ANALYTICAL PROJECT VLADIMIR PUTIN‘S RUSSIA August. 19th, 2014 No. 2 Dmitry Rogozin’s Clan: Visionaries and Executors Behind Aggression Towards Ukraine By Marius Laurinavičius, Senior Analyst, EESC Researching the role, actions and interests of of state programs related to force structures, so various most powerful officials of the Russian some even started calling him the curator of all government can provide a gilmse into the force structures in Russia. Though he is something more than just the state’s decision- hardly that powerful, his actual influence is making mechanism. pretty well reflected by the title of deputy prime minister that he holds. It also allows to at least make assumptions about how aggression against Ukraine was On the other hand, there are seven deputy prime initiated, why it is so “unusual”, and why the ministers in the Russian government. One - Igor Kremlin's actions often seem illogical at first Shuvalov - is the first Deputy Prime Minister. glance. But can you say that Rogozin’s influence is less than that of Shuvalov who, as mentioned in the Starting from deputy prime minister Dmitry previous essay, can be called one of the power Rogozin is a natural choice because, based on a centres of the “liberal” wing? number of facts, this extremely influential power player can reasonably be titled the main Or maybe Rogozin’s powers are just as potent visionary and executor behind aggression as any other deputy prime minister’s? Maybe towards Ukraine. even comparable to other ministers’? In July’s rankings of Russia’s most influential politicians, Title is not everything traditionally held by the “Nezavisimaja gazeta” newspaper, Rogozin ranked lower than other In the last essay, which reviewed all the current Government members: Prime Minister Dmitry structures of the Russian government, we have Medvedev (second spot), Defence Minister already noted that official positions in Putin’s Sergey Shoigu (seventh place), Minister of system do not necessary reflect their holders’ Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and First Deputy true power. Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov. Rogozin was ranked only 14th. Rogozin’s (born in Moscow in 1963) official title is a really influential one. He is the deputy It is difficult to assess the methodology of this prime minister in charge of the military popular ranking, but I believe that it does not industrial complex, nuclear power, reflect the true influence of Rogozin and most shipbuilding, aviation and radio electronics other players. The reason behind it might be the industry, even of the border policy. Last summer, he was assigned to oversee a number 1 www.eesc.lt ANALYTICAL PROJECT VLADIMIR PUTIN‘S RUSSIA fact that this ranking takes into account only the advisor who is yet another of Rogozin’s official powers of various individuals without colleagues and current companions. considering their off-the-record influence in The fact that this structure is called a “club” various power clans. In the Russian government should not confuse one. It is more than just a system, the “shadow influence” can be even “think tank” (so common in the Western world) more important than the official one. In recent because it has a much greater direct influence years, Rogozin has strengthened his position on government decisions. Formal or informal significantly. representatives of the Izborsk club in the presidential administration include the above- The power of the “Izborsk club” mentioned Glazyev and Putin’s assistant Igor Shchyogolev. Apart from Rogozin, the club’s The informal influence of Rogozin is well ideas are also supported in the government by reflected by several formal structures. First of Vladimir Medinski, the Minister of Culture. all, Rogozin is the leader of the so-called informal “Izborsk club” which helped unite a The Izborsk club develops and publishes a wide big part of influential Russian nationalists. variety of state development strategies - from defence to economic or social issues. The Truth be told, you won’t find Rogozin’s name highlight of the club’s presence can be among the club members. He was there at the considered the Russian president’s infamous very beginning of the club, but apparently “conservative doctrine” that was presented in decided to remain behind the scenes. Even the his address to the Federal Assembly in “Evrazia” portal, which is directly related to December 2013. This language was generally Alexander Dugin, one of the leaders of the written by the Izborsk club, or at least directly Izborsk club and nationalist ideologist, wrote influenced by its ideas. after the club’s inaugural meeting on 8 September 2012: “The club united such Russian The Izborsk club has also provided the patriots as Alexander Prokhanov, Mikhail ideological basis for Russia’s aggression in Leontyev, Mikhail Shevchenka, Alexander Ukraine with their manifesto “Saving Ukraine”, Dugin, Nikolay Starikov, Vitaly Averyanov and published on 13 February this year (more than a Dmitry Rogozin.” week before the revolution victory in Kiev). The main thesis of the manifesto became part of the On the other hand, the Izborsk club brought public rhetoric of many Russian politicians and together more than just the members of diplomats from the outset of the aggression. But Rogozin’s clan. For example, one of its true we will return to that later. members is Mikhail Leontyev, vice president of “Rosneft” and PR general at a rival clan, the Return to the power Olympus very powerful group of Igor Sechin. Leontyev still calls himself a journalist. The most interesting and eloquent is the fact that Rogozin is like a risen phoenix in the However, at least half of the Izborsk club State’s political scene. It was Putin’s own order member can be considered members of (Rogozin has openly complained about it to Rogozin’s clan or at least his companions. numerous Lithuanian representatives) to break Furthermore, the club’s main ideologists, editors up and disperse Rogozin’s clan less than a of the ultranationalist paper “Zavtra” Alexander decade ago which significantly reduced the Prokhanov and Alexander Dugin, are Rogozin’s clan’s influence. And in 2008, Rogozin was sent old comrades from the very early days of the to political exile when he was appointed as “Rodina” party. And the real founder of the Russia’s ambassador to NATO. Izborsk club is Sergey Glazyev, a presidential 2 www.eesc.lt ANALYTICAL PROJECT VLADIMIR PUTIN‘S RUSSIA Putin's balancing policy in 2011 showed the his comrades to the State Duma during need of Rogozin’s impact on the nationalist December’s elections. Some of Rogozin’s other wing and the military-industrial complex. As companions were elected as representatives of you may recall, after Putin and Medvedev other political parties. announced that they were “swapping posts” (Putin becoming the president again), an As a result, Rogozin now has a number of unprecedented wave of protests swept across influential supporters in Parliament. Among Russia. them are Equity Committee Chairman Sergey Gavrilov (Russian Communist Party fraction), Putin, however, was not threatened by those First Vice-President of the Committee of tens or even hundreds of thousands of protesters Defence Sergei Zhigarev (Russian Liberal in the streets of the country’s most populous Democratic Party fraction), “Rodina’s” cities. He saw a much greater danger - at the Chairman Alexei Zhuravlyov (“United time, the nationalist forces began to work hand- Russia”), a member of the Foreign Affairs in-hand and coordinate their actions with the Committee, the chairman of Duma’s legal protesters that demanded democratic change. support for developing military-industrial And such a union could in fact be potentially complex organizations, the Russian president's dangerous. special envoy for relations with compatriots abroad Alexander Babakov, Deputy Chairman That is why, to everyone’s surprise, in of Communal and Religious Organizations December 2011 Rogozin was recalled from Committee Mikhail Markelov (“United political exile straight to the post of deputy Russia”), First Vice-President at the Nationality prime minister. His main task was to rally Affairs Committee Mikhail Starshinov nationalist forces under Putin’s flag. Rogozin’s (“United Russia”), and Deputy Chairman at the efforts were fruitful and he significantly Labour, Social and Veteran Affairs Committee strengthened his position. Mikhail Moiseyev (“United Russia”). It is important to note that Rogozin’s return Supported by generals from exile straight to the post of deputy prime minister could seem surprising only at the first Apart from the aforementioned Minister of glance. Rogozin was already preparing for his Culture, Medinski, Rogozin even has a family- return to the political arena - his comrades were related supporter in the Government. Education directly (while he himself indirectly) related to and Science Minister Dmitry Livanov is the the origins of the “All-Russia People’s Front”. son of Rogozin’s brother-in-law Viktor Livanov Creating such an organization was suggested by who died last May and who was once a vice- Putin himself back in May 2011. Many minister of Russia’s military industry and speculated as to the need of such an alternative recently held the position of the CEO at to the ruling “United Russia” party. Ilushin’s Aviation Complex. Be that as it may, Rogozin (informally at first, Livanon, like many other representatives of and then publicly), supported Putin and the Russia’s military-industrial complex, has been “All-Russia People's Front” in September’s Rogozin’s supporter for a long time. The remedial meeting of the “Rodina” party. influence the current deputy prime minister Moreover, Rogozin (who could hardly be called exerts on the military-industrial complex dates Medvedev’s proponent) and a couple of his back to his father Oleg Rogozin. This companions joined the Committee of the lieutenant general, military engineer, professor Russian president’s public sponsors.