28. Racism in Russia – how advanced is it?

The Moscow Bureau of Human Rights estimates there have been 110 xenophobic murders in Russia so far this year, compared to 74 last year. That's an increase in race murder of 33% in one year, and amounts to one race murder every three days like clockwork, week in and week out, with the lion's share of the killings occurring in Moscow - supposedly Russia's most advanced and prosperous metropolis. Nearly 400 others have been victimized by race-motivated violence without actually being killed. As Russia heads into a severe recession next year, its currency down 20%, its currency reserves down a third and its stock market down 70%, inflation in double digits and unemployment rising, one can only expect incidents of white-on-black racism to increase.