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On 11 February 2011 over 50 young men and women of different peoples
gathered together in Moscow's Alexander Garden to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
One month ago a group of ultra-nationalists organized mass insurrections in nearby Manezhnaya Square.
The mob beat up people from the Caucasus and chanted discriminatory slogans.
By their actions, they defiled the memory of people of all ethnicities,
who gave their lives for common victory in the Great Patriotic War.
That is why the participants decided to lay flowers, so that such things would never happen again.
Sultan, please tell about the action.
How did the idea emerge?
Sultan Togonidze, head of the Committee for Youth Affairs of the Russian Congress of Peoples of the Caucasus.
It was not just an idea. It was a reaction.
The actions of ultra-nationalists violate all the norms and ideological and moral principles.
People of many different ethnicities died for the victory in WWII.
Two of my great-grandfathers were granted the title "Hero of the Soviet Union".
The things we saw on December 12 shouldn't have happened.
Our young citizens infected by this pernicious ideology of extremism,
let fascism rejoice in Manezhnaya Square, next to The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,
the eternal flame and the Georgy Zhukov monument.
Such things mustn't happen.
We support the unity and self-identification of the Russian people, but we oppose fascism.
After the explosions of March 29 in the Moscow metro, we organized the rally "Islam against terrorism",
so nobody can say we are biased.
We oppose all the actions and phenomena destroying our state.
Asya Israilova, head of Russian Congress of Peoples of Caucasus press service.
Today Multinational Russia and the National Council of Children's and Youth associations of Russia
have gathered here.
These two organizations came to join the action.
Unfortunatelly, some organizations expressed their wish to participate in the action,
but eventually didn't join us.
I'd better not mention the reasons for their absence due to ethical reasons.
Members of some student organizations are also present here.
I hope that young people will never chant fascist slogans again.
However, other organizations should come, lay flowers and talk with veterans.
We mustn't forget about them.
They gave much so that we could live peacefully.
Nevertheless, some people want us to be afraid to come out of our homes, on December 11, for example.
Today, I went by metro. And I'm ok.
Has people's reaction changed since December 11?
Unfortunately, it did.
A friend of mine said that at her work young people have started discussing
how they would like to get even with the newcomers, ignoring her presence.
Some people say that newcomers should be deported or beaten up.
Some girls of non-Russian origin were beaten up in the metro.
The situation has become calmer now.
Caucasophobia has risen in comparison to the level of 2008-2009.
We should undertake some actions, draw closer and unite.
You are organizing the Festival of the Peoples of the Caucasus.
Are you inviting anybody else apart from people from expatriat' communities to visit the festival?
Yes, we've also invited members of various youth organizations.
Everyone is welcome.
Nowadays, the Caucasus is represented by the criminal news on TV, unlike in the era of the USSR.
We'd like our festival to help break down this barrier.