Paul
Goble
Staunton, April 10 – Many Russian
nationalist believe that the Kremlin uses its anti-extremism law against them
disproportionately in comparison with other groups, a conclusion with which many
monitoring organizations concur. And some in both recall a Soviet-era precedent
for this: Yury Andropov’s battle against the so-called “Russian Party.”
In a new article for Russian7, Dmitry
Sokolov says that Andropov’s campaign in
this regard is a major reason why Russian nationalism did not emerge at the end
of Soviet times as did the nationalisms in many non-Russian republics of the
USSR (russian7.ru/post/pochemu-i-kakimi-metodami-andropov-bor/).
Andropov began his struggle against “the
Russian Party” as the unofficial congeries of cultural figures and politicians who
wanted to promote Russianness was known.
Despite support within the elite, it also had many opponents who viewed
it as a threat to communist domination and even the territorial integrity of
the country.
Russian nationalists, V.N. Ganichev
of Molodaya gvardiya was among those who viewed the KGB chief as their
opponent, labelling him “a Russophobe” who “hated the Russian Party and was afraid
of it” and was prepared to use all available tools to isolate and expel from
influential positions anyone he suspected of being a follower of that trend.
By his action, especially against
Russian nationalist editors, Sokolov argues, “Andropov was able to
fundamentally weaken ‘the Russian Party.’ And in the perestroika period, [that
party] already did not play a major role in the social life of the USSR.”
Sokolov does not suggest that Putin has
adopted Andropov’s views and tactics; but given the Kremlin leader’s origins in
the KGB and his knowledge of the former KGB and CPSU leader, it seems likely
that Putin is very much aware of how dangerous Russian nationalism can be in a
multi-national state and so has adopted similar policies.
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