Russian nationalists in the Komi Republic: a case study of the Frontier of the North

Abstract

The article examines some generic traits of the “new” Russian ethnic nationalism, namely, de-ideologization of the nationalist milieu and its inclination for civic activism. It results from a case study of the Frontier of the North (FN – Syktyvkar), an ideologically ambivalent organization that combines dual Russian/Komi ethnic nationalism, anti-migration sentiments, white racism, and fragments of other ideologies. The article demonstrates that, unlike nationalists of the previous generation, FN is not hostile to public authorities and is ready to cooperate with them. FN’s grassroots activism, as well as sports and healthy recreational activities, attracts young people. The organization tackles the most acute social problems, often neglected by everyone else, and has become a working civil society institution. The authors argue that these tactics win the “new” nationalists sympathy among ordinary people and makes the groups politically stronger and more influential than the previous nationalist generation. However, state anti-extremist policy hampers the advancement of nationalists into mainstream politics.

Keywords:

• radical nationalism
• ethnic nationalism
• Russian nationalism
• Komi nationalism
• Frontier of the North
• extreme right

ORCID

Anastasia V. Mitrofanova http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4123-0550

Notes

1. In 1989 Kolegov graduated from the Syktyvkar Agriculture College as an agronomist; in 2004 he finished a distance-learning program in management at the Komi Republican Academy of State Service and Administration. Biographical information may be found at his VKontakte page: https://vk.com/id73148743 (last accessed 25 October 2015).

2. Bukahntsev claims to have written “30 volumes” of philosophical and fiction works, but so far has only one publication, a collection of science fiction stories. He also multiplies some of his treatises by copier, does not use a mobile phone or computer, and walks everywhere in Syktyvkar.

3. http://kolegov-a-o.livejournal.com.

4. Official web site: http://otkrovenie.umi.ru.

5. http://civilpatrol.info.

6. Official web site: http://komikz.ru.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Council of Norway [grant number 220599], a research project “Nation-Building, Nationalism and the New ‘Other’ in Today's Russia (NEORUSS).”