The Russian Party (RP; ; "Russkaya partiya", "RP") was a Russian nationalist party founded on May 17, 1991 by Viktor Korchagin. The original name was Russian Party of the RSFSR. By the spring of 1992 it had over 5 thousand members. In 1992, after an internal party conflict, Vladimir Miloserdov became party leader, although the split lasted until 1996, when Korchagin dissolved his faction. Under the party in 1993, a paramilitary unit "Russian Guard" was created, which participated in the Defense of the House of Soviets. In 1996, the Russian Party supported Zyuganov's candidacy during the presidential elections in the Russian Federation. The most active regional organizations of the Russian Party were Saint Petersburg (headed by N.N.Bondarik) and Oryol branches (headed by Igor Semenov).