The Second youth festival of Finno-Ugric culture of the Northwest region passed in Leningrad region

From September 19 to 21 in Kingisepp area of Leningrad region there passed the Noizhema Kaigija Shuvvama (We Will Love Everybody) Second youth festival of Finno-Ugric culture of the Northwest region. The festival gathered 8 ensembles from Kingisepp area, St.-Petersburg, Karelia, Udmurtiya and Estonia.

OMON Blocks Udmurts Demo On 450th Anniversary Of Absorption By Russia

Members of the elite OMON forces moved quickly to break up a demonstration in Izhevsk by Udmurts who were angered by official celebrations of the supposedly “voluntary” inclusion of their region into Russia.

In addition to disputing the accuracy of that Russian version of events, the protesters were angry

Writers of the Republic of Karelia have taken part in the Xth International Congress of Finno-Ugric Writers

The Xth International Congress of Finno-Ugric Writers Future of Finno-Ugric Literature. Works of Young Authors passed in Ioshkar Ola from September 10 to 13. Poets and prose writers, playwrights, translators, publishers, literary critics, journalists from all Finno-Ugric regions of Russia, Finland, Hungary, Estonia, France, Czechia, Lithuania took part in the congress.

Official Feels Compelled To Deny That Komi Will Seek Independence

Valery Markov, the first vice speaker of the Komi State Council, said that his republic had no intention of separating from Russia or “participate in the political games of US Presidential candidate John McCain,” who he said seeks to destroy the Russian Federation by promoting the recognition of all non-Russian republics.

Moscow Would Rather Build Statues Than Print Textbooks For Non-Russians

Moscow officials are prepared to spend millions of rubles on statues commemorating “the friendship of the peoples” between Russians and non-Russians, but they are increasingly unwilling to subsidize the production of non-Russian language textbooks, a pattern that is infuriating and even radicalizing people in many non-Russian republics.

Russia’s recognition of Georgian areas raises hopes of its own separatists

Tatarstan is a long way from South Ossetia. While South Ossetia is a poor border region of Georgia battered by war, Tatarstan is an economic powerhouse in the heart of Russia, boasting both oil reserves and the political stability that is catnip to investors.

But the two places have one thing in common:

Non-Russians Will Jointly Press Moscow for Self-Determination, Bashkirs Say

In yet another echo of Moscow’s decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the leaders of Bashkortostan’s national movement say they will organize a joint protest by all non-Russian groups in the Russian Federation if Moscow continues to ignore Bashkortostan’s rights and demands.