▁a ▁closer ▁European ▁unity ▁with ▁Russia ▁at ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁an ▁event ual ▁European ▁super - state . ▁His ▁decision ▁to ▁enter ▁politics ▁was ▁not ▁without ▁controvers y ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁he ▁was ▁subject ed ▁to ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁physical ▁attacks ▁and ▁burg l aries ▁of ▁his ▁home ▁by ▁unknown ▁ass ail ants . ▁Although ▁the ▁cul pr its ▁were ▁never ▁identified ▁Ivan ov - S uk h are v sky ▁pointed ▁the ▁finger ▁at ▁rival ▁right - ext rem ist ▁leader ▁Alexander ▁B ark ash ov . ▁B ark ash ov ' s ▁Russian ▁National ▁Unity ▁movement ▁had ▁consist ently ▁rejected ▁offers ▁to ▁co - oper ate ▁with ▁the ▁N NP , ▁largely ▁because ▁B ark ash ov ▁viewed ▁Ivan ov - S uk h are v sky ▁as ▁an ▁unnecessary ▁rival ▁for ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁ult ra - n ational ists . ▁ ▁Ivan ov - S uk h are v sky ▁has ▁been ▁ja iled ▁on ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁occasion , ▁not ably ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁rem and ed ▁for ▁inc iting ▁hat red . ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁he ▁shared ▁a ▁cell ▁with ▁S emy on ▁Tok m akov , ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁skin head ▁gang ▁Russian ▁Go al , ▁and ▁he ▁began ▁to ▁rec ruit ▁the ▁skin head s ▁to ▁his ▁cause . ▁The ▁two ▁published ▁a ▁joint ▁letter ▁from ▁But yr ka ▁prison ▁in ▁the ▁P NP ▁paper ▁Ya - R us sky ,