Tbilisi Gathering of North Caucasians

Baku/21.08.23/Turan:   On August 19-20, an event dedicated to the cultural heritage of the peoples of the North Caucasus was held in Tbilisi. Unusually, the festival was not organized by the government, which is presently engaged in improving relations with the Kremlin. Instead, North Caucasian emigrants residing in Tbilisi collaborated with Georgian partners to curate the event. The festival featured a diverse program, including lectures covering topics from women's rights in the North Caucasus to contemporary art in Dagestan. Discussions also tackled stereotypes surrounding the region in the media and explored the emerging musical underground. Attendees had the opportunity to savor traditional dishes from Circassian, Abaza, Ossetian, and Dagestani cuisines.

Notably absent from the event's program was any mention of anti-Russian separatism. However, the decision to hold the festival under the auspices of emigrants in Georgia hints at a broader theme – the aftermath of Putin's military actions has sparked renewed interest in ethnic identities within Russia. This trend is also evident within Russia's borders. For instance, in Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia, enigmatic graffiti appeared on a wall asking the question, "Who are we?" The inscription was rendered in Latin characters, incorporating letters unique to the Ossetian language, akin to the modern Azerbaijani alphabet. This departure from the Cyrillic alphabet, mandated for use in North Ossetia, challenges the regional status quo.

Moreover, the Chechen diaspora, scattered across Europe, has been notably active in anti-Russian endeavors. Some Some Chechens are involved in the war in Ukraine, often targeting areas where Moscow has deployed units loyal to Kadyrov. Tatar separatism, which gained traction among this Turkic population in the 1990s, has not faded away despite Russian government pressure. The clandestine "Union of Tatar Youth Azadlig" operates underground. The national movement in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, is experiencing a resurgence. The mass arrests of Crimean Tatars in annexed Crimea, such as the case of Raif Vevziev, sentenced to 19 years for anti-Russian activities, have galvanized this revival.

Even ethnic Russians are displaying a desire to distance themselves from Moscow. Recently, on August 13, MP Vladislav Zhivitsa, now residing in Warsaw, together with Belarusian delegate Jan Rudik, proclaimed the establishment of a political group advocating for Smolensk region's independence, closely aligned with a future independent Belarus – the Smolensk Republican Center. Zhivitsa is actively encouraging Russians to join the Kalinovsky regiment, a volunteer battalion within the Ukrainian Defense Forces primarily composed of Belarusians.

In Kalmykia, a Russian federal subject, the Oirat-Kalmyk People's Congress is vocal and united in its support for Valery Badmaev, the editor-in-chief of "Modern Kalmykia," who was fined for allegedly disparaging the Russian military. This organization advocates for Kalmykia's sovereignty and is part of the League of Free Nations, a coalition of various national and regionalist movements. The group's declaration from October 26, 2022, emphasizes the Oirats' historical sovereignty and urges global recognition of their right to self-determination and an independent state, decrying Russian imperialistic tendencies.

The declaration has been labeled "extremist" by the Russian Ministry of Justice, a response typical of Moscow's approach to such movements. Daavr Dorjin, a lawyer involved in drafting the declaration, noted the document's strong dissent against Russian imperialism and the chauvinistic conflict in Ukraine, factors contributing to the government's negative stance.

Official Baku does not in any way indicate its attitude to the national issue in Russia. Also, the Azerbaijani political opposition, which supported any anti-Russian activity during the reign of A. Elchibey, has not decided on its attitude to national movements in the Russian Federation.