Aleksandr Petrovich Kharitonov (russian: Александр Харитонов) is a Ukrainian politician who appeared in media during the pro-Russian unrest in March 2014. He is the first leader of Russian

separatists Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...

forces in Luhansk region. He is one of the pioneers and founders of the Russian Spring in the Eastern Ukraine.

Biography

Since 2005 he was a member of the

Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine The Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine (PSPU) is a banned Pro-Russian National Bolshevik political party in Ukraine led by Nataliya Vitrenko. The party was represented in Ukraine's national parliament between 1998 and 2002. History The p ...

and in 2007 unsuccessfully ran for being elected as a

People's Deputy of Ukraine People's, branded as ''People's Viennaline'' until May 2018, and legally ''Altenrhein Luftfahrt GmbH'', is an Austrian airline headquartered in Vienna. It operates scheduled and charter passenger flights mainly from its base at St. Gallen-Alten ...

from the party.Bratva from "LNR" by name; who "steers" the militants in Luhansk Oblast (Братва из «ЛНР»: поименно - кто «рулит» боевиками в Луганской области)
The Ukraine Criminal. 9 December 2015 He also actively participated in the PSPU anti-NATO protests for which in 2008 he was awarded a party badge "Fighter of anti-NATO resistance". In the late 2013 Kharitonov actively participated in Anti-Maidan protests, later organized and led "Luganskaya Gvardiya" (Luhansk Gvardiya).

2014

According to ''Korrespondent'', on 5 March 2014 Kharitonov was elected at a multi-thousand gathering as a "Narodny Gubernator" (People's Governor) following the example of the

Pavel Gubarev Pavel Yuryevich Gubarev (russian: Па́вел Ю́рьевич Гу́барев, ; or Pavlo Yuriyovych Hubariev uk, Павло Юрійович Губарєв; born 10 February 1983) is a Russian activist who proclaimed himself the "People's ...

's election.In Luhansk at a meeting was elected "people's governor" (В Луганске на митинге избрали "народного губернатора")
Korrespondent. 5 March 2014 Kharitonov proposed to elect "Narodny Sovet Luganschiny" () and scheduled a new gathering on Sunday 9 March 2014 to present the People's Soviet. From the stage where Kharitonov spoke, it was announced that there were elected 15,000 signatures to conduct a referendum and appeal for help to

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

. The referendum for federalization of Ukraine was scheduled on 30 March 2014. On 9 March 2014 after storming the building of Luhansk Oblast State Administration, Aleksandr Kharitonov read out loud a letter of resignation which as he claimed is signed by

Mykhailo Bolotskykh Mykhailo Bolotskykh ( ua, Михайло Васильович Болотських; russian: Михаил Васильевич Болотских; born 28 October 1960) is a Ukrainian politician and military serviceman, Colonel General (Civil Defe ...

.The leader of Luganskaya Gvardiya read the Bolotskykh letter of resignation (Лидер Луганской гвардии зачитал заявление Болотских об отставке)
Liga.net. 9 March 2014 Bolotskykh himself left the building with a help of militsiya detachment and did not make any official declarations in that regard. The

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukrai ...

printed an article about the event taken from a local newsmedia and showing the whole process in photos.In Luhansk protesters-Russophiles forced the new governor resign - mass media (У Луганську мітингарі-русофіли змусили нового губернатора піти у відставку - ЗМІ)

. 9 March 2014 Over the building raised a Russian tricolor and the crowd sang the Russian anthem. The local militsiya that was present at the scene stood without reaction stating that cannot arrest everyone. The Euromaidan community informed that many buses from

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

arrived to

Luhansk Luhansk (, ; uk, Луганськ, ), also known as Lugansk (, ; russian: Луганск, ), is a city in what is internationally recognised as Ukraine, although it is administered by Russia as capital of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). A ...

and the "local princes" Oleksandr Yefremov, Arsen Klinchaev, Aleksandr Kharitonov, and chief of SBU Tretiak facilitated intensification of situation. That fact was later confirmed by a former chief of militsiya in Luhansk Oblast.

Arrest

On 13 March 2014 Kharitonov was arrested by the

Security Service of Ukraine The Security Service of Ukraine ( uk, Служба безпеки України, translit=Sluzhba bezpeky Ukrainy}) or SBU ( uk, СБУ, link=no) is the law enforcement authority and main intelligence and security agency of the Ukraini ...

.In Luhansk the Security Service of Ukraine detained Aleksandr Kharitonov (У Луганську Служба безпеки України затримала Олександра Харитонова)

. 14 March 2014 He was convicted to 5 year with probationary period of 3 years for an attempt of violent change of the constitutional order and seizure of government buildings.The Plotnitsky's militants have taken away a wife of the Luhansk "guardsman" Kharitonov "for conversation" (Жену луганского «гвардейца» Харитонова боевики Плотницкого увели «на беседу»)
informator. In the case of mass riots in Luhansk on 9–10 March 2014 Kharitonov appeared along with Arsen Klinchaev. Later Kharitonov was exchanged for hostages and left for Moscow where he organized few pro-separatist Donbass demonstrations titled as "Za Novorossiyu" (). On 7 November 2014 he returned to Luhansk where he reregistered his Luganskaya Gvardiya and joined the local "Kazak National Guard" led by Nikolay Kozitsyn (see Republic of Stakhanov). Following the conflict with Anastasiya Paterikova, Kharitonov left the Kazaks.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kharitonov, Aleksandr 1971 births Living people People from Luhansk People of the Luhansk People's Republic Pro-Russian people of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine Pro-Russian people of the war in Donbas Ukrainian prisoners and detainees Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine politicians People of Anti-Maidan Prisoners and detainees of Ukraine Heads of government who were later imprisoned Ukrainian collaborators with Russia