In a Guildhall commentary, he suggests that these two processes, in turn, are connected with “the strengthening of ‘the criminal structure called ‘the Russian Federation’ and the final destruction of the remnants of the state.”
At the regional and especially the republic level, Shro says, the remnants of genuine statehood still exist. These present “a serious danger” to Moscow, which has already destroyed the government at the center in favor of a criminal corporation and thus give “legitimacy to an alternative government structure,” something the Kremlin can’t tolerate.
Both the political opposition in Moscow and the leaders of the republics should recognize just how serious this threat to the country is, but neither is prepared to do so at least not yet. The so-called opposition in Moscow is easily distracted by “shows” like the Navalny protests, and the regional and republic leaders have proved unable to form a united front, the Russian political émigré says.
It is especially important, he argues, that those outside of Moscow recognize what is going on and take steps to resist it before all the features of federalism and multi-nationality have been destroyed; and it is critical that “the non-national regions” be part of this effort right alongside the non-Russian republics. They need federalism too.
- Read also: Moscow splitting Finno-Ugric languages to promote assimilation to Russian, Mari linguist says
Shro’s comments follow another Guildhall commentary by Aleksandr Bolkin, the vice president of the Free Idel-Ural movement. He says that Dmitry Bondarenko’s attack on republic languages reflects thinking in the Kremlin that Vladimir Putin is as yet not willing to say himself lest he provoke a backlash.
Read more:
- Fewer Russians but more Russian speakers: The changing face of Russia
- New Siberian website provides data on Russification of non-Russians and repression of Russians
- ‘The West won’t allow the Russian Federation to disintegrate,’ Kashapov says
- Moscow hides its effort to weaken larger non-Russian nations by playing up its support for smaller ones
- A real ‘wedge’ issue: Ukrainian regions in the Russian Federation
- Moscow splitting Finno-Ugric languages to promote assimilation to Russian, Mari linguist says
- Russia was and remains a ‘prison of nations,’ Moscow writer says
- Qarabagh war outcome opens way for Putin to create ‘post-Soviet space 2.0,’ Dubnov says
- Ukrainian nation disappearing in Russia, Kyiv ethnographer says
- A short guide to the linguicide of the Ukrainian language | Infographics
- Moscow still refuses to recognize Soviet genocide of Ingermanlanders
- Russia’s war against the Ukrainian language
- Moscow has long sought to destroy Slavic languages other than Russian, Zolotaryev says
- Russian language use in post-Soviet space declining precipitously
- Moscow can’t close Ukrainian language schools in Russia because there aren’t any
