Moscow, Russia - Roaring through Moscow after dark with their big bikes, long hair and leather jackets, the Night Wolves could be Russia's answer to the Hell's Angels. But these are riders with a cause, and that cause is the motherland.
“Our values are quite simple: love your country, have faith and don't use or sell drugs,” summed up Alexander Benish, second in command of the powerful motorcycle club whose members president Vladimir Putin calls his “brothers”.
They may share a passion for the open road, but the Night Wolves - ”Nochnye Volki” in Russian - reject the American biker label altogether.
“The biker lifestyle is anti-social. It's all about 'let's drink beer, break glasses, and if anyone has a problem with that, we beat them up',” said Benish, who at 46 has been a Wolf for two decades.
“They think they are better than the rest of society, and they have this cult of violence. That's not our philosophy. We only use violence as a last resort.”
Founded in 1989, just before the fall of the Soviet Union, the Night Wolves have since spread across Russia and the former Soviet bloc, with an estimated 5000 members - including the Kremlin-backed Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov.
Their leader - a bearded two-metre colossus who goes by the name of Khirurg, “The Surgeon” - has been spotted riding in official parades beside the Russian president, who has often praised the club's patriotic credentials.
“We consider ourselves part of the army of Russia,” said Khirurg, whose real name is Alexander Zaldostanov.
Passers-by stop to get their picture snapped in front of the club's motto - “Wherever we are, that is Russia” - and their emblem of a burning wolf howling at the full moon.
Although the club has no official status in Russia, its riders can be relied on to put on a show of patriotic strength wherever needed - including in the Ukraine conflict.
Like in Crimea, where they held a mass rally in support of the peninsula's annexation by Russia in March, or in Lugansk in Ukraine's industrial east where they paraded in support of pro-Russian separatists.
When they ride in convoy, many brandish the flag of Novorossia, or the “New Russia,” intended by eastern Ukrainian separatists to designate the rebel-held parts of the ex-Soviet state.
“Love of country fortifies a man,” said Benish. “It is essential that our members show their patriotism.”
“That doesn't mean we believe Russians are the best. Everybody can be a patriot in their own country,” he added.
The Night Wolves say they welcome members from across the former Soviet Union, regardless of their religious beliefs - and count Muslims in their ranks, alongside the Orthodox Christian majority.
Likewise its riders come from varied social backgrounds, from car mechanics, to businessmen - even a few monks.
“Everyone is free to join - except for women. 'No woman no cry',” joked Benish in a play on the Bob Marley lyric.
“Years ago when it was founded, the club was a kind of symbol of virility, of what it means to be a man.”
Under a thick leafy canopy, 27-year-old Timur has pulled up his ride alongside five dozen others lined up outside an open-air bar on the outskirts of the Russian capital.
The club has more than 46 branches spread out across the former Soviet Union, but for aspiring young members the journey begins here - in the wolf's den.
“I hope to join them one day,” said the young finance lecturer, beer in hand. To become a Wolf, Timur would need to be invited in by an existing member, and take part in club events - from the high-profile mission to Crimea down to local street parades - for a two-year period.
From then on, he would get to climb the grades - up to third, the highest. Straying from the club's rules could see him knocked back a rank, or temporarily stripped of the right to wear the Wolves' insignia.
“It's a pretty demanding atmosphere,” warned Benish.
Alongside the tough-guy routine, the riders also play what they see as a pastoral role, striving for “the moral and spiritual development of the young generation based on patriotism and traditions.”
“The words of Saint Augustine could sum up the philosophy of the Night Wolves,” said Benish, quoting the words of the medieval theologian: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.'“
Judging by the swarm of Muscovites pressing around “The Surgeon” for a picture or an autograph, the Night Wolves' popularity is in little doubt, and that is despite the odd brawl - sometimes serious - involving his men.
AFP