November 3, 2024, Rome The war unleashed by the Kremlin on February 24, 2022, against Ukraine has revealed the true nature of the so-called “Russian World.” The Kremlin continues to view itself as an empire, refusing to grant freedom not only to the peoples within the Russian Federation but also to the former Soviet republics that remain under its influence. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have secured their safety by joining NATO, while Ukraine has been heroically defending itself for 2 years and 8 months. Putin has introduced wartime laws in Russia and is mobilizing hundreds of thousands of citizens, including representatives of indigenous peoples, who are being used as “cannon fodder.” Democratic countries around the world support Ukraine, and the Kremlin’s defeat is only a matter of time. What will happen after Putin’s defeat?What fate awaits the peoples and ethnic groups of the Russian Federation? Will the former Soviet republics achieve full freedom? The answers to these questions depend on our joint efforts. I appeal to opposition politicians in Russia, representatives of the indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation, and political leaders of the former Soviet republics — Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. The Kremlin is our common enemy. As long as it exists, it will not allow anyone to live in peace. What must be done? Ukraine seeks to restore its 1991 borders and does not aim to capture Moscow. However, the goal of the peoples of Russia and the former Soviet republics should be clear — the disintegration of the Russian Federation, similar to the collapse of the USSR. New independent republics must emerge in place of Russia, founded by the indigenous peoples who will reclaim their lands and their future. Who are the Russians, and what is the Russian Federation? The Russian Federation is the legal successor of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), not the USSR, as Kremlin propaganda claims. The RSFSR arose from the ruins of the Russian Empire, which in turn grew out of the remnants of the Golden Horde. The history of the “Russian World” is a history of conquest, subjugation, and assimilation of indigenous peoples. Initially, these people were referred to as “Rusy” — a Turkic word meaning “people without kinship.” This term later gave rise to the word “Russian,” highlighting its artificial origin. How did Russia take shape? Since the 13th century, the Golden Horde controlled vast territories in Siberia, the Volga region, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. Moscow was founded in 1272 as an ulus — a tax-collection outpost for the Horde’s khans. After the collapse of the Golden Horde, the Moscow ulus began to consolidate power over neighboring lands, gradually transforming into the Grand Duchy of Moscow and later into the Tsardom of Russia. Conquests and colonization were continuous processes. By the 1590s, the territory of the Grand Duchy of Moscow had grown 13-fold — from 430,000 km² to 6 million km². Through fire and sword, Moscow subdued neighboring regions and indigenous peoples, imposing religious, cultural, and linguistic dominance. People were stripped of their historical memory, assimilated, and turned into “Russians.” What happened under the Romanovs? In 1613, the German Romanov dynasty came to power in Moscow and ruled for 300 years, intensifying German influence on governance. During this period, indigenous lands were distributed to German colonists and Western settlers. In 1763, Catherine the Great issued a manifesto allowing foreigners (except Jews) to settle on Russian lands. These settlers received tax exemptions, land, and interest-free loans. By the 19th century, there were over 500,000 so-called “Russian Germans” who actively participated in the country’s economy and industry. Meanwhile, the indigenous peoples of Siberia, the Volga region, and the Caucasus continued to live under conditions akin to serfdom. Serfdom and the Genocide of Indigenous Peoples At the time of the abolition of serfdom in 1861, more than one-third of the population in central Russia were serfs (slaves). In contrast, serfdom did not exist in the Baltic states, Poland, Siberia, the North Caucasus, or Central Asia. This means that genuine slavery was introduced specifically for Russians and the inhabitants of central Russia. What happened after the Romanovs? In 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power. With Lenin’s rise, a new era of terror began. By abolishing the ruling class (nobles, entrepreneurs, and officials), the Bolsheviks destroyed the country’s economy and eliminated any signs of private initiative. Power shifted to dilettantes and uneducated political adventurers. By the 1930s, under Stalin’s leadership, the Bolsheviks unleashed mass repression, exterminating opponents within the party and beyond. Terror spread to all social strata, and many indigenous peoples faced forced deportation. Internal political struggles within the regime cemented the Kremlin’s tradition of using political assassinations to eliminate rivals. Conclusion The Russian Federation is an artificial project, a continuation of the imperial legacy of the Golden Horde and the Romanovs. The destruction of the Russian Federation as an empire is a key objective for all indigenous peoples living on its territory, as well as for the countries that have suffered from its aggression. Ukraine’s victory will create a unique window of opportunity for the peoples of the Russian Federation to achieve freedom and independence. Today’s Kremlin is a criminal clan. As long as it exists, none of us can feel safe. What needs to be done? Final Word Russia must disappear, just as the USSR did. In its place, new, free, and independent states governed by indigenous peoples must emerge. These changes can only happen after the Kremlin’s defeat. No one can achieve this alone, but together we can destroy the mafia empire. Victory is ours! Yerzhan Turgumbay, blogger, politician, +39 377 083 27 83