Volgograd Obama Times Two
By Sean at 24 August, 2009, 9:06 am
Joachim Crima was surely mistaken if he thought he would coast into Russian history as the first Afro-Russian to run for public office. Enter Fillip Kondratev, 34, technical director at the Volgograd construction company “Pyramid,” Afro-Russian, and newly declared candidate for mayor of the Srednaya Akhbuta. But being black in Russia is pretty much were the similarities between Kondratev and Crima end. Unlike the latter, Kondratev was born in Moscow province, Russia. His father was a high level diplomat from Ghana (who he’s never met) and his mother Russian. Moreover, while Crima may have been dubbed the “Volgograd Obama,” the title might be better suited for Kondratev. As Trud explains, “Fillip looks very much like Barack Obama: He’s tall, 6′3″ and fairly light skin.” Besides that, not much more is known about Kondratev.
Kondratev’s entry into the race certainly raises more suspicion as to the political veracity of the two Afro-Russian candidates. If anything, it will certainly add to the drama of the election, maybe even start a PR showdown. According to Andrei Shevelkov, Kondratev’s proxy, “Fillip did not enter the election to take the wind out of Crima’s sails.” Nah, he just happens to be another black candidate who just happened to run in the same election. Nothing suspicious in that.
Few are buying it. Nezamisimaya gazeta reports that some believe that Kondratev’s sudden appearance is the result of “black PR on the part of local administration’s team who are afraid of Joachim Crima’s popularity.” The team in question is the current district leader and KPRF member, Vladimir Romanov. Vladimir Kritskii, Crima’s representative, believes that Kondratev’s candidacy was a clear attempt to “split the electorate” and that his campaign will be “especially virtual,” that is at the “level of posters and pamphlets.”
As for Crima’s campaign, he’s not running on the United Russia ticket despite his membership. Instead, he’ll run as an independent. But his candidacy is not solidified just yet. He’s submitted the necessary documents to be on the ballot, but he needs to get at least 609 signatures before August 31. Given his global popularity, I doubt that will be too difficult.
It’s difficult to say whether anything will actually come of Fillip Kondratev’s future as Russia’s “second Obama.” Let’s see if he ever materializes. My guess is that he’s merely an apparition in the virtuality of Russian politics.
Popularity: 2% [?]
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I wonder if it isn’t CYA. If Crima, whose global popularity you note (pretty sure those signatures have to be limited to constituents though…) were to lose, charges of racism could be leveled. This way, they can attribute a loss to a split vote. Assuming this guy is for real.
The fact that Crima is a UR member but running as independent is interesting. Is that common? I thought that party affiliation was a pre-requisite for getting on a ballot. Or it used to be. Or is that only for federal races? Lots of people cried foul because they couldn’t get on ballots because the parties they represented were not officially recognized. Still, the whole point of having a party affiliation, esp. at the local level like that, is support: funding, backers, organization, etc. If he’s getting that from UR, it might be a moot point. But if there is another UR candidate on the ticket, opposing Crima, I think my brain will explode.
If I remember correctly, Boris Nemtsov didn’t belong to an officially registered party for his mayoral run in Sochi.
From the Moscow Times (http://www.moscowtimes.ru/articles/detail.php?ID=381276):
“Crima has complained of other forms of pressure. He said unidentified men visited him at home Sunday and offered 3 million rubles ($95,000) — six times his annual salary as a watermelon vendor — to withdraw from the race. All nine potential candidates are affiliated with or have expressed affinity for Kremlin-friendly parties.”
“unidentified men visited him at home Sunday and offered 3 million rubles ($95,000) … to withdraw from the race.”
Well if that isn’t incentive for people to run for office, I don’t know what is. I mean, for people who don’t mind withdrawing.
Lol. “They”, “charges of racism”, “they can attribute a loss”…
That story doesn’t make headlines. The way it was a top story once is different than it would be in the U.S. With the U.S. mindset, the event is important, because it’s an indicator of the level of racism in the society, etc, etc. But with the Russian mindset, the story is peculiar, because it did not happen before.
Nobody cares of racism here.
If you want to know how the real things are working, in all Russian regions with prevailing percentage of any ethnic group, the majority of the regional authorities are of that ethnic group. I.e., Chechnya is governed by Chechens, Tatarstan is governed by Tatars and so on.
With the U.S. mindset
Oh… There is such a thing?
Nobody cares of racism here.
Exactly, since not too many really recognize it for what it is. Another example from a recent interpretation job: after US side hosted a nice dinner for the Russian group, after a few goodbyes in front of the restaurant a black American (one of the hosts that just paid for the dinner) walks across the street towards his parked car. One Russian (a very nice, cultured looking man) follows him with his eyes and says to other Russians: oh he will just climb a tree and sleep. Roaring laughter.
Of course, racists never care about racism.
Cyrill, again, I don’t know. Personally, I don’t consider the matter any important, because during my life I did not happen to meet or talk to a person of African race.
Of course, if I come to the U.S. or Africa, I would recognize and respect the local customs — as would be the case with any different country or society.
Sean:
Imho, there’s quite a fascinating recent story of Crystal Callahan living and working in Chechnya:
http://checheninfo.ru/artikles/interviyinfo/444-krisstal.html
What can’t be said about Asians, hovewer. I met quite a number of Asian looking people. They included both native Russia’s and foreigners from Vietnam, China, and I had quite friendly relationships with them. So I think I don’t have to worry about misbehaving when meeting an African person for the first time.
Cyrill: Your hint that I’m a racist is quite uncivil. I respect people I contact with, and don’t ever make their race an issue.
Evgeny, рубашка горит? Actually, I did not say anything specific about you. However, I was thinking along these lines, since you somehow think that it is just fine and dandy that as you say, Tatarstan is governed by Tatars. That mindset precludes non-Tatars from fully participating in civil society of the place of their residence. This mindset breads ethnic based segregation. It is not vulgar racism I often hear from Russians, but I am not sure this intellectual approach to segregation is any better in the long run.
Cyrill. I actually think you don’t need me to expand your view on how the U.S. is good and advanced, and Russia bad and retarded.
After all, that’s the only sort of idea you are seemingly able to produce.
Of course, I understand, what are you doing. You are provoking me with the intent to make fun of whatever I say. But I’m not that stupid to engage in talks with a person with clearly hostile intentions.
I specially studied European reports about the situation with ethnic minorities in Russia, and I know Europeans are of a very high opinion about how the system works in Russia.
Who is interested, can follow:
https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=846655
off-topic
5 years ago, on September 3d, 2004
http://www.reyndar.org/september-3/