The Young Guard (Russian: Молодая гвардия, transliterated: Molodaya gvardiya) is the youth wing of the United Russia party.[1] Founded in 2005, it uses the name of the famous Young Guard, a World War II underground organization. A largely pro-Kremlin youth direct action group, the Young Guard claims to have 83 regional branches across Russia from the country's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad oblast to Vladivostok on the Pacific.[2]
The Young Guard was founded to unite Russian youth, to engage young people into social-political life of Russia. The organisation develops tens of projects, e.g. "Volunteering", "Youth Electoral Campaigning", "Healthy Nation", "Accessible Environment", "Innovator", "Street Energy", 'My History', 'My Territory', "Youth Parliamentarianism", "Youth Federal Assembly","Senses Factory", etc.
The organisation counts 160 000 of members over the state. The co-presidents of its coordinating council are Alena Arshinova and Timur Prokopenko.
Late December 2010 suspected spy Anna Chapman was appointed to the public council of the organization.[3]