Iosif Kobzon: “National-chauvinist feelings come from a lack of culture”

Interview by Vestnik Kavkaza

The nationalist “Russian March” of November 4th this year took place in the context of anti-migration attitudes which were stirred up by October events in Biryulyovo. According to the Levada-Center, 61.5% of Russian citizens feel dislike and fear toward migrants who live in their cities; and 62% are sure that clashes on the ethnic ground will continue. According to the head of Levada-Center Lev Gudkov, “we have been talking about the fact that in many regions pre-riot situation has established for seven years. An ethnic conflict occurs from a tiny spark.”

Soviet and Russian singer, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation for Culture, People's Artist of USSR Iosif Kobzon commented on the resonant incident in Biryulyovo.

-          Iosif  Davydovic, what can be consequences of the events in Biryulyovo?

-          This issue is discussed at our parliamentary hearing. I do not want to blame anyone except the criminal, of course, but I am opposed to stigmatization. Is it necessary to emphasize "the Azeri depot", "the Azerbaijani shop", "the Azerbaijani murderer”? Murderers can be found everywhere! There are Jewish, Russian, Azerbaijani murderers. But if we are talking about foreign workers, who made this situation in Moscow and in Russia possible? The system allowed it. We should not blame these people who come in search of work to Moscow.

I was the last artist who performed in Nagorno-Karabakh. It was the last concert, and then the cultural life in Karabakh stopped. But I was happy to go to Karabakh , because apart from the fact that this land is beautiful and has some sort of aura, besides the fact that outstanding military leaders, generals, composers, performers, Byul-Byul and so on came out of this region.

Azerbaijanis were engaged in what they are doing today in Moscow - they grew crops, and they brought them here, to Moscow.  I do not know how the market will develop now in Moscow, when the Azerbaijani market is closed.

-          When did labels able to lead to inter-ethnic conflicts appear?

-          I remember when, in the late 1980s, the Soviet Union made a noise about the "Uzbek affair" investigated by Gdlyan and Ivanov . I opposed it, because during the war, I was a child of the war, my family was saved by an Uzbek family . Why should I stigmatize people? "The Uzbek affair", "the Chechen affair", "persons of Caucasian origin", "Azerbaijani murderer", and they keep saying "This is Azerbaijan" - but what does Azerbaijan have to do with this? A criminal was born in Azerbaijan, Chikatilo was like him, as well as some people born in Chechnya, and this could happen anywhere. Why do people confuse the concept of ethnic origin with some stereotypes? My unforgettable friend Rasul Gamzatov said: "All the nations should be of eternal glory, and thrice cursed be he who thinks of denigrating a people." Now, I hold this same opinion. You cannot talk about a people indiscriminately, linking a people with a crime. Especially when the whole world is celebrating Bayram, a Muslim holiday.

-          What is the way out?

-          We need to change the system, to regulate the arrival of migrant workers, the arrival of migrants — this is another matter. It is necessary to control quotas on their arrival. And when you do not control all of this, of course, this results in a conflict situation. There is the same conflict situation in England, there are these waves, because they did not control the arrival of migrants. Only when Luzhkov was mayor, he did not admit it. There should not be allowed to create "an Azerbaijani market", "a Tatar market", "a Caucasian market”. He mixed it up, that there was no kind of inter-ethnic conflicts.

So I think this is a contrived conflict. The residents of the area calmed down, and I think you have to remove these stereotypes and allow us to conduct useful work with our own, so to speak, friendly peoples, both the Azerbaijani people and other people who came and who are changing the food pattern in Russia. I have to tell you that the manifestation of national-chauvinist feelings comes only from a lack of culture. Not everyone likes, as we say, "persons of Caucasian origin”, and not everyone loves Jews, but a cultured man will never allow himself any misconduct, offensive action in addressing a nationality. This can be done specifically against a person, but without linking it to a national identity.