Racist Violence Threatens Russia's World Cup Plans

[pampango]

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2039519,00.html

As Russia campaigned to host soccer's World Cup in 2018, it readily admitted its weaknesses — bad stadiums, weak infrastructure, a shortage of diehard fans. But one problem went unmentioned until the campaign was over: The violent xenophobia that is permeating the country's soccer culture. On Dec. 11, just nine days after Russia's bid was accepted, thousands of soccer fans took part in a race riot in Moscow, targeting migrants to the city from the North Caucasus. Dozens of people were beaten in the street. Now, if Russia wants to host a successful tournament, it will need to rein in the nationalist groups recruiting among the fans, and so far, it is off to a losing start.

Three nationalist leaders interviewed by TIME say their work with soccer fan clubs has been boosted by the riots, which saw the first mass street action by thousands of skinheads and other right-wing soccer fans. Several smaller rallies have followed, where kids as young as 14 throw Hitler salutes, chanting "Russia for Russians, Moscow for Muscovites," and beating up immigrants they pass on the streets. Several migrants have been stabbed or beaten to death.

Vladimir Kvachkov, a retired Russian military intelligence colonel, is one of the nationalist leaders who stands to gain from the clashes. In November, three months after being acquitted on charges of attempted murder of Anatoly Chubais, Russia's former privatization chief, Kvachkov went into politics. A gifted rabble-rouser, he launched a nationalist movement called the People's Liberation Front of Russia whose aim is to "free" the country from Jewish and North Caucasian "occupiers". The tech-savvy nationalists have shown a flair for packaging their message for Russian youth by using YouTube-style videos and Russian rap music.

The government's efforts to counteract nationalist plans to harness the passions of soccer fans have so far looked half-hearted. Senior officials have bizarrely blamed the riots on "liberals" and "left-wing radicals," the usual targets of government ire. The "Youth of Russia" program, a sort of national guidance counseling organization, did not come up with any "specific proposals" to deal with the problem at its Dec. 20 meeting to discuss its five-year plan.


A riot police officer and an injured protester
during a December 11 protest over the killing
of soccer fan Yegor Svidorov in Moscow.

[pampango]

1. Just found this one: "Putin reinforces Russian nationalism"

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/russia/101222/vladimir-putin-russian-nationalism

It was already pitch black when Vladimir Putin walked solemnly to the grave of Yegor Sviridov and tucked a bouquet of bright red carnations into the snow that lay covering it. The red and white vista matched the flags that hung around the 28-year-old’s grave, marking Sviridov’s identity as a devoted fan of Spartak, one of Moscow’s premier soccer clubs.

The killing of Sviridov on Dec. 6 sparked the worst race riots Moscow has seen. Putin’s Tuesday night visit was, ostensibly, part of an attempt to subdue them. Yet what it did most was highlight the Kremlin’s dubious relationship with nationalism, one that many observers fear may well spin out of control.

Putin has not once commented on the death of a migrant or minority, at least 86 of whom were killed in hate crimes last year, according to the Sova Center, an NGO that monitors ethnic violence.

During his 10 years in power, Putin has attempted to use nationalism to fill the ideological vacuum created by the Soviet Union’s dissolution. He has attempted to control it, namely through the creation of nationalist youth groups like Nashi and the Young Guard (who just added famed spy Anna Chapman as a member). Created in the wake of Western-leaning revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia, Nashi has become a force of thousands, able to be called upon whenever needed. The Kremlin has seen them as particularly useful in irritating “enemies,” be it picketing the Estonian embassy when relations get tough or harassing the British ambassador if that’s what is called for.

[RZM]

2. I'm surprised at the 'shortage of diehard fans' line

I was in Moscow during the 2006 world cup. It was quite a big deal, even though Russia wasn't even in it. During the final match, the metro stayed open late to accommodate fans coming home from watching it at the bar. In 2008, Russia did pretty well in the European Cup -- I wasn't there but I followed it in the Russian media and from what I could tell it seemed to be a really big deal that they kept winning. The coach at the time (who was Dutch and apparently didn't speak much Russian) came back to Russia a hero, especially since they beat the Netherlands in the tournament. I don't judge them to to be much less soccer-crazed than other European countries. Maybe it's that some other places are so unbelievably soccer-mad that even Russia pales in comparison.