Oprichniki 2.0—Russia Digs Into History for Its Latest State Control Project

Authorities in Russia’s Vologda region have established a new nonprofit organization called “Oprichniki “, officially tasked with promoting moral education among youth and strengthening ‘all-Russian civic identity.’ The Moscow Times reported the development on February 28, citing a government decree published on Russia’s legal information portal.

According to the document, published on February 26, the Oprichniki organization will focus on the social, cultural, intellectual, and physical development of young people, as well as shaping their moral and ideological values. The group is expected to organize educational, sports, and cultural-historical events.

The name Oprichniki is deeply tied to one of the darkest chapters in Russian history. In the 16th century, Tsar Ivan the Terrible  established the Oprichnina, a brutal system of rule that relied on a personal guard known as the Oprichniki. These men seized land and property, hunted down perceived traitors among the nobility, and carried out mass executions.

The Oprichnina was infamous for its reign of terror, marked by purges, forced land confiscations, and torture, particularly in regions like Vologda, where Ivan IV set up his repressive administration. The era is described in the Great Russian Encyclopedia as a time when autocratic rule turned into outright terror and despotism.

Earlier, at least seven individuals were fined by Russian authorities for “looking too gay” during a police raid on a nightclub in Tula in February.