Its official publication, the newspaper Limonka, derived its name from the party leader's surname and from the idiomatic Russian word for a grenade.

According to the program, "the main goal of the National Bolshevik Party is to change Russia into a modern, powerful state, respected by other countries and peoples and beloved by its own citizens" by ensuring the free development of civil society, the independence of the media, and social justice.

[18] The NBP was highly critical of Vladimir Putin's government and argued that state institutions, such as the bureaucracy, the police, and the courts, were corrupt and authoritarian.

[23][24] Some Western critics commented on its heavy use of totalitarian and fascist symbols and what they called its "national-patriotic demagoguery",[12] and academics have described the group as neo-fascist.

[25] In the Russian media, the National Bolshevik Party was usually referred to as a far-left youth movement; however, some critics (including ex-members) allege that the NBP is an organisation dedicated to carry out a colour revolution in Russia.

[31] The FNS was one of the leading groups involved in the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis, and Limonov participated in the clashes near the White House in Moscow on the side of the Anti-Yeltsin opposition.

[12] Dugin later established the Eurasia Party, that endorses a significantly more radical nationalist and socially conservative view of National Bolshevism.

[36] Limonov and some National Bolsheviks were jailed in April 2001 on charges of terrorism, the forced overthrow of the constitutional order, and the illegal purchase of weapons.

[38] After the arrest of the leader, members of the party started activities (including direct action stunts) against Putin's government.

[53][54] During the 2002 Prague summit, National Bolsheviks threw tomatoes at George Robertson to protest against the extension of NATO and American imperialism.

[56] On 22 June 2004, National Bolsheviks occupied Germany's Trade Embassy in Moscow on the anniversary of the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

[60] On 25 September 2006, National Bolsheviks occupied the Ministries of Finances building in Moscow to protest against liberal economic policy.

Several small groups often made up of Russian immigrants that are named National Bolshevik Party have existed in countries across Europe and North America.

Latvia's NBP has had members hold office in Riga,[65] and has executed notable publicity stunts, but it remains largely marginal there.

In 2005, during the visit of George W. Bush in Latvia, local national Bolsheviks and the Vanguard of Red Youth organized meetings "against American imperialism".

[80][81] In September 2021, the European Court of Human Rights found that there was a violation of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights on account of the dissolution of the NBP association in 2004 and on account of the refusal to register the NBP political party, and awarded €10,000 jointly to the children of Limonov and four of his followers.