Misha Verbitsky

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Misha Verbitsky

Misha Verbitsky (born 1969) is a Russian mathematician (for his scientific publications, see search results at arxiv.org). However, he is primarily known to the general public as a controversial critic, political activist and independent music publisher.

Verbitsky's webzine :LENIN:, started around 1997, is one of the oldest Russian online projects and has been hugely influential in the shaping of Russian counter-culture. It was the first website in Russian to openly discuss topics considered taboo at the time, such as pornography and Right-wing extremism, and to create a milieu for the emerging counter-culture aesthetic. The site also contains the largest single collection of rare underground music from the ex-USSR and contemporary Russia.

While studying Mathematics at Harvard University in the early 90s, Verbitsky was heavily influenced by Western counter-culture, especially Thelema and industrial music, and was the first to introduce these concepts to post-Soviet Russia via his webzine. At the same time, Verbitsky developed his political views which can be described as a mixture of Social Darwinism, National Bolshevism and Anarchism. He is also a prominent supporter of the anti-copyright movement, and has given lectures on the subject at various locations, including Oxford University. His seminal work Anticopyright: The Book is the only Russian publication placing concepts such as Open Source and copyleft into historical and cultural context.

After graduating from Harvard with a PhD, Verbitsky moved to Russia and became a close associate (though not a member) of Eduard Limonov's National Bolshevik Party. His articles were published in a variety of newspapers and magazines, including Russkij Zhurnal, Zhurnal.Ru, Zavtra and Limonka. When the National Bolsheviks split in 1998, he joined the Eurasia Party of Alexander Dugin. Verbitsky has given numerous talks at the Novyj Univerisitet, Dugin's educational vehicle, and contributed to a variety of his publications such as Elementy and Vtorzhenie.

Verbitsky's provocative writing style can be described as both aggressive and ironic, a mixture of gonzo journalism, profanity and surreal exaggeration which instantly captures the reader's attention. The critical response to his writings ranges from anger and disgust to fascination and widespread imitation (for example, his catchphrases "Bye then, Misha" and "Kill, Kill, Kill" have been plagiarised all over the Russian web).

In 1998, Verbitsky founded the independent label UR-Realist Records to publish experimental and controversial underground music. Since then, over 40 albums have been released, including those of punk legend Grazhdanskaya Oborona and the neofolk band Rada i Ternovnik.

Verbitsky currently lives in Moscow with his wife and co-author, Yulya Fridman. They have four children.