The Deep Dive: On Ethnic Lobbies in Russia, Azeri Plane Crash and the Chechen Question
Added 2025-01-11 23:00:36 +0000 UTCLet's talk about ethnic lobby groups in Russia and how their interests clash and affect the country's politics. You may have heard about the tragic Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crash. What does it mean for the future of Russo-Azeri relations and what does it have to do with the feudal-like structure of the Chechen Republic? What about Pan-Turkism and Armenian diaspora? We've got it all covered.
00:00:00 - Embraer plane crash in Aktau
00:12:30 - The Chechen Question
00:20:30 - Azeri lobby & LDPR party
00:26:00 - Krasnaya Sloboda. The Billionaire village in the mountains
00:33:10 - On Pan-Turkist ideology
00:47:00 - Gas transit & The Dusk of Europe
00:56:00 - GAE
Discussion group: https://t.me/+wYU_CUVU8zg0YzJi
Comments
You're likening an American SMO against Canada and Mexico in the same tongue-in-cheek fashion as Russia being the trendsetter with their own SMO I find that very entertaining, and possibly more accurate than anyone could imagine.
animatone
2025-01-14 14:27:14 +0000 UTCIt is an interesting subject. I still have a lot of family members living in Tatarstan and Chuvashia. I have visited there. I believe they do feel part of the nation of Russia, as Russian citizens. And they have the loyalty to their homeland. I do feel that. But a lot still feel Turkic ethnically. I do believe there is a separation between one's culture/ethnicity and their nationality. I personally do not tell people I am Russian. I tell them I am Tatar. But I personally do not live in Russia and I am not from there. But when I ask my relatives who are this, they will say we are Tatar, we are from Tatarstan, and the Russian Federation is our country. If they were speaking to a Russian and did not know them well, I think I may be like, I am from Russia. Or I am Russian. Also, I have a long family history of military service. My Turkic-Russian family members. I served in the military too. As does my eldest son. Here in the United States though. I am pretty anti-war now. I would not say I am anti-military. I believe countries will always need and have militaries, but I strongly feel they should be purely defensive. But, not all world leaders have those beliefs unfortunately.
Gökçe
2025-01-13 01:36:09 +0000 UTCI concede that we're no experts when it comes to Turkey. I've been there once and all the Kurds i've met there said that they hated Erdogan. We spoke in English. Anecdotal, but quite convincing. Still, i know many Tatars who are basically just Russians and have no connection to any Turkic identity whatsoever! It's an interesting subject.
Russians With Attitude
2025-01-12 23:14:37 +0000 UTCPutin should sponsor RWA instead of RT
spetsnaz
2025-01-12 23:09:49 +0000 UTCGood thing nobody listens to our pod :)
Russians With Attitude
2025-01-12 23:08:12 +0000 UTCExcellent episode, obviously enjoyed by many. Thank you so much, guys. Best wishes to you and your loved ones in the new year.
Aurora Johnson
2025-01-12 19:20:01 +0000 UTCRWA is one of the biggest assets in the alternative media space. I hope it can grow and expand to be so big that EU needs to sanction it
spetsnaz
2025-01-12 18:03:40 +0000 UTCI am Tatar, and I feel a strong sense of kinship with other Turkic peoples. In my case, this connection feels natural and true, though I can’t speak for everyone. At the same time, I also feel a kinship with all humanity in a broader sense. My deeper connection with other Turkic peoples likely stems from our shared linguistic and cultural similarities. For example, I can understand many Turkic languages, including Turkish, Azeri, and Kazakh. Chuvash is an exception, as its language differs significantly from other Turkic languages, but even then, I feel a connection. Most of us share a common religion, predominantly Islam of the Hanafi school of thought. However, in recent years, there has been a rise in Salafist movements among some Turkic groups, which many of us see as a concerning issue. When people perceive their cultural identity, including religion, as being under threat, they often turn inward, seeking solidarity within their group. This can sometimes lead to the adoption of more extreme views as a form of defense. It's a natural response to cultural pressures, but it can have far-reaching consequences. Cultures, over time, will naturally blend and evolve through cultural diffusion, but this process is usually slow when organic. (Also, let's address an elephant in the room and also say that there are also times when new cultures can rise up out of cultures fusing together- which is cultural fusion.) When states attempt to force assimilation or accelerate this process artificially, it often leads to resistance, even violent resistance. History shows that this kind of cultural suppression is a significant factor in the collapse of empires. For Turkic people, there has been a loss of some cultures and languages, which have been absorbed into others or faded into extinction, so many of us do have this awareness of it. When it is organic it's no big deal. When it's not, it naturally puts us on the defensive (as it would anyone). This is why historically speaking Turkic people haven't seen the real benefit to nationalism perhaps. There was a period where it was on the rise. Some argue this was the result the growing instability and and Western pressure on an already collapsing Empire. Some argue that it was the collapse itself that opened the door to it as a defense mechanism. Regardless, this period was one the low points in Turkish history, I think we can probably agree. AND this kind of thinking is not sustainable and doesn't work in the long run, which is why many have rejected this nationalism- and why Pan-Turkism or Turanism isn't about that for most people at all. Tatars and Uzbeks and Kazakhs (Etc) will never see themselves as 'Turkish.' But they will always see themselves as 'Turkic.' This kind of idea (fearful idea) by some that this is some kind of plan to unite all Turkic peoples under one nationality is really funny and weird. As for the situation in Turkiye, I’ve noticed misconceptions regarding ethnic groups within the country. It was mentioned said that Turkiye has many ethnic groups that dislike the state, but this isn’t entirely accurate. People of various ethnicities, including Kurds, support the government and even voted for Erdogan. While Turkiye does face well-known political conflicts, particularly with groups like the PKK and YPG, these issues are often misinterpreted as hostility toward Kurdish people in general, which is not the case. In fact, many Kurdish citizens in Turkiye support Erdogan, illustrating that the conflicts are more political, rather than a straightforward ethnic divide. Turkic people as a whole within Turkiye generally don’t have significant issues with the state or with Erdogan. Like in any country, individuals may sometimes disagree with their leaders or criticize specific policies, but this is more a matter of personal opinion than a widespread cultural stance. Similarly, not all Armenians harbor animosity toward Erdogan or the Turkish state. Reasonable, educated individuals tend to avoid blaming the current government for historical atrocities, understanding that such events are part of the past rather than a reflection of the present leadership. This perspective holds true in many parts of the world.
Gökçe
2025-01-12 17:36:52 +0000 UTCNikolay is as always right. At 32min he seems to imply a desire, a yearning for real politics in Russia where different views on direct of Russia could be discussed debated and then decided upon by some kind of a fair and representative manner but where the parties involved a loyal to Russia and Russian national interest. Currently opposition in Russia is just entirely treasonous and ready to sell the country for some CIA stipend. I think when the SMO veterans return and Putin sunsets something might emerge - one cannot call SMO veterans anything but patriotic, they would be well-off, and their political differences would be constrained by Russian national interests. At least that is a speculative outcome that could happen
spetsnaz
2025-01-12 16:17:57 +0000 UTCThe main issue right now is that I am 💯 sure that CIA, MI6 and everyone else is working to establish rat lines 🐀 and sponsoring their proxies to create chaos at the right time. FSB and SVR most probably are entirely unaware of this.
spetsnaz
2025-01-12 14:34:00 +0000 UTCSurely SMO has created a large force of Russian experienced soldiers capable of pacifying Chechnya?
spetsnaz
2025-01-12 14:30:58 +0000 UTCDoes Putin understand that Chechnya is a Pandora’s box 📦 of chaos, crime and regional instability? Is Putin going to do anything? When Putin eventually goes can Kadyrov maintain control and will Kadyrov remain loyal to Moscow? Even if Kadyrov does stay loyal what happens when he goes or is assassinated?
spetsnaz
2025-01-12 14:29:06 +0000 UTCSure, the Turks don't strike me as ethnonationalist, because above all else it's a syncretic and imperial identity. Take Tatars. When it comes to haplogroups, they are not that different from the Udmurts. as they both share the N1c1 Finnic haplogroup. But they are considered Turkic because of a minor admixture, Islam and most importantly a Turkic language. It's a political question, whether the Tatars will feel any kinship to the Turks.
Russians With Attitude
2025-01-12 09:19:59 +0000 UTCWe have been covering it in the Romanov series. Not exclusively, of course, but still.
Russians With Attitude
2025-01-12 09:04:54 +0000 UTCdruglords in mexico are most likely deeply connected with cia, so would be nice if russia would play some cards there.. 😉
Jeannine
2025-01-12 05:45:05 +0000 UTCSorry for the length. I wish I could share an audio file instead. :-) Now that I have more time to elaborate, I’d like to share my thoughts in greater detail. It’s my understanding that some non-Turkic people believe Pan-Turkism and Pan-Turanism can foster ethnonationalism or marginalize non-Turkic minorities in multi-ethnic states. However, I see this as an unfounded concern. Historically, most Turkic peoples have never been ethnically isolated. On the contrary, they’ve always embraced ethnic and cultural diversity, cohesion, and blending. There’s little significant historical evidence to suggest a pervasive "us vs. them" mentality based solely on ethnicity within Turkic communities. That said, there can sometimes be an "us vs. them" perspective in religious contexts, particularly among more devoutly religious Turkic peoples, many of whom are Muslim (though not all). For example, Orthodox Christian Turkic groups, like the Chuvash in my own family, have intermarried with Tatars and Kazakhs. It's not required for the Christian women to convert to Islam, even though the Orthodox Church will reject these women afterwards. (Apparently the people in my family value love over the Church I guess lol.) Kazakhs are somewhat known for marrying within their own ethnic group more often than some other Turkic peoples. However, even in my family, this wasn’t strictly followed. The reality is, this isn’t uncommon among Turkic people in a broader sense—there’s generally little emphasis on strict ethno-nationalism in Turkic communities. For the most part, they don’t place significant importance on maintaining ethnic “purity.” In fact, our family reflects this openness. We also have Russian and Scandinavian ancestry. My father, for example, is mostly Scandinavian but also has Finnic and some Turkic roots. Supposedly, these groups are supposed to be "mortal enemies" or something along those lines—but honestly, that kind of thinking is clearly baseless. It’s just outdated rhetoric. I hope this highlights my point: if there were a nationalist Pan-Turkic movement, it would likely promote ethnic isolation to preserve some notion of a “pure race” or “ethnicity.” However, this isn’t reflective of the Turkic mindset. Cultural preservation doesn’t have to align with such divisive or immoral ideas. It’s entirely possible- and far more meaningful- to honor and maintain one’s culture without resorting to exclusionary or ethnonationalistic ideologies. For most people, the ideas of Turan or Pan-Turkism revolve around shared language and cultural similarities, rather than any push for political or ethnonational unity. Each Turkic group has unique cultural aspects, yet there are undeniable commonalities as well. Our peoples originated in Central Asia and were historically semi-nomadic, skilled warriors who traveled and spread far and wide. As a linguistic anthropologist specializing in Turkic languages, I can attest to the strong linguistic and cultural connections among Turkic peoples. However, I believe these connections don’t extend far beyond cultural and linguistic ties in the modern world. Today, the Turkic countries that have sovereignty primarily focus on fostering good relations centered on trade, cooperation, and cultural preservation. That being said, I am vehemently opposed to nationalism. Perhaps I’ve mentioned it before, but I deeply admire anarchist ideals. History is filled with examples of fallen empires and states that grew too large, disrespected cultural and ethnic uniqueness, and attempted to impose nationalistic ideologies on diverse populations. In my ideal world, there would be no borders or states. While that’s far from realistic in today’s world, I firmly believe that large federations, such as the U.S. and Russia, can only prosper and maintain stability by respecting the diversity within their borders and allowing cultural identities to thrive. Empires- and in many ways, federations operate similarly- begin to unravel when they promote nationalism at the expense of cultural diversity. This is often the point where stability erodes, and the system begins to collapse. Just my opinion, of course.
Gökçe
2025-01-12 05:11:09 +0000 UTCEver thought of a special RWA episode on the history of Russian-Turkish competition? Its clearly central & thematic over many centuries. What would (did?) Galkovsky say about it?
Bill Daly
2025-01-12 04:54:21 +0000 UTCI really enjoyed this one. I hope rwa and patreon still exist in 15 years when we all discover that Russia and America were actually running a parallel plan to destroy all rivals and split the world up into two spheres of influence and hold down the Europeans, Asians, and Africans for the next 1000 years. Dissolve NATO and Russia and America will unite for the One World Army of the Unified North. That's not a very attractive acronym but we can iron out those insignificant details when all is won and under control. And thank you guys for inspiring this skitzo post from me!
Chris Hensley
2025-01-12 02:28:50 +0000 UTCLOL as a Turkic person who is quite aware of pan-Turkism and the so called 'Turan movement...' I have never ever heard these ideologies that the Turkic peoples believe they brought civilization to the world and that they are the original humans. Do you have any literature/sources for this belief or ideology? By the way, I have Tatar relatives living in Turkiye too and we have some Turkish people in our family. Never heard of this.
Gökçe
2025-01-12 01:13:05 +0000 UTCAwesome! Another show i listen to is going through the entirety of Solzhenitsyn's '200 Years Together' in hourly installments. Be interested in your opinion of that one. Although, based on your quick summary of the pograms in the last episode, it sounds like there would be much agreement on the details.
Chris Hensley
2025-01-12 00:30:22 +0000 UTCThank you RWA ( Nikolay, and Kirill ) For your hard-work and efforts.. Looking forward to this..
Garry H
2025-01-11 23:03:50 +0000 UTC
