OK, now I understand how people in Moscow feel about Caucasians.

It's funny how it looked like a multicultural idyll when watching all the nationalities living together in the USSR, seemed like it was one big happy family. Clearly that was an illusion - maybe people were too worried about getting into trouble- and it was just the shere strength of the state that stopped things from getting nasty. But it LOOKED great.

As for what happened in the 1990s and onwards: It's interesting to think how much of the ethnic problems and wars are stirred up by foreign powers and how much is genuinely coming from the people themeselves.

And it's really sad to see how things have degenerated in the Caucausus and read of terrible poverty and misery in some of the old Soviet countries in Central Asia.

Russia is unique in so many ways, so there is no "formula" to try from any other country! Everything that happens to Russia seems to be happening for the first time.
In Western Europe, everyone has the same problems (to a varying degree) at the same time, and can look at what others are doing. But Russia has to figure out a solution to political problems that no other country had before, and that nobody else is really having. All the while the West is watching and complaining.

Seems that Caucasians are "Russian" in the passport only... a bit like the immigrants to Northern Europe who look, behave and think differently. History can't be made undone though.... Got to find a solution that keeps everyone happy.

Another strange thing is the existence of semi-islamic states in the Rusisan Federation, like Chechnya... (the Chechnya war is a mystery to me - I don't understand what happened at all.)

Why are there never any people from that region coming onto this forum?

What about people from Central Asia; do you think there is a problem with them too, or just Caucasians?

Would be interesting to hear what they have to say.