Russians are not racists. Why are Russians a slave nation and why am I ashamed to be Russian? And what, you can’t joke about “blacks” or “hacks”? Doesn't this violate freedom of speech?

The “terrestrial” question stumped the director of the American space agency when the moderator of an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington asked the head of NASA whether the Russians had a ban on the flights of black astronauts? After all, since 2011, when the American shuttle program was curtailed and Russian Soyuz rockets began delivering into orbit, there has been an African American on the ISS.

This is not to say that this was an unexpected question. He was not surprised, given the hysteria about alleged racism in Russia that the Western media created in the run-up to the World Cup. Materials were literally sucked out of the pen, and the authors found all the signs of infringement of blacks where they never existed and do not exist.

The reaction of the NASA director was unexpected. The only thing he could answer was that he had never heard of anything like that and would look into the matter. In what way - whether he writes official requests and then demonstrates them to journalists and colleagues, or just asks casually over breakfast - this, in general, does not matter. Because he already knows the answer: nothing like this exists in Russia.

Why didn't the head of NASA voice this right away? Maybe because then one would have to answer a reasonable, but inconvenient question: why have only astronauts with white skin been flying into space from the United States for seven years now? How can this be explained if it is NASA that decides who gets to fly and who doesn’t? For example, Jeanette Epps, who was supposed to become the first African-American woman on the ISS crew, was removed from the flight almost before launch. Instead, white-skinned Serina Auñon-Chancellor went into orbit. There was no explanation from NASA on this matter. But Jeannette Epps' brother then accused the agency of racial prejudice.

Now don’t go into explanations for the head of NASA. It’s easier to pretend that the problems are in Russia. After all, there are very few black citizens living in the Russian expanses. This means that racism is in full bloom there!

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Alexey Kovalev, 01/15/2011

Passionate reporting about Moscow's bloodthirsty skinheads obscures Russian concerns about other kinds of nationalism.

I grew up in a quiet village near Moscow, similar to any other place except that it housed the campuses of three universities and academies, one of which was especially popular among foreign students.

The word "foreigner" in Soviet times meant a citizen of a country that was an ally. You can still meet doctors and engineers who speak Russian almost perfectly in any corner of our planet - from Afghanistan to Zambia. And they remember their student years with great warmth.

The Moscow Institute of Technology in Tarasovka was especially popular among African students. Getting off the train and heading to your dacha, you could meet a group of tall basketball players from , rather than a classic Russian grandmother with a shawl on her head and a stick in her hands.

I still remember one absolutely amazing scene. I once went swimming in Klyazma. And there I saw just a perfect reproduction of Vasnetsov’s painting “Alyonushka” - trees, stones, reeds and a girl sitting in a sad and thoughtful pose. The only difference from this masterpiece of the mystical realism of the Wanderers was that the heroine was black-skinned, and her hair was braided into a hundred thin braids. There was some kind of ideal impression of a mixture of cultures in which I, like other inhabitants of this quiet Russian village, had lived for decades.

I grew up believing that I lived in a truly international and welcoming country. I shake with anger when I read “expert opinions,” both homegrown and foreign, that Russia is a naturally racist country haunted by the ghosts of xenophobia.

Almost every message from a story about unrest on ethnic grounds contains statements that the city streets are teeming with bloodthirsty skinheads looking for the next victim of non-Slavic appearance, and square meters of newspaper pages are devoted to materials that I call "Nazi porn": Close-up shots of young people in knitted caps raising their arms in the Roman salute.

But I have a completely different idea about this.

In recent months, several of my friends have been attacked in Moscow; they were shot at, beaten, stabbed. In each case, the attackers were groups of young people from different Caucasian republics, mainly from. And in most cases, they were released at the police station without even warning them of anything.

Most of the Caucasian republics have their own “special representatives” in other regions of Russia, who are ready to come to the aid of fellow countrymen in trouble. Most often this means getting them out of the police force.

Journalist from the Izvestia newspaper Dmitry Sokolov-Mitrich argues that the intervention of these same “special representatives” prevents Caucasian youth from truly integrating into Russian society and creates “impunity.”

Another journalist, Alexander Mityaev, who along with his friends was beaten in a cafe by a group of Caucasians, says that the police are doing everything possible to avoid starting a criminal investigation. Victims are often advised to withdraw their statements with the words: “You know this won’t accomplish anything, so let’s not waste your time and ours.”

I'm not saying that the danger of Russian right-wing extremism doesn't exist. But there is also nationalism of a completely different kind, which acts in exactly the opposite direction. Many Russians know very well what it is like to become a victim of ethnic persecution.

There are many examples of this: degrading “alien passports” in the Baltic states, and bullying in student dormitories and barracks (just remember the case of Maxim Sychev, who died in Rostov after a conflict with his fellow Ingush student). The few Orthodox churches remaining in the North Caucasus exist under the constant threat of desecration - because they are churches.

But in fact, none of the representatives of the Russian government, Western media and human rights activists acknowledge the existence of these problems.

Western journalists writing about ethnic problems in Russia are not only unfair, dishonest and biased. They with their articles exacerbate these problems.

Russian authorities, concerned about the country's reputation and image ahead of the 2018 World Cup, are responding to such horror stories by tightening measures against very moderate right-wing organizations, ensuring the further radicalization of their already dangerous extremist brethren. At the same time, they completely ignore the reasons for the riots, fearing that they will be labeled as racists.

This is what forces Russians, even those who were previously completely apolitical, to come to rallies and demonstrations like the one that took place on Manezhnaya Square (in fact, a completely new protest movement is now maturing, planning to hold rallies on the 11th every month). And the point here is not at all about some pathological hatred of people with a different skin color. The greatest danger is that the initiative at such rallies could be taken over by truly evil right-wing extremists with their hatred of immigrants.

But we are not racists. (Almost) any foreigner sooner or later discovers that Russians, despite their apparent coldness and rudeness, can turn out to be the most pleasant and hospitable people in the world. Yes, we have not yet mastered the cultural sensitivity and sensitivity of the West, and that in

The black girl visited Russia, visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg. One of the key points in our country that worried her was the attitude of Russians towards dark-skinned people.

She described her impressions on her blog (translated from English):

My impressions as a black woman traveling in Russia.

If you read this blog or are friends with me on social media, you probably already know that a few months ago my husband and I spent 10 days in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Since then, many have become interested in our journey, and they sent me a lot of questions. This is not so surprising because although Russia receives a number of visitors, it is still not a very popular destination for most holidaymakers.

The fact that Russia is not on the list of countries to visit for the average traveler may be due to several factors. Russia is known for being brutally cold most of the year, very expensive, and the country's sordid political past (and unstable political future) make tourist destinations in Western Europe more attractive. (In 2015, London and Paris ranked 1st and 3rd among the most visited cities in the world).

Also, although this may just be a guess, Russians are not considered to be the friendliest or warmest people. Thus, Russia remains largely uncharted territory for tourists.

Considering all of the above, I understand why people were so interested in our holiday in Russia - their interest is associated with the unknown. And besides typical questions like “And? what does it feel like? My trip sparked curiosity from black travelers who asked again and again what it would be like to travel through Russia while blessed with melanin.

When I share photos and observations online, I get variations of one question over and over again:

“Is it true that Russians are racist towards blacks?”
“Have you been subjected to racial discrimination in Russia?”
“How did you feel traveling in Russia as a black woman?”

A little historical context: immigrants from Africa in Russia

To understand why this issue is so pressing, it is necessary to know the history of the descendants of Africans in Russia and the history of the former Soviet republics. I searched online and was surprised to learn that black people had always been present in the history of the USSR: according to the article, hundreds of African Americans arrived in the region between the 1920s and 1930s in an attempt to find a better life, escape the economic crisis and racial persecution they faced collided in the USA.

Black people from Africa were not far behind: the article explains that they arrived in the Soviet Union in large numbers, recruited by officials who promised them a free university education. So the social climate for black people was pretty good. Skilled black workers were highly valued. They had Western salaries and subsidized housing.

But all this stands in stark contrast to recent stories about race relations in Russia.

Google brings up articles about hostility directed at black people across the country. The attacks "at best" included verbal abuse (such as racist epithets hurled at black players from fans' stands during matches) and at worst physical violence during matches on Russian soil.

It is therefore not surprising that today's black travelers are concerned about their safety and well-being when traveling in Russia. Will they be in danger while traveling around Russia?

Traveling in Russia as a Black Woman – My Impressions

Short version: there was not a single reason for conflict during my stay in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In fact, I was treated surprisingly well. The locals treated me with love, which shocked me given what I had heard and read about race relations in Russia.

Long version: I felt like I was welcomed with open arms throughout my entire stay. Curious glances were thrown at me, but not such long, as if penetrating the very soul, glances that were thrown at me in many Asian countries. People were incredibly polite, helpful and cordial, especially in Moscow, which is by far the more "Russian" of the two cities (St. Petersburg looks and feels like a Western European city. I also found it more touristy and easier to navigate, if you know English, but don’t know Russian. Many more people speak and write English in St. Petersburg than in Moscow). Here are some examples of communications in Moscow that I liked the most:

Russian people came up to us on the street and in the subway to help us find our way, although we did not ask them to do this at all. The Moscow metro can be quite complicated, since all the names are written in Cyrillic, and most guidebooks and maps call the same stations in translit. Sometimes it was a little difficult for us, but it was very easy to find help there. One day, seeing our puzzled faces, a random passer-by stopped to show us the way. He didn't speak English very well, but he spent five minutes of his time with us to point us in the right direction.

An elderly lady on the subway car smiled at me and patted the seat next to her, begging me to sit next to her.

A security guard at the European shopping center found out that I was from Canada and engaged us in a lively discussion about love for my country. He once lived and worked in Nova Scotia.

The young man from the Adidas store treated me with care and provided exceptional service. He thanked me for visiting the country and asked me to explore more parts of the country. He also expressed regret that all over the world Russians are perceived as “bad people.”

In the same shoe store: an elderly man approached us from the other end of the store to tell us what shoes to buy. “Ladies, black is better,” he said. "You'll need shoes like these to run away from a Russian man!"

These were a few (random) examples that show why I enjoyed my stay in Russia so much. I never once felt discriminated against because of my race. However, please note that these were my personal experiences and that there are a number of factors that could have influenced how I was treated. What are these factors? Read on.

Why you should take my story with a grain of salt

I am a black woman, not a man. It would be remiss if I admitted this. Traveling black women are perceived as less of a threat than black men. The blame for this, of course, lies with the media, which seems intent on promoting the idea that black people are obsessive and dangerous criminals.

I'm small and don't look threatening. 5'3", 130 lbs. I'm small - I don't pose any physical threat. Also, I am very smiling. My face just radiates positivity and that puts a lot of people at ease.

I visited only Moscow and St. Petersburg. These cities are very cosmopolitan, and although they are not on the level of London, Paris or Rome, they receive a lot of tourists per year. Russians in these cities are well educated and are used to seeing and interacting with foreign tourists. If I had ventured off the beaten track and into more rural towns, my experience might have been completely different.

I spent 90% of my time in the company of a white man. My husband is Caucasian in appearance, and although he is from Germany, he was often mistaken for a local. I would be foolish not to admit that his presence with me most of the time probably protected me from adverse reactions. Realizing this, I made sure to walk around the city completely alone for two evenings. Oddly enough, people treated me better when I was alone (see my shoe store encounter above).

I speak American English and am clearly a North American person. Once again, it is important to note that my American appearance, blue passport and language provided a certain level of safety even in places that are known to be racist, prejudiced and/or discriminatory. My voice and my clothes screamed that I was a Western tourist, which in many places is an advantage. Don't believe the hype in the press; in many countries Americans are praised and given the best service.

So, are Russians racist towards black people? Should they go to Russia?

I still find it difficult to answer this question. My travel experience was extremely positive, but there were so many factors that go into it that it's difficult to give a definitive answer that applies to everyone. Personally, I would return (and will definitely return). The architecture is amazing, the history and culture completely absorb you, the food is simply divine. However, next time I would like to go beyond the main cities and explore other places - Russia is too big to rely on impressions of Moscow and St. Petersburg to describe what kind of country it is.

What I am sure of is that you will never know what Russia is until you go there and discover it for yourself - the same can be said about any country, city or territory. So, to my fellow Black people, I say to you, go out and explore, and remember to arm yourself with the information, stories, and evidence you need before you travel.

Black people, I would like to know: did the threat of being subjected to racism in Russia influence your decision not to go there? Have you ever been a victim of racial discrimination abroad? Where? And for those of you who have been to Russia, what were your impressions?

A little about Onikka Raymond: New York-based writer, educator, videographer, and travel enthusiast. Traveled to more than 100 countries on 6 continents. Follow me on my travels around the world!

Readers of a black girl’s blog shared their impressions of traveling around Russia and other post-Soviet countries.

Here are some of the comments:

Carolina Otieno:

I love your phrasing in this post. You approached the topic very thoughtfully and not in a “hey! I was in Russia and I’m black, and that’s why they love black people in Russia.”

One of my brothers studied in Russia in the late 90s - early 2000s. He returned in 2005, he was about 30 years old, but his hair had already turned gray (stress + winter?). He was clearly injured. He began studying at the Moscow Peoples' Friendship University, but had to leave because of the danger posed by skinheads. Some African and Asian students were targeted and lynched simply because their skin was several shades darker.

On public transport he was often pushed in the ribs by older Russian women to get him out of their way. The police constantly stopped him to check his documents. As a result, my brother moved to Kursk, but when he returned to Kenya, he swore that he would never set foot in Europe again after this.

Of course, everyone has their own impression, but I do not agree that black women are treated better. I have a black friend, Kenyan, she studies in Volgograd, everything is fine with her, she copes with everything.

And despite all these stories, I would like to see Russia. My brother also had positive stories. He said that Russia has the most delicious cakes, and a unique architectural aesthetic with colorful buildings with domes. Was vodka cheaper than water?
I would go to these countries without fear, because I know that everyone has their own experience, on every journey you experience negative and positive emotions, but since human kindness is everywhere, it will be good everywhere.

I live in the Netherlands and I think the country is quite tolerant, but I have experienced discrimination. Mine is almost always followed by a security guard in the store. I was yelled at several times on buses and boats. The Dutch are pretty cool... but there are a few people who act like racists. By the way, here in the Netherlands, I get treated better if I go with a white guy.

I visited Ukraine in 2009 for work. One day I was walking down the street with an Asian colleague, right in the center of Kyiv. And some guy hit me in the face and knocked me down. When I got up, he disappeared. So I'm not sure I would risk my safety. I know a black US Foreign Service employee who was beaten so badly that the agency decided to remove all African Americans from the area. I have been to the Balkans and to more southern countries that were part of the Soviet Union, and everything went without problems.

... I should note that on my list of countries to visit, Russia is so low that it is not listed at all. This is because I am interested in the history and culture of other countries that I would like to visit first.

Jules: ...my old apartment was in an area where a lot of Russians lived. I never had a problem with them, even though there weren't many black people around. Yes, there was a pervert who lived two doors away from me, but this was an isolated incident. Russian men are prone to drunkenness, so I would advise single female travelers to be careful when choosing evening entertainment. St. Petersburg is on my list of cities to visit.

...I recently returned from a trip to Moscow and my impression of the trip is 95% excellent. The city is beautiful, and the Russians seemed very kind, curious and friendly to me, as a black woman. Although the language barrier was very serious.

Unfortunately, almost towards the end of my trip, I was passing by the Kremlin and a man attacked me (he grabbed me by the butt, slapped me and yelled something at me in Russian). He simply ran up to me as I was calmly strolling down a busy road (imagine the equivalent of a street 10 minutes walk from Times Square in New York City) and then ran away. Since I have many friends in Russia, I rarely went alone. This incident surprised me. To say the least! The complete lack of reaction from passersby around us was even more shocking, and frankly says a lot about the culture around dealing with racial hate crimes.

Due to this negative incident, I unfortunately do not recommend travel to this country at this time. I really had a great time, but as I mentioned earlier, during the trip I was with a group of hospitable Russian (mostly male) friends. It seemed to me that I could have been attacked, and this would have had no consequences for the attacker. And this is what worries me. There are so few black people in the city of blo that a group of black female travelers would stand out. Let's hope for a more open and cultural Russia in the future, because it really is a wonderful place.

...I was supposed to teach English in Moscow this summer and fall. Both calls were canceled at the last minute. I spent a very long time trying to get an answer from them - why? And one manager told me that they had to give me up because they felt some parents might ask, “Why is my child being taught by a black person?” Reading your posts and other people's posts, I understand what the manager was saying, but I can't say that I agree with their decision. I encountered something similar in China.

Let me start with the fact that I am Russian myself. But I'm ashamed of my nationality.
I would prefer to be born Ukrainian or Chechen. Or an American or any European, Japanese, but not Russian. I even had a fight with my dad about this. True, we immediately made up, because... understood each other - why and why it was offensive.

Let's start with a regular yard. I noticed that Russians are not very protective of Russians. They don't really help either. Let's say Georgians protect each other. In general, any Caucasians protect each other. And white Americans protect each other. I noticed this back in my yard, this is especially evident in the army, I also noticed this in emigration to the USA - Russians helped me extremely rarely. But the Ukrainians helped - they gave me a ride to the shops when I didn’t have a car, the Americans gave me a ride so that I could find housing, etc.

During the events in Ukraine, Ukrainians always came to the Maidan from their Western villages. And they protested against the authorities very ardently and vividly. But the Russians didn’t come. Only when the Yanukovych Gang brought them on buses did they sadly walk in formation under blue flags, work off their salaries, waiting for the evening when they could get drunk.

My dad also told me, “They sang Moskalyaka to Gilyaka there.” Of course, he didn’t hear this, but he watches Putin’s TV on satellite, they showed it there. I told him, “Why didn’t the Russians come and organize Anti-Maidan? Why didn’t they throw Molotov cocktails at the Ukrainians? Why are they so weak, why are they such cowardly slaves?” And he added something about my foreign experience, when the Caucasians and Dags in the gym helped me more than the Russians. Dad was very angry, we are both hot-tempered, mom stopped us from screaming, but after 15 minutes. we calmed down and made peace. Because he realized that I was right.

Russians are cowardly and evil slaves. Even in the east of Ukraine, it was not them who rebelled. These are all paid saboteurs from Russia. Local Russians were so lukewarm in their support in the hope that Putin would send troops like he did in Crimea. But the Ukrainians began to resist, the West supported, Putin put his tail between his legs and that’s it... now they are paying with war for their cowardice, malice and betrayal.

I am ashamed of Russian fascism, which is nashism. I'm ashamed of their homophobia. I am ashamed of their alcoholism, smoking and drug addiction. I am ashamed that Russian women are ready to lie down for anyone, just so they can be taken away from this Tsarist-Putin Russia. I'm ashamed that they constantly swear. I'm ashamed that they hate and fear everyone. I'm ashamed to be Russian. I'm ashamed of my nationality.

In the USA, I tell Americans “I’m from Ukraine.” To Russians I say “yes, I’m Russian, but I’m for Ukraine and against Putin.” To the Chechens and Dags, I say, “I am with you in your fight against tsarism.”

Every dog ​​knows what terrible racists Russians are. I hear this from ALL new acquaintances: “Come on, tell me what you call blacks in Russia”. And here I am frantically trying to explain that we do not put any negative connotation into the word “negro”, that for us it, like the English black, means skin color and nothing more. I will not tell them that when we really want to humiliate, we use the words of Niger or Chernozhp.

When I wrote to my father that I went to Big Buddha with the guys, the first thing he asked: "Black people?". And all just because two days earlier I posted a photo on Instagram with two black men after a workout)) Of course, I understand everything, parents are stupidly afraid of a situation where a selfish black gangster scams an honest Russian girl and gives her a suitcase with two kilograms of cocaine . But this does not change the main thing: Russian people are so racist.

The main revelation that comes to you when you start traveling and just talking to people: everyone is the same. No, really, this is not a cliched phrase from a social advertisement, this is truly a deep revelation. You are talking to a person from the other side of the world, maybe he even writes from right to left, and you understand that despite all your differences: skin color, religion, upbringing, perception of the world, mentality, customs and culture, HE WANTS THE SAME WHAT AND YOU. What? The simplest things: to love, to be loved, to build a house, to plant a tree, to give birth to a son.

All. This is the most important revelation. Honestly, I was shocked when I first realized this. This means, no matter how different we are, we all have the same human essence. Inside they are all the same.

It is very stupid to consider yourself better than someone just because you happened to be born in one place and not another. And in this case, it was the place of our birth that determined the color of our skin, the shape of our eyes and other features. We Russians consider ourselves better than someone else just because we were born white. And at the same time, in our heads it’s a complete disaster. 80% of people hate their jobs, no matter what - people with dissatisfied faces, angry and unhappy. And a mossy black Indian sits in a dirty market and smiles. Personally, I don’t see any difference between myself and the poorest, dirtiest Hindu, Negro or anyone else. Yes, I like some nations more, some less. But I definitely don’t consider myself better than someone just because I was born in Russia.

I understand that this entire text, one way or another, is full of racism, but excuse me, people of fine spiritual organization, otherwise you simply cannot express yourself here.