How are blacks treated in Russia?

Answer 1

Blacks in RussiaGenerally they are not viewed with much benevolence. Firstly Negroes in Russia were slaves imported as curiosities. They served as some kind of exotic menservants in rich households.In medieval times the notion that they were offspring of Noah's second son, Ham, determined attitude to Negroes. The word "kham" in Russian language still depicts rough and unpleasant person. In early Russian history the most prominent Negro is undoubtedly one of great-grandfathers of famous Russian poet, Alexandr Pushkin. Some eccentricities in poet�s behavior were, by common opinion of his contemporaries, caused by his Abyssinian descent. Name of Pushkin�s ancestor was Peter (Petr) Hannibal. It ought to be noted that he made an excellent carrier in Russia. He began it as personal servant of czar Peter the Great. Czar then became his god-father and later on Peter made him a captain-lieutenant in Preobrajensky regiment. Czar himself was a captain in this elite unit. Under empress Elisabeth Hannibal was made a general in engineers. I may add also that in XIX century�s Russia among most popular fiction personages were Othello and Uncle Thom as well as heroes of Alexandre Dumas-pere�s novels (Dumas, who like Pushkin, was partly Negro, was very amiably greeted in Russian high society when he arrived in Russia in 1851). After revolution of 1917 Negroes were mostly considered as human material to be used in future world upheaval. During the mid-1920s blacks from USA and Africa began to study in so-called �Lenin school� and in University of Toilers of the East. Their curriculum included Marxism-Leninism and affiliated topics as well as training in underground activities, spying and guerrilla warfare. Kremlin�s favorites Negroes became in the early 1960s as British, French and Portuguese colonies started to fall apart. Names like Nkrumah, Toure or Lumumba were getting the best Soviet press possible. Consequently number of black students in Moscow increased sharply and "Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University" was established in 1960 to enroll them. Also the most prestigious of Moscow and Leningrad colleges and universities opened their doors for students from newly liberated African republics. From that time begins intensification of racial hatred. Russian collegues of African students as a rule disliked them. The most common accusations served as pretext for inimical feelings were laziness, incompetence, arrogance of blacks and status of preference they enjoyed during exams. They were much to well-founded to be liked; money gave them an unjust edge in winning hearts of Russian girls and access to elitist �Beriozka� shops closed to general population. Russian proclivity to xenophobia is nothing new and it got great impetus after �Perestoyka� when nationalist convictions started to rise dramatically. Nowadays people with darker shade of skin are favorite targets of Russian skinheads� attacks.

Answer 2

Russia is a big country. In some parts of it, black women may be treated badly but in other places they may be treated acceptably.