The following is our monthly review of the traditional problems posed by radical nationalism in Russia, as well as any counteraction by the government, for October 2011. The results are prepared using information gathered in the course of Sova Center’s daily monitoring.

This month, 14 individuals were attacked in racist and neo-Nazi incidents in seven regions of the country. The victims were representatives and members of leftist and youth groups (eight people), people of “non-Slavic appearance” (three people), blacks (two people), and a native of China.

As such, since the beginning of the year we have recorded 18 deaths and 109 injuries stemming from racist or neo-Nazi attacks, and seven individuals have received death threats. Racist violence remains a fixture in thirty regions in Russia, and the main problem areas are Moscow (eight killed, 23 injured) and the Moscow Region (four killed, seven injured), and Saint Petersburg (three killed, 23 injured).Read more...

In August of 2011, a Kenyan national was wounded in a neo-Nazi attack in St. Petersburg. Additionally, racist incidents were noted (as usual) at the August 2 Airborne Day celebration. At least ten people in seven regions of the country were affected.

Since the beginning of the year, racist violence has killed 15 people and injured 80, while seven have received death threats. We have recorded incidents in 22 regions of the country, though these statistics exclude victims of mass brawls and victims of incidents in the North Caucasus region.Read more...

This month, four people in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Nizhny Novgorod regions were injured as a result of racist or neo-Nazi violence. The victims were identified as dark-skinned, except one woman from Central Asia.

As a result, the year-to-date total victims of racist violence are 15 people killed, 70 wounded, and seven receiving death threats. Incidents have been reported in 19 regions of Russia, with the capital cities facing the largest concentration: six dead and 18 wounded in Moscow city proper, three dead and seven wounded in the Moscow Region, and three dead and 20 wounded in St. Petersburg. In other regions, there were four victims. The main targets of attack continue to be Central Asians (8 killed, 17 injured); leftist and youth activists (14 injured); and natives of the Caucasus region (6 killed, 4 injured).

This July, we recorded 13 acts of vandalism which we suspect were xenophobic in nature. The main targets of vandalism continue to be ideological monuments, seven of which were attacked this month. In addition, Jewish (4 cases), Muslim (1 case) and Jehovah's Witness (1 case) sites remain vulnerable.Read more...

SUMMARY

In Spring 2011, a new stage began in the development of the ultra-right movement. The events on Manezhnaya Square in Moscow and the subsequent, intensified prosecution of the ultra-right, the coming parliamentary elections and the ban of the two biggest ultra-right organizations – the DPNI (Dvizhenie protiv nelegal’noi immigratsii, the Movement against Illegal Immigration) and, earlier, the Slavic Union (Slavyansky soyuz) – roused the ultra-right to establish coalitions and new organizations. The process was irregular, and they have not yet succeeded in forming a coalition that would unify them all. The Ethnopolitical Association –– Russians (Etnopoliticheskoe ob’edinenie – Russkie) has become the biggest one so far.

During this period, the ultra-right pushed forward rhetoric condemning the authorities’ activity, not only that of ‘illegal migrants,’ etc. In Spring, the ultra-right held their traditional campaign against abortion and Gay Pride parades. Apart from that, the ultra-right attempted to join public, non-nationalist actions organized by other movements; in this connection it is worth noting that the interest in nationalist topics has grown beyond the nationalist movement itself.

Calls for legal and underground methods of struggle, for forming and strengthening public organizations, and for ‘autonomous clandestine activity’ compete in ultra-right propaganda. Appeals to fight against the authorities and ‘ethnic enemies’ can be seen on ultra-right websites.Read more...

At least six people became victims of racist and neo-Nazi attacks in June 2011, with three of those dying due to their injuries. These figures bring the year-to-date totals to 14 deaths, 58 people injured, and an additional 5 people receiving death threats across 15 regions of Russia.

We recorded at least three acts of vandalism motivated by hatred or neo-Nazi ideology in June. In addition to ideological objects, monuments etc., the attacks on Muslim graves continued in a cemetery in the Nizhny Novgorod Region. At least seven Muslim graves in Nizhny Novgorod cemeteries have been objects of ideological vandalism since the beginning of this year; in total, there have been at least 33 acts motivated by hatred or neo-Nazi ideology across the country, with Muslim graves and monuments becoming a primary target. Ideological monuments and buildings remain vulnerable, with 12 and 11 cases, respectively, of vandalism committed on each so far this year.Read more...