Our Сomrade, Anarchist-Internationalist from Russia, Vladislav Iurchenko ("Pirate"), Became a Martyr Defending the Peoples of Ukraine

On August 9 2024, our comrade and anarchist-internationalist from Russia, Vladislav Iurchenko (nom de guerre “Pirate”), was killed in battle. He was 22 years old. Vladislav was part of the “Siberian Battalion” of the International Legion, and he was martyred in a fight during a landing operation on the Kinburn Spit.

Before coming to Ukraine, Vladislav participated in actions of solidarity with anarchist and other anti-government prisoners. He fought against Russian fascism and imperialism. Knowing that anarchists in Ukraine are organizing for self-defense against the occupiers, he was looking for the opportunity to join the comrades and take up arms. He decided to fight against the Russian colonial state in the ranks of the “Siberian Battalion” because, as a revolutionary, he believed that this unit would open up opportunities for the anarchist collective organizational activity — the activity which will lead to the radical transformation of society in the post -Soviet space and in the whole world, to the triumph of the ideals of freedom, equality and justice.

Before the full-scale war, Vladislav worked on naval vessels, and maybe because of this he chose nom de guerre “Pirate”. He came to Ukraine in February 2024, was enormously enthusiastic during the training, and helped other comrades. He was an assault and special forces fighter. “Pirate” went to his first battle on May 10, 2024. Early morning of this day, on the border with the Russian Federation, his group met by fire the Russian troops advancing to the Kharkiv region. Later, he participated in the defense of the city Vovchansk.

In his revolutionary struggle, “Pirate” was inspired by the path of our martyred comrade, one of the founders of BOAK, Dmitry Petrov. He had a great commitment to the example of Dima and he considered that not only the defense of the Ukrainian society from imperialism and occupation was important, but also the ideological self-defense of the anarchist movement from the destructive influence of the capitalist oppressive system. Therefore, in Ukraine, in addition to participating in battles, he was looking for possibilities to participate in the organizational activities of anarchists beyond the state armed structures.

Also, Vladislav was inspired by the Kurdish revolution. He tried to learn as much as possible about the Revolution and its relevance for the international revolutionary movement. He read with great attention the book “Flowers of the Desert: 10 Years of the Rojava Revolution”, published with Dmitry Petrov’s participation. He was going to read “Life without a state: Revolution in Kurdistan” and one of the founders of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Sakine Cansız’s memoirs “Sarah—My whole life was a struggle”. Recently, the comrades from the “Solidarity Collectives” asked Vladislav how they can help him materially, and he did not ask for anything else but these books. Now the comrade will never get this parcel with this revolutionary literature…

Shortly before “Pirate” martyred , the telegram-channel Antifa Enternasyonal, connected with the Kurdish revolutionary movement, published his words about the motivation to protect Ukrainian and Russian societies from the Russian fascist colonial state:

I have always had a keen sense of justice. That is why, when Putin started an imperial war against Ukraine, I decided to fight with arms in my hands for the freedom of the Ukrainian people, for the freedom of citizens of the Russian Federation and indigenous peoples enslaved by Russia.

At the age of 24, I became interested in the ideals of anarchism and then I realized that I was living in a fascist state, I began going to rallies in support of political prisoners, and very quickly became disillusioned with this method of fighting the regime. I studied as a naval specialist, worked on naval vessels, I had a good salary, I had something to lose, but when the war began, my conscience did not allow me to continue leading my normal life and turn a blind eye to the crimes that the Russian army was committing. That’s why I’m here.”

Now there is no anarchist unit in Ukraine. Yet if we are serious about our cause, we as a movement must act in an organized and coherent manner, in a spirit of collectivism. Therefore, if you are considering the opportunity to join the Ukrainian Defense Forces, including coming from another country, we recommend that you first contact and consult with the Resistance Committee ( @Rescomua_bot ) or with us ( @BO_AK_feedback_bot , bo-ak@riseup.net). Don’t forget about safety!

The Words of the Martyred Anarchist Vladislav Iurchenko

Greetings to all our comrades. My name is Vladislav, nom de guerre “Pirate”. I decided to leave this letter in the event of my death in the war against the Russian imperial regime, the war against the state in which I was born and raised, the war against the dictator who usurped power yet before my birth. I want this letter to remain as a historical document about the participation of anarchists-revolutionaries in the resistance of the Ukrainian people against the Russian tyranny. I, like all sane citizens of the Russian Federation, was shocked by the beginning of this war, terrible injustice, and crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, I only thought about what I could do against this injustice, how I can stop the madness that my people made. When I got to know about the emergence of military units in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in which the citizens of the Russian Federation were accepted, I immediately realized that I had to fight for the freedom of the Ukrainian people and our ideals in this way, with weapons in my hands. And even if I do not see the victory of the Ukrainian people over the occupiers, the bright future anarchist communism, justice and freedom for all people on Earth, I believe. I believe that the future will certainly come. While our comrades continue to fight, totalitarianism, authoritarianism and fascism will not capture humanity. I wish my comrades also not to lose confidence in the struggle for freedom.

Revolution is immortal!

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