Russia's State Of Hate
Russia has had a tumultuous 15 years since the Soviet Union imploded but things are looking better for many people. The economy is growing quickly and most Russians have more money in their pockets.
But there is a very nasty undercurrent pulling at the fabric of society. Sky News Moscow Correspondent Alex Rossi reports.
Lawlessness and corruption are rife and politically the country seems to be turning away from democracy. This is manifesting itself in many ways but one of the most disturbing is the rise of the Far Right.
In the Duma - the lower legislative chamber and one of the arenas of mainstream politics - some politicians freely make inflammatory remarks about the immigrant population. On the streets it is even more insidious.
Extremists train with knives
Everyday someone in Russia is killed or seriously beaten because of the colour of their skin. The police often do nothing. Human Rights groups blame a combination of laziness, corruption and a nascent racism, which they claim, runs through the veins of all of Russia's institutions.
The effect of this state of hate leaves a very bitter taste for observers inside and outside the country. We met with Karamat - an immigrant from Tajikistan, who had come to Russia to study. He showed us some CCTV footage of the moment his cousin - a labourer - was kicked to death by Neo-Nazi thugs.
The story is heartbreaking. He had travelled to Russia to work in the booming construction industry to make money for his wedding. Instead he was killed in an act of racial hatred.
Websites promote far right groups
Unfortunately the murder is not an isolated case. Neo-Nazi groups are becoming more assertive and threatening. They openly use the internet to spread their message; posting videos they have filmed of themselves attacking immigrants. Their actions frequently go unchecked and unchallenged.
We tracked down one of the most prominent underground Far Right groups in the country. Their headquarters is a gym in an old Soviet apartment block on the outskirts of Moscow. It smelt of stale sweat.
We were met by Sergei, who claimed he was an ex-soldier. He was flanked by Maxim, a block of man, whose knuckles were covered with scars. I asked him why his hands were so damaged. He looked at me and then Sky's cameraman - a Georgian - before saying with a menacing smile: "From attacking people like your camera operator."
They then showed us how they trained with knives and spat out their philosophy on race and life. Much of it was stolen directly from the pages of Mein Kampf.
In some ways it was hard to take what they were saying seriously - I frequently had to remind myself that they really did believe in racial purity and ethnic cleansing.
After we'd finished filming we left quickly with a muted thank you and goodbye. I think the meeting and the historical narrative they had chosen to follow had shocked us all.
Skynews
