NCJ Number
225271
Date Published
2008
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This chapter describes racist skinhead groups or gangs in Moscow (Russia), and discusses the structural, cultural, and political conditions that promote racism among these youth.
Abstract
The overwhelming majority of Russian skinheads are racist or neo-Nazi. In this chapter, the terms “Nazi-skins” and “racist-skins” are used interchangeably, because the differences between them are not significant. These groups copy and adopt the image of Western skinheads as they are portrayed in news media and movies, but the ideology and discourse are relevant to Russian conditions. There were two ways in which skinheads emerged in Russia. The first involved just copying Western skinheads, and the second involved an original development of such groups in Russia because of specific Russian cultural, social, and economic conditions. In 1993 to 1994, anxiety about the erosion and rebuilding of a national identity, along with the large number of migrants from the former republic of the Soviet Union and other countries, contributed to the rise of extremist elements, the skinhead movement in particular. This chapter identifies recent events in Russian history, specific policy developments, political changes, and failures in the transition to market economy that influenced and are still influencing the choice of particular patterns of youth behavior related to racism, nationalism, and xenophobia. Attention is given to the economic crisis of the early 1990s, the collapse of the Soviet system of education and upbringing, an ideological shift from leftist to more fascistic views of nationalist objectives, the use of state violence as a practical measure for resolving conflicts, and the prevalence of racism in observable daily interactions with ethnic minorities. The surge in immigration aggravated racist behaviors and myths about ethnic crimes beyond the control of the state. 3 notes and 48 references