RVC, FRL, and the Sibir Battalion: Historical roots, ideological foundations, and their role in contemporary processes of russia’s decolonization

Abstract

Purpose. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the historical background, political narratives, and ideological foundations of the Russian volunteer units participating on Ukraine’s side in the current armed conflict, specifically the Russian Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of Russia Legion, and the Siberia Battalion. Special attention is given to identifying their continuity with earlier waves of Russian anti-authoritarian opposition and determining the extent to which their programmatic positions align with the historical movements of deism, anti-imperialism, and anti-colonial resistance. The study also aims to compare their ideological principles with key models of political thought developed within the Russian émigré community of the twentieth century and with anti-Putin initiatives of the early twenty-first century.

Methods. The methodology combines a historical-comparative approach, content analysis of 52 programmatic documents and media materials from 2022 to 2024, and a critical review of 37 scholarly works on the history of Russian nationalism and collaborationism. The content analysis included the classification of more than 200 semantic units into categories of statehood, self-determination, federalism, and decolonization.

Results. The study found no direct parallels between today’s volunteer units and Andrei Vlasov’s Russian Liberation Army, since the contemporary units base their political positions on opposition to the Russian government and support for a state that has become the victim of aggression. A significant degree of ideological heterogeneity was identified: the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Siberia Battalion consistently promote decolonial approaches, support the right of the peoples of the Russian Federation to self-determination, and call for a radical restructuring of the imperial model of statehood, while the Freedom of Russia Legion gravitates toward preserving Russia’s political unity and reforming it on liberal grounds. The active use of historical references to the Decembrist movement, White émigrés, anti-Soviet underground structures, and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria indicates an effort to construct a symbolic tradition of an alternative Russian political identity.

Scientific novelty. The study proposes a typology of ideological models within the contemporary Russian armed opposition and provides quantitative confirmation of differences in their programmatic narratives, which helps clarify the formation of alternative Russian political identities.

Conclusions. The research reveals substantial internal diversity among Russian volunteer formations that shapes their visions of Russia’s future political structure. The findings may be used to inform approaches within Ukrainian policy regarding interaction with these units.