He is Vladislav Achalov, a career military officer who acted as parliament's rebel defense minister in the October 1993 uprising. Last week, the hardline nationalist launched the traditional vehicle for an unemployed would-be politician, a fund called Bratstvo, or Brotherhood.
"I have no plans to leave politics," said Achalov, dressed in a short-sleeve shirt and tie. "There are parliamentary elections coming up and I will definitely take part."
Last time around, in the December 1993 parliamentary elections, Achalov was still in Lefortovo prison. But two of his brothers-in-arms from the 1991 coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev were elected to the Duma.
The burly general now says he has no regrets about the past.
"I cannot say that any person or any participant should be proud to have participated, but I am not ashamed," said Achalov, who was granted amnesty with the other coup leaders last winter. "If I had not stayed with Rutskoi and others I would be sitting somewhere near Yeltsin today, but I am not at all sorry."
As head of the new Brotherhood Fund, Achalov is undertaking the role of political organizer and fundraiser. He says his group will assist retired military, police and KGB officers readjust to civilian life by providing retraining and cheap housing.
His deputy, Gennady Kazantsev, revealed that the fund has no qualms about using aggressive capitalist tactics to raise money. "This is the last time Achalov will speak to you for free. Next time you will have to pay," Kazantsev said in an interview.
Kazantsev earlier worked for ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, from whom he learned the trick of charging for interviews.
The Brotherhood Fund does appear to have raised some capital. Achalov's office is located at a prestigious newly renovated colonnaded building on Ulitsa Petrovka.
Despite his political ambitions, Achalov said that he will stay clear of new coups -- at least for now, while the opposition is weak. "We don't want any political confrontations with anyone," he said. "We as military people know what force will lead to, especially when one side has all the power and is ready to use tanks to fire at its own parliament."
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