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MULTICULTURALISM IN RUSSIA: TENDENCIES AND PROSPECTS

Natalia Komarova

Abstract

The question of multiculturalism has been central to the political concerns of European countries during the last half of the 20th century. Such countries as Britain, Germany and France welcomed newcomers. It was a mixture of diverse ethnic groups mostly from their former colonies. These peoples have their own distinct culture and sometimes their own language and religion. At present these countries declared the failure of the multiculturalism policy and the shift to assimilation owing to a steadily rising number of immigrants in particular from Muslim countries. The problem of co-existence of diverse cultures is very important not only in European countries. Russia has the same challenge. It is possible to identify two principal causes that determine the situation. The first is multinationality of Russia (over 100 peoples inhabit it), the existence of national-territorial subjects of the Federation. The second is connected with permanent migration flow from the CIS countries. Russia’s immigration policy directed on attraction of immigrants is required to the country. Emphasis is placed on the fact that immigrants will be able to compensate the loss of the population and to decide economic problems. At the same time such a sizable increase in the number of immigrants, especially from the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, which is noted in the last few years in Russia does not contribute to the solution of demographic and economic problems, but it also leads to the emergence of new conflict situations between the receiving society and migrants.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2014/B12/S2.069

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