January 23, 2024

Bashkiris Protest


Bashkiris Protest
A monument to Bashkir national hero Salawat Yulayev in Ufa, the capital of the Republic of Bashakrtostan. Lesnoy Volk, Wikimedia Commons

On January 17, in the city of Baymak, in the Republic of Bashkortostan, a protest rally was held in support of ethnic and environmental activist Fail Alsynov.

Alsynov is best known for his participation in the movement to protect Mount Kushtau from industrial development. He was found guilty of inciting ethnic hatred and sentenced to four years in prison in a penal colony.

Alsynov's supporters began gathering outside the court before the verdict was announced. The protests lasted for several hours. According to various estimates, from several hundred to several thousand people participated. Police used tear gas and stun grenades against the protesters. The protesters responded by throwing snowballs at security forces.

In the end, police detained about 20 persons. The Telegram channel RusNews, which covered the protest action in Baymak in detail, was temporarily unavailable. Before Alsynov's verdict, the Kushtau Bayram Telegram channel, which was used to coordinate the protest in support of Alsynov, also became unavailable. 

Famous Bashkir performer Altynai Valitov called for a follow-up protest on January 19: "I would remain silent now, but my soul burns for this arbitrariness. Why do Russians in Ufa walk around with the words 'Russia for Russians,' yet they are not imprisoned? And a Bashkir who speaks out in defense of his people is imprisoned on his land. Why? Because we are a national minority. They can shout 'We are Russian' to the whole country, but we can’t shout on our land. Where's the justice? And we should swallow this outrage? If we swallow it, in 100 years the Bashkir people with a thousand-year history will disappear. I'm not ready to put up with this. We, Bashkirs, are not ready."

The January 19 rally was held in the central square of Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan, near a monument to Bashkir national hero Salawat Yulayev. About two thousand people, despite the frosty weather, sang songs and danced in circles to support Alsynov; several people were detained by the police.

The head of the Republic of Bashkortostan called the protests "an attempt to undermine the situation" by "a group of people, some of whom are abroad." The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case under articles against organizing and participating in mass riots and the use of violence against a government official. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation said in a statement that calls were posted on social networks and instant messengers "for the purpose of organizing mass unrest" to take part in protests at the Baymaksky District Court. According to investigators, the protests aimed to free Alsynov from criminal liability. According to media outlet DOXA, so far, four people have been charged in the riot case.

You Might Also Like

Under the All-Seeing Eye
  • January 21, 2024

Under the All-Seeing Eye

The extent of Russia's surveillance may surprise you — and it's only getting more invasive.
The Women with the White Scarves
  • January 08, 2024

The Women with the White Scarves

Family members of drafted soldiers picketed solo in Moscow demanding the return of their loved ones from the war in Ukraine.
Student Sentenced for Spying
  • January 03, 2024

Student Sentenced for Spying

For the first time, Russia has sentenced a student for spying. The 18-year-old was a high-achieving student.
A Snowy Protest
  • December 21, 2023

A Snowy Protest

After a week of heavy snow, Voronezh locals painted snowdrifts with calls for the local government to finally remove them.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955