For centuries, the Russian Empire has not only sought to conquer territories but also entire peoples — their identities and their futures. Moscow’s state ideology has never been built on voluntary unity, but rather on force, assimilation, and ethnic oppression. While the collapse of the Soviet Union formally altered the framework, the core policy remained unchanged: the destruction of national self-awareness among non-Russian peoples. Wars in the Caucasus, cultural suppression in Central Asia, occupation and genocide in Ukraine, and repression against Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg — all of these are tangible expressions of Kremlin chauvinism. Russia systematically implements state violence not only abroad, but also within — against Tatars, Chechens, Buryats, Yakuts, and other ethnic groups. This is not an imperial union — it is internal colonialism, and this model is nearing its end.
Russia – A “Civilization” Built on Tyranny
Speaking to APA, Ukrainian political analyst Valeriy Dimov — whose country has been labeled a “brotherly nation” by Moscow but subjected to systematic repression and assimilation — exposed the occupation, massacres, and acts of ethnic cleansing carried out by the Kremlin regime in Ukrainian cities.
According to him, Russia’s full-scale military aggression against Ukraine is a bloody continuation of the chauvinistic and aggressive state ideology Moscow has cultivated for centuries. “The philosophy of Russian statehood is based on denying others, forcibly assimilating them, and ultimately destroying those who do not submit. This is why Russia is not only conducting war in Ukraine but is waging a campaign of ethnic and cultural erasure across the region — in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and even within its own borders. First and foremost, we must recognize that the current political entity known as ‘Russia’ is not a nation-state in the classical sense. The Russian population cannot answer the fundamental question: ‘Who are we?’ Even the concept of a ‘Russian people’ is fictional and ambiguous. In reality, dozens of ethnicities — Yakuts, Tatars, Bashkirs, Buryats — are being stripped of their national identities under the dictates of a chauvinist center. What they call the ‘Russian’ identity is actually a model of a Russified, collectively obedient society. Russian history is rooted in the idea of ‘salvation.’ Portraying themselves as defenders of Orthodox and Slavic civilization, the Russians have transformed these identities into political and ideological tools. Claiming to be Slavic, they slaughtered Poles; claiming to be Orthodox, they murdered Georgians and Ukrainians. Even nations with the same religion and ethnic roots have been deemed ‘unacceptable’ simply because they differ from Russians. This is a vivid illustration of the ideology of ‘differentiated violence’ that lies at the heart of Russian statehood.”
Ukraine’s “Stolen History”
Dimov further argued that Russia’s hatred for Ukraine is not merely political or strategic — it is also rooted in cultural theft and historical denial: “Russia has appropriated a significant portion of its so-called culture from Ukraine — even the Russian chauvinist Likhachov admitted this. From the time of Kievan Rus, sacred icons, epics, music, and literary heritage were taken from Ukrainian lands and presented as the foundation of Russian ‘culture.’ The theft of the ‘Theotokos of Vladimir’ icon, the Russification of ‘The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,’ and other similar cases are historical proof of this robbery. Russia has not only looted Ukraine’s land — it has also stolen its identity, its history, and its soul. The transformation of Ukrainians into Russified ‘Russian-speaking citizens’ is a social outcome of this ideological violence.”
The Raskolnikov Syndrome and the Ideology of Murder
Dimov emphasized that Russia’s state ideology is built on moral relativism and the glorification of violence: “The character of Raskolnikov in Dostoevsky’s novel — ‘I am not a trembling creature; I have the right’ — symbolizes this mindset. Russian policy is an embodiment of this philosophy: others are not worthy of life because Russian ‘rights’ are superior. This ideological foundation — the belief that ‘I have the right to kill’ — serves to justify the massacres committed by Russian forces in Bucha, Mariupol, Borodianka, and elsewhere. The objective is not merely territorial conquest, but the destruction of a civilization: its identity, morality, and future.”
Ethno-Cultural Genocide and Internal Colonialism
Speaking on the recent brutality against Azerbaijanis in Russia, Dimov noted: “The recent armed raid against an Azerbaijani family in Yekaterinburg — resulting in two deaths, nine arrests, and a court process marred by pressure and humiliation — is not just another example of Russia’s systematic ethnic cleansing policy, but a continuation of it.
“These are not isolated incidents. They are the direct outcome of the Kremlin’s centralized, chauvinist, and violently anti-non-Russian policy. Russia applies cultural and physical repression not only abroad, but also within its own borders. Non-Russian peoples are the first targets of the Russian security apparatus. In Tatarstan, Dagestan, Buryatia — young men are forcibly conscripted into war, national languages are suppressed, cultures are erased. Though the Moscow regime tries to unify this multiethnic empire under the ‘Rossiyanin’ identity, this essentially means the eradication of the history and identity of non-Russian peoples. The ethnic groups living within the Russian Federation are in fact victims of internal colonialism,” he added.
Geopolitical Failure and Internal Collapse
Dimov argued that Russia has already lost the war against Ukraine: “Regardless of its military strikes, Russia has destroyed itself on the civilizational front and in the international arena. Once regarded as a responsible nuclear power, a member of the post–World War II global system, Russia is now considered a threat to that very order. Once a stakeholder in global stability, it has devolved into a nuclear blackmailer and a violator of international law. This is leading not only to international isolation but also to a reckoning within. Peoples inside Russia are beginning to understand that this ideology of hate is destroying their future. The Kremlin arms these populations and uses them as cannon fodder — but sooner or later, the hatred will reverse. Buryats, Yakuts, Chechens, Tatars — all will become victims of this hatred.”
Russia – A Threat to the Global Order
The Ukrainian expert further noted that Russia’s support for separatism in Crimea, Donbas, South Ossetia, and other regions represents the real-world application of its doctrine of “we have the right to covet others’ lands.” “This is steadily eroding Moscow’s global influence. Russia’s waning power in the South Caucasus, its weakened positions in Syria, Libya, and the Mediterranean — all are evidence of the collapse of its imperial dream.”
Russia – An Empire Consumed by Its Own Hatred
Dimov concluded that Russia’s state model is built on hatred, violence, and forced assimilation: “This hatred is like a furnace — one in which peoples are burned. But one day this furnace will turn everything inside to ash. The violence directed at others will inevitably rebound — and when it does, Russia will implode from within.
Today, the world embraces tolerance, multilateral cooperation, and respect for the rights of nations as core values. Russia remains the sole outlier — a civilization antagonist that openly defies and threatens these principles. But history’s law is immutable: no empire built on hatred and violence has ever endured.”
