MOSCOW -- Yesterday a bombing occurred at Cherkizovsky, one of the city's largest open air marketplaces. Ten people are dead and forty injured. A little town within the big city, the Chekizovsky market sells textiles and household items. The majority of business owners leasing space at the market are immigrants from former Soviet republics, mostly people from the Caucuses; and yesterday they were targeted by skinhead terrorists.
This explosion is the first terrorist violence Moscow has suffered in many months. What is most disturbing to Russians and foreigners alike is that the attack was not work of Chechen jihadists or other Islamist terrorists. Instead, the bomb was likely placed by homegrown Slavic fascists, to target Russia’s minorities.
Russia Blog has discussed the problem of neo-fascism and racist violence in Russia in several posts (see the Crime section). Last May Day, skinheads proudly marched through the streets of Moscow, chanting anti-Semitic, anti-American and anti-black slogans. Yesterday the skinheads dramatically escalated their war on Russia’s minorities from racist attacks on individuals to terrorism against ethnic community landmarks.
In the hours immediately following the explosion, investigators were refusing to give out details or speculate if the bomb was indeed a terrorist attack, but few hours later they stated that the attackers were likely motivated national and racial hatred.
Before the explosion, three Slavic-looking men were sighted near a small market café. After hanging out for few minutes, they set down a duffle bag and left it by the café tables. Since there have been many terrorist attacks in Moscow over the last decade, Muscovites are quite attentive to suspicious objects like luggage abandoned in public places. If not for the vigilance of ordinary citizens, many more people would have been killed when the bomb exploded. Instead, within a few moments people started walking away from the bag, and tried to get the terror suspects' attention to retrieve their “forgotten” bag. After the suspects realized that they had been spotted, they ran away in different directions. One suspect managed to escape and two others were tackled by security guards.
No matter what the investigation reveals, one fact is clear – ultranationalism is on the rise in Russia. It is not supported by the government, but it is hard to control because it grows up like a poisonous mushrooms from the grassroots of Russian society. While Moscow and other major cities are boasting wealth and new luxuries, the rest of the Russian nation is just trying to survive. The fast tempo of recent economic growth has not been enough to trickle down and meet the rising expectations of these forgotten Russians.
Immigrants, who come from former Soviet republics, are sometimes more successful than many native Russians. Immigrants from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Abkhazia tend to be very well represented by their respective mafias in major Russian cities, and these organizations control most of the public markets and other businesses. While many common Russians feel enormous hatred for the rich and successful people from the Caucuses, poor vulnerable immigrants are much easier targets than powerful businessmen.
Comments
It is very sad that a public market has now become a target of hatred and terrorism. I cannot imagine the famous Pike Place Market of Seattle meeting the same fate.
I have several Russian handicrafts that were given to me by a friend. They were probably purchased at a market such as this, if not this very one.
I recently viewed a documentary film by Anton Verstakov, a journalist with "Russia Today" in Moscow. It chronicles the path of a set of Matryoshka dolls from their creation in the countryside to market in Moscow. The dolls are expertly made by local craftsmen whose whole lives are spent in peasant surroundings using rudimentary technology. Buyers meet them at the banks of the river, where the goods are sold from a cart or the hood of a car. The items are sold for a very small price. They travel through several sets of hands as they progress down the river and across the land to Moscow. By the time they reach the market, their price is inflated many fold. The artisan never sees a ruble of the enormous profit on his/her work.
"While Moscow and other major cities are bathing in wealth and luxury, the rest of the nation is just trying to survive. The fast tempos of recent economic growth are not enough to trickle down and fulfill the expectations of the nation."
I believe the Matryoshka dolls represent this very paradox.
This is not to say the craftsmen are the nationalistic terrorists. But rather, a clear example of prosperity and wealth being exclusive to the elite Muscovites at the expense native Russians who inhabit the majority of its vast landscape.
Posted by: Tanya | August 22, 2006 9:57 PM
Reading your post, it's easy to see that the cause of racism in Russia is Russians like you.
You rationalize the government's failure to control racism by stating "It is not supported by the government, but it is hard to control because it grows up like a poisonous mushroom from the grassroots." What garbage! When was the last time President Putin gave a speech devoted to racism and condemned those who perpetrate it as
"unRussian"? How many dark-skinned people has he appointed to his cabinet? What has he done to atone for Russians human rights violations in Chechnya? Nothing.
You write: "Immigrants, who come from former Soviet republics, are sometimes more successful than many native Russians. Immigrants from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Abkhazia tend to be very well represented by their respective mafias in major Russian cities, and these organizations control most of the public markets and other businesses." What did you mean by this? To suggest that the minorites are partly to blame? How in the world could you possibly think these observations about minority involvement in th mafia and minority wealth (totally unsupported by evidence) would advance the resolution of race problems in Russia? They do nothing but give reasons to racists to continue their actions.
You write: "While Moscow and other major cities are boasting wealth and new luxuries, the rest of the Russian nation is just trying to survive. The fast tempo of recent economic growth has not been enough to trickle down and meet the expectations of these forgotten Russians." This doesn't make a lick of sense. I guess you forgot that the event you are describing happened in Moscow, not in the countryside.
Nothing about racism in Russia will change until Russians like you wake up and realize you part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Posted by: Lenard | August 24, 2006 2:10 PM
Does anyone have an idea how to find out where the city of Apt in Russia was or is?
Posted by: Jude | September 3, 2006 6:07 PM
MOSCOW ROCKS
Posted by: bob | January 31, 2007 4:48 PM