Berkley Center

I had a mix of emotions as I heard the news that the Boston Marathon bombing was the work of two ethnically Chechen men. I was immediately sure that the average American had little to no idea of where Chechnya was. However, as a Russian student and resident of St. Petersburg for the last four months, I knew that the American and Russian reactions to this new information would prove to be very interesting. As Americans, we would demand to know more about this region and what could have motivated two young men to act in such a way. Unfortunately for Chechnya, this was an incredibly negative way to have been put on the map, so to speak.

Russians, however, are all too familiar with the region of Chechnya. Chechens are an ethnic minority within Russia that live in the North Caucasus region. Their struggle for independence has led to two costly wars and an insurgency battle that continues to this day. Many worry that the predominantly Muslim region is becoming a breeding ground for Islamist militants. Naturally, the issue of Chechnya is a bit of a sore subject for many Russians. After it was revealed that the men were from Chechnya, I was not at all surprised when many Russians sought to stress the fact that Chechens are not Russian.

From an outside point of view, this seems quite paradoxical. Why would Russia fight two wars and wage a counterinsurgency battle to keep a region from declaring independence if it doesn’t even consider Chechens to be “Russian”? The answer to this question is obviously incredibly complex, and I have neither the ability nor the time to try and unpack the entire issue. Essentially, the answer to this question can be simplified into government policy and Russians attitudes towards ethnic minorities.

From a policy perspective, the Russian government considered letting Chechnya declare independence to be a dangerous option. At the time of the break-up of the Soviet Union, the future of the Russian Federation seemed to be at risk as well. Letting a region such as Chechnya separate would mean risking the loss of other regions such as Tatarstan, Dagestan, and Ingushetia, potentially destroying the federation itself. Chechen independence would also have meant that Russia would lose some valuable economic and energy resources.

However, for the most part, ethnic Russians do not consider Chechens to be Russian. From my time in St. Petersburg, I have had some less than positive observations about Russian attitudes towards race and ethnicity, and I think that these prejudices play a large role in Russians’ attitudes towards the region. Especially in big cities, many people from the Caucasus or Central Asia face discrimination, negative attitudes, and strong stereotypes.

This extends to basically all minority groups as well. I have had many conversations with Russians who ranked ethnic groups in order of preference, saying which ones were the “best” and “worst.” My host mother informed me that Georgians are the best and people from Azerbaijan are the worst. She also told me on the very first day that she “doesn’t really like black people,” and that people from the Caucasus “are criminals who can’t be trusted.” Obviously, not every Russian feels this way, but it is certainly a very prevalent attitude that makes me uncomfortable for many reasons. Racism, prejudices, and stereotypes are still huge issues in America. I grew up in the South, so I know this firsthand. But what strikes me about racism in Russia is how open many people are about their intolerance.

The Boston Marathon bombing was, for many Americans, an introduction to the issue of instability in Chechnya. While Russians’ own prejudices about the region and its people cloud their attitude towards the situation, I hope that Americans will attempt to educate themselves and not be so quick to leap to conclusions and judgments about the Chechens. I’ve included a link to a good overview of instability in Chechnya.

Council on Foreign Relations: Chechen Terrorism