BASHKORTOSTAN | Russia's Rebel Republic?

The start of 2024 saw Bashkortostan, Russia's most populous republic, erupt in violent protests, highlighting the growing unrest and ethnic tensions within the country. Sparked by the arrest of a local activist, Fail Alsynov, this surge of dissent was fed by the war in Ukraine and the disproportionate impact it has had on Russia's ethnic minorities. It has also led to renewed speculation about the potential for Russia's internal disintegration. But do the events in Bashkortostan really suggest that Russia could be on the verge of collapse?

Bashkortostan's riots have prompted many to question the stability of the Russian Federation, a vast country with a complex tapestry of nearly 200 ethnic groups and a range of religions, divided into numerous federal subjects. Named after the ethnic Bashkirs, a Muslim Turkic group, Bashkortostan is Russia’s sixth-largest republic by area and the most populous. It also has a rich history and significant economic resources. Having been an autonomous Russian republic - the Bashkir ASSR - within the Soviet Union, it became a Russian republic in 1992. At the same time, it changed its name from the Russian-language Bashkiria to the more Turkic Bashkortostan. Since then, however, the region has been experiencing escalating strain, with its autonomy being eroded under President Putin’s centralisation of power, economic exploitation, environmental concerns, and interethnic discord. This has culminated in widespread protests following the arrest of an activist, raising questions about the role of the Ukraine conflict in potentially exacerbating separatist sentiments in Russia.

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*VIDEO CHAPTERS*
00:00 Introduction and Titles
00:41 Bashkortostan and the Breakup of Russia?
01:28 The Russian Federation: Location and Population
02:28 Bashkortostan: Location and Population
03:35 The History of the Bashkirs and Bashkortostan
05:24 Bashkortostan within the Russian Federation
07:20 January 2024 Bashkortostan Protests
09:03 Responses to the Bashkortostan Demonstration
10:33 Is Russia Collapsing?

*SOURCES AND FURTHER READING*
Russian Presidency | Kremlin
http://kremlin.ru
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty | Tatarstan-Bashkortostan Service
https://www.rferl.org/TatarstanBashkortostan
Minority Rights Group | Bashkirs
https://minorityrights.org/communities/bashkirs/
Bashkortostan |
https://unpo.org/members/20885

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#Russia #Bashkortostan #Bashkiria