Denis Nikitin
1,472 words
Editor’s Note:
I interviewed Denis Nikitin for Counter-Currents Radio in 2020. We tried to set up another interview after the Ukraine War began, but it proved impossible.
“Victory number one is helping Ukraine defend its territorial integrity. But victory number two—the big victory—is to plant the RDK [Russian Volunteer Corps] flag above the Kremlin wall. And I sincerely believe in this. This is our goal, this is our mission.”
—Denis Nikitin in his last interview
Denis Nikitin (born Denis Yevgenyevich Kapustin) fell in battle on Saturday, December 27th. Denis was a unique figure in the White Nationalist scene. He was first and foremost a fighter and a hero, and secondarily a capable businessman, speaker, linguistic talent, and skilled organizer. Where others ended, he was just beginning. If we had 100 more people like Denis, we would be in a completely different situation today, and I believe that white nationalists would already control Ukraine. Today, Denis can be an inspiration and a living example of a man who never gave up and lived by the Spartan motto: “Come back with your shield — or on it!” There are very few people like him today.
Denis was one of the most prominent anti-Kremlin Russians fighting on the side of Ukraine. Denis Nikitin was killed by a drone strike while carrying out a combat mission during a military operation in the Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine. This was announced on Saturday, December 27, by the Russian Volunteer Corps militia (RDK). You can hear Denis’s life story directly from him in this podcast here.
Denis was born and raised in Moscow. In 2001, when he was 17, his family moved to Cologne, Germany. During his stay in Cologne, Denis gradually became radicalized, opposed multiculturalism, and became well known in the German hooligan scene. As the singer Peste Noire once said, hooligans are the modern-day Arditi (Italian special assault troops from World War I). This is because, apart from crime and military units, hooligans are the only opportunity for white European men to encounter real violence and learn how to protect themselves and their loved ones in increasingly less white European cities.
For this reason, Denis allegedly founded the White Rex brand on August 14, 2008, which over time provided street fighters with complete, elegant, and functional clothing and promoted white aesthetics. However, Denis had much higher goals, so he tried to professionalize the subculture of hooligan fighters not only in Germany, which he succeeded in doing. For example, since 2009, White Rex has sponsored several small Russian MMA tournaments and provided security at concerts by German bands such as Brainwash and Moshpit, and the Russian band You Must Murder. In 2011, the White Rex organization began a series of its own tournaments called “Duh Voina” (The Spirit of a Warrior). At their 2012 tournament, well-known activist Maxim “Tesak” Martsinkevich gave a speech and appeared as a guest of honor at subsequent tournaments.
The Spirit of a Warrior tournament began to expand to the West in the same year. The first event outside Russia was a tournament in Kiev, and in 2013, the first tournament was held in Rome. It took place at Area19, which was the concert venue of the Italian neo-fascists from CasaPound Italia. The event in Rome was part of the Tana Delle Tigri (Den of the Tiger) music festival, and this was repeated in 2014. A week after the event, the first White Rex tournament was held on French territory in Lyon.
After his successes in the hooligan and MMA scenes, Denis became virally famous thanks to a video in which he and a small group of elite hooligans chased a crowd of terrified soccer fans at the 2016 European Soccer Championship in the port of Marseille. Denis correctly understood that if young white men do not want to live in fear in their cities, they must train, gain real combat experience, and become members of warrior clans, i.e., purely combat clubs centered around football hooligans. Young white men must learn to fight, because democratic elections and liberal politics will only bring them insults and the flooding of their cities with violent non-white hordes of enemies. It was in these fighting clubs that Denis saw the seeds of a future civilization.
In 2017, Denis had his residence permit revoked in Germany due to his hooliganism-related activities. However, Denis continued to organize and facilitate meetings of radical nationalist hooligans and MMA fighters, first throughout Europe and later also in the United States, through so-called Active Clubs, which he himself founded. This was also one of the reasons for the rise of nationalism among young people, who found Antifa, the left, and SJWs ridiculous, while organized white nationalists seemed cool and admirable to them. While the left just cried, complained about white privilege, and promoted anti-white racism, Denis and his people stood up for the white race, trained, educated themselves, and practiced real violence in the cities. Denis promoted professionalism, cohesion, and a militant approach to the radical pro-white Right. And he became a role model for many young white boys because behind Denis you could see hard work, success, militant design, and political incorrectness. And there were beautiful women around him. Later, Denis also appeared as a fighter, motivational speaker, and judge at the MMA event “Kampf der Nibelungen.”
In Ukraine
Denis was a supporter of Ukraine’s Maidan and the removal of Viktor Yanukovych, but for Denis, the revolution did not end there. He viewed the changes in Ukraine on a broader scale and advocated for the overthrow of Putin’s regime in Russia and an end to ethnic replacement and Islamization in Russia. Denis envisioned a future Russia as a purely white ethnostate. That is why he collaborated with the Azov Battalion, a Ukrainian Right-wing paramilitary group that eventually became an official part of the Ukrainian army as the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov.” Denis also founded his own business in Kyiv, the Reconquista Club, which combined a restaurant serving healthy food with a martial arts club. Nationalist conferences were also held in this space until it closed in 2019.
Beginning in January 2021, Denis co-hosted The Active Club podcast with Robert Rundo. In August 2022, Denis founded the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), a group of Russian volunteers fighting for Ukraine in the Russian-Ukrainian war. In 2023, he and several RDK members attacked the Bryansk region of Russia. On May 22, 2023, Denis, as commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, participated in a cross-border attack on the Russian Belgorod region. He later used this for his propaganda videos. I once wanted to do an in-depth interview with you, Denis, because you were an extraordinary personality in the modern age. I believe that the future will perceive you in the same way as Roman von Ungern-Sternberg or Gabriele d’Annunzio, alongside whom you have placed yourself today through your actions.
Moment in Time
I met Denis in person at the Asgardsrei 2017 festival at the Pact of Steel conference, organized by the Plomin literary club. Denis Nikitin from the White Rex organization was the first to speak on the topic of “Sport and Violence on Guard of Europe.” Denis first asked whether there were more English, Russian, or German speakers in the room and ultimately chose English as the most suitable language for the majority. Except for one Russian, everyone understood him.
Denis speaking at the Plomin Club.
After a brief introduction of himself and the White Rex organization, he summarized how he got involved in violence. He then began to describe the mentality of non-European migrants, particularly Africans, who only understand the language of power and strength, and with whom it is pointless to bother with the European sense of honor or any principles of moral behavior. They either perceive individuals as prey or as a threat. For Europeans, the latter is obviously preferable, if only from the point of view of defending themselves and their partners. An example of unworthy violence is the recent cases of several rapes of white girls right in front of their partners. Denis also strongly recommended carrying a knife and learning how to use it. With the right posture and determination to fight, combat can often be avoided. Of course, it would be best to repatriate non-European migrants back to their countries, but until that happens, it is necessary to survive and defend one’s family.
The lecture also provided interesting information about violence as a means of transformation and about the sacred meaning of violence: when a person gets into a fight, their adrenaline rises, their senses are heightened, and their perception of reality changes. His lecture was followed by an extensive discussion.
It was particularly interesting to observe the women during his performance, who, if one understands the language of animals, were particularly enchanted by his animal magnetism.
Denis was no ordinary brawler, but a man in his element, mentally and physically very resilient, who knew what he was doing.
32 comments
It was particularly interesting to observe the women during his performance…
Were they “twerking?” 🙃
This is an obituary, so please behave as you would at the funeral of an exceptional person. Save your jokes for my other articles.
Specifically, they stroked their hair, leaned forward to show their breasts, sweated, and had interest in their eyes. There was no twerking.
So of course Warren and ‘striker’ in their most recent podcast slandered Denis and his men as sadists, criminals, and basically a personality the opposite of this article.
I noticed that this obituary was shared by some well-known personalities on Telegram, Twitter, etc. And they responded to this obituary.
Sorry to hear that. I remember that interview with this fellow with Greg. It was powerful. He was a warrior focused and driven to pursue what he believed in wherever it took him. Different kind of character.
I’ve known a few super tough guys somewhat-ish along these sorts of lines, and they are cut from a different cloth.
I’ve just discovered this larger than life person. Tragically, he is no longer with us. He did so much for our folks.
But I just wondering how his family moved to Germany in 2001 from Moscow in Russia?
I would not be surprised if his mother is Jewish. Back then,inorder to immigrate to Germany from Russia one had to be ether ethnic German or Jew.
His last name was Russian. But his middle name was very common for Jews in Soviet Union.
No? I may be wrong on this
“I would not be surprised.” You’re pretending that you’ve come up with a fresh take, but you are just merchandising something you read in Der Spiegel years ago. Why the dishonest pretense? Just asking questions, huh?
According to a German hit piece, Denis’ parents came to Germany under a program to resettle Russian Jews. For penance, I guess. According to the same source, Denis’ mother when asked simply claimed she was Russian, which could be a lie or evasion. I wanted to talk to Denis about this in another interview, actually, but he was too busy fighting Putin.
Here’s one possibility: many Russians went to Israel by falsely claiming to be Jews. So this might be a case of that. But we don’t know. Another possibility is that a Russian Jew made huge contributions to far-Right activism.
Kapustin can be both Russian and Jewish name. I did know one Mark Kapustin in Berlin, he was Jew. I do not know if this really matter in this case.
I wonder if he would have been part of the 35 percent in the Master Plan East.
He would not, because “Master Plan East” is a fake of the Soviet special propaganda.
Working hard to learn MMA fighting only to be killed by a drone, wow.
Yes, a similar fate to Julius Evola—he ended up in a wheelchair after the bombing of Vienna. Evola thought he had a great future ahead of him and therefore could not die a trivial death in Vienna. In modern warfare, the human factor plays only a minor role. Oswald Spengler already saw this in his work Man and Technics.
To be killed by a drone is not a bad death for a warrior.
It could be much worse, for example, when he would go back to Germany, the “German” government would surely give him over to Russia to be sent to Gulag. Just like it was with anticommunist warriors in 1945-46 (operation Keelhaul), which the Anglo-Saxon democrats gave over to the Soviets.
Okay, I agree. There are worse deaths than being killed by an attack drone.
Yeah, football hooligans need to organize into anti-migrant street groups yesterday. Otherwise, their very existence is a net negative.
Reminds me of an observation by an American general during the war in the Pacific: “It’s outstanding how the Japanese soldier can have so much physical courage yet their moral courage is non-existent”
As it stands, hooligans seem way more conformist to the state imposed status quo than their choice of pastime would have you imagine.
Tragic loss of a real action-oriented, rare breed of men. It’s sad to see the first Europeans stirring to true nativist action throwing themselves off a cliff in a quixotic unwinnable war with Russia. I think they’re being ground up on purpose by Russia and Ukraine’s government both.
You repeat these Russian talking points like a total zombie.
Did you meet Denis in person, Greg? Could you write a short tribute to this extraordinary man?
I didn’t meet him. Although I was at the Reconquista Club in 2018. I gave the address to a cab driver, and he said “Ho ho ho, Reconquista.”
quixotic unwinnable war
Is any fight against a numerically stronger enemy senseless and doomed? Were the Greeks of King Leonidas just fools?
The sooner this war ends, the better. Both sides should compromise, in order to stop the bloodshed. They should learn from history, from the example of the First World War (1914-1918), which was a disaster for the White race, and a great victory for the Jews.
The Jews want this war to continue for ever, to kill all the Whites in Ukraine. Then they can replace them with Africans.
They already replace Russians with Indians and Pakistanis, and they will replace Ukrainians with Bengalis.
Any idea who will lead Russia Volunteer Corps now that Denis is no longer with us?
A great loss for our cause. He will probably be replaced by Fortuna, a former skinhead from Siberia and Nikitin’s deputy.
He is now with Tesak and the other fallen warriors of Our Race in Valhalla. Let us all honor this courageous hero who was at the vanguard fighting for Our People and Civilization. The best way to honor men like Denis is to pick up their torch and continue their work while never letting their memory die.
Denis is alive, and the information about his death was disinformation.
At least, here on an Ukrainian site it is written so: https://censor.net/ua/news/3593404/komandyr-rdk-denys-kapustin-vyjyv-scho-vidomo
I noticed that too, today. I wonder if anyone will confirm it. If it’s true, then his operation is a real masterpiece. And I have a big interview with him coming up! Best to you in 2026.
Russian-speaking sites of Liberty, Deutsche Welle, and BBC, confirmed that, but they were basically just repeating the message from Ukrainian military intelligence without new details.
That’s right. I’m preparing a new article with new insights into what actually happened, what reactions it triggered, and what the implications are.
Will you be posting the link to this interview on Counter-Currents when it goes live? Where will we be able to watch/listen?
That depends on scheduling.
Cheers to Denis Nikitin on his “resurrection.” I was very disheartened to hear of his death, so it was a great relief to me to hear that he (possibly) is still alive. His interview with Greg Johnson 5 years ago is what introduced me to Counter-Currents and made me a regular reader. I credit his work, along with that of Rob Rundo and various figures in the NSBM scene, with inspiring me to start training in mixed martial arts and changing my outlook on a number of subjects.
Слава не умрет; смертен человек!
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