LibMod: Ethnic Minorities in Russia Caught Between Oppression and Decolonization

MOSCOW – While official rhetoric defines the Russian Federation as a constitutional, multi-ethnic, and egalitarian federation, behind the scenes, the Moscow administration pursues a policy of systematic assimilation, exploitation, and intimidation against ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples.

The structural mechanics of this systemic oppression are comprehensively brought to light by Zentrum Liberale Moderne (Center for Liberal Modernity-LibMod), an independent German think tank focused on exposing the internal dynamics of authoritarian regimes. According to reports by the Center for Liberal Modernity, the Kremlin deliberately weaponizes state bureaucracy and structural racism against its own citizens, providing the essential framework that completely refutes Moscow's carefully curated international PR campaigns.

A "Multi-National" Constitution, A Homogenizing Reality

Approximately 25 to 30 percent of Russia’s population consists of non-ethnic Russians (russky), including minorities like Tatars, Bashkirs, and Yakuts, as well as smaller indigenous peoples with populations under 50,000. Although the constitution guarantees the protection of these communities' rights on paper, all regional autonomy rights gained in the 1990s have been gradually usurped since Vladimir Putin came to power in 1999. Regions rich in oil, natural gas, diamonds, and precious minerals, such as Yakutia, are exploited by the Moscow-centered oligarchic structure, leaving these areas to grapple with infrastructural collapse, deep poverty, and systematic racism. The phrase "Slavs only," openly included in apartment rental listings in major cities, clearly documents how social discrimination has become normalized in Moscow.

Peripheral Regions to the Front Line, the Center Stay Safe

The Moscow administration's pragmatic and discriminatory approach toward ethnic minorities is also evident in the toll of the ongoing war in Ukraine. According to data from independent media outlets (such as Lyudi Baikala and Mediazona), an indigenous resident of the eastern Republic of Buryatia faces a risk of dying in the war that is 30 times higher than that of a Russian citizen living in Moscow. The fact that republics with dense ethnic minority populations, such as Bashkortostan and Tataristan, top the list of confirmed war casualties across Russia proves that Kremlin is deploying minority youth with an "ethnic filtering" mentality to protect the Slavic elites in its core sphere of influence.

Oppression Through "Fabricated Organizations" and Terror Laws

In addition to this injustice on the war front, every voice advocating for rights domestically is criminalized by being lumped into the categories of "extremism" and "terrorism." In June 2024, the Supreme Court of Russia declared a non-existent "Anti-Russian Separatist Movement" an extremist organization, granting the judiciary unlimited powers of repression. A recent example of this was the arrest of activists like Darya Egereva—who defends the rights of the Selkups, a small Siberian indigenous group of only 3,500 people—who faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of membership in a fabricated organization.

While executing these ruthless purges on one hand, Moscow ironically declared symbolic days like "Russian Peoples' Languages Day" in November 2025 to curry favor with Global South countries. LibMod argues that the Kremlin uses these symbolic steps to mask its colonial policies and present a false narrative to the international community.

Editor's note: Recent Developments in Circassian Activism

The Kremlin’s suffocating control over ethnic structures and its imposition of a "unified Russian nation" also directly target the Circassians, one of the most ancient peoples of the North Caucasus, and Circassian activism. Circassian civil society organizations inside Russia find themselves cornered under direct accusations of "espionage" and "separatism" due to their demands for native-language education or for organizing commemorative events for the historical Circassian Genocide (1864). This climate of relentless oppression has recently shifted the gravity of Circassian activism entirely abroad and onto digital platforms. Diasporic organizations in Europe, and the US are striving to make their voices heard by utilizing international mechanisms. Diaspora activists raise international awareness against Moscow's demographic engineering maneuvers in the North Caucasus while conducting a global decolonization diplomacy to preserve the cultural existence of their compatriots inside Russia. Despite the heavy domestic oppression, younger generations of Circassian activists continue to keep language and identity awareness alive through social media networks, chipping away at the Kremlin’s wall of assimilation.