Radical nationalists in service to Kremlin

Contemplating the situation in Russia, Churchill’s quotation pops out more and more often in the memory: “Fascist of the future will call themselves the antifascist”. During the last decades Russian authorities have been increasingly fighting against “manifestations of fascism” all over the worlds particularly in the neighboring countries varying from the Baltics states to the Southern Caucasus. Therefore, Russia is disturbed by honoring the World War II veterans having struggled with communist regime on the side of Nazi Germany as well as massive nationalists’ actions in the post-Soviet countries.

Certainly a logical question may follow, why is it negative? It is important to bear in mind the history lessons in order to avoid the faults of the past. That is true but paradoxically the louder Russian officials shout about the problems of their neighbors the stronger become the positions of the radical nationalists in Russia itself.

Now we do not take into account bald guys wearing leather jackets called “skinheads”. Such phenomena exist almost in every European state. Even though such social deviations don’t step over the bounds of the radical teenagers’ subculture, meanwhile in Russia the streets are flooded by radically disposed nationalists armed with bats and knuckles. There is no single day without a record in the criminal chronicle concerning molestations and murders committed under nationalistic pretext. Some nationalists suppose murdering a foreigner to be a natural attribute of a “true Russian”. The victims of such “initiations” are mainly illegal immigrants from Central Asia coming to Russia in search of earnings as well as Caucasian, Jewish and black-skinned students of Russian universities. In addition, mass media tend to illustrate the situation as if “non-residents” are one of the principal sources of crimes. However according to the official statistics over the period of 2015 attests that out of 2.5 mil crimes about 55 thousand are committed by the foreigners. Undoubtedly 55 thousand murders, robberies, violations is pretty a lot even for such a large country as Russia but those calling themselves Russians perpetrating much more crimes.

Seemingly Nazism is officially forbidden in Russia, Russian police investigated criminal cases on nationalistic ground and even arrests the murderers though radical nationalists still feel themselves too toney. Annual “Russian marches” in Moscow and other large cities of Russia aren’t something extraordinary anymore. A huge crowd people under the banners of far-right organizations wander the city and throw up right arms in Nazi’s salute simultaneously declaring the racist slogans and demanding to purify the country from the non-residents and non-Christian with the methods of force. In the same time Russian functionaries and special bodies go on fighting against the manifestations of radical nationalism in other states turning a blind eye to what occurs in the streets of their native cities.

Well, it is pretty difficult to notice this problem regarding that radical nationalism has entrenched into the cabinets of the high-ranking officials. While Russian policemen arrest from time to time the activists of the Russian nationalistic movement, within the walls the Moscow National University — one of the most prestigious educational institution in the country — within the framework of the social studies department operates the “Center of the conservative studies” run by a fervent nationalist-chauvinist Alexander Dugin. He is notorious for his resonant declarations on the necessity to physically annihilate all the “non-Russians” in Russia and restore the Russian Empire within the boundaries as of 1914 or even expand its territory as far as English Channel. Here is one more example: present Vice-Premier Dmitrii Rogozin who has recently been the representative of Russia in the NATO, about ten years ago appealed to “comb-out Moscow from the rubbish” hinting at the Caucasians and other native of the Eastern states.

The examples cited above let us superficially understand the situation and the extent of the nationalists-chauvinists into the governmental bodies. Similar organizations in Russia are multiple, their activity is supervised by the Russian special services officers and exploited by the authorities in their aims. When the Kremlin is worried about position of the oppositionists, national-chauvinists are set against them. They call the opposition members “5th column” and Jews striving to destroy the country.

Moreover Russian authorities don’t welcome LGBT communities and in these terms their position meets up with that of the ideology of the Russian nationalists. It’s approved by the fact that police do never intrude into the beating of demonstrations participants of the sexual minorities. There is a video in the Internet depicting how brutally suppressed are faint attempts of the sexual minorities to hold public actions. And such examples are numerous.

Meanwhile organizations of the Russian nationalists wage a struggle for the “purity of nation” allegedly protecting “traditional values” are carrying out the massacres, beat Caucasians, kill black people and labour immigrants from Asia. And tomorrow they will be able to find a new ground for hatred. This time religion may become a clue criterion defining “friend-or-foe” and not the color of skin or shape of the eyes.

Nowadays in Russia predominating religion is orthodoxy though there are also millions of Muslims and Jews. Up to this moment Russian Nazis have restricted to abusive inscriptions on the mosques and synagogues but tomorrow they may arm themselves and unleash a true massacre. And no one can be sure that the next Russian government will not be influenced by radically disposed thugs who are day by day gaining public support. One day they may declare a “holy war” on the non-Christians both within the country and beyond its borders. Ethnic purges may cause massive migration of the Russian people against the background of which the crisis relied with Middle Eastern refuges will seem negligible for Europe.