ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 examines proposals for introducing and implementing the new oprichnina – state terror – in Putin’s Russia. It discusses various concepts of the new oprichnina advanced by far-right activists, and demonstrates that the Russian far right considers the new oprichnina not a temporary measure but the essence of the new social structure necessary to rebuild the Russian Empire. Using the mystical turn in post-Soviet historiography as their academic backing and with support from various pro-Kremlin media, these projects have helped normalize the rule of terror for Russian audiences. The chapter concludes by surveying the neo-oprichnina communities that are implementing these ideas in their daily lives.
