The Ethnic Group That Has Been Fighting For Independence From Russia

Next, in Chechnya, following along the same lines of political conflicts as Xinjiang, just with a dose of economic and cultural for good measure, the revolution was brought about by the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. After the fall of the USSR and Russia losing its status as a world superpower, Chechnya tried to abandon ship, so to speak. They failed in securing their sovereignty, and in attempting it, caused both

Each dictator wanted to create “perfect” nations. The leader of Chechnya, Mr. Kadyrov, threatens those who disobey the authorities. According to an article in the New York Times, they were

This included coordinated uprisings, organized acts of desertions from the Red Army and terrorist against the Soviets, destruction of the collective farm system in Chechnya, and support for the German war effort. From the perspective of the Soviet government, the Chechens were undoubtedly enemies of the people.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Chechen-Ingush ASSR was split into two parts: the Republic of Ingushetia and the Chechen Republic. The latter proclaimed the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, which sought independence. Following the First Chechen War with Russia, Chechnya gained de facto independence as the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Russian federal control was restored during the Second Chechen War. Since then there has been a systematic reconstruction and rebuilding process, though sporadic fighting continues in the mountains and southern regions of the

Russia had rather horrible relations with the other surrounding major powers. The other surrounding major powers were Poland-Lithuania, Siberia, and Sweden. Russia’s poor relations with these powers is illustrated in 1581 when Ivan the Terrible conquered Western Siberia. After this there were continual increases of a Russian presence in Siberia. With the other two major powers, Poland-Lithuania and Sweden, Ivan started the twenty-five year war known as the Livonian War.

Although Chechnya has internationally recognized borders with 1.3 permanent residents, Russia does not want Chechnya to become sovereign state because Chechnya

     “For the Chechens, the years of exile from 1944 to 1957 tempered in them that steely national discipline…the memory of the deportation became the central defining event in modern Chechen history” (Lieven, 1998, p. 321). The deportation and exile of the Chechens from their homeland is important both because it explains, to some degree, the deep hatred for Russia and

Tolstoy's emphasizes deeply with the Chechen people as he details their suffering at the hands of

This area has been subject to genocide since the Second World War. Chechnya is a small region in the Northern Caucasus mountain range in southwest Russia. (“Chechnya”).

When discussing Russia’s demographics, it is important to note that it is the largest country in the world, ranging across 17.1 million square kilometers. Russia thus has many different ethnic groups, languages, and religions. Russia’s reported population from 2017 is 143.9 million which includes over 170 ethnic groups designating as their nationalities. Russia’s major ethnic groups are Russian and Tatar with their languages being the top two as well. As for religion, Russians are mostly Russian Orthodox or Muslim, and the 2% are other Christians. To top it all off, “Russia has one of the best mass-education systems in the world, producing a literacy rate of 98%” (higher than most Western European countries) (O’Connor), consisting of primary school, secondary school, and higher education.

The conflict between the Ukraine and Russia is the Ukraine's most long-standing and deadly crisis; since its post-Soviet independence began as a protest against the government dropping plans to forge closer trade ties with the European Union. The conflict between Russia and the Ukraine stems from more than twenty years of weak governance, the government’s inability to promote a coherent executive branch policy, an economy dominated by oligarchs and rife with corruption, heavy reliance on Russia, and distinct differences between Ukraine's population from both Eastern and Western regions in terms of linguistics, religion and ethnicity (Lucas 2009).

There are still concerns about the conflict in Chechnya. NATO condemns, in particular, Russian threats against unarmed civilians, such as those in Grozny. They also condemn terrorism in all its forms but believe that Russia's pursuit of a purely military solution to the conflict is undermining its objectives. NATO urges Russia to exercise the fullest restraint, to refrain from the use of force against civilians and protect their human rights, to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid to those in need, and to co-operate fully with international relief agencies and to ensure security for their

Russia 's history began with that of the East Slavs, whom only emerged as their own distinct group in Europe somewhere between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior and his descendants, the medieval state

Unlike the rest of Ukraine, Eastern Ukrainians have received more of a cultural and linguistic influence from Russia. The Ukrainian people are descended from the nomadic, free Cossacks. The Cossacks “neither loved the tsar not the [Polish] lord” and were a people totally separate from the Russians and Polish (Magosci 19). The roots of Russia and Ukraine reveal that the name Russia is derived from the word Kievian Rus. The Kievian Rus were Ukrainian people who had established Kiev, “the capital of the ancient Russian state” (ExpatRu). The name “Russia” was eventually adopted by Peter the Great many years later. The Russian-speaking Ukrainians have been influenced a lot by Russian culture; they have adopted the language due to the constant transfer of power between Russia (including the USSR) and other countries. Due to the lack of this knowledge, the rebels have successfully manipulated the minds of the Russian-speaking citizens into thinking they are ethnic Russians. The support the rebels show toward Russia has given them protection; Russia already seeks to expand its territory, so they completely support anything the rebels do. Historically, Ukrainians and many western Russians are Ukrainian; the arrogance the rebels have

In the region between the Volga and the Urals, the Federal Republic of Bashkortostan is placed. Its natural gas and oil resources have maintained this region always as a prominent region within the Russian Federation. Looking back to its history, Bashkortostan with a surface of 143,000 sq km and more than four million population, has been a significant region regarding its ethnic and linguistic diversities (Gorenburg, 1999; Grimes, 2000).