What does it mean to be Russian?
This week I have felt the pain of the people of Georgia even more than I would have done last week. This is because I have spent the past week in the Baltic States and two of them – Estonia and Latvia – have substantial Russian minority populations. Many of the local people with whom we spoke were anxious and despondent about what the events in Georgia could mean for them.
If Russia is going to take the view that it can act militarily to defend the interests of people who define themselves as Russian, then the independence of many former Soviet Republics is gravely threatened. This is brought out clearly in an article by Rafael Behr in this week’s week “Observer” newspaper.
On her father’s side, my wife’s family is Czech. We remember 1938 when the Nazis took over vast swathes of then Czechoslovakia on the grounds that they were defending the Sudeten Germans. We remember 1968 when Warsaw Pact forces invaded Czechoslovakia on the grounds that Dubceck’s ‘Communism with a human face’ was counter-revolutionary.
August 17th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Roger,
Whatever the Georgian president was trying to play in South Ossetia, he lost. He managed to antagonize his people with both Ossetians and Russians who shared the same religion and even the same enemies for as long as 1000 years. This is a big shame to all of us.
Talking about the Baltics and Czech… I recently figured during my genealogical research that Latvia/Estonia used German as the official language since 1200s until 1918. Although Baltics belonged to the Russian empire for some 140-150 years, the German nobles were never fully deprived of their ruling. I assume that in Czech (Bohemia) the situation was similar. Most Germans were forcefully removed back to the “mainland” in 1918 and 1945 respectively. Russia was not in a position to move some 50m of Russians living elsewhere in 1992 and often constituting the majority. So what should Russia do now, if within one night Georgian government kills 1400-1500 of its nationals living on technically Georgian territory (which has been de-facto independent for 15 years) ?
The Russian argument for support of all areas with largely Russian or pro-Russian population is unbeatable. It is still a shame though that 9 years after the Kosovo war they still can’t invest enough into media to show the 2000 killed Ossetians vs. 92 Georgians. But they are learning.
Alexei
August 17th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Regarding your statement in the report on your Baltic trips:
“statement by the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, that the country reserves the right to defend ethnic Russians wherever they live”
The exact statement of the Russian President was that Russia will protect its CITIZENS wherever they are. Ossetians are ethnically totally different from Russians, but their large majority are Russian citizens.
Alexei
August 19th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Hi, Alexei. Many thanks for your two sets of comments.
I accept your correction that the Russian president was referring to Russian citizens and not ethnic Russians – and I have changed the text in my account of my trip to the Baltic States. BUT this will not reassure Estonians and Latvians, since Estonia and Latvia contain a large proportion of people holding Russian passports.
Turning to the wider issue, I accept that the Georgian president provoked the current crisis by sending Georgian troops into South Ossetia, BUT:
1) Why have Russian troops occupied so much territory in Georgia beyond South Ossetia?
2) Why have Russian troops caused so much damage and devastation in Georgia?
3) Why has Russia not honoured the ceasefire agreement signed by the Russian president and removed all troops to South Ossetia or Russia?
4) What is the source for your death tolls of 2000 Ossetians and 92 Georgians?
September 14th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Hi Roger,
I just realized that you replied to my comments. So here are my answers:
1. Why have NATO occupied so much of Iraq and Afghanistan? I am being sarcastic, but I do think Russians should not have stopped.
2. That’s a matter of opinion. One good Reuters photographer did more damage to Russia in this campaign than all Georgians altogether. We will probably never learn the real figures neither about losses, nor damages from either side, but everyone will remember that Georgian man crying over his dead fellow.
3. Honestly, at least during the first days of the campaign it felt that there was a lack of clear command and subordination in the Russian forces. To a large degree this can be attributed to the power handover from Putin to Medvedev, which has been taking too long.
4. Good question – I’ve been asking it for a while. Russian media started from 1,500 allegedly killed during the first 24h of shelling/bombing of S.Ossetia. They gradually increased this number to 2,000 over the first week or so. Lately they confirmed some 150 names and wait for the refugees to return to do the full count. They say many people were buried in unmarked graves right before their relatives fled.
I don’t think there has been a proper account of casualties on the Ossetian side. Had there been a proof of such a high death-toll, Russia should have far less trouble justifying its approach. Had there not – they could have waited longer to attract more international attention and get rid of Saakashvili once and forever – Same as EU did in Kosovo.
I sincerely hope that they will learn from this story and this will be the last information war that Russia loses.
I also often think that this affair was very carefully planned by the current US administration, whether together with Russia and/or Georgia or not. The impact on the US election campaign is way too obvious, as well as the positive impact on the Russian public opinion. Both US and Russian governments profited greatly by uniting their people against an imaginary foreign threat.
And lastly… I spoke to a friend of mine from North Ossetia. She said, her uncle in South Ossetia had been burnt alive with his entire family by the Georgians some 12 years ago. This will not be forgotten for many generations to come. God forgive those who started this, Russian, Georgian and American.
Alexei