Support The Moscow Times!

Non-Russians Warned to Be Wary on National Unity Day

Moscow City Hall has approved requests to hold two nationalist marches in the city on Nov. 4. Andrei Makhonin / Vedomosti

As nationalist groups prepare to stage street rallies nationwide on Nov. 4 to celebrate Russia's National Unity Day, the leader of the advocacy group Federation of Migrants has advised non-Russian residents to exercise caution on the public holiday.

"We recommend that [non-Russians] take care on this day, that they stay away from crowded places, be careful at train stations, on the metro, and on intercity trains and buses," Muhammed Amin, president of the Federation of Migrants, said in quotes carried by the Interfax news agency.

Moscow City Hall has approved requests to hold two nationalist marches in the city on Nov. 4, gatherings that have traditionally trumpeted such slogans as "Russia for Russians."

One of the marches will take place in Moscow's southeastern neighborhoods of Lyublino and Marino, which are home to large numbers of Central Asian migrant workers. A maximum of 10,000 people are permitted to take part in the march, Interfax reported.

The second street gathering, set to host a maximum of 5,000 participants, will take place in the northwestern neighborhood of Shchukino.

Similar nationalist marches will be held in other large cities across the country, including in St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk.

According to Moscow police estimates, some 8,000 people participated in last year's nationalist march on Unity Day in the capital, 30 of whom were detained for covering their faces and chanting Nazi slogans, state news agency RIA Novosti reported at the time.

National Unity Day, which has been a public holiday since 2005, commemorates Russia's defeat of Polish invaders in 1612.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more