Ara Stepanyan:

No Crimes on National Ground in Russia - Only Raging of Crime

PanARMENIAN.Net - Murders on ethnic ground and common raging of crime gave cause for speaking of neo-fascism in Russia. It seems from the outside that murders have become a norm in the society. Skinheads or simply "unknown persons" are accused in all crimes. President of the Political Science Association of Saint Petersburg, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Geopolitical Issues, Candidate of Philosophical Science Ara Stepanyan commented on the current state of affairs in Russia at the instance of PanARMENIAN.Net.
How can raging of crime on national ground in Russia explained?

I do not agree with that wording, as there is no raging of crime on national ground in Russia, however there is raging of crime, which also includes murder of foreigners. I have reasons for saying this, as I studied this issue. 100 thousand crimes are committed annually, some 60 thousand persons are killed by bandits. The same number become missing, out of which 24 thousand are children. Crimes on national and racial ground form a slight percentage among these statistics. However, this does not mean these crimes are not committed. They are, however, we cannot say it is a threat of fascism or, e.g., "Petersburg is the capital of fascism."

There are problems in Russia, or rather Russian people have problems. The cost of the matter is the existence of the Russian ethnic group in general. If the Russian people had a collective voice, they would have signaled SOS. I noticed all national projects, including democratic ones, do not arouse any emotions in Russians. These programs are too late. No one is protected against street robbery today, irrespective of the God he prays to and the color of his skin. There are cases in Petersburg, when criminals, who attacked an African, are found, who are not skinheads - moreover they are Azeris. Besides, the fact evidences that in any case the guilty will be sought for in skinhead organizations. Russians first of all suffer from raging of crime.

What is Russian's attitude to slogan "Russia for Russians"?

It is not a slogan. I would say it is a cry of desperation. There are many non-Russian people, who cry out this slogan. Within 10 years the population of Russia decreased 10 million, of which 9 million make Russians. The number of foreigners increases first of all due to illegal migrants. And they do not want to adapt. They become rich in almost a moment, demand benefits and understanding, however they do not wish to understand problems that local people have. In the opinion of the Novy Petersburg newspaper, Armenians understand the Russian problem. However, ethnic criminal groups exacerbate the situation. Each average citizen of Russia can say, which ethnic criminal group trades drugs, hijacks cars, is engaged in trafficking, etc. Corruption in law-enforcement bodies is most despairing, as people can address no one.

This is the social side of the issue, but there is the biological one. A small part of Russian population has been formed with racial mentality within past 15 years. Some of them come for the Russian Empire, others for the Republic, etc. They are many and different. These are children, left to the mercy of fate. They consider Jews and foreigners, who "seized" Russia, to be guilty in their lot.

Skinheads did not appear from nowhere. Who can guide them and raise in an ultra-nationalist spirit?

Anybody. Armenians have a notion of Russia preserved from the past century. Anti-Armenian actions are periodical in Russian, as adversaries of Armenians work to that end - bribe politicians, journalists, TV broadcasts, newspapers. After the "seizure" of markets they started that of structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

If you remember, one of the slogans of the USSR was "children and the riches of the state." For liberal-democratic Russia children were a burden, and it get rid of them pretty soon, leaving them to the mercy of fate. Today we have 5 million homeless children. Now they grew up and saw no one needs them and became even angrier. As different from millions of beer, vodka, drug consumers, skinheads categorically do not accept that fate for the outcasts. Yes they are often cruel, but what can they do: thank for being deprived of the education, opportunity, as well as cure and life. Central media have determined their role as a fascist scarecrow. What it is done for is another topic.

What is Russian's attitude to growth of new-fascism in the country, which won Hitler?

There is no growth of fascism in Russia. Comparing early 90s of the 20th century and years 2005-06, nationalists had stronger positions in early 90s, however central media did not advertise them at that time. Today, when their structures are destroyed, media started talking of Russian fascism. Most Russian people have negative attitude towards fascism. Sociological surveys evidence this. Russians are very tolerant by nature.
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