A new discussion club - Politcafe was opened within the framework of the project “Workshop on Human Rights” on 19 March in the Youth Art Theatre in Ulan-Ude. According to Radjana Dugarova, a moderator of discussion, its goal is to provide all interested citizens with opportunity to talk openly about urgent issues of social, economic, political and cultural development of the Buryat republic and neighboring regions.

The topic of discussion “Don’t want to wake up in a new Reich” was prompted by life. On 28 February a young Buryat man was murdered in Moscow by a group of neo-Nazi youth. Nikolay Prokopiev (28), a manager of Posevrobank was heading home when attacked by a group of youngsters who, according to witnesses “looked like skinheads”. Prokopiev tried to escape but the attackers overtook him in his yard and inflicted 31 knife-wounds.

The tragedy stirred the public not only in the Republic of Buryatia. Representatives of the youth Buryat Diaspora of Moscow initiated collection of signatures under an open letter to the President Putin in the Internet. The Youth Art theatre could hardly seat all those who wanted to express their attitude towards processes going on in the country. All participants left their signs under the open letter to the President Putin concerning the murder of Nikolay Prokopiev.      

For one night Politcafe unified representatives of different political parties, government bodies and NGOs: members of the Parliament of the Republic, representatives of the government, Buryat brunches of the parties “Yabloko”, KPRF, LDPR, Youth Guards of Yedinaya Rossia, United Civil Front, youth movement “Oborona”, Human rights movement “Erkhe”.

What is to be done for the sake of not waking up one day in a new Reich? That was the main issue of the program that gave the name to the whole discussion. The participants came to the conclusion that we should not be indifferent to our own fate as well as to the fate of the country. Responsibility for what is going on in the country is shared both by the government and the society. We should express our civil position on the crucial issues and make it heard by the government. At the conclusion the organization of the Buryat brunch of All Russia Anti-Fascist Front was announced and all participants were invited to an Anti-Fascist Rally that took place in Ulan-Ude on March, 24th.

The discussion on racism and xenophobia in the Politcafe roused a wide response in the society. After a slide-show devoted to neo-Nazi graffiti in Ulan-Ude the Ministry of Interior has organised a raid on the sites with signs of racist character. Some directors of institutions where asked to remove neo-Nazi signs from the walls of their buildings. A representative of the Ministry had a meeting with one of the organizers of the discussion club with a proposition of future co-operation.