Viktor Alksnis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Viktor Alksnis
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Виктор Алкснис
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Alksnis in 2008
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| Mayor of Tuchkovo | |
| In office 18 September 2013 – 4 February 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Efendi Haidakov (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Zhanna Kiselyova |
| Member of the State Duma | |
| In office 26 March 2000 – 24 December 2007 |
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| Member of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR | |
| In office 3 May 1990 – 2 October 1991 |
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| People's Deputy of the Soviet Union | |
| In office 21 May 1989 – 5 September 1991 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 June 1950 Tashtagol, Kemerovo Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR |
| Died | 1 January 2025 (aged 74) |
| Citizenship | Russian |
| Nationality | Latvian |
| Political party | CPSU (1974–1991) ROS (1991–2000) A Just Russia (2016) |
| Other political affiliations |
Interfront of Latvia (1988–1989) Inter-regional Deputies Group (1989) Soyuz (1989–1991) National Salvation Front (1992–1993) Club of Angry Patriots (2023–2025) |
Viktor Imantovich Alksnis (born June 21, 1950 – died January 1, 2025) was a Russian politician. He was also a colonel in the Soviet Air Force. Viktor Alksnis was of Latvian background.
He was the leader of the Russian Center of Free Technologies. This group worked to promote Free Software and open standards in Russia. He served as a member of the USSR Supreme Soviet. He was also part of the Russian All-People's Union. Later, he represented the Rodina party in the Russian State Duma. From 2003 to 2007, he was a member of the People's Union party in the Fourth Duma. From 2013 to 2015, Alksnis was the mayor of Tuchkovo, a city in the Moscow Oblast.
Because of his strong political opinions, some people nicknamed him "the Black Colonel." This name was a reference to a group of Greek military leaders.
Contents
Family Background
Grandfather's Story
In the 1930s, Viktor Alksnis's grandfather, Yakov Alksnis, was a very important person. He was the head of the Soviet Air Force. He also took part in a special court case. This court sentenced some high-ranking Soviet officers to death. This happened because of orders from Joseph Stalin.
However, just eight months later, Yakov Alksnis himself was arrested. He was also executed. This meant he was killed by the government.
Family Hardships
Viktor Alksnis's grandmother spent 14 years in labor camps. These were places where people were forced to work. His father faced unfair treatment. This was because he was the son of someone the government called an "enemy of the people."
In the late 1950s, things changed in the Soviet Union. Yakov Alksnis was officially cleared of any wrongdoing after his death. This process was called "destalinization." An Air Force college in Riga was even named in his honor.
Despite his family's difficult past, Viktor Alksnis became a strong supporter of the Soviet political system. In 1973, he finished his studies at the Riga Higher Military Aviation Engineering School. This school was named after his grandfather. He became a qualified military radio engineer.
Views on the Soviet Union's Breakup
Viktor Alksnis was strongly against the breakup of the Soviet Union. He also opposed the independence of the Baltic states. He believed that the Russian people living in these states were treated unfairly.
In 1989, he was chosen to be part of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The next year, in 1990, he was elected to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia. In 1990, he helped start a group called "Soyuz." This group had strong opinions within the USSR Supreme Soviet.
He once suggested that the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, should be removed from power. He also thought the parliament should be closed down. He wanted all political parties to be made illegal. He proposed that the military should take control to stop the Soviet Union from breaking apart.
Alksnis described the Transnistrian Republic as a place where the Soviet Union could start to be put back together. This republic was not recognized by most countries.
In later years, Alksnis said he played a main role in the Riga OMON. This group was known for opposing Latvia leaving the USSR. They were also involved in actions like the Soviet OMON assaults on Lithuanian border posts.
After he left Latvia in 1992, he was declared "persona non grata" there. This meant he was not allowed to enter the country. Since then, he took part in Russian politics. He supported left-wing and nationalist ideas. Alksnis was a leader of the National Salvation Front. This group brought together nationalist and communist movements. They were against the policies of President Yeltsin.
In 2005, he was also declared persona non grata in Ukraine. This happened after he suggested changing the border between Russia and Ukraine. He said this at a meeting in Simferopol, Crimea.
Promoting Free Software
In 2007, Viktor Alksnis started a project to encourage the use of free software. This included operating systems like Linux. He wanted Russian government offices to use this software. His goal was to make Russia more independent in terms of technology.
In February 2008, he teamed up with Aleksandr Ponosov. Ponosov was a school teacher who had been accused of software piracy. Together, they created the Center of Free Technology. This group was a non-profit organization. It aimed to study how to use Free Software in the Russian education system.
Alksnis met with Aleksey Bragin, who was a project coordinator. They discussed promoting the development of the ReactOS operating system. He also invited Richard Stallman to Moscow. Stallman is the founder of the GNU project and the Free Software Foundation. However, Stallman canceled his visit because of some disagreements surrounding Alksnis.
Views on World Events
In 2006, Alksnis gave an interview. He stated that Israel and the United States were against Iran's peaceful nuclear program. He believed their unfriendly attitude towards Iran was a way to hide mistakes the United States made in Iraq.
Alksnis openly supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022.
Death
Viktor Alksnis passed away on January 1, 2025. He was 74 years old. His death was caused by a stroke.
Images for kids
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ReactOS project coordinator Aleksey Bragin shows ReactOS functionality to Viktor Alksnis.
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Alexander Ponosov and Viktor Alksnis
