How Russian Nationalism Fuels Race Riots | The Nation   How
Russian Nationalism Fuels Race Riots    • Share   • Decrease
text size Increase text size   On the surface, the riot in
Biryulyovo, a working-class district in southern Moscow
populated by a heavy mix of Russians and migrants, reveals the
extent of Russian racism toward migrants, especially Muslims,
and particularly North Caucasians. But writing off this latest
ethnic explosion as mere racism brushes over the complexities of
Russianness in a country that has been ruled by a multiethnic
state since its inception. To understand Russian nationalism,
even racism, you need to realize that despite their political,
cultural and numerical dominance, many Russians see themselves a
nation without a state.  The multiethnic character of the
Russian state has always precluded Russians from becoming the
first among other ethnicities. During the Soviet period in
particular, Russians were the unmarked Soviet people, their
national identity suppressed, and at times,