Saturday, 18 June 2011

On Friday, the biker procession Moscow - Minsk with the icon of Blessed Valentina Minska began. It would seem that what is common between bikers and procession?

This question is asked because the image of a biker in our minds is formed by the news and films of the West, in which the biker appears as a drunkard, a sex pervert, a bearer of satanic attributes and a drug addict.

In the West, there really is a powerful network biker association called "Hell's Angels". A big headache for the police, stoned crime on wheels in all the ambiguities of this phrase. Unfortunately, now the dark subculture of "angels" is being channeled into Russia. Last year, the first big hangouts of the guys confused by them took place in Moscow.

But there are other clubs as well. Some of them do not share the ideology of the fallen angels, some oppose them. In Russia, the Night Wolves motorcycle club belongs to the latter. How did it happen that Russian bikers took up all-round defense, saying who they would not become under any circumstances - this is the secret of conscience and freedom. On the one hand, everyone is endowed with a moral sense and the ability to distinguish the meanings of what is happening, on the other hand, does everyone use this gift?

But since a person is free, and bikers are people, it means that the truth is revealed to them. The truth of Night Wolves is that Hell's Angels have no place on our earth. In this, the "Night Wolves" see their mission here - to save the Russian world from the evil that does not hide its goals, behaves impudently and discredits the biker movement in Russia as well as abroad.

It is noteworthy that in recent years, guys from Serbia and Germany, who have become fed up with the satanism of frostbitten "angels", have joined the "Night Wolves". Thus, "Night Wolves" go beyond the CIS, becoming a transnational culture. The watershed in the world of bikers no longer passes by countries, but by value vectors.

Hence the request of the "Night Wolves", with which Alexander Zaldostanov, known in the world of bikers as the Surgeon, addresses us: caution and sobriety when meeting bright and exciting phenomena, whether it is bikerism in sixes and pentagrams or the temptation to go all out. Not all those bikers that shine. Not all those angels who call themselves such (the Surgeon warned about this live on the radio station "Moscow Speaks")

I note that this warning of the Surgeon is quite in tune with the first commandment of Orthodox asceticism.
So in the world of bikers, a hellish scythe found a Russian stone. And the cross bike ride Moscow-Minsk is only the very top of this block. We must look deeper - and deeper - spiritual warfare.

"Bike Prayer" was held this Friday, June 17, at 10 am, in the bike center "Night Wolves" (Nizhniye Mnevniki, 110). Anticipating our prayer, I said that if we have Heaven above our heads, then there will be earth under our feet.
He wished the children the highest freedom in Christ.

And after the prayer service, it was decided that this pilgrimage would also be dedicated to the protection of our pregnant sisters and their unborn babies, to the prayer that the amendments made to the draft law "On protecting the health of citizens" to help mothers would be passed. Such a peculiar response of "Night Wolves" to the aura of death promoted by the angels of hell.

This is great. Take the subculture, grind it down, throw out all the abominations (such as socialized girls, earning money on prostitutes and drug trafficking, which Aa-shniks are famous for in the West), reach Christianity - and start spreading Christianity in neighboring and not only countries.

When we performed the rite about travelers, we read that passage from the Acts of the Apostles, which tells how the Angel of the Lord directed Philip on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, along which a high-ranking Ethiopian official was traveling. The official puzzled over Isaiah's prophecies about the meek and suffering Messiah. Heeding the advice of the Spirit of God, Philip started a conversation with the one riding in the chariot, told him about Christ and, at his request, baptized him in the nearest stream.

So, God forbid that the "Night Wolves" bite the "angels of hell."

Addition. Who are the "Hell's Angels" and what are they campaigning for:
Hells Angels- one of the largest motorcycle clubs in the world, which has its chapters (branches) around the world. Included, along with "Outlaws MC", "Pagans MC" and "Bandidos MC", the so-called "big four" outlaw clubs and is the most famous among them.

Law enforcement agencies in several countries call the club a “motorcycle gang” and accuse it of drug trafficking, racketeering, trafficking in stolen goods, violence, murder, etc. Club members claim to be peaceful motorcycle enthusiasts who have united for joint motorcycle races, meetings and holding social events.

In the 1960s, Ralph Hubert Barger, better known as Sonny Barger, became the president of the Oakland (California, USA) branch (over time, he became not only the head of the Oakland chapter, but also the president of Hells Angels MC world"). Barger first registered the Hells Angels brand and the winged skull symbolism. Under him, bikers for the first time began to regularly make motorcycle races and pay membership dues. Thanks to Barger's charisma and natural talent for PR, not only the Oakland chapter, but the Hells Angels as a whole, became the most famous motorcycle club in the world.

In particular, Sonny himself and a number of club members starred in several Hollywood films, and during the Vietnam War, Barger wrote a letter to US President Lyndon B. Johnson that received wide press coverage:

« TO PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON
1600 Penn Avenue
Washington (District of Columbia)
Dear Mr. President:

On my own behalf and on behalf of my comrades, I am gathering a group of American volunteers loyal to the authorities to fulfill their duty in Vietnam, in the rear of regular units. We believe that a select group of trained militants will demoralize the Viet Cong and hasten the triumph of the cause of freedom. We are ready to start training and doing our duty immediately.

Sincerely,
RALPH BARGER JR.
Oakland, California
Hell's Angels President
wiki

And if we or our relatives are drawn to rush into bikers, we will be more attentive so as not to inadvertently run into infernal nonsense in a biker outfit.

Hieromonk Dimitry (Pershin)

____________________________________

And they really go beyond the CIS:

Bikers from the United States sent applications to join the club "Night Wolves", said the leader of the motorcycle club Alexander Zaldostanov, known as the Surgeon.

“We have several requests from America to open a branch of the Night Wolves. We haven't given permission yet. We do not give our names to everyone. Time must pass, there are certain laws, they must get to know us,” he said.

According to him, not only Americans show interest in the Russian bike club. “When I ask foreigners why you need to open branches of the Night Wolves, they answer: because it is from Russia, because there is something in it that is not found in any bike organization, there is a spirit,” said the Surgeon quoted by Russian News Service.
The day before, the United States imposed sanctions against 24 citizens of Russia and Ukraine, as well as a number of companies. This list includes the leader of Russian bikers Alexander Zaldostanov (Surgeon) and the Night Wolves motorcycle club.

In March last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented club leader Alexander Zaldostanov, known by the nickname Surgeon, with the Order of Honor for "active work in the patriotic education of youth, participation in search work and perpetuating the memory of the fallen defenders of the Fatherland."

Meet George Christie - the former president of one of the chapters (branches) of the largest and coolest motorcycle club in the United States and the world, the Hells Angels motorcycle club.

Anton Gorodetsky

For almost 68 years, this organization - recognized as illegal in America - has been roaming the country in leather jackets with patches, roaring engines, keeping civilians awake, and under the cover of night doing all sorts of dark things - from selling drugs to killing members of rival motorcycle gangs. George will lay out the whole ins and outs of the adventures of the legendary Hells Angels on the History TV channel in the new documentary series Outlaws: Hells Angels, but he told MAXIM the most important things right now.

First, explain how you got into the Hells Angels.

I was about nineteen years old when I realized that I was not satisfied with the then state of affairs in society, that it was time to change something. Well, everything is as usual: youthful ardor, rebellious spirit. I met and hung out with a local biker gang, the Question Marks, and bought my first motorcycle. Through the "Questionary" I learned about the "Hell's Angels" - they were already the most powerful gangsters and hooligans in the district. For me at that time the words "bandit" and "hero" were synonymous, so I did not think long when I was called to the "Angels".

Do you still think so about synonyms?

I think, yes. A man outside the law is one who knows how to think for himself and does not allow anyone to tell him what to do and how he is supposed to think.

"Hell's Angels" are natural bandits, they killed people, they sold drugs. How does the whole gang still walk free?

Firstly, officially we were and are peaceful motorists. That is, in fact, it is still necessary to prove who is killing whom there. Secondly, many of ours, if they got involved in some kind of dark affairs, then they got what they deserved - the US legal system does not sleep. In this sense, bikers are no different from ordinary citizens: committed a proven crime? Go to jail, give back to society, reflect on your mistakes, come back and try to be better than yourself. Although many in the States, of course, have dreamed and are dreaming of jailing us all simply for the very fact of our existence.

Well, let's say you are quietly running your business - say, selling and repairing motorcycles - and then some muddy guys appear on your territory who open the same salon a stone's throw from yours. How did the Angels solve the problem?

Manly: talking. I ran for president for 35 years, traveled a lot around the States and even around Europe precisely in order to solve such problems. Mostly fought with the Bandidos (another extremely popular motorcycle club in the USA - ed.), but there were skirmishes with both Outlaws and Mongols, several times with Pagans. Every time they tried to understand the problem in words. It happened, of course, that the situation got out of control, and then it was necessary to use force ... But before you reproach us, answer me this question: why are we worse, for example, politicians? At the state level, everything happens in exactly the same way.

The right to bear arms cannot be taken away from people.

And what is the sensational story with the "Mongols"?

The conflict is old, it has been going on since 1977. It all started in Southern California, at one of the biker parties in Los Angeles. Like many male fights, this one started over a woman.

Biker Trojan War.

Ha ha, exactly. Comes, then, "Mongol" in the company of the ex-wife of one of ours. As he saw, immediately on them with his fists. Insults rained down, bar stools flew. At some point, one of the newcomers tore off a piece of a stripe from the back of one of ours - this is generally sacred for bikers, they can easily be beaten for this. They declared that now this is their territory and they didn’t care if we like it or not. In short, word for word, the fight quickly turned into a brawl. The shooting began, then more skirmishes happened, even some people were blown up, many were laid down, many were imprisoned. I look from the height of the past years and understand: it was not worth it.

Do you think that the right of civilians to freely buy and carry weapons is justified? To the cinema, for example, or there to the kindergarten?

In general, yes. Of course, recently the number of cases of unjustified use of weapons has gone off scale, but these are particulars: we are not shown how a weapon saved the life of a family and helped protect itself from thieves. It is necessary to tighten the rules for obtaining weapons, but it is impossible to deprive people of the right to carry them.

You can immediately see a person who is with a gunshot on “you”. Do you regret anything you did? Maybe you want to apologize for something or someone?

No, I don't regret anything and I'm not going to apologize for anything. I will say this: there were mistakes, yes, but I learned from them and continue to learn. I'm only human, we all make mistakes. I consider all my mistakes as steps on the way to the happiness of myself and people close to me.

It's clear. Skirmishes skirmishes, and from non-life-threatening entertainment was there something?

Yes, a good biker has a lot of fun in life. We were masters in our territory, we rode bikes all day long, swaggered in clubs. The most important thing, of course, is the indescribable feeling of true freedom that you experience when you ride a motorcycle along the highway. Wind, speed and crazy courage.

I heard you were good friends with celebrities. Tell me, with which of the famous guys did you drink?

We were friends with Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead. With Mickey Rourke, too, with Robert Patrick are well known. Who else... David Carradine, of course. Yes, a lot of people from the industry. Ah, Michael Madsen is a very good friend of mine. Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper - I was friends with all these guys and had a nice party.

They had a good time with the Grateful Dead, with Mickey Rourke, David Carradine. Yes, with many

Cool! And what does the former president of the charter do in his spare time from the presidency? Boxing? Knitting?

I am a big fan of martial arts, I still do them. I spend a lot of time with my wife Nikki, we have two children. Daughters are soon twenty-three, and the boy is twelve.

Will a son follow in his father's footsteps?

That is unlikely. He shows no interest in motorcycles, more and more fiddling with computers, knows how to program, even creates his own toys. He doesn't care about my culture, to be honest. But I still love him and support him in any endeavor.

What is your favorite bike? Do you ride on four wheels at all?

Custom Harley-Davidson, no surprises here. Comfortable as a woman. I've had it since the 70's, nothing better for traveling around Southern California.

Have you heard anything about Russian bikers? We've got the Night Wolves out here these days, with the Surgeon at the head.

Well, I heard that I would very much like to see him if and when I come to Russia. He seemed to want to look into the States himself, but he was forbidden ... I really wonder how everything is arranged here in this regard: culture, people. I met the Night Wolves once in the 80s, it's interesting to see what they have become. By the way, is it true in the States that the Surgeon is a good friend of your president?

And then. As a bully and a biker, how do you like the idea of ​​​​close cooperation between the authorities and motorcycle clubs?

Subtle question. I think bikers have the right to express their philosophical and political views on life, and if they coincide with the state ones, then so be it. The surgeon is a smart man, once he guessed to turn his motorcycle club into a powerful political unit. The United States didn't think of that.

Then it will be interesting for you to know that he recently personally signed an appeal to our senators with a request to ban the activities of the Russian branch of the Hells Angels.

Really?.. Well, now I want to see him even more.

For the first episode of Outlaw Chronicles: Hells Angels, see Outlaw Chronicles: Hells Angels. today at 22:00 on History TV- and let the dark secrets of the legendary motorcycle club be revealed to you.

Motto: Better to be the King of Hell than a servant in Heaven

The most famous and radical bike club in the United States is Hells Angels MC (Hell's Angels). This club is the most numerous (about 2000-2500 members) and has chapters (branches) all over the world, including Russia.

Hells Angels Moto Club appeared in 1948 in San Bernardino (according to other sources in San Francisco) in California from several motorcycle clubs. A little later, the president of the San Francisco branch, Frank Sadlick, came up with the sign of the Hells Angels - the head of death (skull with wings).

In 1960, Auckland club president Sonny Barger (real name Ralph Hubert Barger) registered the club's logo, red and white, and created a charter that required to become a full member of the club:

Reach level 4 in a club

If possible, do not break the law and be friends with the authorities

Pay dues

• Arrange mass arrivals only with the permission of local authorities and the leadership of the chapter

Thanks to the charisma of Barger, the California bike club spread first in the United States and then around the world. Under him, the club became so popular that during a tour of the United States, The Rolling Stones took on members of the club as bodyguards.

It was Barger who turned an ordinary motorcycle club into a registered trademark. Trading in biker paraphernalia and motorcycles, the club annually made a profit of tens of millions of dollars a year. However, very soon, the Hells Angels realized that they could make a lot more money selling drugs. Hells Angels MC belong to the group of bikers of the so-called 1% (these are groups of motorcyclists who are outlaws. This name was given after the speech of the head of the American Motorcyclist Association, who stated that 99% of bikers are law-abiding citizens).

The "Hell's Angels" began to turn into a gang group, whose members increasingly became former criminals. This motorcycle club occupies a leading position in the ratings of the FBI and Interpol. In all lists of the most dangerous bikers in the world, he takes first place. This is caused by the criminal activities of the members of the club: the sale of drugs, major skirmishes with other bike clubs, looting, control of prostitution and other hard-hitting activities. The club is constantly being persecuted by the authorities.

But despite all the criminal activity, the Hells Angels, at least in the US chapters, are very patriotic. They annually take part in parades on Independence Day and other national holidays in the United States. During the outbreak of the Vietnam War, the president of the club informed Washington that the members of the club were ready to form their own unit and go to war.

The symbol of this club is a characteristic skull with wings, red and white colors. On a denim or leather jacket on the chest there are 4 rectangular patches, which reflect the name of the club, chapter, nickname of the club member and his position in the club. On the back, there is usually a "1%" sign and abbreviations.

Now the Hells Angels remain the most radical, but also the most desirable club for bikers around the world. They are the elite of the global bike community and every biker dreams of joining this club.

So, are you ready to join the coolest biker family? Then get on the road! Don't know what to take with you? Well, what are you! We told you about. We hope you've heard of these guys, well, the ones that are Hell's Angels. But just in case, let's explain: this is the largest cult motorcycle club. Maybe you've at least heard of a piece that old Hunter Thompson wrote about those devilish angels?

The Hells Angels have their own branches all over the world, so it's not that hard to find them. Why do so many people know about them? Well, perhaps because they were labeled with bandit labels. No, we do not say that they are good boys, although the representatives of this biker club themselves have long claimed that they never went against the authorities and the law. In fact, everything is different.

If you rely on the legend, then the idea of ​​​​this impressive motorcycle club was born during the Second World War. Namely, in the US Air Force there was the 303rd heavy bomber squadron with the name "Hell's Angels". After the end of the war, the pilots were left without work. They believed that their country, for which they were ready to give their lives, had betrayed them. The defenders were left to fend for themselves, and so they decided to go all out. A riot arose, the former pilots sat down at powerful bikes and actually declared war on the government.

In a certain biker gang, the president was immediately determined (the most important of the bikers of the motorcycle club), and it was Frank Sadlik. This is not the president of the entire vast gang, but only a representative of a branch from San Francisco. In general, it was this Frank who was the creator of the legendary motorcycle club logo - a skull with wings. Literally at the same time, they determined that the official colors of the club would be red and white.

It wasn't until the 1960s that the Hells Angels had a definite system. They began to regularly arrange motorcycle races, pay membership fees, they had a certain charter. All this came to the Angels along with the appearance of Sonny Barger in their gang. This guy officially registered the logo of the motorcycle club. It was thanks to his ingenuity and charisma that the Hells Angels club became the most popular in the whole world.

During the Vietnam War, Barger wrote a letter to the President of the United States that received extensive press coverage. It is he who publishes in his novel "Hell's Angels":

To President Lyndon B. Johnson
1600 Penn Avenue
Washington (District of Columbia)
Dear Mr. President!

On my own behalf and on behalf of my comrades, I am gathering a group of American volunteers loyal to the authorities to fulfill their duty in Vietnam, in the rear of regular units. We believe that a select group of trained militants will demoralize the Viet Cong and hasten the triumph of the cause of freedom. We are ready to start training and doing our duty immediately.

Sincerely,
Ralph Barger Jr.
Oakland, California
Hell's Angels President

The Hells Angels continue to grow. Do you want to know if they have a branch in Russia? Of course there is, and there is one in such countries as the USA, New Zealand, Great Britain, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Austria, Canada, Holland, Denmark, France, Brazil, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Liechtenstein, Finland, Spain , Belgium, Argentina, Greece, Portugal, Chile, Croatia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Dominican Republic, Turkey, Poland, Iceland, Ireland, Malta, Thailand, Slovenia, Slovakia, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Lithuania, Japan, Latvia, Estonia, Cyprus, etc. In general, if you think that you are ready to become one of them, then you will definitely find a place.

In addition to the "skull with wings" symbol, members of the motorcycle club often use the number "81". These are the serial numbers of the letters "H" and "A" in the English alphabet. A similar combination can be seen on members of the "support clubs", as the full name "Hells Angels" can only be worn by full members of the Hells Angels.

The Angels are under constant surveillance by the police. Attempts are regularly made to introduce government employees into the heart of the motorcycle club. One such infiltration ended for the Angels with the arrest of 52 members. This is because, in addition to legal business, the Angels are credited with the sale of weapons, drugs, racketeering, control over prostitution and other gang activities. But not all representatives of the Hells Angels were involved in this, so do not grumble and blame them.

Maybe now you will also become infected with a thirst for freedom, only a powerful bike and an impressive leather jacket will help you. Follow the Angels if nothing scares you anymore.

The leader of the Night Wolves motorcycle club, Alexander Zaldostanov (Surgeon), asked the Federation Council and the Prosecutor General's Office to ban two other well-known bike associations - Hells Angels and Bandidos. Mr. Zaldostanov complained that the bikers "reject the laws in principle" and warned that these motorcycle clubs "could be used as the main fighting force in a foreign-inspired 'color revolution'." The representative of the Hells Angels club IVAN (HIPPO) in an interview with the correspondent of Kommersant ALEXANDER CHERNIKH commented in detail on the accusations of the Night Wolves, and also told how the activities of the Surgeon are treated in the Russian motorcycle community.

The Night Wolves complaint first became known on June 7, when the Federation Council published its "patriotic stop list" - a list of NGOs that, according to senators, should be recognized as "undesirable organizations." Then the list included the Soros Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, Freedom House, the National Endowment for Democracy and others. The parliamentarians assured that the list would expand and called on citizens to send their proposals. And Senator Viktor Ozerov mentioned that the first signals from the field have already appeared. “We received two appeals from our public organization Night Wolves,” Mr. Ozerov said. “They provided materials for two organizations that are registered in the United States. And they cite facts that clearly speak of the anti-Russian nature of these organizations.” The senator did not specify which organizations the Night Wolves did not like.

On June 22, at a press conference, Kommersant asked the head of the Night Wolves, Alexander Zaldostanov, what kind of NGOs he proposes to ban and for what reason. The visibly annoyed biker said he did not want to comment on the matter. “Just so you understand: I don’t want to promote them,” he told a Kommersant correspondent. “As soon as I pronounce their names, a wave of interest in these assholes will immediately begin. I can only say: we want Russia to have as little as possible such rubbish, all sorts of sects, all sorts of rubbish.”

As a result, on August 5, the Anti-Maidan movement, one of the founders of which is Mr. Zaldostanov, published its request to the Federation Council. The authors of the letter ask the Federation Council and the Prosecutor General's Office to ban Hells Angels and Bandidos motorcycle clubs in Russia. The appeal states that these “foreign organizations headquartered in the United States” do not comply with the laws of the Russian Federation, participated in the events on the Maidan and, in general, can be used as the main fighting force during the “color revolution” in Russia. The letter was signed by the co-chairs of Anti-Maidan, as well as representatives of patriotic public organizations - the veteran "Combat Brotherhood", the Union of Paratroopers and the Union of Artists of Russia.

On Thursday, August 13, Andrey Klishas, ​​Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation, turned to Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika with a proposal to add the Hells Angels and Bandidos to the list of undesirable organizations.

The Hells Angels motorcycle club, represented by its representative Ivan (Hippo), agreed to comment on the situation to Kommersant.

- What do you think about the letter of the "Night Wolves" and the possible verification by the Prosecutor General's Office?

It is very bad that the infamous Alexander Zaldostanov is lying once again. Moreover, he is trying to use public institutions for his own purposes and distracts from the serious work of people needed by society: senators, prosecutors. We really would not like to pay attention to all this nonsense, but, unfortunately, now we are forced to speak out somehow. We have a gentlemen's club, we behave like men: normal and clear. Gentlemen do not lie, this is a normal code of ethics. And sending such papers is just ungentlemanly behavior. Do you remember, in "The Master and Margarita" Timofey Kvastsov writes: "Check a bad apartment." So here - only we have a good apartment! This paper is full of lies - a very important point that must be understood immediately. This time, Alexander Zaldostanov with his tricks crossed all boundaries. If a person sends an outright lie to a state structure, he is just ... [crazy] in his head.

- What exactly in the request is not true?

Yes, almost everything, except for the appeal “dear Andrey Alexandrovich” (the document is addressed to the chairman of the Federation Council committee on constitutional legislation Andrey Klishas.- "b"). First, the senators are offered to "get acquainted with the activities of two foreign organizations." Immediately the first lie. Hells Angels Russia is not an organization. We are not engaged in commerce, we do not hold any promotional events. Basically, we don't have money. We're just a club of very, very close friends, if it's quite popular to explain, we're like siblings. A family is not called an organization.

And we are not foreign. Each club in the Hells Angels is a charter, an independent local entity. The Hells Angels do not and never have a common club president who runs chapters around the world. There is no foreign leadership, we have a clear rule: one person, one vote. There is no main headquarters in the US, which is also mentioned in this letter. It is clear what they are hinting at, but the club exists all over the world. It exists in those countries that are considered anti-American. Serbia, Argentina, Bulgaria - everywhere there are their own Hells Angels, no one will reproach them with a lack of patriotism.

Let's look at the paper. "... Motorcycle clubs calling themselves Hells Angels - "Hell's Angels", and Bandidos - "Bandits"." Names are intentionally mistranslated here. All motorcyclists know perfectly well that the Hells Angels are not Hells Angels. If it were written "Hell`s Angels" - that's when we would be in the sense of "angels belonging to hell." But our name means something like "angels living in hells." On the very first page of our site this question is explained in detail - life experience shows that there is not one hell in the world, there are many of them. And this situation with denunciation is also just some kind of hell.

I won’t talk about Bandidos, it’s still a different club, but in general they are also not “Bandits”. They are named after the character Bandido from the old cartoon, where it is a proper name.

The Prosecutor General's Office is more likely to be interested not in the name, but in the assertion that your clubs are already banned in other countries. This is true?

There is no country where Hells Angels would be banned. Indeed, a year and a half ago there was an attempt to do this in Germany, but in June the Supreme Court issued a positive ruling and we are considered an absolutely legal association there. We calmly walk around Berlin in vests with our symbols.

In Canada, two years ago, the Supreme Court in Ontario ruled in a special opinion, which clearly states: Hells Angels is not a criminal organization. In Australia this year, exactly the same decision was made.

There is a well-known story: in the USA they wanted to ban us in 1986. They tried to expose them as racketeers, robbers, organized crime. The trial lasted two years, and the club was fully acquitted on all counts. The judge - a famous, very strict man named Sam the Hangman - said at the verdict: "I would feel better at a party with the Hells Angels, because they did not lie to me even once, than with FBI agents who lied at every 29 meetings". But this is 1986, when it was still a wild time, by the way.

Now we are not banned anywhere, there is no such state on the map. It is clear that the club had some stories, and not always good ones. I can’t say that we are such bunny boys. But that's all in the past.

- In the present, you are accused of participating in the riots on the Maidan and preparing a "color revolution" in Russia.

As for the events on the Maidan... I'm not ready to talk about the Bandidos, this is a different club. But, for example, our Kyiv brothers defended the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, when the right-wingers from the Maidan went there to organize a pogrom. Hells Angels were guarding the Lavra.

In general, we try not to touch upon such issues so that there are no reasons for conflict. Ukraine is another state with its own internal affairs. Yes, for sure then different bikers chose different sides. Why bring it up again now, why turn people against each other, embitter? It's better to be friends with each other.

There is a very friendly motorcycle movement in Russia now, we really like it. We have many motorcycle clubs in our country - both local and international. In addition to us, there are Bandidos, Outlaws, Rock Machine, now the Mongols have opened a support club. Everyone gets along with each other, there are no conflicts, no confrontation.

- But in other countries, the Hells Angels are considered the mortal enemies of the Bandidos. Isn't that the case in Russia?

All such conflicts had some local background. And we are an independent branch and we ourselves determine what kind of relations we have with other motorcycle clubs in Russia. And, of course, we approach this wisely. For me, a normal life with loved ones is much more important than some sections of the territories. And that's why in Russia we have normal relations with all the clubs. If we meet a Bandidos member on the road, we say hello calmly.

This trend is now all over the world - these stories from the 1980s with biker wars are actually very outdated. In Germany, Bandidos and I signed a peace paper, in Denmark everything has been calm for a long time. Right now there was a Harley-Davidson Fest in St. Petersburg - everyone was there. Bandidos, Outlaws, us, other clubs, just freestyle motorcyclists - everything is peaceful, everyone shakes hands. Only there were no "Night Wolves" - they were not even invited. This is the only conflict club in the country, no one wants to communicate with them for a long time. In St. Petersburg this summer, the local motorcycle council published an open letter that they did not want their presence in the city - there were no such statements about anyone.

At the same time, the Surgeon is the most famous biker in Russia. The President comes to him for a bike show, the authorities of Sevastopol gave him a mountain, the whole country knows him, he is a symbol of the motorcycle movement.

It's just that a person has been striving for this all his life - for a bike show, for grief, for millions from the budget. The man always wanted popularity and got it. But this popularity is… [bad] really. Endless scandals, screams, threats ... If we now ask passers-by who they know from the ballerinas of the Bolshoi Theater, they will name Volochkova. If we ask about a good hairdresser, they will say Sergey Zverev. Freaks are always more famous than professionals. Because they are drawn to this, to be noticed, shown on TV, and given a grant. And the Surgeon in the motorcycle community is treated exactly like a freak, no one takes him seriously.

Normal clubs behave modestly and calmly. In our club, the only more or less well-known person is Seryozha Badyuk, who is engaged in the popularization of sports. Thanks to him, the children are not sniffing glue at the entrance, but pulling themselves up on the horizontal bars - that's where patriotism is. And I personally do not see patriotism in the fact that someone arranges a show for state money.

Here the surgeon is constantly shouting how they helped to return the Crimea. Well, let's be honest: "Night Wolves" are not "polite people", what did they do? There are only 250 of them in the club, although he constantly lies that there are 5 thousand of them.

Or here is their recent motor rally in Europe - well, it's generally complete ... [shame]. If you need to go on a motorcycle race, but we are not allowed to cross the border, tomorrow I will gather 200 people, and we will still ride beautifully. And here the whole column is a citizen of Latvia, a citizen of Austria, and behind them a German from a completely different club. This was not a run, but a crazy window dressing - everyone laughed at him. He then lost all respect among motorcyclists.

- Why then can one get the impression that the authorities are cooperating with this particular bike club?

How do they cooperate? To be honest, I don't see anything like that. The authorities also notice some loudly screaming people, and choose them. I think that it's just that no one understands anything about bikers, and this is absolutely normal. Agree, it would be strange if the head of state personally figured out which bike clubs are good and which are not. Putin is a tough guy, he wants to ride a motorcycle to a big event. Well, that's all.

I do not need public money: if I do good deeds, I basically pay for them out of my own pocket. And if you do something at the expense of the state budget, grants, then you are a civil servant. Here the Surgeon wanted to become the minister of a biker economy - probably, became it. Well, people treat him like an official.

A person for the sake of a spotlight will sell everything that is possible, and bikers do not like such behavior. If the "Night Wolves" do something good, then they immediately write an article about it, post photos. For us it's just wild - PR on such things. If you give alms, then the right hand should not know what the left is doing - such is the Orthodox ethics of a Russian person. When merchants donated money, they found out about it only 20 years after their death. And when the Night Wolves help veterans and take pictures while doing it, it's just an unhealthy situation. It is clear when a politician does this: he needs to show voters how good he is. Well, the Surgeon is playing politics, but we are not. When we need to express our political views, we go to the polls. In general, we try to stay away from politics.

We are patriots of our country, we are absolutely normal people. I don’t understand people who shout “everything is good abroad, but everything is bad in Russia”, I just have cognitive dissonance arising from such a position. As they say, in someone else's hand ... [the penis] is always thicker. But I don’t understand those who shout about their love for their homeland at all corners. It's like in a family: you have a good wife, she cooks delicious borscht, you love her more than anyone in the world. But constantly posting photos of your wife's borscht on Facebook is already strange. And even more so, no one ever goes to beg for grants for borscht from his wife.

It's the same with Orthodoxy: there are few unbelievers among bikers, because we constantly take risks on the road. Well, the principles of the motorcycle brotherhood are quite Christian - friendship, love for one's neighbors. All over the world, our dead brothers are buried in churches, whether they are Orthodox, Catholics or Methodists. But no one is pushing it.

I have a fairly church-going family: my wife teaches at a church school. When the belt of the Mother of God was brought to Moscow, we were volunteers, but as private individuals. I regularly go to the temple and on purpose dress more modestly, without club paraphernalia. Why should I embarrass people, why emphasize that the Hells Angels are believers?

- And the priests are not confused by your name?

Once again, Hells Angels has nothing to do with Satanism. It was originally a nickname for aviators in American slang - remember Howard Hughes had such a movie? Just "risk guys", nothing more. I calmly discussed this with the priest, and he understood everything.

We don't have any Satanists, or homosexuals, or Nazis in our club. We avoid extremists - it doesn't matter, left or right: for us they are equally bad, muddy people. And when Alexander Zaldostanov writes in his denunciation “they can be used as a fighting force for a possibly inspired“ color revolution ”” - well, this is just some kind of nonsense from a mentally unhealthy person. What exactly does "can be used" mean? And we will say that this "Night Wolves" "can be used" for the "color revolution". Or the cafe where we are sitting now also “can be used” for the revolution.

Complete nonsense. And they ask this nonsense to be "sent to the Prosecutor General." Well, your mother, is this serious, or what? Does the Attorney General have nothing else to do? I am a mentally healthy person, the father of three children - I do not need a revolution. In general, the problem of drug addiction or the decline in the level of education worries me much more than some supposedly possible revolutions.

And if we talk about the "denial of laws", then count the criminal cases against the "Night Wolves" - there will not be enough fingers on the hands. In Zelenograd, these unfortunate guys from the Three Roads club were completely gangster attacked. An Englishwoman was raped in their Sexton. In Belarus, several "wolves" were imprisoned: they beat a man, he lost his eye. And there are many more such cases, and they write denunciations to the prosecutor's office.

- But under the appeal, not only the Surgeon signed - also the Union of Paratroopers and the "Combat Brotherhood".

This is the most interesting thing in all history. We have been very good friends with the guys from the "Combat Brotherhood" for a long time. Watch the video - this is our member Serezha Badyuk participating in the Veterans March, the Combat Brotherhood event. He came in a Hells Angels vest - no one is outraged by this.

And most importantly, among the Hells Angels there are members of the Union of paratroopers, and very respected. In Novosibirsk, our paratrooper brother was awarded the Order of Courage for the feats he performed during the hostilities. In general, we have a lot of former military men in our club - they were shocked when they saw the appeal. They began to find out, and it turned out that these organizations had an agreement with Anti-Maidan on a joint fight against the country's enemies and other foreign agents. Well, they signed under what Zaldostanov brought them without understanding. The people there are respected, middle-aged already - I'm sure they just don't know anything about motorcycle clubs, this is absolutely understandable. But in the end they were used for a bad political denunciation.

The head of the Union of Siberian Paratroopers, Vitaly Shadrin, even wrote an official letter to the head of the Union of Russian Paratroopers, Colonel General Valery Vostrotin, told how we cooperate and warned that the Anti-Maidan appeal "contains deliberately false information." We hope that the general will figure it out and withdraw his signature.

Alexander Chernykh