BASHKORTOSTAN | Russia's Rebel Republic?

The start of 2024 saw Bashkortostan, Russia's most populous republic, erupt in violent protests, highlighting the growing unrest and ethnic tensions within the country. Sparked by the arrest of a local activist, Fail Alsynov, this surge of dissent was fed by the war in Ukraine and the disproportionate impact it has had on Russia's ethnic minorities. It has also led to renewed speculation about the potential for Russia's internal disintegration. But do the events in Bashkortostan really suggest that Russia could be on the verge of collapse?
Bashkortostan's riots have prompted many to question the stability of the Russian Federation, a vast country with a complex tapestry of nearly 200 ethnic groups and a range of religions, divided into numerous federal subjects. Named after the ethnic Bashkirs, a Muslim Turkic group, Bashkortostan is Russia’s sixth-largest republic by area and the most populous. It also has a rich history and significant economic resources. Having been an autonomous Russian republic - the Bashkir ASSR - within the Soviet Union, it became a Russian republic in 1992. At the same time, it changed its name from the Russian-language Bashkiria to the more Turkic Bashkortostan. Since then, however, the region has been experiencing escalating strain, with its autonomy being eroded under President Putin’s centralisation of power, economic exploitation, environmental concerns, and interethnic discord. This has culminated in widespread protests following the arrest of an activist, raising questions about the role of the Ukraine conflict in potentially exacerbating separatist sentiments in Russia.
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VIDEO CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction and Titles
00:41 Bashkortostan and the Breakup of Russia?
01:28 The Russian Federation: Location and Population
02:28 Bashkortostan: Location and Population
03:35 The History of the Bashkirs and Bashkortostan
05:24 Bashkortostan within the Russian Federation
07:20 January 2024 Bashkortostan Protests
09:03 Responses to the Bashkortostan Demonstration
10:33 Is Russia Collapsing?
SOURCES AND FURTHER READING
Russian Presidency | Kremlin
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Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty | Tatarstan-Bashkortostan Service
www.rferl.org/TatarstanBashko...
Minority Rights Group | Bashkirs
minorityrights.org/communitie...
Bashkortostan |
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#Russia #Bashkortostan #Bashkiria

[@JamesKerLindsay]

There’s been much speculation that the war in Ukraine could destabilise Russia. So far, though, we’ve seen little sign of this happening. But could the recent demonstrations in Bashkortostan be a turning point? As always, I look forward to your thoughts and comments below.

[@FlamingBasketballClub]

The proxy war in Ukraine. Just stop with the mainstream news media bs.

[@merocaine]

Hope Springs eternal in the west I see, still dreaming of instability and civil war in Russia. Perhaps a video in your inimitable style on the recent farmers strikes all across the EU, another effect of the war in Ukraine.

[@dr.verbena]

Bashkortostan is a beautiful republic. A unique place of nature with the Ural Mountains on the border of Europe and Asia. There are a huge number of industrial enterprises there (40% of the chemical industry was still in the USSR). Rare metals and gold are mined there. And there have been many environmental disasters and problems that have not been solved for decades. And for many years the authorities have been polluting nature and allowing its plunder. The republic's income from its wealth, almost entirely 95%, goes to Moscow, the republic is getting poorer; before, enterprises paid taxes in the republic, now in Moscow; before, 30% remained, now 5% or less. Most protests in the republic are environmental. In the Russian Federation, even in the national republics, the study of the native language is not compulsory in schools, and this greatly offends the people because this is a policy of Russification. And Russians are not the majority in the republic. There are approximately 30-35% Bashkirs, 30-35% Tatars, and together they are the majority. Since the Tatars, after the conquest of Kazan and forced baptism, fled to the lands of the Bashkirs and became their tenants. A special people, the Teptyars, appeared, Tatars who mixed with the Bashkirs, who consider themselves Tatars, speak Tatar and say about themselves that they are from the Teptyars. Both Tatar and Bashkir languages ​​differ as dialects. Tatars and Bashkirs are people with different genetic origins, different in character, but they understand each other without a translator and without using the Russian language. Bashkirs protested for centuries, both under the tsars and in the first decades of Soviet power. As a result, they suffered greatly in hard labor and prisons, wars, and died of hunger. There are really few pure Bashkirs left. In addition, the Orenburg region is also their traditional habitat, but it was separated due to fear of separatism. Bashkirs have a very open national character; they do not pretend to say what they think. Most of the protesters are ordinary people and they were simply outraged by the detention and trial of a neighbor’s guy who defended nature and the interests of their people. None of them had even encountered the cruelty of power before. But now, after the arrests, there are victims with fractures and a deceased person. And these protests were brutally suppressed. They are not separatists. Moreover, the activist was convicted for speaking. In Bashkiria there are no people with African roots; there is an expression for simple people, or people who are engaged in hard work, which literally means black people. And the Bashkirs called themselves that, saying we are simple people, working people. And the activist was sentenced to 4 years for this expression. As if he was inciting discord between nations

[@krampsy]

Well, since you connected this topic with Ukraine, then I, as a Ukrainian, will translate for you the Ukrainian proverb “A fool grows rich in his fantasies”

[@eugenlitwin5887]

"Let us begin with this evident fact: Muscovy does not belong at all to Europe, but to Asia. It follows that judging Muscovy and the Muscovites by our European standards is a mistake to be avoided."-gonzague de reynold, 19501 In methodological terms, one should de-Europeanise any analysis of Muscovy policy.- thomas gomart, 20062 "

[@Mr.Nichan]

2:41 "Russia's 6th largest republic by area; however, with 4 million inhabitants, it ranks first in terms of population." This is potentially misleading, if people don't realize that "republic" is just one type of federal subject of Russia, the most populous of which is actually the Federal City of Moscow, which has about 13 million people, and Bashkhortostan is actuallly the 7th most populous federal subject of Russia.

[@marcob1729]

There are very few federal subjects of Russia that don't count Russians as their largest ethnic group. Even Baskortostan had more Russians than Bashkirs as of the last census. Russia is much more stable than in the past, partly due to this situation. I don't think we'll see an internally unstable Russia any time soon

[@dr.verbena]

After annexation, the Bashkirs were destroyed under the Tsar and in all Russian wars, and the entire region perished during several famines in the 20s and 30s of the 20th century. Mom said they began to eat plenty in the late 50s under Khrushchev and their lands were assigned to the Orengburg and Chelyabinsk regions. In addition, the Bashkirs and Tatars used to have a common written language and a common cultural field; they do not need translation; the language differs in pronunciation and part of the words. And the Bashkirs and Tatars together in the republic are more than 60%, which is the majority. There are clearly fewer Russians, but they behave like the navel of the earth.

[@elscorpioperfecto3260]

Well if the uprising gets pretty bad, ethnic Russians might do what they did when the USSR fell and pack their bags away

[@Okayz-02]

60% bashkortostan is turkic-povozhe nations and russia did it statistic(not all true, i live in bashkortostan so much people know language (20+ years) but so much kids dont know his language.Nice "foreign agent" - how like say pUtin propaganda.#FreeAlsynov

[@Todd.B]

Thx Prof. The lid remains on the pot for now, however, the boiling water in the pot is causing the lid to rattle and make noise. Time will tell if the lid remains on the pot or not.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Indeed. I agree. This doesn't appear to be the start of a major pushback against the Russian state. But it does seem as if the effects of the Ukraine War are starting to exacerbate local discontent. This could be a powerful force if it grows.

[@eckhardbaumbach9451]

@@JamesKerLindsay I also agree

[@Konstantin910]

останется не надейтесь)))

[@VajrahahaShunyata]

It will be interesting to see if a few years of this weakens ruZZia enough that regions don't just " break away at last". Many have no desire to be within ruski mir.

[@shryggur]

Unlikely, to be fair. Russia (except the Caucasus) hasn't seen any serious separatist movements since forever. Central power is really strong. Local initiative might gain weight only after the Kremlin starts losing its grip and the elites are ready to light the fuse. It seems pretty far from it at the moment.

[@skeletonkeysproductionskp]

Great video as always, it just made me laugh when you said "violent protests" and on-screen they're literally throwing snowballs🤣🤣🤣

[@skeletonkeysproductionskp]

@@user-su7hw5qd9i I dont have a Cyrillic alphabet anymore on my phone, but I understand what you're saying. I am not laughing about people dying, I was laughing just at the audio/visuals of the video. Poka moy brat, da svidanaya!

[@benedictbenedict7772]

@@user-su7hw5qd9i источник этой новости в студию.

[@dan61131]

putin & his control government are sending ethics minorities young men all over Russia to his war in Ukraine to minimize & eliminate their power to protest or topple his dictatorial government.

[@Masquerade456]

You can never tell if there's stones or other sharp objects inside them

[@Osa-xh3pe]

I lived four years in Ufa. I went to University there. I am a USPTU graduate in Petroleum and Gas inginneering. Great people, great Nation.

[@zharkovaelena]

❤🇷🇺

[@bramsturk619]

Thanks Prof! Good analysis!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much!

[@meso8848]

He doesn’t have the ability to take a good analysis… he doesn’t know Russia

[@TobiasC-mg4zk]

There is widespread resentment of Russian chauvinism across Central Asia and Siberia. The disproportionate numbers of ethnic minorities being sent to die in Ukraine is one of the leading factors in this simmering tension. Let’s hope indigenous people of RF can fight this Russification.

[@oraakkeli]

Im impressed at the fact that these videos are translated into literally a few dozen different languages, that must really take some effort from your team.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. It's so nice when these things are noticed. :-) It's all me. (I wish I had a team!) In fact, one of the first things I do with each video is correct the YT auto-captions. It takes some time, but it is really worth it for viewers. This also makes it much easier for Google to translate accurately. Google has become better and better but still handles some languages better than others. Apparently, Japanese doesn't work terribly well. It is a bit fiddly and time-consuming to add all these elements, but I hope that it makes the videos more accessible to people from many other countries.

[@oraakkeli]

@@JamesKerLindsay Wow, that's some dedication! I cant believe its all done by one person, thats really something. I was going to offer my hand in the Finnish translations, but they seem to already be spot on 😅

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@oraakkeli Thanks so much. And I really and truly appreciate the feedback on the Finnish translation. That’s great to hear. One never knows. As I said, I stopped doing Japanese ones after a couple of people said that they were very confusing. But that was a while back and so it may have improved. :-)

[@Asamations]

Great background music James! And a very interesting video, I remember hearing about the odd minor protest in Saint Petersburg and even Moscow back when the war began. But I had no idea that other protests in Russia had gone on since then!

[@user-iy2yp4hz2p]

Какие массовые протесты?! 😅 Западная пропаганда слишком раздувает! Мы живём нормально, спокойно! В Башкирии не такой масштабный протест, как вы его раздуваете! В остальных городах и республиках все спокойно! Вы лучше за своими массовыми протестами наблюдайте, например в Германии, во Франции! Как стервятники ждёте добычи, наблюдаете! Не дождетесь распада России!

[@eckhardbaumbach9451]

В России не протестуют против 15 лет тюрьмы, даже если отопление массово выходит из строя при температуре -20°C. В Западной Европе за это не сажают в тюрьму. Бедная, бедная Россияя

[@user-iy2yp4hz2p]

@@eckhardbaumbach9451 Кто виноват в отключении тепла, того и посадили в тюрьму и правильно! Так он оказался вором и преступником! Неслыханное дело в России оставить замерзать десятки квартир! Я за 64 года такое первый раз вижу! В России зимой в домах, квартирах всегда жара, раздеваемся и ходим в квартире в майках!

[@enexe6229]

@@user-iy2yp4hz2p потому что большинство людей терпилы. если вам нравится что вас спокойно грабят то задумайтесь об своих умственных способностях. во франций и германий люди не боятся отстаивать свои права. распад же кормушки неизбежен.

[@GodNeverNeededYourTaxDollar]

Food for thoughts,thanks for the share 👍

[@VladTevez]

Their leaders should not be near windows, "accidents" happen very often in Russia.

[@54032Zepol]

yeah that one mercenary commander thought it be a grand idea to take a plane to Moscow for a "talk" done near fired him in the sky.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Indeed!

[@grahamstrouse1165]

@@54032ZepolWhen you’ve spent a few decades surviving even though you keep taking insane risks it can create a sense of invincibility. Eventually if you don’t change your behavior the odds will catch up to you. The odds and a surface-to-air missile perhaps…

[@olivka7560]

Not that often as in Ukraine, let’s state the facts.

[@pieter-bashoogsteen2283]

⁠@@olivka7560Which facts? The ones you just made up?

[@kevinu.k.7042]

An exceptionally high quality presentation. Thank you.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you very much.

[@BritanniaWild]

I'm making a second thank you payment for creating fantastic and insightful content. Its always a good day when you release a video. Really appreciate the time and effort you put in to your videos. Hope you are well.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so very much. (I am incredibly sorry that I didn’t respond sooner. KZbin doesn’t have a very good notifications system.) It was incredibly kind of you. It is always so brilliant to read such supportive comments. It really does make a world of difference. I really and truly appreciate it. Have a great week. Very best regards, James

[@BritanniaWild]

@@JamesKerLindsay you're more than welcome, we both have busy lives too. Thanks again for the content, looking forward to the next video.

[@augustaj3952]

Thank you for a much needed overview and analysis of this topic. Appreciating your work herein☆

[@FredoRockwell]

I'm so glad you've covered this issue! Alsynov's appeal will be held in the capital, Ufa. The date isn't set yet, but I think that's another flashpoint for more protests. Another issue I've not seen raised is what happens when the fighting in Ukraine ends, and the large number is Bashkir soldiers are demobilized and return home. Demobilization, especially after a defeat, is historically a dangerous moment for any regime. If the situation in Bashkortostan is already tense before they return, it's easy to see things destabilizing. There is already a video of Bashkir soldiers in the Russian army calling on Alsynov's release circulating. Two more points: I don't doubt there is tension on the ground between Bashkirs and Tatars, but the former leadership of Bashkort is on very good terms with Tartar independence leaders. In the Free Idel Ural movement, it's understood that the entire South Volga region will need to work together to break loose from Moscow. Last point: I put the Reuters journalist from 9:25 in touch with my friend and Bashkort cofounder Ruslan Gabbasov, who he quotes from an interview with in the article. I just wanted to flex on that! 💪😂

[@qwertyasdfgh1014]

"After a defate"?! You when Ukraine lose..

[@bilic8094]

@@qwertyasdfgh1014 It's pretty much certain Russia has won this war many high ranking American generals think the same like Doug Macgregror.

[@justsilas37]

@@bilic8094 But then again, many high ranking russian generals have been arrested and killed... some even killed by Ukrainian missiles. Where is Gerasimov?

[@bilic8094]

@@justsilas37 Distant strikes won't win the war for Ukraine if Russia is winning on the ground like they currently are.

[@TDurden527]

@@bilic8094 Names and links would be appreciated. Thanks.

[@juhalehto6494]

Thank you, this was informative.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you very much indeed!

[@user-pf8qx8pv4l]

Bashkir is here. Thank you for such a detailed analysis of our events. The events that actually took place were very significant for us and I think this is just the beginning. In fact, the protests in Bashkortostan were a surprise for the authorities, but not for us. We know our people and our character. These protests were not only for the release of Fail Alsynov, but also for fair treatment of our Bashkir people. Now Russia is oppressing our people. Massive repressions are being carried out against dissenters. Our natural resources, which you mentioned in the video, do not actually belong to us, but Russia extracts them and it also keeps the money for itself. We are essentially a colony. Although the Constitution says otherwise, we are truly a colony. We have shown more than once that we will not put up with injustice on our land. In 1917, we were the first to form an autonomous national republic, which you mentioned in the video. We were the first republic formed in the Soviet state and the only republic that was formed thanks to contractual conditions; all other republics were formed by decree. We have repeatedly rebelled and waged war with Russia for our rights, for our land and the right to be masters of our land. We are sorry that many associate us with Russia, although even the Constitution of the Republic of Bashkortostan says that we are a state. We hope for justice and the opportunity to be ourselves. Thanks to the whole world for your support!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much for your comment. Sadly, three have been too many comments from Russians trolls and Putin apologists. It is clear that Bashkortostan has been exploited. I have long believed that Russia is a colonial enterprise as much as the British Empire was, and the French, Belgian, Portuguese, Spanish, etc. it is remarkable how few see this, especially in many former colonial territories, where the old Soviet Union, and now Russia, did a great job of persuading them that it was anti-imperialism.

[@user-pf8qx8pv4l]

@@JamesKerLindsay Thank you for your answer. In fact, it is true that many trolls write pro-russian comments. Any national resistance or disagreement with the current government is immediately met with hostility. There is no understanding and desire for constructive dialogue. Unfortunately, such comments are often written not by bots, but by real people who really believe in the Kremlin’s propaganda. You correctly noted that Russia is in fact a colonial empire. They managed to hide this fact with the screen of a “multinational federation”, where the rights of peoples are supposedly respected. We must also remember the Soviet legacy, when the USSR acted as a supporter of decolonization. We hope that the world will know the truth about who the empire really is now and it is not by chance that it is called the prison of nations.

[@alexbukovsky4621]

Lol, this channel has pro-western bots talking to each other and pretending to understand what's really going on in Russia. It's so funny to watch. You really live in your own world

[@briancops3798]

The main question I have is the following. To what extent could we compare the protests in Bashqortostan (and the storming of an airport in Dagestan) to the first protests in Latvia and Kazakhstan in 1986? A follow-up question would be: If this protest is comparable to the protests in Latvia and Kazachstan in 1986 do you think that Russia can keep itself together or could this potentially be the start of the end as the protest in Latvia and Kazachstan were for the Soviet Union?

[@zurielsss]

Even I can make a guess for that, the independence movements of Latvia and other former Soviet states happened because Gorbachev is a pacifist who refused to send in the army and police to arrest or attack the protesters. Putin has already showed his Colors.

[@kirstinevad347]

Good question. If nothing else, time will tell. There is no doubt in my mind, that should Ruzzia collapse, chaos and suffering will encrease for a time. But it still seems to me to be unavoidable if one wants to protect a way of life not being exploited. How much will local governments be able to function to insure rule of law? Foodsecurity? I really hope for the best for the ordinary people. 🌱

[@user-zq3qd5jf8v]

Все будет хорошо, недождетесь развала. Мы тут смотрим ваши новости и смеемся от подобного бреда.😂Может хватит? Животы болят уже от смеха.

[@angrylionlion6109]

guys just ask bashkirs directly. I don't think you gonna find any eng speaking channel (or/and its gonna be biased). From perspective of Russian, nothing like separatist movement is observable anywhere aside from Chechnya. You can check videos from there, its like 5k ppl at max on the streets. And they are not calling for separation

[@briancops3798]

@@angrylionlion6109 If it is relating to my original question: I don't think that Bashkirs themselves could answer it right now. the question was directed more towards people who have experienced the protests in Latvia and/or Kazakhstan in 1986 as I think that they would be in the best place to make a comparison. If they are Bashkir great but it not is necessary to be Bashkir to share your thoughts on the possibility that these protests are or are not similar and could or could not have the same outcome.

[@rms7999]

Professor, I would love to watch a video about Russian "colonization" of the Far East, since most people just talk and think about the European Colonialism in the Americas, Africa and South East Asia. PS.: I really enjoy watching the videos that you post weekly. Greetings from Brazil.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much for the kind comments. I really appreciate it! Great suggestion. I have wanted to do this for ages. I agree. It is just as much a case of colonisation as European colonisation elsewhere, and yet it has been oddly overlooked. Even many countries in the global south seem to ignore Russia’s (ongoing) colonial heritage.

[@joqqeman]

@@JamesKerLindsay I guess it's just convenient to overlook certain things. We don't talk too much about genocide of native americans by US either...

[@JamesKerLindsay]

You are absolutely right. I also made a video a few years ago about the appalling way the United states took control of Hawaii. The US likes to think that it wasn’t colonial, but it most certainly was as well.

[@4637812648]

​@@JamesKerLindsay The difference is the West confronts its colonial history and has turned its back on imperialism. Russia still hasn't, and they still deny their colonial crimes, such as the Circassian genocide.

[@joqqeman]

​@@4637812648well lets not pretend like west doesnt have plenty of its own imperial and colonial apologists

[@oldgreybeard2507]

I knew nothing about this. Thank you for posting this

[@andrewsultan11]

Great video as always, thanks!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much!

[@mihailamarcel5201]

this could be a trigger for other etnicities in Russia, there are a lot of tem, im speaking about national sentiment,its like arab spring..an event happens in one corner of continent,and suddenly an enourmous part is involved,the life in russia will worsen and noone sees end of that,povetry is the reason as allways

[@weepingscorpion8739]

Again, I always seem to come to these videos from mainly a linguistic POV but as a linguist and well a nerd when it comes to languages you can't help but also start to become interested in other aspects of the lives of speakers of languages you find interesting. So after finding Bashkir a very interesting language (it has the unvoiced and voiced TH sounds (dental fricatives) for instance), the whole issue of Bashkortostan also became interesting to me. But I had no idea about these protests so I'd like to thank you, Professor Ker-Lindsay, for shedding a bit of light on them. I think I agree with your opinions on the issue, it's certainly not unexpected but not necessarily an indication of Russia collapsing. Ultimately, only time will tell though.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much. It’s always great when people come to these issues from a very different disciplinary perspective. Linguistics is fascinating. On that note, it would be interesting to know how Bashkir fits in with other Turkic languages. The Bashkirs fell under Russian rule fairly early. I wonder how that has affected their language. Interesting to hear about the TH sounds. They don’t exist in Turkish.

[@weepingscorpion8739]

@@JamesKerLindsay Well, I don't know all these details by heart so some googling and "wikipedia-ing" was involved. Bashkir is for sure a Kipchak languages like Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and neighbouring Tatar (and others). I'm however not completely sure how differently Russian has influenced Bashkir compared to other Turkic languages (sans Turkish of course) but I doubt it's probably very similar. As for the dental fricatives, yes, they are rare and afaik the only other Turkic language which has them is Turkmen (that is Turkmen of Turkmenistan). From what I gather, and again a few grains of salt, they come from /s z/, where these phonemes in non-initial position become fricatives; Bashkir then went one step further and turned initial s into h, so where Tatar has süz for word, Bashkir has hüð. But Bashkir then developed a new /s/ from ç, so tree which is ağaç in Turkish is ağas in Bashkir (I'm transliterating Bashkir from Cyrillic into Latin btw.) So yeah, Bashkir is truly fascinating. And yes, as you can tell, I could talk about this all day.

[@wuodanstrasse5631]

​@@weepingscorpion8739: Sir: I am an old, horrifically physically broken up physicist, USMC Colonel, ... , very much etc. I ever so intensely want to help these wonderful people. I must be cautious as to what is stated here, with this being such a public forum and all. I would be grateful for any assistance that you could provide such that I could possibly help these people. I was there previously and have a limitlessly high regard for the Bashkoristan people.

[@miguelandreas8198]

@@weepingscorpion8739 in my mother tongue sakha language we spell first 'c' as 'h' sound like in bashkir language. fun fuct we spell water like 'uu', we droppped first 's' or 'ch' or 'sh' completely and in become just long 'u'

[@narellecruickshank6919]

I have subscribed, and I'm an Australian living in the state of Queensland. I'm 71 years old. I've been watching a lot and following Ukrainian KZbin channels, which led me to other sites. This is how I stumbled a cross yours. I liked this post and found it informative and interesting. But I'm glad I live in 🇦🇺 Australia. Thank you.

[@peterkops6431]

Thanks Prof👍🏻👋🏻

[@Egalitare]

Bashkortostan cannot be the only locality which is realizing they are being disproportionately recruited for the “Special Operation.”

[@FabledCity]

Love that you covered this underreported topic! Despite the Bashkir being a minority in their own republic, I believe there is a provision dating back to the days of the federative treaty that the president of Bashkortostan must be a Bashkir speaker thus marginalising Tatars and Russians to degree within the constituent republic. The Kremlin has long sought to keep a lid on any Bashkir nationalism and like Tatarstan, the Chechen wars were meant to be a lesson to any minorities even contemplating one day breaking away from the federation.

[@itranslatestuff6507]

Do you have any sources you recommend on the topic of national republics within the Russian Federation?

[@FabledCity]

@@itranslatestuff6507 "The Chechen Wars" by Matthew Evangelista, Brookings Institution Press, 2002.

[@user-bg7pi1ej8d]

​@@FabledCityнадеюсь, башкир отправят обратно в горы!

[@markwilson7846]

Thank you for this well-analysed informative post.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much, Mark. I really appreciate it.

[@tanyaroberson9629]

Wow, very interesting. Thank you.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much!

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

To paraphrase a quote: "Russia is a prison of Peoples" And OMON is the prison guards. I wish well on all the oppressed peoples within the Russian Federation, may they find freedom and fulfillment.

[@Konstantin910]

ты у себя там желай что хочешь)))

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

@@Konstantin910 We can wish whatever we like indeed. People are still suffering no matter what we say however. And that is not right, no matter how you look at it.

[@Konstantin910]

ой да тюрьма конечно )))

[@mitrogulf4073]

@@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156 Страдают от чего? Зачем говорить за страну в которой ты даже не живёшь и от силы знаешь её историю из источников, где якобы русские их притесняют когда могли их просто загеноцидить ещё давно, но почему-то они всё ещё живы и даже больше, с территорией которой они более чем на 80% даже не владели при моменте когда были племенами с палками и луками?

[@user-bg7pi1ej8d]

​@@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156у нас все нормально! Уууу у у нас все нормально! Не переживайте за нас! За себя переживайте!

[@johnallen6945]

Bravo Bashkortostan in your fight for freedom. I have to admit I've never heard of your region even though I've been studying Russia since 1963. Every person and every group has the God-given right to choose their own destiny.

[@Javimtz32]

I believe their region is widely regarded for its honey

[@user-hp8yh4xu6n]

​@@Javimtz32Exactly!!! Im Tatar ,but I was born in Bashkortostan. If you have some questions,i will ask

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks, John. It is fascinating how many undiscovered parts there are in Russia. We often forget just how vast and diverse the country is.

[@joningiagustsson2450]

Does that God-given right also apply to ethnic Russians or Russian speaking people in Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia? Are they allowed to determine their destiny also?

[@IrishPartizan]

Free Texas!

[@anotherbacklog]

Russia is paying a lot for people to join the military, which is more likely to attract people in less developed regions with more minorities. It isn’t hard to imagine how those people will be used on the battlefield. This isn’t the first time of resentment from Russification emerges and won’t be the last. Russia is lot more subtle on this than the Soviet Union so such incidents have been kept on check. As suggested by professor things have also quieted down its hard to imagine this incident being much different. The Wagner incident showed Russia is less divided than expected. It would be interesting if professor may share some insight into the internal status of Ukraine.

[@musehtaicho]

Those people will be used on battlefield just like any others exactly because it troublesome to recruit new - any heavy loses will result in a problems for a commander. Also those people are even more valuable than recruits from cities as they often more fit, mentally tough, experienced in hunting and all of them have served prior to mobilisation. And more motivated, even if financially. Year ago I've a talk with man from Sakha - he was on medical leave after being hit by mine that cost him few teeth and light wounds in a leg. He recieved compensation which allowed him to pay off mortgage and buy furnishing for new appartment. At the time he was waiting for MOD's comission to decide if he is fit for service or not. And he said: "If they call me again, I will go - never in my life I'll earn here that much. I know what it is there - it is scary as hell, but i'll go". Kinda confusing at first, but after some thought I realised what he meant: if he worked for rest of his life where he lives, most likely he will end up in poverty on pension. But if he goes again he will earn enough for decent life... or die - either way he will not worry about starving in late years. Win-win situation considering circumstances. And that is exactly how recruitment works all around the world - people go to the army because they see no other way to break from poverty.

[@ndavies8]

The number of internal police in Russia is frightening. I don't believe any 'normal' protest can have any real meaningful impact

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Indeed. On the face of it, the protesters really didn't pose much of a threat. They didn't appear to be armed. But the police turned out in full riot gear. The authorities are taking no chances.

[@lemeshenko]

@@user-iy2yp4hz2p да они чекнутые. Я в швеции живу. Много лет россию грязью поливают, а русских считают ущербными. Им толку обьяснять нету, только на место ставить

[@zurielsss]

@@JamesKerLindsaycongrats Professor, you have Russian shills on your channel. A true signature of success and influence 😊

[@grahamstrouse1165]

@@JamesKerLindsayRussia’s been perfecting the art of xterme security state policing for centuries. The Russians have been absolute shit at regular warfare since (at least) the middle 19th century but when it comes to human intelligence gathering, engaging in asymmetrical/hybrid warfare, struggling dissent & just generally terrifying their own people into silence they’re pretty damn skilled.

[@user-hp8yh4xu6n]

​@@JamesKerLindsayYes,but we also do many other activities ,like propoganda,agitation and many other activities what will help us retake our freedom. Im myself Tatar,but i was born in Bashkortostan.

[@LarzGustafsson]

Interesting clip. Thank you!

[@vredacted3125]

Freedom to the Bashkort people!

[@radelyadgarov3192]

Чел ты...🤦

[@bojanvukobradovic2504]

So what is freedom? Protesters arrested in white house?

[@munjarez1721]

freedom to the Texas people!

[@vredacted3125]

@@munjarez1721 well, they are not a separate etho-linguistic group, they are like the DPR of Mexico annexed by America before it was illegal.

[@mitrogulf4073]

@@vredacted3125 Well, these people essentially did not have their own territory, which today is a republic that the Russians gave them, and in fact, the Russians could have simply killed them under the Empire, but they did not. Therefore, no one will give them what you want, because this is not why the Russians invested their money and effort into development. Especially considering that God willing, at least 10% of people there know Bashkir and considering that many Russians live there.

[@joeshmoe8345]

Thanks a bunch for sharing this with us Big Dog.

[@Twinkiepower420]

Let’s all start calling him Big Dog or Jimmy I think that would be good

[@LuisRomeroLopez]

At the current moment, it seems incredibly unlikely that Russia will break appart (and will no bet on it at any momment soon)... However, the thing about authoritarian regimes is that you never really know how bad things might be in specific places, so they tend to spiral very quickly.

[@hatemymailbox]

Russia is falling appart any moment now))) meanwhile USA border crisis)) Texas gains independence) lol)

[@Alex-rr7qc]

Professor, i think terminology matters a lot. When you use term "the Ukraine war" you put Russia out of the picture. I believe "Russo-Ukrainian war" or "war with/against Ukraine" would be more fitting

[@eugenlitwin5887]

+1

[@MarcusLangbart]

thank you Prof. for focusing on relatively unkown topics like this. I don't know for how long Russia will be able to keep this kind of anachronistic colonial system towards Ural, Siberia and eastern regions in general

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much. From the looks of it, Russia still seems relatively secure. But it does seem clear that there is deep rooted ethnic discontent and that the war in Ukraine is making it worse.

[@fridrihnemo5004]

Право народов на самоОпределение : ... { قِيلَ يَٰنُوحُ ٱهۡبِطۡ بِسَلَٰمٖ مِّنَّا وَبَرَكَٰتٍ عَلَيۡكَ وَعَلَىٰٓ أُمَمٖ مِّمَّن مَّعَكَۚ وَأُمَمٞ سَنُمَتِّعُهُمۡ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ } [Сура Худ: 48] Sheikh Isa Garcia: Entonces, le fue dicho: "¡Oh, Noé! Desciende del arca con una paz proveniente de Mí. Que las bendiciones sean contigo y con las comunidades que sucederán a quienes están contigo. A algunas de ellas [que no creerán] las dejaré gozar [de esta vida mundanal], pero luego les azotará de Mi parte un castigo doloroso". A. S. F. Bubenheim and N. Elyas: Es wurde gesagt: O Nuh, steige hinunter in Frieden von Uns und mit Segnungen über dich und über Gemeinschaften von denen, die mit dir sind. Es gibt (aber auch) Gemeinschaften, denen Wir einen Nießbrauch geben werden, hierauf wird ihnen schmerzhafte Strafe von Uns widerfahren. Julio Cortes: Se dijo: «¡Noé! ¡Desembarca con paz venida de Nosotros y con bendiciones sobre ti y las comunidades que desciendan de quienes te acompañan. Hay comunidades a las que dejaremos que gocen por breve tiempo. Luego, les castigaremos severamente». Абу Адель: Было сказано (Аллахом): «О Нух! Сойди (с ковчега) с миром от Нас и с благословениями над тобой и над общинами из тех, что с тобой; но будут и общины, которым Мы дадим блага (только в этом мире), но потом постигнет их от Нас мучительное наказание (в День Суда)». ... { وَكَمۡ قَصَمۡنَا مِن قَرۡيَةٖ كَانَتۡ ظَالِمَةٗ وَأَنشَأۡنَا بَعۡدَهَا قَوۡمًا ءَاخَرِينَ } [Сура Аль-Анбийа': 11] Sheikh Isa Garcia: ¡Cuántos pueblos opresores destruí, e hice surgir después de ellos nuevas generaciones! A. S. F. Bubenheim and N. Elyas: Wie viele Städte haben Wir zerschmettert, die Unrecht taten, und haben nach ihnen ein anderes Volk entstehen lassen! Julio Cortes: ¡Cuántas ciudades impías hemos arruinado, suscitando después a otros pueblos! Абу Адель: Сколько Мы разбили [погубили] селений, (жители которых) были злодеями [неверующими в то, что ниспосылал им Аллах], и воздвигли [создали] после них [после погибших] других людей! ... { وَإِن تُكَذِّبُواْ فَقَدۡ كَذَّبَ أُمَمٞ مِّن قَبۡلِكُمۡۖ وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ } [Сура Аль-'Анкабут: 18] Sheikh Isa Garcia: Pero si [me] desmienten, ya lo hicieron otras naciones antes que ustedes. El Mensajero solo tiene la obligación de transmitir [el Mensaje] con claridad. A. S. F. Bubenheim and N. Elyas: Und wenn ihr (die Botschaft) für Lüge erklärt, so haben bereits vor euch (andere) Gemeinschaften (sie) für Lüge erklärt. Und dem Gesandten obliegt nur die deutliche Übermittlung (der Botschaft). Julio Cortes: Si desmentís, ya otras generaciones, antes de vosotros, desmintieron. Al Enviado sólo le incumbe la transmisión clara. Абу Адель: А если вы (о, люди) сочтете ложью (то к чему призывает вас Наш посланник Мухаммад, а именно поклонение только одному Аллаху), то (знайте, что уже) отвергли (истину, к которой призывали посланники) общины (бывшие) до вас (и на них пал гнев Аллаха); и на Посланнике [на пророке Мухаммаде] (лежит обязанность) только ясного доведения (того, с чем Аллах послал его). ... 📚🎧💌🤫⛽

[@eugenlitwin5887]

There is a reason we have in Finnish verb "Ryssiä" (Muscovy ) , roughly meaning "to totally fail something".

[@4Usuality]

Ethnic Russians outnumber bashkirs, but I do think it's often missed in the region that the tatars, importantly another Islamic people, constitute a full fourth of the population. In that sense, the Russians are outnumbered very heavily. Regardless, awesome video again!

[@dan61131]

putin & his control government are sending ethics minorities young men all over Russia to his war in Ukraine to minimize & eliminate their power to protest or topple his dictatorial government.

[@user-oc6dh2yp2w]

Totally agree, but I would capitalize the words "Tatars" and "Bashkirs" in your comment in order not to offend those two ethnic groups.

[@_DREBBEL_]

They always go straight to “it’s definitely the west paying them to protest”. Which is obviously just cringe. I’m a Russian language student and it’s wildly interesting to learn about each of Russias republics, thanks professor!

[@dustintacohands1107]

It kinda works though

[@grahamstrouse1165]

If only our intelligence services were that competent!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. And I've also had a lot of comments saying that this is Western propaganda - clearly from people who haven't taken the time to watch the video in full to see that I warn against assuming this is a significant problem for Moscow!

[@_DREBBEL_]

@@grahamstrouse1165 It’s not in Americas interest to cause chaos in Russia, believe it or not. Russia is a nuclear power and we need them to have a responsible government in control. Which is why the Prigozhin mutiny was quite scary.

[@dan61131]

putin & his control government are sending ethics minorities young men all over Russia to his war in Ukraine to minimize & eliminate their power to protest or topple his dictatorial government.

[@trevorweir1278]

Great report. Thank you

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much!

[@nieuwegeljo5645]

From the Netherlands: Thank you very much for a superb analysis (as so often)!

[@robturvey9156]

Excellent. Thank you. Followed.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you very much indeed. I appreciate the support. And a warm welcome to the channel!

[@peterkops6431]

Always find your content more than helpful Prof! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much, Peter. Always great to see your comments. I hope all is well at your end. Have a good weekend!

[@user-im8yv6ne4f]

ah...thanks for the report...thats where they were...beautiful...through earlier adventures we have gained great knowledge and have worked for a better life and home..history has shown me that the cause of all these tragedies the cause was mental illnes and the unfair governance of man and property.. may peace be with you.. god blessed you...

[@JosephHoggang-bk4bk]

The protest surely has some impact but it is a very long way to go.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. I would completely agree.

[@keikonemeth2467]

This is a very well done reporting on the issues facing one of Russia's many ethnic regions. Thank you. I will be watching out for any new development.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you very much. It certainly seems to have riled the Russian trollbots in a way that I haven’t seen for a while. This could suggest that there is perhaps a little more nervousness about this than Moscow is letting on.

[@andytomhall6006]

It's not just this republic, Russia conquers all its neighbours then attempts to Russify them. Russia is not a large country, but a small empire with big expansion plans and must be stopped. If Siberia and all the other republics got together and planned an uprising together, at the same time, it would give Putin a real headache and problem to contend with. Love your well informed and intelligent videos, much appreciated.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. I agree. Russia is essentially colonial enterprise. However, it’s been really interesting how it has managed to persuade the world that it isn’t. Indeed, through the Soviet Union it even became a champion of anti-imperialism. It’s quite remarkable really.

[@rivaldophillips3525]

So you think America and other countries aren't? America for one taken up a lot of sovereign nations turning them into states

[@tgg1765]

Clearly after hearing how big russia is I see why they need more territories.... 🤪

[@Gargoiling]

You mention the tensions between Tatars and Bashkirs. That's something I'd like to understand better. My impression is the two groups speak mutually comprehensible languages. It doesn't follow that they'd necessarily get on with each other but it's interesting to know more. It's easy to think of a huge area of the map as "Turkestan" without taking account of potential frictions between groups. It would also be interesting to know how far the pattern is replicated across Russia and to what extent it might be a glue keeping the country together (if different groups are as hostile to each other as to Russians) . There's a lot of talk of Russia breaking up and, from a Western viewpoint, it's hard not to rub your hands but I would like to know more not only about how likely it is but what the potential for conflict is.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks. I am glad you raised this. I was also wondering about this as well. There's remarkably little information readily available about it. It would be interesting if there are any viewers could explain a little more about it. As noted, they are very close linguistically and religiously. And yet tensions seem to exist.

[@Gargoiling]

I could make some wild guesses but you would already have thought of them anyway. Hopefully, as you say, someone can help!

[@TobiasC-mg4zk]

It’s evident that indigenous minorities are treated very badly across the RF. Often the governors are ethnic Russians who heap scorn and derision upon the indigenous people’s language, culture and religion. Mari El republic has had similar conflict where indigenous leaders are imprisoned for writing books about their culture and traditions. They are isolated and afraid of the Russian chauvinists who rule over them and appoint the government positions.

[@michaelzurowetz4914]

@@JamesKerLindsay Existing tensions are fueld by Moscow. You can see the same strategy to establish internal rivalry within the construction of the Caucasian republics. Moscovites are profiting of the situation to impose their slavic language and their culture. As for the difference between Bashkorts and Tatars their language was imposed on people with different material cultures during the 8th centrury. What became the Tatars were mainly forest farmers, as for the Bashkorts, they were herders focused on cattle and more steppe related.

[@user-bg7pi1ej8d]

​@@Gargoilingо боги!!! Что за бред у вас в головах!!! Мы живём дружно!!! Успокойтесь уже!!!

[@Pontiki1977]

Brilliant, extremely informative video. Thank you Sir.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much!

[@user-cq8tc4uh1m]

Не дождётесь.

[@maciuikanikoda7809]

I did a bachelor in geography at the university of Rimouski some twenty-or-so years ago and watching your channel is like having an even better quality version of the courses free of charge. Thank you, your analysis are systematically captivating. Mathieu p.s. your English accent is excellent, very clear. That's how English should sound according to me (a French Canadian 😆)

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much, Mathieu. I really and truly appreciate it. It is always lovely to hear such nice comments. It makes it all worth it! Thanks. :-) As for the language, I always try to speak clearly in the videos. As someone who lives in another country and has learned other languages, and knowing that much of my audience aren't native English speakers, I know how helpful it is when people try to speak a little more slowly and precisely.

[@EcclesiastesLiker-py5ts]

Every one of your videos is informative.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. I love making them. It’s also a great chance for me to delve deeper into world issues!

[@marcusperkins553]

Amazing. you have 173K subscribers and have clocked up 173k views for this report in just a couple of days. Clearly an engaged audience - not surprising given the quality of the content.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Hello Marcus! Always lovely to see you in the comments. )But not as nice as seeing you in person. 🙂) How is everything? Hoping we’ll have a chance to catch up soon. Yes, it’s quite a number. And certainly very nice to think that viewers seem to find the videos useful. :-) (By the way, for anyone watching Marcus, a wonderful professional photographer with a fascinating niche, was a brilliant source of advice on my cameras and lighting. The massive improvement in quality from my first videos to now is down to him and the long discussions we had in our communal hallway! 🙂)

[@marcusperkins553]

@@JamesKerLindsay All Fine here James. Just returned from a rather snowy Japan and back to life in CQ. Do let me know when you're next here :)

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@marcusperkins553 Will do! It would be brilliant to catch up. 🙂

[@Popajaja]

Around 1990, the proportion of Bashkirs in the population of Bashkiria (Bashkir ASSR) was only around 20% - compared to 37.5% Russians and 27.5% Tatars. In the Bashkir capital Ufa, around 30% of the residents are still Tatars.

[@user-bg7pi1ej8d]

Чисто способности..

[@ginojaco]

An interesting question is: if there's a realistic threat of secession within the Russian Federation, what will be Moscow's priority, Ukraine, or maintaining the integrity of the 'federation'? If there was a genuine need for significant troop numbers, Russia couldn't sustain both - and it would probably spread.

[@olivka7560]

This protest is insignificant. Look at protests in France in the last 2 years. Macron got slapped in the face even. If Putin goes there tomorrow majority of people would queue for hours just to see him. We exaggerate Russian protests.

[@ginojaco]

@@olivka7560 You protest 'too much'...

[@MrMordechaiAnilevich]

There was also the incident in Dagestan, minor incidents in Tatarstan, seperatism in Vladivostok and a resistance against the mobilization in Sakha. My friends in Sakha say that the local government is frustrating the mobilization now because there havr been so many funerals. None of this means that the FSB has lost control. The Presidential election is in 5 weeks. Im told by my friends in Germany that the Kerch Bridge (Crimea Bridge) is going to be dropped soon but, maybe that is just their optimism. The next few weeks are important.

[@jonathonfinn6184]

Does anyone have any book recs on minorities/nationalities in Russia?

[@user-oc6dh2yp2w]

There is a very informative and well-researched book "The Volga Tatars" by prof. Azade Ayshe-Rorlich from Standford University.

[@yorgunliberal735]

Nice content Hoca. The only thing I wonder is why they classify Bashkirs and Tatars separately and show Russians as the majority. Do you think Russia's demographics could be a paper tiger?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much! :-) Great question about the Bashkirs and the Tatars. They obviously share a lot in common. Their languages are very closely related. They are also both Sunni Muslims. However, it appears that there are deeper-rooted tensions between them. As you suggest, this could be manufactured by Russia. A divide and rule tactic. I would love to find out more about this. But there is surprisingly little available.

[@user-bg7pi1ej8d]

​@@JamesKerLindsayне нужно делать предположений!! Нас никто не разделяет! Татары и башкиры живут очень дружно! Чаще это смешанный семьи! А друзья так самые надёжные! То, что осудили алсынова - он выступал с националистические лозунгами, за разделение, поэтому его и осудили! Не надо предполагать, если конкретно не знаете. Все не так!

[@enexe6229]

@@user-bg7pi1ej8d посмотри каналы нтв и увидишь как русские разделяют башкир и татар

[@YoussefDaanBenAmor]

The fact that some of the republics of Russia (like Bashkortostan Dagestan) have been marked with civil unrest in recent months, show the fact that it’s losing at least some authority over a few of its republics.

[@skp8748]

Is France losing control? Is the US losing control of texas

[@maxhugen]

Putin has no qualms about squashing any opposition in the republics. Just ask the Chechens - apart from the ones being bought out by Putin, like Kadyrov and his cronies.

[@radelyadgarov3192]

Ну вам из-за бугра виднее 😂

[@raenico5285]

Not to mention the separatist restiveness in Kaliningrad

[@maxhugen]

@@raenico5285 Haven't seen anything about that yet... interesting. Have you a link to any news about Kaliningrad pls?

[@kzm-cb5mr]

This something unlikely to happen in the US because minority ethnic groups there are pretty much decimated already. You cannot see Hawaiians, Chamorros, Navajos and Cherokees trying to establish their republics and seriously threaten the territorial integrity of the US because all these ethnic groups are pretty much becoming less distinct, no longer have strong identities, lost their languages and the culture is mostly an accessory.

[@neo4reo]

Exactly. They were dissimated.

[@lynxissiodorensis2319]

I wonder, what would be your name to those who not new to a channel?

[@54032Zepol]

keep up the great content Professor! cant wait to hear more from your channel! do you think the old world will ever coexist especially with the brimming ethnic conflicts and past atrocities? how is that America is able to integrate many diverse cultures as well as holding ethnic enclaves yet the Old world fails to do so?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks a lot. You might want to have a discussion with the Native Communities about that!? :-) Seriously though, I wonder what would have happened across the Americas (and Africa and Asia) had European colonisation not happened. The model of nation-statehood would probably have taken root there as well as part of a process of modernity, no doubt leading to conflict and the creation of borders. North America would have looked very different indeed.

[@toagonel7045]

The youtuber Kaiserbauch does some great demographic analyses that explore these questions. His work is fascinating, would highly recommend.

[@wuodanstrasse5631]

​@@JamesKerLindsay: Please know that there are a great many people who have enormous respect for you personally and professionally.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

@@wuodanstrasse5631 Thank you so much! That’s incredibly kind of you to say. I get a fair amount of abuse and so it’s always really nice to hear something positive. Thank you again! :-)

[@4637812648]

The Russian Empire never underwent decolonization like the British and European empires did. They lost control of 14 colonies in 1991, and there are still 21 national republics left to go. Some were subjugated and Russified for centuries, but then so were many former Soviet states. Those states also had many Russian settlers there, and Putin laments that loss to this day.

[@wuhaninstituteofvirology]

"russian empire" & "soviet union (ussr)" are 2 different entities, in 2 different time periods - it wasn't the russian empire that lost colonies in 1991 that was the dissolving of the ussr

[@4637812648]

​@@wuhaninstituteofvirology Yes, but Russia's empire didn't disappear in 1917 just because they changed their name and system. The empire continued in a new form without the Romanovs

[@mimisor66]

The discontent is surely there, simmering beneath the surface, but it will need leaders to channel it into a disruptive force. In history nothing is set. Things can go many ways.

[@airtale8725]

Thanks for covering this. News focus too much on the south-west and academic reports don't come out frequently, so this was both relevant and missing info for most of us I think.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you. This really does deserve to have more attention.

[@ChrisTheLoneWanderer]

Interesting insight into the protests, James! The long-term ramifications are still unclear to me. The only Republics I can think of as having big secessionist movements are Dagestan and Chechnya. There's also the 'Rossiyani' (Russian citizens) and 'Russki' (Ethnic Russians); from my understanding, despite racism towards non-Russians, the former identity is still strong and may be increasing in strength. It's the strength of this identity that will determine secessionism elsewhere. The other thing I think we should consider is that Tatarstan had a sovereignty movement in the 1990s. This may be the end goal or a more realistic option that people can rally around; while outright secessionism is small, more people may consider greater autonomy like in the 1990s.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks so much! I completely agree. It is hard to tell where this is going. One thing that is important to bear in mind is that ethnic Russians still dominate many parts of the country. This creates a high hurdle for many potential secessionist regions. It was interesting to note that in Bashkortonstan, Russians are the single largest group at 35%. And, as I noted, there doesn't seem to be a lot of love between the Bashkirs and Tatars - despite their many similarities.

[@Trolligi]

@@JamesKerLindsay do you know why that is? That Bashkirs and Tatars seem not to like each other? In which case I dont think a federation of the republics in that region, similar to the Idel-Ural state would be very likely

[@ChrisTheLoneWanderer]

@@JamesKerLindsay Indeed! I think there's not a single Republic without at least a minority of Russians being present (many even have Russian majorities). This will be an issue, and as far as I understand, Idel-Ural was a very specific and short-lived 20th Century political project, so bridging any ethnic divides will probably not come from there. In my understanding, this is a broader issue; the various Turkic groups there don't like each other (I was told that e.g. Kazakh nationalists also dislike Tatars and Bashkirs and haven't liked them since the 1980s at least). It is possible that increasing demands for autonomy leverage something in terms of autonomy (if Putin is out of power, of course). This could be a reversal to the 1990s, but that led to the creation of local corruption and fiefdoms, but also poverty due to the need for redistribution of wealth. Genuine civic involvement is needed for a fruitful federalism that avoids this and to fill in any vacuum that a centralizing elite seeking to enrich itself, and to ensure there's resources and money flowing into all the regions of Russia. That should, hopefully, ensure Russian minorities have wealth, autonomy, and also linguistic and cultural rights.

[@toagonel7045]

It seems that a lot of the internal Russian territories are gerrymandered to favor Russians. I wonder how much of a demographic dominance the Russian would have if they were revised

[@arcrimeaball]

Freedom to all oppressed ethnic minorities from the authoritarian Moscow regime! Alga Bashkortostan!

[@emailtat5860]

Get FREE PEOPLE of SCLAVES FEDERATION! Get FREE from the RUSSIAN MASTERS MINORITY 🍀

[@sdrawkcabUK]

If that ever happened (which it won’t) they would inevitably replace one corrupt autocracy with another.

[@Trolligi]

@@sdrawkcabUKthat’s not how that scenario works

[@CalamityJay-ez2mq]

@@Trolligi clearly you haven't looked at Indian history

[@justsilas37]

@@sdrawkcabUK maybe, but don't you think they should have the right to self determination?

[@ulfpe]

Peskov would deny sunset if told to

[@ike637]

What's your take on the Russian economy growth , compared to the eu being in recession?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

War economies often grow, but at a cost. As I said, a huge amount of Russia’s economic purity is now dedicated to the war effort. This detracts from investment and development in other areas. Also, there has been a brain drain as many young and bright people flee the country to avoid service. This will also undermine its future growth and competitiveness in key areas. The picture isn’t quite as simple as some would like to make out.

[@enexe6229]

@@JamesKerLindsay i live in bashkortostan and that guy gaslighted you. russia and its economy doesn't grow at all and in fact it goes down like sh... if moscow raises our saliries it also raises our taxes and food prices even more.

[@omurcinarelci5148]

Concerning developments. Thank you.

[@rodyaolast8458]

I live in Bashkortostan, and I am very surprised how deeply you have studied about Bashkortostan, respect

[@kirstinevad347]

Very interesting. Even though I have lived through the fall of The Berlin wall and the period of Glasnost and Perestroyka I feel like it is only now I am beginning to learn more of the etnic groups in the former sovjet republics. That is to me the one good thing the war has brought on. As an european, Europe being more concious of our values and stepping up for something besides consumption is encouraging too. 😉 I hope more people will be able to live more in line with their wishes and deeper values also in former Sovjet.

[@ChaudryShehryarYounis]

Brilliant 👏

[@raifs.2100]

Bash (baş) means Head. Kortistan (Kurtistan) means Wolf and/or Wolfland or Leading (Leader) Wolf.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Haha! If you’re going to choose a name for a country, that’s certainly a great one to go for!

[@conag9864]

I have friends from Ufa which is the capital and the largest city in Bashkiriya and both of them are ethnic Bashkirs. They support Russia and pretty much satisfied living there. In the past 10 years, Ufa had a really major development projects and the city itself improved very well. New housing projects, medical centers and and a lot of other important infrastructure projects were completed. So those couple of hundreds that went to a kind of a "protest"(who knows what they were protesting for) will not really change something and they shouldn't, becuae the majority is pro Russian.

[@buhlerthomas2263]

Danke!

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you so much. That is incredibly kind of you. I appreciate the support enormously. Very best wishes!

[@dariopolanco8299]

Great comments

[@adamghosttrapper8529]

«…Браты мае, мужыкі родныя. З-пад шыбеніцы маскоўскай прыходзіць мне да вас пісаці, і, можа, раз астатні. Горка пакінуць зямельку родную і цябе, дарагі мой народзе. Грудзі застогнуць, забаліць сэрца, - но не жаль згінуць за тваю праўду… Няма ш, браткі, большага шчасця на гэтым свеце, як калі чалавек у галаве мае розум і науку… Но як дзень з ноччу не ходзіць разам, так не ідзе разам наука праўдзіва з няволяй маскоўскай. Дапокуль яна ў нас будзе, у нас нічога не будзе, не будзе праўды, багацтва і ніякай наукі, - адно намі, як скацінай, варочаць будуць не для дабра, но на пагібель нашу… Бо я табе з-пад шыбеніцы кажу, Народзе, што тагды толькі зажывеш шчасліва, калі над табою Маскаля ўжэ не будзе. Твой слуга Яська-гаспадар з-пад Вільні»

[@vizibilibende5194]

Başkurdistan 🤝🏻🇹🇷🇦🇿🇰🇿🇺🇿🇹🇲🇰🇬

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Has there been much coverage of this in the Turkic republics?

[@adamradziwill]

Свободу колониям moscow орды! Карелия, BASHKORTOSTAN, Саха, Татария, Калмыкия, Чечня и тд

[@Tvalfager]

4:46 I can't believed you'd give up such a golden opportunity to say "Everything changed when the red nation attacked" (fire nation)

[@opus3989]

Close to Bashkortistan is the big doomsday bunker complex that the people in Bashkortistan has been mining during soviet era and upgraded durin the Putin era, it is inside a mountain rich in quartz so one has to have a lot of radio tower complexes outside.

[@XerxesGammon200]

5:50 the "-stan" is actually a Persian suffix meaning "the land of" not Turkish, but I understand your point.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Yes, it was indeed Persian to start with, but it was also adopted by Turkic speakers. Just consider the following in Turkish: Bulgaristan (Bulgaria), Ermenistan (Armenia), Hindistan (India), Macaristan (Hungary), Yunaninstan (Greece), etc.

[@user-fm9nz5ct2y]

You work with Bashkortostan. We're going to work with Texas. It's time to create a Texas People's Republic. 💪😎🇷🇺

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Go ahead. Not my problem. I'm British. :-)

[@ahmedelmi2497]

Prof. I really watched most of your well informative documentaries, would you please dedicate one episode on the all Muslim Majority republics that are still under the Russian control? Seems like a number of new republics will become members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as Russia is going to desintegrate in the long term?

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thanks for the kind words. Great suggestion! This is something that I have wanted to explore in more detail for quite some time. I certainly hope to come back to it.

[@paulheydarian1281]

Becoming a Rebel Republic within Russia sounds like a truly idiotic idea. 🤪

[@TDurden527]

New sub for the Prof. for an objective report. Unfortunately, authoritarian governments are extremely effect, or can be, when suppressing its citizens.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate the support. A very warm welcome to the channel!

[@sultanaminabbasi1230]

Great video, Professor. I would live to see further videos on the prospect of Russia breaking up into smaller states, especially of ethnic minority regions

[@nbell5050]

It would fail extremely hard. there is a reason why 70 percent of the population is located in what is called the European part of the country. Also historic 1600's Russia has as much chance of breaking up as 2024 USA.

[@nowthenzen]

The world the Roman Empire made resonates to this day however the world the Mongols made is equally if not more relevant and impactful.

[@edwardblair4096]

It is interesting to consider how Ukraine could respond to this. In the run up to the current war, Russia was actively supporting groups in Ukraine that were seeking independence as a way to sow discord and have a "reason" to become actively involved. Ukraine could potentially return the favor by actively supporting dissident groups in Russia. We know they provided help to the militias that performed cross boarder raids, so it is not a stretch to think they could help people deeper within Russia.

[@nikolabolesnik]

Ukraine has to beg to keep itself supported let alone anyone else

[@edwardblair4096]

@@nikolabolesnik like with Ukraine itself "support" doesn't mean just money.

[@nikolabolesnik]

@@edwardblair4096 they arent begging just for money but absolutely everything under the sun

[@louvendran7273]

Never knew it even existed. Russia is a continent itself. So many different civilisations, beliefs, cultures, languages, festivities etc. I hope they can work together for a symbiotic outcome as splintering could fall into infighting & even more corruption. Life, peace & war are all tough to win.

[@clydecash5659]

2:12 someone wanna explain to me why the Siberian province is shaped like that?

[@Shaunt1]

Good video.

[@JamesKerLindsay]

Thank you!

[@eugenlitwin5887]

"Let us begin with this evident fact: Muscovy does not belong at all to Europe, but to Asia. It follows that judging Muscovy and the Muscovites by our European standards is a mistake to be avoided."-gonzague de reynold, 19501 In methodological terms, one should de-Europeanise any analysis of Muscovy policy.- thomas gomart, 20062 "

[@AD-kq4hb]

=))))) That's hysterical...

[@orchidorio]

Well, maybe now is the time for Bashkortostan to gain it's independence. And be only the first.

[@user-iy2yp4hz2p]

Западная пропаганда слишком раздувает про массовые протесты в России! Мы живём нормально, спокойно! В Башкирии не такой масштабный протест, как вы его раздуваете! В остальных городах и республиках все спокойно! Вы лучше за своими массовыми протестами наблюдайте, например в Германии, во Франции! Как стервятники ждёте добычи, наблюдаете! Не дождетесь распада России!

[@eugenlitwin5887]

Mосковская орда должна распасться т к смысла в ее существовании нет. Нынешняя элита Неспосoбна на Реформы, общество неспособно на революцию, поэтому будет продолжаться гниение, которое закончится распадом, т к и затяжное гниение тоже всех утомит. Сегодня московская орда занимает первое место в мире: ■ по уровню умышленных убийств; ■ по числу курящих детей и подростков; ■ по числу взяток при поступлении в вyзы; ■ по темпам роста табакокурения; ■ по аварийности на дорогах; ■ по смертности от самоубийств среди подростков 15-19 лет; ■ по абсолютной величине убыли населения; ■ по количеству самоубийств среди пожилых людей; ■ по числу разводов и количеству детей, рожденных вне брака; ■ по числу детей, брошенных родителями; ■ по смертности от заболеваний сердечно-сосудистой системы; ■ по числу пациентов с заболеваниями психики; ■ по объемам торговли людьми; ■ по количеству абортов и материнской смертности; ■ по объёму потребления героина; ■ по потреблению спирта и спиртосодержащей продукции; ■ по продажам крепкого алкоголя; ■ по темпам прироста ВИЧ-инфицированных; ■ по количеству авиакатастроф (в 13 раз больше среднемирового уровня); ■ по числу миллиардеров, преследуемых правоохранительными органами; With cost of “black gold” at 15-23 dollars per barrel, the USSR economy collapsed, and the sovok itself collapsed, and the "golden" horde ("russia") budget can only be fulfilled only with oil price at $ 42.4 and higher

[@enexe6229]

нет масштабных протестов потому что большинство людей рабы и готовы терпеть унижения от власти.

[@White_Lily_of_Stalingrad]

Свобода Техасу !

[@eugenlitwin5887]

Mосковская орда должна распасться т к смысла в ее существовании нет. Нынешняя элита Неспосoбна на Реформы, общество неспособно на революцию, поэтому будет продолжаться гниение, которое закончится распадом, т к и затяжное гниение тоже всех утомит. Сегодня московская орда занимает первое место в мире: ■ по уровню умышленных убийств; ■ по числу курящих детей и подростков; ■ по числу взяток при поступлении в вyзы; ■ по темпам роста табакокурения; ■ по аварийности на дорогах; ■ по смертности от самоубийств среди подростков 15-19 лет; ■ по абсолютной величине убыли населения; ■ по количеству самоубийств среди пожилых людей; ■ по числу разводов и количеству детей, рожденных вне брака; ■ по числу детей, брошенных родителями; ■ по смертности от заболеваний сердечно-сосудистой системы; ■ по числу пациентов с заболеваниями психики; ■ по объемам торговли людьми; ■ по количеству абортов и материнской смертности; ■ по объёму потребления героина; ■ по потреблению спирта и спиртосодержащей продукции; ■ по продажам крепкого алкоголя; ■ по темпам прироста ВИЧ-инфицированных; ■ по количеству авиакатастроф (в 13 раз больше среднемирового уровня); ■ по числу миллиардеров, преследуемых правоохранительными органами; With cost of “black gold” at 15-23 dollars per barrel, the USSR economy collapsed, and the sovok itself collapsed, and the "golden" horde ("russia") budget can only be fulfilled only with oil price at $ 42.4 and higher

[@White_Lily_of_Stalingrad]

@@eugenlitwin5887 это все что ты мог написать ?

[@eugenlitwin5887]

@@White_Lily_of_Stalingrad Moscow horde´s war record :- 1856 defeated by Britain and France 1905 defeated by Japan 1917 defeated by Germany 1920 defeated by Poland, Finland, Estonia and all Baltic states 1939 defeated by Finland 1969 defeated by China 1989 defeated by Afghanistan 1989 defeated in the Cold War. 1996 defeated by Chechnya 2022 defeated by Ukraine WW2 won USA/Britain , meanwhile Stalin's officers were shot or sent to the Gulags. Millions went to the Gulags, including Solzhenitsyn Moscow's only victories come from invading smaller countries :- a) Hungary 1956 b) Czechoslovakia 1968 c) Moldova 1992 d) Georgia 2008