation in the Donbass, Strelkov did not need to be mentioned at all, and I would not return to him. I don't like to write about people I don't like. In the end, any text about someone is an extra PR for someone.

But when three well-known, top bloggers called me two days after the publication of the text of the first article, they unanimously said that they were extremely worried about Strelkov’s rhetoric, and especially that he still had a fairly high support rating among the patriotic public (although he decreased over the year by more than two times), I thought it was worth speaking out on this topic. It is worth it precisely because I found out the position of the callers quite by accident, if I had not written the previous article, I would not have known that Strelkov was worried about them. And this means that people are simply afraid to express their attitude towards the character. That is, they do not write anything about him - neither good nor bad, they bypass the topic. They are afraid of being accused of Surkov propaganda on Surkov's money.

Well, I'm not afraid. The constant hysteria in the information space is one of the reasons for my negative attitude towards Strelkov and the group of propagandists serving him. If the discussion with opponents comes down to groundless accusations and hysterical defamation, this indicates the extreme unprofessionalism of the information support team. Hysteria and accusations are used when, precisely when and only when completely no other arguments in defense of his position.

Meanwhile, an excellent professional information man works with the Strelkov team. Boris Rozhin, whose potential is practically not used, the tone is set by others. As a result, Strelkov, who started out as an icon of the patriotic opposition to the current government, has lost half of the support of the target audience in a year (although his rating still remains quite high, one can no longer talk about absolute dominance). I am sure that if they started to sculpt a leader not from Strelkov, but from Rozhin, then we would observe a steady upward trend in the rating, and the anti-Surkov hysteria that has already become ridiculous (despite the fact that no one “leaked” Donbass over the year, on the contrary, the republics strengthened) was would be replaced by sound and reasoned propaganda work.

The author of the interview modestly notes that Kazantsev is not a real surname, but the real one is known. Why hide it? There are so many details in the interview that it is not even necessary to calculate the general, the FSB personnel will instantly find out who headed the corresponding department in the corresponding period of time. In addition, for reliability, a photograph of some people is posted and it is said that this is a general in his early youth in Afghanistan. Why is it possible to post a photo, but not to give a surname? At the same time, the surname of the really popular since the Chechen war, General Viktor Kazantsev, is selected as a pseudonym.

Ensign Girkin (Strelkov) in his element...

Further, the story of Strelkov's admission to work in the FSB is "Santa Barbara" for an exalted housewife. Some two colonels of the FSB, watching potential monarchist terrorists (they, two colonels, have nothing else to do) and finding the intellectual Strelkov, who is so smart that he is hired, even though it is impossible by law. Another discrepancy in dates: in different versions of Strelkov's biography, he began serving in the FSB in 1993 or in 1998, and "General Kazantsev" "remembers" that in 1995. At the same time, in 1998-2000, Strelkov was published in the Zavtra newspaper , and in 2011 works as a freelance correspondent for the ANNA News agency. A rather strange occupation for a FSB officer making a successful career.

Of course, Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, and it can be wrong. But the shooting team can also correct Wikipedia. Moreover, from the moment Strelkov became a public figure, his last detail official biography was to be prepared by the team and made freely available on the Internet. So that if Wikipedia is wrong, it can be corrected. Colleagues (at least those that are already retired) would have to give out batches of interviews. Photos in uniform and with management colleagues were to be released. Or does someone think that FSB officers are not photographed for memory?

There is nothing. A muddy biography of a man who went to several other people's wars, including the Yugoslav one, who seemed to have served somewhere. When there was no suitable war, he entertained himself with reconstruction. And besides, extremely quarrelsome. After all, he managed to quarrel with most of his colleagues and associates in the Donbass. Even with a long-term friend and godfather Borodai.

In people in general, and in politicians in particular, I do not like unprofessionalism and deceit. When an incomprehensible personality with a murky biography, having arisen from nowhere, first gives the USA and Kyiv evidence of "Russian invasion"(“Colonel of the FSB” who organizes the resistance), and then devotes all his political activity unsubstantiated attacks on the official in charge of the Ukrainian direction of Russian policy (in fact, without naming it directly, but attacking the Kremlin, Putin and Putin's internal politics national compromise, as well as Russia's cautious but extremely successful foreign policy), I have a question: Does such activity correspond to Russian interests? Even if the anti-Kremlin hysteria is covered with hypocritical sighs about the "perishing population of Donbass." Because the person who said: "I pulled the trigger of the war", - has no right to sigh for the victims of the war he started.

This is exactly what the Americans wanted - drag Russia into conflict and get evidence of her aggression. Here he is the "FSB colonel", who "by order of Putin" started the war. It remains only to tighten the troops themselves to Ukraine.

We do not know if Moscow originally intended to send troops to Ukraine. There was demonstrative training. But there are two real options:

1. There were plans for the introduction of troops, but they decided to abandon them under the pressure of a complex of circumstances (foreign political, economic, military). In this case, Strelkov's actions, which created a factor of uncertainty for Russia (it is not clear who, what and why started) could become one of the many arguments against the introduction of troops (not the main one, but one of them).

2. The demonstration of readiness for the introduction of troops was initially a bluff. This option seems more likely to me, since Putin never does what is expected of him. Nobody expected polite people in Crimea, and they came. After that, everyone was sure that the Russian army would appear in Donbas any day now. Officially, it's still not there. In case it was a bluff and Russia decided to win Ukraine without a war, Strelkov's actions forced him to adjust his plans on the go.

In any case, Strelkov's actions did not help the country's leadership to realize their plans. And, by the way, according to the law, the leadership has the right to ask Strelkov why he did this (it’s just not politically beneficial to make him a victim of the regime now), but they themselves are not obliged to report to him.

Again, Russian aid increased and became more public as the leadership of the republics passed from the hands of Russian citizens into the hands of local leaders. Because these are local rebels, and if the main "rebel" is an "FSB colonel", then according to all international standards he is a saboteur. And the country on behalf of which it acts must either abandon it or accept responsibility for unprovoked aggression. Both one and the other were bad for Russia. And the "colonel" takes credit for the fact that when he was asked to leave the Donbass, he did not move around much and almost immediately allowed himself to be persuaded. This story of Strelkov's recall is evidence of the humanism of the Russian authorities. In such a situation, the Americans would have sent a killer (you never know who dies at the front) or would have planted as General Noriega for drug trafficking, and Russia persuaded him to leave for a vacation.

In parallel, an army was created from the hodgepodge of the militia, and the power of field commanders was replaced by a regular administration. And this is important, because you can be delighted with the "people's hero" who is fighting somewhere, if you yourself have an ordinary and familiar administration in Khabarovsk, Moscow or Bryansk. But to live under the rule of a field commander himself is a dubious pleasure. He rules not according to law, but according to justice. And justice is different for everyone. He is busy with the war, and the civilian population (if they are not able to feed his army, but on the contrary, requires the diversion of scarce resources for their own food) is a meaningless ballast.

That is, visible Russia's clear position aimed at ensuring that power in the DPR / LPR passes into the hands of local leaders, that order is put in place in management and military construction, that instead of the Makhnovshchina there is a normal local government with which one can work, including at the international level. And the fulfillment of all these requirements was achieved, among other things, by dosing help and redistributing it, depending on the loyalty and controllability of one or another commander. This is normal, those who want to receive assistance from the country must take into account the interests of the country. Controllability is not a mortal sin, but a virtue, since it allows you to plan military operations with a greater degree of realism.

Summarizing

I do not believe that only Strelkov started the war (indeed, not only he, but his role was significant).

I do not believe that Strelkov prevented Putin from sending troops, but he created a factor of uncertainty, and his actions in the Donbass were of the nature provocations, designed to put the Russian authorities before a choice: send troops and seriously weaken their positions in the global confrontation with the United States, or refuse to support the rebels and undermine their authority within the country.

I don't think that Strelkov understood what he was doing, I'm sure that he was used in the dark. Moreover, it was not the Americans who used it (although Strelkov's activities were and remain beneficial to the United States). It was used by that part of the Russian patriotic politicians who want to radicalize the country's domestic and foreign policy and are ready to take the risk of splitting Russian society (cancellation of the policy of national consensus) in the face of a direct military confrontation with the United States. This policy is called adventurous, and Putin is not an adventurer.

In general, from my point of view, Strelkov is an extremely ambitious, but rather limited person who is easy to use in the dark. He was fabulously lucky, because he did not die in Yugoslavia or Transnistria, he managed to escape from Slavyansk and he is not just free. He is an active politician. It is a politician, though without status yet.

And on this with Strelkov ending forever. As I said, it is not needed for further analysis of the stated problem. And the topic is really big and interesting.

Rostislav Ishchenko, columnist for MIA "Russia Today"

Goblin vs Strelkov (reveal the lie together with militiaman Alan Mamiev)

More detailed and a variety of information about the events taking place in Russia, Ukraine and other countries of our beautiful planet, can be obtained on Internet conferences, constantly held on the website "Keys of Knowledge". All Conferences are open and completely free. We invite those who wake up and are interested ...

Until recently, Igor Strelkov (according to Girkin's passport) was a mysterious figure. He told something about himself on July 10 at a joint press conference with Oleksandr Borodai, his longtime friend and part-time leader of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk people's republic".

However, Strelok's life can be traced through his correspondence, which is posted on the blog of Anonymous International, Russian hackers who post documents exposing the Kremlin's activities. Strelka's mailing address was hacked [email protected]

The authenticity of the correspondence is not in doubt. There are about 1850 letters in the archive. Many with photographs and personal data of Strelok himself. Moreover, this is only a part of the letters of the military minister of the DPR. He regularly cleans his mail, about which he informs the recipients:

Unfortunately, I deleted your letter, so remind me of your contacts.

What is interesting in the correspondence of the enemy of independent Ukraine, posted in the public domain?

According to his passport, his name is Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin. Born in Moscow on December 17, 1970. He lived there all his 44 years. Registered at Shenkursky proezd, house 8-b. This house is located near the metro station "Altufievo" in the north of the Russian capital.

His most common pseudonym is Igor Strelkov. At military-historical forums, he registered under the nicknames "Moskvit", "Kotych" or "Kotoff".

His biography is an adventurous novel. Here is what Girkin writes about himself in one of his letters:

I graduated from the Moscow Institute of History and Archives with a degree in historian-archivist, but I didn’t work a day in my profession, as I plunged headlong into the military sphere, traditional for the family.

As a volunteer, he took part in the hostilities in Transnistria (1992), in Bosnia (1992-1993), in Chechnya (under contract, 1995), from 1996 to March of this year (2013, - author) he served in Federal Service security.

From 1999 to 2005, he served almost continuously in Chechnya. I was wounded and shell-shocked, I have military awards. Dismissed to the redundancy reserve with the rank of colonel. I am making a pension. Since spring, I have been working as the head of the security service at Marshal Capital for Konstantin Malofeev.

Divorced twice. The last time was 5 years ago. Children live with their mother, I see them infrequently, I provide financial support.

Girkin - reenactor

About 90% of Girkin's entire correspondence is devoted to military-historical reconstructions and the sale of rare weapons. According to the FSB colonel, he became interested in this movement back in 1989. He actively participated in it until recently, excluding the period from 1995 to 2006, when he served in Chechnya.

He was professionally fond of the period of the First World War and the Civil War, as well as Ancient Rome. He was engaged in the reconstruction of the battles of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and Patriotic War 1812.

Periodically, Girkin helps the work of the military-patriotic organization "Garrison-A", which is headed by the former manager of the trading house "Ost-Alko" Andrey Tsarev.

In May and June last year, Girkin edited letters from Garrison-A management to Orthodox charitable foundations and to RF Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, asking them to finance the club.

Girkin does not participate in current issues of the organization.

It is not possible to serve "for real" and "to pretend" at the same time, he wrote to one of the functionaries of the reconstruction movement in October 2011.

In this regard, Girkin does not hold any posts in various reenactment clubs and organizations. He only leads a "machine gun team" of 8 people. But even there, starting in 2011, "I abandoned almost all the cases."

The “pulkommando”, as “Shooter” calls it, appears at reconstructions either as the Austrian period of the First World War, or as the White Guard period of the Civil War, or as the Soviet period of the Great Patriotic War.

As a reconstruction, Girkin visited Ukraine more than once, where "battles" took place. The last time he visited Kyiv in late January - early February of this year, when, as part of an Orthodox delegation, he brought the "Gifts of the Magi" to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Girkin - businessman

The colonel does not indicate anywhere what his salary was in the FSB. On the other hand, on February 25, 2013, he writes to his friend that on the first day he started a new “civilian” job, although he has not yet completed his dismissal from the FSB.

The new position of the Chekist is Konstantin Malofeev, a security consultant at Marshal Capital.

It seems that they promise quite a decent salary - something around 7-8 thousand dollars, - writes Girkin.

The Muscovite spent this money not only on himself and helping children, but also on the purchase of rare weapons.

Currently, 3 Maxim machine guns are personally owned, and three more foreign machine guns are under repair,” he writes in November 2013.

Most of Girkin's correspondence posted by Anonymous International is dedicated to the purchase and sale of flasks, bayonet-knives, old rifles, spare parts for a machine gun and other things.

For understanding, the machine gun "Maxim", which Girkin asked the price in January 2013, costs about 2.5 thousand dollars.

It is noteworthy that Girkin, being an FSB colonel, calmly transports weapons from the cities of Russia and Ukraine. When one of his suppliers sent a link last November to a news story about the arrest of the director of an antiques store stocked with World War II weapons, Girkin rages:

We started to correct the reporting before the New Year. They know how... After all, it's easier than fighting real crime.

Now not only small arms, but also military equipment. But the leadership of the Russian Federation, which officially denies its participation in the conflict, calmly allows armed columns to move across its territory.

It is noteworthy that there are several Ukrainians among the suppliers of the reenactor. From 2009 to December 2013, Girkin corresponded with a resident of the city of Konotop, Sumy region, Alexander Pavlyuk, head of the military-historical club "Victory Banner".

Girkin not only buys, but also sells weapons. True, he does not always succeed in making money on this.

From me a merchant is like a ballerina from a goat, - he admits in one of his letters to Pavlyuk.

Girkin - writer

The FSB colonel believes that he has a good literary talent. He often sends his works to acquaintances and friends, asks if they liked it.

There are two genres in his literary baggage: military memoirs and fairy tales. It was a collection of fairy tales called "Detective of Heldiborn Castle" that he decided to publish at his own expense in the publishing house "Transition".

However, his military prose is more interesting. In the story "Bosna" he describes his first military experience near Visegrad (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in 1992, when he fought as a volunteer for the Serbian militia. Then, during reconnaissance, a group of Russians stumbled upon the enemy.

Now I would be "current" coldly and prudently - with two short ones (2 rounds each) - I would have laid down both (they would not even have time to twitch). But that's now. And then, for some reason, he got up on one knee and began to beat in long bursts - the machine gun was shaking in his hands, ”writes Girkin.

Another of his stories, entitled "The Adventures of Thugs," tells how, during the second Chechen war, he, as part of a combined group of the FSB and the GRU, went to the village of Mesker-Yurt, where a representative of the local criminals gave him the addresses of Chechen resistance activists. In the story, Girkin tells that the operation was aimed at collecting information and at night taking out militants issued by fellow countrymen from the village.

When his reenactor friend Boris Tatarov asked why Girkin would not publish these stories, the current DNR minister wrote:

It is impossible to publish because the people we captured, as a rule, disappeared without a trace after interrogation. Only "random" people were released. The rest - without trial. No need, in short.

Girkin - liberator

Strelka's most famous letter, which has already been published by many resources, is his correspondence with a certain Rasul Gamzatov. Apparently, this is a pseudonym - that is the name of a famous Dagestan poet.

In the letter, Girkin calls his counterpart "Berkem", which means "nobody" in Arabic. This word is consonant with the name of the Russian nationalist site Berkem-Al-Atomi.

Some of my buddies are engaged in the "Ukrainian project" and are trying to somehow turn it into something more real than a stupid "cut" of money allocated for this by the Old Square (for which this project, in fact, was invented, to unfortunately). I don't really believe it, but still, if you work hard, a "Transnistrian option" is possible - what do you think? Girkin writes to Berkem in January 2010.

As for the Transnistrian variant in Ukraine, I am not an expert, but such a possibility, in my opinion, is very possible, - the interlocutor answers him.

In his letter, "Shooter" assures that he can gather "a dozen or two" veterans "with real experience and a willingness to" risk everything "at X hour." This is what happened on April 12, when he and his group of 20 people captured the City Council building in Slavyansk.

Although Girkin began to "liberate" Ukraine at the end of February.

I am an adviser (freelance) to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Aksenov, - Girkin writes to his girlfriend on March 14 of this year.

As you know, the referendum on the status of Crimea was held on March 16, after which the Russian Federation annexed the peninsula to its territory.

Girkin - spy

By mail, "Shooter" often consults his friends who work in the hot spots of the world as either journalists or spies. So, he corresponds with Olga Kulygina, an old friend of the current leader of the DPR, Alexander Borodai.

She was a frequent guest on Boroday's Den TV channel, created to criticize performances on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow in 2011. As follows from the conversation between Borodai and Kulygina, they have known each other since the 1990s.

Now Kulygina is known as a journalist for the pro-Kremlin network TV channel ANNA-News, which denounces "the actions of the punishers of the Ukrainian junta" in the Donbass. Kulygina was detained by Ukrainian security forces while crossing the border with large sum of money.

As the Vesti newspaper reported, the DPR field commander Igor Bezler, who captured Gorlovka, promised to exchange 5 Ukrainian prisoners for Kulygina, "the 25-year-old wife of one of his fighters." She's actually in her 40s.

According to INSIDER, Bezler and Girkin competed very strongly, which of them could get Kulygina out of captivity.

In correspondence with Strelok, Kulygina asks for advice. For example, he asks to characterize the commander of the 2nd Russian volunteer detachment in Bosnia, Alexander Mukhin, who "is asking to volunteer in Syria."

It seems that Kulygina is an FSB colleague of Girkin and Boroday, working undercover as a journalist. Girkin and Borodai did the same in Chechnya.

Another contact of Girkin is a citizen of Ukraine Igor Druz (according to his passport - Dus). Correspondence with him has been conducted since the end of 2013.

In Ukraine, Druz is known as the head of the public organization "People's Cathedral" and an activist of the "Ukrainian Choice" movement of Viktor Medvedchuk. Yaro opposed the European integration of Ukraine.

Girkin, when he participated in the Crimean operation, Medvedchuk's assistant reports on the movements of the Ukrainian army, sends lists with state numbers of the Odessa Automaidan, who is going to Crimea, consults on his actions.

As INSIDER was informed by the competent authorities, it was through Medvedchuk's "Ukrainian Choice" that networks were formed for 2 years, which later served the separatists.

Now Druz is Girkin's adviser on information. Runs with a machine gun in the ranks of terrorists in the East. On July 7, he published the text "We left Slavyansk to return to Kyiv", in which he justified the surrender of the city by terrorists.

It was this text with the thesis "sorry that we did not die near Slavyansk" that was later criticized by Russian political scientist Sergei Kurginyan, who opposed the current leadership of the DPR in the person of Girkin and Borodai.

Girkin is crazy

It is noteworthy that even Girkin's colleagues in the FSB are afraid of his "patriotic" sentiments.

I carry out tasks in the north, and my local colleagues and the police suspect the devil of what and consider me as a "dangerous madman," Girkin wrote from Crimea to Friends on March 31.

"Shooter", apparently he himself is aware of this.

Tentatively by the New Year, I am waiting for a transfer to the Caucasus - to Dagestan or Kabardino-Balkaria. It's finally getting "hot enough" to send "thugs" like me back there," he wrote to his Ukrainian reconstruction friend Oleksandr Pavlyuk in September 2012.

"Shooter" himself characterizes himself as a cold closed person.

I am angry and cruel - it's true, but not in relation to those I love, - he writes to one of his girlfriends in late 2011.

Girkin's whole life is a gamble, subordinated to the idea of ​​the domination of the "Russian world". He killed people and is ready to kill again for the sake of a schizophrenic belief in Russian empire or "true God".

Girkin is a principled opponent of smoking, although he drinks alcohol. His core, apparently, is the awareness of his mission. In carrying out the assigned tasks, he does not consider the death of people, his own or others.

In a normal civilized society, one idea dominates - to work hard in order to earn good money and live well. And this man lived all his life for the idea of ​​​​destroying enemies: Bosnian Muslims, Chechens, Ukrainians.

The last example of such "ideology" in Europe ended in the spring of 1945 with the death of Adolf Hitler, who also did not take into account the inevitable sacrifices in the construction of his great empire.

One of the most colorful personalities last year was the figure of 43-year-old retired colonel Igor Ivanovich Strelkov (Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin). Recently, this bright character has become a real legend and has attracted a lot of attention from the press around the world. Who is this Girkin-Strelkov? Until a certain point, his biography remained a mystery both for his supporters and for people who did not adhere to his position. Therefore, today we will talk about him.

Brief information about Strelkov's childhood

"Shooter", aka Girkin, was born into an ordinary military family on December 17, in 1970. As the parents of the future history lover themselves say, even then it was clear that their child would be special, and it was he who was destined for a difficult fate. And so it happened.

From a very young age, little Igor was interested in history. He liked knights, mythical and, of course, heroes who saved the world from another doomsday. True, at that time they were somewhat different than the modern Spider-Man, Batman and other heroes. However, Igor Strelkov (Girkin) was interested in all this. The biography of this hero of our time is very rich.

School and school years of Girkin-Strelkov

At school, he read a lot, studied well and even went to school. Many of his classmates, as it turned out later, considered him closed and a little strange (most likely due to the fact that our hero preferred books rather than live communication). But in general, he was an ordinary boy who could fight and play pranks.

Strelkov's studies at the institute

After graduating from school, Igor Strelkov-Girkin (his biography is presented in this article) successfully passed the exams and entered the university of historical and archival orientation. According to many former Strelka classmates, he was a smart and serious student, as well as a reliable comrade. He studied well and immersed himself in history. According to them, young Girkin easily mastered any science and mastered the subjects of the institute's program. So, Igor could easily show any country on the map and tell in detail about its history, battles and much more.

In addition, Strelkov was interested in the uniform of the military, which he seemed to know everything about. Therefore, young Igor Ivanovich could easily identify the uniform of this or that military man and say which country such clothes belong to, etc. Girkin-Strelkov could easily tell all this. The biography of this character does not contain bright student realities, since young Igor did not like noisy parties and tried to avoid them. The only thing that interested young man, are held in the first year in Pskov. There, a promising young man had a great time and received a lot of useful information.

Starting in 1989, Igor Ivanovich became seriously interested in the history of the so-called White movement and its reconstruction. This allowed him to find like-minded people and in reality embody historical events, which only remotely resembled theatrical scenes from old pre-war plays.

In April of the same year, Igor Strelkov (biography, family - you can read about all this in our article) with several people loyal to him went to the city of Slavyansk, Donetsk region. And in May of the same year, he was already appointed Minister of Defense of the Donetsk People's Republic (which, following the example of Crimea, was proclaimed based on the results of a popular referendum).

A few months later, Strelkov's already quite "mature" military group was completely surrounded. For this reason, he decided to take her to the capital of the self-proclaimed republic, the city of Donetsk. Here he also created an army, helped to unite the volunteer and rebel battalions. This is evidenced by such famous person like Igor Girkin, biography. His family (sister and mother) at this time remains in Russia. Then, for certain reasons, he left his post in the Republic and went to the Russian Federation, where until now he has been collecting money to send it to Donbass.

How did Strelkov's personal life develop?

Since his involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, Strelkov has been recognized as an accomplished commander, organizer, and leader. He was respected by the militia, colleagues, he was sympathetically treated by the female half of the Donetsk region. What did Igor Strelkov himself think about this? The biography (personal life) of the hero tells that he had previously been married twice. From previous marriages, he has two sons (about ten and sixteen years old). However, in the Crimea, a new love breaks out at Strelok. On December 17 last year, he marries one of his assistants, who is 16 years younger than him.

Currently, Igor Ivanovich lives with his wife in one of the houses of the Moscow region and so far, according to him, does not plan to go on “foreign business trips”.

Little is known about Strelkov, although some detailed publications about him continue to appear.

“My name is Girkin Igor Vsevolodovich, born December 17, 1970, a native and resident of Moscow. A pseudonym (first military - for "cover documents", and now literary and in reconstruction) - Igor Strelkov, - this is how the autobiography of the "commander in chief" of the DPR begins.

The personality is extraordinary. Strelkov (Girkin) went through four wars and two divorces, served in the FSB and calls himself a monarchist, is fond of reenacting battles and “fought” for the White Guards and Roman legionnaires. He was in hot spots as a special correspondent for a Russian newspaper, and as a children's writer he published several books in the fantasy genre.

Grandfather fought in Donbass

Very little is known about Igor's civilian life. Here are a few more lines from his autobiography: “I graduated from the Moscow Historical and Archival Institute with a degree in historian-archivist, but I didn’t work in my profession for a single day, as I plunged headlong into the military sphere traditional for the family.” Almost nothing is known about the Strelkov (Girkin) family, except that his parents and ex-wife with children live on the outskirts of Moscow.

In one of the interviews, the leader of the Slavic militias admitted that his grandfather also fought in the Donbass (of course, during the Second World War):

“In early 1943, my grandfather, Ivan Konstantinovich Runov (at that time a junior lieutenant, commander of a company of submachine gunners), spent a week surrounded by Krasnoarmeysk (after Manstein’s counterattack). Withdrew the remnants of the battalion. He went out with one cartridge in the TT, ”says Girkin (Strelkov).

Before appearing in the Donetsk region, Igor proved himself in the Balkans and the Caucasus. He began his military career in 1992. Then he, while still a student, goes to fight in Transnistria. A year later, the student goes to the Balkans.

In 1999, Russian Spetsnaz published several pages of Girkin's memoirs about those days: “At the end of July, the war in Transnistria ended. It ended in a draw, according to the majority of its participants. Many of them, who have already sniffed gunpowder, lost friends and become hardened, have a feeling that can be briefly expressed by the phrase: "We did not finish the war." After the first euphoria - alive! - there was a state familiar to most professional warriors: the desire to take risks again, to live life to the fullest. This is the so-called "gunpowder poisoning syndrome". In the ranks of the volunteers were "ideological" monarchists, Cossacks, communists, just "lovers of war", finally, people who accidentally got into the war.

A little lower, Igor admits that he went to the Balkans as a "monarchist and patriot."

And this is what his comrade-in-arms, Muscovite Alexander Kravchenko, recalls:

I have known Igor for a long time, he saved my life in Bosnia. And I will say this: he is often driven by his sympathetic heart, - Alexander told us. - I recently spoke with our Serb colleagues: “Do you remember Igor?” They answered without hesitation: “Yes.” At the same time, he was not a commander, he was a simple fighter, but he was a very bright personality. I remember how amazed I was that he prayed on his knees in the morning and in the evening. It was the beginning of the 1990s, when such faith in God seemed something surprising to us.

In his “Bosnian diary,” Girkin talks about how their squad came under sniper fire, how in one of the battles they ran out of bullets and held on to the top, throwing grenades down the mountainside. He honestly mentions the "epic robbery" of the Serbs in the Bosnian village, recalls how many of our fighters "began uncontrolled campaigns in the city, causing drinking and shooting there." He does not hide his salary - 100-150 German marks per month (at the same time, in the preface to the diary, it is emphasized that the Russians were volunteers, not mercenaries, not "soldiers of fortune").
Civil War reenactor. Photo 1

There is a version that the Shooter got his nickname for the ability to accurately
fire. But his main talent is the ability to make decisions quickly, to act outside the box.

Girkin (Strelkov) talks about his comrades, about, for example, how the commander walked in full growth under machine-gun fire. But at the same time, he says practically nothing about himself and his personal participation in the battles.

At 22, Igor had courage, leadership qualities, the ability to correctly assess the situation and choose the only right decision, - says Alexander Kravchenko. - Once I and two more of my comrades were surrounded. Igor gathered the Serbs, competently explained to them how to act (although he did not speak Serbian fluently), they went into battle and saved us from death. I want to say one thing. We were not great friends with him, but he did not forget about me or the other guys with whom he fought. He helped me, as a disabled person, with work. He always said: "Call, if anything." And what was his self-interest from the fact that he rescued me? No. Just this type of person: if people are in trouble, in a difficult situation, he cannot but help them.

Birth of an Arrow

After going through two wars, Girkin (Strelkov) defends his diploma as a historian and archivist and ... is sent as a contract soldier to the Russian army for the first Chechen war.

After some time, he was noticed by the FSB, and he moved to the special forces of the service. He prefers not to talk about those days. We found only a couple of his phrases about that period: “I went to reconnaissance and search operations a lot”, “I was wounded and shell-shocked, I have military awards.”

I personally know very well the people who observed it in Grozny in 1995. In battles. People who were next to him at that time characterize him as a recklessly brave fighter, ”says Marina Yudenich (Russian writer, journalist, political strategist, head of the National Security Information Agency).

A polar assessment is given by the Kavkaz Center (a publication of the Caucasian separatists): “It is the duty of everyone to eliminate this creature. Igor Girkin (aka Strelkov) fought in Chechnya for a long time as part of the 45th regiment, being a member of the command staff of the Russian special gang "VDV", which was stationed in the Vedeno district near the village of Khatuni. It was this scum that kidnapped the wife of the President of the CRI, Amir Mujahideen of the Caucasus Abdul-Khalim Sadaulev (shahid, insha'Allah), in the early 2000s in the neighboring village of Tovzeni and tortured her for a long time, demanding to know where her husband was. The wife of Abdul-Khalim Sadaulev was brutally murdered as a result of severe torture. Girkin personally killed her,” they write on the website of the Kavkaz Center.

On the second Chechen war, Girkin again fought in Chechnya and, according to rumors, rose to the rank of commander of a special forces group.

From FSB to Crimea

The SBU says that he is a colonel of the GRU of the Russian Ministry of Defense, however, according to our information, as reported above, he had nothing to do with the GRU, but worked for the FSB.

They write on the Web that on the eve of his dismissal from the FSB, he served in the Office for Combating International Terrorism of the Service, but there is no official confirmation of this. But there are several versions of why Igor left the service.

The simplest explanation - just retired. But on the Internet you can find letters that hackers fished out of Strelkov's mailbox. Among them are those in which Girkin (Strelkov) complains about the intrigues of his colleagues: "I was devoured in the service." There is an opinion that it was hard for a straightforward field fighter to get along with intriguing Chekists.
In addition, Igor has never hidden his ultra-patriotic views and, they say, often criticized Putin for being too soft on the Caucasus.

Be that as it may, the last place of work before the “Ukrainian business trip” was the head of the security service at Marshal Capital. This firm belongs to Konstantin Malofeev mentioned above. In the winter of this year, this Russian oligarch brought the Athos shrine “Gifts of the Magi” to Ukraine. Girkin (Strelkov) was engaged in the protection of the shrine. And there is a version that this pilgrimage was a disguise for the Russians to collect intelligence in the Crimea and the East (however, this version is rather doubtful, because intelligence officers could study the situation in Ukraine without Orthodox shrines).

South and southeast

According to the SBU, Strelkov crossed the border of Ukraine on February 26 this year, flying from Sheremetyevo to Simferopol under his last name. There is information that the colonel was involved in the organization of local self-defense (meaning not "little green men", but pro-Russian Crimeans and Kuban Cossacks). Girkin's (Strelkov's) partner in the Crimean company was still the same Alexander Borodai. Muscovites were advisers to Sergei Aksenov, but after the entry of Crimea into Russia, they decided to change south to southeast. It is believed that it was Girkin (Strelkov) who carried out the capture of the city police department of Slavyansk.

With this, in fact, the whole "uprising" of Donbass began. By the way, the choice of a place to start the operation may have a special meaning for our colonel (ensign). On the one hand, Slavyansk is located at the intersection of important transport routes of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkov regions. But on the other hand, the Svyatogorsk Lavra is located nearby, with which Girkin and Malofeev could have their long-standing ties along the "Orthodox" line.

And for a week now, the colonel (ensign) and his rather small detachment (its number in Slavyansk is a maximum of several hundred people) have been resisting all the efforts of the ATO. But the point, of course, is not in proximity to the shrine. Strelka's entourage admits that there are high-class professionals in his team. And they are not necessarily Russians. These are our ex-siloviki.

White Colonel

And finally - about Girkin (Strelkov) as a reenactor and writer. Even in his early youth, he became interested in the reconstruction of military operations. He was fond of Ancient Rome, the era of the Napoleonic wars, the period of the Second World War. Lately he has focused on the history of the White Guards. By the way, pay attention: on the shoulder of the colonel (ensign) - a chevron from the St. George ribbon. It is made in the form of "V" - similar signs were worn by the White Guards.

As a reenactor "Shooter" was in the Crimea and in Kyiv. But officially, the leaders of the capital's clubs, which reconstruct historical events, refuse to talk about it. They complain that they are accused of "inviting the wrong person, recreating the wrong story." They compare the “white colonel” with Chikatilo, they say, he also skillfully disguised himself as a beautiful person. But some of the Crimean reenactors openly admire their colleague.

He is very positive person. And, you know, there is such a type of people - they joke with a stone expression on their faces. Igor is just one of those, ”says Sergey, a lover of military history, fellow forum member of Strelka. - We talked with him several times in the Crimea. He is an intellectual, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of military history. But he doesn't push himself. He is from a breed of people who know their own worth, but are in no hurry to hang out a price tag.

According to Sergei, Girkin lives on war and reconstruction.
Civil War reenactor. Photo 2

The detachment of Igor Girkin (Strelkov) is called "300 Strelkov". Not only "legionnaires" from the Russian Federation, but also Ukrainian officers, former security officials are fighting under his banner.

He never spoke in detail about his service in Chechnya. I could say: “In a real battle, it won’t be the way you thought up.” But he did not reveal the details. He cut off all our clarifying questions: “The topic is closed,” Sergey continues. - Now you are comparing him with Che Guevara. No, he's not that romantic, he's practical. Able to set a clear goal and go to it. He has excellent analytical skills and the ability to act outside the box. The way he fights is stylish company. He jokes about the army, makes them live in the fields, while he himself is located in the city. He teases the military and always has time to move away - his opponent hits the void. And there is no need to sculpt the image of a villain out of him, he kindest person. Do you remember how his people pulled a downed pilot out from under the bullets? He is our hero. I think that when everything ends in the east, Igor will move to us in the Crimea.

And in conclusion - about the books of Igor Strelkov. You can’t call him a brilliant writer, but he has a certain style.

Here is his message on one of the forums about the current situation in Slavyansk: “Attention! What speaks to you is what yesterday was Strelok ... Actually, until recently, it seriously believed that it still remained the same person. But then I read that he was killed... Taking into account the persuasiveness of the presentation, as well as the absolute truthfulness of the Ukrainian media, which does not cause any doubts, it (that is, I) realized that I was already an inanimate object... Now in thought: is it (that is, I) a zombie , or something else infernal.

As for books, you can buy his children's fantasy "Detective of Haldiborn Castle" from us. The main characters of this detective tale are brownies. They live in the old ancestral home of the knights of Haldiborn, investigating the loss of a family treasure. Events develop both in the visible and in the magical world. And, of course, it has brave warriors, terrible secrets and conspiracies. The fairy tale has a magical end. And how will the story of Girkin-Strelkov end?

“Strelkov’s last appeal testifies to anything, but not to the fact that Russia is helping him, - Strelkov is clearly in despair, the locals rather do not support him and are definitely not ready to fight for him, there is nowhere for him to wait for help. He is in the position of Che Guevara in Bolivia - everyone thinks that now everything will be like in Cuba, but everything, of course, will be different ... ”- writes Russian journalist Oleg Kashin in his article on Slon.

Strelkov himself writes about his goals as follows: “I fulfilled my task (as I set it for myself) by 100%: people were able to hold a referendum and really express their opinion about the future. And now what ... it remains to complete the second part of the task - not to disgrace yourself and fight, as expected, to the end. And to give an opportunity to those who have not yet completed their task to join the cause.

VERSION 2

Born on December 17, 1970 in Moscow, in a family of hereditary military men. I have been interested in history since childhood. Married, two sons (according to another version - divorced).

Mother Alla Ivanovna, sister - that's all that is known about his family.

In September 2014, information appeared that he lives in one of the regions of Russia.

Biography

Since 1989, he has been fond of military reconstruction and the history of the White movement. Adheres to monarchical beliefs.

In 1993 he graduated from the Moscow State Institute of History and Archives.

In 1993-1994, he served in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, a shooter of the security company of the 190th missile technical base in Golitsino (military unit 11281 of the Air Defense Ministry; now disbanded).

After completing military service, he remained to serve under a contract: first, as part of a motorized rifle brigade, and then as a military intelligence officer.

He took part in the fighting in Transnistria in June - July 1992 (volunteer of the 2nd platoon of the Black Sea Cossack army, Koshnitsa - Bendery), in Bosnia from November 1992 to March 1993 inclusive (2nd Russian Volunteer Detachment, 2nd Podrinsky Light Infantry and 2nd Majevitsky Brigades of the Republika Srpska Army, Visegrad - Priboy), in Chechnya (166- I am a separate guards motorized rifle brigade, March - October 1995, and in special forces units from 1999 to 2005), performed special tasks in other regions of Russia.

From January 6, 1998 to October 2000, he is published in the Zavtra newspaper, writes about Russian volunteers who fought in Bosnia, about the situation in Chechnya and other hot spots on Russian territory, and criticizes the national policy of the authorities. In the newspaper, he met Alexander Borodai.

In August 1999, special correspondents of the Zavtra newspaper Alexander Borodai and Igor Strelkov prepared a report from the Kadar zone of Dagestan about how the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs carried out a cleansing of several villages where Wahhabis lived.

He worked as a correspondent for the independent Internet agency "ANNA-News", which was registered in Abkhazia in July 2011.

According to some reports, after his retirement, he worked as the head of the security service of the Marshal Capital investment fund of the Russian businessman K. V. Malofeev. For a long time, a friend of Igor Strelkov, Alexander Boroday, also worked as a representative of this investment fund.

At the end of January 2014, he ensured the security of the Athonite shrines delivered to Kyiv from Greece - the Gifts of the Magi, and also visited Euromaidan.

Well known among the military history reenactors of Moscow. On one of the Internet forums dedicated to the recreation of the war with Napoleon in 1812 and the Civil War, he is a moderator. He led the club "Consolidated machine gun team", formed on the basis of the military-historical club "Moscow Dragoon Regiment". He took part in such reconstructions as the "War of the 16th year" in August 2009, the "Memory of the Civil War" festival in February 2010, " Civil War in the South of Russia", "Valor and death of the Russian guard". He was a member of the military-historical club "Markovtsy".

In May 1996, he was enrolled in the Drozdovsky association with the rank of non-commissioned officer.

According to Strelkov himself, he is a retired colonel of the FSB of Russia (he resigned on March 31, 2013).

According to the British BBC, Strelkov's last place of duty was the Department for Combating International Terrorism of the "2nd Service" (Service for the Protection of the Constitutional Order and Combating Terrorism) of the FSB of Russia.

According to the Ukrainian media, which began to appear after April 15, 2014, Igor Strelkov was an active officer of the GRU special forces of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian side, however, did not provide evidence for these allegations. Strelkov refutes this information.

Participation in the Ukrainian crisis (political activity)

According to Strelkov, he came to Ukraine on his own initiative, guided by personal convictions. Gathered around him local opponents of the new Ukrainian authorities and organized a detachment of the people's militia.

According to information voiced by Vitaliy Naida, one of the heads of the counterintelligence service of the Security Service of Ukraine, during the Crimean crisis, Igor Strelkov was an assistant on security issues to the Prime Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov.

According to journalist Oleg Kashin, on March 2, negotiations with the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Navy D.V. Berezovsky were conducted by the same person who later headed the self-defense of Slavyansk, Igor Ivanovich Aksyonov's ally, whom he was introduced to as an active employee of the GRU.

According to the SBU, Strelkov crossed the state border of Ukraine on April 12 "to implement a forceful scenario of covert aggression" in the southeastern regions of Ukraine.

On April 13, in Sloviansk, a group of SBU officers who were traveling in cars were ambushed. They were fired upon by unknown persons. As a result, one officer was killed and three more were wounded. According to the SBU, Igor Strelkov led the attackers.

On April 16, in the region of Slavyansk, militia forces blocked units of the 25th Dnepropetrovsk Airborne Brigade of the Airborne Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to information provided by the press center of the SBU, the seizure of weapons and six units of military equipment (BTR-D and BMD) from Dnepropetrovsk paratroopers was carried out under the leadership of Igor Strelkov. The SBU also claims that Strelkov took part in the recruitment of military personnel of the airmobile brigade, as a result of which some of them went over to the side of the militia.

On April 14, records appeared on the Internet, designated as negotiations of "separatists" operating in the south-east of Ukraine, in which a person with the call sign "Shooter" reports on the successful liquidation of representatives of the SBU leadership in the Slovyansk region during an anti-terrorist operation launched by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

In the comments to these negotiations, the media suggested that the person with the call sign "Shooter" is one of the leaders of the "separatists", Igor Strelkov, and his interlocutor is Russian businessman Alexander Borodai, who worked in the investment fund "Marshal-Capital" Konstantin Malofeev.

According to the SBU, Strelkov's group was involved in the murder of Volodymyr Rybak, deputy of the Gorlovsky City Council of the Donetsk region from the Batkivshchyna party, who was kidnapped on April 17. On April 29, Strelkov was included in the list of persons against whom Western sanctions were imposed - a ban on entry and an asset freeze in the EU. On June 20, he was included in the US sanctions list.

According to media reports, on April 26, the interim leadership of the Donetsk People's Republic entrusted Igor Strelkov with the leadership of checkpoints. Igor Strelkov himself was named the head of the people's militia of Donbass.

On April 26, Igor Strelkov gave his first public interview to correspondents of Komsomolskaya Pravda, in which he described recent events with the participation of his subordinates, their composition, motivation, and also outlined the immediate goals and objectives of the forces under his control.

On May 2, the Ukrainian security forces resumed their offensive in the area of ​​Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, Strelkov led the militias defending Slavyansk.

On May 12, the state sovereignty of the DPR was proclaimed. On the same day, Igor Strelkov announced that he had accepted the post of commander armed forces DPR, and announced the introduction of the counter-terrorist operation (CTO) regime.

The order issued by Strelkov called on the Russian Federation "to take measures adequate to the situation to protect the population of the DPR, including the possibility of bringing in a contingent of peacekeeping forces from eastern border". It also stated that "within the framework of the CTO, all militants of Ukrainian neo-Nazi groups (the so-called " National Guard", "Right Sector", "Lyashko battalion", "Donbass battalion", etc.) are subject to detention, disarmament, and in case of armed resistance, they are destroyed on the spot. On May 15, the DPR Supreme Council appointed Igor Strelkov head of the Security Council and Defense Minister of the DPR.

Strelkov resolutely and cruelly fought looting in his units - on May 26, his order was published, which announced that two commanders of the "people's militia" in Slavyansk were shot by order of the military field tribunal "for looting, armed robbery, kidnapping, leaving fighting positions and concealment of committed crimes.Strelkov tried to create an army on the traditions of the Russian Imperial Army and Christian values.

During the defense of Slavyansk, the leadership of the Russian Federation was in no hurry to assist the rebels. Individuals in the Russian leadership actively opposed the rebels, and even recommended that Strelkov "shut up shop."

On the night of July 5, 2014, a group of militias numbering about two thousand people with a column of armored vehicles broke through from the encircled Slavyansk to neighboring Kramatorsk, from where it later went to Gorlovka and Donetsk. According to Strelkov, 80-90% of the equipment, weapons and militia personnel, their families, as well as those who helped them left the city.

On July 16, Strelkov, who declared himself the military commandant of Donetsk, introduced martial law in it in order to prepare the city for a siege.

On August 13, a message appeared in the media about the severe wounding of Igor Strelkov, but a few hours later it was refuted by representatives of the DPR.

On August 14, Strelkov resigned from the post of Minister of Defense of the Donetsk People's Republic "in connection with the transfer to another job." His place was taken by Vladimir Kononov. On August 15, the head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, announced that Strelkov was going on a month's vacation, after which he "would have new assignments on the territory of Novorossia."

On September 11, Strelkov gave an interview in which he stated that he did not intend to return to the Donbass, and also called for political support for President Vladimir Putin and for countering the activities of the "fifth column" in Russia.

On October 4, Strelkov gave an exclusive interview to the Novorossiya agency, in which he directly accused Vladislav Surkov of striving for destruction, plunder instead of help:

“Unfortunately, those people who are now dealing with the issues of Novorossia on the territory of Russia, who are authorized to do this, in particular, the notorious Vladislav Yuryevich Surkov, these are people who are aimed only at destruction, who will not provide any real and effective help. Specifically, V. Y. showed himself brilliantly in this respect in South Ossetia, in other regions, wherever he was, we dealt with "cuts" and looting instead of real help."

Participating on the forum-antikvariat.ru forum under the nickname Kotych, he regularly posted there reports of hostilities in the DPR and commented on the situation in the DPR and LPR. Videos with his statements, including from the besieged Slavyansk, are posted on YouTube. After his resignation on August 14, 2014, he did not appear on the forum and on YouTube for almost a month, but his photo was published with the blogger el_murid.

Strelkov's statements during his activity on the forum when he was the head of the DPR militia were transmitted in the form of answers to questions, daily reports, as well as brief comments and are reposted by numerous users of LiveJournal and other social networks. Usually the primary source is the forum-antikvariat.ru forum (some reports are also published on the icorpus.ru website or in the form of videos on YouTube and their transcripts).

On October 30, 2014, Igor Strelkov gave a press conference, where he announced the creation of the social movement "Novorossiya".

He stressed that the movement sets itself not political, but exclusively humanitarian tasks - the collection, delivery and transfer of the collected humanitarian (non-military) aid to the defenders of Donbass. Unfortunately, the assistance that the Russian Federation officially provides to Donbass is not enough, so Novorossiya will not be able to cope without the support of all the inhabitants of Russia. According to the ideologists of the social movement, the process of helping Novorossiya should be structured, centralized, and rid of dishonest people profiting from this good deed.

People who have known Strelkov personally and for a long time characterize him as a man with a steel rod. "War has become his path. He has strong character, brilliant education, broad outlook. Now all of it best qualities appear in Slavyansk. I would say about him that he is a figure of the scale of Garibaldi."

Self-edification

Don't wait for orders!
Don't sit
Referring to peace!
Forward! Through winds and rains
And blizzards wolf howl!
Leave the comfort and coziness -
While you are young - go!
When the waste is sung,
You will be able to relax!
Be honest, dare, don't notice
Ridicule and interference.
And you will be the eldest - answer
Not for myself - for everyone!
The one who made no mistakes
In idleness withered -
He did not dare the burden of life
Try it on your shoulders!
Whatever your fate -
Good or bad
All the same, remember: the measure of your deeds
Only God will appreciate!

A family

Born on December 17, 1970 in Moscow, in a family of hereditary military men. I have been interested in history since childhood. Married, two children.

According to rumors, Strelkov is currently married for the third time (according to another version, he was divorced after his second marriage).

Mother Alla Ivanovna, sister - that's all that is known about his family.

In September 2014, information appeared that he lives in one of the regions of Russia.

Biography

Since 1989, he has been fond of military reconstruction and the history of the White movement. Adheres to monarchical beliefs.

In 1993 he graduated from the Moscow State Institute of History and Archives.

In 1993-1994, he served in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, a shooter of the security company of the 190th missile technical base in Golitsino (military unit 11281 of the Air Defense Ministry; now disbanded).

After completing military service, he remained to serve under a contract: first, as part of a motorized rifle brigade, and then as a military intelligence officer.

He took part in the fighting in Transnistria in June - July 1992 (volunteer of the 2nd platoon of the Black Sea Cossack troops, Koshnitsa - Bendery), in Bosnia from November 1992 to March 1993 inclusive (2nd Russian volunteer detachment, 2nd Podrinskaya light infantry and 2nd Maevitskaya brigades of the Republika Srpska Army, Visegrad - Priboy), in Chechnya (166th Guards separate motorized rifle brigade, March - October 1995, and in special forces units from 1999 to 2005), performed special tasks in other regions of Russia.

From January 6, 1998 to October 2000, he is published in the Zavtra newspaper, writes about Russian volunteers who fought in Bosnia, about the situation in Chechnya and other hot spots on Russian territory, and criticizes the national policy of the authorities. In the newspaper, he met Alexander Borodai.

In August 1999, special correspondents of the Zavtra newspaper Alexander Borodai and Igor Strelkov prepared a report from the Kadar zone of Dagestan about how the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs carried out a cleansing of several villages where Wahhabis lived.

He worked as a correspondent for the independent Internet agency "ANNA-News", which was registered in Abkhazia in July 2011.

According to some reports, after his retirement, he worked as the head of the security service of the Marshal Capital investment fund of the Russian businessman K. V. Malofeev. For a long time, a friend of Igor Strelkov, Alexander Boroday, also worked as a representative of this investment fund.

At the end of January 2014, he ensured the security of the Athonite shrines delivered to Kyiv from Greece - the Gifts of the Magi, and also visited Euromaidan.

Well known among the military history reenactors of Moscow. On one of the Internet forums dedicated to the recreation of the war with Napoleon in 1812 and the Civil War, he is a moderator. He led the club "Consolidated machine gun team", formed on the basis of the military-historical club "Moscow Dragoon Regiment". He took part in such reconstructions as "War of the 16th year" in August 2009, the "Memory of the Civil War" festival in February 2010, "Civil War in the South of Russia", "Valor and death of the Russian guards". He was a member of the military-historical club "Markovtsy".

In May 1996, he was enrolled in the Drozdovsky association with the rank of non-commissioned officer.

According to Strelkov himself, he is a retired colonel of the FSB of Russia (he resigned on March 31, 2013).

According to the British BBC, Strelkov's last place of duty was the Department for Combating International Terrorism of the "2nd Service" (Service for the Protection of the Constitutional Order and Combating Terrorism) of the FSB of Russia.

According to the Ukrainian media, which began to appear after April 15, 2014, Igor Strelkov was an active officer of the GRU special forces of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian side, however, did not provide evidence for these allegations. Strelkov refutes this information.

Participation in the Ukrainian crisis (political activity)

According to Strelkov, he came to Ukraine on his own initiative, guided by personal convictions. Gathered around him local opponents of the new Ukrainian authorities and organized a detachment of the people's militia.

According to information voiced by Vitaliy Naida, one of the heads of the counterintelligence service of the Security Service of Ukraine, during the Crimean crisis, Igor Strelkov was an assistant on security issues to the Prime Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov.

According to journalist Oleg Kashin, on March 2, negotiations with the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Navy D.V. Berezovsky were conducted by the same person who later headed the self-defense of Slavyansk, Igor Ivanovich Aksyonov's ally, whom he was introduced to as an active employee of the GRU.

According to the SBU, Strelkov crossed the state border of Ukraine on April 12 "to implement a forceful scenario of covert aggression" in the southeastern regions of Ukraine.

On April 13, in Sloviansk, a group of SBU officers who were traveling in cars were ambushed. They were fired upon by unknown persons. As a result, one officer was killed and three more were wounded. According to the SBU, Igor Strelkov led the attackers.

On April 16, in the region of Slavyansk, militia forces blocked units of the 25th Dnepropetrovsk Airborne Brigade of the Airborne Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to information provided by the press center of the SBU, the seizure of weapons and six units of military equipment (BTR-D and BMD) from Dnepropetrovsk paratroopers was carried out under the leadership of Igor Strelkov. The SBU also claims that Strelkov took part in the recruitment of military personnel of the airmobile brigade, as a result of which some of them went over to the side of the militia.

On April 14, records appeared on the Internet, designated as negotiations of "separatists" operating in the south-east of Ukraine, in which a person with the call sign "Shooter" reports on the successful liquidation of representatives of the SBU leadership in the Slovyansk region during an anti-terrorist operation launched by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

In the comments to these negotiations, the media suggested that the person with the call sign "Shooter" is one of the leaders of the "separatists", Igor Strelkov, and his interlocutor is Russian businessman Alexander Borodai, who worked in the investment fund "Marshal-Capital" Konstantin Malofeev.

According to the SBU, Strelkov's group was involved in the murder of Volodymyr Rybak, deputy of the Gorlovsky City Council of the Donetsk region from the Batkivshchyna party, who was kidnapped on April 17. On April 29, Strelkov was included in the list of persons against whom Western sanctions were imposed - a ban on entry and an asset freeze in the EU. On June 20, he was included in the US sanctions list.

According to media reports, on April 26, the interim leadership of the Donetsk People's Republic entrusted Igor Strelkov with the leadership of checkpoints. Igor Strelkov himself was named the head of the people's militia of Donbass.

On April 26, Igor Strelkov for the first time publicly gave an interview to Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondents, in which he described the latest events involving his subordinates, their composition, motivation, and also outlined the immediate goals and objectives of the forces under his control.

On May 2, the Ukrainian security forces resumed their offensive in the area of ​​Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, Strelkov led the militias defending Slavyansk.

On May 12, the state sovereignty of the DPR was proclaimed. On the same day, Igor Strelkov announced that he had accepted the post of commander of the armed forces of the DPR, and announced the introduction of the counter-terrorist operation (CTO) regime.

The order issued by Strelkov called on the Russian Federation "to take measures adequate to the situation to protect the population of the DPR, including the possibility of bringing in a contingent of peacekeeping forces from the eastern border." It also stated that “within the framework of the CTO, all militants of Ukrainian neo-Nazi groups (the so-called National Guard, Right Sector, Lyashko Battalion, Donbass Battalion, etc.) are subject to detention, disarmament, and in the case of armed resistance, they are destroyed on the spot." On May 15, the DPR Supreme Council appointed Igor Strelkov head of the Security Council and Defense Minister of the DPR.

Strelkov resolutely and cruelly fought looting in his units - on May 26, his order was published, which announced that two commanders of the "people's militia" in Slavyansk were shot by order of the military field tribunal "for looting, armed robbery, kidnapping, leaving fighting positions and concealment of committed crimes.Strelkov tried to create an army on the traditions of the Russian Imperial Army and Christian values.

During the defense of Slavyansk, the leadership of the Russian Federation was in no hurry to assist the rebels. Individuals in the Russian leadership actively opposed the rebels, and even recommended that Strelkov "shut up shop."

On the night of July 5, 2014, a group of militias numbering about two thousand people with a column of armored vehicles broke through from the encircled Slavyansk to neighboring Kramatorsk, from where it later went to Gorlovka and Donetsk. According to Strelkov, 80-90% of the equipment, weapons and militia personnel, their families, as well as those who helped them left the city.

On July 16, Strelkov, who declared himself the military commandant of Donetsk, introduced martial law in it in order to prepare the city for a siege.

On August 13, a message appeared in the media about the severe wounding of Igor Strelkov, but a few hours later it was refuted by representatives of the DPR.

On August 14, Strelkov resigned from the post of Minister of Defense of the Donetsk People's Republic "in connection with the transfer to another job." His place was taken by Vladimir Kononov. On August 15, the head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, announced that Strelkov was going on a month's vacation, after which he "would have new assignments on the territory of Novorossia."

On September 11, Strelkov gave an interview in which he stated that he did not intend to return to the Donbass, and also called for political support for President Vladimir Putin and for countering the activities of the "fifth column" in Russia.

On October 4, Strelkov gave an exclusive interview to the Novorossiya agency, in which he directly accused Vladislav Surkov of striving for destruction, plunder instead of help:

“Unfortunately, those people who are now dealing with the issues of Novorossia on the territory of Russia, who are authorized to do this, in particular, the notorious Vladislav Yuryevich Surkov, these are people who are aimed only at destruction, who will not provide any real and effective help. Specifically, V. Yu showed himself brilliantly in this regard in South Ossetia, in other regions, wherever he was, we dealt with "cuts" and looting instead of real help ".

Participating on the forum-antikvariat.ru forum under the nickname Kotych, he regularly posted there reports of hostilities in the DPR and commented on the situation in the DPR and LPR. Videos with his statements, including from the besieged Slavyansk, are posted on YouTube. After his resignation on August 14, 2014, he did not appear on the forum and on YouTube for almost a month, but his photo was published with the blogger el_murid.

Strelkov's statements during his activity on the forum when he was the head of the DPR militia were transmitted in the form of answers to questions, daily reports, as well as brief comments and are reposted by numerous users of LiveJournal and other social networks. Usually the primary source is the forum-antikvariat.ru forum (some reports are also published on the icorpus.ru website or in the form of videos on YouTube and their transcripts).

On October 30, 2014, Igor Strelkov gave a press conference, where he announced the creation of the social movement "Novorossiya".

He stressed that the movement sets itself not political, but exclusively humanitarian tasks - the collection, delivery and transfer of the collected humanitarian (non-military) aid to the defenders of Donbass. Unfortunately, the assistance that the Russian Federation officially provides to Donbass is not enough, so Novorossiya will not be able to cope without the support of all the inhabitants of Russia. According to the ideologists of the social movement, the process of helping Novorossiya should be structured, centralized, and rid of dishonest people profiting from this good deed.

People who have known Strelkov personally and for a long time characterize him as a man with a steel rod. "The war has become his path. He has a strong character, a brilliant education, a broad outlook. Now all his best qualities are manifested in Slavyansk. I would say about him that he is a figure of Garibaldi's scale."

Scandals, rumors

On April 15, 2014, the SBU initiated criminal proceedings on the facts of "organization by a citizen of the Russian Federation Strelkov of a premeditated murder and acts to the detriment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, carrying out subversive and subversive activities, as well as organizing mass riots in the eastern regions of our state."

On May 21, 2014, the General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine opened criminal proceedings against Igor Strelkov on suspicion of creating a terrorist group or terrorist organization (part 1 of article 258-3), organizing mass riots (part 1 of article 294), committing a terrorist act (part 1 of article 294), 1 article 258).

He is charged with “during March-April 2014, in order to carry out terrorist attacks in Ukraine, he created a terrorist group, led its activities, organized riots in Kharkov, Luhansk, Donetsk regions, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, accompanied by violence against citizens, as well as pogroms, arson, destruction of property, seizure of buildings and structures", as well as "committed a terrorist act that led to the death of people and other grave consequences."

There is a myth widespread on the Internet that Igor Strelkov is a Mossad colonel, a Jew, and his name is Yigal Girkind. Strelkov himself refutes this opinion.

In December 2014, it was reported that the former head of the DPR Ministry of Defense, Igor Strelkov, married his assistant Miroslava Reginskaya. According to rumors, Reginskaya is a citizen of Ukraine. The marriage of Reginskaya and Strelkov was reported by the Russian Liberty portal. According to rumors, the marriage was concluded on the birthday of Igor Strelkov.

The wife of Igor Strelkov, Miroslava Reginskaya, is the head of the apparatus of the head of the Novorossiya movement - that is, directly to her husband. Moskovsky Komsomolets reports that Miroslava Reginskaya is also a student at the Rostov State Economic University.

In June 2017, Strelkov decided to come out of political oblivion and fight against.

As it became known from the statement of Igor Strelkov himself on his page in "Contact", he constantly receives offers from readers to hold some kind of "debate" with Navalny.

Therefore, Strelkov invited Navalny to come together in a political confrontation.