In a number of countries, primarily across Europe, groups of youths form around soccer teams, and get into organized brawls with each other. Among the most feared are groups from Russia.
Marc Bennetts, Moscow-based writer for Britain’s The Mirror, tracked down Vadim, a founder of Flint’s Crew, one of Moscow’s most infamous ultras, to understand where the groups came from.
“Strange as it may seem, the first football hooligans in Russia were hippies,” explained Vadim. “It was in the early 1970s, and anything that guys could get their hands on from the West became immediately fashionable.
“First they found out about The Beatles and all that stuff, from magazines smuggled into the country, and then, a bit later, about football hooligans. You look at the old photos of the first organized Soviet hooligan gangs and they all have long hair and patched jeans.”
“The British and the Russians are very similar. When we are not technically at war we need some kind of conflict. As we say in Russia, a voinushka – a ‘little war’. Something to get the blood up. That’s what football hooliganism is.”
“We respect the English tradition of hooliganism, but we no longer fear them. They are weak compared to Russia, Poland, Serbia and so on.”
The more serious groups train their members in unarmed combat techniques, and do follow guidelines, including a ban on knives. However, British hooligans say the Russian ultras are violating a “moral code” of sorts, by ambushing innocent women and children, and stomping on the heads of people who are already down.
The latest innovation is Russian female ultras, and they too are training in hand to hand techniques, and then fighting team vs. team. The groups have taken names like Female Mob, Slavyanki Gang, Regional Girls, and Siege Girls.
Will Stewart for the UK’s Daily Mail reports that the female fighters boast that flooring an opponent is “as easy as making borscht.”
The media is focusing on ultra Olga Kuskova, 22, who is part of a female group that supports CSKA Moscow. Kuskova was stripped of her title as Miss Russian Football Premier League, after her social network messages revealed sinister neo Nazi sympathies.
BelowKuskova is pictured next to a neo-Nazi 14/88 symbol.
Yekaterinburg’s Yulya Sergeeva, 20, an ultra with the Steel Monsters, calls herself Eva Braun, has a White Power tattoo on her forearm, and a fanny pack.
Female ultras practicing.
Viktoria, a martial arts expert and leader of the Slavyanki gang, which is linked with FC Spartak Moscow, says the women plan to rampage at upcoming international soccer events.
“There’s no history of female gangs, this is our own initiative,” she said. “I started in the ultras then decided to organize a female group. To me, it’s not only men who can do this job, but girls too. We help the ultra boys with drawing graffiti – but in terms of everything else we are a separate group.”
“I first entered the male world when I took up martial arts. In social networks I often see rude words about us but in real life everyone keeps silent. And in future we plan to find these opponents and punish them for this dirt.
“Training is the key thing for our group. All our girls are from different sports, some are champions. Each girl on our team is either studying or working – but she is still training.
“We aren’t the biggest gang in this world of groups that cling to each club, but those who know us, respect us. Many girls follow their favorite team. We plan for more action in the future, in the forest and not in the forest. One day we’ll show what we are worth in the stands.”
“It is possible for us to train together with the men. But is it worth fighting with them in the forest? All our girls know that we’d win. Of course, we get injured. This world can’t be without traumas and everyone knows there will be injuries.”
Social media messages suggest the women are preparing for the World Cup to be held in Russia in two years.
“We’ll be waiting for our foreign guests at WC2018,” wrote one.
