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A personal (colonial) story.
I generally loathe disclosing anything about myself. And there isn't much to know. But my personal experiences interacting with the russians should provide some color for some people in the West. This is my personal story. 1/
I generally loathe disclosing anything about myself. And there isn't much to know. But my personal experiences interacting with the russians should provide some color for some people in the West. This is my personal story. 1/
First, some background. I was born in the KazSSR (Kazakhstan) before the fall of the USSR. As such, most of my immediate ancestors are from the empire, old or soviet. My paternal grandfather's family was wiped out in 1939 when he was a teenager. He ended up in an orphanage. 2/
My maternal grandmother lost siblings in the Kazakh Holodomor, Asharshylyk, in the early 1930s. My maternal grandfather fought for the USSR in WW2. He sustained heavy injuries toward the end of the war. He survived but the war caught up with him in 1964, when he passed away. 3/
My mother grew up without a father.
Despite the family history, I never hated the russians. I still don't. I simply view them differently than an average Westerner. I understand their culture and their motivations and almost no things they do surprise me. 4/
Despite the family history, I never hated the russians. I still don't. I simply view them differently than an average Westerner. I understand their culture and their motivations and almost no things they do surprise me. 4/
N.B.: Kapparov is my last name since birth. However, it wasn't the case for my father. He changed it to a more russian sounding Kapparov to fit in the USSR for better career opportunities and better general comfort of life. 5/
My family history is hardly unique, unfortunately. Pick any person from one of the former soviet colonies and it would be full of tragedies and misery.
Let me give you the most memorable personal anecdotes of my interactions with the russians throughout my life. 5/
Let me give you the most memorable personal anecdotes of my interactions with the russians throughout my life. 5/
Late 1990s
I grew up in a part of my hometown that was heavily populated by ethnic russians. So the local school that I attended had a predominant majority of ethnic russians and everything was taught in russian. Except for one subject - the Kazakh language. 6/
I grew up in a part of my hometown that was heavily populated by ethnic russians. So the local school that I attended had a predominant majority of ethnic russians and everything was taught in russian. Except for one subject - the Kazakh language. 6/
It was the end of the school year and the final grades were determined. Some people failed the class. They got visibly upset and started arguing with the teacher. The teacher, an ethnic Kazakh lady in her late 50s, was adamant and refused to change the final grades. 7/
The failing students, ethnic russians, resorted to loud arguing and upon failing to convince the teacher said two things: "Who needs to speak this choochmek language?" and "Kalbit." The teacher pretended she didn't hear anything. Those two strange words are ethnic slurs. 8/
January 2022
There were violent protests in my hometown. After a six-day communications blackout, I managed to reach my mother. She was alright but mentioned that there was heavy gunfire closer to the main square of the city. 9/
There were violent protests in my hometown. After a six-day communications blackout, I managed to reach my mother. She was alright but mentioned that there was heavy gunfire closer to the main square of the city. 9/
I had an acquaintance living close to the main square. I reached out to him to learn what was happening in his area. He is an ethnic russian man in his late 20s, born and bred in independent Kazakhstan. Let's call him Oleg (not his real name). 10/
In our phone conversation, Oleg tried to reassure me that everything was going to be fine by saying: "Don't worry, our boys are here, they will sort your mess out." Seems like a harmless statement but no. Three days before the conversation CSTO troops showed up in my hometown 11/
And when I say CSTO, I mean mostly russian VDV troops. So by "our boys" Oleg meant the russian VDV troops and by "your mess" he meant "your Kazakh mess." Apparently, he didn't get the note that he was a Kazakh citizen and it was his mess too. Interpret the rest as you may. 12/
February 2022
russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As a PhD candidate at LBS I knew that the school was doing executive education programs for Sberbank, a russian bank partially owned by Gazprom. So I felt like that relationship had to end and started a petition 13/
russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As a PhD candidate at LBS I knew that the school was doing executive education programs for Sberbank, a russian bank partially owned by Gazprom. So I felt like that relationship had to end and started a petition 13/
A few of my colleagues joined as signatories. However, I also got an email from my russian colleagues. They attempted to convince me how it was the wrong thing to do, how leaving educational opportunities for the russians was important citing the example of navalny at Yale. 14/
My russian colleagues also suggested that signing a petition to stop the war at change(.)org was a more reasonable course of action. I chose to ignore their email and never responded to them.
The visa-ban pushback from the russian "opposition" is not surprising to me at all. 15/
The visa-ban pushback from the russian "opposition" is not surprising to me at all. 15/
March 2022
I have a friend living in Moscow. In March I reached out to her to ask about the situation in russia and in Moscow. Before I tell you how the conversation went, I need to provide you some context. I know Lena (not her real name) since 2008. 16/
I have a friend living in Moscow. In March I reached out to her to ask about the situation in russia and in Moscow. Before I tell you how the conversation went, I need to provide you some context. I know Lena (not her real name) since 2008. 16/
We were close friends for a few years before she moved back to russia in 2015. She never struck me as a zealous ultra-patriot of russia with deeply rooted russian exceptionalism views. We stayed in touch and spoke about once or twice a year. 17/
On the phone call, Lena seemed rather indifferent about the unfolding full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Western sanctions. So I asked her why she was so stoic about the war. Her response stuck in my head: "Because we are russia and we will win soon." 18/
These are just three stories, two from this year and one from ages ago. 19/
I should also tell you about my interactions with russians abroad. To a non-native English speaker I sound American. However, the moment most russians find out that I am from Kazakhstan two things happen. First, they try to switch the conversation to russian. 20/
Second, their attitudes change. Of course, it is just my subjective perception, but it almost seems like they feel superior as expressed in their tone and body language the moment they find out I am Kazakh. 21/
Also worth noting is that the things they say generally change as well. It is as if they craft their messaging depending on the predicted expectations of the person they are speaking to. That's why I discard the "but I have a russian friend" argumentation. 22/
I hope this was at least somewhat informational.
The end. 23/23
The end. 23/23
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