Racism in the USSR

Ahh yes. And the Union collapsed at the point that it was only half Russian, wasn't it? Not sure if that is for Ruskis or Russianers. As in ethnic Russians compared to those within the borders of the Russian Federation.
 

Czar Kaizer

Banned
We need to draw a line between the official policies of the state and the unofficial prejudices of the people.
Officialy the USSR did try to promote racial equality abroad which was much better then hypocritical stance of the US which supported the Apartheid regime.
But this doesn't mean that internally that their weren't contradictions I policy towards their own minorities.
Also states which have the least contact with racially diverse groups tend to become more racist once they start entering the country. It's no suprise that historically isolated countries in eastern Europe are now the more opposed to immigration than those in western Europe and xenophobic and racist language which has long been discredited in the western world is really popular in Russia and Eastern Europe
 
I think the articles point is not that the USSR was free of racism, but rather that it wasn't officially institutionalised, as was the case in, say, the US or the European colonies.
I would say that when the police are arresting people based on their nationality, the state-controlled press is delving into anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, and the leader is saying things like "We should give those workers clubs so they can beat those damn Jews" then the racism is offically institutionalized, whether or not it's explicitly put into law.
 
Also the non-Russians engaged in rascism as well. The violent clashes between the Azeris and the Armenia's are case in point.

Also the anti-semetic programs that the Balts perpetrated against the Jews during the Nazi occupation are also signs of racism.

Finally, Ukrainian separatists engaged in anti-semetic and anti-Polish ethnic cleansing campaigns during the 1940s-1950s.
 
Care to expand?

19th century Yellow Peril views were (and are) rampant within the former Russian Empire. A revolution from above doesn't necessarily change social views down below. For example, in 1959 some Soviets got drunk at a meeting with US officials and said that the USA and USSR needed to make peace because the Oriental hordes were the real threat because they were a savage race.

I think the articles point is not that the USSR was free of racism, but rather that it wasn't officially institutionalised, as was the case in, say, the US or the European colonies.

They were just sneaker about it—for example, there was an arbitrary division between "Eastern" and "Western" nationalities that conveniently lined up with Christians and Muslim Turks.
 
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