Racism and Xenophobia in January 2016

The following is our review of racism and xenophobia in Russia during January 2016. The data we report are collected in the course of Sova Center’s daily monitoring activities.

We are aware of at least three people targeted in racist and xenophobic attacks in January 2016. In Moscow, a group of young men beat a native Azerbaijani in a train bound for Aprelevka from the Kievsky railway station. In the town of Alexandrov (Vladimir region), two people armed with a knife attacked the parishioners of the Emmanuel Pentecostal Church.

We are also aware of at least three acts of xenophobic vandalism in Saratov and Vladimir region and in the Crimea during the previous month.

The rally activity of nationalists was low during the month.

It is worth noting a picket of the Russian National Front (RNF) on January 3, not coordinated with the Moscow authorities, that took place on January 3 in support of the arrested Kirill Barabash, one of the leaders of the Initiative Group Preparing for Referendum ‘For the Responsible Power’ (IGPR ‘ZOV’). Six people were detained at the picket, including Andrey Savelyev and Nikolay Tishin (Great Russia), Elena Rokhlina, Kirill Myamlin (the head of the Institute of High Communitarianism). Apart from Moscow, three one-person pickets were held in Kaliningrad.

Only four people attended the annual action in Yekaterinburg organized by nationalists near the Black Tulip Monument on the New Year’s night, commemorating the death of Russian soldiers who had taken part in the assault of the Chechen capital Grozny on the New Year’s night in 1995. The members of the action lit the candles and stood a silence minute.

In Moscow, two actions with the similar agenda were held a day apart at the same place, the Donskoy cemetery, in memory of Cossack atamans extradited to the Soviet Union by the Great Britain and executed in 1946—1947 for the collaboration with the Nazis. On January 16, such action was held by the activists of the ‘Nation and Freedom’ Committee led by Vladimir Basmanov, and the Irreconcilable League. Six activists laid flowers to the tomb with unclaimed remains where Pyotr and Semyon Krasnov, Helmut von Pannwitz, Andrey Shkuro, Timofey Domanov and Sultan-Girey Klych are buried. The originator of the action was Denis Romanov(-Russky). On January 17, the similar action was held by the supporters of the Russian Liberation People’s Army (RONA) led by Oleg Filatchev.

The most frequently and ardently discussed topic in the right radical segment of the Web in January was related to the New Year’s eve assaults in Cologne. They were interpreted with even more exaggeration than in the official Russian media and accompanied with a lot of anti-migrant statements. Various polls with xenophobic implications were set in order to draw attention to the situation and in attempt to turn the conversation from the European events to the Russian reality. Facts on the number of newcomers in Russia were mentioned as well. There were also talks about the rise of arms sales in Europe “in defense of migrants” whereas in Russia the right to bear arms is significantly limited.

Traditionally, nationalists continued to hold various “raids” and try to draw new activists to take part. For instance, in January in St. Petersburg members of the movement The Lion Is Against attacked a group of youths drinking liquor, took the drink from them and poured it out. This provoked a squabble between the young people that grew into a brawl. The whole incident was filmed by one of the members of the organization. The right radical websites underscored the fact that young men drinking liquor were from Caucasus. The authors of the reports called them “the drunk devils.”

In January, at least two guilty verdicts were passed in cases of racist violence against four people in Astrakhan and Tula region.

Not fewer than nine sentences were passed in eight regions in cases of racist propaganda. Nine people were convicted.

The Federal List of Extremist Materials was updated three times (on January 11, 13 and 21). Entries 3230—3258 were added. These new entries include various materials of the ultra-right, video with a speechby Vladimir Zavarkin, the deputy of the Assembly of Suoyarvi town in Karelia, who has earlier been sentenced to a fine for public calls for separatism (this speech in which he mentioned a possibility to hold a referendum on the separation of Karelia was the reason to instigate the criminal case against him), mock videos of The Christ the Savior and Moist Mother Earth Ensemble, songs of the band Warriors of Zion, videos linked to the activities of the Right Sector, a leaflet of the Will party, a section of the book “The Secrets of Ruling Mankind” by Konstantin Petrov, various Islamist videos.

On January 19, the annual action in memory of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova murdered seven years ago was held in six cities. By Sova Center’s estimate, the Moscow action brought together not more than 470 people. Orthodox activists from the God’s Will movement led by its leader Dmitry Tsorionov (Enteo) actively attempted to prevent the action. They were detained and put into police buses “in order not to allow provocation against sexual minorities.”