Tutovism
Social Tutovism is a conceptual countercultural ideology founded by Maxim Martsinkevich, better known as Tesak, a far-right nationalist (neo-Nazi) figure from Russia and Ukraine. Despite the controversial nature of its founder, Social Tutovism stands out as one of the more memorable and paradoxical ideological constructs. In fact, one might argue that one of the first true social tutoviks was none other than Diogenes — the Cynic philosopher who lived in a barrel, mocked social conventions, and rejected societal norms in radical ways.
Social Tutovism is a form of life for the superhuman in the conditions of a dying society. A person who wants to help those around him must — is OBLIGED — to parasite on them. Hence the name, which translates as “social parasite.”
- Rule One of the Tutovik: He must not have a job.
- Rule Two of the Tutovik: He must not help those around him.
- Rule Three of the Tutovik: He must strive to live through creative, scientific, or fraudulent activity.
- Rule Four of the Tutovik: He must sleep when others are awake.
- Rule Five of the Tutovik: He must be awake when others are asleep.
- Rule Six of the Tutovik: He must constantly commit antisocial acts in order to demonstrate how flawed society is.
- Rule Seven of the Tutovik: He must not have harmful habits, as they shorten life and interfere with the struggle.
- Rule Eight of the Tutovik: He must be a romantic — otherwise, he will be unable to think of the common good and will betray the ideals of Tutovism.
The name comes from bracket fungi (also known as polypores or "tutoviki" in Russian), which parasitize sick and dying trees — thereby acting as the forest's natural cleaners. In the same way, social tutoviks are the sanitarians of society, destroying harmful social norms and structures.
By analyzing the terminology, especially the use of the word superhuman (Übermensch), we can trace ideological roots to Nietzsche’s nihilistic worldview. Like many other destruction-based ideologies, Social Tutovism was influenced by Nietzsche's concept of the collapse of moral frameworks. However, this particular form of ideological rebellion also appears to have been inspired by Abbie Hoffman and his 1971 countercultural manifesto “Steal This Book”, which promotes subversion of capitalist norms through creative parasitism, scamming, and resistance to conventional labor.
As I wrote in my reflection “Про свободу і роботу” (“On Freedom and Work”)1, the core life goal for many people is to break the chains of job slavery and to work only when it brings pleasure — when labor becomes more like a hobby, an act of willful creation. This idea aligns with Social Tutovism in some ways, though I disagree with its universal labeling of such people as "parasites". I believe this kind of creative, scientific, or even unconventional activity is actually the core of a free life.