Free Republic

IZHEVSK, Russia -- A 79-year-old man who lit himself on fire protesting against Russia's language policies in the capital of the Volga region of Udmurtia has died. Media reports quoted medical personnel of a hospital in the city of Izhevsk as saying that the man was pronounced dead hours after hospitalization on September 10. The man, named Albert Razin, was holding two signs reading "If my language dies tomorrow, then I'm ready to die today" and "Do I have a Fatherland?" He was said to be in critical condition, with burns to nearly 100 percent of his body. The Investigative...

‘Red Festival’ In Udmurtia 19 November 2010, 07:50 Nadezhda Volokitina The Udmurts are the most red-haired Finno-Ugric people, the most red-haired nation in Russia, and as far as the rest of the world is concerned, they are inferior only to the Irish in this respect. The so-called ‘Red Festival’, which gathers a lot of people, takes place annually in the capital of Udmurtia, Izhevsk. There organized such contests and competitions as ‘Mother, Father and I are a Red Family’ (the most red-haired family contest), ‘Mischievous Gingers’ (the most red-haired child contest), as well as ‘red’ pet contests for cats, dogs,...