11.08.2005 Is Russia for Russians?

Judging by the sociological surveys being made this nationalistic slogan is bothering more than a half of the country. There is nothing to be surprised with: it always has been common knowledge that people are trying to blame somebody else in their troubles. But what is the actual state of affairs? How much Russians are to be blamed in their troubles? It’s not a pleasure to think about it. On my point of view, nationalism is a hate that is trying to justify itself. But hate could never be justified; it never gets an ethic sanction to exist.
Thanks to broad publicizing our country has recently got aware about the facts of non-authorized behavior in the military unit 2372, Kaspyisk city. The victim was our fellow countryman Simonov E. who is brave enough to tell us the truth about way he is treated in his military unit. Testimony of the soldier: “The mariner M. Graf and the chief mariner M. Titovetc… forbade me to rest during the time established by the Charter of The Military Forces of the Russian Federation before getting the order, they forced me to make their beds, prepare their clothes before preparing mine. If was not in time with it I got a reprimand for the crumpled shirt and then beaten in the W.C. They suggested me not to sleep at night so that I could prepare my clothes for the next day. Moiseev A. asked if I wanted to commit suicide. I answered, no and got the kick into the face from Nikolaev P., then he stroke my head with a flask, Komarov hit my kidneys and Istomin – my back. One day Nikolaev P. didn’t like my sight; he brought me to the W.C. and kicked my head and chest. Moreover, Nikolaev insisted on me to shave my head not to look like the others. It was done to humiliate me. In case I refuse he promised to beat me in a cruel way. We were on the stoop, he started to throttle me and to hit my head over the conditioner with the words “This is the prophylactics for you to make everything quickly”. I told everything to the commander of the military unit Uchesov A.A. I claimed that I got tired from the treatment I suffer from the mariners and from his idling inaction. Istomin, Nikolaev, Moiseev can humiliate anyone who is weaker. They feel they are unpunished, they motivate it with “I want to!” They threaten me by murder after I finish my military service.”
It is even difficult to imagine for a civil citizen that this could repeat every day during the year. Media informs us about suicides, the facts of shooting army colleagues, we are getting aware that the whole companies are escaping from army, but we rest indifferent because we live in our cozy world and still believe that Russia is for Russians – a state of prosperity painted in ethnic tone. He is Russian and that’s why he’ll be O.K.
But reality brings some new sense into the imaginary world of a narrow-minded person. All the surnames of the figurants of the criminal case in Simonov’s application are Russian. They are Russians who, in actual fact, turned to be real fascists guided only by the principle of power, not even by an ethnic one. All that matters for these busters is just satisfaction of their ill aspiration to dominate anyhow; and the method is simple – violence. The fact that they were studying in the same school, that they are speaking the same language with their victim doesn’t matter for them at all. Exaggerated love of power and hate choose a victim basing only on the weakness of the victim and on impunity of the crime. And these are the moral busters who are going to build an ethnic state. It is important to remember that hate is always hate and it’s impossible to cover it with any slogans. It is always looking for victims, and everything it comes across will be justified by the logic of hate.
There are not only Russians in the military unit 2372. Simonov told us that he is in good relationships with those who profess Moslem faith. They explain him Islam; it’s very interesting for him to listen to them. Even his aunt was acquainted with a person who is used to talking to Eugeny about religion in a philosophic way. Never have dagestanians committed a crime and beaten anybody to provoke a suicide as the Russians have done.
Does anybody need this kind of Russia and this type of Russians who has forgotten that a life is inviolable? Would you like to stay tete-a-tete with an aggressive crowd of wild Russians who don’t now what is dignity, honor, conscience? The answer is obvious!
Maxim Efimov,
Chief of the “Youth Human Rights Group” - Karelia.