Former pro-Kremlin youth ideologist says he'll run for president next year

Boris Yakemenko, one of the chief architects of the pro-Kremlin youth movements “Nashi” and “Idushchiye Vmeste” (Walking Together), says he’ll run for president next year in Russia, according to the television network Dozhd.

Yakemenko says he’ll make the official announcement “closer to the start” of his campaign, insisting that he hasn’t discussed his presidential ambitions with the Kremlin.

According to Dozhd, Boris Yakemenko’s brother, Vasily, plans to help raise money for the campaign, which Boris says he hopes will draw contributions from “nationally oriented business and just passionate people.” Yakemenko says he’s already raised some funds by selling off his collection of medieval literary works, though he didn’t specify how much money this netted his campaign.

“It’s very important to me to find out how many votes an ordinary person can get [in the presidential election],” Yakemenko said, adding that he believes he can win.

“I believe I can do a lot for the country in this position,” Yakemenko said.

In the early 2000s, Boris and Vasily Yakemenko acted as the founders of the pro-Kremlin youth movements “Nashi” and “Idushchiye Vmeste” (Walking Together). Boris was reportedly the author responsible for both groups’ ideological platforms and major texts.

Later, he headed Nashi’s Christian Orthodox corps and became a member of Russia’s Civic Chamber, an oversight and consultative institution that works with the federal government. Boris Yakemenko says he teaches history at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia in Moscow and writes academic papers.