Ukraine Violence Spreads: At Least One Killed in Odessa Riots

[EmilyAnne]

30. What on earth? Fascists are a HUGE presence in Russia.

I really thought this was common knowledge at this point.

But beyond what is well documented, I lived there and saw it first hand.

Just ONE of countless experiences....the time that the head of the Saint Petersburg police blamed minorities for being attacked by skinheads. I heard it with my own ears and later read the text in the Saint Petersburg Times and clipped the article. He blamed them because he said that running from skinheads antagonized them, so they had no choice but to chase these people down and beat them beyond recognition or push them in front of a metro car.

Oh, and another....how the international student dorms had to be put on lockdown on Hitler's birthday. My friends told me of being barricaded inside while drunk, belligerent neo-nazis hang out outside. It was terrifying and there was no police intervention. As my good friend from Uzbekistan explained, "Why would we call Russian militsia? They'd let them in."


As far as Confederate flags in Russia, I saw many. One hanging in a bar called Money Honey, in fact. It didn't bother me too much because I understood that it doesn't mean too much in that part of the world. Just a vaguely edgy "American thing". Most Russians and Ukrainians don't know what it really means anymore than I understood the meanings of certain Victory Day symbols I saw all over Saint Petersburg.