Biography of Maxim Solopov

Biography of Maxim Solopov, from website of Campaign for release of

Khimki hostages (http://khimkibattle.org/?p=2435&lang=en). Maxim is one
of the anti-fascists, accused of having organised radical protest
against construction of Moscow-St. Petersburg toll road through Khimki
forest. Read more from http://khimkibattle.org

Biography of Maxim Solopov

Maxim Solopov is one of the most famous anti-fascists in Russia. Born in
Moscow in 1989, he considers himself a social activist. He is currently
completing a degree in Spanish and Latin American studies in the
Department of History, Political Science and Law of the Russian State
University for the Humanities , RGGU.

Maxim’s interest in social problems and processes is not limited to the
academic and historical point of view. He formed many of his opinions
while he was still in highschool, as he witnessed the changes taking
place in his country, and became aware of the social forces at play
wrangling for the ‘trophy of the popular conscience.’ It was as a
consequence of these experiences and observations that his anti-fascist
and humanitarian world views developed, alongside a readiness to fight
for social justice and civil liberties.

In this context, it is of no surprise that Maxim took part in several
anti -fascist celebrations on the 9th of May, Victory Day, the
organizing of benefit concerts for World War II veterans, and the
“Russians against fascism” street concert, organized on the 4th of
November 2009, which has since become a significant counter-event to the
annual Nazi march that takes place on the same day.

However, Maxim’s interests range further than anti-fascism to a wide
spectrum of social issues, connected to various initiatives he has
participated in. In his political activism, Maxim has come head to head
with the authorities more than once. He has participated in the campaign
against police brutality and the campaign to reform the police force, a
collaborative project amongst various social initiatives. In November
2008 he helped organize a protest rally against the terrorizing of
social activists and journalists, the main focus of which was protesting
the assault committed against the editor-in-chief of the Khimki Pravda
newspaper, Mikhail Beketov.

Maxim has also participated in campaigns against the illegal hunting of
protected Argali sheep by high-level state officials in the Altai
region, as well as against attempts by Christian hardliners to close
down the 2×2 TV-channel for airing South Park. He was one of the
organisers of the campaign against the revision of the Russian copyright
law, and for the free distribution of information on the internet. In
the framework of this campaign, a major street party was organized in
Pushkin square in the center of Moscow on the same day as the start of
court proceedings against Pirate Bay in Sweden.

Maxim is one of the activists, who has initiated and organised some of
the major left-wing events that have raised raised the most relevant and
important questions in contemporary Russia: freedom of speech and
conscience, corruption, education, clericalization, counter-cultural
alternatives, the global economic crisis, the raise of the ultra-right
and so on.

As an active participant in the anti-fascist movement, Maxim has
constantly been putting his own life on the line, and faced threats and
attacks from Neonazis. For some of his comrades, these threats turned
into action, putting Max in the position of having to organize
commemorations of dead comrades, or setting up solidarity campaigns,
such as the one in support of Alexey Olesinov, who was framed for his
anti-fascist beliefs in 2008. Maxim also collaborated with the 19th of
January Committee, which was initiated to commemorate the murders of
lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova, who were
assassinated by neo-Nazis in 2009.

Due to his balanced and well-argued position, public speaking and
rhetorical skills, never hiding his face in spite of the danger to his
life, he has become a public figure and face for the anti-fascist
movement. He has often been invited to and appeared on TV and radio.
TV-Channels Sovershenno Sekretno, BBC, TVC, NTV, Ren-TV, Stolica, ARTE
and radio channels Echo of Moscow, RSN, Reuters, BBC, Radio Free Europe,
Deutschland Radio Kultur and numerous print media have all interviewed
him, viewing him as a link to the anti-fascist subculture, which Maxim
attempts to open up and make easier to understand for the general public.

Currently, and due to the fact that he is a public figure, Maxim Solopov
is being persecuted by authorities, who are attempting to make him pay
for the action which took place against the Khimki city council on the
28th of July. This action was organized by anti-fascists in reaction to
the ultra-right attack against defenders of the Khimki forest.


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