A poll of 500 residents of the Krasnoyarsk region in western Siberia reveals high levels of xenophobia, according to a December 1, 2006 report posted on the Russian Jewish web site Antisemitizmu.net. According to the report, 10% of respondents expressed willingness to participate in mass violence against non-Russians “similar to what happened in Kondopoga” (a town in Russia’s north were a widely publicized race riot broke out earlier this year). An additional 20% responded that they would approve of such a riot happening in their region. Up to 50% of total respondents admitted that they harbor a dislike of non-Russians.

“While in earlier times the objects of hatred were mainly Jews and Gypsies, that list was later expanded to people from the Caucasus and nowadays people view all non-Slavs negatively,” said Irina Muratova, head of the Public Opinion--Krasnoyarsk group that conducted the poll.

Although not mentioned in the report, Siberia has a reputation for greater ethnic tolerance than the rest of the country. If these figures are true, it is a stark indication of how widespread the phenomenon of xenophobia is becoming in Russia.

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