This opinion piece was supposed to be published in one of the Russian-speaking media agencies in Central Asia. However, after reading numerous articles on the racist assaults against Tajik immigrants following the deadly attack on the 22 of March at the concert hall in Russian language, I decided to write this opinion piece in English. The English media landscape lacks pieces on this crucial topic. As a Tajik national and writer, I felt it was my responsibility to spread the word about the harsh reality of being a Tajik immigrant in Russia.
Crocus Attack Coverage
To provide some context, on March 22 of this year, perpetrators opened fire in Crocus City Hall, a famous mall and concert hall located in Moscow. By the time the attackers opened fire, the concert hall was already full of people who had come to attend the Picnic band’s concert. The terror attack resulted in the deaths of at least 145 individuals, with more than 695 sustaining serious injuries.
The day after the attack, the Islamic Group (ISIS) claimed responsibility. On the same day, they published images of four masked men who carried out the shooting at the mall. The Russian government, later, arrested four men for a potential involvement in the attack. However, the majority of Russian-language media outlets began their articles with the statement, “Four Tajiks were accused of being involved in the terrorist attack in Moscow,” which triggered significant backlash and further intensified the already tense relations between Tajiks and Russians. This is not the first time this has happened.
Being a “Non-Slavic is hard and expensive’’
Tajik immigrants, like other Central Asian immigrants, have always been the victims of racist threats in the Russian Federation. I remember my mother telling me stories of the racism she faced simply for being Tajik, or “non-Slavic”. This ongoing hate toward “non-Slavic” people, which has continued since the breakdown of the Soviet Union, has negatively impacted the lives of the immigrants.
One of the persisting issues that almost every Tajik immigrant has faced in Russia is renting an apartment. Many Russians perceive Tajiks as a lower-class nationality and refuse to rent apartments to them. It is essential to mention that many members of the Tajik diaspora in Russia hold higher levels of education. However, due to economic circumstances, poor quality of life, and widespread discrimination, some people, particularly men, are forced to take on low-paying jobs and move to Russia in search of employment opportunities to support their families.
Real estate listing websites are overflowing with statements like “Only for Slavic people” or “Not for Central Asians or Caucasian nationalities,” to avoid renting to immigrants. Research conducted during the 2019 hackathon “Big data about small individuals” by the well-known Russian news outlet “Novaya Gazeta” revealed that 14% of apartment advertisements in Moscow contained xenophobic remarks. While, in Saint Petersburg 3,6% and in other major cities around 5%. Moreover, the research indicated that renting an apartment for Slavic people is much cheaper in comparison with non-Slavic nationalities, particularly Central Asian immigrants. In advertisements for apartments priced from 20 to 40 thousand rubles, the phrase ‘only for Slavs’ occurs more frequently than in advertisements for apartments priced above 40 thousand rubles.
This was five years ago, back in 2019, but since then, nothing has changed. I have spoken to some of my relatives back in Tajikistan, and they mentioned that facing xenophobia while finding an apartment in Russia has become one of the reasons preventing them from moving there. As a representative of Tajikistan, I admit that numerous factors prevent Tajiks from migrating to Russia. Many people are afraid of being scammed by the companies they work for and are fearful of being denied entry through the Russian-Kazakh borders.
“If you are a Tajik, cancel the order”
The hate towards Tajik immigrants has only worsened following the Crocus attack. A few days after the attack, the Tajik diaspora in Russia reported various xenophobic assaults. One of the examples is the racist messages received by taxi drivers, saying “If you are Tajik, cancel the order”. This demonstrates a new level of the extreme xenophobia Tajiks started facing after the attack. Some Russians also threaten Tajik immigrants whenever they feel comfortable. A non-Tajik taxi driver reported to Novaya Gazeta the message he received that states, “If he is Tajik and doesn’t cancel the order, they will call the police to check his documents.” Such threats make immigrants’ lives very difficult, as most of them work in customer service.
A significant portion of companies and firms in Russia refuse to recognize Tajik higher education diplomas, making it hard for immigrants to find well-paid jobs with a supportive work environment. As a result, many are forced to work in low-paying jobs, such as taxi drivers or cleaning services. Furthermore, those who work in construction risk their lives by working in construction companies with inadequate safety measures and no insurance. They even have to work during cold winters, when temperatures in Russia can drop to -30°C (-22°F). From my observations in Tajikistan, the majority of people who suffer from serious health conditions are those who work on construction sites in Russia. The serious consequences include back pain, pneumonia, gastritis, and osteoarthritis.
“Russia is only for Russians”
Furthermore, the younger generation is also learning to be racist towards “non-Slavics”, following the example of the older generations. Last April, a video of a teenager violently beating her classmate over her nationality went viral on social media. In the video, the teenager recording says, “Russia for Russians and Moscow for Muscovites.” Simultaneously, the teacher observes the incident without intervening. Meanwhile, people in the video watch as a boy physically assaults a girl, who has no protection, not even from the teacher. The teenager recording the video comments on the situation by saying, “We are recording a crying churka.” This demonstrates just how deeply ingrained racism has become in Russia.
“Churka“ is a derogatory term used by Russians to refer to people from Central Asian countries. The usage of this term is very offensive, and some Russians use it to refer to Central Asians during scandals, as in the video. As a Tajik, I have been negatively approached by the term‘“churka’’ several times. I recall the last incident from last summer when I was chatting with people from former Soviet Union countries in a Telegram channel dedicated to one of my favorite Russian singers. Out of nowhere, I was insulted and called “churka” and bombarded with a lot of offensive comments because of my nationality. A Russian teenager said that he was tired of all the immigrants coming from Central Asian countries and repeated the same statement as the teenager in the video: “Russia is only for Russians.”
Terrorism is not about nation or religion. Tajik immigrants in Russia deserve respect, not the unfair discrimination they face from the locals. Russians must stop their xenophobic actions against Tajiks because the whole nation is not responsible for the terrorist attack in Crocus and has not been involved in it. Finally, racism has no place anywhere.
Featured image by The New York Times
