By Alan Kasayev exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
It is hard to believe that Moscow is marking the 20th anniversary of the events of October 1993. It is hard because almost everything has changed in the capital of our country in the past two decades. But there is hope that some basic values remain the same and some have become stronger. Can those who are over forty remember the democratic innovations that followed the suppression with tanks of the parliament? They were harsh and inevitable and strengthened the young Russian democracy.
As soon as remains of our under-democratic parliament, dark from the tank attacks, and the law enforcers calling themselves militia were removed, it was decided that the actions were right. The authorities started clearing markets, streets, squares and yards of people with appearance of inhabitants of the Caucasus. Tens of thousands of militiamen and their assistants were searching for brunettes in rented apartments, vegetable and meat factories, sports shops around Luzhniki, Petrovsky Park, Tushino, proto-Cherkizon for two-three weeks.
The mayor’s press hinted in the columns of opinions and commentaries that visitors from the Caucasus were all supporting the old parliament and the people’s worst enemy Khasbulatov, wanted to organize a state coup and should be counter, arrested and deported for that.
And then there will be joy in Moscow!
Mayor Luzhkov decided to achieve three goals at a time: become a firm Yeltsin supporter, free Moscow from unorganized and unmonopolized traders to turn it into a retain heaven under his personal control and organize the militia of the capital city, keeping a watchful eye over it. He made clear rules to fight this enemy in the law on special order of residence of foreigners in the capital 20 years ago. It was the basis for efficient inspection and the Russian Constitution passed in December 199 with its naïve articles on freedom of movement and residence. In reality, the residential registry replaced with residential permit caused impact on Russians, not just foreigners. Russians had to pay for it too.
20 years ago, a new ‘pale of settlement’ was formed and put into the minds of democratic strugglers. The idea was that the North Caucasus, with dancing Dagestanis and Chechens shooting in the air, were not part of Russia. It took deep root in people’s minds. According to the latest social polls on ethnic issues carried out by the Public Chamber in 2013, over half of Muscovites have no trust in inhabitants of the North Caucasus.
