#russian colonization

[thenuclearmallard]

Very important. Please read.

[irithnova]

hey ! You seem to know a lot about siberia so i have a question. When the russians conquered siberia, how much of the indigenous population died, i've heard that actually because siberia is for a huge part non-settled the natives were just overflooded by the russians kind of like in canada but i was wondering if it was true.

Also the cossacks played a big role in the conquest of siberia but i've seen people saying they were russian cossack which i find weird because i was always told cossacks were ukrainians and those who speak russian are just russified due to imperial russia policy. So i wanted to hear your thought because you look like to know about it

I hope it didn't sounded weird or arrogant btw ^^'.

Hey, thank you for this ask.

The Russian conquest of Siberia was a process that happened over several centuries, and it did have significant implications for the indigenous populations of the region. Historical accounts on the casualties can vary though, due to limited records at the time

When the Russians began their expansion into Siberia in the late 16th century, they encountered a diverse range of indigenous peoples. The interactions between the Russians and the natives were often characterised by conflict, disease, and displacement, which of course, led to the decline of some indigenous communities.

We must remember though: The impact of Russian colonisation varied from region to region and depended on factors such as the local policies of Russian authorities, the resistance of the native peoples, and the availability of natural resources in the area.

However, it is widely acknowledged that the conquest resulted in significant demographic changes and hardships for many indigenous groups of Siberia.

Siberia was indeed sparsely populated in comparison to its vast size.

However it's an oversimplification to just say that the reason why Siberia was flooded by Russians was just because Siberian peoples were sparsely populated and "non settled".

Further I have an issue with projecting concepts such as settled or non settled onto indigenous groups. The terms "settled" and "non-settled" are often rooted in a Eurocentric colonial perspective, implying that European-style sedentary settlements are more advanced or superior to nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyles, and during discussions about indigenous peoples, these concepts are weaponised against them to downplay or even justify their colonisation.

The Russian conquest of Siberia had devastating effects on the indigenous populations. The arrival of the Russians brought deadly diseases that led to a significant reduction in native numbers. There were conflicts and violence with indigenous groups, causing loss of life and displacement. Forced labour and exploitation also took a toll, disrupting traditional ways of life, and many indigenous communities were displaced from their ancestral lands, leading to cultural disruption and challenges.

Regarding the comparison to Canada's history with its indigenous populations, there are some similarities in terms of the impacts of colonialism, disease, and displacement. Both regions experienced significant changes to the indigenous populations due to the arrival of European settlers and the expansion of colonial powers. So yes, it's similar, but not in the way that you said it was (both groups indigenous peoples being "non settled" so that's why they were flooded/successfully colonised).

Regarding the role of the Cossacks in the conquest of Siberia, you are correct that they played a crucial part. However it was primarily Russian Cossacks as opposed to Ukrainian Cossacks.

In the context of Siberian conquest, the Russian Cossacks were an instrumental force in expanding the Russian presence eastward.

On the origins of the Cossacks in case some people are confused: The Cossacks emerged as a social and military phenomenon in the 15th and 16th centuries, primarily in the frontier regions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Grand Duchy of Moscow, and the Crimean Khanate.

Originally, the term "Cossack" (from the Turkic word "qazak") referred to individuals living on the borderlands, often engaged in various military and raiding activities. Over time, Cossack communities formed and theh developed their own structures and traditions. They were known for their horsemanship and guerrilla warfare tactics, which made them valuable assets for the expanding Russian state.

Cossacks were largely autonomous and governed themselves through a form of self-rule known as the "Cossack Host".

As the Russian Empire expanded into Siberia, the Russian Cossacks became instrumental in the conquest of the vast region. They were well-suited for long-distance travel and warfare in the challenging Siberian environment. The Russian Cossack expeditions into Siberia involved trade, hunting, and conflict with local indigenous peoples.

I need to make clear here that Cossacks were/are not a homogenous group. They came from various ethnic backgrounds, including Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians, and others. While Ukrainian Cossacks were prevalent in the areas of modern-day Ukraine and Southern Russia, Russian Cossacks were more common in the areas closer to the core Russian territories.

I'm also sorry if it seems like I'm teaching you to suck eggs here but I just want to make this clear:

There is a historical distinction between Russian and Ukrainian Cossacks, but it's important to understand that both groups shared similar origins and cultural ties.

As previously mentioned, Cossacks were originally formed in the borderlands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Grand Duchy of Moscow (early Russia). Over time, they developed different branches: the Ukrainian Cossacks and the Russian Cossacks being two of them.

The Ukrainian Cossacks were primarily based in the territories of modern-day Ukraine and Southern Russia. They played a significant role in defending the Ukrainian territories from various threats, including raids from the Crimean Tatars and the Ottoman Empire. The Ukrainian Cossacks established semi-autonomous communities with their own elected leaders called Hetmans. One of the most famous Ukrainian Cossack groups was the Zaporozhian Cossacks, who were based in the Zaporizhzhia region along the Dnieper River.

The Russian Cossacks, on the other hand, were based closer to the core Russian territories, particularly in the regions of the Don and the Volga rivers. They were instrumental in expanding Russian influence and control over the vast frontier areas, including Siberia. The Russian Cossacks were organised into various hosts (military units) and were involved in both military campaigns and other activities such as exploration, trade, and agriculture.

While Ukrainian and Russian Cossacks had regional differences and distinct traditions, they shared common cultural and historical roots as East Slavic-speaking people.

Note: terms "Ukrainian" and "Russian" Cossacks don't solely refer to the ethnic background of the individuals but rather to the geographical areas where their respective Cossack communities were predominantly located

As the Russian Cossacks ventured deeper into Siberia, they encountered diverse indigenous populations. Yes; the Russian Cossacks played a crucial role in expanding Russian influence and control over Siberia.

The Ukrainian Cossacks on the other hand, had very little involvement in the expansion into Siberia. The majority of their activities were focused on defending the territories of present-day Ukraine and Southern Russia.

So, yes. Russian conquest of Siberia did have a devastating impact on the indigenous populations. It was also primarily Russian cossacks who were involved in the expansion into Siberia, not Ukrainian Cossacks.

However, I do need to touch upon this. Throughout their history, Cossacks have also faced oppression and challenges under the Russian state. They experienced forced labour  and serfdom in the 18th and 19th centuries, losing their traditional freedoms. Russian policies of Russification aimed to assimilate them into Russian culture. Cossack rebellions, like the Pugachev Rebellion, were brutally suppressed. The Russian government also disrupted their communities through demographic changes and curbed their autonomy over time. 

So. In summary:

We can't put a number on exactly how many of the indigenous population died due to limited records.

It is an oversimplification to say that the "non-settled" nature of the indigenous peoples is the reason why Siberia became flooded by Russians 

The Russian conquest of Siberia was devastating on the indigenous populations.

Projecting European colonialist concepts such as "settled" and "non settled" onto indigenous groups ignores their unique ways of life and implies that a European "settled" lifestyle is superior to the indigenous "non settled" lifestyle and is often used to downplay or even justify their colonisation.

There is a difference between Russian and Ukrainian Cossacks, Russian Cossacks were the ones who were primarily involved in the expansion of Siberia.

Cossack groups themselves have faced oppression under the Russian state.

I hope this was helpful.

[nyxx-j]

Ghost is the type of mfer to sleep in such a wide array of things every night. Sometimes just boxers. Sometimes a pair of sweats. Sometimes just a shirt. Sometimes Toast’s shirt. Sometimes matching pajama set. Sometimes mix n matched pajama sets. Sometimes onesies. Sometimes a robe. Sometimes entirely nude. Sometimes the entire outfit he wore that day (shoes probably included too cuz he is a bastard). When Toast opens his door in the morning it’s a slot machine of What Will It Be This Time.

AND WHILE IM ON THE SUBJECT—

You know this meme?

Toast is the left and Ghost is the right. No I do not take criticism.

Listen. I would say they’re interchangeable. BUT. Toast is SUCH a honkshoomimimi mfer. Literally the most honkshoomimimi ever to exist. Laying in bed on his back, snoring and blowing the ball on his hat up and then it floats down to almost touch his face and he snores it back up again, feet sticking out of the end of the blanket. Honkshoomimimi.

AND ANOTHER THING—

I feel like Ghost has two (2) ways he sleeps every night and, again, Toast never knows which he’ll walk in on in the morning. One is the inconceivable “that can’t possibly be comfortable” position probably featuring drooling and snoring. The other is the damsel in distress dainty pretty princess sleeping beauty position. There is no in between.

[hussyknee]

I just want to make one thing very clear. Black and brown people, especially Muslims right now, don't owe white people for your allyship in racial justice. Not even those who are themselves systemically marginalized in some way. Not white Jews, not white queers, not white disabled, not white working class, not white poor.

Whiteness is the most lethal kind of oppression because it built the current colonial capitalist, imperialist world order. Every white person benefits from and is complicit in its systems in some way because white supremacy is global. Whatever marginalization has white people in it can be and is easily weaponized against the mellanated. When charged with your racist, exclusionary and oppressive behaviour you hold up Black and brown people of the same marginalizations as tokens. This is the only time they are ever visible; more often than not you profit off their labour, hoard their gains, throw them under the bus and make them part of your iconography for liberal progress points once they're dead and have no inconvenient opinions about your conduct.

This is why it's very hard for Black and brown people to take accusations of bigotry towards you in good faith. We also have a duty of care towards others but more often than not it feels like you want us to do what you want while holding a knife to our necks. Even when you don't do it directly, you issue demands like "if you don't do x and y you clearly don't care about my people and deserve the worst!!!" without considering for a moment that the full brunt of that policing will always fall on Black and brown people, because punitive justice exercises itself first and foremost on the vulnerable. If your demands for allyship carry disproportionate punishment for Black and brown people should we refuse, you're just on some power trip and never needed our help in the first place. This also obfuscates the needs and disenfranchisement of Jewish, queer, poor, disabled BIPOC and Global South people, especially because, without racial justice, few of your gains will ever materialise in their lives. It's always trickle down liberation for the rest of us.

Your allyship is supposed to be the work of conscience, a recognition of injustice and a drive towards privilege equal to your own. For white people, it's an individual reparation on your part. It is not an act of kindness, or benevolence, or a transaction that must be repaid in kind. The worst of us deserve the same rights the worst of you already have. That's the meaning of equality. If you're willing to let us get fired, deported, or brutally murdered for bad behaviour, then not only were you never an ally, you were also just waiting for the opportunity to use that weapon you claim you never wanted. There is no justice in an asymmetry of power.

[leroibobo]

vainakh tower architecture is a historic style of architecture characteristic to chechnya and ingushetia. they've been noted as far back as the 1st century, but most we see today were built between the 15th-17th. the towers are built with stone blocks, range from 10-25 meters high, and feature walls which taper the higher the tower reaches. they were multi-purpose, used as silos, residence, and fortresses. wealthier families usually had at least one built for their community.

these towers, located in niy, ingushetia, are clustered together because they were built for defensive purposes. the "pyramid roofs" are unique to ingushetia, but similar roofs can be seen in other types of caucasian architecture, such as in nearby ossetia.

[redjaybathood]

Honestly, this is such a great video about russian culture and how it is weaponized, how it corrupts. How russian imperialism uses culture, especially literature, to expand their empire. Even fucking Voltaire... Even him.

Please watch this, especially if you are NOT Ukrainian! Especially if you're Polish. The video has English subtitles!

[chrysocomae]

[willtheweirdrat]

You guys. Fellow leftists. I don't know if you get it but when you have two imperialist countries, one with a population of 140 million and one with a population of 330 million, you cannot put the blame on ALL the ~470 million people living there. Do you think the working class in those countries has any realistic power over what the government does? Do you think that the millionaires and billionaires and politicians do not hold the power? Like come on. You can be against war crimes and imperialism in a country without acting like every person living there is actively responsible.

[jnyfmg]

uhura and chekov are not really at all similar to my characters irea and sasha but star trek exists in irea 51 and she's a big nerd so she would make the comparison. and sasha's never seen american television so he's just like OK)

[thougts-of-xena]

• Wakanda forever, Líik'ik Talokan and Glory to Ukraine •

[ ukrainian girl's perspective of the latest mcu movie ]

I watched [ Black Panter: Wakanda forever ] recently, and I can clearly tell - it's gonna be my favorite movie of the long long time. It's an amazing, really good action movie, one of the most epic I've seen. I loved it so much to see beautiful cultures, and all honor to Chadwick Boseman's memory made me very emotional every time. Like those silent moments whole audience was silent too, almost holding their breath.

And the most important for me was character of Namor, his arc and whole point about colonization. This period of time, colonization of America and erasing cultures hurted me so deep as an autistic child with history as an interest, and now I can relate so much with all this stories as an adult woman of the nation fighting for independence [ and survival basically ].

In our National Day of Dignity and Freedom want to talk with you about it. Why it is so important for me personally, and maybe for many conscious people of our nation as well.

Not for trying to compare who suffered more through the history. It never was, and never will be my goal, this would be awful thing to do. But to share history of my people and explain why this movie and character affected me so much.

For short - though Namor despites human kind in general I hope he might be pleased to see our "let's burn colonizators to the ground" resistance after hundreds of years of oppression, when old 'mighty' Europe only saying they're conserned and "let's just calm down and talk everybody". Heaven knows we tried everything, we tried to talk so many times. Russians do not want to talk with us - they want to make us assimilated part of their country, or they want us dead. And we just want to be left alone and live our lives.

For a bit longer story - just look at this monstrosity of a country. Is this normal for country to be THAT enormously big?

You can say: - Maybe. And I will say: - Only if all subjects having equal rights, impact and independence inside the union.

But things never in the history of russian expansion was like that,  and im going explain it, and hope you will get it why  I have used word "colonizators" earlier.

I really wanted to write a whole proper article or essay about this, but I'm without electricity for most of the time lately. "Thanks" to russian missiles damaging our power plants. And it become really hard for me to engage in deeper research, to translate and put in here sources that wasn't originally in english.

So instead it will be more little history lesson with knowledge from my head, and little documentaries from other intelligent people, which I recommend you to watch to illustrate my point. Videos was made by ukrainan creators, so yu can trust them, english subs that can be turned manually if you open them on YouTube, I'm still not sure how this works here.

I'll mostly use history of my country as an example since i know it better, I feel I have no right to talk about other nations at their behalf.

So Muskovy [ USSSR and modern Russia ] is like adopted offspring of the Golden Horde.

Golden Horde expanfion, you can spot something similar already

It expands only to consume resources, erasing native people of that lands. Do you think small swampy peace of land it originally was had all that gas, oil and wood they're bragging about nowadays?

Do you think there wasn't native people in that land who was exterminated, exiled or assimilated so russians can use resources this nation had? They didn't even had a clear access to big water.

Muskovy was a small part of Kyevan Rus' on a distant swampy land, but it wanted more influence in the world, a clear access to the big water - Black Sea that we had, since they didn't have it and felt like they missing up whole worldwide trading and invasive wars party.

To do so they tried to get all the land for themselves. Kyevan Rus' then was successful and strong country of its time but had an internal issues [ muskovy as one of them ] and was struggling with every neighbor wanted to get a part of its territory.

Interesting story for another time, let's focuse on a russian part of it.

So Muskovy put their eyes on not only territories of modern Crimea, wich was their own country that days  - Crimean Khanat, but all modern Odesa-Mykolaiv-Kherson-Mariupol lands. But they can't get there easily, they need to concuer all the land, wich is not bad itself as it has a lot of coal, forest ant great agricultural potential.

But my people don't wanted to give it up so easily, wanting our territories back, wanting a safespace for our culture and history, so fighted with their lifes. This leads to more than 300 years of  [ - give me your land! - no. ] and after becoming an Empire strong enough to overpower us [ - give us our independence back! - no. ] cycles of merciless wars.

And than Russian Empire coming up with a time proved strategy. I don't know did they make it by themselves or sneaked a peak of it by older empire-sisters but they're using it til now,  evolving from Russian Empire to USSR to Russian federation like some wicked Pokémon.

And here's coming the interesting part with the videos I prepared for you,  grab some snacks and let's go.

The first one is about how russia tried to erase our language

This one about them them trying to erase our culture and replace it with a fucking joke.

And the last one is about creating an image of our people as angry, stupid and degraded, with THEM as superior nation above us, mostly in our heads.

They knew what they were doing and did that on purpose. They wanted make us ashamed of our culture, to separated us from who we are and mash into a faceless "brotherhood nations" with recourses to use.

Unfortunately - it worked, and worked very well as whole nation has an inferiority complex now, simpy denying ourselves. Feeling like its better to be associated with them, to blend in what they are calling culture, than discover our own one, that was appropriated, stolen or forgotten for generations, almost fighting for not to be lost forever.

So-called "big brother of ours" enslaved our people with serfdom, suppressin our attempts to embrace our heritage, to gain independence, causing artificial hunger Holodomor in 1932-33 also known as Terror-famine in Ukraine, or by repressions like Executed Renaissance. Our culture is still alive and kicking, but you can see there was not big room for blooming.

Those who they couldn't execute - they calling heritage of their own. For example Treasure Island animation, dr. Livesey from it internet loved so much not so long ago - it's actually ukrainian made.

They simply called russain everyone talented or famous from so-called union. They made sure it's almost impossible for you to pursue your ambitions as a scientist, artist or musician anywhere but Russia, so if you work in Russia you will be seen as and caled russian, no matter where you from.

No matter wich culture certain traditional attires [ vyshivanka or papakha ] dish [ borsh or chebureki ] or other heritage  like giorgian dance woman lezghinka russians calling their beryozka now, came from - it all claimed by them as their general [ stolen ] russian culture.

They did it not only to us. I told I wouldn't be speaking of other nations but just take a look what was done to Crimean tatars.

If you thought I made up my point about them wanting access to the sea VERY BAD

You may search on YouTube or TikTok how russians treating their neighbor "former soviet union" countries [ like Republic of Kazakhstan or Georgia ] when visiting them.

Like "you should be grateful we bring civilization to your land" and "your native name is to hard for me to pronounce, I'll just call you Masha, Natasha, Ivan etc." Ask people of other Caucasian regiongs about how they was and still treated till now, ask belorusians about their language [ spoiler - it is dying ].

Its so unfair, that now we are screaming at the top of our lungs to be heard, for people to see us the nations of our own, to just let us be and cherish our culture.

But our voices are suppressed by voices of our oppressors telling us to calm down and listen to them since they know the better way for us to live and solve problems THEY CAUSED. With no regrets or reflexia.

And world prefers to listen to them, praising them, insted of listen to people who was offended, if not to say violated, by them. Not only us, many other nations,.

After all i said this story may sound familiar to black people, indigenous people of America, people of other colonized countrie - because IT IS.

Or you may say to me:

- I'ts just white's business, mind it on your own.

Ok, though its not very correct statement, but I'll take it for now. Let me show you this video, then - Russia is literally colonizing African countries right now for their woods. They won't stop. They simply don't want to, still thinking imperial way.

             •••• ••••   •••• ••••   •••• ••••

Thank you for reading all of this to the end.

My point here was not to make this movie and other people's trauma about my people, to take it away from you. This is YOUR history and YOUR experience.

I'm writing this not to impose ourself in your place, not to say that we can completely 100% clearly understand what are you feeling. I just wanted to share what are going through, to show why this movie in general and Namor in particular is so important and precious to me as.

I feel like he was right all along, just like us wanting nothing other than protect his land and people. Time is now for Ukraine and someone has to end this monster, burn those russian world | peace* they bringing everywhere they go, and we'll not hasitate.

* in russian there's one world for this term, basically it means "coercion some country to peace by violence and propaganda for expantion through the world"

I think it's really important to point some serious issues in movies like that. You may not like the movie, or actors or else, I respect that, but it's social commentary, it's impact you can't overestimate.

I believe some nations should be pointed at this on and on and on like "yes, YOUR nation did it. Yes. Yes it did. It's part of your history and responsibility is not going anywhere. Your way of thinking now is a part of the problem! Take it, rethink it and work it out,  like a mature nation should".

I believe that we can overcome this trauma, educate people [ though some of them may use the Clockwork orange therapy instead ], and in some time make world a better place without all this shit.

I've seen [ Wakanda forever ] two times at theaters already and I'm planning to go for it again. I want it to make a good income, I want corporations see at least financial benefit of educating people, of making an empathy gap smaller.

I want them to seek profit in making a good culture and history representation, to give voice for this people to talk to a wider group of people - its freaking Marvel, after all. To educate and unite those who suffering with generational and colonial trauma.

For example after "Encanto" someone might catch themselves wondering - who was those people that attacked Abuelas village and why would they do that?

Like "The Woman King" left me shaken . Movie may not be 100% historically accurate, as I'm aware, but it was good as the work of art, it showed culture, tradition, and the tragedy. It really drove me to this culture, I hope many people as well wanted to know more, and more.

Simple wandering who K'uk'ulkan may originally be, what a meaning his figure may originally have, may lead people to more serious research. To study, to respect and adore as this cultures in the way they deserve to. Like my childish adoration is booming and blooming now, bringing me so much joy, im eager to learn and resurch. I just hope books from my childhood aren't burned to ashes in occupied town where I left them.

And I'm only waiting for my salary to try to buy some books end explore world of Black Panter more. Same for comics in general - I was torn from pop-culture growing up, trying regaining this loss in past few years, taking friendly recommendations here, indigenous, POC or queer stories\creators is a priority.

I'm open for discussion, since my mind is a mess after this movie. I have so many thoughts, I love it - the movie and thinking thoughts -  very much.

We can also discuss how amazing it is to see celebration of any other than white european cultures on the big screen, how beautiful it is to see people of color on the leading roles, and black people in position of power through the plot. To show them as good and proud people, who know their worth, and will not tolerate any disrespect towards them. [ and how pleasing it is to see so pissed off people those empathy ends when starts conversation about the minority they can't associate themselves with. It's not about or for you, wolrd is changing, adjust a little, baby boy ]

We can discuss the messages from Black Panter movies that someone with the real power do not use it to cause harm, but the weak ones always seeking power to abuse the others. The message about loss and grief. Like now I have deeper understanding of our national motto "heroes never die".

Or we can share our love to Namor. As my sister told me after the movie - despite our shared thalassophobia we'd love be one of Talokan people. To have place then you'll be safe and secure, to have fatherly caring figure of K'uk'ulkan that always by your side protecting you, making sure that all will be well. Aqua papi? Aqua papa, por favor, gracias. And please - his little wooden house - isn't it adorable? Does his mother inspired him to make it? Does that mean his heart still have some little room for something from the surface? I don't need sleep, I need answers.

You can offer your theme to talk about, but if you coming to start some rude shit here - I'll not hesitate to block you immediately. Same goes for those who didn't like the movie as much as I did, I respect that, just chill out and pass by.

For the ones who read this to the very end - exclusive announcement. On my art acc I'll definitely draw my beloved feather serpent god, not once nor twice, since now it's a comfort character of mine and im going to embrace my urge for historicall, cultural and mythological studies as much as i can. But with some time pass. I have the ideas, now I need to gain some stability, mental at least. I'd love to share love for him with you, feel free to be my guest.

[thenuclearmallard]

[tonechkag]

Are you indiginous Russian, or etnic Russian? I'm asking this because I'm confused. If the former, then I understand. It's a shame Russians killed a lot of those tribes (a lot went extinct). But if the later, then I don't understand. You are now not part of a group, culture, and country that doas not view women as people, is about only vailenc in every form of it (phisical, mental, emotional, sexual, ect).

I mean Russians view wife beating as a form of love to the point that women who abendond it, and got together with non Russian men, were questioning if they partners loved them dou to them not beating them. Just look at Russia's domastic vailenc statistics, or how they say "It's a family value" about it. Or how there are up and running websites there, where they dox people who live there and part of the Lgbtq community, in hopes that they will get killed for it. Or what are they doing in Ukraine, and in the countries they went to. In Georgia Russians are openly fetishes the locals, whaile taking resorces away from them. Ask people from Ukraine, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, or from any country that Russia has a history with. They will tell you the truth, and that really nothing good, or usefull, or worthy come out of that country, that culture, and those people seince the Russian revolution.

Sorry if I sound rude, but I just don't get it, why someone would be proud of it, and call themself that.

I'm both. My mother is Russian & my father is Chuvash. I have never been ashamed of my Russian family & I never will be. Being ashamed of it & pretending it doesn't exist won't magically make the bad parts dissappear. I simultaneously have a deep love for Russia's rich culture & history while not ignoring the suffering & wrong that's happened along the way (& is still happening). Holding both truths at the same time is possible regardless if people believe it or not. In my humble opinion, holding both truths & acknowledging the ugly parts of one's history is necessary for genuine healing, progression & a complete sense of self. But of course, that doesn't mean we endorse those horrible things. We should use them as a blueprint to do better in the present & future. That's all any of us can do.

These days it seems like so many people can't see outside of this Black vs. White polarizing way of thinking. It honestly drives me insane.

There's not a single country that hasn't committed atrocities in it's past. There's not a single person alive who's ancestors haven't done some fucked up shit. Are you sending these types of messages to Japanese people? They were committing some pretty horrific war crimes back during ww2 like The Rape Of Nanjing. What about Germans? They were genociding Jews, Slavs & Romani. What about the Dutch? They killed a fuck ton of the Lenape people when founding New Amsterdam (now known as New York City). Wait what about the various tribes in Africa that have been at war with each other since time immemorial? Ever heard of the Volhynia Massacre where Ukrainians slaughtered & raped Poles? What about Turks? Mongolians? Chinese? Indians? Need I go on? Are all people everywhere supposed to hate themselves? Or is it just Russians who are expected to perform this masochistic self-flagellation to appease random people on the internet?

Take a long hard look at your own history before pointing fingers at others. You're bound to find a skeleton or 2 in your own closet that you're not proud of.

[ketrindoll]

Russian imperialism and colonisation as a twin to Western colonial culture

Translated from the original post written by Ukrainian historian Yevhenya Havrishenko. [While mainly focusing on Ukraine, it applies to all countries formerly occupied by Russian Empire, USSR, or Russian Federation.] It’s a long text, but worth the read if you’re interested in colonization and examples of it beyond Western states.

So there is this post-colonial theory. It is a theory that has been developed by scholars in post-colonial countries who are trying to revise the established cultural attitudes about their occupants. For a long time, this discourse was confined to a reassessment of the position of the former colonies of Western Europe, but guess what happened? A little spoiler. The research concluded and proved the colonial nature of Russia (RI, USSR, and RF are just different names for the same empire).

In this post, I will try to briefly outline the main colonial narratives that the metropolises imposed on their colonies in order to: a) justify predatory exploitation and b) keep the colonies docile by convincing them that this is the way it should be. This was when the "sharovar" stereotypes began to form, and these ideas spread. Transculturation (the replacement of an enslaved culture with an alien one) was perceived by Ukrainians as a transformation of themselves and increasingly used as a representation of themselves. The acceptance of a surrogate culture as one's own is rooted in stigma - if the stigmatized (in our case, those discriminated against on the basis of ethnicity) see that resistance is impossible, they try to gain secondary benefits and start playing along with the stereotype.

1. Exoticizing colonized space The colonizer traditionally depicts the colony as something exotic, fantastic, highly romantic, and even erotic. Everything that happens there is exalted and overly emotional and fun. The purpose of colonized culture is to entertain the white master with a safari helmet, and therefore, it should not be overloaded with content. Bright, unpretentious, and silly "so as not to disturb the authorities with its sophistication," and, God forbid, if it leads to complexity. In our case, a striking example of this is, unfortunately, Gogol's "<...>Little Russia", where Ukraine is portrayed as a place full of idyllic or fantastic adventures, jokes, and artificial villages. Because of their exotic nature, the stories were popular in St Petersburg's high society circles. The same can be said of the welcoming of delegations dressed in national costumes, with songs and soldiers. Many of the former colonies have something similar - local exoticism.

2. Objectification All colonialists describe the enslaved as a community that is not only non-subjective, i.e., lacking a will, but has never had one, and therefore needs the firm hand of a master and the supervision of a "truer nation." If you portray the indigenous as infantile and helpless, then it is easier to explain the need for colonialism, whereby the 'master' supposedly brings order and civilization and helps the immature to manage themselves. In Russian historiography, in whose paradigm we have been living up to now, there is a gaping hole between Ruthenia and the time of the Khmelnytsky uprising because it is striking to some people that we have had a wonderful life without the advice of the Big Brother. The stereotypical Ukrainian is either an apolitical villager who cares about his own backyard or a narrow-minded nationalist (in the sense of aggressive, not determined, liberation). And Russians, in the same Soviet cinema, have always been assigned the role of committee chairman, militiaman, and teacher. Because he is a representative of the government, who looks at a broader context, thinks more globally, and is a representative of the "statist" and "mature" people, who are paternally concerned about the interests of the whole empire.

[The same was done to Lithuania. Lithuanian Grand Duchy achieved statehood earlier than Russia, went through Renaissance with all of its ideals, unlike Russia, and was a large and powerful central Europe nation. However, during the Empiric and Soviet occupations, Russia tried to erase that history. Present Lithuania’s past as flawed and corrupt, or inherently Polish and thus not national at all.]

3. Cruelty, chaos, and reservoir of the colonizer's fears The general tendency of colonizers when describing the indigenous population is to attribute savagery and cruelty along with infantilism. If the former is always well-adjusted, highly educated, rational, and truthful, the enslaved is the embodiment of the local devils, who are frightening, elemental, irrational, dark, superstitious, villainous, hostile, cunning, and lustful. Despite the generally accepted canon of witty, good Ukrainians who will eat dumplings and sing a song, Russian propaganda has always been full of horror stories about Petlirovtsy/Banderovtsy/Azovtsy, who is a threat to the civilian population that must be 'saved' from everyone. Gogol's evil spirit also comes under this heading because the colony is a 'demonic' place that can only be cleansed by the 'blessing' of the emperor's boot.

[During Soviet occupation, national resistance to occupation and guerrilla warfare in Lithuania was depicted as a vile bandit movement, who assaulted civilians and only wanted money. That belief was so strong, a lot of people born between 1940 and 1980 still believe in it. There is proof that NKVD - later renamed KGB - officers and local collaborators would dress up as guerrilla fighters to terrorise rural populace in order to extinguish support.]

4. Primitivity Of course, the culture of a colony must be more primitive than that of a colonist, and it doesn't matter if this is true. This thesis is the basis for the many prohibitions against modernising Ukrainian culture on its own ethnic basis. By introducing various rules and orders and by artificially preserving it in an archaic, censored, castrated folklorism on a social-domestic level. As a result, the best representatives of science, art and culture have been repressed for centuries, and simulacra have been created in the form of various unions and collectives which were supposed to control the development of culture, preventing it from overstepping the set boundaries. Is it really worth wondering at the vast amount of literary works about serfs, the obsession of theatre, choral and dance groups with domestic and rural themes, as this was all that was allowed, and anything that was created that was different remained outside the law? The Ukrainian was to be portrayed as something parochial, rustic, without glamour, manners and high culture, which only opened up through the mediation of the elder brother and the master. Slavist Eva Thompson refers to the terminological appropriation of one culture (the colony) by another (the colonist) as a distinct feature of Russian colonialism - a stabilization method that consists in the regular, systematic, and purposeful incorporation of the "25th frame" into mass culture. That is to say, by inserting hidden narratives that Russians are civilizationally superior to the people of the national republics of the empire and that they are capable of doing everything better. These were unobtrusive messages, allusions, and comparisons, often deliberately distorted and completely false, disseminated through films, television programs, magazines, textbooks, fiction, and the like, where Russia, Russians, and Russian culture were elevated, and local culture was presented as inferior, provincial and backward.

[Despite Lithuania having theatres, operas, and Universities centuries before Russia did, Soviet occupiers tried to present themselves as givers of high art and culture. As a teacher of all that is culturally superior. To this day, we are reminded, sometimes by fellow Lithuanians who grew up with this propaganda, that they built us hospitals and schools - regardless of the fact that we had those before they came and many they destroyed while annexing us. Even earlier, during the Empire’s occupation, Russians closed our University, which was one of the beacons of Enlightenment in Europe - the Metric system originated in Vilnius. During the 50-year era of Soviet occupation, the idea that Lithuanian national identity was kept alive purely by serfs and farmers got planted into the national psyche, with many folklore festivals and museums originating specifically during this period of time. So many of our writers and scientists were denied submissions for Nobel awards as well.]

5. Deprivation of ownership rights to national history As in the case of Orientalism as described by Said, the Russians have not given up trying to prove that the local ancient culture, which, as in the case of the Eastern Europe and Ukraine, is older and more pronounced than the culture of the colonizer, is more likely to be the cradle of their own culture than that of the Ukrainian. The local population is not allowed to identify itself, and in films, cartoons and fiction, medieval Ruthenia is portrayed only as Russian. Ancient artefacts are plundered to appropriate and represent their own culture, while Ukrainian history is uprooted all the way back to the Enlightenment and presented as lacking a serious tradition of statehood, aristocracy and politics.

[Lithuanian royal palace and Vilnius Museum of Antiquities had a large collection of artwork by history’s most renowned artists, as well as archeological artifacts. Lithuanian nobleman Tyshkevich had the largest collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts - all collected decades before Carter and with official permits from the local officials - which he donated both to local Museums, the Louvre, and other notable places. All that was in Lithuania disappeared during WWII - stolen by both Nazis and Soviets alike, likely taken to Russia, never to be returned or sold by looters.]

Russia's national policy in Crimea was similar but with some differences. For several centuries, the indigenous population of the peninsula has been orientalized and humiliated, discriminated based on their religion, Islam. Most of the indigenous population were exiled from their homeland or forced to emigrate to save their lives, even during the Empire era. After the Bolshevik occupation and annexation by the USSR, despite a brief period of so-called "indigenization," Soviet policy reverted back to what D. Brandenberger calls "Russocentrism". The Crimean Tatars were expelled from Crimea and replaced by Russians and later by loyal Ukrainians, who finally established the peninsula as a colony. Crimea was turned into a cauldron of nationalities in which absolute supremacy was given to the Russians and Russian culture, from which a new type of identity was to be born: the Soviet man. As a result, the descendants of the settlers developed a separate local identity and, through the mediation of birthright, could already claim this territory. As you can see, the indigenous peoples of Crimea were not even left with the option of a kitsch culture but were simply wiped off the face of the earth.

[USSR did the same to the Baltic states, replacing whole families exiled to the Siberian wilderness to die with the Russian population, most moving into the houses of exiled people, with their belongings still left there. Russian Federation is doing this to Ukrainians nowadays, where locals are replaced by Russians who then participate in “referendums.”]

Whatever name it picks over the years, Russia has always been a colonizer. An Empire of Evil that plagues its neighboring states. Equally genocidal, equally cruel as its Western counterparts. And while many Western states are now moving towards a reevaluation of their history, presenting it in a negative light, Russia never did. Russia invaded Ukraine on that same false pretense that Ukraine is “theirs.” You cannot support Russia or its culture without also being pro-colonialism and pro-Imperialism.

[hussyknee]

Yo, wanna thank you for your support for us. Unfortunately racists are everywhere, and I honestly try and cut that shit out of people, but can't stop everywhere on the internet.

You don't have to thank me, you shouldn't be going through any of this shit in the first place. Lmao if our entire race of people had to stop being problematic in order to deserve help and human rights, we would all be toast. The brainrotted should pretend that other people and places are also like the USA – made up of diverse individuals and communities instead of a hivemind.

Real talk – I fully expected Ukraine politics by and large to shift to the right, because that's literally what happens when there's a war. It's why the Global South is mess – colonization is traumatic and destabilising, which breeds fundamentalist violence and paranoia. The US became hypernationalist af and spent 20 years attacking an entire population because of just one attack. If you call yourself anti-colonial, it's a fucking requirement to understand that people under threat become reactive, militaristic and hypernationalist. It's not human to expect otherwise, and it's fundamental to understanding the creation of the Global South, and the internal violence of minority communities in the Global North. That's why I was pretty disturbed last year by the "Ukraine army has to disavow its white supremacist battalion first" and its counter that the Ukrainian army is unproblematic really. It's so fuckin out of touch with the reality of war. Bro, the country is getting blitzed to hell, people are dying, its all hands on deck, literally anybody that shows up to help is your new best friend, anybody that gets in the way is an enemy. I grew up in a war, we have Aryan supremacists running the country right the fuck now thanks to the Easter Sunday bomb blasts, I have bloody lived this reality my entire life. That doesn't mean my country is only full of Aryan supremacists, it means it's full of their victims, and it means my people, all my people, even the shit ones, need help. If you're only gonna show up for us if we're pure as driven snow, you're an oppressive piece of shit contributing to the colonial power matrix. The right to live free is not contingent on being "deserving", it's intrinsic to being human.

You want racists and fascists to not get a foothold in a country? Then help make it safe to live in.

[the-restisconfetti]

ruzzian liberals starter pack (x)

[redjaybathood]

Why Belarusians speak Russian

Video has subtitles, you can use auto-translate to English.

I'm not even from Belarus, the Belarus government currently helps Russia to invade my country, and a good chunk of people there... they're not all Belarusian partisans, so to speak. But this makes me feel rage.