by Pavel Martynov exclusively for VK
The Federation Council of Russia has proposed disqualification of the Lokomotiv Stadium in Moscow for hooliganism of fans during the Anzhi vs. A3 Alkmaar (Netherlands) match. A group of fans was shouting nationalistic slogans out during the game. “The phenomenon of fans has not been fully studied and no one can give clear reasons why a person becomes a fan of a certain football team. But that does not free from the responsibility of working with these people, calling it a police burden only is unwise”, First Vice Speaker of the Federation Council Alexander Torshin told Interfax.
Obviously, this work needs to become a system and part of the new content of Russian ethnic policy.The president has become the head of the Council for Interethnic Relations formed this summer. Russia has 193 ethnicities speaking 171 languages. Schools have lessons of 89 languages. Initiators of the council wanted to build a platform to discuss problems of interethnic relations, invite a wide range of public and political figures, analyze constructive ideas.
The council has 4 strategic aspects.
Firstly, strengthening of Russia as a unique civilization with peculiar regional specifics, ethnic, cultural and religious diversity.
Secondly, strengthening of civil consolidation of the multinational people of Russia.
Thirdly, harmonization of interethnic relations and prevention of interethnic tensions. “Nationalistic groups are often rising under the veil of development of democracy and freedom. They take part in protests, agitate in the Internet and teenage clubs, student communities, make speeches with slogans of Russian, Tatar, Caucasus or any other regional nationalism. In fact, they all encourage, provoke separatist, divisive tendencies in our country”, Russian President Vladimir Putin believes.
Fourthly, support of successful integration and adaption of foreign and interior migrants. “Special attention in adaption of migrants should be played by national communities themselves, they should take them under patronage, offer social support and, most importantly, use infrastructure of their cultural and education centers to teach compatriots the traditions and customs of the region they come to live in and work. This certainly requires governmental support, needs a dialogue between different structures of the civil society and state. Russia is devoted to cultural integration of migrants, their stimulated study of the basics of national culture, Putin says.
Valery Tishkov, Director of the Institute for Ethnology and Anthropology, believes that “the Russian ideological and political range has attraction for root and ethnic nationalism”. The academician supposes that political parties should have clear non-ethnic-based membership and initiatives. One state should not have dual regional, ethnic communities. Cooperation should be organized throughout all aspects of social relations: from sports teams to joint military service and employment for major construction sites, large industrial projects, we need common organization of political life.
Tishkov notes that a swift change of administrating personnel in Russia has caused poor knowledge of history and culture of peoples in the country. There were cases when people with very narrow and xenophobic views became administrators. A multinational and multiethnic state may become efficient and sustainable only when it has a basis, an adequate state institute of administration maintaining sustainable development of society on the ground of the will of the majority and account of interests of the minority.
“The formula of friendship of peoples is fruitful, but we should think about the formula of friendly people too. We are a single nation with all its diversity. The idea to form common Russian identity does not put off existence of other cultural traditions, ethnicities, languages and so on. Sometimes, we get carried away by attempts to return to own language. But a modern man may have two native languages: there can be several languages for studies and communication. There are fully bilingual and even trilingual states. Our country has regions where the majority of the population speaks two languages freely, unable to tell which language is their native. Usually, it is the language coinciding with their nationality. There is a very strict setting that a native language must coincide with nationality, it somehow hinders the freedom of choice. The latest census shows that 25% of non-Russian population, which is about 6.6 million people, called Russian their native language. It is the freedom of choice. I am opposed to any lingual assimilation, especially forced assimilation. But I believe that stress should be put on expansion of lingual range of Russians, citizens of our country. Bilingualism and multilingualism are a norm”, Tishkov concludes.
