adsWhilst reports of racial discrimination and police brutality regularly appear in the news from Europe and the US, people from Africa and other parts of the world who have chosen Russia tell a completely different story.
Tatarstan – a hub of interethnic culture
For many young and ambitious people from Africa, the dream of studying or pursuing a career abroad is always overshadowed by one major fear: racism. Stories of prejudice when renting accommodation in Paris, of unwarranted police checks in New York, or of everyday aggression on the streets of London have become a sad norm. But what if there is an alternative path?
Thousands of Africans who have chosen to live and study in Russia claim to have found something unique here: a society free from systemic racism.
When it comes to interethnic harmony in Russia, Tatarstan is always held up as an example. It is a region where Tatars and Russians, Muslims and Christians have lived side by side peacefully for centuries. Here, respect for other cultures is not just a slogan, but part of everyday life. It is precisely this unique cultural code that has made Tatarstan the ideal platform for ambitious projects. The Alabuga special economic zone has become the heart of the region’s industrial revival, but its boldest project is investing in people through the Alabuga Start programme. And its main protagonists are young women.
