Nearly a Third of Russians Say Violent Ethnic Conflicts Now Possible, Up from 19 Percent Two Years Ago

Paul Goble

            Staunton, July 12—Nearly a third of all Russians (31 percent) say that there is a real possibility that ethnic conflicts in their country could turn violent, up from only 19 percent who made similar declarations two years ago, according to a new report by the Levada Center (levada.ru/2019/07/11/20954/).

                But 64 percent say that they do not expect them in their cities or regions. But 15 percent say they could occur there, up from eight percent in 2017.  Many link these possibilities to the influx of those they consider outsiders, either immigrants from Central Asia or the Caucasus or Roma.

            Indeed, it is entirely possible that the jump is a reflection of all the coverage of the Chemodanovka clashes between Russians and Roma and that with the passage of time, the share expecting violent ethnic clashes will again decline. But the share of Russians expressing such concerns now is a reflection of just how on edge many of them are in the current environment.