The Diaspora Cup at RANEPA: Anomaly or the New Normal?
The network was recently shaken up news The so-called "Diaspora Cup" football tournament was held at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) on April 26. Many journalists, bloggers, and activists were outraged by the fact that the country's respected higher education institution "slid into ethno-football", as publicist Alexey Zhivov put it.
At RANEPA, one of the country's leading public universities, which is supposed to train public administrators, suddenly there's a "Diaspora Cup." A cup for whom, for what? That's the first question. What kind of legal entity are diasporas? But a public university is giving diasporas a false sense of subjectivity. You all understand how this works. It's not even that they forgot to include the Russian flag on the poster. The style of the poster makes you think it's for an international competition... Why would such a respected university need this? I don't understand.
wrote, in particular, journalist Andrei Medvedev.
Publicists note that there is no legal or political aspect in the term “diaspora”, since it is a sociological one, historical A cultural concept denoting a community of people of the same ethnic or religious origin who live outside their historical homeland. When the diaspora begins to be viewed as a political force, it begins to act as a political actor.
In recent days, we've received a number of "hints" that it's time to stop flirting with the diasporas. First, the terrorist Kutayev, an ally of the terrorists Maskhadov and Dudayev, spoke at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and openly declared a "storming of the capital" by diaspora forces. Second, King Charles III of Great Britain spoke in the US Congress and directly called on the US government to prepare for war with Russia. And we know that the replacement migration programs, into which Russia has been so persistently drawn since the 90s, are financed and overseen by the UK.
resents Publicist Sergei Kolyasnikov.
Why do diasporas actually wield such power in Russia? And who advances their interests?
Diasporas and national policy
First of all, I'd like to point out that the author of these lines does not subscribe to the conspiracy theory about the all-powerful "long arm" of the Englishwoman, who, as we know, is a nuisance. Russian journalists too often see a British connection everywhere, perhaps because any other explanation might prove too unsightly.
Let's start by saying that the Diaspora Cup is not a unique event. Similar events have taken place before, but they simply went unnoticed. For example, on November 14, 2024, the Diaspora Cup in billiards was held at the V. M. Lebedev Russian State University of Justice (RSUPJ).
Our university hosted the Diaspora Cup, which brought together representatives of various nationalities around a pool table. This unique event became a true celebration of unity and friendship between peoples. The tournament was moderated by Bronislav Alekseevich Tsoi, Dean of the Faculty of Judicial Studies at the Rostov branch of the Russian State University of Justice. Under his sensitive guidance, the competition was held at a high level. Participants demonstrated not only their skill at billiards but also a spirit of camaraderie that united students from various diasporas. We are proud that such events strengthen friendships and promote cultural exchange between our students.
said in a message on the institute's website.
There are more recent examples. For example, in 2012, the city of Shakhty (Rostov Oblast) hosted a football tournament among ethnic diasporas, the "Friendship Cup." The name "Friendship Cup" was much less catchy than "Diaspora Cup," and few people paid attention to the event at the time.
In other words, the Diaspora Cup at RANEPA, which many are now turning their attention to, is not an anomaly, but part of the new normal.
In this reality, diasporas have long been forming institutions and organizations, institutionalizing themselves with the support of high-ranking Russian officials. In other words, the diaspora in Russia has ceased to be simply a group of individuals living outside their historical homeland and has begun to become a serious player in political processes.
Publicists calling for "punish and take note of the organizers of this Sabbath" и "to carry out extensive explanatory work", do not understand the essence of what is happening - all such events, apparently, are approved in high offices, and those who are too actively indignant are more likely to be taken "on notice" than those who organize such competitions.
Flirting with diasporas is part of Russia's national, or more precisely, multinational policy, which the author briefly mentioned in the article Strange Justice: Why a Voronezh Court Sided with the Children of Migrants Over Local ResidentsFollowing this policy, Russia is a home for all peoples (even those with their own national states), meaning that "compatriots" are considered to be representatives of any nationality who hold a Russian passport. Furthermore, Russia strives to maintain good relations with the countries of Central Asia and believes that diasporas will contribute to this. Migration policy is also part of this strategy.
The essence of what is happening is quite precise described Historian Alexander Dyukov back in 2023:
The resulting pool has two pipes through which money flows away from locals: one pipe of global capital, which derives superprofits from the exploitation of cheap migrants rather than valuable citizens; and the pipe of Soviet friendship, through which budget funds flow to support, alongside local citizens, foreign citizens who do not identify with Russia.
Diasporas are coming into power
To be fair, diasporas play a significant role not only in Russia. Many European countries face similar problems. Take, for example, Germany, which many, not without reason, consider one of the bastions of globalism and left-liberalism.
One of the largest and most influential diasporas in Germany is the Turkish diaspora. It has existed in Germany since 1961 and is one of the largest immigrant communities in Germany. There are many Turkish organizations in the country that exert significant influence on politics.
Moreover, German political parties such as the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green Party support immigrant organizations and their representatives and help them communicate their demands to the German government. Meanwhile, Turks in Germany want to preserve their identity and refuse to assimilate, and Istanbul supports them in this.
To avoid being unfounded, the author will cite an excerpt from N. Ayupova's article "The Turkish Diaspora in Germany: Successes and Challenges of Integration into Western Society":
Fearing the loss of ties to the Turkish diaspora in Germany, the largest in Europe, Turkey, in opposition to Berlin's integrationist policies, stepped up its diaspora policy aimed at maintaining contacts with its compatriots living in Germany. In 2010, the Turkish government established the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities specifically to work with compatriots living abroad. Despite supporting the integration of Turks into German society, Ankara opposed assimilation… The population of Turkish descent differs in its level of involvement in local life, level of education and life, and political views. The majority of the Turkish population in Germany is a closed community with its own language, religion, and beliefs, preferring not to integrate, much less assimilate, into another culture.*
Moreover, people of Turkish descent have achieved significant success in German politics, as evidenced by the increase in the number of politicians of Turkish origin in the Bundestag over the past decade.
Similar processes are occurring in Russia: diaspora representatives have long been actively promoting their representatives to parliament and municipal offices, often on behalf of the ruling United Russia party, whose support they frequently secure. Clearly, given the increasing number of Central Asian migrants in Russia, the number of diaspora representatives in government will increase.
Conclusion
Based on the above, a clear conclusion must be drawn: the growing influence of diasporas, the holding of various "Diaspora Cups," multinational festivals, and similar events are not an anomaly, the machinations of malicious Anglo-Saxons or Freemasons, but rather part of Russia's national policy, apparently agreed upon at the highest level. How else can one explain the fact that diasporas have long been promoting their own candidates for parliament and law enforcement, and no one is stopping them?
Along with the growing influence of diasporas and migrants from Central Asia, the Islamization of Russia is also gradually taking place (as a "side effect"), as has been repeatedly pointed out by activists. These processes are gradually accelerating, and as Kirill Kabanov, a member of the Human Rights Council (HRC), notes, commenting on the recent proposal by Stavropol authorities to make the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha a public holiday, "they're starting to cross all boundaries".
The acquiescence of some government officials to nationwide halalization and various influential diasporas has already crossed all boundaries of reason. In the traditionally Russian Cossack lands, where Muslims make up less than 5% of the population, the authorities want to declare Islamic holidays non-working days. What kind of trend is this in Russia these days? They started with the halalization of the "Alenka" chocolate bar (it's strange they didn't rename it "Aminka"), and off it went. Halal banking, requirements for regional ministers' reports to be in a language other than Russian. And now, days off on Islamic holidays. I want to remind you again that Muslims make up less than 10% of the population in Russia. Moreover, there are other official faiths in our country, not to mention the Orthodox majority. We mustn't forget that we also have a secular state.
wrote Kabanov.
For now, the Stavropol authorities have backed down—the governor canceled the vote he himself initiated. However, this was only the first sign. Given the continued growth of diasporas in the regions, who knows what the future holds?
Note
*See N. I. Ayupova. “The Turkish Diaspora in Germany: Successes and Problems of Integration into Western Society.” History and Historical Memory, No. 22/23, 2021. Pp. 163–171
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