Torsello, Davide - Pappová, Melinda: Social Networks in Movement. Time, interaction and interethnic spaces in Central Eastern Europe - Nostra Tempora 8. (Somorja-Dunaszerdahely, 2003)
Interaction, migration and change
Race and social relations 257 exploring questions of informal exchange and social relations. The relationships that have developed between volunteers and recipients are unintended results of the CCM congregation’s relief efforts. Current legal restrictions on the presence and role of foreign religious communities in Russia have curtailed the extent to which members of foreign denominations can meet and practice their faith. Although the CCM congregation is to some extent exempt from these limitations because it is sponsored by the embassy of a Western country, church members carefully maintain good relations with local officials by vowing not to proselytize in Moscow and not to conduct services or other events in Russian. In particular, church staff has endeavored to separate the day-to-day operations of the soup kitchens from the interests and general business of the congregation. The success of the CCM food aid program depends on the ability of the congregation to distance itself from the rest of Moscow society. Thus, even as CCM staff praise the relationships that have developed between volunteers and recipients, they do not actively facilitate them. Before proceeding further in this essay, I must offer a qualification. It is not my intent to initiate a discussion that would lead readers to conclude that I am arguing that racism is a universal feature of Russian culture; nor do I mean to suggest that all Russians are racist or condone discrimination against minorities. At the same time, I do not want to minimize the experiences of Africans and other minorities in Russia. During the period that I have conducted research in this food aid community (1997-2002), many African members have endured horrendous attacks. Close friends have been stabbed, beaten, threatened, and have suffered permanent disabilities such as recurring headaches, partial blindness, and loss of teeth, among other injuries. Even though such actions do not represent the beliefs of all Russians, racist and nationalist views have attracted a growing number of followers in recent years; and public attacks against dark-skinned individuals have increased.5 On
