Putin Making Same Mistake with Non-Russians Alexander III Did, Venediktov Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, December 12 – With its push to make non-Russians learn Russian but not have the chance to learn their own, the Putin regime is repeating the mistakes the last tsars did, mistakes that mobilized all the non-Russians against them and contributed to the revolutions of the early 20^th century, according to Aleksey Venediktov, the editor in chief of Ekho Moskvy.

            And the Kremlin is making these mistakes at a time when the non-Russians and especially the Muslims are increasing in number and commitment to their faith.  As a result of the center’s policies, the national minorities and republics are becoming “’the main threat’ to Russia” (esquire.ru/hero/74212-aleksey-venediktov-lyudi-kotorye-otnosyatsya-k-sebe-so-zverinoy-sereznostyu-vedut-stranu-k-gibeli/#part7 and idelreal.org/a/29650666.html).

            About two years ago, he told Sergey Minayev of the Russian version of Esquire, a senior law enforcement official said to him the following, Venediktov continues. “Do you know how quickly they are building mosques in the Middle Volga? Do you now that only young people go there?” while in Russia only “grandmothers in kerchiefs” go to church.

            As a result, the editor said, he can easily imagine the formation of a large state, “Volga Bulgaria” in the Middle Volga region.

            “The main thing,” he argued, “is current administration’s struggle against national languages is a mistake. I have said this publicly. For people this is a very sensitive issue. Remember 1917: the policy of Aleksandr III toward languages led 20 years later to a revolution which was supported by all national minorities in the country.”

            “They saw in Russian imperialism a threat to their culture. And the very same thing happened in the 1990s,” Venediktov suggested. 

            For better or worse, Vladimir Putin “always was an imperialist and not a nationalist.” There is “a big difference” between the two.  I too am an imperialist and a conservative; therefore, I understand him very well. I have always said that nationalism – Russian, Jewish, Tatar – could break up Russia.”

            “We ourselves demand from the Latvians: ‘Guys! Russians who live with you must have the chance to study in Russian.’ At the same time, they must know Latvian, the state language. The same thing, we are demanding from Ukrainians. Why do we ourselves take a different position in our own country?  That is where the chief threat lies.”