The Russian diaspora in Switzerland walks a fine line
Some Russians in Switzerland have been silent since the beginning of the war.
This content was posted on May 5, 2022 – 12:17 PM
“Not all Russians are for Putin, and Putin is not all of Russia,” wrote a group of Russian artists living in Switzerland in one open letter.external link This is obviously not a matter of course. Reports of discrimination against Russians because of the Ukraine war are piling up in the Swiss media, and some social media posts even speak of a burgeoning “Russophobia”.
For example, a picture circulating on Instagram in March showed a student at an international school in Montreux who was allegedly beaten because she was from Russia. However, a call to the school revealed that it was fake news, propaganda. How is the mood towards Russians in Switzerland?
More than a third of the approximately 16,450 Russian nationals living in Switzerland live in the cantons of Geneva and Vaud. The cantonal advice centers against racism in Geneva and the French-speaking Swiss organization International League Against Racism and Antisemitism (Ligue Internationale Contre le Racisme et l’Antisémitisme, LICRA for short) have not received any discrimination complaints from Russians.
“That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” warned Anne-Laure Zeller from the Geneva Advice Center against Racism. It could simply be that this group of people does not know what the center has to offer or do not need help. “Experience shows that it usually takes a shocking and hurtful incident, such as a verbal abuse or repeated discrimination or micro-aggressions over a period of time, before a person turns to us.” like a headscarf the target of racism. Russians get involved.
Old Complaints
Anna, who didn’t want to give her last name publicly, comes from the Russian port city of St. Petersburg. She has lived in Switzerland for over ten years. The trained linguist is a member of an academic organization that organizes events on Russian culture and language in French-speaking Switzerland. No cases of discrimination against persons of Russian origin have come to her knowledge through this network. “Let’s be honest: Most Swiss people couldn’t tell if someone was speaking Russian or Ukrainian on the street,” she says. Many Ukrainians speak Russian as their first language, and even family names do not indicate a person’s origin.
However, other people of Slavic origin can sometimes tell from their accent whether a Russian speaker is from Russia or not. Any hostility expressed in Switzerland would likely come from people from the former Soviet Union. “But this has been the case for a number of years and not just since recent events. It is based on the complex history of the 20th century and the identity claims of neighboring peoples,” she says.
Ukrainians, too, may have reasons to feel and express hostility toward Russia. “For years, Russia ignored Ukraine’s existence as an independent country,” she says. “Some Ukrainians might not like Russians for that reason.”
isolated cases
Russia’s war against Ukraine can only have increased this antipathy. A Russian woman told SWI swissinfo.ch how she was violently insulted by a Ukrainian man on a tram in Geneva. This is one of a few isolated cases. Discriminatory comments are often shared on social media rather than on the street.
There doesn’t seem to be a systematic problem in schools either. In the canton of Vaud, only one case of discrimination was reported at a school in Coppet at the beginning of March, but the school management acted quickly and solved the problem. “Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, school principals and teachers have kept a watchful eye. The Office for Promotion and Prevention in Schools has distributed a document reminding staff how to deal with racist statements or violence,” said Julien Schekert, spokesman for the Ministry of Education and Youth.
In the canton of Geneva, too, teachers are very aware of bullying and there are several awareness-raising programs, according to Pierre-Antoine Preti, spokesman for the education department. “There are many Russian-speaking students in Geneva,” he says. “It can even help Ukrainian refugees to integrate faster.”
Cultural events suspended
Nevertheless, the war in Ukraine is worrying the Russians in Switzerland. Some private individuals have approached the Federal Commission against Racism and “raised questions about the cancellation of invitations to Russians in the cultural and sports sectors,” said Alma Wiecken, the executive director of the commission.
For example, the Verbier Festival of Classic Music replaced Russian conductor Valery Gergiev from his position as musical director, given his long-standing record of supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some institutions go even further: in Thurgau, a concert by the Russian cellist Anastasia Kobekina was canceled – even though she had spoken out against the Ukraine war.
For many people in Switzerland, such blanket condemnations make no sense. The Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, for example, announced in a statement that it does not discriminate against Russian music or Russian artists – nor does it call on them to take a stand against their government: “We are aware that Russians who speak out against the government not only risking their own lives, but also those of their loved ones. It would be naïve and dangerous to demand freedom of expression from those who don’t have it.”
A delicate balancing act
This is exactly the dilemma that many Russians living in Switzerland seem to be facing today. Should you now distance yourself from the Russian government because many people in Switzerland are expecting it? Or is it better to just keep quiet? Several requests for interviews to organizations that organize events for Russians in Switzerland – be it language courses, dance evenings, sporting events or cultural events – remained unanswered. Apparently the subject is too sensitive to talk about.
Some organizations no longer dare to hold public events. Anastasia Nicolier, who organizes and participates in social and cultural events for Russian speakers in French-speaking Switzerland, said: “Our organization’s events are held in Russian and attract people of different nationalities. We have decided to take a break for the time being. It is not just a question of political positioning – we find it inappropriate and tactless to organize festive events in times of war.”
The linguist Anna also notes a great deal of uneasiness because private individuals are suddenly being asked to comment on the politics of their home country. “A friend told me I needed to publicly distance myself from my President’s policies. But I never once voted for Putin and I left Russia when the political situation deteriorated.”
She has also been criticized for caring not only for Ukrainians but also for Russians — for example, those facing political persecution in Russia. “It does not mean that I am negating the situation of Ukrainians; far from it. But why do I have to take sides? Many people suffer from today’s situation; You don’t have to weigh one side against the other.”
preach unity
The Orthodox Archpriest Emilien Pochinok tries to prevent negative sentiments towards Russians. In the Exaltation de la Sainte Croix Cathedral in Geneva, one of the largest Orthodox churches in the Lake Geneva region, he preaches to Russian-speaking believers from over ten nations. “We are a big Slavic family,” says Pochinok, who himself came to Switzerland from Moldova 15 years ago. This unit is absolutely central to him. “We may be different, but we have a lot more in common. I want to emphasize this point.”
First, the community sent help to the Ukrainian border. Now she supports refugees in Switzerland. However, the situation is constantly changing, the Archpriest explained. “In the beginning, Ukrainians were all about finding food and having a roof over their heads; but now, more than a month after the outbreak of war, some many questions arise. “How could God allow this war? Why are Russian soldiers killing Ukrainian civilians?’”
Feelings of anger and hatred mix with the despair. In such cases he tries to find the right words: “We must not judge, we must not take sides, we must pray for peace.” This is not easy for everyone. During confession, a Ukrainian woman told him how she hated it when a Russian parishioner stood behind her in church. “I say: You have to be able to forgive. You have to look ahead. Every day is a gift from God.”
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